Global gold demand soared in the fourth quarter of 2021 as inflation rocketed, helping to recoup much of the drop triggered by the pandemic, industry data showed Friday.

France’s economy grew at its fastest pace since 1969 last year, official data showed Friday, enjoying a strong rebound from coronavirus lockdowns fuelled in part by massive government support.

The China Securities and Regulatory Commission (CSRC) met this week with executives at top western banks and asset managers to reassure them about the country’s economic prospects after regulatory crackdowns in 2021, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

Myanmar’s economy will remain critically weak for much of 2022 and will be “severely tested” by the impacts of a coup a year ago, but there are recent signs of stabilisation in manufacturing and exports, according to the World Bank.

Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Officer David Solomon’s total compensation for 2021 will be $35 million, the bank said on Friday.

US stocks maintained gains Wednesday even after the Federal Reserve signaled an interest rate hike could be coming soon, while tension between Russia and Ukraine pushed oil prices to highs not seen since 2014.

The US trade deficit in goods widened to a record high in December as imports increased for a fifth straight month amid strong domestic demand, suggesting that trade likely remained a drag on economic growth in the fourth quarter.

The German government on Wednesday lowered its economic growth forecast for 2022 as an Omicron-fuelled surge in coronavirus cases holds back Europe’s industrial powerhouse.

Brexit hurt two-way trade between the European Union and Britain, with the auto, textile and aviation sectors the worst hit, the French economy ministry said Thursday.

The World Trade Organization on Wednesday handed a fresh victory to China, permitting it to slap duties on $645 million worth of US imports per year, in a long-running anti-dumping dispute with Washington.

Apple reclaimed its position as the top smartphone seller in China after six years, clocking a record market share in the final quarter of 2021 as US sanctions hit rival Huawei, according to researchers.

Dubai’s largest bank, Emirates NBD, announced Wednesday that its net profits jumped in 2021, as the economy of the Gulf city state rebounded following a slump due to coronavirus.

Microsoft beat market expectations Tuesday with strong quarterly performance in cloud computing and software, still benefitting from the pandemic’s online shifting of work, play, shopping and learning.

General Motors announced Tuesday plans to invest $7 billion in the US state of Michigan as it converts assembly plants and builds batteries for the transition to electric vehicles (EV).

The Federal Reserve’s first policy meeting of the year hasn’t even concluded but Wall Street already is unhappy, wary of what central bank chief Jerome Powell might say on Wednesday about his inflation-fighting plans.

Singapore’s state investment fund Temasek is acquiring a British tech firm that tests materials in a wide range of industries to ensure they are sustainable, in a deal reportedly worth $7 billion.

The US Commerce Department said Tuesday a global survey of semiconductor chip producers and users shows a shortage will persist, sparked primarily by wafer production capacity constraints.

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is creating an obstacle course for the global economy, which will slow growth this year, notably in the world’s two largest economies, the IMF said Tuesday.

Oil rose towards $89 a barrel on Wednesday, within sight of a seven-year high, supported by tight supply and geopolitical tensions in Europe and the Middle East that raise concerns about further disruption.

South Korea’s economy grew in 2021 at the fastest pace for 11 years thanks to robust exports and strong activity in the service sector, the central bank said Tuesday.