South Korean MPs were expected to ban Apple and Google from forcing app developers to use the tech giants’ payment systems on Tuesday, effectively declaring their lucrative App Store and Play Store monopolies illegal.

Alphabet Inc’s Google unit, Facebook Inc and Microsoft Corp are the three biggest lobbying spenders in Europe in a battle against tough new laws aimed at curbing US tech giants’ powers, a study released on Tuesday showed.

China’s businesses and the broader economy came under increasing pressure in August as factory activity expanded at a slower pace while the services sector slumped into contraction, raising the likelihood of more near-term policy support to boost growth. 

Australia’s economy was likely already slowing before wide-scale coronavirus restrictions shuttered swathes of business and jobs, setting the stage for a vicious contraction this quarter.

The French government has extended 240 billion euros ($283 billion) in financial aid to businesses hammered by the coronavirus pandemic since March 2020, mainly in the form of state-guaranteed loans, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced Monday.

Singapore must stay open to preserve its status as a global business hub, its prime minister said on Sunday, even as the country continues to tighten its foreign worker policies and addresses anxieties among locals over competition for jobs.

Growth in China’s factory activity likely cooled further in August, a Reuters poll showed on Monday, as Covid-related restrictions and high raw material prices continued to pressure manufacturers and the economy lost momentum. 

The Australian government is considering new laws that would tighten the regulation of digital payment services by tech giants such as Apple and Alphabet’s Google.

France will turn off the fire-hose of aid to help businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic, instead directing funds where most needed, the government’s accounts chief said on Sunday.

China’s graft watchdog on Monday called for stricter supervision of restaurants that chase rapid success online after a series of food safety scandals, as regulators continue to ramp up pressure on social media and the tech sector.

World stocks hovered around record highs on Monday, confident the US Federal Reserve is no rush to step away from massive stimulus, while oil prices fell as Hurricane Ida weakened after forcing precautionary shutdowns of US Gulf oil production.

Britain’s government has rejected calls from retail and logistics companies to temporarily ease post-Brexit immigration rules which they say are contributing to a shortage of truck drivers and acute supply chain disruption.

For many affluent young Chinese consumers, modern simplicity is out and tradition is back in when it comes to jewellery.

India attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of $22.53 billion during the first three months of the fiscal year starting on April 1, 90 per cent higher than the April-June period last year, the government said on Saturday.

US consumer spending slowed in July as a decline in motor vehicle purchases due to shortages offset a rise in outlays on services, supporting views that economic growth will moderate in the third quarter amid a resurgence in Covid-19 infections.

Toyota Motor said on Friday it had suspended all self-driving e-Palette transportation pods at the Tokyo Paralympic Games village, a day after one of the vehicles collided with and injured a visually impaired pedestrian. 

Indian Oil Corp is expanding its joint venture with Malaysia’s state-run Petronas to include building liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, fuel retailing and gas distribution, Chairman SM Vaidya said on Friday.

 Canada has joined Mexico in seeking formal consultation with the United States over the interpretation of content rules for automobiles set out in the North American trade pact, Mexico and Canada said on Friday. 

Cuban entrepreneurs, running businesses ranging from selling dried fruit to repairing bikes and developing software, are scrambling to understand the opportunities and challenges ahead after a landmark change in the rules governing the Communist-run economy.

Britain aims to conclude negotiations to join the trans-Pacific trade group by the end of 2022, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing International Trade Secretary Liz Truss.