Qatar will invest up to $13 billion in major infrastructure projects next year despite a slump in revenues resulting from low energy prices, the Gulf state's finance minister said on Tuesday.

The publicity-shy heads of South Korea's largest conglomerates faced their worst nightmare on Tuesday, as they were publicly grilled about possible corrupt practices before an audience of millions.

Tanzania plans to revamp its cash-strapped national carrier by buying new planes as part of plans to boost tourism and transport sectors, Tanzanian President John Magufuli said on Monday.

Global companies that produce and use commodities such as palm oil and soy are moving too slowly to cut deforestation, suggesting international goals to protect forests will not be met, groups that monitor business efforts said on Monday.

Euro zone business activity grew at its quickest pace this year in November and firms, which benefited from a weaker euro, raised prices faster than at any time in five years, a survey found on Monday.

South Korea lawmakers on Monday kicked off an unprecedented series of hearings that will see the country's business elite grilled over a corruption scandal engulfing impeachment-threatened President Park Geun-Hye.

The fate of key Italian banks was up in the air Monday as investors feared that Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's resignation will threaten their recapitalisation plans.

BMW will test autonomous vehicles in Munich next year as it seeks to keep up with ride-hailing firms like Uber, which have spent billions on pay-per-use personal transport.

India is giving priority to moving toward a natural gas-based economy and efforts must be made to raise local production of the fuel while also creating infrastructure to import it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told an energy conference on Monday.

The amount of money spent on advertising on social media is set to catch up with newspaper ad revenues by 2020, a leading forecaster said on Monday.

Japan's Panasonic Corp is in talks to buy European automotive light maker ZKW Group, accelerating its push into the automotive electronics market, a person familiar with the matter said.

A long-delayed trading link between the exchanges of Hong Kong and Shenzhen in China made a disappointing debut Monday, with markets on both sides of the border ending lower.

Iraq's private banks are pinning hope on the oil-rich government to bring back into the black their balance sheets severely affected by Islamic State's take over of parts of the country.

Hackers stole more than 2 billion rubles ($31 million) from correspondent accounts at the Russian central bank, the bank said on Friday, the latest example of an escalation of cyber attacks on financial institutions around the globe.

China's wealthiest shoppers are spending at home again, roused from a three-year slumber by a weaker yuan, lower prices and a crackdown on overseas sales agents - a welcome boost for the world's luxury brands.

Egypt has sharply raised customs duties on more than 300 goods, to 60 percent for many items, to encourage domestic production and curb a ballooning trade deficit, part of a broader government effort to reform the ailing economy.

As protesters march through Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul, the centre stage of huge weekly demonstrations calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down, nearby restaurants hustle to prepare for a busy night.

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's plan to launch a new national sales tax next April got a jolt on Saturday after a two-day meeting with state officials ended without the resolution of a deadlock on who would administer the tax.

Apple Inc is wading in to the debate over regulation of self-driving cars, declaring it is excited about the potential for automated transportation and calling on US regulators not to restrict testing of such vehicles.

President-elect Donald Trump named Wall Street veteran Steven Mnuchin for Treasury secretary Wednesday, filling key slots on his economic team even as he announced plans to leave his businesses to avoid any conflict of interest.