China’s central bank announced Wednesday it was cutting the reserve requirements for banks, freeing up about $114 billion to boost lending and spur the slowing economy. The People’s Bank of China will cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) on January 6 by 50 basis points, it said in a statement, reducing the amount of cash […]

The daughter of former Angolan president Jose Eduardo dos Santos has denied allegations of financial irregularities after a court froze her bank accounts, calling the claims “politically motivated”. Isabel dos Santos — nicknamed Africa’s wealthiest woman — is under investigation for alleged irregularities involving state companies including the OPEC nation’s giant state oil company Sonangol. […]

The head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, Pope Francis, had to pull himself away from a woman in a crowd in St Peter’s Square on Tuesday after she grabbed his hand and yanked him toward her. The pope was on Tuesday was greeting pilgrims on his way to see the […]

Algeria’s richest man Issad Rebrab walked free on time served early Wednesday after a court sentenced him to six months for tax, banking and customs offences. Prosecutors had sought a one-year prison sentence for the 74-year-old head of Algeria’s biggest privately owned conglomerate Cevital, who was one of several tycoons arrested in April as part […]

Hong Kong police fired tear gas a few minutes into 2020 as pro-democracy protesters marked the New Year with midnight countdown rallies and a massive march planned for January 1. The city has been battered by more than six months of unrest with marches attended by millions, as well as confrontations in which police have […]