BUSINESS

Sat in a soggy field and strapped into a virtual reality headset, Ukrainian soldier Igor was piloting a military drone test flight using a small control panel in his hands.

The US state of New Mexico filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing Facebook and Instagram of being a "breeding ground" for predators who target children.

McDonald's announced an aggressive expansion roadmap Wednesday to reach 50,000 restaurants worldwide by 2027, in the fastest growth plan in brand history.

Large US banks railed against new proposed capital requirements at a congressional hearing Wednesday, joining Senate Republicans in casting the measures as crimping loans to everyday Americans.

Canada's central bank on Wednesday held its key lending rate at five percent, citing the global economic slowdown and easing inflation.

The US trade deficit continued to grow in October due to a fall in exports, according to government data published Wednesday.

Google on Wednesday infused its Bard chatbot with a new-generation artificial intelligence model called Gemini, which it touts as being able to reason better than ChatGPT and other rivals.

Hiring in the US private sector eased in November, as the post-pandemic boom in restaurant and hotel employment moderated, payroll firm ADP said Wednesday.

US-based streaming platform Twitch said Wednesday it would stop its service in South Korea in February because of "seriously high" network costs, dealing a blow to millions of users in one of the heartlands of e-sports.

Britain on Wednesday announced a fresh round of sanctions against Russia's "war machine" in Ukraine, as David Cameron headed to Washington for his first visit as foreign secretary.

Israeli forces battled Hamas militants in Gaza's main southern city on Wednesday in some of the most intense combat of the two-month-old war sparked by the October 7 attacks.

Asian stocks rose Wednesday after a tepid start to the week as data pointing to a softening US labour market restoked hopes the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in the new year.

Hundreds of staff at The Washington Post, one of America's most storied newspapers, will walk off the job for 24 hours Thursday, their union announced, slamming the company for refusing to negotiate a contract "in good faith."

The United States said Tuesday it would refuse visas for extremist Israeli settlers behind a wave of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, as it also asked Israel to do more to spare civilians in Gaza.

Released under a prisoner-hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas, former Palestinian detainees have described beatings, deprivation and a radical deterioration in conditions in Israeli jails following Hamas's bloody October 7 attacks.

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen warned Tuesday, ahead of an annual EU-China summit, that Europe won't tolerate its soaring trade imbalance with China forever.

Thousands of Italians paid their last respects Tuesday to a university student killed by her ex-boyfriend, a case that has triggered nationwide grief and rage at violence against women.

Wall Street was pleased with Ulta's financial results, sending its shares 11% higher Friday to $474 per share. Lila Margalit of Placer.ai thinks Ulta is in the right place at the right time with a suitable value proposition.

Hugh & Grace's aim is to protect its customers from hormone-disrupting chemicals that they may be exposed to, knowingly or unknowingly. The new homecare line uses only natural ingredients.

Food service staff rarely build lasting relationships or memories with their customers. They often serve strangers who have little appreciation for their hard work. WOLFoods, an institutional food service operator that specializes in summer camps and retreat centers, is trying to change that.

Stocks fell Tuesday, extending the sell-off seen on Wall Street, with analysts warning November's rally fuelled by bets on interest rate cuts may have gone too far, forcing traders to take a step back.

The demand for ESG and sustainability professionals is booming, but finding talent is difficult. However, working with recruitment agencies specializing in the industry can mitigate these problems.

Fans around the world exploded with excitement Monday when Rockstar Games released the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI -- the most hotly anticipated game of the decade.

Israeli troops battled Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday after expanding their offensive deeper into the besieged territory, with warnings that an "even more hellish scenario" was unfolding for trapped civilians.

In a video game industry known for cranking out sequels, Rockstar Games has cashed in big by making "Grand Theft Auto" fans painfully wait for their next fix of the shoot 'em up blockbuster.

Banque Pictet et Cie will pay nearly $123 million under a deferred prosecution agreement in which the private bank admitted to helping US taxpayers evade $50.6 million in taxes, US officials announced Monday.

The US Supreme Court appeared divided on Monday as it heard a challenge to Purdue Pharma's $6 billion opioids settlement immunizing the Sackler family that controlled the drugmaker from future litigation.

Ravaged forests, flooded towns and dead dolphins: after nearly two years of war in Ukraine, experts say environmental damage is becoming an "enormous" tragedy that will affect generations to come.

Britain's embattled Conservative government unveiled a raft of measures Monday aimed at cracking down on record levels of migration -- a key battleground in a general election expected next year.