Stock markets mostly rose Tuesday as news that Donald Trump's team will now work with Joe Biden ahead of his inauguration built on optimism that vaccines could soon be rolled out around the world.

A wave of mergers is sweeping across the Spanish banking sector as lenders face up to a pandemic-induced recession, ultralow interest rates and growing competition from financial technology startups.

China will consider joining a free trade pact once championed by the U.S. but abandoned by Donald Trump, President Xi Jinping said, as Beijing increasingly seeks to influence the global rules of commerce.

Britain's finance minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday warned that the British economy was under "enormous strain" because of the coronavirus, ahead of a government spending review next week

G20 leaders will pledge to "spare no effort" in ensuring fair distribution of coronavirus vaccines worldwide, and reaffirm support for debt-laden poor countries, according to a draft communique seen by AFP Sunday.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday made a rare appearance at a virtual Asia-Pacific summit, touting his commitment to work towards "peace and prosperity" in the region, as China's Xi Jinping used the forum to counter American protectionism.

Airlines need up to another $80 billion to survive, the head of the industry's trade association told a French daily on Friday, as many countries tighten restrictions to confront another wave of coronavirus infections.

Stocks mostly retreated Thursday as a global rally fuelled by vaccine optimism petered out owing to the brutal reality of surging infections that are forcing fresh lockdowns and threatening to shock the global economy again.

Poland and Hungary toughened their rhetoric on Wednesday in a row that is blocking the European Union's long-term budget and coronavirus rescue on the eve of a summit in Brussels.

U.S. regulators on Wednesday cleared the Boeing 737 MAX to return to the skies, ending its 20-month grounding after two fatal crashes that plunged the company into crisis.