Engagement ring sales are down sharply, according to America’s biggest jeweler

New York CNN — It seems to be a turbulent time for retailers who cater to couples in love. On the heels of David’s Bridal, the largest seller of wedding dresses declaring bankruptcy last week, another big seller of symbols of enduring love, like…

Another FirstCaribbean sale blocked

FirstCaribbean International Bank Limited's (FCIB) sale of its St Kitts operation has fallen through as the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) decided not to grant final approval for the transaction. FCIB had announced in October 2021 that it was…

Facebook owner Meta sees latest layoffs begin

Facebook owner Meta has started notifying staff who are losing jobs in the wave of 10,000 job cuts the social media company announced last month. Boss Mark Zuckerberg had said the layoffs are key to making the company more efficient. Meta, which…

Government not worried about investors invoking Belize-UK treaty

The Belize government says it remains confident despite a move by the British Caribbean Bank Limited and Prize Investment Holdings Limited to invoke the bilateral investment treaty between Belize and the United Kingdom over Belmopan’s rejection of…

IMF says it is working “hard” to resume programme with Suriname

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Thursday said it has been working very hard” with Suriname, and hopes to send a mission to the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country as soon as possible. The acting director of the IMF Western…

Russian rouble falls to lowest value for a year

The Russian rouble has fallen to its lowest value for a year, since shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. The currency slid to 82 roubles against the US dollar on Friday morning on the Moscow Stock Exchange (MOEX). Russia has been hit with massive…

Oil price surges

Oil prices have surged after several of the world's largest exporters announced surprise cuts in production. The price of Brent crude oil is trading close to $85 a barrel after jumping by almost 6%. Economists warned that higher oil prices could…

Italy temporarily blocks ChatGPT over privacy concerns

ROME (AP) — Italy is temporarily blocking the artificial intelligence software ChatGPT in the wake of a data breach as it investigates a possible violation of stringent European Union data protection rules, the government’s privacy watchdog said…

US raises interest rates

The US central bank has raised interest rates again, despite fears that the move could add to financial turmoil after a string of recent bank failures. The Federal Reserve increased its key rate by 0.25 percentage points and said more action could…

Stocks rebound as US and UK seek to calm investors

Stock markets around the world have bounced back after the US and UK governments again reassured markets about banks' stability. Investors have recently been unnerved by a string of bank failures. But US stock markets were higher after Treasury…