Business

Toyota has invested $394 million in Joby Aviation, a Californian aerospace company developing an all-electric, six-rotor flying taxi. The vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft aims to revolutionize urban transportation, with Toyota's CEO Akio Toyoda expressing excitement about expanding mobility options to the sky.

Amid ongoing pro-democracy protests, Cathay Pacific Airways is offering up to one month of unpaid leave to its 27,000 employees. The airline faces reduced flight schedules and a boycott from mainland Chinese passengers, particularly affecting pilots and cabin crew from Cathay Dragon.

Pinterest has surpassed Snapchat in US user numbers, reaching 82.4 million users in 2019 with a 9% growth rate. The platform offers a universal appeal across different age groups, positioning itself as a versatile virtual bulletin board for sharing and discovering interesting visual content.

Amazon has reinstated FedEx's ground and home delivery services for its third-party sellers after temporarily suspending the courier during the 2019 holiday season. Following the lift of the ban, FedEx shares increased by 3%, and the company expressed commitment to providing excellent service to Seller Fulfilled Prime merchants.

Tesco's plan to sell its Asian operations in Thailand and Malaysia may be complicated by new government regulations. The Thai Trade Competition Commission warns that potential buyers must secure authorization if their purchase would result in controlling over 50% of the retail market, potentially impacting the $10 billion deal's completion.

US President Donald Trump and China's Vice Premier Liu He signed a long-awaited trade deal, promising fair trade and committing China to purchase $200 billion in additional American goods by next year, with provisions for intellectual property protection.

The Philippine government has imposed a total ban on deploying overseas Filipino workers to Iraq following escalating Middle East tensions. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III signed a resolution stopping all worker processing and deployment, with the Foreign Affairs Department ordering mandatory repatriation of OFWs in the region.

BlackRock's Larry Fink argues that climate change is a defining factor for companies' long-term prospects. The world's largest asset manager with nearly $7 trillion in investments plans to shift investment policies based on environmental sustainability, signaling a potential transformation in global finance.

India's recent policy change restricting refined palm oil imports from Malaysia could significantly disrupt trade relations. The move, seemingly linked to diplomatic tensions, may force Indian importers to seek alternative sources like Indonesia's crude palm oil, potentially causing financial strain for Malaysian refiners and reshaping regional palm oil trade patterns.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, an India-born American citizen, commented on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), calling it "sad and bad." His remarks about immigrants and the new law triggered mixed reactions, with pro-government supporters challenging his perspective on the legislation.