FCMB records n14.34bn profit after tax

The alcohol sector is lobbying against potential tax hikes in Vietnam, while the government's ear is being bent. But at what cost to public health?

French and German prosecutors and investigators conducted searches in and around the French capital. Financial prosecutors say the raid focused on dividend stripping.

French financial prosecutors on Tuesday raided several of France's biggest banks, including Société Générale and BNP Paribas, as part of a multicountry investigation into what authorities say is one of Europe's biggest tax thefts.

US lawmakers say the embattled bank Credit Suisse has violated the terms of a plea deal, related to tax evasion. A two-year investigation suggests the lender has continued to conceal the bank accounts of wealthy Americans. Meanwhile, UBS has brought back former CEO Sergio Ermotti to lead its takeover of Credit Suisse.

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Since Russia invaded Ukraine, governments have spent much more on defense and weapons. That is good news for the defense industry. But windfall taxes are not on the agenda.

The Korean tech giant owed the slump in profits to weakened demand for memory chips, as the end of lockdown diminished previous demand for new computers and smartphones.

Toyota on Wednesday said it expects operating profit to climb 10% this business year, with a five-fold jump in pure electric vehicle sales, amid an easing in global supply chain disruption from a shortage of chips.

African farmers are benefiting as consumer goods giants like Unilever try to source more of their raw materials on the continent.

Kenyan police fired tear gas at hundreds of people protesting near parliament on Tuesday against a proposed finance bill that would hike taxes on fuel and housing.

Police used teargas to disperse protests in the Nairobi and Mombasa. Kenyan opposition have called for the protests to condemn new taxes amid a severe cost-of-living crisis.

A man is shot dead as opposition-led protests turn violent in Kenya, all in response to President William Ruto's new nationwide tax hikes. We also head to the Tunisian town of Sfax, where conditions are worsening and help is absent as migrants and locals clash amidst accusations of racism. Finally, there's a new crime plaguing the streets of South Africa, where kidnapping numbers have soared in a country already gripped by a security crisis.