San Francisco / AFP US online giant Amazon has reported profits doubled in the past quarter, as it attracted more customers with video and other services, but the results missed Wall Street forecasts. Amazon shares dived more than 13 percent to $551 in after-hours trade on the results, which showed a fourth-quarter profit of $482 million, up from a $214 ...

Moscow / Bloomberg Russians already suffering from surging costs for imported food as the ruble slumps are paying near record prices even for local wheat. Farm-gate prices in southern Russia, the main grower of the grain for export, climbed as high as 11,800 rubles ($150) for a metric ton of fourth-grade milling wheat by January 25, according to Igor Pavensky, ...

Washington / Bloomberg There’s been endless speculation in recent weeks about whether the US, and the whole world for that matter, are about to sink into recession. Underpinning much of the angst is an unprecedented $29 trillion corporate bond binge that has left many companies more indebted than ever.Whether this debt overhang proves to be a catalyst for recession or ...