Silicon Valley’s biggest firms strongly reacted to US President Donald Trump’s travel ban. They argue that tech world needs immigrants’ creativity and energy to stay competitive. About 58 percent of the engineers and other high-skill employees in Silicon Valley were born outside the US. Hence it is nature that tech giants are against the travel ban. Though the tech …

  When the International Monetary Fund’s board met on Monday to discuss Greece, it was heartening to read that “most Executive Directors” agreed with the staff’s view that the country’s debt, at 179 percent of gross domestic product at the end of 2015, was “unsustainable.” Yet “some directors had different views on the fiscal path and debt sustainability.” This division …

  The Reserve Bank of India has not exactly covered itself in glory since Nov. 8, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi sprung the news on a startled nation that 86 percent of its currency would be worthless within a few hours. The central bank’s refusal to release up-to-date data about the demonetization, its constant stream of confusing and contradictory orders …

  President Donald Trump is right about one thing: The US trade deficit with the rest of the world — which topped $500 billion last year — is unhealthy. It puts upward pressure on U.S. unemployment that can only be countered with policies that lead to rising debt. It doesn’t follow, however, that the worst culprits are always the countries …

  Bloomberg Poor fourth-quarter earnings from two United Arab Emirates companies weighed on stock markets there on Thursday while Kuwait pulled back in another day of volatile trade. Dubai’s index fell 1.2 percent to 3,683 points, retreating from major technical resistance at 3,737-38 points, the peaks in January. Air Arabia slumped 8.6 percent in unusually heavy trade after it made …

  Bloomberg Japanese equities slid ahead of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Friday meeting with US President Donald Trump, offsetting a rally in Greater China shares to lead Asia stocks lower. “Japanese stocks are consolidating after the yen strengthened, while investors wait for more geopolitical catalysts,” said Nicholas Teo, a trading strategist at KGI Securities Pte. in Singapore. Japan’s Topix fell …

  Bloomberg US stocks advanced as oil’s rise above $53 a barrel lifted energy producers before key reports from OPEC and the International Energy Agency. The dollar continued to churn in place, while Treasuries halted the longest rally in eight months. The S&P 500 Index edged within points of an all-time high, while equities in Europe rallied after solid results …

  Bloomberg Boeing Co. won orders for 39 wide-body aircraft from Singapore Airlines Ltd. as Southeast Asia’s biggest long-distance carrier upgrades its fleet over the next decade with more fuel-efficient models in an effort to cut costs. The airline agreed to buy 20 777-9s, which are set to debut at the decade’s end, and 19 787-10s, the longest Dreamliner model, …

  Bloomberg Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA said it has chosen the first two U.S. bases for the trans-Atlantic flights it plans to introduce later this year using Boeing Co. 737 single-aisle planes. The discount airline will serve one airport north of New York City and another south of Boston, Chief Executive Officer Bjorn Kjos said at a briefing in Brussels. …

  ADDIS ABABA / Reuters Ethiopian Airlines’ chief executive said that a US order temporarily halting immigration from seven Muslim-majority states was creating confusion for passengers but was not having much impact overall on its operations. Tewolde Gebremariam also said the airline’s revenue rose 10.3 percent to 54.5 billion birr ($2.43 billion) in the 2015/16 fiscal year, while passenger numbers …