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A visual representation of the digital Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, displayed on December 23, 2017 in Paris, France.Chesnot | Getty ImagesLONDON — Britain is making a fresh pitch to become a global crypto hub, but faces a tough road ahead amid criticism from local entrepreneurs and U.S. competition under President-elect Donald Trump.Britain's Labour government has committed to making the country an accommodative environment for businesses engaged in crypto and blockchain-related activities.In a recent speech, U.K. Economic Secretary to the Treasury Tulip Siddiq said the government aims to engage firms on draft legal provisions for digital assets including stablecoins — tokens pegged to the value of sovereign currencies — "as early as possible next year."She also said the government wouldn't ap...

France's Prime Minister Michel Barnier ponders during a session of questions to the government at the National Assembly in Paris, on December 3, 2024.Julien De Rosa | Afp | Getty ImagesThe French government once again stands on the brink of collapse, after Prime Minister Michel Barnier refused to bend to demands from right and left parties to make further concessions on the country's budget plans.He now faces a no-confidence vote on Wednesday afternoon, which he is nearly certain to lose.Meanwhile, the German government is already on track for a snap election early next year, with its own no-confidence vote set to take place in the next few weeks.Even in the U.K., Prime Minister Kier Starmer and Finance Minister Rachel Reeves are under pressure just five months into the job, with disputes ...

A man holds the South Korea flag outside the National Assembly in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law. South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3 declared emergency martial law, saying the step was necessary to protect the country from "communist forces" amid parliamentary wrangling over a budget bill. Anthony Wallace | Afp | Getty ImagesSouth Korean stocks fell in a volatile trading session Wednesday amid political upheaval that saw President Yoon Suk Yeol reverse a surprise martial law decree that he imposed hours earlier.Minutes before the markets opened, Kim Byung-hwan, vice-minister of economy and finance, said the regulator was ready to deploy 10 trillion won ($7.07 billion) to stabilize the stock market "at any time," loca...

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger speaks while holding a new chip, called Gaudi 3, during an event called AI Everywhere in New York, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. Seth Wenig | APIntel shares fell 6% on Tuesday, a day after the embattled chipmaker announced the ouster of CEO Pat Gelsinger, whose four-year tenure was marred by market share losses and a major miss in artificial intelligence.The stock had its worst day since early September and has lost more than half its value this year.Intel said Monday that CFO David Zinsner and Intel products CEO MJ Holthaus would serve as interim co-CEOs while the board and a search committee "work diligently and expeditiously to find a permanent successor to Gelsinger." Longtime board member Frank Yeary will serve as interim executive chair.Cantor analysts are skeptica...

Signage outside Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, California, on Jan. 30, 2023.David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIntel is considering hiring an external candidate to replace ousted CEO Pat Gelsinger and has hired executive search firm Spencer Stuart to identify potential successors, according to people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the discussions.Intel's board has also made overtures to recently departed director Lip-Bu Tan about whether he would be interested in the top job at the struggling chipmaker, said one of the people.An outside CEO would break from tradition at the chipmaker, which has historically promoted from within. While Gelsinger was hired from VMware in 2021, he had spent decades at the company in roles of in...