Frenchman Christophe Fouquet takes the reins of Dutch chip giant ASML on Wednesday with a daunting to-do list, top of which will be steering business with China as semiconductors become a geopolitical battleground.Fouquet is the second Frenchman to run the Dutch firm, after Eric Meurice, and trade publication Bits&Chips said his nationality could cut both ways.
Asian equities extended the week's gains Wednesday following a strong rally on Wall Street and another record in London, as traders cheered more upbeat earnings reports and data indicating a slowdown in US economic activity.General Electric, Spotify, and diaper and paper product brand Kimberly-Clark were among the companies posting strong gains after releasing quarterly reports.
The US Congress gave final approval to a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine late Tuesday, with President Joe Biden quickly vowing to sign the long-delayed bill and begin delivering fresh supplies this week to the war zone as Russia makes battlefield gains.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited Washington in December to plead for fresh aid, quickly thanked US lawmakers for passing the bill, saying on social media that he looks "forward to the bill being signed soon and the next mili