Struggling Taiwanese electronics maker HTC has launched new virtual reality (VR) headsets in a bid to appeal to more consumers, as it pins its future hopes to the technology. The Vive Cosmos Play and the Vive Cosmos Elite add entry level and high-end VR offerings to HTC’s portfolio. At 599 euros ($646), the Vive Cosmos Play is HTC’s entry level VR device which will be on sale in the second quarter of this year. The Cosmos Play has four cameras versus six on the Cosmos. “From one side, they are f

A local resident tries to swot away a swarm of desert locusts in Mathiakani, Kitui County, Kenya, on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. The number of locusts in East Africa could expand 500 times by June, the UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization said last month. Patrick Meinhardt | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe worst desert locust infestation in 70 years is ravaging East Africa, potentially endangering economies in a region heavily dependent on agriculture for food security. “Moreover, low per-capita income

ViacomCBS tumbles at open after earnings missCNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” crew discuss ViacomCBS’ quarterly earnings results.

Watch CNBC’s full interview with Morgan Stanley CEO James GormanJames Gorman, CEO of Morgan Stanley, sits down with CNBC’s Wilfred Frost to discuss the acquisition of E-Trade, the economy and more

Bloomberg was left battered after the Nevada Democratic debate—Watch the key momentsJust three days before the crucial Nevada caucuses, six candidates took the stage in a contentious debate, firing off rounds of attacks on newcomer Mike Bloomberg. The jabs zeroed in on Bloomberg’s record on race as mayor of New York City, as well as alleged instances of sexual harassment against employees of his flagship business Bloomberg LP. Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Butt

Tourists take photos at the Overseas Passenger Terminal as the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship is in lock down while health authorities test a man for Coronavirus on February 14, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled its voyages in Asia through the third quarter of 2020 and expects to take an earnings hit of 75 cents per share for the full year because of the coronavirus, the company said Thursday. The cruise line said the virus had forced it to cancel, modify or redeploy 40

World Health Organization officials are holding a press conference Thursday to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 75,700 and killed at least 2,130 so far. WHO officials declared the virus a global health emergency last month, while urging the public against over-reacting to the virus. They will no longer be counted as “confirmed” cases as they were in the previous diagnosis protocol. Also Wednesday, International Monetary Fund head Kristalina Georgieva sa

(This story is for CNBC Pro subscribers only.) Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock ExchangeBillionaire hedge fund manager Stephen Mandel founded Lone Pine Capital 23 years ago and boasts one of the best long-term track records in the industry. The all-star manager made nearly $1 billion last year, one of the top earners among the world’s biggest hedge fund managers. Here’s a look at what he’s betting on.

Billionaire investor Ron Baron is making a killing on his investment in Elon Musk’s Tesla. Here’s what else his firm is betting on to continue his winning streak, including some unusual names among its top picks. Baron’s firm, Baron Capital, has a growth portfolio called the Baron Opportunity fund and Tesla sits in its top ten holdings. As of Tuesday, the fund, with about $438 million in net assets, is up 15.73% this year, beating the S&P 500 which is up about 4.7% in 2020 through Wednesday. Tes

Billionaire former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s performance in his first Democratic presidential debate was so bad that it may be the “beginning of the end” for his already late-starting campaign, pollster Frank Luntz said Thursday. Luntz, a longtime Republican pollster and consultant to NBC’s hit series “The West Wing,” on CNBC compared Bloomberg’s debacle to Rick Perry’s debate gaffe in the 2012 race for the GOP presidential nomination. “We will look back at this debate potentially as

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Richard Clarida doused talk of a rate cut, saying in an interview Thursday with CNBC that he doesn’t think most market participants really expect one or that it is noted. “Market pricing for rate cuts is a little tricky, because there’s market expectations for rates, there also can be term and liquidity premiums,” the central bank official told CNBC’s Steve Liesman during a “Squawk Box” interview. Futures contracts are pointing to a rate reduction as soon as June or

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) smiles during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Paris Las Vegas on February 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, whose campaigns both recorded the most contributions ever received on a debate day. Sanders’ campaign said it raised $2.7 million from nearly 150,000 donations. The harshest blow came from Warren, who referred to Bloomberg as a “billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-fa

Morgan Stanley, the tony investment bank for rich Americans and corporations, is making a play for the masses with its $13 billion takeover of discount brokerage pioneer E-Trade. Morgan Stanley “will look to couple their advisor-driven model with ETFC’s direct-to-consumer and digital capabilities,” Piper Sandler analyst Richard Repetto said in a note. But perhaps most importantly, Morgan Stanley will gain access to E-Trade’s $56 billion in deposits. The deal also gives Morgan Stanley a business

Brexit leaves shortfall of up to 70 billion euros in EU’s financesEuropean Budget and Administration Commissioner Johannes Hahn says EU member states will have to pay more in future to compensate for the loss to the budget caused by Brexit.

Moller-Maersk is the largest container shipping company in the world. Shipping giant Maersk warned on Thursday that the coronavirus outbreak would weigh on earnings this year, compounding the woes of a container shipping industry already subdued by trade wars and an economic slowdown. Global container demand grew 1.4% in 2019 and 3.8% the year before. “The outlook for 2020 is impacted by the current outbreak of the coronavirus in China, which has significantly lowered visibility on what to expec

Google is planning to move its British users’ accounts out of the control of European Union privacy regulators, placing them under U.S. jurisdiction instead, the company confirmed late on Wednesday. Alphabet Inc’s Google intends to require its British users to acknowledge new terms of service including the new jurisdiction, according to people familiar with the plans. Ireland, where Google and other U.S. tech companies have their European headquarters, is staying in the EU, which has one of the

Former Vice President will be “back in the game” if he can finish second in the upcoming Nevada caucuses, a former U.S. ambassador said. His comments follow the latest Democratic debate and come days before Nevada’s caucuses. Once considered a front-runner, Biden’s presidential campaign stumbled in the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire Democratic primary, where he placed fourth and fifth respectively. “But the point is, if Biden comes in second in Nevada this weekend on Saturday, I think he’s ba

Worldwide demand for liquefied natural gas, or LNG, rose by 12.5% to hit 359 million tons last year, according to Royal Dutch Shell’s annual LNG Outlook report. Citing forecasts, Shell said that LNG demand was expected to double by 2040 to 700 million tons, with natural gas set to play “a growing role in shaping a lower-carbon energy system.” LNG refers to natural gas that has been cooled down to turn it into a liquid. According to the IEA, natural gas consumption grew by 4.6% in 2018, with the

The U.K., which has been one of the EU’s key contributors, left the bloc on January 31. The remaining 27 EU countries are now scratching their heads and trying to find ways to make up the difference. The EU’s budget is used to finance policies across the bloc, ranging from developing rural areas, security and the promotion of human rights. However, EU countries have a hard time figuring out how much money to allocate to the different policy aims. There are 15 nations that do not want a smaller b

Argentina is thought to be on the brink of falling into its ninth sovereign default, prompting some analysts to speculate whether the crisis-prone South American country might be tempted to accept funding from China. This is certainly not a base case, but it is in the back of people’s minds,” Jimena Blanco, head of Latin America at Verisk Maplecroft, told CNBC via telephone. “China’s relationship with Latin America has been developing for the last 10 years, so it is not a farfetched thought. The