Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat called Monday for the support of Egypt amid its economic crisis.

"Egypt is going through very dangerous circumstances as a result of the conditions of the International Monetary Fund, the scarcity of resources, the narrowness of agricultural lands, and the high prices of imported wheat after the Ukraine war," Jumblat said in a tweet.

Amazon announced Wednesday it will cut more than 18,000 jobs from its workforce, citing "the uncertain economy" and the fact the online retail giant had "hired rapidly" during the pandemic.

Stock markets mostly extended the solid start to the year Thursday as China reopens its economy from lockdowns, while oil prices recovered after heavy losses.

The Egyptian pound has tumbled in its largest single-day slide since the cash-strapped government agreed to a $3 billion International Monetary Fund deal in mid-December, authorities said.

The pound fell from around 24.7 for $1 to just over 26.3 against the dollar, some three weeks after Egypt and the IMF formally ratified the support package, approved in exchange for a number of economic reforms implemented by the country's Central Bank, including a shift to a flexible exchange rate.

Syria's economy has hit its lowest point since the start of its civil war nearly 12 years ago, with spiraling inflation, a currency plunge and severe fuel shortages in both government-run and rebel-held areas.

Life in Damascus has come to a near standstill. Streets are almost empty of cars, households receive a few hours a day of electricity at best, and the cost of food and other essentials has skyrocketed.

Natural gas storage levels in the European Union stand at nearly 84% and were higher in December than the average amount in reserve 4-6 years ago, the EU's executive branch said Wednesday, despite Russian attempts to choke off supplies amid its war on Ukraine.

Fearing winter shortages, the 27 EU countries began stocking up on gas last year. Joint gas reserve levels climbed to 82% by September, well ahead of an 80% target set for November. Gas consumption also dropped by 20% from August to November as prices spiked.

Shares of Tesla tumbled more than 12% Tuesday on the first full day of trading since the company announced 2022 delivery numbers that fell short of targets.

The electric vehicle and solar panel maker's stock closed at $108.10, and it's down just under 70% since the start of last year. The stock hit its lowest point since August of 2020, and Tesla's market value, according to FactSet, slid to $341 billion, down from over $1 trillion as recently as April.

Elon Musk is trying to slash expenses at Twitter as close to zero as possible while his personal wealth shrinks — and this apparently has included falling behind on rent payments at the company's offices.

Twitter owes $136,260 in overdue rent on its offices on the 30th floor of a building in downtown in San Francisco, according to a lawsuit filed by the building's landlord last week.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pushing for closer economic ties on a visit to China that seeks to sidestep territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

The countries have both been rocked by economic crises linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, but are looking to recharge investments in bridges and other projects, along with tourism and agriculture.

A global energy company has acquired oil producing facilities in war-torn Yemen from another international firm. The move comes as the country's Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted terminals and tankers in efforts to stop their rivals from exporting oil.

Zenith Netherlands, a subsidiary of Zenith Energy Ltd., announced that it has agreed to acquire energy assets of Vienna-based OMV in Yemen, in a deal worth more than $21.6 million.