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EU chief outlines more concessions for bloc's farmers
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday laid out a further series of concessions to EU farmers, especially for those on smaller properties, in a bid to calm rolling protests in the sector.
Vodafone sells Italian unit to Swisscom, deal angers Swiss hard-right
British telecoms giant Vodafone said Friday it has agreed to sell its Italian unit to Swisscom for eight billion euros ($8.7 billion) in a cash deal that was slammed by Switzerland's main political party.
Dutch pick France's Naval Group for submarines deal
The Netherlands picked French defence company Naval Group on Friday to build four submarines for its navy in a deal worth billions of euros that had also been pursued by Swedish and German firms.
21 migrants including five children dead in Aegean: Turkey
Twenty-one migrants including five children drowned after a boat capsized off the Turkish coast, local officials said on Friday.
Economic hard times make Swedes cut back on drinking
A slumping economy gave Swedes less to cheer about last year as alcohol consumption fell the most in nearly a decade in the Nordic country, excluding the 2020 pandemic, research showed Friday.
Nissan, Honda explore partnership in electric vehicles
Japanese arch-rivals Nissan and Honda said Friday they were exploring a strategic partnership in electric vehicles to face up to a "once-in-a-century" upheaval in the car industry.
Eyes on Bank of Japan as unions announce big wage hikes
Japan's largest trade union said Friday it had secured the highest wage hikes since 1991 in preliminary data that stokes speculation the central bank will finally shift away from its outlier ultra-loose monetary policy.
Women bus drivers, a first for Uzbekistan
Saodat Shermatova "cried with joy" after Uzbekistan, a predominantly Muslim former Soviet republic, lifted a ban last month on women working as bus drivers.
Al-Shabaab besieges hotel in Somali capital
Sporadic explosions and gunfire rang out from a popular hotel in the Somali capital early Friday, an AFP correspondent said, many hours after Al-Shabaab fighters attacked the site near the presidential palace.
Vodafone sells Italian unit to Swisscom for 8 bn euros
British telecoms giant Vodafone said Friday it has agreed to sell its Italian unit to Swisscom for eight billion euros ($8.7 billion), completing efforts to overhaul the UK group's European operations.
Nissan, Honda to explore partnership in electric vehicles
Japanese auto giants Nissan and Honda said Friday they had agreed to explore a strategic partnership in electric vehicles and other areas.
Israel denies Hamas claim troops killed 20 Gazans seeking aid
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said on Friday that Israeli fire killed 20 people and wounded 155 waiting to receive desperately needed aid in the besieged territory, but Israel said the reports were "erroneous".
Eyes on Bank of Japan as unions announce wage hikes
The results of key wage hike negotiations in Japan will be announced Friday, with a win for workers expected to set the stage for a hotly anticipated shift away from the central bank's ultra-loose monetary policy.
El Salvador stashes $406 million in bitcoin in 'cold wallet': Bukele
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said Thursday that his country has stored more than $400 million in bitcoin in an offline "cold wallet" as the cryptocurrency forges new record highs.
Asian markets sink on rate worries as US inflation surprises
Asian markets sank in line with Wall Street on Friday after a sharper-than-expected jump in US wholesale prices dealt a blow to hopes for interest rate cuts.
Will AI save humanity? US tech fest offers reality check
Artificial intelligence aficionados are betting that the technology will help solve humanity's biggest problems, from wars to global warming, but in practice, these may be unrealistic ambitions for now.
With bites rare, experts want sharks to shed scary reputation
As the northern hemisphere edges toward spring and millions flock to the beach, headlines have dubbed the southeastern US state of Florida the world's most likely place to be bitten by a shark.
Surging nerve system disorders now top cause of illness: study
Conditions affecting the nervous system -- such as strokes, migraines and dementia -- have surged past heart disease to become the leading cause of ill health worldwide, a major new analysis said on Friday.
Al-Shabaab attacks hotel in Somali capital
Islamist militants from the Al-Shabaab group on Thursday attacked a popular hotel near the presidential palace in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, security sources and witnesses said.
Vinicius condemns racist chants before Atletico Champions League game
Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior on Thursday condemned racist chants aimed at him by Atletico Madrid fans before the midweek Champions League match against Inter Milan.
IMF chief Georgieva says 'available to serve' for second term
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund has told AFP she is making herself "available to serve" for a second five-year term running the Washington-based financial institution, shortly after she received the backing of European finance ministers.
US, European stocks fall after hotter-than-expected producer prices
US and European stock markets mostly fell Thursday as the latest bout of indicators appeared to dent expectations the Federal Reserve might soon cut interest rates.
US VP Harris to make landmark abortion clinic visit
US Vice President Kamala Harris will tour an abortion clinic Thursday, highlighting a key election issue in what US media reported was the first such visit by a president or vice president.
British newspapers: Who owns what?
A UK government proposal to ban foreign states from owning British newspapers looks set to scupper plans for an Abu Dhabi-led bid to take over the Telegraph Media Group (TMG).
Retail sales in US rebound less than expected in February
US consumer spending warmed slightly in February, according to government data released Thursday, with retail sales regaining ground after an earlier hit from cold weather.
Biden opposes Nippon Steel takeover of US Steel
President Joe Biden said Thursday he is against the proposed sale of US Steel to Japan's Nippon Steel, as election year considerations appeared to outweigh the risk of angering key ally Japan.
Biden opposes Nippon Steel takeover of US Steel: statement
President Joe Biden said on Thursday he opposed the proposed sale of US Steel to Japan's Nippon Steel, in a move that could annoy Washington's close Asia-Pacific ally Tokyo.
Aid efforts intensify for famine-stalked Gaza
Efforts grew on Thursday to get more aid into the war-devastated Gaza Strip, where the UN warns of famine and desperate residents have stormed relief shipments.
Italy fines TikTok 10 mn euros for failing to protect minors
Italy's competition authority on Thursday fined TikTok 10 million euros (nearly $11 million), saying the hugely popular video app had failed to sufficiently protect minors.
Foxconn logs second straight quarter of profits as AI demand surges
Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn on Thursday reported a second straight quarter of profit growth, with the Apple supplier boosted by demand for AI hardware and infrastructure.
China says US TikTok vote follows 'logic of a bandit'
China on Thursday slammed the approval of a US bill that would ban TikTok unless it severs ties with its Chinese parent company, blasting Washington's "bandit" mentality and vowing Beijing would "take all necessary measures" to protect the interests of its companies overseas.
New US climate envoy wants China to speed up coal transition
China should speed up its transition from coal, the new chief US climate negotiator John Podesta said Thursday, while pledging to maintain open dialogue with Beijing.
Foxconn reports 33% rise in fourth-quarter net profit
Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn on Thursday reported a 33 percent jump in net profit during the final three months of 2023, marking the second straight quarter of growth for the Apple supplier.
At Texas arts and tech fest, virtual reality is perfectly human
At South by Southwest -- the gargantuan Texas festival for cinema, music and tech -- artists this year embraced virtual reality as a way to better connect with humanity, not escape it.
Aid ship slowly heads for Gaza as calls for assistance grow
A first boat loaded with 200 tonnes of food aid was making slow progress towards the Gaza Strip on Thursday as efforts grew to bring more humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian territory besieged by Israel.
At disused New York airport, a migrant camp isolated from the city
Gusts of wind lash the runways of a former airfield in New York as migrant families with children slowly walk across, eyeing the city's world-famous skyline off in the distance.
US urges Panama to remove flag from rogue Iranian ships
A United States special envoy on Wednesday urged Panama to stop Iranian ships from flying its flag, which allows Tehran to evade sanctions imposed by Washington.
Yellen says US economy unlikely to see 'stagflation'
The US economy is not expected to see stagflation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an interview broadcast Wednesday, adding that most forecasters expect inflation to cool as housing costs move lower.
Brazil revs up for jolt of hybrid car investments
Brazil is charging up for a hybrid revolution as global car manufacturers race to pump billions of dollars into the development of green vehicles in Latin America's biggest economy.