Business and Economy
Merz heads to Gulf as Germany looks to diversify trade ties
AFP - 12m ago
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz headed to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to kick off a Gulf tour as the biggest EU economy …
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Serbian minister on trial over Trump-linked hotel plan
AFP - 26m ago
Serbia's culture minister and other senior officials appeared in a Belgrade court Wednesday to face corruption charges …
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US-Africa trade deal renewal only 'temporary breather'
AFP - 1h ago
African manufacturers warned on Wednesday that a one-year extension to the long-standing duty-free deal with the United …
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GSK boosted by specialty drugs, end to Zantac fallout
AFP - 1h ago
British pharmaceutical group GSK reported Wednesday a sharp rise in annual net profit, boosted by strong sales of HIV, …
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Stocks fluctuate after Wall St AI-fuelled sell-off
AFP - 2h ago
European and Asian stock markets struggled for direction Wednesday following a tech-fuelled sell-off on Wall Street, …
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AGOA: New lease of life for US-Africa trade accord
AFP - 2h ago
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has been renewed until the end of 2026, has provided duty-free …
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CK Hutchison launches arbitration over Panama Canal port ruling
AFP - 4h ago
Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison said in a statement Tuesday it has initiated international arbitration against …
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Stocks mostly rise as traders ignore AI-fuelled sell-off on Wall St
AFP - 3h ago
Stocks mostly rose Wednesday as investors brushed off another tech-fuelled sell-off on Wall Street, while precious …
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What are 'rare earths' for?
AFP - 6h ago
President Donald Trump's administration is set Wednesday to host ministers from the European Union and other countries …
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On rare earth supply, Trump for once seeks allies
AFP - 7h ago
In his year since returning to office, President Donald Trump has shown disdain for longstanding alliances, vowing …
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WTO must 'reform or die': talks facilitator
AFP - 9h ago
Successfully reforming the WTO is a matter of life and death for the organisation, warns the facilitator of talks on …
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CK Hutchison begins arbitration against Panama over annulled canal contract
AFP - 4h ago
Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison said in a statement Tuesday it has initiated international arbitration against …
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Stocks swing following latest AI-fuelled sell-off on Wall St
AFP - 4h ago
Stocks fluctuated Wednesday following another tech-fuelled sell-off on Wall Street, while precious metals continued …
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UBS grilled on Capitol Hill over Nazi-era probe
Feb 03 2026
A Senate panel grilled UBS officials Tuesday over withholding documents sought in a probe of Holocaust-era assets stolen …
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Spain to seek social media ban for under-16s
Feb 03 2026
Spain will seek to ban social media for under-16s to protect them from harmful content such as pornography and violence, …
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X hits back after France summons Musk, raids offices in deepfake probe
Feb 03 2026
French prosecutors on Tuesday searched the Paris offices of Elon Musk's X as part of an investigation into alleged …
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Russia's economic growth slowed to 1% in 2025: Putin
Feb 03 2026
Russia's economy grew by one percent in 2025, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, marking a much slower expansion …
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Air India inspects Boeing 787 fuel switches after grounding
Feb 03 2026
Air India has begun inspecting fuel control switches on its 33 Boeing 787 aircraft after grounding a flight over a …
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Germany has highest share of older workers in EU
Feb 03 2026
Germany has the highest proportion of older workers of any European Union country, official data showed Tuesday, with …
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France summons Musk, raids X offices as deepfake backlash grows
Feb 03 2026
French authorities summoned billionaire Elon Musk to a "voluntary interview" and searched the local offices of his …
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France summons Musk for questioning as X deepfake backlash grows
Feb 03 2026
French authorities summoned billionaire Elon Musk to a "voluntary interview" and searched the local offices of his …
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Pfizer shares drop on quarterly loss
Feb 03 2026
Pfizer reported a quarterly loss Tuesday following a large write-down, denting shares as it confirmed 2026 financial …
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Disney names theme parks chief Josh D'Amaro as next CEO
Feb 03 2026
The Walt Disney Company announced Tuesday that Josh D'Amaro, head of its theme parks division, will replace Bob Iger as …
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Germany acquires power grid stake from Dutch operator
Feb 03 2026
The German government said Tuesday that it had acquired a stake in the local subsidiary of Dutch power grid operator …
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Stocks mostly climb as gold recovers
Feb 03 2026
Stock markets mostly rose Tuesday, as gold and silver prices rebounded in fresh volatile trading.
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Finland building icebreakers for US amid Arctic tensions
Feb 03 2026
Finland is building a new fleet of icebreakers for the US but President Donald Trump's plans for Greenland, which he …
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Disney names theme parks boss chief Josh D'Amaro as next CEO
Feb 03 2026
The Walt Disney Company announced Tuesday that Josh D'Amaro, head of its theme parks division, will replace Bob Iger as …
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France summons Musk for 'voluntary interview', raids X offices
Feb 03 2026
France summoned billionaire Elon Musk to a "voluntary interview" as cybercrime authorities on Tuesday searched the …
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French summons Musk for 'voluntary interview' as authorities raid X offices
Feb 03 2026
France summoned billionaire Elon Musk to a "voluntary interview" as cybercrime authorities on Tuesday searched the …
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Musk merges xAI into SpaceX in bid to build space data centers
Feb 03 2026
Elon Musk has announced that his rocket company SpaceX will take over his artificial intelligence outfit xAI, as he …
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Ethiopia denies Trump claim mega-dam was financed by US
Feb 03 2026
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday denied claims by President Donald Trump that the country's new mega-dam …
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Equities and precious metals rebound after Asia-wide rout
Feb 03 2026
Stocks rallied and precious metals rebounded as some stability returned to markets on Tuesday after US-Iran diplomacy, a …
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Switch 2 sales boost Nintendo profits, but chip shortage looms
Feb 03 2026
The runaway success of the Switch 2 console drove up Nintendo's net profit by more than 50 percent in the nine months to …
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China to ban hidden car door handles, setting new safety standards
Feb 03 2026
China will ban hidden door handles on cars from next year over safety concerns, phasing out the minimalist design …
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Switch 2 sales boost Nintendo results but chip shortage looms
Feb 03 2026
The runaway success of the Switch 2 console drove up Nintendo's net profit by more than 50 percent in the nine months to …
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From rations to G20's doorstep: Poland savours economic 'miracle'
Feb 03 2026
Many Poles scoffed in 1980 when Lech Walesa, leader of the nascent Solidarity union, promised that Poland would become …
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Trump says India, US strike trade deal
Feb 03 2026
US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal to reduce tariffs on India, sending Mumbai stocks soaring Tuesday, as …
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China to ban hidden car door handles in industry shift
Feb 03 2026
China will ban hidden door handles on cars sold in the country from next year, phasing out the minimalist design …
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Rural India powers global AI models
Feb 03 2026
Tending crops by day and then logging on for a night shift of data labelling, 27-year-old Chandmani Kerketta is part of …
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Equities, metals, oil rebound after Asia-wide rout
Feb 03 2026
Stocks rallied while precious metals and crude rebounded as some stability returned Tuesday following a rout fuelled by …
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Paying for a selfie: Rome starts charging for Trevi Fountain
Feb 03 2026
Italy's Trevi Fountain launched a new ticketing system Monday, making the famous Rome landmark the latest tourist site …
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Oil slides, gold loses lustre as Iran threat recedes
Feb 02 2026
Oil and gold prices fell Monday as concerns eased over US monetary policy and the chances of an American attack on Iran, …
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Cuban tourism in crisis; visitors repelled by fuel, power shortages
Feb 02 2026
Cuba's tourism sector suffered a sharp decline in 2025, with shortages of basic goods repelling visitors even before the …
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Trump cuts India tariffs, says Modi will stop buying Russian oil
Feb 02 2026
US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with India on Monday, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had …
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Punctuality at Germany's crisis-hit railway slumps
Feb 02 2026
Punctuality at Germany's much-maligned state railway Deutsche Bahn slumped even further in January, the company said …
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Disney earnings boosted by theme parks, as CEO handover nears
Feb 02 2026
The Walt Disney Company on Monday reported quarterly earnings showing that streaming services gained momentum and …
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France demands 1.7 bn euros in payroll taxes from Uber: media report
Feb 02 2026
Ride-sharing group Uber has been told by French authorities that it owes 1.7 billion euros ($2 billion) in unpaid …
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EU will struggle to secure key raw materials supply, warns report
Feb 02 2026
The European Union must step up its efforts to secure supplies of critical raw materials by 2030 if it wants to break …
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France poised to adopt 2026 budget after months of tense talks
Feb 02 2026
France is expected to adopt its 2026 budget on Monday after months of fraught negotiations if Prime Minister Sebastien …
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European stocks rise as oil tumbles, while tech worries weigh on New York
Feb 02 2026
Oil prices fell and gold steadied as concerns eased over US monetary policy and the chances of an American attack on …
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More baby milk recalls in France after new toxin rules
Feb 02 2026
Two infant formula manufacturers withdrew batches from the market on Monday after France imposed stricter limits on …
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Germany hit by nationwide public transport strike
Feb 02 2026
Subway trains, buses and trams across Germany ground to a halt Monday in a public transport strike called by one of the …
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European stocks rise as gold, oil prices tumble
Feb 02 2026
European stock markets rose Monday but oil and gold prices tumbled as concerns eased over US monetary policy and the …
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Trump says US talking deal with 'highest people' in Cuba
Feb 02 2026
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington was negotiating with Havana's leadership to strike a deal, days …
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Stocks, oil, precious metals plunge on volatile start to the week
Feb 02 2026
Equities, oil and precious metals plunged Monday to extend the volatility that struck markets at the end of last week, …
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Japan says rare earth found in sediment retrieved on deep-sea mission
Feb 02 2026
Sediment containing rare earth was retrieved from ocean depths of 6,000 metres (about 20,000 feet) on a Japanese test …
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Oil tumbles on Iran hopes, precious metals hit by stronger dollar
Feb 02 2026
Oil prices tanked Monday on easing US-Iran tensions while precious metals swung wildly following last week's …
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Level playing field? Tech at forefront of US immigration fight
Feb 02 2026
Technology has become a key battleground in the confrontation between US authorities and migrants along with their …
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Surging euro presents new headache for ECB
Feb 02 2026
A surge in the euro will be in focus at the European Central Bank's meeting this week, as fears grow it could hit the …
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US talking deal with 'highest people' in Cuba: Trump
Feb 02 2026
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington was negotiating with Havana's leadership to strike a deal, days …
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Mired in economic trouble, Bangladesh pins hopes on election boost
Feb 01 2026
Textile worker Sabina Khatun is in limbo after losing her job during sweeping factory closures, caught up like millions …
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Chinese cash in jewellery at automated gold recyclers as prices soar
Feb 01 2026
Dozens of people crowded around an automated gold recycling machine at a Shanghai mall, hoping to melt down family …
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Nvidia boss insists 'huge' investment in OpenAI on track
Feb 01 2026
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has insisted the US tech giant will make a "huge" investment in OpenAI and dismissed …
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How Lego got swept up in US-Mexico trade frictions
Jan 31 2026
Manufacturing a Barbie or a Lego brick requires large quantities of plastic, much of which comes from China, the world's …
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France tightens infant formula rules after toxin scare
Jan 31 2026
France has said it will impose stricter limits on the acceptable level of a toxin called cereulide in infant formula …
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US government shuts down but quick resolution expected
Jan 31 2026
The US government entered a partial shutdown Saturday as a midnight funding deadline passed without Congress approving a …
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China factory activity loses steam in January
Jan 31 2026
China's factory activity slowed in January, official data showed Saturday, missing forecasts after a brief rise into …
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Maersk to take over Panama Canal port operations from HK firm
Jan 31 2026
Danish firm Maersk will temporarily take over operation of two ports on the Panama Canal from Hong Kong company CK …
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Trump picks former US Fed official as next central bank chief
Jan 30 2026
President Donald Trump said Friday he would nominate former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to be the next US …
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US oil giants say it's early days on potential Venezuela boom
Jan 30 2026
ExxonMobil and Chevron said Friday that they were awaiting signs of greater fiscal and legal stability in Venezuela …
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Gold, silver prices tumble as investors soothed by Trump Fed pick
Jan 30 2026
Gold and silver prices dived Friday and European stock markets ended the week up while Wall Street pulled back with …
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Cubans queue for fuel as Trump issues oil ultimatum
Jan 30 2026
Cubans queued around the block for fuel Friday as the island's Communist government decried US efforts to "suffocate" …
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Cubans queue for fuel as Trump issues energy ultimatum
Jan 30 2026
Cubans queued around the block for fuel Friday, as the island's Communist government decried US efforts to "suffocate" …
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Analysts say Kevin Warsh a safe choice for US Fed chair
Jan 30 2026
Former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh is a safe pair of hands to steer the US central bank, analysts said Friday, …
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Gold, silver prices tumble as investors soothed by Trump's Fed pick
Jan 30 2026
Gold and silver prices dived Friday, European stock markets ended the week up while Wall Street fell slightly with …
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French eyewear maker in spotlight after presidential showing
Jan 30 2026
The aviator sunglasses that captured the world's attention when French President Emmanuel Macron wore a pair on stage in …
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What are the key challenges awaiting the new US Fed chair?
Jan 30 2026
US President Donald Trump has unveiled his pick for the next Federal Reserve chief -- former central bank governor Kevin …
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Eurozone growth beats 2025 forecasts despite Trump woes
Jan 30 2026
Eurozone growth beat expectations to reach 1.5 percent last year, official data showed Friday, picking up pace for a …
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Trump nominates former US Fed official as next central bank chief
Jan 30 2026
US President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is nominating Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, to be …
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Kevin Warsh, a former Fed 'hawk' now in tune with Trump
Jan 30 2026
Kevin Warsh, a former US Federal Reserve official named by President Donald Trump on Friday as its next chief, was long …
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'Superman' Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong billionaire behind Panama ports deal
Jan 30 2026
Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing and his conglomerate CK Hutchison have been tied up in global US-China rivalry since …
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Dutch watchdog launches Roblox probe over 'risks to children'
Jan 30 2026
The Dutch consumer watchdog Friday launched an investigation into Roblox to see if the popular gaming platform was doing …
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French PM forces final budget through parliament
Jan 30 2026
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu forced his budget through parliament without a vote for the third and final time …
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Panama court annuls Hong Kong firm's canal port concession
Jan 30 2026
Panama's Supreme Court annulled on Thursday the concession allowing Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison to operate ports at the …
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Asian stocks hit by fresh tech fears as gold retreats from peak
Jan 30 2026
Asian stocks took a hit on Friday amid fresh worries over vast investments in artificial intelligence, gold and silver …
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Trump threatens tariffs on nations selling oil to Cuba
Jan 30 2026
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that …
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Heavy metal: soaring gold price a crushing weight in Vietnam
Jan 30 2026
From his newly built three-storey home outside Hanoi, Trinh Tat Thang has watched the surging global gold price with …
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What's behind Trump's risky cheap dollar dalliance?
Jan 30 2026
The US dollar sank to a four-and-a-half-year low against the euro this week after President Donald Trump said the …
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US eases Venezuela sanctions after oil sector reforms
Jan 30 2026
The United States on Thursday eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry after Venezuelan lawmakers passed reforms …
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Apple earnings soar as China iPhone sales surge
Jan 30 2026
Apple on Thursday said it saw record-high earnings in the final three months of last year, with iPhone sales surging in …
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With Trump administration watching, Canada oil hub faces separatist bid
Jan 29 2026
On a frigid night in Canada's oil capital, Jordan Fritz joined a rally of thousands for a separatist movement once …
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Oil jumps on Trump's Iran threat; gold retreats from highs
Jan 29 2026
Oil prices surged Thursday after US President Donald Trump ramped up geopolitical tensions with threats of a military …
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Britain's Starmer hails 'good progress' after meeting China's Xi
Jan 29 2026
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed "really good progress" on issues including visa-free travel and tariffs …
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Ex-OPEC president denies bribe-taking at London corruption trial
Jan 29 2026
Lawyers for Diezani Alison-Madueke, the first woman president of OPEC, denied in a London court Thursday that the former …
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Waymo gears up to launch robotaxis in London this year
Jan 29 2026
US self-driving car company Waymo said Thursday it is working with UK partners to launch driverless robotaxis in London, …
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French IT group Capgemini under fire over ICE links
Jan 29 2026
A contract with American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has triggered a barrage of criticism of French IT …
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Czechs wind up black coal mining in green energy switch
Jan 29 2026
The Czech Republic will stop mining black coal at the end of January, closing its last mine in a switch to greener …
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Oil jumps, gold climbs further on Trump's Iran threat
Jan 29 2026
Oil prices surged Thursday after US President Donald Trump ramped up geopolitical tensions with threats of a military …
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Giant Mozambique gas project resumes after 5-year security suspension
Jan 29 2026
French energy giant TotalEnergies relaunched construction Thursday on a massive gas project in northern Mozambique that …
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Gold surges further, oil jumps on Trump's Iran threat
Jan 29 2026
Gold soared to a fresh record near $5,600 on Thursday and oil prices climbed after US President Donald Trump ramped up …
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Northern Mozambique: massive gas potential in an insurgency zone
Jan 29 2026
Construction on a stalled $20-billion gas project by TotalEnergies in Mozambique officially resumed Thursday, nearly …
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Gold demand hits record high on Trump policy doubts: industry
Jan 29 2026
Gold demand surged to a record high in 2025 as investors and central banks flocked to the safe-haven asset as protection …
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