Business and Economy
EU parliament refers Mercosur trade deal to bloc's top court
AFP - 28m ago
The European Union's parliament voted on Wednesday to refer a freshly signed trade deal with South American bloc …
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European stocks dip ahead of Trump's Davos speech
AFP - 1h ago
European stocks slipped and precious metals hit fresh highs Wednesday as investors awaited US President Donald Trump's …
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Trump flies into Davos maelstrom over Greenland
AFP - 1h ago
US President Donald Trump descended on Davos on Wednesday for a tense showdown with world leaders, as allies push back …
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EU won't ask Big Tech to pay for telecoms overhaul
AFP - 1h ago
The EU will not force the world's biggest tech companies to pay for the overhaul of Europe's telecoms infrastructure …
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Railway safety questioned as Spain reels from twin train disasters
AFP - 1h ago
Spain's railway system was under scrutiny on Wednesday after a commuter train crashed near Barcelona, just days after at …
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Burberry sales rise as China demand improves
AFP - 2h ago
Burberry posted a slight rise in sales on Wednesday, as the British luxury fashion label's turnaround plan showed signs …
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Botswana warns diamond oversupply to hit growth
AFP - 1h ago
Botswana is sitting on nearly double its permitted diamond stockpile as weak prices and rising competition from …
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Trump heads for Davos maelstrom over Greenland
AFP - 3h ago
US President Donald Trump descends on Davos for a showdown with European leaders Wednesday as his bid to seize Greenland …
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Stocks mixed after tariff-fuelled selloff as uncertainty boosts gold
AFP - 3h ago
Equities were mixed Wednesday following a rough start to the week fuelled by Donald Trump's Greenland-linked tariff …
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Philippines to end short-lived ban on Musk's Grok chatbot
AFP - 4h ago
The Philippines said Wednesday it will end its ban on Elon Musk's Grok, less than a week after blocking the AI chatbot …
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Dazzling Chinese AI debuts mask growing pains
AFP - 7h ago
Investor confidence in Chinese AI startups is riding high, but obstacles to their long-term success range from US export …
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Stocks stable after tariff-fuelled selloff but uncertainty boosts gold
AFP - 4h ago
Asian equities stabilised Wednesday after a rough start to the week fuelled by Donald Trump's Greenland-linked tariff …
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What growth?: Taiwan's traditional manufacturers miss out on export boom
AFP - 10h ago
Taiwan's economy soared last year on skyrocketing exports of AI hardware and semiconductors, but companies in more …
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Venezuela moves to boost economy, amid anguish over pace of prisoner release
AFP - 12h ago
Venezuela said Tuesday it would start using revenues from a US-brokered oil sale to shore up its battered currency, as …
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Netflix shares fall as revenue appears to stall
Jan 20 2026
Netflix shares fell more than five percent on Tuesday as the streaming entertainment giant said it expected revenue to …
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Venezuela says $300-mn US oil sale used to prop up currency
Jan 20 2026
Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez said Tuesday that her country has received $300 million from a US sale of …
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US regulator appeals Meta's court victory in monopoly case
Jan 20 2026
The US Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it was appealing a court ruling that dismissed its antitrust case against …
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World stocks sink, gold hits high on escalating trade war fears
Jan 20 2026
World stock markets lost ground on Tuesday and precious metals hit fresh peaks as rising US-EU tension stoked volatility …
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Venezuela woos US oil majors with new investment czar
Jan 20 2026
Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez appointed a US-educated banker to head the country's main investment …
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France PM forces part of budget through parliament without vote
Jan 20 2026
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday rammed part of the 2026 budget through parliament without a vote, …
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Massive US presence makes its mark on Davos
Jan 20 2026
Overlooking the Davos promenade, a 19th-century Alpine church sports huge banners of a stern-looking eagle wrapped in an …
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Eyeing China, EU moves to ban 'high-risk' foreign suppliers from telecoms networks
Jan 20 2026
The EU executive on Tuesday proposed banning third-country companies from European mobile networks if they are deemed a …
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EU vows 'unflinching' response to Trump's Greenland gambit
Jan 20 2026
European leaders drew a clear line over Greenland Tuesday, vowing an "unflinching" response to Washington's threats even …
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Global tourism hit new record level in 2025 despite 'weak' US results: UN
Jan 20 2026
Global tourism hit a new record level in 2025 despite a dip in arrivals in North America due to "weak results" in the …
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Thousands of farmers protest EU, Mercosur trade deal ahead of vote
Jan 20 2026
Thousands of farmers driving tractors and waving flags descended Tuesday on the European parliament in Strasbourg in …
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Valentino taught us to respect women, says partner
Jan 20 2026
Italian designer Valentino Garavani loved creating outfits that made women beautiful, his partner Giancarlo Giammetti …
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Global tourism hit new record level in 2025: UN
Jan 20 2026
Global tourism hit a new record level in 2025 with 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals recorded worldwide, …
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European stocks sink, gold hits high on escalating tariff fears
Jan 20 2026
European stock markets slid further Tuesday, while precious metals hit fresh peaks on fears of a US-EU trade war fuelled …
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Bessent says Europe dumping US debt over Greenland would 'defy logic'
Jan 20 2026
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday rejected the idea that European governments could aggressively sell …
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Trump tariff threat 'poison' for Germany's fragile recovery
Jan 20 2026
US President Donald Trump's latest tariff threat against Europe over Greenland has hit its top economy Germany just as …
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Equities sink, gold and silver hit records as Greenland fears mount
Jan 20 2026
Asian markets extended losses Tuesday, while precious metals hit fresh peaks on fears of a US-EU trade war fuelled by …
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Tourists hit record in Japan, despite plunge from China
Jan 20 2026
A record number of tourists flocked to Japan in 2025, officials said Tuesday, despite a steep fall in Chinese visitors …
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EU wants to keep Chinese suppliers out of critical infrastructure
Jan 20 2026
The EU is expected on Tuesday to unveil plans to keep "high-risk" Chinese suppliers away from European critical …
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Inside China's buzzing AI scene year after DeepSeek shock
Jan 20 2026
Before DeepSeek shook up the tech world and put Chinese artificial intelligence on the map, Wu Chenglin's own startup …
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Asian markets sink, silver hits record as Greenland fears mount
Jan 20 2026
Asian markets extended losses Tuesday and silver hit a fresh peak on fears of a US-EU trade war fuelled by Donald …
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Public media in Europe under unprecedented strain
Jan 19 2026
Public media in Europe is facing a series of new threats including scrutiny by a resurgent far right, budget cuts, and …
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France PM to force budget into law, concedes 'partial failure'
Jan 19 2026
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed on Monday he would ram his budget bill through parliament without a …
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Ex-OPEC president in UK court ahead of corruption trial
Jan 19 2026
Former OPEC president Diezani Alison-Madueke appeared in a London court on Monday, ahead of her full trial on bribery …
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Trump tariff threat has global investors running for cover
Jan 19 2026
International investors bought heavily into precious metals while switching out of stocks Monday in a flight to safety …
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Ivory Coast faces unusual pile-up of cocoa at export hubs
Jan 19 2026
At a warehouse in western Ivory Coast the backlog of cocoa beans waiting to be shipped has grown so big the storage site …
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Russians agree to sell sanctioned Serbian oil firm
Jan 19 2026
Serbia's energy minister said Monday that the Russian majority owners of the country's largest oil firm, which is under …
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Germany brings back electric car subsidies to boost market
Jan 19 2026
Germany on Monday reintroduced electric car subsidies as it seeks to accelerate the transition to less polluting …
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Europe wants to 'avoid escalation' on Trump tariff threat: Merz
Jan 19 2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said Europe wants to "avoid escalation" over US President Donald Trump's …
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Gold hits peak, stocks sink on new Trump tariff threat
Jan 19 2026
Gold and silver prices hit record highs and stock markets slid Monday as investors sought safety after US President …
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China's 2025 economic growth among slowest in decades
Jan 19 2026
China's economy grew at one of the slowest rates in decades last year, according to official data released Monday, as …
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Europe readying steps against Trump tariff 'blackmail' on Greenland: Berlin
Jan 19 2026
Europe is preparing countermeasures against US President Donald Trump's "blackmail" after he threatened tariffs against …
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What is the EU's anti-coercion 'bazooka' it could use against US?
Jan 19 2026
Calls are growing louder for the European Union to deploy its powerful "anti-coercion instrument" in response to US …
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Gold, silver hit peaks and stocks sink on new US-EU trade fears
Jan 19 2026
Gold and silver hit record highs on Monday while equity markets fell after Donald Trump revived trade war fears by …
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Gold, silver hit peaks and stocks struggle on new US-EU trade fears
Jan 19 2026
Gold and silver hit record highs on Monday while most equity markets fell after Donald Trump revived trade war fears by …
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China's Buddha artisans carve out a living from dying trade
Jan 19 2026
In a dimly lit workshop in eastern China, craftsman Zhang measured and shaped a block of wood into a foot as dozens of …
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Gold, silver hit records and stocks fall as Trump fans trade fears
Jan 19 2026
Gold and silver hit record highs Monday while most equity markets fell after Donald Trump revived trade war fears by …
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China says economy grew 5% last year, among slowest in decades
Jan 19 2026
China's economy expanded five percent in 2025, Beijing said Monday, one of its slowest rates of growth in decades as it …
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Surging billionaire wealth a political threat, Oxfam warns as Davos opens
Jan 19 2026
The collective wealth of the planet's billionaires soared to a record level in 2025, charity Oxfam reported Monday, …
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'Bring it on': UK's Labour readies for EU reset fight
Jan 18 2026
Britain's so-called Brexit wars dominated parliament for years. Now the Labour government is bracing for new battles as …
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EU, Mercosur bloc ink major trade deal, reject 'tariffs' and 'isolation'
Jan 17 2026
South American and European Union officials on Saturday signed a major trade deal, which they hailed as sending a …
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South American bloc to ink long-awaited trade deal with EU
Jan 17 2026
The South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union will sign on Saturday a deal 25 years in the making to …
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'We don't want to lose him': Trump says of aide tipped to head Fed
Jan 16 2026
US President Donald Trump signaled Friday that he would be reluctant to lose his economic adviser Kevin Hassett, a top …
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Brazil, EU hail trade deal as victory for multilateralism
Jan 16 2026
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday hailed a trade deal between the …
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OpenAI introducing ads to ChatGPT
Jan 16 2026
OpenAI announced Friday it will begin testing advertisements on ChatGPT in the coming weeks, as the wildly popular …
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China, Canada reach 'landmark' deal on tariffs, visas
Jan 16 2026
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on a raft of measures from trade to tourism …
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One year on, it's all about Trump. But for how long?
Jan 16 2026
On a sunny January morning in Florida, Donald Trump went shopping for marble and onyx for his new White House ballroom. …
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Russian inflation drops sharply in 2025
Jan 16 2026
Russian annual inflation fell sharply in 2025, data from the state statistics agency showed on Friday, as central bank …
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France PM edges closer to forcing budget through without a vote
Jan 16 2026
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Friday inched closer to forcing his budget bill through parliament without a …
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'Was hoping for more': Trump support slips one year in
Jan 16 2026
Michelle Sims hesitated when asked if she still backed Donald Trump one year into his presidency. "Yeah -- to a certain …
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Stock markets take breather at end of turbulent week
Jan 16 2026
Stock markets mostly retrenched on Friday at the end of a week jam-packed with geopolitical developments, content to …
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France PM to pass budget without a vote
Jan 16 2026
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was on Friday desperately planning how to survive a likely no-confidence vote if …
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Stock markets slip with trade deals in focus
Jan 16 2026
Major stock markets in Europe and Asia mostly fell along with the dollar Friday as focus returned to trade deals and the …
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France says parliament approval of budget 'impossible'
Jan 16 2026
France's government has halted budget discussions in parliament and is expected to announce Friday a way forward after …
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Asian stocks mixed after bumper TSMC results
Jan 16 2026
Asian markets were mixed Friday after Taiwanese chipmaking titan TSMC posted a big profit jump, bolstering confidence in …
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US strikes deal with Taiwan to cut tariffs, boost chip investment
Jan 16 2026
Taiwan vowed Friday to remain the world's "most important" AI chipmaker, after reaching a trade deal with the United …
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Fraudsters flee Cambodia's 'scam city' after accused boss taken down
Jan 16 2026
Hundreds of people dragged away suitcases, computer monitors, pets and furniture as they fled a suspected Cambodian …
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China's 2025 economic growth likely slowest in decades: analysts
Jan 16 2026
China's economy likely grew last year at its weakest rate in three decades, outside of the pandemic, according to an AFP …
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US says reached deal with Taiwan to lower tariffs, boost investments
Jan 16 2026
The United States said Thursday that it has signed a deal with Taiwan to reduce tariffs on goods from the democratic …
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Venezuela's Machado says she 'presented' Trump with Nobel medal
Jan 16 2026
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Thursday she "presented" her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald …
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Venezuelan interim leader vows oil sector reform after Maduro ouster
Jan 15 2026
Venezuela's interim president on Thursday announced pending legal reforms to the country's critical fossil fuel sector, …
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US court clears Norway's Equinor to resume wind project halted by Trump
Jan 15 2026
A US judge on Thursday authorized work to resume on a New York offshore wind project that had been suspended under an …
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Oil prices slump after Trump eases concerns over Iran
Jan 15 2026
Oil prices tumbled Thursday after US President Donald Trump moderated his rhetoric on Iran, while US stocks bounced back …
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Long-awaited EU-Mercosur trade pact set for signing
Jan 15 2026
The European Union and South American bloc Mercosur are set to sign an agreement Saturday, more than 25 years in the …
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Fury over Grok sexualized images despite new restrictions
Jan 15 2026
Global outrage persisted Thursday over sexualized deepfakes created by Elon Musk's AI tool Grok, even after his social …
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Niger faces dilemma over uranium shipment stuck at airport
Jan 15 2026
A huge uranium shipment that left northern Niger in late November has been stuck for weeks at Niamey airport.
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Goldman Sachs' profits jump on hot merger market
Jan 15 2026
Goldman Sachs' quarterly profits jumped on robust merger activity as clients seize a "window" of opportunity during the …
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Pressure piles on Musk's X to curb sexualised deepfakes
Jan 15 2026
More governments vowed crackdowns Thursday to prevent Grok, the AI chatbot on Elon Musk's X platform, from undressing or …
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Spain hosted record 97 mn foreign tourists in 2025
Jan 15 2026
A record 97 million foreign tourists visited Spain in 2025 as the economically vital sector set a new benchmark for the …
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German economy returns to growth, but headwinds fierce
Jan 15 2026
Germany's economy eked out meagre growth in 2025 and dodged a third straight year of recession, data showed Thursday, …
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Oil plunges after Trump's Iran comments, Asian markets mixed
Jan 15 2026
Oil slid Thursday after US President Donald Trump appeared to dial down threats of imminent military action on Iran, …
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Taiwan's TSMC logs net profit jump on AI boom
Jan 15 2026
Taiwanese chipmaking titan TSMC announced Thursday a forecast-busting net profit for the fourth quarter in a sign of …
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China's top diplomat calls Carney visit 'turning point' in ties
Jan 15 2026
China's top diplomat said Thursday that a visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to Beijing marked a "turning …
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New Zealand warned Pacific neighbour over oil smuggling 'shadow fleet'
Jan 15 2026
A "shadow fleet" of 19 tankers suspected of smuggling oil for Russia and Iran was flagged by New Zealand with Cook …
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Asia markets mixed, oil falls after Trump's Iran comments
Jan 15 2026
Oil and precious metals slid Thursday after US President Donald Trump appeared to dial down threats of imminent military …
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Canada's Carney in Beijing for trade talks with Chinese leaders
Jan 15 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is meeting with top Chinese leaders in Beijing on Thursday, hoping to repair a long …
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US stocks fall again as Iran worries lift oil prices
Jan 14 2026
Wall Street stocks fell again Wednesday as investors shrugged off solid bank earnings and US data while oil prices …
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Russian captain tried to avoid North Sea crash: court
Jan 14 2026
The Russian captain of a cargo ship that hit an anchored oil tanker in the North Sea had tried to change course to avoid …
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Oil prices extend gains on Iran worries
Jan 14 2026
Oil prices rose further Wednesday on the political instability in major crude producer Iran and the possibility of a US …
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Battle over Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia rages in Dutch court
Jan 14 2026
A Dutch court held hearings Wednesday to weigh whether to order an investigation into Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chip …
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Italian influencer Ferragni acquitted in Christmas cake fraud trial
Jan 14 2026
Italian fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni was acquitted Wednesday of aggravated fraud over charity endorsement deals in …
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Ryanair hits out at 'stupid' Belgium over aviation taxes
Jan 14 2026
Low-cost airline Ryanair on Wednesday announced it is mulling a cut to flights in Belgium, especially at its major …
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African manufacturers welcome US trade deal, call to finalise it
Jan 14 2026
African manufacturers on Wednesday welcomed US lawmakers' approval for renewing their duty-free access but called for …
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Oil prices extend gains on Iran unrest
Jan 14 2026
Oil prices rose further Wednesday on the political instability in major crude producer Iran, which also helped push …
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Hydrogen planes 'more for the 22nd century': France's Safran
Jan 14 2026
Hydrogen-powered airplanes, touted by some as a way to slash carbon emissions from flying, are unlikely to prove a …
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Every cent you take: Sting, ex-Police band mates in royalty battle
Jan 14 2026
London's High Court on Wednesday began hearing a lawsuit brought against the singer Sting by his former Police bandmates …
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Dutch court hears battle over Nexperia
Jan 14 2026
A Dutch court held hearings Wednesday to weigh whether to order an investigation into Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chip …
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Luxury retailer Saks Global files for bankruptcy
Jan 14 2026
US luxury retail group Saks Global, the heavily indebted parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf …
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