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Stocks wobble before Fed chair speech
Stock markets wobbled Friday ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell that is expected to reiterate his plan to ramp up US interest rates to fight soaring inflation.
Europe stocks subdued before Fed chair speech
European stock markets wobbled Friday ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell that is expected to reiterate his plan to ramp up US interest rates to fight soaring inflation.
Staff work to end outage at Ukraine nuclear plant as inspection prepared
Staff at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant occupied by Russian soldiers were on Friday working to reconnect its reactors to the national power grid, the state energy operator said.
Young Poles abandoning 'frozen' Catholic Church
It is still one of Europe's most Catholic countries but Poland is seeing a rapid secularisation -- particularly among younger generations.
Long Covid costs Australia millions of working days
Long Covid has already cost the Australian economy three million working days this year, according to a government analysis seen by AFP Friday, significantly worsening the country's acute labour shortages.
Christie's to auction Microsoft co-founder Allen's $1bn-plus art collection
Christie's announced plans on Thursday to auction the art collection of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, which it estimated to be worth more than $1 billion.
In risky recycling venture, Gazans burn plastic for fuel
Living in one of the poorest parts of the Middle East and facing some of the region's highest fuel costs, Palestinians in Gaza are burning plastic to make affordable diesel.
Asia stocks up before Powell speech, China tech adds support
Asian markets rose Friday after a Wall Street rally ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell that is expected to reiterate his plan to ramp up interest rates to fight inflation.
Fed's Powell to hammer home inflation-fighting message
With US inflation at a 40-year high, economists say there is no doubt about the Federal Reserve's policy course: Interest rates will continue to rise.
Trump social media platform faces money woes, modest following
Signs are growing that Donald Trump's social media platform Truth Social is in financial trouble, with just a modest following six months after launching.
Boeing eyes February for space capsule's first crewed flight
The first crewed flight of Boeing's space capsule Starliner is scheduled for February 2023, the company and NASA announced Thursday, as the United States seeks to secure a second way for its astronauts to reach the International Space Station.
'Dangerous' heatwaves likely to grip the tropics daily by 2100: study
Many millions of people in the tropics could be exposed to dangerous heat for half the year by 2100 even if humanity manages to meet climate goals, researchers warned Thursday.
German economy grew in second quarter, better than feared
Germany's economy grew slightly in the second quarter, an upgrade from a previous estimate of stagnation, revised official data showed Thursday, pushing back the spectre of recession.
Japan seeks 'sustainable world' in Africa aid forum
With its stated purpose to "create a sustainable world together", Japan on Saturday kicks off its aid conference for Africa, where rival China has invested heavily in recent years.
Asian markets rise with eyes on China, Fed speech
Asian markets rose Thursday after China unveiled fresh measures to boost its economy, while investors awaited a speech by the Fed chair that may hold clues about future rate hikes.
France's Macron looks to 'future' on Algeria trip to mend ties
President Emmanuel Macron starts a three-day visit Thursday to Algeria to help mend ties with the former French colony, which this year marks its 60th anniversary of independence.
Equities move higher ahead of US Fed chair speech
European and US equities mostly advanced on Wednesday as investors awaited signals on coming Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.
British-Belgian teen becomes youngest round-the-world solo flier
Mack Rutherford, a British-Belgian 17-year-old, landed in Bulgaria on Wednesday to become the youngest person to fly solo around the world.
New York, cartoonist Sempe's spiritual home
Over the course of his storied career, Jean-Jacques Sempe became a fixture on the newsstands of New York, illustrating more than 100 covers of the prestigious New Yorker magazine.
London bus drivers latest UK workers to strike over pay
Bus drivers in London are set to strike over pay for two days this weekend, their union announced on Wednesday, as decades-high inflation prompts walkouts across Britain's ailing economy.
UK port strike threatens to deepen supply chain and price woes
A strike over pay at Britain's largest container port threatens to spark fresh delays and rising costs for companies and consumers alike, but logistics experts say there should be no product shortages.
Markets mark time ahead to US Fed chair speech
European and US equities moved sideways on Wednesday as investors awaited signals on the next US interest rate hikes.
Steep drop in military aircraft keep US goods orders flat in June
Orders for big-ticket US-manufactured goods were flat in July after four straight monthly increases due to a plunge in the volatile military aircraft category, according to government data released Wednesday.
Global stocks fall as investors eye US Fed outlook
Asian and European equities fell Wednesday as investors awaited news on the next US interest rate hikes.
European hospitals test drones to speed delivery of human tissue
Belgian hospitals have begun testing a drone to save time delivering human tissue samples across city centres, between patients on the operating table and medical labs, a first in Europe.
Japan eyes nuclear power push to combat energy crunch
Japan's prime minister on Wednesday called for a push to revive the country's nuclear power industry in a bid to tackle soaring imported energy costs linked to the war in Ukraine.
Sri Lanka widens import ban as economic crisis persists
Sri Lanka tightened import restrictions Wednesday with a ban on more than 300 additional items, as an economic crisis that has created months of shortages and toppled a president refuses to abate.
Whistle blows in Germany for world's first hydrogen train fleet
Germany on Wednesday will inaugurate a railway line powered entirely by hydrogen, a "world first" and a major step forward for green train transport despite nagging supply challenges.
Cost of living crisis dominates UK leadership campaign
With double-digit inflation and an economy teetering on the brink of recession, the cost-of-living crisis has dominated the race for Downing Street.
Asian markets drop as investors eye US Fed outlook
Asian markets were down on Wednesday after falls in global stocks as the euro plunged against the dollar and traders await news on the next US interest rate hikes.
TikTok stars boycott Amazon in activism push
TikTok influencers boasting collectively more than 51 million followers say they won't work with Amazon until the e-commerce colossus delivers key concessions to workers and halts anti-union efforts.
Murdoch sues small Australian news outlet for defamation
Fox News boss Lachlan Murdoch has launched legal proceedings against Australian media outlet Crikey, accusing the site of defaming him in an opinion piece about the January 6 US Capitol riots.
US says Ukraine grain exports near pre-war levels
Ukraine is on course to ship nearly as much grain this month as it did before the Russian invasion, in a triumph for international efforts to ease food shortages, a US official said Tuesday.
Putin betting Europe blinks, top EU diplomat warns
Russia's President Vladimir Putin is betting the united EU response to his invasion of Ukraine will fracture as soaring prices hit European voters' wallets, Brussels' foreign policy chief warned Tuesday.
US new home sales fall to six-year low
US new home sales fell sharply in July to their lowest rate since early 2016, the government reported Tuesday, as rising lending rates cool demand.
US warns of Russian strikes on Ukraine government targets
Washington warned on Tuesday that Russia could attack Ukrainian government facilities in the coming days as Moscow said it would show "no mercy" over an assassination it has blamed on Ukraine.
Lamborghini has already sold all its cars until 2024
Italian sports car maker Lamborghini has already pre-sold the entire production run to early 2024, its boss told AFP on Tuesday, with luxury goods seemingly unaffected by global economic uncertainty.
Euro strikes fresh 20-year low as eurozone economy shrinks again
The euro dived Tuesday to a new two-decade dollar low and equities wavered, as data highlighted the shrinking eurozone economy and the worsening energy crunch.
'Game of Thrones' prequel becomes HBO's best launch
Nearly 10 million viewers in the United States watched the eagerly-awaited first episode of "House of the Dragon" -- the first spin-off to "Game of Thrones", making it HBO's most successful series launch, WarnerMedia said.