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China cuts key mortgage reference rate as Covid bites
China on Friday announced it would cut a key interest rate in a boost to home buyers and debt-mired developers as the country's economy is slowed by Covid-19 restrictions ripping across major cities.
Vintage Mercedes fetches record €135 mn at auction
A 1955 Mercedes-Benz, one of only two of its kind, was auctioned off earlier this month for a whopping 135 million euros ($143 million), making it the most expensive car ever sold, RM Sotheby's announced Thursday.
Asian markets up after Wall Street battering over recession fears
Asian markets opened higher Friday, as bargain-hunters capitalised on the battering Wall Street took the day before after decades-high inflation sparked recession fears.
Higher wall, Covid policy make US border more deadly
Horrific fractures, punctured lungs and a traumatic miscarriage: Jay Doucet has seen the severity of his patients' injuries worsen as more migrants fall from a growing border wall in their bid to evade a pandemic-imposed legal blockade.
New one year delay at UK Hinkley Point nuclear plant: EDF
An already-delayed giant nuclear plant in southwest England will open a year later than planned and cost up to £3 billion more than previously thought, French electricity giant EDF said Thursday.
Rwanda says UK asylum seekers to arrive 'in next few weeks'
The first batch of asylum seekers sent to Rwanda from the UK under a controversial new deal will likely arrive in the East African nation "in the next few weeks", officials in Kigali said Thursday.
Record-breaking cold in Brazil threatens homeless, crops
Coats and scarves have come out prematurely in Brazil, as the south of the tropical country experiences a record-breaking cold spell, a menace for both homeless people and crops.
Harley-Davidson shares fall as it suspends plants for 2 weeks
Harley-Davidson suspended most assembly operations and shipments for two weeks due to an unspecified supply chain problem, the motorcycle maker announced Thursday.
Biden leaves for Asia under Ukraine, N.Korea nuclear shadows
President Joe Biden left Thursday for South Korea and Japan to cement US leadership in Asia at a time when the White House's attention has been pulled back to Russia and Europe -- and amid fears of a North Korean nuclear test during his trip.
Recession fears, rising inflation spook global markets
European and Asian markets took a beating Thursday after Wall Street suffered one of its worst batterings in two years over recession fears after decades-high inflation.
Even streaming services fall short on diversity: Viola Davis
Streaming services have cracked open a door for communities long shut out of Hollywood, Oscar winner Viola Davis told the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, but more imagination is still needed around black roles.
Rising prices, interest rates cool US home sales in April
Rising prices and higher mortgage rates slowed US existing home sales for the third consecutive month in April, according to an industry survey released Thursday.
Pakistan bans import of luxury items to boost economy
Pakistan’s new government on Thursday said it would ban the import of over 30 luxury items including cars and fruit jams in an austerity move to help boost the country's faltering economy.
McDonald's reaches deal to sell Russia business
McDonald's has reached a deal to sell its Russia business to Russian businessman Alexander Govor, a licensee of the chain, the restaurant company said Thursday.
Global stocks slump on recession fears
Global markets took a beating Thursday after Wall Street suffered one of its worst batterings in two years over recession fears after decades-high inflation.
Ukraine war puts Indian diamond polishers out of work
India's huge diamond-polishing industry has furloughed around 250,000 of its roughly two million workers because of sanctions on Russia hitting supplies, a trade union said Thursday.
Stock markets slump on recession fears
Stock markets slumped Thursday after Wall Street suffered one of its worst batterings in two years as traders recoiled at the prospect of recession.
Cyprus police arrest one after protesting farmers set hay ablaze
Cyprus police said Thursday they had arrested one man a day after farmers set hay bales ablaze outside the presidential palace to protest against high input prices and a milk glut.
Epicentre of war: Artillery battles engulf Ukraine's Severodonetsk
She ran clutching her soup ladle from the wood-fired stove set up by trapped residents metres from their doorstep and dived into the basement to escape the mortar blast.
Asian, European markets drop after Wall St battering
Markets in Europe and Asia posted losses Thursday, after Wall Street suffered one of its worst batterings in two years.
Asian markets drop after Wall St battering
Asian markets posted losses Thursday, after Wall Street suffered one of its worst batterings in two years in the previous session.
Brothers keep Swiss mountains in high spirits
Depopulation threatens the future of Switzerland's picturesque mountain villages, but three brothers are trying to keep theirs alive by capturing its essence in a bottle.
Forbidden love: Taiwan's gay couples seek foreign marriage equality
Taiwan's LGBTQ community celebrated the third year of gay marriage being legal this week, but for Vincent Chuang it was a bittersweet reminder that he still cannot wed because he fell in love with a foreigner.
Asian markets plunge after Wall St battering
Asian markets posted big early losses Thursday, after Wall Street suffered one of its worst batterings in two years in the previous session.
US to fly in baby formula on military contracted planes
The US government will fly in baby formula on commercial planes contracted by the military in an airlift aimed at easing the major shortage plaguing the country, the White House said on Wednesday.
What a waste: US campaigner wears his trash for a month
We all know someone with a rubbish fashion sense, but Rob Greenfield is proud to be wearing garbage -- it's all part of a plan to show just how much trash we unthinkingly throw away every month.
'Transmitting violence': Livestream video's dark side
A gunman's livestream of a mass killing in New York state was taken down in a matter of minutes -- but even that was not fast enough to prevent those images from becoming effectively impossible to erase from the internet.
Basquiat owned by Japan's Maezawa sells for $85 mn
Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Untitled" 1982 sold for $85 million at auction in New York Wednesday, well above its pre-sale estimate and netting Japanese billionaire space tourist Yusaku Maezawa a tidy profit.
Fact Check: Pediatricians say homemade baby formula unsafe
Social media posts are urging parents who face baby formula shortages to make it themselves. But pediatricians told AFP they do not advise patients to use homemade formula, warning it may lack vitamins and nutrients key to helping infants grow and thrive.
Wall Street stocks tumble following weak results from retailers
Wall Street stocks suffered one of their worst batterings since 2020 on Wednesday, as downcast earnings reports from retailers exacerbated worries about consumer resilience and corporate profitability.
Biden sells renewed US leadership in first Asia trip, but N.Korea looms
Joe Biden leaves Thursday for his first trip as president to Asia convinced that the confrontation with Russia has reinvigorated US leadership, while wary that a rogue North Korean nuclear test could tear up the optimistic script.
Most automakers fall short on climate goals: report
Only two of the world's 12 top automakers plan to make enough electric vehicles by 2030 to stay in step with Paris Agreement climate goals, experts said Wednesday.
New York agency accuses Amazon of workforce discrimination
New York state accused Amazon Wednesday of discriminating against pregnant workers and staff with disabilities by refusing to make reasonable accommodations.
Tom Cruise: 'I make movies for the big screen'
Tom Cruise made it clear there was no chance "Top Gun: Maverick" would be released first on a streaming platform despite multiple pandemic delays, as he visited Cannes on Wednesday.
Senegal probing feared homophobic attack by mob
Senegalese police said Wednesday they were probing a possible anti-gay attack by a mob, an incident coinciding with a storm over a football star's apparent refusal to join a campaign against homophobia in Europe.
Russian pleads guilty as Ukraine holds first war crimes trial
A 21-year-old Russian soldier on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the cold-blooded murder of a Ukrainian civilian, as Kyiv began a judicial reckoning for alleged atrocities after nearly three months of war.
Why record wheat prices are a global worry
Consumed daily by billions of people around the world in bread and other flour-based products, wheat is a basic food staple, making current record prices for the cereal a global concern.
European and US stocks slide on inflation worries
US and European stock markets slid Wednesday as inflation data and corporate reports stoked investor fears about recession and earnings.
China calls for urgent boost to virus-hit economy
China's premier called for greater "urgency" in rolling out measures to support the virus-battered economy, state media reported Wednesday, days after data highlighted the stark impact of Covid-19 restrictions.