Business and Economy



French wine harvest set to hit historic low

AFP - 22m ago

With its wine industry hit by a swathe of summer heatwaves, France is set to see this year's harvest hit a historic low.

Kyiv 'cannot agree' to EU membership limiting food exports: minister

AFP - 52m ago

Ukraine's agriculture minister on Wednesday said his country would not agree to EU membership if that would entail …

Shell refining margins reach record highs as wars hit supply

AFP - 1h ago

British energy giant Shell said Wednesday that its refining margins surged 75 percent in the third quarter compared with …

Moldova to name new power line after Donald Trump

AFP - 1h ago

A new power line to link Moldova to Romania with US financial backing will be named "Trump Liberty Line" following a US …

Spotify expands audiobooks to more than 180 markets

AFP - 2h ago

Streaming giant Spotify announced Wednesday it is expanding access to its audiobook service to more than 180 markets, up …

Stocks decline as oil climbs on Mideast flareup

AFP - 2h ago

Oil prices rose Wednesday on fresh concerns about Middle East supplies following a warning that Iran appeared to be …

Micron workers at Taiwan plant vote in favour of strike

AFP - 2h ago

Hundreds of workers at a Micron Technology plant in Taiwan have voted to strike, their union said on Wednesday, after …

As sector struggles, Porsche puts luxury ahead of volume

AFP - 3h ago

Luxury sports car maker Porsche announced Wednesday it plans to sell fewer vehicles, but at a higher price to try to …

Indian central bank hikes rates for first time since 2023

AFP - 4h ago

India's central bank hiked interest rates Wednesday for the first time since 2023 as the Middle East conflict stokes …

Germany factory production at highest level for 18 months

AFP - 2h ago

German industrial production rose to its highest level for a year and a half in August, according to data released …

Oil rises and stocks fall as Hormuz worries flare

AFP - 2h ago

Oil prices rose on Wednesday and stocks fell amid fresh concerns about Middle East supplies following a warning that …

US, China, EU: three paths to regulating AI

AFP - 4h ago

The United States, China and the European Union are taking different paths to govern artificial intelligence, as calls …

How the EU regulates lobbyists

AFP - 7h ago

Following the 2022 Qatargate bribery scandal, the European Union tightened its lobbying rules in Brussels, where …

Fierce lobbying in EU over 'forever chemicals'

AFP - 7h ago

The European Union is under pressure to ban "forever chemicals" but a battle is heating up over the toxic substances …

Indian central bank hikes rates for first time in more than 3 years

AFP - 42m ago

India's central bank hiked interest rates for the first time in more than three years on Wednesday as the Middle East …

Climate champion Australia digging more coal

AFP - 8h ago

Australia's coal mines are expanding as exports boom, awkward timing for a nation preparing to champion clean energy as …

Bangladesh nuclear plant draws hope -- and worry

AFP - 10h ago

Bangladesh is preparing to switch on its first nuclear power plant, a long-delayed project promising relief from chronic …

Africa launches own credit agency in bid for cheaper borrowing

AFP - 10h ago

Africa will launch its own credit rating agency on Wednesday, aimed at countering what many see as unfair assessments by …

Paramount completes Warner Bros takeover, creating Skydance

Oct 06 2026

Paramount on Tuesday completed its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, uniting two of Hollywood's most storied studios …

US stocks hit fresh records as oil stabilizes on rising supplies

Oct 06 2026

Stock markets firmed Tuesday with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 hitting record highs in the United States, as oil prices …

Emmys gala will now stream its premier television awards

Oct 06 2026

The Emmy Awards that celebrate the best in television are the latest entertainment industry gala to ink a streaming …

Quebec separatist win rattles Carney's unity push

Oct 06 2026

Prime Minister Mark Carney insists "Canada strong" can defy threats from the United States, but his national unity …

Paris Women's Fashion Week: the key trends

Oct 06 2026

Paris Women's Fashion Week wraps up Tuesday after nine days of shows and celebrity sightings. AFP looks at some of the …

Asos says probing 'unauthorised activity' after phone alerts

Oct 06 2026

UK online fashion giant Asos said Tuesday it was investigating "unauthorised activity involving third-party platforms" …

Stocks climb as oil prices retreat under $100 per barrel

Oct 06 2026

Stock markets firmed Tuesday as oil prices retreated on easing supply worries, helping to temper concerns about rising …

New investor forecasts LIV Golf teams could be worth $100 mn each

Oct 06 2026

LIV Golf teams could be worth up to $100 million (£75 million) each, even though it's just under a month since the …

Bulgaria searches for missing crew after drones hit more Black Sea ships

Oct 06 2026

Bulgarian authorities on Tuesday were searching for the missing crew of a ship that sank in the Black Sea after drones …

Le Pen vows drastic cost savings to prevent French 'default'

Oct 06 2026

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said Tuesday that she would implement 140 billion euros ($157 …

France's Mistral unveils latest model in sovereign AI push

Oct 06 2026

French AI startup Mistral announced Tuesday its biggest open-weight model, dubbed "Chonk", claiming enhanced performance …

Stocks climb as oil prices retreat

Oct 06 2026

Stock markets firmed Tuesday while oil prices retreated on easing supply worries, helping to temper concerns about …

World Bank forecasts modest growth for Latin America, highlights climate risks

Oct 06 2026

The World Bank on Tuesday forecast modest economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, warning that risks from …

IMF warns cost-of-living shocks cause 'lasting deterioration' in affordability

Oct 06 2026

The International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday that price increases for necessities like food and energy, fuelled by the …

Stock markets climb as oil prices retreat

Oct 06 2026

Stock markets firmed Tuesday and oil prices retreated, helping to temper worries about spikes to government borrowing …

7-Eleven exits India amid mounting competition

Oct 06 2026

All 7-Eleven convenience stores in India shut down in September, according to its Japanese parent company on Tuesday, as …

Asian stocks mostly up after tech-led Wall St record

Oct 06 2026

Asian stocks mostly rose on Tuesday as a tech-led record on Wall Street was tempered by ongoing worries about a spike in …

German factory orders plunge as recovery still fragile

Oct 06 2026

German factory orders fell faster than expected in August, official data showed Tuesday, underscoring the fragility of a …

South Korea warns of possible AI use in banking hacks

Oct 06 2026

Artificial intelligence may have been used in a string of cyberattacks targeting South Korea's financial sector, the …

Purple reign: Philippines seeks to keep grip on ube throne

Oct 06 2026

The Philippine ube has become a trend-setting sensation from Los Angeles to London to Seoul, with the humble yam's …

Asian stocks mixed despite tech-led Wall St record

Oct 06 2026

Asian stocks were mixed Tuesday as a tech-led record on Wall Street was tempered by ongoing worries about a spike in …

AI borrowing binge rattles US markets

Oct 06 2026

The world's richest companies can no longer rely on their massive cash piles alone to stay in the artificial …

Euro slides as concerns about French debt mount

Oct 05 2026

The euro slid Monday to its lowest level against the dollar in 17 months on worries about France's high debt and …

US Supreme Court considers bid to shut the door on climate suits

Oct 05 2026

The US Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a crunch climate case, with justices wrestling over whether it followed …

US Supreme Court judges mull bid to shut the door on climate suits

Oct 05 2026

The US Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a crunch climate case, with justices wrestling over whether it followed …

Brazilian stocks surge to record after Bolsonaro election lead

Oct 05 2026

Brazilian stocks surged to record highs Monday, with Sao Paulo's main index up almost nine percent by midday, after a …

'Reckless' AI firms can't control models, says whistleblower

Oct 05 2026

Leading artificial intelligence companies do not know how to keep AI systems from pursuing objectives their developers …

Putin allows Italy's UniCredit to sell part of Russian business

Oct 05 2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday allowing Italy's UniCredit bank to sell part of its Russian …

EU, China to hold Beijing talks to avert trade war

Oct 05 2026

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic will travel to Beijing Thursday for two days of high-stakes talks aimed at staving off a …

US Supreme Court hears bid to shut the door on climate suits

Oct 05 2026

The US Supreme Court was hearing arguments on Monday in a case that could determine the fate of dozens of climate …

Euro slides as worries about French debt grow

Oct 05 2026

The euro slid Monday to the lowest level against the dollar in 17 months on worries about France's high debt and …

Norway eyes partial ban of smart glasses

Oct 05 2026

Norway's government said Monday it wants a temporary ban on the use of smart glasses in certain public places, citing …

Euro, French stocks slide on France debt concerns

Oct 05 2026

The euro slid to the lowest level against the dollar in 17 months and the Paris stock market shed one percent Monday on …

Stocks rally as 'Goldilocks' jobs data ease rate fears

Oct 05 2026

Equities rallied on Monday after a big miss on US jobs creation gave the Federal Reserve breathing room to hold off an …

Most Asia stocks rally as 'Goldilocks' jobs data ease rate fears

Oct 05 2026

Most stocks rallied Monday after a big miss on US jobs creation gave the Federal Reserve breathing room to hold off an …

Spy chief Clayton, the Trump loyalist tech bosses trust on AI

Oct 04 2026

Jay Clayton, Donald Trump's pick for AI czar, is the nation's top spy, and a rare figure trusted by both the president …

Chanel: unpicking one year of 'Blazymania'

Oct 04 2026

Exactly a year since he unveiled his first collection at Chanel, Franco-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy has proved …

Hungary's dwindling paprika producers battle to save signature spice

Oct 04 2026

Working from before dawn until midnight, farmers Nikoletta Pajsan Nagy and Laszlo Pajsan fought Europe's driest summer …

Finnish town braces for change from Google data centres

Oct 04 2026

In the northern Finnish town of Muhos, 36-year-old farmer Joni Pitkanen is preparing for life with a new neighbour -- …

Trump tariffs a mixed bag for US auto industry

Oct 04 2026

President Donald Trump has claimed a "roaring comeback" in American auto manufacturing following aggressive trade …

Boisterous fashion week barnstorms 'sleepy' Nigerian capital

Oct 03 2026

Nigerian models donned outfits of seemingly impossible amounts of fabric folded and moulded into massive silhouettes, or …

AI needs safety layers like nuclear plants: ex-OpenAI engineer

Oct 03 2026

Another former OpenAI employee has added his voice to a chorus of frantic calls to make AI safe, saying the industry …

Asian carmakers besting US rivals at home, China poised to strike

Oct 03 2026

Major US automakers have watched their domestic market share shrink even more thanks to their Asian competitors -- a …

US regulator finds Boeing 737 MAX software bug 'not a safety concern'

Oct 03 2026

A software bug that delayed the US certification of Boeing's 737 MAX 10 aircraft does not pose a safety concern, the …

G7 agrees deal to ease global energy supply concerns

Oct 02 2026

G7 countries agreed Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil to ease global energy supply concerns, …

US jobs data boosts stocks as oil prices dip

Oct 02 2026

Wall Street stocks advanced Friday after weak US jobs data lowered the odds of Federal Reserve rate hikes.

US Supreme Court to hear high-stakes climate case

Oct 02 2026

The US Supreme Court hears a climate case Monday that could upend dozens of lawsuits aimed at making polluters pay for …

Argentina unveils passports-for-investment scheme

Oct 02 2026

Argentine President Javier Milei's government said Friday that the country would offer citizenship to foreigners who …

Tesla shares jump after global car sales top estimates

Oct 02 2026

Tesla's stock jumped Friday after the electric car maker said its global sales dipped in the third quarter but were …

Amazon vows $1 bn for data center towns, decries 'myths'

Oct 02 2026

Amazon on Friday pledged more than $1 billion over five years for US communities that host its data centers, the latest …

Oil prices drop on G7 fuel release, US jobs data boosts stocks

Oct 02 2026

Oil prices slumped Friday as G7 nations agreed to a major release of fuel reserves, while Wall Street stocks jumped …

US posts weak job growth data in September

Oct 02 2026

Employment in the United States grew by 29,000 jobs in September, missing analysts' expectations significantly, with the …

G7 talks as US pressures Europe over diesel stocks

Oct 02 2026

G7 leaders were holding talks Friday to coordinate action on tackling high fuel prices, after Washington upped pressure …

Stocks rise, yields fall as US job numbers disappoint

Oct 02 2026

Wall Street stocks jumped and US bond yields fell Friday after data showed that job creation withered last month, while …

Europe rejects US threats over diesel stocks, urges joint G7 action

Oct 02 2026

The EU pushed back hard Friday against US threats to impose a diesel export ban, as Washington pressures Europe to tap …

Oil slides, bonds steady as EU addresses diesel price surge

Oct 02 2026

Oil futures slumped, the bond market steadied and stocks were mixed Friday as the European Union considered emergency …

Spain housing package at risk in parliament, as protests mount

Oct 02 2026

Spain's parliament was to vote Friday on government housing decrees introduced after nationwide protests triggered by …

Eurozone inflation hits three-year high at 3.8% in September

Oct 02 2026

Eurozone inflation jumped to 3.8 percent in September, the highest level in three years, as the war in the Middle East …

Germany's crisis-hit rail operator looks to AI future

Oct 02 2026

From AI-assisted trains to autonomous road shuttles, Germany's rail operator Deutsche Bahn -- long the country's …

Disney president says layoffs 'extremely painful' but necessary

Oct 02 2026

The Walt Disney Company's President Dana Walden said on Thursday that the company's layoffs were "extremely painful" but …

Macron urges G7 coordination as US presses Europe on diesel stocks

Oct 02 2026

French leader Emmanuel Macron urged G7 nations to work together to bring down fuel prices in a call with President …

Asian stocks hit as oil spike fans rate hike bets, eyes on US jobs

Oct 02 2026

Most Asian stocks dropped Friday as investors grow increasingly concerned about surging oil prices and bond yields, …

Asian stocks drop as oil spike fans rate hike bets, eyes on US jobs

Oct 02 2026

Asian stocks dropped Friday as investors grow increasingly concerned about surging oil prices and bond yields, while key …

EU nations to hold emergency meeting on soaring diesel prices amid US pressure

Oct 02 2026

EU nations will meet Friday, aiming to develop a unified response to soaring diesel prices, a day after the US called on …

Effective Altruism: the philosophy behind Silicon Valley's AI fears

Oct 02 2026

Dario Amodei says he is not part of it. But the Anthropic chief's personal and professional circle is entwined with …

Anthropic's Dario Amodei: AI's most visible CEO and enigma

Oct 02 2026

The surge in artificial intelligence and the heated debate around its risks have made Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei the …

OpenAI says three staffers fired for mishandling 'sensitive' info

Oct 02 2026

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said Thursday that it has fired three researchers for allegedly mishandling "sensitive information" …

Nike plans job cuts as it forecasts lower sales

Oct 01 2026

Nike plans to cut an undetermined number of jobs and establish a new campus in India as it seeks to accelerate a …

US tells European allies to act 'immediately' to lower diesel prices

Oct 01 2026

The United States on Thursday told its European allies to help lower global diesel prices by releasing strategic …

G20 trade ministers fail to see consensus against overproduction

Oct 01 2026

G20 trade ministers are at an impasse on countering excess industrial capacity, top US trade official Jamieson Greer …

US stocks edge higher as bond yields retreat for now

Oct 01 2026

Wall Street stocks edged higher Thursday, shrugging off weakness in European equities and the latest jump in oil prices.

US tells European allies to 'immediately' act to lower diesel prices

Oct 01 2026

The United States on Thursday told its European allies to help lower global diesel prices by releasing strategic …

G20 against 'weaponization' of food trade: French minister

Oct 01 2026

G20 trade ministers agree that it is "not acceptable" for countries to target food supplies in conflicts, a French …

Spotlight on UK-UAE ties amid Manchester City scandal

Oct 01 2026

The Manchester City financial scandal threatens to tarnish one of Abu Dhabi's most dazzling showcases of "soft power" …

US says 'in Europe's best interest' to cooperate on fuel supply

Oct 01 2026

The United States told Europe on Thursday to cooperate with Washington's efforts to lower diesel prices, while a top EU …

Rogue OpenAI agents covered up their tracks, report says

Oct 01 2026

Artificial intelligence agents developed by OpenAI tried to erase traces of their activity after gaining unauthorized …

German fuel price cuts kick in to ease Mideast energy shock

Oct 01 2026

German motorists began paying less to fill their cars Thursday as fuel subsidies aimed at softening the impact of the …

Musk returns to US government for Pentagon war study

Oct 01 2026

Tech billionaire Elon Musk will make a return to officially advising US President Donald Trump's government by …

Stocks slide as bond yields spike

Oct 01 2026

US and European stocks slid Thursday as yields on government debt spiked higher and as crude prices rose despite a …

Man City sponsor Etihad says considering legal action against Premier League

Oct 01 2026

UAE airline Etihad, Manchester City's main sponsor, has said it is considering legal action against the Premier League …

France unveils cost-cutting 2027 budget as borrowing costs rise

Oct 01 2026

The French government defended on Thursday its plans to cut spending and raise taxes as it tries to thread the needle …

Italy's firefighting planes return home after scorching summer

Oct 01 2026

After a gruelling summer skimming lakes and coastlines to dump thousands of tonnes of water on wildfires across a …

UK tribunal overturns ban on Naomi Campbell leading charities

Oct 01 2026

Former supermodel Naomi Campbell won a legal challenge on Thursday to overturn a five-year ban on being a charity …

How airlines try to make sure pilots are safe to fly

Oct 01 2026

The apparent attack by the co-pilot on a flight to Israel, in which he stabbed his captain and tried to crash the plane, …