Business and Tech

Google, Apple brace for earnings as Meta shares skyrocket
AFP - 46m ago
Tech giants Google, Apple and Amazon will report their latest earnings on Thursday as shares in Meta skyrocketed after …
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Colombian judge uses ChatGPT in ruling
AFP - 1h ago
A judge in Colombia caused a stir by announcing he had used the AI chatbot ChatGPT in preparing a ruling in a children's …
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Rate hikes and tech optimism send stocks higher
AFP - 4h ago
European and US stock markets mostly rose on Thursday after the European Central Bank and Bank of England raised …
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Swiss prosecutors open probe into 'Suisse Secrets' leaker
AFP - 4h ago
Swiss prosecutors said Thursday they had opened an investigation into a massive leak last year of Credit Suisse account …
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Big Tech earnings expected as Meta share price skyrockets
AFP - 4h ago
Tech giants Google, Apple and Amazon will report their latest results on Thursday as shares in Meta skyrocketed after …
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Stocks mostly rise after more central bank rate hikes
AFP - 1h ago
European and US stock markets mostly rose on Thursday after the European Central Bank and Bank of England raised …
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Santander bank posts record profit as rates rise
AFP - 6h ago
Spanish banking giant Banco Santander reported on Thursday record profits for 2022, becoming the latest European lender …
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Nigeria eases currency swap to try and curb queues
AFP - 6h ago
Nigeria's central bank on Thursday ordered financial institutions to distribute newly designed bills over the counter in …
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ECB hikes rates again, vows more in March
AFP - 6h ago
The European Central Bank raised interest rates again Thursday and signalled it would "stay the course" with an …
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Stocks climb after rate decisions
AFP - 42m ago
European and US stock markets rose on Thursday after the European Central Bank and Bank of England raised interest …
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Influencers bask in their version of the Oscars in Mexico City
AFP - 6h ago
And the winner is... a 16-year-old Colombian whose videos of his life in the countryside landed him an award at TikTok's …
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Record Shell profit on soaring energy prices sparks outrage
AFP - 7h ago
British energy giant Shell on Thursday unveiled record annual net profit of $42.3 billion thanks to surging oil and gas …
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Bank of England hikes interest rate tenth time in row
AFP - 7h ago
The Bank of England on Thursday hiked its interest rate for a tenth time in a row as global authorities race to combat …
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European stocks climb after rate decisions
AFP - 45m ago
European stock markets rose on Thursday after the European Central Bank and Bank of England raised interest rates, …
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ECB hikes rates again, says to 'stay course'
AFP - 1h ago
The European Central Bank raised interest rates again Thursday and signalled it would "stay the course" in its monetary …
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Macron vs the unions: What happens next in France?
AFP - 9h ago
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing his biggest standoff with France's trade unions since coming to power in …
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European stocks jump before rate decisions
AFP - 2h ago
European stock markets rallied Thursday before interest rate decisions from the European Central Bank and Bank of …
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Hong Kong offers 500,000 free flights after Covid isolation
AFP - 10h ago
Hong Kong is ready to welcome the world back, its leader said Thursday, pledging more than half a million free flights …
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India's Adani empire loses more than $100 bn after fraud claims
AFP - 11h ago
The crisis around Indian tycoon Gautam Adani deepened Thursday with the total loss of value to his indebted empire …
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Hong Kong offers free flights after Covid isolation
AFP - 58m ago
Hong Kong is ready to welcome the world back, its leader said Thursday, as he pitched free flights and positive …
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Shell logs record 2022 profit on soaring energy prices
AFP - 4h ago
Shell's net profit surged to a record $42.3 billion last year, the British energy giant said Thursday, as Russia's …
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Sony hikes net profit forecasts as weak yen boosts gaming
AFP - 6h ago
Sony upgraded its annual net profit forecasts on Thursday, saying it expects strong results in its key gaming sector as …
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Markets mixed as early Fed-fuelled rally peters out
AFP - 3h ago
Markets were mixed Thursday, with investors unable to maintain an early rally despite a strong lead from Wall Street …
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ANA, JAL see profits soar on travel recovery
AFP - 7h ago
Japan's leading air carriers ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines posted net profits for the nine months to December, turning …
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Asian markets track Wall St higher after softer Fed tone
AFP - 1h ago
Most Asian markets rose Thursday and the dollar weakened further on hopes the Federal Reserve's campaign of interest …
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Sony hikes net profit forecast as weak yen boosts gaming
AFP - 24m ago
Sony upgraded its annual net profit forecast on Thursday, saying it expects strong results in its key gaming sector as …
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Australia to remove British monarch from banknotes
AFP - 3h ago
Australia will remove the British monarch from its banknotes, replacing the late Queen Elizabeth II's image on its $5 …
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Gautam Adani: the Indian tycoon weathering stock market panic
AFP - 16h ago
Indian industrialist Gautam Adani was until this week Asia's richest man, with a business empire spanning coal, …
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India's Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled
AFP - 3h ago
Under-fire Indian tycoon Gautam Adani insisted Thursday that the fundamentals of his conglomerate were "strong" even as …
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Despite improving outlook, ECB to hike rates again
AFP - 9h ago
The European Central Bank is set to hike interest rates again Thursday as it pursues its inflation fight, despite …
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Asian markets rally with Wall St on softer Fed tone
AFP - 4h ago
Most Asian markets rose Thursday and the dollar weakened further on hopes the Federal Reserve's campaign of interest …
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ChatGPT: the promises, pitfalls and panic
AFP - 2h ago
Excitement around ChatGPT -- an easy to use AI chatbot that can deliver an essay or computer code upon request and …
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Seeing is believing? Global scramble to tackle deepfakes
AFP - 13h ago
Chatbots spouting falsehoods, face-swapping apps crafting porn videos and cloned voices defrauding companies of millions …
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Australia to oust monarch from banknotes
AFP - 2h ago
Australia will erase the British-based monarch from its banknotes, replacing the late Queen Elizabeth II's image on its …
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Who are the best new artists? Check TikTok
AFP - 19h ago
After several years of Grammy ceremonies with clear frontrunners for Best New Artist, Sunday's race is wide open -- but …
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Australia to remove monarch from banknotes
AFP - 53m ago
Australia announced Thursday it will erase the British monarch from its banknotes, replacing the late Queen Elizabeth …
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Meta reports sales fall, but beats expectations
AFP - 16h ago
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta on Wednesday reported its first annual sales drop since the company went public in …
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Republican leader says debt cliff talks with Biden went well
AFP - 21h ago
The United States took a small step back from the risk of a catastrophic debt default Wednesday after the new Republican …
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US stocks rally, dollar falls after Fed decision
Feb 01 2023
Wall Street stocks rallied and the dollar retreated Wednesday after the Federal Reserve enacted a smaller interest rate …
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Biden, Republican leader clash -- with US economy at stake
Feb 01 2023
President Joe Biden and the new Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, were deeply divided …
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US Fed unveils smaller rate hike but signals inflation fight not over
Feb 01 2023
America's Federal Reserve slowed its pace of interest rate hikes Wednesday, tempering an aggressive campaign to rein in …
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EU unveils plan to counter US green subsidies, China competition
Feb 01 2023
The EU on Wednesday unveiled proposals including a controversial relaxation of state aid rules to counter the threat to …
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Stocks and dollar struggle before Fed rate decision
Feb 01 2023
Stock markets and the dollar struggled for direction on Wednesday, as investors waited to learn the size of the US …
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Half a million strike in UK as cost-of-living crisis bites
Feb 01 2023
Half a million people stopped work over pay in Britain on Wednesday leaving transport networks paralysed and thousands …
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Business and consumers hamper climate fight: report
Feb 01 2023
Corporations and consumers are the main obstacle to the emissions cuts needed to keep global warming to the 1.5-degree …
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What does hitting the debt ceiling mean for the US?
Feb 01 2023
The United States hit its borrowing cap of $31.4 trillion in January, prompting the start of measures to avoid a default …
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Indonesian islanders file Holcim climate complaint
Feb 01 2023
Residents of the Indonesian island of Pulau Pari have filed a complaint against the cement giant Holcim, demanding …
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US manufacturing activity contracts for third month: survey
Feb 01 2023
Activity in the US manufacturing sector shrank for a third straight month in January, hovering at the lowest levels …
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Stocks rise, dollar eases before Fed rate decision
Feb 01 2023
Stock markets struggled for direction and the dollar dipped Wednesday, with all eyes on the size of the Federal …
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US Fed set to slow rate hikes but signal inflation fight not over
Feb 01 2023
The Federal Reserve started the second day of its policy meeting Wednesday, on growing expectations that it will step …
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Pakistan inflation hits 48-year high as IMF visits
Feb 01 2023
Inflation has risen to a 48-year high in crisis-hit Pakistan, according to government data released Wednesday, as IMF …
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Half a million strike in UK's largest walkout in 12 years
Feb 01 2023
Half a million workers went on strike in Britain on Wednesday, calling for higher wages in the largest such walkout in …
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US private hiring slows more than expected in January: survey
Feb 01 2023
Private employers in the United States slowed their hiring pace in January, payroll firm ADP said Wednesday, in the …
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Total CEO expected in Mozambique after gas project halted
Feb 01 2023
The head of French energy giant TotalEnergies is expected this week to visit Mozambique, where a multi-billion-dollar …
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Arctic cold 'no sweat' for electric cars in Norway
Feb 01 2023
Norwegian electric car owners have a word for the way they feel when they look nervously at their battery indicators …
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Pakistan inflation rises to 48-year high as IMF visits
Feb 01 2023
Inflation has risen to a 48-year high in crisis-hit Pakistan, where the International Monetary Fund is visiting for …
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Eurozone inflation falls but uncertainty remains
Feb 01 2023
The eurozone's annual inflation rate has fallen for a third consecutive month, official data showed on Wednesday, but …
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Adani shares nosedive as Indian tycoon drops down rich list
Feb 01 2023
Shares in Gautam Adani's empire nosedived again on Wednesday as the Indian tycoon dropped off the Forbes top 10 rich …
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Norway not a war profiteer, PM says
Feb 01 2023
Norway has grown richer by the minute as the conflict in Ukraine boosts its gas revenues, but the country is not a war …
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Hong Kong economy shrank 3.5 percent in 2022
Feb 01 2023
Hong Kong's economy shrank by 3.5 percent in 2022, with exports plunging and the city's worst-ever coronavirus outbreak …
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Electric car sales gain pace despite hurdles
Feb 01 2023
The electrification of the car industry is gathering pace, particularly in Europe, where the sale of new cars running on …
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Asian markets rebound from losses after Wall St rally
Feb 01 2023
Asian markets bounced back from two days of losses on Wednesday as traders tracked a Wall Street surge fuelled by data …
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Electric cars gain record market share in Europe
Feb 01 2023
Electric car sales set a new market share record in the European Union in 2022, industry figures showed Wednesday, as …
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Share sale fails to halt Adani market slide in India
Feb 01 2023
A successful public offer failed to stop investors dumping shares in Indian tycoon Gautam Adani's business empire for a …
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EU lays out response to US green tech subsidies
Feb 01 2023
The EU will reveal Wednesday plans to counter the threat to European industry from US green energy subsidies and unfair …
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ChatGPT maker fields tool for spotting AI-written text
Feb 01 2023
Creators of a ChatGPT bot causing a stir for its ability to mimic human writing on Tuesday released a tool designed to …
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ExxonMobil reports record profits of $55.7 bn in 2022
Feb 01 2023
ExxonMobil reported record annual profits of $55.7 billion in 2022 on Tuesday, reflecting higher commodity prices amid …
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Lebanese villagers try to stem illegal logging scourge
Feb 01 2023
Braving the bitter cold, Lebanese villagers have been patrolling a mountainside in the country's north, trying to …
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Most Asian markets rebound from losses after Wall St rally
Feb 01 2023
Most Asian markets bounced from two days of losses on Wednesday as traders tracked a Wall Street surge fuelled by data …
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Iraqi PM says banking reforms reveal fraudulent dollar transactions
Jan 31 2023
Iraq's premier said Tuesday that new banking regulations had revealed fraudulent dollar transactions made from his …
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Snap shares dive on bad quarterly results
Jan 31 2023
Shares in Snapchat's parent company plunged more than 14 percent on Tuesday after it reported a loss in the final three …
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Mixed day for global stocks ahead of major central bank moves
Jan 31 2023
Wall Street stocks rallied Tuesday on mostly good corporate earnings after a mixed session in overseas markets ahead of …
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A US corporate scourge deflates the empire of Indian tycoon Adani
Jan 31 2023
Nathan Anderson sees himself as a scourge of corporate manipulation, but some investors and business leaders see …
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French protests against Macron's pension reform gather momentum
Jan 31 2023
Protests against French President Emmanuel Macron's plan to reform the pension system gathered momentum on Tuesday, with …
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Higher costs drag Caterpillar profits lower
Jan 31 2023
Caterpillar reported a drop in profits Tuesday as higher costs and the drag from the strong dollar offset the lift from …
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Macron roils French sense of equality with pension reform
Jan 31 2023
For opponents of France's pension reform, the proposed changes are about more than raising the retirement age: they're …
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McDonald's profits rise as consumers seek value
Jan 31 2023
McDonald's reported Tuesday a jump in fourth-quarter profits following higher sales in most markets, scoring with …
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French mass protests challenge Macron over pensions plan
Jan 31 2023
French protesters launched a new push Tuesday to pressure President Emmanuel Macron into dropping a pension reform plan, …
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US Justice Dept investigating Tesla self-driving features
Jan 31 2023
The US Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Tesla's driver-assistance features, the company said …
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Stocks mixed before fresh rate hikes
Jan 31 2023
Global stock markets diverged on Tuesday as investors digested economic growth data and corporate results ahead of …
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US hits Myanmar with new sanctions on coup 2nd anniversary
Jan 31 2023
The United States slapped fresh sanctions on Myanmar Tuesday, a day before the Southeast Asian country marks the second …
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Green energy investment tops $1 trillion, matches fossil fuels
Jan 31 2023
Investment in cleaner energy is on the verge of overtaking spending on fossil fuels for the first time ever after …
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France to send more mobile artillery to Ukraine
Jan 31 2023
France will ship 12 more Caesar truck-mounted howitzers and fresh air defence equipment to Ukraine to bolster the fight …
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Major UAE solar plant to go online before COP summit: energy firm
Jan 31 2023
One of the world's biggest solar plants will become fully operational this year in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, …
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Pfizer eyes big drop in Covid-related revenues in 2023
Jan 31 2023
After two straight years of surging sales due to Covid-19 products, Pfizer projected a steep decline in 2023 revenues as …
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US Fed starts policy meeting with smaller rate hike likely
Jan 31 2023
US central bankers opened a two-day policy meeting Tuesday on rising expectations that they will slow the pace of …
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After turbulent year, UBS upbeat with eye on Asia
Jan 31 2023
Swiss banking giant UBS voiced optimism for 2023 on Tuesday, hoping that higher interest rates and a swelling business …
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Stocks mixed as traders weigh GDP data
Jan 31 2023
Global stock markets diverged on Tuesday as investors digested economic growth data and corporate results ahead of …
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GM profits rise after record quarter in North America
Jan 31 2023
General Motors rode a strong performance in North America to higher fourth-quarter profits and said Tuesday that an …
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Libraries offer novel 'warm space' for hard-up Britons
Jan 31 2023
As Britain endures a cost-of-living crisis, public libraries and other community hubs are providing "warm spaces" for …
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Global stocks drop as investors shrug off recovery hopes
Jan 31 2023
Global stock markets slid Tuesday as Wall Street weakness offset positive economic data, while investors looked ahead to …
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Eurozone dodges recession but gloomy outlook persists
Jan 31 2023
The eurozone economy showed greater resilience than expected after avoiding a recession in the fourth quarter of 2022, …
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Brexit gloom prevails on UK's three-year anniversary
Jan 31 2023
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended Brexit as a "huge opportunity" on Tuesday, as the UK marked three years …
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Pakistan's economy in 'collapse' as IMF visits
Jan 31 2023
Pakistan is gripped by a major economic crisis, with the rupee plummeting, inflation soaring and energy in short supply …
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Large investors pull Adani's $2.5 bn share sale through after stock rout
Jan 31 2023
Adani Group's ambitious share sale exceeded its subscription targets Tuesday in a relief for the Indian conglomerate, …
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UK retail giant Tesco to axe over 2,000 jobs
Jan 31 2023
Supermarket group Tesco, the biggest retailer in Britain, announced Tuesday plans to slash about 2,100 jobs, as sky-high …
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New French protests, strikes target Macron pensions plan
Jan 31 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday faced a new wave of anger over his plan to reform pensions, with nationwide …
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Asian markets take fresh hit as nervous traders await Fed meeting
Jan 31 2023
Asian markets sank Tuesday following a big selloff on Wall Street and ahead of a key Federal Reserve policy decision …
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France faces huge disruption as pension protests kick off
Jan 31 2023
France woke up to a day of paralysis Tuesday with transport blockages, mass strikes and demonstrations hitting the …
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Adani empire tumbles again with stock sale hanging in the balance
Jan 31 2023
Investors dumped more Adani shares on Tuesday, deepening the carnage at India's biggest conglomerate which has already …
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Winter not over, but Europe braces for the next one
Jan 31 2023
Europe has weathered the energy crisis that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine so far, but businesses and households …
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High energy bills deal heavy blow to Belgian glassware business
Jan 31 2023
When energy prices blew up last year in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine, Belgian glassblower Christophe Genard had …
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