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Napoleon's hat sells for record sum at French auction
A hat belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte when he was French emperor sold for a record of nearly two million euros at a French auction on Sunday, the auction house said.
Napoleon's hat sells for record 1.9 mn euros in French auction
A hat belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte when he was French emperor sold for a record of nearly two million euros at a French auction on Sunday, the auction house said.
Foreign firms race to open Saudi offices before deadline
A wave of ribbon-cutting ceremonies is sweeping the Saudi capital as multinationals face a January deadline to open regional headquarters in the Gulf kingdom or lose out on government contracts.
Under fire, undermanned: Israel's wartime economy soldiers on
When rocket sirens echo on the factory floor of Rav-Bariach Industries, Israel's biggest maker of security doors, workers rush to take refuge in bomb shelters fitted with their own kit.
'Big Three' auto employees ratify overhauled contracts: union source
Members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) have ratified the in-principle labor agreements promising sweeping pay increases that were reached with US car companies Ford, Stellantis and General Motors, a union source told AFP Saturday.
First French ski reports open, but only at high altitude
A few French high-altitude ski resorts opened ahead of schedule Saturday, just days after storms in the northern Alps wiped out some early snows.
The lucky ones: sick, wounded children from war-torn Gaza airlifted to UAE
Clutching a blown-up surgical glove as a makeshift toy, a Palestinian child is stretchered onto a plane to Abu Dhabi -– one of the Gaza war's first evacuees to the United Arab Emirates for urgent medical treatment.
Paris booksellers flay call to remove them for Olympics
Paris booksellers, who have operated from little dark green kiosks on the banks of the Seine for some 150 years, are incensed by plans to remove them for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics.
Advertisers drop X after Musk backs anti-Semitic post
An exodus of big-name advertisers appeared under way at X, formerly Twitter, on Friday in the wake of Elon Musk endorsing an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.
China's influence in C.America advances at a gallop
Anchored in the heart of colonial San Salvador, a towering and expansive library was inaugurated this week by President Nayib Bukele, the latest sign of China's growing influence across Central America.
News anchors targeted by deepfake scammers on Facebook
In a Facebook video viewed by thousands, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer appears to hawk a diabetes drug. In another, "CBS Mornings" host Gayle King seems to endorse weight loss products.
Social media titans caught in Gaza storm over content
Six weeks after the eruption of the war in Gaza with the attack by Hamas on Israel, social media platforms are still caught in the maelstrom, struggling to control content and withstand user fury.
Moody's affirms Italy's credit rating and upgrades outlook
The US ratings agency Moody's announced Friday it had affirmed Italy's credit rating at Baa3, and upgraded the country's outlook to "stable" from "negative," citing its significant economic strengths.
Pandas and partnership: Was Xi's US trip a success?
In a whirlwind US trip this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping held long talks with President Joe Biden, got a standing ovation from top business leaders, and even hinted there could be more pandas on the way to the United States.
US, European stocks end winning week on benign note
European and US stocks ended an upbeat week on a benign note Friday, pushing higher after cooling inflation reports raised hopes of an end to interest rate hikes.
'My world collapsed again' says son of Israeli hostage killed in Gaza
When Hamas militants stormed Omer Weiss' kibbutz in southern Israel on October 7, they killed his father and kidnapped his mother. On Thursday the Israeli military told him she had been found dead, and his world fell apart again.
Russia moves to ban 'international LGBT movement' for 'extremism'
Russian officials said Friday they are seeking a ban on the "international LGBT public movement," building on a crackdown against liberal-leaning groups that has intensified since Moscow deployed troops to Ukraine.
US chip curbs trip up China's AI-hungry tech giants
US restrictions on advanced computer chips are forcing China's tech giants to rethink their ambitious AI-powered projects, analysts say.
Italian workers strike over hard-right government budget
Public sector employees and transport workers across Italy went on strike Friday in an action pitting trade unions against the hard-right government in Rome over its 2024 budget.
Alibaba shares collapse after cloud service spinoff cancelled
Shares in Chinese ecommerce titan Alibaba tanked 10 percent in Hong Kong on Friday after the firm's surprise decision to call off part of its high-profile restructuring because of the US-China chip war.
Croatia cracks down on migrants as Europe beefs up border checks
It took Croatia years to finally enter into Europe's passport-free travel zone that promised to ease access for other European nationals travelling to the country and boost its tourism-driven economy.
Winds of change? Bid to revive England's onshore sector
When yet another winter storm hits Britain, Ellis Jacklin is happier than most, as he gets his energy at up to half the usual unit price.
Afghans driven from Pakistan rebuilding lives from 'zero'
Rocked gently on his mother's knees, a fly on his nose, a baby sleeps fitfully in a tent in a barren border camp as his family prepares to leave the waypoint to rebuild their lives in Afghanistan.
Top UN court to rule on Armenia-Azerbaijan Karabakh dispute
The UN's top court will Friday rule on a long-running clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Baku seized in September in a lightning offensive.
Alibaba shares dive more than 7% after cloud service called off
Shares in Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba tanked more than seven percent at the Hong Kong open Friday after the firm's surprise decision to call off part of its high-profile restructuring because of the US-China chip war.
IBM pulls ads from Elon Musk's X over pro-Nazi posts
IBM on Thursday said it has stopped advertising on X due to a report its ads were shown next to pro-Nazi posts at the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Workers at GM ratify contract in win for US auto union
Workers at General Motors have voted to ratify a new labor contract with sweeping pay increases, according to figures published Thursday, a landmark step after a major auto industry strike this year.
Stocks fall, oil slides as rally shows sign of fatigue
World stock markets mostly fell Thursday as investors took a breather after a recent rally following better-than-expected US inflation figures.
Amazon to sell new cars next year in US, starting with Hyundai
E-commerce giant Amazon said Thursday it would start selling new automobiles on its platform in the United States next year.
Big Starbucks promotion roiled by union walkout of 'thousands'
Worker activists at Starbucks called for a strike at unionized coffee shops in the United States on Thursday as the labor group seeks to pressure the coffee giant on stalled contract talks.
'Gaypec': San Francisco champions LGBTQ rights at Asia summit
The calendar for APEC in San Francisco featured a US-China summit, appearances by top CEOs, negotiations on a trade pact -- and seductive dances by elaborately coiffed drag queens.
Biden says US to advocate for labor unions abroad
President Joe Biden's administration promised Thursday to engage systematically overseas with workers, as its plans for a new Asia trade pact met opposition from labor activists.
Brazil police kill black person every four hours: report
Police violence in Brazil killed the equivalent of more than one black person every four hours last year, disproportionately hitting the Afro-Brazilian population, a report said Thursday.
UAE inaugurates giant solar plant, two weeks before climate talks
The United Arab Emirates inaugurated on Thursday one of the world's biggest solar plants, two weeks before the oil-rich Gulf state hosts UN climate talks.
Alibaba cancels cloud service spinoff over US chip restrictions
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said Thursday it was cancelling a planned cloud service spinoff announced this year over US chip restrictions, as it reported results for the third quarter of 2023 that were in line with market expectations.
US auto worker strike hits October industrial production
US industrial production declined more than expected in October, with the auto workers strike exerting downward pressure on a range of market groups, the Federal Reserve said Thursday.
Stocks fall as rate-hope rally fades
World stock markets mostly fell Thursday as investors took a breather after a recent rally following better-than-expected US inflation figures.
Walmart narrowly lifts forecast as inflation stays consumer concern
Walmart narrowly lifted its full-year forecast on Thursday following solid quarterly results as it continued to navigate a market challenged by elevated pricing that has depressed demand for some goods.
Stocks mostly drop as rate-hope rally fades
Major Asian and European stock markets fell Thursday as investors took a breather and cashed in on a recent rally following better-than-expected US inflation figures.