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Fresh protests against police violence planned in France
Dozens of marches against police violence in France have been announced for Saturday after authorities banned a memorial rally, fearful of reigniting the recent unrest that engulfed the country.
Stocks mixed, dollar lower as US hiring slows
Global stocks moved indecisively and the dollar retreated Friday as markets digested a mixed US employment report that showed moderating jobs growth but solid wage increases.
Senegal leader backs permanent African Union seat at G20
Granting the African Union a permanent seat at the G20 group of wealthy nations would undo an "injustice", Senegalese President Macky Sall said on Friday.
Underwater mining of high seas inches closer, worrying environmentalists
Governments will soon likely be able to apply for deep sea mining contracts in international waters, a plunge into the unknown that is worrying conservationists as calls for a moratorium on such digging grow.
Teamsters hold 'practice pickets' for possible UPS strike
UPS drivers came out in force Friday for a "practice picket" event organized by the Teamsters as the union edges towards a possible strike in light of stalled contract talks.
One dead in Kenya protests over tax hikes
One man was shot dead in Kenya on Friday, a hospital official said, following anti-government protests over a cost-of-living crisis and a raft of controversial tax hikes.
Thyssenkrupp's hydrogen unit surges in stock market debut
Thyssenkrupp's green hydrogen unit Nucera made a strong debut on the Frankfurt stock exchange Friday, amid growing interest in the technology as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Maritime sector seals carbon-cutting deal but sparks criticism
The International Maritime Organization, which oversees the highly polluting shipping industry, clinched a landmark deal on Friday to improve its target to cut carbon emissions -- but green campaigners said it fell far too short to tackle climate change.
Stock markets waver as US hiring cools
Stock markets wavered Friday as investors still bet on the US Federal Reserve hiking interest rates further despite jobs data showing hiring slowed more than expected last month.
US jobs data fails to give equities a boost
Wall Street stocks sputtered Friday as investors still bet on the US Federal Reserve hiking interest rates further despite jobs data showing hiring slowed more than expected last month.
China hits tech firms with hefty fines as crackdown draws to close
Chinese regulators said Friday they had fined fintech giant Ant Group almost $1 billion for "illegal acts" and handed an affiliate of rival Tencent a $415 million penalty, adding that a long-running crackdown on tech firms was drawing to a close.
US economy adds 209,000 new jobs as hiring slows
Hiring in the United States slowed in June, the Labor Department said Friday, with fewer new jobs created than many had expected, a signal that the economy is showing signs of cooling.
Fire in Italy retirement home kills six
A fire at a retirement home in Milan on Friday killed six people, firefighters said, with some 80 other residents hospitalised suffering from smoke inhalation.
China fines Ant Group almost US$1 bn as tech crackdown draws to close
Chinese fintech giant Ant Group has been fined almost $1 billion for "illegal acts", the country's financial regulators said Friday, adding that a longtime crackdown on tech firms was drawing to a close.
AI robots tell UN conference they could run the world
A panel of AI-enabled humanoid robots took the microphone Friday at a United Nations conference with the message: they could eventually run the world better than humans.
Stock markets diverge, dollar drops before US jobs data
Major stock markets diverged and the dollar fell Friday, with all eyes on more US jobs data for clues on the outlook for interest rates.
Watchdog urges Tunisia to stop expelling migrants to desert
Human Rights Watch on Friday urged Tunisia to put an end to what it called the "collective expulsions" of Black African migrants to a desert area near the Libyan border.
Global maritime sector agrees deal on carbon-reduction target
The International Maritime Organization, overseer of the highly-polluting shipping industry, sealed a landmark deal Friday to improve its target to cut carbon emissions but green campaigners said it fell far short.
Global maritime sector improves carbon-reduction target: draft deal
The International Maritime Organization, overseer of the highly-polluting shipping industry, has agreed to improve on its target to cut carbon emissions, according to a draft agreement seen Friday by AFP.
AIIB says internal review found 'no evidence' of China influence
The China-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said Friday there was "no evidence" it was dominated by Beijing's ruling Communist Party, as it released a review into explosive claims made by a former executive.
Yellen says 'impossible' to decouple China, US economies
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Friday that a decoupling of the US and Chinese economies would be "virtually impossible" and would destabilise global markets, in comments made while on a visit to Beijing packed with talks with officials and businesses.
'No second chance' to save Sri Lanka, central banker warns
The man charged with clawing Sri Lanka out of bankruptcy says he had warned about economic calamity years before it hit -- and was pressed into retirement for his troubles.
Sri Lankans jump ship as a bankrupt nation struggles
The snaking queues for food and fuel that crisscrossed Sri Lanka last year have given way to a different kind of line -- people scrambling for travel documents to flee their bankrupt island.
Yellen to discuss US-China ties, global economic outlook in Beijing
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen begins a full day of meetings in Beijing including with Premier Li Qiang on Friday, as Washington seeks to steady the tense relationship between the world's top two economies.
Asian markets fall further as US data fans rate fears
Stocks tumbled again Friday in Asia after another round of strong US data reinforced expectations the Federal Reserve will resume its interest rate hikes as officials wrestle with stubbornly high inflation.
Pink macarons and empowerment: a day in the 'World of Barbie'
In the "World of Barbie," the news is always happy, the weather is always perfect, and the kitchen is always full of sweet pink macarons.
Tattoos cover up painful pasts for US sex-trafficking victims
Many tattoos carry a deeper meaning behind them. But for Emily, the "7" on her left leg represents a nightmare, a branding imposed by a pimp.
Musk threatens lawsuit as Twitter rival Threads takes off
Twitter threatened to sue Meta just hours after the Instagram parent company launched Threads, an app it hopes will beat out the struggling site owned by Elon Musk.
What we know about Threads, Meta's 'Twitter killer'
Threads, Mark Zuckerberg's Instagram-based challenge to dethrone Elon Musk's troubled Twitter, has already secured tens of millions of downloads, but it remains to be seen whether this Twitter rival will be a winning one.
Drills, red wine: Ukrainians ready for leak at Russia-held plant
In the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, couples stroll in a popular park and parents push their children on swings on a hot summer day.
Rome's historic bakery to the popes closes
The Arrigoni bakery has made bread for the popes for almost a century, from rosetta rolls to wholewheat loaves -- but mass tourism has proved deadly and no prayers can save it now.
Stocks sink on higher interest rate fears
Stock markets tumbled on Thursday as investors fretted over the prospect of more US interest-rate hikes and the risk of recession.
US safety regulators demand more records on Tesla Autopilot
US auto safety regulators have demanded additional information about Tesla's Autopilot, threatening civil penalties on the automaker for inadequate response, according to a document request reviewed Thursday by AFP.
Tens of millions sign up to Twitter rival Threads
More than 30 million people have downloaded Threads, Meta's rival to Twitter, within the first few hours of its launch, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday.
What's behind the sudden easing of S.Africa power cuts?
South Africa's crippling blackouts have shrunk from up to 12 hours a day to just over two hours daily in recent weeks, after inflicting a massive hit on the economy.
TotalEnergies CEO says COP28 chief can press oil nations on climate
The head of French firm TotalEnergies says national oil giants from the Gulf and other nations must pull their weight against global warming, and the Emirati oil executive chairing the COP28 climate summit is right man to press them.
Stocks sink on higher US rate worries
Stock markets sank on Thursday as investors fretted over the prospect of more US interest-rate hikes and the risk to the global economy.
Rise of the robots: UN tries to tackle 'mind-blowing' growth of AI
The mind-blowing growth of artificial intelligence poses many questions that have no answers yet, the United Nations admitted Thursday at its AI summit, attended by some exceptionally life-like humanoid robots.
Record storm cost up to 100 mn euros in damage: Dutch insurers
A record-breaking summer storm that pummelled the Netherlands and Germany, leaving two people dead, has caused as much as 100 million euros ($109 million) in damage, Dutch insures said on Thursday.