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Google strikes back in AI battle with Microsoft
Google on Wednesday announced a slew of features powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it ramped up a battle with Microsoft to maintain its dominance of the web search industry.
Microsoft's Activision takeover bid dealt setback in UK
Microsoft's planned $69-billion takeover of video game giant Activision Blizzard could significantly harm competition and consumer choice, UK regulators concluded in provisional findings Wednesday.
Energy majors look for mega profits to roll on
The world's top oil and gas companies amassed record profits last year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine drove prices higher -- and they can expect the good times to roll on despite calls to tax them more.
India's Modi hits back at opposition after Adani furore
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday defended his record after criticism of his close association with tycoon Gautam Adani, whose business empire has been rocked by corporate fraud allegations.
S.Africa awaits glimmer of light in Ramaphosa's annual speech
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his annual address to the nation on Thursday, facing mounting pressure over the country's energy crisis.
France to turn wine into industrial alcohol to battle surplus
France plans to spend millions of euros to turn wine into industrial alcohol for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to drain a massive surplus, the agriculture ministry has said.
Japan rolls out 'humble and lovable' delivery robots
"Excuse me, coming through," a four-wheeled robot chirps as it dodges pedestrians on a street outside Tokyo, part of an experiment businesses hope will tackle labour shortages and rural isolation.
Harry Potter video game gets bumper sales despite LGBTQ backlash
The "Harry Potter" universe welcomes its latest edition on Friday, the "Hogwarts Legacy" video game, which provides a big test of the resilience of a franchise hit by criticism from some LGBTQ activists over the views of author JK Rowling.
Microsoft sees 'new day' in war with Google over AI search engines
Microsoft's long-struggling Bing search engine will integrate the powerful capabilities of language-based artificial intelligence, CEO Satya Nadella said on Tuesday, declaring what he called a new era for online search.
Video conferencing star Zoom cuts staff by 15 percent
The company behind the Zoom video conferencing platform -- which became a household name during the pandemic -- announced Tuesday it is laying off about 15 percent of its staff.
Inflation starting to slow but long, 'bumpy' road ahead: Powell
US inflation is starting to cool but the road ahead will likely be long and bumpy, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Tuesday, adding that stronger-than-expected economic data could bring more rate hikes.
French unions battle to keep momentum in pension showdown
Opponents of France's controversial pension reform plan sought to keep up the momentum on a third day of protests and strikes, but the numbers taking to the streets were down on the previous week.
Stocks waver on US rate-hike jitters
Stock markets wobbled on Tuesday as investors braced for fresh signals from US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell about the direction of interest rates.
French unions seek to keep momentum in pension showdown
Opponents of France's controversial pension reform plan sought to keep up the momentum on a third day of protests and strikes, with turnout down on the previous week.
Vaughan set to be only charged person to attend Rafiq cricket racism hearing
Former England captain Michael Vaughan is the only charged individual still set to appear before a disciplinary hearing next month in relation to racism allegations made by his ex-Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq.
Stocks slide on US rate-hike expectations
Stock markets mostly fell Tuesday as investors braced for President Joe Biden's State of the Union address and fresh signals from US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell about the direction of interest rates.
Canada records lower consumer goods imports, energy exports in December
Canada posted a smaller trade deficit in December as both exports and imports fell, but capped off the year with a surplus, the national statistical agency said Tuesday.
BP posts record profit, dilutes green target
British energy giant BP on Tuesday announced record annual profit thanks to soaring oil and gas prices, as it watered down its target for cutting carbon emissions.
US trade deficit widens in 2022 to record on strong imports
The US trade gap widened to a record in 2022, though expanding less than expected in December, government data said Tuesday, capping off the year on robust imports and strong spending.
BNP Paribas posts record profit of 10.2 bn euros
French bank BNP Paribas posted Tuesday a record profit of 10.2 billion euros, the latest in a series of European banks to ride the swell in interest rates to higher earnings.
India's Adani Enterprises shares soar 25% after loan payment pledge
Shares in the flagship firm of troubled Indian conglomerate Adani rocketed as much as 25 percent Tuesday, clawing back some of its recent huge losses, after saying it would repay more than $1 billion in loans.
India's Adani Enterprises shares rocket 25%
Shares in the flagship firm of troubled Indian conglomerate Adani rocketed as much as 25 percent Tuesday, making up some of the huge slump suffered since last month.
SoftBank Group reports $5.9 bn third-quarter loss on tech slump
Japan's SoftBank Group on Tuesday reported a surprise $5.9 billion net loss in the third quarter, as a slump in the tech sector continued to hit the investment behemoth's bottom line.
SoftBank Group reports surprise third-quarter $5.9 bln loss
Japan's SoftBank Group reported a surprise 783 billion yen ($5.9 billion) net loss in the third quarter, as a slump in the tech sector hits the investment behemoth's bottom line.
Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy scraps troubled passenger jet project
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said Tuesday it had abandoned its struggling project to develop a passenger plane, a decade after the jet was due for commercial rollout.
France braces for new pension strikes, mass protests
France braced for new strikes and mass demonstrations against a deeply unpopular pensions overhaul on Tuesday, a day after lawmakers started debating the contested bill.
Asian markets rebound from Fed sell-off but traders still uneasy
Asian markets squeezed out gains Tuesday, giving investors some relief from a recent sell-off fuelled by worries that US interest rates will go higher than feared following last week's blockbuster jobs report.
Women rodeo bull riders buck tradition in macho Nicaragua
When Eveling Perez was a teenager, she became fascinated by bull riding but her brother told her it was only for men in Nicaragua, where machismo was and still is the norm.
Global stocks fall amid worries over interest rate, US-China tensions
Stock markets slid and the dollar firmed Monday after the latest round of robust US economic data fanned expectations of more Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.
US charges 'neo-Nazi' leader in plot to attack power stations
US authorities announced the arrests Monday of the co-founder of the notorious Atomwaffen neo-Nazi group and a woman he met online in the latest extremist plot to attack public electricity facilities.
Five Argentine rugby players sentenced to life for shocking murder
A court in Argentina on Monday sentenced five amateur rugby players from the same team to life imprisonment for beating a teenager to death in a crime with alleged racist undertones.
Renault chairman says projects will rebalance Nissan alliance
The refounding of the Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi alliance announced Monday will lead the rebalancing of their partnership via concrete projects, Renault's chairman Jean-Dominique Senard told AFP.
French parliament debates pension reform as new strike looms
A stormy debate kicked off in France's parliament on Monday over a highly contested pension reform championed by President Emmanuel Macron, a day ahead of new strikes and mass demonstrations against the plan.
Anglican head opens Church meeting with call for unity
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby urged unity among Anglicans on Monday as he opened a General Synod meeting set to be dominated by controversy over allowing priests to marry same-sex couples.
Medics walk out in UK's biggest health service strikes
Nurses and ambulance staff on Monday staged Britain's biggest round yet of health service strikes, stepping up their demands for better pay to combat a cost-of-living crisis.
West's new oil sanctions aim to tighten screws on Russia
The West's latest wave of sanctions on Russian energy exports seeks to hit Moscow harder than its previous moves over the Ukraine war.
Stock markets fall on US rate-hike fears
Stock markets slid and the dollar firmed Monday after a forecast-busting US jobs report fanned expectations of more Federal Reserve interest rate hikes to cool sky-high inflation.
US tech giant Dell to cut 5% of its global workforce
American computer firm Dell said Monday that it will lay off some five percent of its global workforce, or around 6,650 employees, the latest casualties of a job-slashing wave hitting the US tech sector.
Stock markets mostly slide on US rate-hike fears
Stock markets mostly slid and the dollar firmed Monday after a forecast-busting US jobs report fanned expectations of more Federal Reserve interest rate hikes to cool sky-high inflation.