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Most Asian markets up as traders weigh China hope, recession fear
Asian markets mostly ticked higher Friday after a rocky week that saw recession fears return to the fore, offsetting growing hope that China's emergence from zero-Covid will help boost the struggling global economy.
H: the heroin derivative ravaging Ecuador's poor
Shaking and delirious, Rina ambles half-dressed beside a dump in Ecuador's port city of Guayaquil.
Meta says reviewing call to make adult nudity policies more inclusive
Meta was reviewing a call by its oversight board to make its policies on adult nudity more inclusive, a spokesperson said Thursday, after the tech giant removed two Instagram posts showing transgender and non-binary people with their chests bared.
Japan inflation hits four percent in December
Japan's consumer prices rose four percent in December from a year earlier, a level not seen since December 1981, fuelled in part by higher energy bills, government data showed Friday.
Netflix soars to 230 mn subscribers, co-founder steps down
US streaming giant Netflix on Thursday said it ended last year with more than 230 million global subscribers, beating analysts' expectations as hits such as "Wednesday" and "Harry & Meghan" enticed new viewers.
Fed Vice Chair sees high rates 'for some time' to cool prices
Interest rates will need to remain high for some time even as inflation eases, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard said Thursday, vowing the central bank plans to "stay the course" in fighting price increases.
France gripped by strikes, protests against pension reform
Hundreds of thousands took to the streets in France on Thursday to protest a deeply unpopular pensions overhaul, with some demonstrators clashing with police in Paris, as strikes disrupted public transport, schools and much of the civil service.
Pat Cullen: 'tenacious' leader of UK's striking nursing union
In the space of just a few months, Pat Cullen has become the public face of Britain's nurses, whose historic strike has laid bare a health service on its knees.
US takes 'extraordinary' steps to avoid looming default
The US Treasury began taking measures Thursday to prevent a default on government debt, as Congress heads towards a high-stakes clash between Democrats and Republicans over raising the borrowing limit.
EU parliament head publishes list of gifts
The speaker of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has disclosed the many gifts she has received on behalf of the institution in the past year, as the scandal-hit institution seeks to rebuild credibility.
Mixed results at P&G as consumers adapt to higher prices
Procter & Gamble reported a dip in quarterly profits Thursday, following a decline in sales as the consumer products giant offset lower volumes with price increases.
Stocks slide on returning recession fears
Stock markets mostly slid and other major assets including the dollar and oil weakened Thursday after disappointing US data renewed worries about possible global recession this year.
Indian tycoon Adani's firm seeks billions from investors
Indian multibillionaire Gautam Adani's flagship conglomerate launched the country's biggest-ever secondary share sale on Thursday, as it seeks to bolster its balance sheet and broaden its shareholder base.
EU parliament chief publishes list of gifts late
The head of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has disclosed the many gifts she has received in the past year, albeit late, as the scandal-hit institution seeks to rebuild credibility.
France gripped by strikes over Macron's pension reform plan
Strikes crippled much of France's public transport on Thursday as protesters came out in force against a deeply unpopular pensions overhaul, with schools and media also heavily affected.
Markets drift after Wall St tumble as recession fears return
Markets were mixed Thursday while oil prices fell and the dollar weakened after disappointing US data renewed worries about a recession in the world's biggest economy.
Tens of millions head home for China holidays as Xi flags Covid worry
Tens of millions in China headed to their rural hometowns for Lunar New Year celebrations Thursday, though President Xi Jinping said he was "concerned" about the countryside's ability to weather a Covid surge.
Asian markets mixed after Wall St tumble as recession fears return
Markets were mixed Thursday while oil prices fell and the dollar weakened after disappointing US data renewed worries about a recession in the world's biggest economy.
The black hell of Albania's ageing oil fields
The people of Zharrez in central Albania live amid a stinking apocalyptic landscape of leaking oil wells and rusting storage tanks, the soil blackened from spills of crude that seep into their water.
Wholesale energy dives but bills remain sky high
Plunging wholesale gas prices have sparked speculation of an end to Europe's energy crisis -- but consumers' electricity and gas bills remain sky high, fuelling runaway inflation.
Macron, Sanchez to ink Franco-Spanish friendship treaty
French President Emmanuel Macron meets Spain's Pedro Sanchez for a joint summit in Barcelona Thursday, with Paris seeking Spanish support for its uncompromising stance on a dispute over US protectionism.
Sakhalin exception: the Russian energy Japan can't quit
This year's Group of Seven president Japan has joined the bloc's condemnation of Russia's Ukraine invasion, imposing sanctions and agreeing on an oil price cap, with one exception: Moscow's Sakhalin energy projects.
France gears up for 'hellish' day of pension protests
France's government was facing a day of strikes and protests Thursday set to disrupt transport and schooling across the country as workers oppose a deeply unpopular pensions overhaul.
Bird statue fetches $100,000 as Musk auctions Twitter HQ items
A Twitter bird statue fetched $100,000 on Wednesday as Elon Musk auctioned off furniture, decorations, kitchen equipment and more from the tech firm's downtown San Francisco headquarters.
Japan's 2022 trade deficit hits record on energy costs
Japan logged its largest ever annual trade deficit last year, with the soaring price of energy and raw materials compounded by the dramatic fall of the yen.
Asian markets track Wall St lower as recession fears return
Most stocks dropped alongside oil prices Thursday and the dollar weakened after disappointing US data renewed worries about a recession in the world's biggest economy.
Saudi camel-whisperers use 'special language' to train herd
The cries of camel herder Hamad al-Marri mean nothing to the untrained ear, but his animals respond instantly, gathering behind him to walk together across the Saudi desert.
Jury hears Musk told 'lies' that cost Tesla investors millions
A lawyer for angry Tesla investors told a California courtroom on Wednesday that CEO Elon Musk "lied" about having funding in place to take the company private, costing his clients millions of dollars.
Microsoft to axe 10,000 jobs as tech gloom deepens
Microsoft on Wednesday said it would lay off 10,000 employees in the coming months as the economic downturn continues to punish US tech giants.
US stocks retreat while Bank of Japan decision weighs on yen
Wall Street stocks tumbled Wednesday as traders weighed the latest US data showing slowing economic activity, while the yen retreated after the Bank of Japan decided against further tweaking monetary policy.
International arrests over 'criminal' crypto exchange
The owner of China-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato was arrested in Miami on Wednesday, along with five associates in Europe, during an international operation against "darknet" markets.
Champagne celebrates record sales in 2022
The waning Covid pandemic in many parts of the world helped put people in a celebratory mood, industry leaders said Wednesday, driving 2022 Champagne sales to an all-time high above six billion euros.
US arrests Russian crypto boss for alleged criminal 'haven'
US authorities said Wednesday they had arrested the owner of China-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato for alleged money laundering, hailing the move as a global "blow to the cryptocrime ecosystem."
UK millionaire says rich people like him should be taxed more
A rich Briton is among a group of millionaires in Davos pushing for governments to tax those like him more in order to bridge a wealth gap he warns is fragmenting the world.
Microsoft says it will axe 10,000 employees over poor economy
Microsoft on Wednesday said it would lay off 10,000 employees in the coming months as the economic downturn continues to punish US tech giants.
US retail sales shrinks by most in a year as growth engine falters
US retail sales slumped for a second straight month in December, said government data on Wednesday, with its largest drop in a year signaling a key growth engine is faltering.
US retail sales shrinks for second straight month on consumer caution
Retail sales in the United States slumped for a second straight month in December, according to data released Wednesday, as consumers grow cautious on economic uncertainty and measures to ease demand bite.
'No beds, not enough doctors': UK healthcare crisis laid bare
Five-year-old Yusuf Mahmud Nazir died from pneumonia after being sent home, despite a doctor describing his tonsillitis as the worst he had ever seen.
Burberry fashions rising sales despite China slump
British luxury fashion house Burberry, renowned for its handbags and trenchcoats, announced rising sales Wednesday despite a Covid-driven slump in China and tough economic climate globally.