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ECB keeps rates on hold with inflation still sticky
The European Central Bank froze interest rates again on Thursday as it held off from starting to cut borrowing costs amid concerns that sticky inflation is not easing as fast as hoped.
New German strike round snarls rail, air traffic
Hundreds of thousands of passengers in Germany faced travel misery Thursday as rail and airport workers staged new strikes to back demands for higher wages.
Stocks falter before ECB but gold shines after Powell
Global stock markets struggled Thursday as investors awaited a eurozone monetary policy call, but gold hit a new record peak after Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell indicated US interest rates would start to come down this year.
Niger isolated and suspicious despite end of sanctions
It's been two weeks since the lifting of tough sanctions on military-ruled Niger, but the pace of economic recovery is slow and the generals have shown no inclination to re-open the border with Benin and seek a diplomatic settlement with neighbouring nations.
Lufthansa warns on 'damaging' strikes, as 2023 profits double
German airline giant Lufthansa warned Thursday about the "damaging" impact of a wave of industrial action at the start of this year, as it reported 2023 profits doubled on booming demand.
Spain's Mango clothing chain ramps up global expansion
Spanish fashion retailer Mango, founded 40 years ago in Barcelona, is ramping its global expansion despite economic uncertainties that have shaken some other global mass-market apparel giants.
Indonesian single mom makes ends meet as autorickshaw driver
Her three-year-old daughter at her side, single mother Ekawati plies Jakarta's notorious traffic in her three-wheeled autorickshaw, making ends meet as one of a growing number of Indonesian women seeking informal employment outside the home.
Markets struggle ahead of key US jobs data
Equities were mixed on Thursday as investors try to assess the Federal Reserve's plans for interest rates after boss Jerome Powell indicated they would start to come down this year.
Ireland votes in family, gender equality referendums
Ireland votes on Friday on constitutional references to the family and women's role in the home after campaigns that have honed in on vague wording, "mansplaining" and panic over polygamy.
German rail, air workers walk out in new strike round
Hundreds of thousands of passengers in Germany faced travel misery Thursday as rail and airport workers stage new strikes to back demands for higher wages.
Lufthansa doubles profit in 2023, but strikes cast shadow
German airline giant Lufthansa more than doubled its profits in 2023, extending a rebound from the coronavirus pandemic even as it faces fresh risks from a wave of industrial action.
Lufthansa doubles profit in 2023 as demand booms
German airline giant Lufthansa said Thursday it had doubled profits in 2023 on booming demand, as the aviation sector extends a rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.
China trade surges in first two months of 2024
China's exports sharply accelerated in the first two months of 2024, official figures showed Thursday, providing policymakers a bright spot as they battle to revive the world's second-largest economy.
Women break into Japan's 'masculine' Noh theatre
Kimono-clad Mayuko Kashiwazaki delivers her lines in guttural tones and transforms into an evil snake in the lead role of a Japanese Noh play where, unusually, most of the cast are women.
Protectionism, taxes, fuel: The high cost of air travel in Africa
Travelling 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) by air between two capitals on the same continent does not seem like a challenge. But it can be one in Africa.
Bulk carrier hit by missile from Yemen, crew says three killed
A missile fired by Yemen's Huthi rebels hit a bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, with the crew reporting three people killed and at least four wounded, the US military said.
TVNZ cuts jobs in fresh blow to New Zealand media
New Zealand public broadcaster TVNZ said Thursday it plans to cut nearly 10 percent of its staff, a week after its free-to-air TV news rival said it was closing altogether.
Sticky inflation to keep eurozone interest rates on hold
Sticky inflation is expected to prompt eurozone rate-setters to hold borrowing costs steady again Thursday, as they await clearer signs of a sustained easing of consumer prices before beginning to cut.
Thousand march in Poland after Belarusian woman raped and killed
Around a thousand people on Wednesday rallied in Warsaw against sexual violence after the death of a raped Belarusian immigrant sent shockwaves through the community of Belarusian exiles in Poland.
Boeing slammed for dragging feet in Alaska Airlines probe
The head of the federal investigation into a troubled January flight on a Boeing 737 MAX jet blasted the aviation giant on Wednesday for not providing key information quickly.
Hard to enforce: Chile's law against abuse-fueled suicides
Chilean Antonia Garros, a gastronomy student, was just 23 when she jumped from a 13th-floor balcony in 2017 after her boyfriend assaulted her yet again.
Egypt secures extra $5 bn in IMF loans as pound plunges
Egypt secured an additional $5 billion in IMF loans on Wednesday, the two sides said, after the central bank hiked interest rates and allowed the pound to plunge by nearly 40 percent.
US stocks rise on rate hopes as gold hits record high
US and European stock markets rose Wednesday and gold hit a record high as the Federal Reserve kept alive expectations of rate cuts later this year and the British government unveiled a pro-growth budget.
UK govt woos votes with more pre-election tax cuts
Britain's beleaguered government on Wednesday announced a fresh tax cut for millions of workers as it tries to win round voters before a general election expected this year.
Starbucks Middle East franchise cuts jobs amid Gaza war
The Kuwait-based Alshaya Group said on Wednesday it would cut jobs from its Starbucks Middle East franchise due to "challenging trading conditions" amid a boycott of Western brands over the Gaza war.
US Fed's progress against inflation 'not assured': Powell
The US Federal Reserve's progress in bringing down inflation is "not assured," the chair of the country's central bank told lawmakers in Washington Wednesday, on the first of two days of hearings in Congress.
Egypt secures $5 bn additional loan from IMF as pound plunges
Egypt secured an extra $5 billion in IMF loans on Wednesday, the two sides said, after the central bank hiked interest rates and allowed the pound to plunge by nearly 40 percent.
Morocco winter breaks heat records: meteorologists
Morocco experienced record heat this winter, including the hottest January since measurements began, the country's meteorological department told AFP, placing the blame on climate change.
US private sector hiring up less than expected in February
Job gains in the US private sector picked up in February, payroll firm ADP said Wednesday, a sign that could give the Federal Reserve some pause as it mulls the timing of interest rate cuts.
EU looks to AI to battle cyber threats
The European Union is poised to use artificial intelligence and other tools to create a "cyber shield" protecting critical infrastructure and sectors from threats, officials said Wednesday.
Asian stocks drop after global markets fall on tech sell-off
Asian shares mostly slumped on Wednesday after global markets fell as traders locked in profits following recent tech-driven rallies.
South Korean police question first doctor over walkouts
South Korean police on Wednesday called in a doctor for questioning -- the first to be summoned in connection with a mass walkout by junior medics, which has plunged hospitals into chaos.
India's 'drone sisters' steer farming and social change
Once a housewife in rural India, Sharmila Yadav always wanted to be a pilot and is now living her dream remotely, flying a heavy-duty drone across the skies to cultivate the country's picturesque farmlands.
Far-right threatens to scare off German industry's new talent
In its search for sorely needed talent, German chipmaker Infineon is looking as far as Guatemala, but the rise of the far-right at home risks making the move unappealing and harming the industry.
New York's new composting plan is ambitious - but controversial
New York has begun rolling out a large-scale organic waste collection program, but the landmark initiative has upset many of the local groups that previously handled composting, who say they now face critical funding cuts.
'Luckiest' Oppenheimer biographer rooting for Oscar wins
Kai Bird has just returned from the Jaipur literature festival, where he signed countless copies of his two-decade-old book for hundreds of young Indians who all watched the film "Oppenheimer."
Gold, bitcoin pull back from records as US stock markets slip
Gold prices and bitcoin hit all-time highs Tuesday before paring some gains, while a sell-off in some tech stocks led to a slump in many stock markets around the world.
Messi's promised Barca contract, on a napkin, up for auction
To the untrained eye, it might look like just another used napkin.
Karl Lagerfeld's Paris home up for auction
Karl Lagerfeld's Paris apartment will go up for auction with a guide price of 5.3 million euros ($5.8 million), the notary responsible for the sale said Tuesday.