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UK starts online checks to stop children accessing harmful content
New UK age verification measures to prevent children accessing harmful online content came into force on Friday, with campaigners hailing them a "milestone" in their years-long battle for stronger regulations.
Stock markets turn lower as trade deal rally fades
Stock markets mostly fell Friday as the latest trade-related rally lost momentum, with investors also digesting a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
New cryptocurrency may be aiding Russia to dodge sanctions
Russia could be turning to a new cryptocurrency called A7A5 to allow money to flow in and out of the country and avoid Western sanctions, experts have told AFP.
Cognac maker Remy Cointreau lifts guidance after China deal
French drinks group Remy Cointreau lifted Friday its outlook for the year after a deal between the EU and China on cognac imports, but now expects a stiffer impact from US levies and the strong euro.
Small businesses warn of Trump tariff impact on toy industry at Comic-Con
Small business owners used the festive backdrop of Comic-Con on Thursday to discuss a sobering topic: the negative impact that US President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs are having on the toy industry.
Volkswagen takes 1.3-bn-euro hit from Trump tariffs
German auto giant Volkswagen said Friday that tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump had cost it 1.3 billion euros in the first half of the year as it reported falling profit.
Trump trip to Scotland combines diplomacy and golf
US President Donald Trump travels to Scotland on Friday for a mix of diplomacy, business and leisure, as he stays at family-owned golf resorts.
UK water pollution alarms summer bathers
Pensioner Chris Stanley became so incensed by water companies dumping wastewater into the sea near his home that four years ago he stopped paying his bills.
US regulators greenlight contentious $8 bn Skydance-Paramount merger
US regulators on Thursday approved an $8 billion deal for Skydance to acquire Paramount Global amid tumult in the latter's news and late night programming on CBS, a leading American broadcaster.
Puerto Rico's community-owned solar power: alternative to frequent blackouts
Enid Medina Guzman always has candles on hand -- not for creating ambiance, but because one of the blackouts that plague Puerto Rico could strike at any time.
US regulators let Skydance acquire Paramount Global
US regulators on Thursday approved an $8 billion deal for Skydance to acquire Paramount Global after receiving assurances the merged company will follow Trump administration guidelines against programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
Trump, Fed chief Powell bicker during tense central bank visit
Donald Trump and US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell appeared together for a tense meeting Thursday as the president toured the central bank after ramping up his attacks on its management of the economy.
Trump tours Fed, ramping up war on central bank
Donald Trump arrived for a tour of the US Federal Reserve Thursday as the president escalates pressure on its chairman Jerome Powell over the central bank's management of the economy.
First half net profit plunges 22% at French luxury group LVMH
French luxury group LVMH saw net profit plummet 22 percent in the first half of 2025, the company announced Thursday, blaming the plunge on an "unsettled economic and geopolitical" backdrop.
American Airlines shares fall on weak forecast
American Airlines shares tumbled Thursday as the carrier projected a third-quarter loss due to lingering weakness in the US leisure market.
Trump to tour Fed as war on central bank chief ramps up
Donald Trump is due to visit the US Federal Reserve Thursday as the president escalates his pressure on its chairman Jerome Powell over the central bank's management of the economy.
EU-US trade deal hopes buoy stocks
Stock markets mostly extended gains Thursday as optimism grew that the European Union could soon strike a trade deal with the United States, following the Japan-US agreement.
EU turns up pressure with Trump trade deal 'in reach'
With the contours of a hard-fought EU-US trade deal taking shape, the European Union is flexing its muscles in a bid to squeeze concessions from US President Donald Trump in the run-up to his deadline of August 1.
ECB holds rates with US tariffs decision on horizon
The European Central Bank held interest rates steady Thursday as policymakers waited to see whether the eurozone would be hit by higher US tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.
ECB to hold rates with US tariffs decision on horizon
The European Central Bank looked set to keep interest rates unchanged Thursday as policymakers waited to see whether the eurozone would be hit by higher US tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.
India's Modi and UK PM Starmer ink trade deal
Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Britain's "unique bonds" with India as he and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi formally signed a recently announced UK-India trade deal during talks on Thursday.
Pharma giant Roche sees income soar in first half
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Thursday posted better-than-expected net income for the first half of 2025 amid strong sales of asthma and breast cancer treatments.
Nestle struggles amid weak China market
Nestle said Tuesday its net profit fell in the first half of the year as the Swiss food giant behind Nespresso coffee capsules and KitKat chocolate bars struggles to turn around its fortunes amid sluggish consumer spending in China.
Deutsche Bank posts bumper profits, shares soar
Deutsche Bank on Thursday reported its highest second-quarter profit since 2007 and said it was on track to meet annual targets, sending shares in Germany's biggest lender soaring.
Markets extend gains on US trade deal hopes
Stock markets extended the week's gains Thursday on optimism other countries will follow up Japan's US trade deal with ones of their own, with speculation building that the European Union is on course.
TotalEnergies net profit drops as oil prices fall
TotalEnergies said Thursday its net profit plunged in the second quarter despite increased output as global oil and gas prices dropped.
BTS agency HYBE raided over alleged fraud trading
HYBE, the agency behind K-pop superstars BTS, was raided by police on Thursday in connection with alleged fraudulent trading involving its founder Bang Si-hyuk, investigators said.
US Osprey makes emegency landing in Japan
A US Osprey military aircraft made an emergency landing on Thursday in northern Japan, the latest in a string of mishaps and accidents involving the controversial tilt-rotor plane.
Atletico cash in on Real Madrid's Bernabeu concert woes
Mired in legal setbacks, Real Madrid are losing the lucrative star-studded concerts for which their costly Bernabeu stadium revamp was designed -- and cross-town rivals Atletico are cashing in.
Columbia University to pay $200 mn in clash with Trump
Columbia University said Wednesday it will pay $200 million to the US government after President Donald Trump threatened to pull federal funding over what he said was its unwillingness to protect Jewish students.
Germans reluctant to open wallets despite easing inflation
The cost-of-living crisis may be easing in Germany but that has not sparked a shopping frenzy just yet in a country where, as a recent survey suggests, people fear inflation more than war.
Proof of life: tracking elusive Amazon group to save their land
A ceramic pot and the shell of a turtle, once hunted for its meat, are the most recent traces of an Indigenous community thought to live deep in the north Brazilian Amazon.