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A sea of red in Saudi shops -- but don't mention Valentine's
Red clothing and underwear are displayed in Saudi shopfronts, but the increasingly popular Valentine's Day promotions are missing one thing: the festival's name.
Germany loses patience with ex-chancellor's Russia lobbying
Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's close friendship with President Vladimir Putin and lucrative business dealings with Russia have for years been reluctantly tolerated at home.
Indian industrialist Rahul Bajaj dies at 83
Veteran industrialist Rahul Bajaj, whose name was synonymous with road transport in India, died Saturday aged 83, his company said.
Canada-style convoy blocks Netherlands' The Hague
A convoy of vehicles from across the Netherlands brought The Hague's city centre to a standstill on Saturday, protesting against coronavirus restrictions.
Play and glitter: New York Fashion Week kicks off amid Covid
Experimentation, play, and glitter: a coronavirus-impacted New York Fashion Week got under way Friday with Fall/Winter 2022 shows by Proenza Schouler and Christian Cowan.
The troubled California factory at Tesla's core
Tesla can hardly make enough electric vehicles to meet booming demand, but behind the world's most valuable auto brand is its troubled California factory that makes most of those cars.
Canada truckers defy order to clear key bridge
Truckers snarling a key bridge between Canada and the United States in protest at Covid rules defied a judge's order to leave Friday night, with the crowd getting even bigger two weeks into the snowballing protest movement.
Ian McDonald, prog rock founder of King Crimson, dies at 75
Ian McDonald, the English architect of progressive rock who co-founded the band King Crimson as well as Foreigner, has died. He was 75 years old.
Worries over Ukraine invasion pummel US stocks, lift oil prices
Wall Street stocks tumbled and oil prices surged Friday as White House warnings of a possibly imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine reverberated through financial markets.
Edgy Austrian director holds mirror up to 'ugly' Europe
Austrian director Ulrich Seidl has shocked arthouse audiences for two decades with hard looks at society's seedy underbelly and said Friday Europeans must be willing to confront the continent's "ugly" side.
Stocks rattled by US inflation surge
European and Asian stock markets fell Friday on fears the Federal Reserve will move more aggressively to tighten monetary policy to tame decades-high inflation.
UN science report to sound deafening alarm on climate
Nearly 200 nations kick off a virtual meeting Monday to finalise what promises to be a harrowing scientific overview of accelerating climate impacts that will highlight the urgent need to cut emissions -- and prepare for the challenges ahead.
Global stocks sink on US inflation surge
World stock markets fell Friday on fears the Federal Reserve will move more aggressively to tighten monetary policy to tame decades-high inflation.
How to be a TikTok music megastar
Tom Rosenthal is a 35-year-old singer-songwriter from London. He had already built a decent career over a decade, but when he joined TikTok in 2020 he said the impact was "seismic".
NY Times pulls 'Singapore curry' video after backlash
The New York Times pulled a video Friday showing a Taiwan-based writer making a "Singaporean chicken curry" after furious critics in the city-state said it resembled sewage rather than a local dish.
UK economy rebounds by record 7.5% from pandemic in 2021
Britain's economy grew by a record 7.5 percent last year on easing Covid curbs after a pandemic-driven collapse, official data showed Friday, but analysts warned that sky-high inflation clouds the 2022 outlook.
Turbine 'torture' for Greek islanders as wind farms proliferate
Until a few years ago, Agii Apostoli was a picturesque seaside village on the eastern coast of Evia, drawing a modest income from tourism and fishing.
Bitter row erupts over Anne Frank betrayal book
It was meant to put one of World War II's greatest mysteries to rest, but instead a new book about young diarist Anne Frank has stirred up ghosts from the past.
What's next for TikTok's music industry revolution?
With a billion users, TikTok has rapidly become one of the most important players in the music industry, and now has its sights set on revolutionising the way artists are discovered and get paid.
Telework in metaverse precursors already a reality
Depending on his mood, Jeff Weiser settles down to work in a Parisian cafe, a mysterious cave or high above the Earth, thanks to the budding metaverse.
Asian markets drop on Fed rate fears as US inflation rages
Asian markets sank Friday after a sell-off on Wall Street in response to a forecast-busting jump in US inflation that fanned expectations the Federal Reserve will embark on a more aggressive campaign of monetary tightening.
Trucker protest 'worse than Covid' for small businesses
The trucker protest over Covid restrictions has been worse than the pandemic itself for small businesses in Canada's capital, as they were preparing for an easing of health rules when the convoy rolled in, shopkeepers say.
Worries over aggressive Fed shift send US stocks tumbling
Wall Street equities tumbled on Thursday as markets bet that the latest inflation report would compel the Federal Reserve to accelerate efforts to tighten monetary policy and raise lending rates.
Masks in class -- how damaging to child development?
Two years into the pandemic, concerns around the effect of masks on the linguistic, emotional and social development of children are taking center stage.
Macron calls for 14 new reactors in nuclear 'renaissance'
French President Emmanuel Macron called Thursday for a "renaissance" for the country's nuclear industry, saying he wanted up to 14 new reactors to power the country's transition away from fossil fuels.
Stocks slide as US inflation surges
US stock markets slid on Thursday as data showed inflation jumping to a four-decade high, raising concerns that the Federal Reserve may move aggressively with interest rate hikes.
Astra warns on falling Covid treatment sales after record year
British Covid vaccine maker AstraZeneca on Thursday warned that coronavirus product sales and profit margins would drop this year as the pandemic recedes and after record-high group revenue in 2021.
Detained Eritrean Orthodox ex-leader dies at 94
The former head of Eritrea's Orthodox church, who spent more than a decade under house arrest, has died aged 94, church officials and a London-based religious rights group said Thursday.
EU chief unveils 150-bn-euro investment plan for Africa
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday unveiled plans to muster investment of more than 150 billion euros for Africa, proclaiming Europe to be the continent's biggest and "most reliable" partner.
Largest ever cut diamond at auction sells for £3.2 million
The Enigma, the largest cut diamond ever to come to auction, went under the hammer in London on Wednesday for £3.16 million ($4.3 million, 3.8 million euros) having recently gone on display for the first time.
YouTube woos creators to fend off competition
YouTube on Thursday laid out goals for the year that included making the lives of creators easier and boosting a popular format that rivals TikTok.
Indonesia to buy French warplanes as Paris boosts Asia alliances
Indonesia on Thursday ordered 42 Rafale fighter jets from France and may acquire two French submarines, as Paris and Jakarta seek to strengthen military ties in the face of growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific.
TotalEnergies returns to profit after Covid crisis
French energy giant TotalEnergies on Thursday rebounded from the Covid crisis with a huge 2021 profit as oil and gas prices soared -- a performance that raised political hackles in an election year in France.
Honduras president stops eviction of indigenous community
The eviction of a hundred Lenca indigenous families in Honduras was stopped Wednesday at the request of President Xiomara Castro after dozens of police officers tried to remove them.
Nigeria Islamic police destroy nearly 4 mn beers
Religious police in northern Nigeria's city of Kano have destroyed nearly four milllion bottles of beer, on grounds that sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the predominantly Muslim region.
Zeus and free bitcoin: Super Bowl ad frenzy is back
Big brands who in recent years have sat out the TV advertising frenzy around the biggest US sporting event -- the Super Bowl -- are returning in force Sunday and forking out millions for prime spots.
Saudi coffee legacy percolates through the generations
For Farah al-Malki, growing coffee plants in Saudi Arabia's southwestern region of Jizan is more than just a profession. It is a family tradition passed down from generation to generation.
How thieves manage to steal cryptocurrency
US officials announced on Tuesday they had recovered $3.6 billion of bitcoin stolen in a 2016, throwing a light on the scams that surround cryptocurrency.
Black diamond, largest ever cut, sells for £3.2 million
"The Enigma", the world's largest known cut diamond at 555 carats, went under the hammer in London on Wednesday for £3.16 million ($4.3 million, 3.8 million euros) having recently gone on display for the first time.