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France urges EU to sanction Shein platform
France urges EU to sanction Shein platform
by  AFP

France has urged the European Union to take measures against Asian e-commerce giant Shein, two ministers said Thursday, following an uproar over sales of childlike sex dolls on its French website. French ministers on Thursday said it was time for the European Union to take measures against the brand.

Probe into Thales defence group looking at Indonesian contract
Probe into Thales defence group looking at Indonesian contract
by  AFP

A French-British investigation into alleged bribery at France-based defence giant Thales is examining a contract with Indonesia, an AFP investigation has showed. The French judiciary is looking into at least five other cases of alleged graft involving the defence firm.

US to cancel flights as longest govt shutdown drags on
US to cancel flights as longest govt shutdown drags on
by  AFP

US officials said the scheduled capacity for flights was being cut by 10 percent in 40 busy air traffic areas nationwide on Friday, as the longest government shutdown drags on. "There is going to be a 10 percent reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told a White House news briefing on Wednesday, adding they would come into effect on Friday.

Musk's $1 trillion pay package to face Tesla shareholder vote
Musk's $1 trillion pay package to face Tesla shareholder vote
by  AFP

Tesla shareholders will determine on Thursday the fate of a massive pay package meant to retain Elon Musk long enough to achieve technological breakthroughs he vows will change the world. The outcome of the vote will be announced at the annual shareholder meeting at Tesla's factory in Austin, Texas, on Thursday.

German steel industry girds for uncertain future
German steel industry girds for uncertain future
by  AFP

Hammered by surging energy costs and a flood of cut-price Chinese imports, Germany's steel industry has been mired in deep crisis for several years. Problems worsened for the power-hungry sector when Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine sent energy costs surging.

Budget impasse threatens Belgium's ruling coalition
Budget impasse threatens Belgium's ruling coalition
by  AFP

Belgium's fragile governing coalition could be staring at collapse as Prime Minister Bart De Wever threatens to resign unless it approves a cost-cutting budget Thursday. He is calling for a series of "historic" reforms to liberalise Belgium's labour market, curb high unemployment benefits and cut back on pension costs.

BoE set for finely balanced pre-budget rate call
BoE set for finely balanced pre-budget rate call
by  AFP

The Bank of England is expected to hold its key interest rate unchanged on Thursday but some analysts are not ruling out a surprise cut ahead of the UK government's annual budget. "As I take my decisions on both tax and spend, I will do what is necessary to protect families from high inflation and interest rates," Reeves told the nation in a surprise pre-budget speech in Downing Street.

Asian markets bounce from selloff as US jobs beat forecasts
Asian markets bounce from selloff as US jobs beat forecasts
by  AFP

Asian markets rose Thursday to claw back some of the previous day's hefty losses as investors tracked a bounce on Wall Street sparked by jobs data that soothed worries about the US economy. The rush for cover -- which tracked big losses on Wall Street -- hammered some regional giants including Japanese tech investor SoftBank and South Korean chipmakers Samsung and SK hynix.

Boeing settles with one plaintiff in 737 MAX crash trial
Boeing settles with one plaintiff in 737 MAX crash trial
by  AFP

Boeing reached a last-minute settlement in one of two lawsuits in this week's trial in Chicago over a 2019 737 MAX crash that killed 157 people, attorneys announced Wednesday. The lawsuits stem from the March 10, 2019, flight that crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa for Nairobi, killing all 157 people on board.