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ECB's Lagarde slams 'coercive trade policies' in Beijing visit
ECB's Lagarde slams 'coercive trade policies' in Beijing visit
by  AFP

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde warned Wednesday that "coercive trade policies" risked harming supply chains and the global economy, and called for a de-escalation of a tariff standoff that has wiped billions off markets. She warned that protectionism risked "eroding the foundations of global prosperity".

UK expected to boost defence, health in major spending review
UK expected to boost defence, health in major spending review
by  AFP

Britain's Labour government will unveil its day-to-day spending and investment plans for the coming years on Wednesday, with big funding increases to defence and healthcare expected, along with cuts elsewhere. But the increased spending leaves other government departments facing funding squeezes.

French Tesla customers sue over brand becoming 'extreme right'
French Tesla customers sue over brand becoming 'extreme right'
by  AFP

Around 10 French clients with leases on Teslas are suing the US carmaker, run by Elon Musk, because they consider the vehicles to be "extreme-right" symbols, the law firm representing them said on Wednesday. They feel they suffered "direct and concrete" damage from the way Teslas are now associated with "Elon Musk's actions", the GKA law firm said.

Asian equities rally after China-US framework on trade
Asian equities rally after China-US framework on trade
by  AFP

Asian stocks rose Wednesday as investors welcomed a China-US agreement to lower trade tensions that stoked hopes the economic superpowers will eventually reach a broader tariff deal. The deal, which was reached late Tuesday, boosted Asian markets with Hong Kong and Shanghai among the best performers, while Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Wellington, Taipei and Manila were also up.

Nintendo says sold record 3.5m Switch 2 consoles in first four days
Nintendo says sold record 3.5m Switch 2 consoles in first four days
by  AFP

Nintendo said Wednesday it had sold a record 3.5 million Switch 2 units worldwide in the first four days after the console was launched. Since its 2017 launch, the original Switch -- which enjoyed a popularity boost during the pandemic with hit games such as "Animal Crossing" -- has sold 152 million units.

'Applied AI' set to dominate France's Vivatech trade fair
'Applied AI' set to dominate France's Vivatech trade fair
by  AFP

Drawing high-powered tech CEOs and a presidential visit, Paris's Vivatech trade fair opening on Wednesday will spotlight hoped-for economic benefits from AI. The top attraction on the opening day of this year's four-day show will be Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, looking to make a mark in Europe for the company that builds the most computing hardware for artificial intelligence.

World Bank cuts growth forecast on trade tumult
World Bank cuts growth forecast on trade tumult
by  AFP

The World Bank slashed its 2025 global growth forecast Tuesday, citing trade tensions and resulting policy uncertainty, as US President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs strained ties and weighed on economic outlooks.