Economy

US climate envoy says discussed plans for summit on methane at Beijing talks
US climate envoy says discussed plans for summit on methane at Beijing talks

United States climate envoy John Podesta said on Friday that plans were moving forward for a summit with China on reducing emissions of methane and other highly polluting non-CO2 gases. The United States has expressed intentions to hold a summit with China on these types of gases at the upcoming United Nations COP29 climate summit hosted by Azerbaijan in November.

Eurozone second-quarter economic growth revised down
Eurozone second-quarter economic growth revised down

The eurozone economy's growth in the second quarter this year was slightly smaller than previously estimated after the EU's statistics agency on Friday revised its data. Eurostat also revised its figure for the 27-country European Union's economy, which expanded by 0.2 percent, slightly lower than the previous estimate of 0.3 percent.

App helps Mexican tortilla makers join digital economy
App helps Mexican tortilla makers join digital economy

Long marginalized by the banking industry, Mexico's neighborhood tortilla producers are cautiously embracing financial technology, in a country where cash is still king for many. The change reflects a wider embrace of financial technology in Latin America's second-largest economy.

China pushes smaller, smarter loans to Africa to shield from risks
China pushes smaller, smarter loans to Africa to shield from risks

China's years of splashing cash on big-ticket infrastructure projects in Africa may be over, analysts say, with Beijing seeking to shield itself from risky, indebted partners on the continent as it grapples with a slowing economy at home. The BRI made headlines for backing big-ticket projects in Africa with opaque funding and questionable impacts.

Asian markets swing as traders prepare for US jobs data
Asian markets swing as traders prepare for US jobs data

Asian markets drifted Friday as traders positioned themselves ahead of a highly anticipated US jobs report later in the day and following a mixed bag of economic data on the world's top economy. Wall Street ended the day on a tepid note, and Asian investors were equally cautious.

Colombian police break up road blockades against diesel price hikes
Colombian police break up road blockades against diesel price hikes

Colombian police moved in Thursday to break up road blockades in and around the capital on the fourth day of protests against a rise in diesel prices. Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan said on X that anti-riot police had intervened with national government approval "to lift blockades" in five critical points in and around the capital of some eight million people.

Brazilians flock to Bluesky and Threads after X suspension
Brazilians flock to Bluesky and Threads after X suspension

Millions of Brazilians, including the president, have flocked to social media platforms such as Threads or Bluesky, where Portuguese has become the most spoken language in the few days since Elon Musk's X was shut down in the country. Bluesky, a social media network created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, now counts 7.6 million users since the X suspension in Brazil.