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Bumper harvest falls flat for Italy's Asti vineyards
Bumper harvest falls flat for Italy's Asti vineyards
by  AFP

The storied Asti region of northern Italy saw a lush harvest this year but many winegrowers are leaving some grapes on the vine, choosing to produce less as US and Russian demand drops. - Hot summer - Leaving grapes is what some winegrowers are doing in Asti to produce less sparking white.

Trump sees progress on TikTok, says will visit China
Trump sees progress on TikTok, says will visit China
by  AFP

US President Donald Trump hailed on Friday a call with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, claiming a deal to sell blockbuster app TikTok could be a "formality" and saying he would visit China, which gave a more cautious assessment of their talks. Trump said that Xi "approved" the deal during the phone call, but later said: "We have to get it signed...

Porsche slows electric shift, prompting VW profit warning
Porsche slows electric shift, prompting VW profit warning
by  AFP

German sports car maker Porsche said Friday that it would dramatically slow its shift to electric vehicles amid weak demand, prompting parent company Volkswagen to warn of a multibillion-euro hit. The maker of the 911 sports car cited the "significant slower growth of the demand for exclusive battery-electric vehicles" as a reason for making the changes.

Independence of central banks tested by Trump attacks on US Fed
Independence of central banks tested by Trump attacks on US Fed
by  AFP

For months, US President Donald Trump has been piling pressure on the Federal Reserve over delayed cuts to interest rates, casting the institution's independence into doubt. Cutting interest rates helps households borrow for consumption and businesses for investment, promoting growth but at the risk of spurring inflation.

New Fed governor says was not told how to vote by Trump
New Fed governor says was not told how to vote by Trump
by  AFP

Donald Trump's pick to join the US Federal Reserve said Friday that he did not speak to the president about how to vote on interest rates ahead of the central bank's meeting this week. Miran was the sole dissenter to the Fed's decision this week to cut interest rates by a quarter point, instead favoring a bigger half-point reduction -- more in line with Trump's frequent demands for slashing rates.

Sweden offers $23 bn to finance nuclear power construction
Sweden offers $23 bn to finance nuclear power construction
by  AFP

Sweden's government said Friday it was ready to offer up to 220 billion kronor ($23.3 billion) in loans to utilities for the construction of new nuclear reactors as the Nordic country commits to developing more nuclear power. "The framework is based on expected lending for the construction of new reactors totalling 220 billion kronor over 12 years," the government said in a statement.

Ukraine courts foreign cash for military 'Silicon Valley'
Ukraine courts foreign cash for military 'Silicon Valley'
by  AFP

At the opening of Ukraine's biggest defence tech fair, arms executives and government officials were welcomed by a giant movie screen blaring an action-style trailer with heavy base undertones. "It's like watching the sequel of 'Don't Look Up'," he said, referring to the dystopian movie where scientists try to alert oblivious and disinterested officials about an imminent catastrophe.