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Trial over Apple App Store 'surcharge' opens in UK
Apple was accused Monday of abusing the dominant position of its app store at the start of a court trial in the UK, with plaintiffs seeking £1.5 billion pounds ($1.8 billion) in damages.

Last tourist information centre in Paris closes
The last physical tourist information centre in Paris has closed, with officials saying Monday they will boost digital services to meet visitor demand for online information.

Oliviero Toscani, photographer famed for Benetton ads, dies aged 82
Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani, best known for his work on Benetton's provocative advertising campaigns in the 1980s and 1990s including one featuring an AIDS sufferer, died on Monday aged 82.

Markets track Wall St losses after blockbuster US jobs report
Asian and European markets sank Monday after an outsized US jobs report dealt another blow to hopes for more interest rate cuts, while oil extended a rally sparked by new sanctions on Russia's energy sector.

Billion-pound lawsuit against Apple over App Store opens in UK
Did US tech giant Apple abuse the dominant position of its app store in the UK? A trial opening Monday in which plaintiffs want more than one billion pounds is set to answer that question.

Japan PM tells Biden 'strong' concerns over steel deal
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told US President Joe Biden that his blocking of Nippon Steel's takeover of US Steel raised "strong" concerns in both countries, local media reported Monday.

China saw booming exports in 2024 as Trump tariffs loom
China's exports surged to a record high in 2024, providing a much-needed boost for the economy as the prospect of biting tariffs imposed by US president-elect Donald Trump looms.

Asian markets track Wall St losses after blockbuster US jobs report
Asian markets tumbled Monday after an outsized US jobs report dealt another blow to hopes for more interest rate cuts, while oil extended a rally sparked by new sanctions on Russia's energy sector.

Toll from French tram crash rises to 68 injured
The toll from a collision of two trams in Strasbourg has risen to 68 injured in a rare accident that sowed panic near the eastern French city's main train station, authorities said Sunday.

Apple wants to keep diversity programs disavowed by other US firms
Apple's board of directors has recommended shareholders vote against a proposal to end the company's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, going against the grain of decisions by other large US corporates.

China's women e-sports players defy sexism for love of the game
For women e-sports players in China, mastering the game is just the first hurdle to carving out a space for themselves in the male-dominated field.

Germany battles to secure stricken 'Russian shadow fleet' oil tanker
Germany was battling Saturday to secure a heavily loaded tanker stranded off its northern coast, towing the stricken ship that it said was part of Russia's sanctions-busting "shadow fleet" away from shore to avert an oil spill.

'Education apartheid': schooling in crisis in Pakistan
Aneesa Haroon drops off her tattered school bag at her rural home in Pakistan and hurriedly grabs lunch before joining her father in the fields to pick vegetables.

Supreme Court looks poised to uphold TikTok ban
The US Supreme Court appeared likely on Friday to uphold a law that would force TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the wildly popular online video-sharing platform or shut it down.

US hikes reward for Maduro arrest after 'illegitimate' swearing-in
The United States hiked its reward for information leading to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's arrest to $25 million Friday, saying his swearing-in was illegitimate after he "clearly lost" last year's election.

Robots set to move beyond factory as AI advances
Today's robots perform safety checks at industrial plants, conduct quality control in manufacturing, and are even starting to keep hospital patients company.

Pro-Russian disinformation makes its Bluesky debut
The first symptoms of disinformation are emerging on the social media network Bluesky, with echoes of the pro-Russian "Matryoshka" campaign that flooded Elon Musk's X -- but with a few twists.

UK gas reserves 'concerningly low', warns biggest supplier
Britain's biggest gas supplier on Friday said UK storage levels are "concerningly low" owing to high demand caused by freezing weather and after Ukraine ended Russian gas transit to Europe.

Meta policy reversal puts question mark on future of fact-checking
Media outlets around the world have been left scratching their heads over the future of their fact-checking operations after Meta's shock announcement that it will halt its US programme.

Meta policy reversal puts question mark on furure of fact-checking
Media outlets around the world have been left scratching their heads over the future of their fact-checking operations after Meta's shock announcement that it will halt its US programme.

Strong US jobs report sends stocks sliding, dollar rising
Wall Street stocks slid and the dollar climbed Friday as a blockbuster US jobs report dimmed hopes of further interest-rate cuts.

US hiring beats expectations in December to cap solid year
US job gains soared past expectations in December, according to government data released Friday, in a sign the labor market remains healthy just shortly before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration this month.

UK gas reserves 'concerningly low': Biggest supplier
Britain's biggest gas supplier said Friday UK storage levels are "concerningly low" owing to high demand caused by freezing weather and after Ukraine ended Russian gas transit to Europe.
Global stocks mostly fall before US jobs data
Stock markets mostly retreated and the dollar steadied Friday as traders awaited key US jobs data for signals on the health of the world's largest economy and the outlook for interest rates.

Ubisoft: the 'Assassin's Creed' maker targeted by suitors
From its founding in 1986, French video game maker Ubisoft has grown into a giant of the sector with operations in 20 countries and an uber popular franchise, "Assassin's Creed".

Stock markets drift lower as US jobs data looms
Equities fell Friday as traders prepared for the release of US jobs data that could play a key role in the Federal Reserve's decision-making on interest rates, with several officials indicating the cutting has finished for now.

Pakistan flight departs for Paris after EU ban lifted
Pakistan's state-owned airline, plagued by a history of deadly crashes and a pilot licence scandal, resumed flights to Europe on Friday after a four-year ban was lifted by EU regulators.

Tajikistan bets on giant dam to solve electricity crisis
In a remote village in Tajikistan's soaring mountains, Muslikhiddin Makhmudzoda relies on a mobile phone to light his modest home as his family spends another winter without electricity.
US Fed's December rate cut should be its last for now: official
The US Federal Reserve should proceed cautiously before supporting any future rate cuts, a senior bank official said Thursday, adding that she saw December's rate cut as a final step for now.

Airbus boosts plane deliveries in 2024
European plane maker Airbus said Thursday it increased aircraft deliveries to 766 as the company still struggles to return to pre-pandemic production levels.

Ubisoft reviews restructuring options, postpones new Assassin's Creed
Ubisoft said Thursday it would take decisive steps to reshape itself as the French video game publisher announced it would delay the release of the latest title in its top "Assassin's Creed" franchise.

Lamborghini sets new sales record amidst hybrid push
Lamborghini set a new sales record in 2024, the Italian sportscar maker said on Thursday, defying the gloom that has hit mass-market car companies.