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US existing home sales end banner year with slump
The US real estate market last year saw the most existing homes sold in 15 years, even as sales slumped in the final month of 2021, according to industry data released Thursday.
Russia's central bank calls for crypto crackdown
The Russian central bank proposed Thursday cracking down on cryptocurrencies, a move which if adopted could disrupt the burgeoning virtual money sector as Russia is one of the largest crypto-mining nations in the world.
American Airlines suffers loss as Omicron clouds outlook
American Airlines reported another quarterly loss Thursday after the latest Covid-19 surge dented demand at the end of the year, but said consumers were booking more trips for the spring.
Da Vinci should grace new euro notes, says Lagarde
European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde suggested Thursday that Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci and pioneering French politician Simone Veil appear on the new euro banknotes, as she waded into a politically sensitive topic.
European stocks mostly fall after Wall Street losses
European stock markets mainly fell Thursday with sentiment jarred by sliding shares on Wall Street, which was rocked by surging global inflation and the prospect of rising interest rates.
Emirates to resume US flights after 'temporary' 5G reprieve
Emirates said Thursday it will lift a suspension of flights to several US destinations in a "temporary reprieve" after the launch of 5G networks was delayed near American airports over safety fears.
French court says Twitter must reveal measures on online hate
A Paris court on Thursday ruled that Twitter must reveal its measures for fighting hate speech, in one of several cases thrashing out whether the French justice system has jurisdiction over the US social media giant.
Amazon may quit African HQ deal if blocked, Cape Town court hears
Online retail giant Amazon could pull out of a deal to create its Africa headquarters in Cape Town, if a legal challenge by indigenous activists is allowed to proceed, a Cape Town court heard Thursday.
Stay or go? Dilemma facing last of the Afghan Sikhs
The caretaker of the last Sikh temple in Kabul to regularly host open prayer surveysthe cavernous hall where throngs once gathered in worship.
South Africa's luxury dog hotels give paws for thought
Three dachshunds lay claim to a big bed, while an agitated mongrel yaps constantly and a miniature schnauzer appears disgruntled despite soothing Bob Marley tunes playing over the stereo.
China cuts lending rates, boosting property firms
China further reduced bank lending costs Thursday in the latest move to boost its stuttering economy, providing some much-needed support to the country's beleaguered developers.
Women barred from front seat of trucks in Ugandan city
A traders association in northern Uganda has banned women from riding up front in trucks after deciding that short skirts and bare thighs could be distracting drivers and causing accidents.
Biden warns of 'disaster for Russia' if they invade Ukraine
US President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he expects Russia to "move in" on Ukraine but warned that Moscow will pay a stiff price for a full-blown invasion.
5G launches in US without huge impact on flights
Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon began 5G service in the United States Wednesday without major disruptions to flights after the launch of the new wireless technology was scaled back.
Unilever won't up £50 bn offer for GSK-Pfizer unit
Consumer goods giant Unilever on Wednesday said it would not increase a £50-billion offer for the consumer healthcare unit owned by pharmaceutical groups GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer.
NBC commentary teams to cover Beijing Olympics from US
US broadcaster NBC will not send any of it specialist commentary teams to cover the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic due to fears over Covid-19, USA Today reported on Wednesday.
United Airlines reports Q4 loss on latest Covid-19 drag
United Airlines reported another quarterly loss Wednesday on the lingering drag from Covid-19 but offered an upbeat outlook on a travel comeback later in 2022 and in future years.
Wall Street ends lower amid rising oil prices
US stocks reversed course in Wednesday's trading session, ending lower for the second day amid rising oil prices and fears that the Federal Reserve will have to move more aggressively to contain inflation.
Peru demands Spain's Repsol pay for oil spill damage
Peru demanded compensation Wednesday from Spanish energy giant Repsol over an oil spill caused by freak waves from a volcanic eruption near Tonga in the South Pacific.
Guatemala state of siege extended for feuding communities
Guatemala on Wednesday extended by a month a state of siege in two indigenous communities locked in a century-old land dispute that boiled over last month into a massacre of 13 people.
UK inflation hits decades high in cost-of-living squeeze
The annual rate of inflation in Britain rose to a near 30-year high in December, official data showed Wednesday, stoking fears about a cost-of-living squeeze as wages fail to keep pace.
Microsoft muscles in on first wave of the metaverse
US tech giant Microsoft's $69 billion purchase of Activision this week rocked the video game sector, but the deal may come to be remembered as the moment the metaverse went mainstream.
Retirements common factor in US, UK labor shortage: IMF
An exodus of older workers is the "common thread" behind the baffling labor shortages faced by companies in the United States and Britain, the IMF concluded in a report released Wednesday.
French champagne houses toast record sales
French champagne sales rebounded last year to reach a record 5.5 billion euros ($6.2 billion) as demand soared despite the lingering impact of Covid restrictions that weighed on restaurants and bars, producers said Wednesday.
Omicron will pinch, not derail US economic growth: Yellen
The latest coronavirus variant will weigh on US economic growth in the months ahead but will not derail it, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen assured the nation's mayors Wednesday as they gathered in Washington.
P&G profits up on strong consumer demand, higher pricing
Procter & Gamble raised its full-year forecast Wednesday as robust consumer demand enabled the company to notch higher sales even as it increased prices on consumer goods.
Millionaires make unusual plea: 'Tax us now'
More than 100 millionaires made an unusual plea on Wednesday: "Tax us now".
WHO says pandemic 'nowhere near over' as France, Germany post record cases
The World Health Organization has warned that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, as France, Germany and Brazil posted new records of infections in the past 24 hours.
Microsoft's acquisition of Activision to face antitrust test
Microsoft's $69 billion deal to buy video game powerhouse Activision Blizzard is expected to win out with regulators despite vows in Europe and the United States to rein in tech titans.
Austria gears up to fight EU 'green' nuclear energy plan
As the EU moves to label energy from nuclear power and natural gas as "green" investments, Austria is gearing up to fight this, including with a legal complaint.
'Game changer' e-moped batteries spread from Taiwan across Asia
Every day, Aiden Lee joins the hundreds of thousands of people getting around Taipei on two wheels.
Tension in Spain over use of EU recovery funds
The Spanish government is increasingly under fire over its use of the European Union's massive economic recovery funds, with critics blasting the distribution of aid as too slow and arbitrary.
AT&T, Verizon agree to delay 5G implementation at some airports
AT&T and Verizon agreed Tuesday to a partial delay in activating their 5G networks following an outcry from US airlines, who said the rollout could lead to travel chaos.
Judge OKs adjustment plan to end Puerto Rico bankruptcy
A federal judge on Tuesday approved a plan to restructure Puerto Rico's public debt, which will allow the US territory to end the bankruptcy process it declared almost five years ago.
'Throwaway economy' thwarting climate goals: report
Countries are neglecting the massive impact of the "throwaway" economy on planet-warming emissions, according to research published Wednesday that calculated more than half a trillion tonnes of virgin materials have been consumed since the 2015 Paris climate deal.
Covid tests spark Argentine supply chain fears over border queues
Up to 2,000 trucks are backed up at Argentina's main border crossing with Chile due to tougher Covid-19 testing requirements, Argentine haulers said on Tuesday, adding that the supply chain could suffer.
Oil hits seven-year highs on recovery hopes, unrest
Oil prices hit their highest levels in more than seven years Tuesday, driven in part by hopes of a global economic recovery that would ramp up demand.
Microsoft to buy gaming giant Activision Blizzard for $69 bn
Microsoft on Tuesday announced a landmark $69 billion deal to buy US gaming giant Activision Blizzard, betting big on the prospects of the video game market by scooping up the scandal-hit "Call of Duty" maker.
AT&T agrees to delay 5G implementation at some airports
AT&T will delay activating its 5G network on a "limited number of towers" near some airport runways following warnings from US airlines, a spokesperson for the telecommunications company said Tuesday.