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UK unveils cost-of-living budget as strikes rage
Britain's government on Wednesday vowed a hefty £94 billion ($114 billion) in cost-of-living support for this year and next, as it forecast the UK to stay out of recession and inflation to slow sharply.
Damages claim against BHP over Brazil dam jumps to £36bn: law firm
A damages claim faced by global mining firm BHP over a deadly 2015 Brazilian dam collapse has risen to an estimated £36 billion ($44 billion), the legal firm leading the UK class action said on Wednesday.
US retail sales and producer prices fall, easing Fed pressure
US retail sales and wholesale prices slipped in February, according to government data released Wednesday, providing some respite for policymakers as the central bank prepares for a crucial interest rate decision next week.
SVB collapse calls for finance rethink: Stiglitz
In the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank that has shaken world markets, Nobel economics prize laureate Joseph Stiglitz told AFP that US authorities "did the right thing" to protect deposits but said the financial system needs a rethink.
Search on for 10 trapped miners after Colombia blast kills 11
Rescuers battled Wednesday to save ten workers trapped in a coal mine in central Colombia after an explosion that killed 11.
Stock markets in 'bloodbath' as bank fears resurface
Stock markets sank on Wednesday on renewed fears of a burgeoning banking crisis, snapping a one-day rally as Credit Suisse led a rout in shares of major lenders.
Strikes-hit UK pledges £94 bn in cost-of-living budget
Britain on Wednesday said its cost-of-living support for this year and next would total £94 billion ($114 billion), as it forecast the UK to stay out of recession with inflation slowing sharply.
SVB collapse calls for finance rethink financial: Stiglitz
In the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank that has shaken world markets, Nobel economics prize laureate Joseph Stiglitz told AFP that US authorities "did the right thing" to protect deposits but said the financial system needs a rethink.
Credit Suisse shares sink as top shareholder rules out more cash
Credit Suisse shares plunged more than 20 percent to new record lows after its main shareholder said it would not provide more financial assistance to the embattled Swiss banking giant.
Lebanon central bank chief snubs European investigators
Lebanon's under-fire central bank governor Riad Salameh failed to appear Wednesday before European investigators, with his legal team claiming the hearing would have been "in conflict with national sovereignty", a judicial source said.
Russia's oil revenue sinks as price cap bites: IEA
Russia's oil-export revenue sank by almost half in February compared to last year as Western powers tightened sanctions on the country, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday.
European stock markets, euro slump on banking fallout
Europe's stock markets and the euro slumped Wednesday on renewed fears of contagion following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Last-gasp garbage strike seeks to thwart French pension reform
Uncollected rubbish clogged streets in France's capital on Wednesday as unions made an 11th-hour bid to stop a deeply unpopular pensions reform from being passed.
South Korea to build 'world's largest' chip centre
South Korea said Wednesday it would build the world's largest chip centre using $230 billion of private investment mostly from Samsung Electronics, as it seeks an edge in the global industry.
Zara owner Inditex posts record profit
Zara owner Inditex, the world's biggest fashion retailer, reported record profits for 2022 despite halting operations in Russia and soaring global inflation.
Worry, mistrust meet plans to secure waste from Niger uranium mine
Towering mounds dot the desert landscape in northern Niger's Arlit region, but there is little natural about them -- they are heaps of partially radioactive waste left from four decades of operations at one of the world's biggest uranium mines.
China retail sales up in New Year after Covid reopening
Chinese retail sales rebounded in January and February as Beijing abandoned its suffocating zero-Covid policy, reopening borders and ending mandatory quarantine, and the country celebrated the Lunar New Year holiday.
Strike grips Sri Lanka as unions protest IMF bailout
Bankrupt Sri Lanka's hospitals were crippled and transport disrupted on Wednesday as trade unions protested against the doubling of taxes to qualify for a crucial IMF bailout.
Asian markets rally as bank worries ebb, Fed rates back in view
Asian markets bounced Wednesday as concerns about contagion from the collapse of two US regional lenders eased while investors turned their attention back to next week's Federal Reserve interest rate decision.
Tesla's arrival accelerates Mexico 'nearshoring' boom
Governor Samuel Garcia is a man in a hurry, juggling his daughter's birth and Tesla's arrival in northern Mexico, which hopes to benefit from a new wave of foreign investment.
Last-gasp strikes seek to prevent French pension reform
France faces another day of strikes on Wednesday over highly contested pension reforms which President Emmanuel Macron appears on the verge of pushing through despite months of protests.
Hunger, thirst stunting Indigenous children in Colombian desert
After a grueling jeep trip of almost 24 hours on mostly desert roads, two-year-old Rosalinda arrived at the clinic in Uribia, northern Colombia, just in time.
US stocks rebound as bank shares rally, while oil prices tumble
US and European stock markets rebounded on Tuesday amid easing worries over bank industry turmoil, while oil prices fell sharply on recession risks.
Brazil footballers say they fell victim to crypto scam
Three Brazilian footballers, including Nottingham Forest midfielder Gustavo Scarpa, say they have fallen victim to a multi-million-dollar cryptocurrency scam, according to local media reports.
Saudia, startup Riyadh Air announce big Boeing 787 order
Two Saudi airlines will purchase 78 Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes under agreements announced Tuesday in a giant order that underlines Saudi Arabia's goal to remake itself as a global aviation hub.
Meta axes another 10,000 jobs in new round of cuts
Facebook owner Meta announced a fresh wave of job cuts on Tuesday, part of what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the company's "year of efficiency" as the US tech sector continues to downsize.
ChatGPT gets more 'human' as AI wave continues
The company behind the ChatGPT app that churns out essays, poems or computing code on command released Tuesday a long-awaited update of its artificial intelligence (AI) technology that it said would be safer and more accurate than its predecessor.
Putin to hold talks with Syria's Assad on Wednesday: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Syria's leader Bashar al-Assad in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, as relations between Middle East states undergo a realignment.
City of blight: Paris visitors alarmed at trash strike
Portuguese tourist Fabio Figueirado wanted to admire beautiful buildings on a romantic getaway in Paris, but instead he and his girlfriend have found themselves navigating pavements piled high with garbage.
Riyadh Air, Saudia announce big Boeing 787 order
Riyadh Air and Saudia will purchase 78 Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes under agreements announced Tuesday in a giant order that underlines Saudi Arabia's goal to remake itself as a global aviation hub.
New research claims Leonardo da Vinci was son of a slave
Leonardo da Vinci, the painter of the "Mona Lisa" and a symbol of the Renaissance, was only half-Italian, his mother a slave from the Caucasus, new research revealed on Tuesday.
Worker struggles with gig economy giants
In the battle between workers and gig economy giants, Uber notched up a rare win Monday when a court in California upheld a state law letting the company treat its drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.