Volkswacht Bodensee - Economy (English)

Rising panic over blocked imports in crisis-hit Pakistan

Pakistan business chiefs are clamouring for the cash-strapped government to allow manufacturing materials stuck at the key port of Karachi into the country, warning that a failure to lift a ban on imports will leave millions jobless.

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European equities rise on hopes of inflation slowdown

European stock markets rose Monday as investors set aside Asian losses and forecast easing inflation in Britain and the United States, dealers said.

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EU lifts growth forecast as eurozone skirts recession

Europe's economy will grow more than previously forecast this year as it avoids a winter recession, with inflation expected to ease as gas prices have fallen, the European Commission said Monday.

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EU raises eurozone 2023 forecast as recession skirted

The eurozone economy will grow more than previously forecast in 2023 as the energy crisis eases and the single currency area "narrowly" avoids recession this winter, the European Commission said Monday.

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Asian markets take fresh hit on rate hike worries

Asian equities fell again Monday on growing expectations that US interest rates will go much higher and for longer than previously thought.

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Berlin film fest promises starry nights, meaty fare

The Berlin film festival, Europe's first major cinema showcase of the year, opens on Thursday with a focus on the fight for freedom in Ukraine and Iran and the starriest line-up since the pandemic.

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Singapore maintains 2023 GDP growth forecast, spurred by China reopening

Singapore said Monday it will stick to its economic growth forecast for 2023 despite the slowdown last year, encouraged by China's rapid reopening after years of crushing zero-Covid policies.

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On climate, most corporations more talk than action

The world's biggest and richest companies are failing to deliver on their climate pledges, according to an in-depth analysis released Monday that calls on governments to crack down on corporate greenwashing.

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'Magic Mike' tops N.America box office but football wins out

Steven Soderbergh's new comedy-drama "Magic Mike's Last Dance" topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $8.2 million in ticket sales, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

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England rugby player Hassell-Collins dazzles with nail polish in Six Nations

Ollie Hassell-Collins may not have been among England's try-scorers in a 31-14 Six Nations win over Italy but the London Irish wing still made an eye-catching impression at Twickenham on Sunday -- thanks to nail polish.

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Peru mudslides leave villagers with 'nothing left'

Carmen Manchego looks down at the remnants of homes sticking out of the quagmire of mud that engulfed the Peruvian mining town of Pampaylima.

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Sexting chatbot ban points to looming battle over AI rules

Users of the Replika "virtual companion" just wanted company. Some of them wanted romantic relationships, sex chat, or even racy pictures of their chatbot.

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New pension protests hit France, unions threaten 'standstill'

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in France on Saturday in a fourth day of action against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, with unions warning they would ramp up strikes if the plan is not dropped.

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Argentina issues health warnings amid record heat

Suffering under the worst heat wave in more than six decades, Argentina has issued health warnings to nine southern and central provinces, the National Meteorological Service, said Saturday.

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New pension protests in France, unions vow to ramp up strikes

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in France on Saturday in a fourth day of action against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, with unions planning to ramp up strikes if the plan is not dropped.

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Popular S.African rapper AKA shot dead outside restaurant

One of South Africa's hottest rap artists, Kiernan Forbes, known as AKA, has been shot dead outside a restaurant in the southeastern city of Durban, his family said Saturday.

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Death toll in southern Peru mudslides rises to 17

Peruvian authorities on Friday said the death toll from devastating mudslides in the country's south has climbed to 17, including three children.

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Reviewers rave for 'Hogwarts Legacy' video game despite backlash

The highly anticipated video game "Hogwarts Legacy" was met with largely positive reviews after its release Friday, despite some gameplay quibbles and the controversy that has dogged the Wizarding World's original creator.

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Balenciaga designer apologises for 'child abuse' ads

Balenciaga's creative director Demna has apologised for an ad campaign that appeared to reference child abuse and vowed to drop his provocative showmanship in an interview with Vogue.

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Amsterdam bans cannabis on red light district streets

Amsterdam city authorities said Friday they are banning cannabis smoking in the streets of the red light district from mid-May as part of efforts to curb criminality and anti-social behaviour.

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Uncertainty in Nigeria as cash, fuel shortages bite ahead of vote

With under three weeks to go until Nigeria's presidential elections, major shortages of cash and fuel have plunged Africa's most populous country into crisis.

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Oil spikes as Russia cuts output after Western price cap

Oil soared Friday after Russia slashed its crude output in response to a Western price cap that was imposed on exports after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

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No deal as IMF leaves crisis-hit Pakistan

An IMF team left Pakistan on Friday after crisis talks with the government failed to deliver a deal on financial aid that would help the South Asian country avert economic collapse.

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Yen strengthens on reports Ueda picked as Bank of Japan chief

Japan's government plans to nominate economics professor Kazuo Ueda as Bank of Japan governor, reports said Friday, an unexpected pick that sent the yen rallying against the dollar.

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UK avoids recession but 'not out of woods' over inflation

Britain's economy avoided recession after flatlining in the last three months of 2022, but finance minister Jeremy Hunt warned Friday it was "not out of the woods yet" over surging inflation.

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UK skirts recession with zero fourth-quarter growth

Britain's economy avoided recession after flatlining in the last three months of 2022, but finance minister Jeremy Hunt warned Friday it was "not out of the woods yet" over surging inflation.

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Swedish home helps seniors spice up their sex lives

"It's a good book!" 97-year-old Nils exclaims, skimming through a brochure on sexual relations and desires among seniors, in the common room at his retirement home in Sweden.

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EU prepares response to new US green subsidy plan

Confronted by competition from Washington's vast green tech investment plan, European leaders opened the way Friday towards a relaxation of their own restrictions on state aid.

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Asian markets follow Wall St down as rate hike fears persist

Asian markets tracked another loss in New York on Friday as interest rate hike fears course through trading floors after last week's blockbuster jobs report.

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Meta completes virtual reality deal after US court win

Facebook-owner Meta finalized its buyout of virtual reality firm Within Unlimited, the VR company's chief executive said, after a court rejected an attempt by US regulators to block the deal over competition concerns.

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Layoffs strip away tech worker visas along with jobs

Laid off US tech workers from abroad on employment-based visas are scrambling to find new jobs to avoid being forced to uproot their lives and leave the country.

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L'Oreal confident as posts double-digit gains for 2022

Cosmetics giant L'Oreal posted double-digit growth in sales and profits in 2022 to record levels despite inflation and Covid lockdowns in China and expressed confidence for the year ahead thanks to a return by Chinese consumers.

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