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US Fed begins two-day meeting set to end with rate cut
US Fed begins two-day meeting set to end with rate cut
by  AFP

The US Federal Reserve began a two-day interest rate discussion on Tuesday that is all-but-certain to end with its first cut since March 2020, as inflation continues to ease. A rate cut of any size would support US consumers, who are feeling the effect of interest rates at a 23-year high of between 5.25 and 5.50 percent, impacting the cost of borrowing on everything from mortgages to car loans.

Electric cars overtake petrol models in Norway
Electric cars overtake petrol models in Norway
by  AFP

Electric cars now outnumber petrol models for the first time in oil-rich Norway, a world first that puts the country on track towards taking fossil fuel vehicles off the road.

Kremlin slams Meta ban on Russian state media as 'unacceptable'
Kremlin slams Meta ban on Russian state media as 'unacceptable'
by  AFP

Meta said it is banning Russian state media outlets from its apps around the world, prompting an angry reaction from the Kremlin on Tuesday. "After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets," Meta said on Monday in response to an AFP inquiry.

Germany's Scholz disappointed by delay to Intel chip plant
Germany's Scholz disappointed by delay to Intel chip plant
by  AFP

Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced disappointment Tuesday after US semiconductor giant Intel delayed plans to build a mega chip-making plant in Germany which had been championed by Berlin. The chip-making giant announced plans for the German plant in 2022, in what was seen as a major boost for EU efforts to ramp up semiconductor production in the bloc.

Young Equatorial Guineans yearn for the American dream
Young Equatorial Guineans yearn for the American dream
by  AFP

Tiny but oil-rich Equatorial Guinea long escaped the youth exodus plaguing other African nations, but a decade of economic decline and rising unemployment has left many eager to leave. The minimum wage in Equatorial Guinea is 128,000 CFA francs ($210) a month, according to data from the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa.

Meta bans Russian state media outlets for 'interference'
Meta bans Russian state media outlets for 'interference'
by  AFP

Meta late Monday said it is banning Russian state media outlets from its apps around the world due to "foreign interference activity." Meta had previously banned the Federal News Agency in Russia to thwart foreign interference activities by the Russian Internet Research Agency.

Climate finance: what you need to know ahead of COP29
Climate finance: what you need to know ahead of COP29
by  AFP

Developing countries will need trillions of dollars in the years ahead to deal with climate change -- but exactly how much is needed, and who is going to pay for it? - The Climate Policy Initiative, a nonprofit research group, estimates that $10 trillion per year in climate finance will be needed between 2030 and 2050.

Most Asian markets up ahead of Fed but Tokyo hit by strong yen
Most Asian markets up ahead of Fed but Tokyo hit by strong yen
by  AFP

Most Asian markets rose Tuesday but Tokyo sank more than one percent as exporters were hit by a stronger yen with traders gearing up for a bumper US interest rate cut and a key Japanese central bank meeting. The strengthening yen -- which is up around 13 percent from the four-decade low hit in July -- hit the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo as exporters were sold off.