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France detains seven over new cryptocurrency kidnapping
France detains seven over new cryptocurrency kidnapping
by  AFP

French authorities have detained seven people in an investigation into the kidnapping of a young Swiss citizen believed to be the latest abduction targeting the hugely lucrative cryptocurrency world, a source close to the case said on Thursday.

Trump's pick for US Fed governor vows to uphold independence
Trump's pick for US Fed governor vows to uphold independence
by  AFP

Donald Trump's pick to join the Federal Reserve's board of governors pledged Thursday to uphold US central bank independence if confirmed, as the institution faces growing political pressure from the president to slash interest rates. The seven members of the Fed's powerful board of governors sit on the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee, which votes on interest rate decisions. bys/ksb

US trade gap widens more than expected on goods imports surge
US trade gap widens more than expected on goods imports surge
by  AFP

The US trade deficit expanded more than expected in July, government data showed Thursday, on a surge in imports analysts expect was driven by a rush to beat another wave of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Analysts at Pantheon Macroeconomics believe the growing trade gap is connected with "another wave of pre-tariff stockpiling," they said in a recent report.

US private sector hiring cools more than expected: ADP
US private sector hiring cools more than expected: ADP
by  AFP

Hiring in the US private sector slowed more than anticipated in August, according to payroll firm ADP on Thursday, as all eyes turn to the jobs market to gauge the economy's health. The most recent hiring figures showed that the key labor market was weaker than expected, sparking worries about the health of the economy.

Berlusconi media group takes control of German broadcaster
Berlusconi media group takes control of German broadcaster
by  AFP

Italy's MediaForEurope (MFE) announced Thursday it had taken control of one of Germany's biggest private broadcasting groups, as it seeks to build a pan-European group able to compete with streaming giants. "Our goal is to create a pan-European broadcasting and media group capable of standing up to the global tech giants and competing with them," he said.

Seniors back to work as ageing Germany battles pension burden
Seniors back to work as ageing Germany battles pension burden
by  AFP

At age 70, Pete Maie appears nervous at the start of a job interview to work as a part-time parcel delivery driver for a German logistics company. Economist Johannes Geyer of the Berlin-based DIW institute said that retirement at 70 would help the budget but could harm workers, especially in physically demanding jobs.