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Melinda Gates to leave Gates Foundation, keeps $12.5bn for her work
Philanthropist Melinda French Gates announced Monday she was leaving the nonprofit foundation she established with her ex-husband Bill Gates -- an organization that has become one of the most influential in the world.
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI releases latest free model GPT-4o
OpenAI on Monday released a higher performing and more efficient version of the artificial intelligence technology that underpins its popular generative tool ChatGPT, making it free to all users.
Melinda Gates to leave Gates Foundation, getting $12.5 billion
Melinda French Gates announced Monday she was leaving the philanthropy mega foundation she established with her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Iran director's escape, MeToo tensions build off-screen drama at Cannes
The escape of an Iranian director and rumours over fresh MeToo allegations were setting the scene Monday for a dramatic Cannes Film Festival, already packed with Hollywood icons and attention-grabbing films.
Global share markets put brake on ahead of inflation data
Global markets were in cautious mode Monday with Wall Street marking time while major European stock markets put the brake on following a record run last week as investors wait on key US inflation data.
Georgians protest anti-NGO bill as ruling party vows to adopt
Hundreds of young Georgians crowded outside parliament on Monday ahead of a third straight night of protests against a "foreign influence" bill that has split the Caucasus country and triggered international condemnation.
IMF gives draft approval to Argentina payout of almost $800 mn
IMF staff have reached an agreement with Argentina on a loan program review that should unlock almost $800 million in much-needed funds for the Latin American country, the Washington-based financial institution said Monday.
US Fed vice chair says interest rates should remain on pause
The US central bank should keep interest rates at their current "restrictive" levels until it sees real progress in the fight to lower inflation, a senior Fed official said Monday.
Anglo American rejects BHP's improved takeover bid
Australian mining giant BHP revealed Monday that British rival Anglo American has rejected an "improved" takeover bid worth £34 billion ($43 billion) as it aims to create a copper titan.
Bid to end deadly cooking methods which stoke global warming
Fifty countries are meeting in France on Tuesday to discuss the lack of access to clean cooking methods worldwide which causes millions of deaths every year and fuels global warming.
European stocks waver after record run
European equities wavered Monday as dealers paused with key US inflation data on the horizon, having smashed records last week on increasing hopes of interest rate reductions and after Britain emerged from recession.
France announces 'record' foreign investments worth 15 bn euros
France has received combined investment commitments from foreign companies of more than 15 billion euros ($16.2 billion), President Emmanual Macron's office said Monday.
Maldives gets IMF debt warning as more Chinese loans loom
The International Monetary Fund warned the Maldives against looming "debt distress" Monday, as the small but strategically placed luxury tourist destination looks set to borrow more from main creditor China.
US, Japanese banks lead fossil fuel financing
The world's biggest banks financed fossil fuels to the tune of $705 billion in 2023, with US and Japanese lenders leading the way, an annual report by climate campaigners said Monday.
China says to sell initial batch of long-dated bonds this week
China will start selling an initial batch of long-dated bonds this week, the Ministry of Finance announced Monday, as Beijing looks to increase support for the world's second-largest economy.
Sweden's small game studios punching above their weight
"Minecraft", "Valheim", and "Raft", just to name a few: Small or even one-man teams from Sweden have produced more video game hits than one would expect from a small country.
Asian markets mixed as traders pause ahead of US inflation data
Equities fluctuated Monday as traders took a breather after the past weeks' healthy run as they absorbed weak Chinese data and reports that the United States planned to ramp up tariffs on clean energy products from the Asian country.
Cambodia's famed Kampot pepper withers in scorching heatwave
Farmer Chhim Laem shakes his head as he walks between long rows of dead bushes, their brown leaves scorched by heat and drought that have devastated Cambodia's famed Kampot pepper crop.
Mercedes workers in Alabama to vote whether to join US union
The US auto workers union's drive to organize auto plants in the southern United States faces a second test this week at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama following a triumph last month.
Latest 'Planet of Apes' episode swings to top of N.America box office
Twentieth Century's action sci-fi film "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" climbed to the top of the North American box office in its opening weekend, taking in an estimated $56.5 million, one of the year's best results, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
Amazon plans to invest 1.2 bn euros in France: Macron's office
US e-commerce giant Amazon will invest more than 1.2 billion euros in France, creating more than 3,000 jobs, French President Emmanuel Macron's office said on Sunday.
Boeing's problems rattle US aviation regulator as well
The US Federal Aviation Administration, sharply criticized after the crashes of two Boeing planes in 2018 and 2019, is again being dragged into a maelstrom surrounding the major American aerospace manufacturer.
Nemo's hometown celebrates Eurovision win for Switzerland
Nemo fans partied in the streets of Biel after their hometown hero won the Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland on Sunday.
Finding Nemo: Eurovision winner's journey of self-discovery
Nemo, who won the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday, has encapsulated the journey towards realising non-binary gender identity in the highly personal song "The Code".
Switzerland's Nemo wins Eurovision Song Contest
Switzerland's Nemo won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, becoming the first artist identifying as non-binary to claim victory, in a competition marked by controversy over Israel's participation during the war in Gaza.
Hundreds protest outside German Tesla factory
More than a thousand environmentalists protested outside Tesla's factory near Berlin Saturday, police said, a day after some of them tried to force their way into the plant.
Iraq hopes oil reserves will exceed 160 bn barrels: minister
Iraq, one of the world's biggest oil producers, aims to boost its crude reserves to more than 160 billion barrels, Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani said on Saturday.
China consumer prices rise at faster rate in April
China's inflation rate quickened last month, official data showed Saturday, as the government works to boost spending in the world's second-largest economy.
For some residents of Mexico's Cancun, beach seems world away
The sun-kissed beaches and turquoise waters of Mexico's Caribbean resort of Cancun attract millions of visitors, but schoolteacher Yazmin Teran is lucky if she enjoys them a few times a year.
Senior US Fed official expects no rate cuts this year
A senior official at the US central bank said Friday that she doesn't expect any interest rate cuts this year following a recent uptick in inflation.
Brazil floods strike blow to powerful agriculture sector
Floodwaters in Brazil have swallowed up soybean fields and farming equipment, cutting off roads, livestock farms and warehouses in the latest extreme weather event to hit the agricultural giant.
Xi's European tour: red carpets, but 'no breakthroughs' on tensions
As Chinese President Xi Jinping wraps up his European tour with his stop in Budapest, analysts say the Chinese leader made an impression but no real breakthroughs on trade and Ukraine tensions.
UK economy exits recession in pre-vote boost for PM Sunak
Britain has emerged from a short-lived recession with better-than-expected growth in the first quarter, official data showed Friday, boosting embattled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before this year's general election.
UK's Labour vows to ditch government's Rwanda deportation plan
Britain's main opposition Labour party on Friday pledged to scrap the Conservative government's flagship Rwanda scheme if it comes to power, replacing it with a tougher more joined-up approach to tackling irregular migration.
London, Frankfurt hit records as rate hopes boost markets
Growing hopes that the US Federal Reserve and other central banks are close to cutting interest rates helped push London and Frankfurt to records Friday, while Asian markets also chalked up healthy gains.
Honda posts record profit, issues cautious forecasts
Japanese auto giant Honda on Friday logged a record annual profit thanks to improving global vehicle sales, but issued a cautious outlook for the current fiscal year.
UK economy exits recession ahead of election
Britain exited a shallow recession with better-than-expected growth in the first quarter, official data showed Friday, in a boost to embattled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of this year's election.
London, Frankfurt hit new records as rate hopes boost markets
Growing hopes that the US Federal Reserve and other central banks are close to cutting interest rates helped push London and Frankfurt to new records, while Asian markets also chalked up healthy gains.
In Benin, tensions soar over cost of living
In the heart of Cotonou’s large Dantokpa market, Diane Makpenon's family corn shop is less busy than usual these days.