Articles by AFP
Amazon shuts down Shanghai AI lab: source
US tech giant Amazon has shut down its artificial intelligence research lab in Shanghai, a source with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to AFP. News that the lab, part of cloud division Amazon Web Services (AWS), has closed comes with AI at the forefront of a tech race between China and the United States. In a screenshot of a WeChat post...
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UK and India sign hard-fought free trade agreement
London and New Delhi signed a free trade agreement on Thursday after years of arduous negotiations on Indian textiles and British whisky, during prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK. This agreement, concluded in May, is the “most economically significant since the UK’s exit from the European Union”, said British prime minister Keir...
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France and Italy to collaborate on 'Made in Europe' initiative
Paris - French Economy Minister Eric Lombard and Industry Minister Marc Ferracci are scheduled to meet with Italian Minister for Businesses Adolfo Urso in Paris on Thursday. The objective of this meeting is to establish common ground regarding the challenges facing the European industry and the concept of "Made in Europe." The French ministers'...
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Sweden eases clothing recycling due to overload in treatment centres
Stockholm – From October, Sweden will no longer be obligated to recycle clothes, despite European legislation, as textile waste treatment centres are overflowing, the government announced on Thursday, May 8, 2024. This decision, effective from October first, comes after the European Union imposed on member countries the requirement to have a...
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Swatch Group's profits plummet in first half
Zurich - Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group published its half-year results on Thursday. The results were heavily affected by weak consumer spending in China, causing its net profit to plummet. The group, owner of the multicoloured plastic watch brand and other brands, including Tissot, Longines and Omega, saw its net profit fall to 17 million Swiss...
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A turning point: cryptocurrencies on US congress agenda
New York, July 15, 2025 – The US House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on several cryptocurrency regulation bills. This follows the impetus given by Donald Trump, seen as a blessing by the sector. After years of procrastination and a series of legislative proposals that failed to materialise, Congress is prioritising this issue...
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Rami Al Ali becomes first Syrian in Paris fashion programme
Syrian couturier Rami Al Ali made history Thursday as the first fashion designer from his country to feature in the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar in a new landmark for Arab representation in the luxury business. After years of showing his tailored evening dresses on the sidelines of Couture Week, he was invited this year by France's...
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The 10 million dollar bag: Original Birkin smashes records at Paris auction
The first-ever Birkin bag designed by French luxury brand Hermes for celebrity Jane Birkin sold for 8.58 million euros (10 million dollars) at a Sotheby's auction in Paris on Thursday, smashing previous price records for a handbag. The modern design classic, owned by a well-known Paris-based handbag collector, sparked a telephone bidding war up...
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Cookie legislation in France: 150 million euro fine requested against Shein before CNIL
Paris - On Thursday, the rapporteur of the French data protection authority (CNIL) requested a 150 million euro fine against the Asian fast fashion giant Shein for not complying with cookie legislation. The rapporteur reproached this e-commerce heavyweight for "several breaches of its legal obligations" concerning cookies - the computer files...
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E-commerce: Belgium faces "tsunami" of parcels from China
Brussels (Belgium) - A Belgian economic body believes that Belgium is facing a "tsunami" of small parcels sent by major players in Chinese e-commerce. It has stated that Belgium must urge the European Union to accelerate its customs reform, according to an opinion obtained on Thursday by AFP. The EU has been working for two years on a customs...
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