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Potholes, a British obsession with a heavy price
Potholes, a British obsession with a heavy price
by  AFP

Dotting the asphalt, they come in various shapes and sizes, costing drivers a fortune in vehicle repairs and even lives. According to the Asphalt Industry Alliance, more than £14 billion is needed to fix a backlog of repairs in England and Wales.

Lab-grown diamonds put natural gems under pressure
Lab-grown diamonds put natural gems under pressure
by  AFP

The glittering diamonds sparkle the same but there are key differences: mined natural gems are more than a billion years old, while laboratory-made rocks are new and cost less than half the price. Man-made gems are reshaping the $89 billion global diamond jewellery market, especially in the west Indian city of Surat where 90 percent of the world's diamonds are cut and polished.

Made-in-China airliner seeks buyers at Singapore Airshow
Made-in-China airliner seeks buyers at Singapore Airshow
by  AFP

China's first domestically produced passenger jet was presented at Asia's biggest airshow, which opened in Singapore on Tuesday, as Beijing seeks to woo international buyers. Although the airshow is a good opportunity for Beijing to show off the C919, finding a big-name buyer will be hard, said aviation analyst Shukor Yusof of Singapore-based consultancy Endau Analytics.

Capital One to buy Discover for $35.3 bn
Capital One to buy Discover for $35.3 bn
by  AFP

US banking giant Capital One announced Monday it will acquire financial services company Discover in a $35.3 billion all-stock deal combining two of America's major credit card firms. Discover is among the United States' major credit card networks, but is smaller than the top three: Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

China central bank cuts benchmark lending rate to boost economy
China central bank cuts benchmark lending rate to boost economy
by  AFP

China's central bank on Tuesday cut a key benchmark lending rate used to price mortgages, as Beijing seeks to boost its flagging growth. But that, and recent announcements including central bank interest rate cuts and measures to boost lending, have had little impact so far.

Made-in-China airliner shown overseas at Singapore Airshow
Made-in-China airliner shown overseas at Singapore Airshow
by  AFP

China's first domestically produced passenger jet will be presented to potential buyers in an international debut at Asia's biggest airshow, which opens in Singapore on Tuesday. But while Boeing will be present at the airshow, it is not presenting any physical commercial aircraft, unlike in previous years.

Ecuador backtracks on plan to send weapons to Ukraine
Ecuador backtracks on plan to send weapons to Ukraine
by  AFP

Ecuador's foreign minister said Monday the country did not plan to send Soviet-era weapons to Ukraine after the president's vow to do so sparked a spat with Moscow over banana and flower exports. On Friday Ecuador's Trade Minister Sonsoles Garcia said on X that the Russian embargo on five banana exporting companies had been lifted.

Italy takes over troubled steel mill
Italy takes over troubled steel mill
by  AFP

Following months of unsuccessful talks, the Italian government Monday launched a temporary state takeover of a troubled steel mill that that is majority-owned by steel giant ArcelorMittal, according to sources close to the situation. ArcelorMittal owns a 62 percent stake in the Taranto steel mill and the Italian state the remaining 38 percent.

France 'probably' missed 2023 deficit target: source
France 'probably' missed 2023 deficit target: source
by  AFP

France likely overshot its budget deficit target in 2023, a finance ministry official said on Monday. The cuts would help the government meet its deficit target for this year of 4.4 percent of GDP, Le Maire told reporters Monday.