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Legal battles loom as first Mickey Mouse copyright ends
Legal battles loom as first Mickey Mouse copyright ends
Economy
by  AFP

Almost a century after his big-screen debut, Mickey Mouse enters the public domain Monday, opening the floodgates to potential remakes, spin-offs, adaptations... and legal battles with Disney. Anybody using the classic image of Mickey at the helm of the boat on shirts, caps or mugs could be open to legal action, he said.

Swiss to vote on foie gras, fur imports
Swiss to vote on foie gras, fur imports
Economy
by  AFP

The Swiss will decide whether to ban foie gras and fur imports after campaigners on Thursday handed in enough signatures to trigger a public vote on the twin issues. The popular initiative on foie gras collected 106,448 signatures, while the one on fur attracted 116,140 -- both above the 100,000 threshold required to trigger a national vote.

Guinea's economy struggles after fuel depot fire
Guinea's economy struggles after fuel depot fire
Economy
by  AFP

Almost two weeks after a huge fire in Guinea's main fuel depot brought death and destruction, anger is growing as the economy is reeling, with inflation rising, petrol rationed and no trucks moving merchandise. Merchandise trucks sit idled at the foot of buildings.