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Japan's economy contracts as exports get hit by US tariffs

Japan's economy contracted at a 1.8% annual pace in July-September as President Donald Trump's tariffs hit exports and private residential investment plunged.

Data released by the government Monday showed that on a quarter-by-quarter basis, Japan's gross domestic product, the sum value of its goods and services, slipped 0.4%, the first contraction in six quarters.

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Emirates orders 65 Boeing 777-9s with list price of $38 billion at Dubai Air Show

The biennial Dubai Air Show opened on Monday with hometown airline Emirates ordering 65 of Boeing's upcoming 777-9 aircraft, as the carrier looks to increase its fleets off record earnings and unending demand for flights through this East-West travel hub.

Emirates valued the deal with Boeing and GE Engines at $38 billion at list prices, although airlines often negotiate lower prices in major orders.

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US reaches trade frameworks with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala

The Trump administration said Thursday that it had reached trade frameworks with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala.

The frameworks are about increasing the ability of U.S. firms to sell industrial and agricultural products in these countries, according to a senior administration official who insisted on anonymity as a condition for briefing reporters on a call about the agreements.

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World shares skid, following Wall Street's retreat fueled by worries over AI, interest rates

World shares skidded Friday following Wall Street's latest retreat due to worries over AI and interest rates.

The future for S&P 500 was down 0.3% and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.2%, while oil prices advanced.

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Hungary to mount court challenge to EU's planned phase-out of Russian energy

Hungary will challenge the European Union's plan to end Russian energy imports and take the case to an EU court, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday.

Speaking on state radio, Orbán accused the bloc of trying to sidestep his veto power over sanctions on Russian energy by using trade rules instead in its plan to phase out all imports of Russian oil and gas by the end of 2027.

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Under US pressure, Lebanon tightens screws on money transfers

Lebanon's central bank announced on Friday that money changers and transfer companies must comply with stricter rules as the country faces heavy U.S. pressure to regulate its cash economy and cut off Hezbollah funding.

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German government to subsidize industry's energy prices in bid to revitalize economy

Germany's governing coalition agreed to subsidize energy prices for heavy industry over the next three years as it tries to breathe new life into a stubbornly slow economy that is weighing on Europe's performance.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he and other coalition leaders agreed Thursday evening to introduce an electricity price of about 5 euro cents (6 U.S. cents) per kilowatt hour starting Jan. 1, through 2028, to "support companies that use a lot of electricity and face international competition."

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Lebanon welcomes Saudi plan to bolster commercial ties

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has welcomed a plan by Saudi Arabia to bolster commercial ties with Lebanon, saying that he is "very thankful for the Kingdom's kind initiative".

"We highly value Saudi Arabia's appreciation for the efforts of President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese government in preventing drug smuggling to our Arab neighbors," Salam said, after a senior Saudi official announced that his country plans to imminently bolster commercial ties with Lebanon after Lebanese authorities demonstrated efficacy curbing drug smuggling to the kingdom over the past months.

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EU states back small parcel duties to tackle China import flood

EU finance ministers on Thursday agreed to scrap a bloc-wide duty exemption on low-value orders from the likes of retail giants Temu and Shein to help tackle a flood of cheap Chinese imports.

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Swiss economy minister back in Washington for tariff talks

Switzerland's economy minister Guy Parmelin was back in Washington for talks on Thursday, for the third time since the Alpine country was clobbered with huge tariffs.

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