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Mideast Starbucks franchise fires 2,000 workers because of boycotts

The Middle East franchisee of Starbucks said Tuesday it has begun firing around 2,000 workers at its coffee shops across the region after the brand found itself targeted by activists during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

The Kuwait-based Alshaya Group, a private family firm holding franchise rights for a variety of Western companies including The Cheesecake Factory, H&M and Shake Shack, issued a statement acknowledging the firings at its Middle Eastern and North African locations.

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China aims to achieve 5% economic growth this year

China aims to achieve 5% economic growth this year, Premier Li Qiang said Tuesday, acknowledging that it will be a challenging goal in difficult times.

In his address to the annual session of the National People's Congress, Li outlined plans to boost spending on developing advanced technology, fortifying China's military and supporting the economy, among many other longstanding goals. But there was no big package of stimulus to help boost markets and reassure worried investors.

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S. Korea takes steps to suspend licenses of striking doctors

South Korea's government began steps Monday to suspend the medical licenses of thousands of striking junior doctors, days after they missed a government-set deadline to end their joint walkouts, which have severely impacted hospital operations.

Nearly 9,000 medical interns and residents have been on strike for two weeks to protest a government push to sharply increase the number of medical school admissions. Their action has led to hundreds of canceled surgeries and other treatments and threatened to burden the country's medical service.

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China seeks ways to revive slowing economy as annual congress convenes

It's clear that China's efforts to build confidence in its slowing economy will top the agenda of its ceremonial national legislature, which convenes Tuesday in Beijing.

What remains unclear is how the ruling Communist Party can navigate toward stronger, sustained growth as China's workforce is aging, relations with Washington are fraught, and housing construction — a main driver of the economy — is in crisis.

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Apple fined nearly $2 billion by EU over music streaming competition

The European Union leveled its first antitrust penalty against Apple on Monday, fining the U.S. tech giant nearly $2 billion for breaking the bloc's competition laws by unfairly favoring its own music streaming service over rivals.

Apple banned app developers from "fully informing iOS users about alternative and cheaper music subscription services outside of the app," said the European Commission, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm and top antitrust enforcer.

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Several OPEC+ countries extend oil cuts to boost prices

Some members of oil cartel OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia, and allied producers like Russia are again deepening their voluntary crude supply cuts.

Announcements from several OPEC+ countries extend reductions of some 2.2 million barrels a day, the secretariat for the multinational organization noted Sunday. Saudi Arabia led the pack by extending its previously-implemented cut of 1 million barrels a day through the end of 2024's second quarter.

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Takeaways from AP visit to Congo as nation offers expanded oil drilling

The central African nation of Congo is offering 30 oil and gas blocks around the country for auction. It's a prospect that concerns environmentalists and some of the people who live near the drilling that has so far been limited to a small area near its far western border on the Atlantic Ocean.

The Associated Press visited Moanda territory, including two villages near drilling sites, and heard from residents who said air and ground pollution has hurt their crops and caused health problems. They say Perenco, the French-British company that began drilling in 2000, has failed to address those problems, and advocacy groups say they want to see changes before drilling expands.

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World stocks track Wall Street gains, Japan shares hit record high

Japanese stocks again set a record on Friday, after U.S. stocks climbed to all-time highs the previous day, European markets also went up ahead of euro zone inflation data.

The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.1% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.1%.

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Local transport in much of Germany hit by strikes in dispute over working conditions

Local buses, subway trains and trams ground to a halt in much of Germany on Friday, at the peak of a week of walkouts by employees demanding better working conditions.

The Ver.di service workers' union called for a week of strikes lasting from Monday to Saturday, with the main day of walkouts on Friday. The union is being backed by the Fridays for Future climate activist group, which called on supporters to take to the streets for "good work and climate-friendly mobility."

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European inflation eases to 2.6% as energy prices fall and food inflation slows

The inflation that has ravaged the European economy eased again in February, falling to 2.6% as high interest rates, moderating oil and gas prices, and sluggish growth held back price increases in stores.

February's figure for the 20 countries that use the euro currency compares to 2.8% from January, the European Union's statistical agency Eurostat said Friday.

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