Chinese state media on Wednesday dangled the threat of cutting exports of rare earths to the United States as a counter-strike in the trade war, potentially depriving Washington of a key resource used to make everything from smartphones to military hardware.

Germany's unemployment figures rose in May for the first time in more than five years, official data showed Wednesday, amid signs of slowing growth in Europe's biggest economy.

China warned the United States on Wednesday not to "politicise" the exchange rate of its currency amid a festering trade war between the two economic giants.

Fifty years ago at the Paris air show, France's transport minister and Germany's economy minister signed an agreement that would change aviation history.

U.S. industrial conglomerate General Electric said Tuesday that it would cut more than 1,000 jobs mainly at its gas turbine operations in eastern France, part of a wave of European layoffs as it tries to stem losses in its power generation business.

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said Tuesday he expected Brussels to slap Rome with a three billion-euro ($3.36 billion) fine over the country's rising debt and structural deficit levels.

Prosecutors in Stuttgart said they raided German sports car maker and Volkswagen subsidiary Porsche on Tuesday on suspicion that an auditor was bribed to pass information to the company's tax advisor.

Hong Kong's second richest man Lee Shau Kee stepped down as chairman of Henderson Land Development on Tuesday, the latest of the city's golden generation of billionaires to retire as their progenies take over.

Nissan, a long-time Renault partner, has been left sidelined by a potential tie-up between the French firm and Fiat-Chrysler, just as the beleaguered Japanese firm battles to recover from the arrest of former boss Carlos Ghosn.

The prospect of a merger between French carmaker Renault and Italian-US auto giant Fiat Chrysler received a warm welcome on Monday, with analysts hailing the idea as an ideal fit for two companies who must keep up in the highly competitive industry.