BUSINESS

Mozambique's new president Daniel Chapo took the oath of office Wednesday in front of a heavily guarded audience of dignitaries in the capital Maputo following weeks of violent demonstrations over the fiercely disputed election results.

In a Damascus courtyard, Syrian activists brainstormed strategies to ensure their country does not return to authoritarianism, in a scene unimaginable under president Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Elon Musk is faced with an SEC lawsuit over his alleged violation of securities laws when he failed to disclose his Twitter common stock acquisitions that allowed him to buy shares at lower prices.

Jilted on dating apps but undeterred in the quest for romance, 20 young singles gathered in Madrid to share activities and flirtatious smiles in a rediscovery of real-life love.

As Donald Trump's looming return to the White House promises to boost cryptocurrencies, a German stock exchange is on a mission to anchor them firmly in the staid world of traditional finance.

Record numbers of tourists flocked to Japan last year, figures showed Wednesday, as the weak yen bolstered the appeal of the "bucket list" destination despite overcrowding complaints in hotspots like Kyoto.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is gearing up for the seventh orbital flight test of Starship, the colossal prototype rocket the company hopes will help humans colonize Mars.

Imran Khan, Pakistan's most popular politician, is facing a 14-year prison term this month in a case his party says is being used to pressure him into silence.

Asian markets swung Wednesday, continuing their yo-yo start to the year as traders assess the economic outlook with Donald Trump back in the White House, with focus now on the release of key US inflation data.

China's economic growth likely fell fractionally short of the government's five percent target last year, according to an AFP survey, as leaders head into 2025 steeling for the second presidency of Donald Trump amid fears of another painful trade standoff.

China might not be able to rely on trade to steer it out of trouble as blistering tariffs being considered by US President-elect Donald Trump threaten an already struggling economy.

A huge federal probe was under way Tuesday into what caused the deadly Los Angeles wildfires, with millions in the city clamoring for answers.

Billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will attend Donald Trump's inauguration next week, NBC news reported Tuesday, further highlighting the tech moguls' efforts to develop closer ties with the incoming president.

Do people with obesity have an illness? When obesity affects the functions of people's organs, it should be considered a distinct illness called "clinical obesity," the commission said.

Starbucks has stirred the coffee pot by reversing a policy that allowed anyone to use its bathrooms, with the US public warned they'll need to buy something or get out.

One rocket, two missions: Lunar landers built by US and Japanese companies are poised to "rideshare" to the Moon, showcasing the private sector's growing role in space exploration.

Boeing delivered just 348 commercial planes in 2024 according to figures released Tuesday that showed the ugly effects from a year of labor disruption and safety setbacks.

Boar's Head faces scrutiny over unsanitary conditions described as "general filth," wrote an inspector about an Indiana plant.

TikTok faces an imminent shutdown in the United States after Congress passed a law last year forcing its Chinses owner ByteDance to either sell the platform or close it by this Sunday.

The holiday season wasn't just merry–it was costly, with 1 in 10 consumers admitting that they went over their budget holiday shopping.

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli announced Tuesday that it would raise prices again in 2025 after strong sales last year showed that increases had not cut the appetite of consumers.

McDonald's is scaling back its CosMc's spin-off by closing three larger Texas locations.

The head of the left-leaning US news channel MSNBC has quit, a source at the network told AFP Tuesday, just days before Donald Trump returns to the White House threatening to silence critical coverage.

Michael S. Barr, the Federal Reserve Board Vice Chair for Supervision, will step down from his role effective February 28, 2025 while continuing as a governor

The leader of breakaway Moldovan region Transnistria visited Moscow recently for talks on resolving its energy crisis, local media reported Tuesday.

Amazon will invest more than $5 billion in a data center in central Mexico, the e-commerce giant said on Tuesday, part of a push by big tech to add more storage facilities to meet the needs of AI. The director of Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Latin America, Paula Bellizia, announced the investment at President Claudia Sheinbaum's regular morning news conference in Mexico City.

Starbucks has ended its open-door policy, which allowed anyone, not just a customer, to use its spaces without buying anything.

The airline has suffered since the pandemic and is looking to save money where it can.

Furious at the prospect of a US government ban on social media platform TikTok, American users have flocked to another Chinese-owned app in droves, many with a defiant message: "Take my data!"