Author: Euronews

The US economy saw the most job increases in the government, healthcare and leisure and hospitality sectors ADVERTISEMENTUS non-farm payroll numbers for December 2023 came in on Friday, with the US labour market having added about 216,000 new jobs, more than 173,000 in November, as well as higher than analyst estimates of 170,000.This was mainly led by the government sector, which saw an increase of 52,000 jobs, as well as the healthcare sector, with 38,000 additional jobs. Leisure and hospitality added 40,000, with construction adding 17,000 and social assistance, 21,000.On the other hand, warehousing and transportation saw a dip of…

Six months ahead of the EU elections, polls predict strong results for the two most right-leaning groups in the European Parliament. ADVERTISEMENTDecember polling by aggregator Europe Elects suggests that, if combined, the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group and the eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) could muster enough support to match the size of the centre-right European People’s Party – currently the parliament’s largest group.But the poll also predicts that the informal coalition between the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and centrist-liberal Renew Europe (RE) will still retain its comfortable absolute majority, with 404 out of…

Oil prices stabilised somewhat on Thursday, as concerns over Libyan supplies were allayed by worries about slowing economic growth and demand ADVERTISEMENTOil prices slowed their rally somewhat on Thursday, with crude oil falling 0.64% to $72.2 (€65.8) per barrel and Brent crude oil dipping 0.51% to $77.8 (€70.9) per barrel on Thursday (4 December) afternoon. Earlier in the week, oil prices saw some gains after Libya’s largest oilfield, the Sharara, shut down completely amid protests.Oil markets rocked by Libya’s supply pauseThe Sharara oilfield can produce up to 300,000 barrels per day, and is operated in a joint venture between Equitor,…

EU nations have denounced two Israeli far-right ministers’ calls for the ‘voluntary emigration’ of Palestinians from Gaza and the building of Israeli settlements in the besieged territory. ADVERTISEMENTThe comments were made Monday by Israel’s firebrand National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Both are known for their hardline, religious-conservative stances.Israel should “concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza,” Ben-Gvir told reporters, adding that Israel would “permanently control” the Gaza strip.Ben-Gvir, known as one of the most hardline members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, also endorsed the rebuilding of Jewish settlements in the…

Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla see net €350 bn early year downturn, reversing 2023 rally, according to Bloomberg Magnificent 7 Total Return Index ADVERTISEMENTThe year has begun with a decline in trading for the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ of leading technology groups – Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla.Apple’s shares are leading the downturn, having fallen by 4.6% and contributing significantly to the general slump that resulted in total loss of €350 bn in market value to the seven companies, according to a Bloomberg tracking index.“We don’t know if last year’s rally has fully ended, but…

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. There may not be a silver bullet solution to climate change, but AI-based research can help us find solutions to the most complex crisis of our time, Marijana Novak and Megan Murdie write. ADVERTISEMENTBy now, most of us are familiar with certain language models, like ChatGPT or OpenAI, which have become almost omnipresent in public discourse surrounding artificial intelligence. They’ve made an extraordinary splash, met with both praise and disdain, prompting a larger discussion about the place of…

It is hoped that the unveiling of a major new financial centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo will usher in a new era for the country, one which places transparency and accountability at the heart of future development.The Centre Financier de Kinshasa opened on December 19th with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi;DRC Prime Minister, Sama Lukonde; Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome, Patrice Emery Trovoada; Aimé Boji Sangara, Minister of State, Minister Budget Nicolas Kazadi, the Minister of Finance;; and Turhan Mildon, CEO of Turkish construction company Milvest, in attendance. The result of a close collaboration with…

Euronews Business takes a closer look at what investments are most likely to yield in the new year, amidst various uncertainties in the global economy. ADVERTISEMENT2023 was a roller coaster of a year for the markets, fuelled by rate-cut expectations from the US, the UK and Europe, global tensions erupting in the Middle East and, not least of all, disappointing news from China’s economy.The best bets of 2023 seemed to be made around the tech sector**, led by giants such as Nvidia** and Alphabet benefiting from their AI prospects, while cryptocurrencies and stocks of weight-loss drugs have also had huge…

High profile competition cases against Apple and Starbucks have raised awareness and added to political pressure, despite legal setbacks, Euronews was told ADVERTISEMENTA recent set of court judgments leaves the European Commission’s battle to curb tax avoidance using competition powers looking in bad shape as it enters the last year of its mandate.But the decade-long campaign has aided awareness and political pressure, even if its future seems murky, Euronews has been told by mutliple sources.Starting in 2013, and spurred by the LuxLeaks revelations shortly after, the EU issued a series of probes involving well-known brands such as McDonald’s, Apple and…

The rise of technologies, such as AI, and the solid growth in tourism-related sectors could drive Europe’s commercial real estate market next year, while the housing market struggles to get back on its feet and the rental market soars. ADVERTISEMENTEuropean real estate investment is at a decade-low, and many forecasts expect 2024 to be the year to turn this trend on its head, not least due to potential key rate cuts.For borrowing costs to shrink and the economy to rebound in many European countries, it’s vital that the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) lower their…