Articles by AFP
EU accuses Temu of hindering raid in Ireland
The European Union on Friday accused Temu of failing to hand over information during an inspection as part of a probe into the Chinese-owned online retailer. The EU's powerful antitrust sheriff said it carried out surprise raids between December 2 and 5, 2025, seeking evidence in an investigation looking at whether Temu received "potentially...
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Adidas apologises for plethora of pink boots at World Cup
Adidas on Thursday apologised for a surfeit of pink boots at the World Cup, saying that it was a coincidence that they were sported by a striking number of players. Asked by AFP about the unusual uniformity of boot colours during a press conference on the company's quarterly results, Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said "it was an accident". "I think...
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AI glasses help propel EssilorLuxottica sales growth
Sales of AI-enabled eyeglasses, which have nearly doubled since last year, helped EssilorLuxottica accelerate second-quarter growth, the world's largest maker of eyeglasses reported Tuesday. Second quarter sales rose 7.2 percent in the three months to June to 7.7 billion euros (8.8 billion dollars). "AI glasses confirmed their exponential...
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Ukraine drone attack hits 'Russia's Amazon' warehouse
Ukrainian drones hit a warehouse for a Russian e-commerce giant near Saint Petersburg early Friday, triggering a fire that sent smoke pouring over the historic city, according to local officials and an AFP reporter. Kyiv has targeted Saint Petersburg as it steps up long-range drone strikes on Russian energy, military and logistics sites in...
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French anti-ultra-fast-fashion law: China threatens retaliation
Beijing - China warned on Wednesday that France could face possible retaliatory measures after adopting a law aimed at countering the rise of disposable fashion, or "ultra-fast fashion". Beijing has denounced the regulation as “discriminatory” and contrary to trade principles. Adopted by the French Parliament at the end of last month, the text...
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Switzerland: watch exports see slight decline in first half
Geneva - Swiss watch exports fell by 0.7 percent in the first half to 12.8 billion Swiss francs (15.76 billion dollars), amid a downturn in the US and Chinese markets, according to statistics published on Tuesday by the Swiss watch federation. In June, Swiss watch exports grew by 11.2 percent to nearly 2.4 billion francs, driven by the US (+12.7...
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Swatch's first-half net profit misses expectations despite sales growth
Swatch Group reported a net profit for the first half that was below expectations on Tuesday. The company hopes for “a significant improvement in profitability in the second half” thanks to an acceleration in sales observed since May. For the period from January to June, the Swiss watchmaker reported a net profit of 16 million Swiss francs. This...
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EU fines AliExpress 550 million euros for selling prohibited products
Brussels - The EU fined the Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress, a subsidiary of the giant Alibaba, 550 million euros (628.7 million dollars) today. The fine was for allowing the sale of illegal products to European consumers, including dangerous toys and counterfeit clothing. AliExpress was sanctioned for failing to meet its obligations...
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Ivory Coast fashion designers storm the international stage
Favoured by the likes of Beyonce and Aya Nakamura, Ivory Coast fashion is wooing the world stage, thanks in part to showcasing on social media. The creators, though, have no intention of leaving Abidjan to move abroad. Beyonce's stylist contacted Abidjan-based Loza Maleombho after noticing her handmade creations on Instagram. Years of...
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Italy investigates Chanel, Bulgari and other luxury brands for exploitation of Chinese workers
Milan - Italian police searched the headquarters of eleven luxury brands on Thursday, including Chanel, Bulgari and Etro, suspected of using subcontractors who exploited Chinese workers in Italy. The other brands under investigation are Brunello Cucinelli, Moncler, Jacob Cohen Company, Owenscorp Italia, Goyard Italia, F.Vl, Stefano Ricci and...
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