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Tractor protests threaten to drive EU's green farming policies into ditch

It was the puddles of green sludge left by the tires of massive tractors in western Belgium's industrial farmlands that drew the attention of biological engineer Ineke Maes.

The slime was destructive algae, the result of the excess of chemicals used by farmers to boost their crops, but at a high cost to nature. Maes had hoped the European Union's environmental policies would start to make a fundamental difference by improving exhausted soils.

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Global economy weighed down by war, uncertainty and instability, trade chief warns

The head of the World Trade Organization warned on Monday that war, uncertainty and instability are weighing down the global economy and urged the bloc to embrace reform as elections across nearly half the world's population could bring new challenges.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala sought to offer some praise for her organization as it held its biennial meeting in the United Arab Emirates, even as it faces pressure from the United States and other nations.

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SchoolTec 2024 to take place at Movenpick Hotel on March 7-8

SchoolTec, the National Trade Fair for Educational Supplies and Solutions, is coming back for the second consecutive year to Beirut.

This event invites educators, school principals, administrators, teachers, IT managers, university professors, non-academic staff members in universities, training managers, trainers, and parents to explore the latest educational technologies, innovative learning services and products, as well as the top trends in education.

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Turkish central bank keeps key interest rate unchanged, pausing series of hikes

Turkey's central bank left its key interest rate unchanged at 45% on Thursday, pausing a series of aggressive rate hikes aimed at taming high inflation.

The central bank said it was keeping the benchmark one-week repo rate on hold, according to a statement. It was the bank's first interest rate decision under its newly appointed governor, Fatih Karahan.

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FlyDubai reports record-breaking $572 million profit in 2023

The Dubai-based budget carrier FlyDubai saw record profits of $572 million in 2023, boosted by carrying the most passengers ever across its network, the company announced Thursday.

The state-owned carrier, based in the business and tourism hub of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, reported revenue of $3 billion, compared to $2.5 billion the year before. It also carried 13.8 million passengers, beating its prior pre-pandemic record of 11 million in a year.

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What's behind Germany's transport strikes that stranded air, rail and bus travelers?

Thousands of travelers across Germany have found themselves stranded when ground staff walked off the job at seven of the country's biggest airports.

The one-day strike by the Ver.di labor union, which runs until 7:10 a.m. Wednesday, affects several hundred flights at airports in Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa's main hubs, as well as Berlin, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne-Bonn and Stuttgart.

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Japan's exports surged nearly 12% in January in 2nd straight month of gains

Japan's exports surged a stronger than expected nearly 12% in January, helped by robust demand for vehicles, auto parts and machinery.

That helped the nation's trade deficit shrink to 1.76 trillion yen ($12 billion), or about half of what it was a year earlier.

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Sri Lanka repays $20m Iranian oil debt with tea

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka said Wednesday it had exported tea worth $20 million to Iran to partially repay its $251 million oil debts, with Colombo saying Tehran's visiting foreign minister had expressed "satisfaction" at the deal.

"So far $20 million worth of tea has been exported to Iran under the barter trade agreement," Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena's office said in a statement after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

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Thousands of farmers advance on Madrid in major protest over EU policies

Hundreds of farmers drove their tractors into central Madrid on Wednesday as part of ongoing protests against European Union and local farming policies and to demand measures to alleviate production cost hikes.

The protest, the biggest to take place in the Spanish capital after more than two weeks of daily protests across the country, will include a rally outside the Agriculture Ministry headquarters.

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Argentina's poverty levels hit 57% of population, 20-year high in January

Poverty levels skyrocketed to 57.4% of Argentina's 46 million people in January, the highest rate in 20 years, according to a study by the Catholic University of Argentina.

The findings quickly unleashed accusations between Argentina's former Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and the government of President Javier Milei, who came to power announcing a series of shock measures aimed at tackling the country's severe crisis.

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