- Oil rallies, stocks mostly retreat on Middle East tensions
- Phasing out teen smoking could save 1.2 mn lives: study
- 'Welcome relief': Asia producers hail EU deforestation law delay
- Japan PM slated to announce plans for 'happiness index'
- Turkish inflation falls less than expected in September at 49.4%
- Easing inflation lifts profit at UK supermarket Tesco
- Skiing calls on UN climate science to combat melting future
- China wine industry looks to breed climate resilience
- Tokyo rallies on weak yen, Hong Kong drops after surge
- Dutch airline KLM unveils 'firm' cost-cutting measures
- Carpe diem: the Costa Rican women turning fish into fashion
- Senegal looks to aquaculture as fish stocks dwindle
- Will AI one day win a Nobel Prize?
- Climate change, economics muddy West's drive to curb Chinese EVs
- Argentina's Milei vetoes university budget after huge protests
- TotalEnergies plans to grow oil and gas production until 2030
- 2024 Nobels offer glimmer of hope as global crises mount
- Tokyo rallies on weak yen, Hong Kong reverses after surge
- Tunisia readies for vote as incumbent Saied eyes victory
- High childcare costs in US weigh on women's employment
- US voters seek help with crushing childcare costs
- Taiwan shuts down for second day as Typhoon Krathon to land
- Supercharged storms: how climate change amplifies cyclones
- Biden official urges talks as US port strike enters second day
- Huge protests in Argentina over public university cuts
- Rally in oil prices loses steam on mixed day for global stocks
- South America treated to rare 'ring of fire' eclipse
- Biden official says port strike deal not as far as parties think
- Mexico's new president offers apology for 1968 student massacre
- Historic funding round values OpenAI at $157 billion
- Mixed US car sales in Q3 as industry hopes for post-election bounce
- Thunderstorms are a 'boiling pot' of gamma rays, scientists find
- Scientists unlock secret of 'Girl With Pearl Earring'
- Dolphins flash friendly grins when they're ready to play
- Facing backlash, EU moves to delay deforestation rules
- US private sector adds more jobs than expected in September: ADP
- Boys out of critical condition after Zurich stabbings
- Spain logs record summer tourism as inflow draws protests
- Hedi Slimane quits as Celine's artistic director
- Oil prices extend rally on Iran attack
- Spain welcomed record number of tourists this summer
- France says coming tax hikes on the wealthy to be 'temporary'
- Why are Thailand's roads so deadly?
- Oracle to invest $6.5 bn in Malaysian cloud services region
- Parkrun marks 20 years of a free weekly jog, run... or walk
- Oil extends rally after Iran attack, Hong Kong soars again
- Prostitutes, prospectors drive spread in DR Congo mpox capital
- Oil extends rally after Iran attack, Hong Kong resumes surge
- Extreme heat another form of death sentence in Texas jails
- Can music help plants grow? Study suggests sound boosts fungus
RYCEF | 0.14% | 6.91 | $ | |
RBGPF | 100% | 59.99 | $ | |
NGG | -1.85% | 68.78 | $ | |
VOD | -2.16% | 9.74 | $ | |
GSK | -2.15% | 39.45 | $ | |
AZN | 1.14% | 79.58 | $ | |
BTI | -1.33% | 35.97 | $ | |
CMSC | 0.04% | 24.78 | $ | |
RELX | -0.11% | 47.29 | $ | |
RIO | -0.48% | 70.82 | $ | |
BCC | -1.33% | 139.53 | $ | |
JRI | -1.12% | 13.38 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.04% | 24.93 | $ | |
SCS | -2.56% | 12.87 | $ | |
BP | 0.86% | 32.37 | $ | |
BCE | -1.13% | 34.44 | $ |
EU and New Zealand seal 'state-of-the-art' trade deal
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday the EU and New Zealand had sealed a free trade deal after four years of talks, promising it would deepen ties.
"This is a historic moment in our cooperation," von der Leyen told reporters at a joint press statement with New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, adding that the deal had come after "tough negotiations".
Ardern hailed a "historic further milestone in the strong partnership between two closely-connected like-minded friends."
The pact brings economies of vastly different sizes closer together: New Zealand has a population of just five million people against the EU's 450 million.
Once it has survived a long ratification process, the EU said the deal would eliminate all tariffs on its exports to New Zealand and will open markets in key sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, maritime transport and delivery services.
Both sides underlined environmental issues, amid concern in some corners of Europe that trade deals are a threat to climate goals and upholding rights of workers.
"This free trade agreement includes high ambition outcomes in areas related to the Paris Agreement, climate action, labour rights, gender equality, and harmful fishery subsidies," New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O'Connor told reporters after a final round of talks in Brussels.
His EU counterpart Valdis Dombrovskis called the deal "a state of the art trade deal for the EU" that had "shared values with sustainability at its core."
The New Zealand agreement, which will be legally finalised over the next months, will have to be agreed by the bloc's member states as well as European Parliament.
The deal with New Zealand will lend comfort to European countries that had grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress on opening new trade ties with international partners.
The EU has struggled in recent years to secure the backing of all 27 member states as well as the European Parliament on trade deals, which were once a central policy for the bloc.
France has led the doubters on the wisdom of trade pacts, and French farmers have voiced concerns that the accord with New Zealand would unfairly open their market to New Zealand imports.
The EU is currently also engaged in talks with India, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia.
Of particular concern in France is a negotiated deal with the South American trade bloc Mercosur that has yet to be signed as several countries demand concrete commitments from Brazil against the deforestation of the Amazon.
H.Cho--CPN