The Dutch data protection watchdog slapped a 290 million euro ($324 million) fine Monday on ride-hailing service Uber for allegedly transferring personal details of European drivers to the United States without adequate protection. Uber called the decision flawed and unjustified and said it would appeal.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority said the data transfers spanning more than two years amounted to a serious breach of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, which requires technical and organizational measures aimed at protecting user data.

China on Sunday expressed its opposition to the latest U.S. sanctions on Chinese companies over their alleged ties to Russia's war in Ukraine, saying it will adopt necessary measures to safeguard the rights and interests of the country's businesses.

The U.S. on Friday announced sweeping sanctions on hundreds of firms in Russia and across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, accusing them of providing products and services that enable Russia's war effort and aiding its ability to evade sanctions. The U.S. Department of State said it was concerned by "the magnitude of dual-use goods exports" from China to Russia.

Global stocks were mixed Monday after U.S. markets rallied close to their records on the expectation the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates soon to help the economy.

France's CAC 40 rose 0.2% in early trading to 7,594.42, while Germany's DAX lost 0.2% to 18,597.20. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.5% to 8,327.78. The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were both up 0.1%.

In Jerusalem's Old City, nearly all souvenir shops are closed. In Haifa's flea market, forlorn merchants polish their wares on empty streets. Airlines are canceling flights, businesses are failing and luxury hotels are half empty.

Nearly 11 months into the war with Hamas, Israel's economy is struggling as the country's leaders grind ahead with an offensive in Gaza that shows no signs of ending and threatens to escalate into a wider conflict.

British energy bills are set to start rising again this autumn, the sector regulator announced on Friday, sparking fears that fuel poverty will worsen amid an ongoing cost of living crisis.

Google will soon give California millions of dollars to help pay for local journalism jobs in a first-in-the-nation deal, but journalists and other media industry experts are calling it a disappointing agreement that mostly benefits the tech giant.

The agreement, which was hashed out behind closed doors and announced this week, will direct tens of millions of public and private dollars to keep local news organizations afloat. Critics say it's a textbook political maneuver by tech giants to avoid a fee under what could have been groundbreaking legislation. California lawmakers agreed to kill a bill requiring tech to support news outlets they profit from in exchange for Google's financial commitment.

Freight trains in Canada could be running again within days after the government forced the country's two major railroads into arbitration with their labor union Thursday, a move aimed at averting potentially dire economic consequences across the country and in the U.S. if the trains are sidelined for a long period.

The government's action came more than 16 hours after Canadian National and CPKC locked out workers over a labor agreement impasse. Both railroads said they would work to get trains moving again as soon as possible.

Global shares traded mixed Friday ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that might deliver clues on how quickly and deeply the Fed may cut interest rates.

France's CAC 40 rose 0.3% in early trading to 7,546.93, while Germany's DAX gained 0.4% to 18,563.15. Britain's FTSE 100 added nearly 0.2% to 8,302.17. U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 0.3% at 40,930.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% to 5,614.75.

U.S. Ambassador Lisa A. Johnson toured Friday the Berbara Fishermen Cooperative to view the newly renovated facility, which is now a vibrant destination that drives economic opportunity for the local community.

With support from the United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Berbara Fishermen Cooperative recently upgraded their infrastructure with a pre-built kiosk and restroom (accessible to People with Disabilities – PWDs); bolstered their operations with a new wastewater treatment unit and kitchen equipment; and built local fishermen's’ expertise in food safety, operations, and management, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said.

The European Commission vowed Thursday to stand up for Europe's dairy sector, a day after it was targeted in the latest anti-subsidy investigation by Beijing.

The Chinese probe, announced after the EU confirmed its plan for hefty five-year tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, covers a range of items from fresh cheese and curd to blue cheese, including some milk and cream.