The U.S. launched its first round of trade talks with China since Donald Trump took office in an unusually blunt manner Wednesday, demanding more "fair, equitable and reciprocal" relationship, with more access to American made goods and services.

Noting the more than 200 percent surge in Chinese exports to the United States in the last 15 years, creating a trade deficit of $309 billion last year, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross insisted change was necessary.

Germany has delayed signing a deal with Israel advancing the sale of three submarines, an Israeli official said Tuesday as a corruption probe into the affair gained momentum.

The European Union on Tuesday played down the departure of Britain's chief Brexit negotiator David Davis from crucial talks in Brussels after just a few hours, saying it was "not a problem."

Britain's annual inflation rate surprisingly slowed to 2.6 percent in June, mainly owing to a drop in motel fuel prices, official data showed Tuesday.

The Consumer Prices Index had hit 2.9 percent in May, close to a four-year high, as a Brexit-hit pound raises import costs.

The dollar sank Tuesday as two Republican senators rejected their party's bill to repeal Obamacare, effectively killing it and throwing Donald Trump's economic agenda into doubt.

A lengthy dispute between Air France management and pilots ended Monday after the pilots backed the establishment of a lower-cost subsidiary to try to compete with budget airlines and Gulf carriers.

The IMF on Monday hailed French President Emmanuel Macron's "ambitious" reform program, saying his spending cuts and tax overhaul could "go a long way in addressing... longstanding economic challenges".

China posted better-than-expected second quarter growth on Monday, but analysts warned that the momentum will not last as authorities clamp down on rising debt.

A growing share of US employers are struggling to hire new workers and some have raised wages as a result, according to a survey released Monday.

The West and Russia are battling for control of the transport of natural gas through the Balkans, as both sides pursue their geopolitical agenda in the volatile region.