By Kantaro Komiya TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s economy likely grew in January-March at the fastest pace in three quarters, as spending in the services sector offset soft business activity, a Reuters poll showed. Japan has so far been spared major impact from deteriorating global economic conditions thanks in part to the services sector enjoying a…
ROME, May 10 (Reuters) – Italian industrial output was weaker than expected in March, falling 0.6% from February to register a third consecutive month of contraction, data showed on Wednesday. A Reuters survey of 20 analysts had pointed to a 0.3% monthly rise. On a work-day adjusted year-on-year basis, national statistics bureau ISTAT said output…
(Reuters) – Myanmar’s shadow government welcomes efforts by ASEAN chair Indonesia to kickstart peace talks in the strife-torn Southeast Asian nation but is deeply distrustful of the junta that took power in a 2021 coup, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) holding a summit in Indonesia have…
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s food exports are expected to rise by 2.1% to a record of 1.5 trillion baht ($44.31 billion) this year, helped by a recovery in global demand and China’s reopening, a leading industry group said on Wednesday. The country’ food shipments, which account for 14.6% of the total, increased 10% year-on-year to…
By Lina Golovnya and Diana Mandia (Reuters) -French train maker Alstom on Wednesday forecast a rise in its annual operating margin, saying the market momentum remained very positive, but delayed its mid-term targets by one year due to high inflation. Alstom shares were down 4.8% at 0749 GMT, the worst performer on the French blue-chip…
By Alun John and Ankur Banerjee LONDON/SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Investors are getting more bang for their buck this year by buying European companies with a focus on China than buying Chinese companies themselves, a sign of the unevenness of China’s pandemic recovery and geopolitical concerns. Late last year, China dismantled its strict zero-COVID policy, helping…
By Maya Gebeily BEIRUT (Reuters) – Having brought President Bashar al-Assad in from the cold, Arab states want him to rein in Syria’s flourishing drugs trade in exchange for even closer ties. But as Damascus makes its own demands, the way ahead appears far from simple. Arab states turned the page on years of confrontation…
By Ludwig Burger FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Zealand Pharma and partner Boehringer Ingelheim said their experimental obesity drug achieved up to 14.9% weight loss after 46 weeks in a mid-stage trial, adding a potential contestant to the fast growing obesity drug market. In a statement on Wednesday, the partners said that the Phase II dose-finding trial…
COLOMBO (Reuters) – An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team will arrive in Sri Lanka on Thursday, a statement from the global lender said as the crisis-hit country prepares for the first review of a loan programme in September. The delegation will visit Sri Lanka during May 11-23 as part of regular consultations ahead of…
By Chiara Elisei LONDON Reuters) – UBS could have to lure investors with significantly higher yields when it next sells Additional Tier 1 bonds, paying what analysts say could be a punitive price for a Swiss decision to wipe out Credit Suisse AT1s under their shotgun merger. To sell new AT1s, UBS would have to…
