TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s core consumer prices rose 3.4% in April from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday. The increase in the core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes energy costs, matched a median market forecast and followed a 3.1% rise in March. (Reporting by Takahiko Wada and…
(Reuters) – The electric grid operator for the U.S. Midwest on Thursday drew attention to the pressing need to reform power markets in the face of a shifting generation fleet and worsening extreme weather, even as it had enough capacity to meet demand in 2023-24. The reforms are needed “to maintain reliability and send the…
By David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -China’s commerce minister will visit the United States next week for meetings with the commerce secretary and Washington’s top trade official, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington said on Thursday, as the U.S. seeks engagement with Beijing to salve damaged ties. Liu Pengyu made the…
(Reuters) – Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to announce a ban on Russian diamonds and imports of metals from Russia including copper, aluminium and nickel in support for Ukraine, his government said in a statement. Britain is also targeting an additional 86 people and companies from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military industrial complex, in…
By Harry Robertson LONDON (Reuters) – If investors agree on one thing this year, it’s that the dollar is going to fall. That’s made the greenback’s 2% bounce over the last month particularly confusing. U.S. inflation is cooling and the Federal Reserve may pause its interest rate hikes next month. So the dollar should be…
By Chuck Mikolajczak NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks closed higher for a second straight day on Thursday on mounting optimism that a U.S. debt ceiling deal could be reached within days, with discount retailer Walmart Inc providing additional support after an upbeat annual sales forecast. The benchmark S&P 500 index rebounded from early declines…
By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – Berkshire Hathaway Inc said on Thursday it had acquired more shares of Occidental Petroleum Corp, boosting its stake in the oil company to 24.4%. In a regulatory filing, the conglomerate controlled by billionaire Warren Buffett said it paid about $201 million for 3.46 million Occidental shares between May 16 and…
OTTAWA (Reuters) -Alberta officials on Thursday warned more wildfires could spread in next few hot and dry days, even as firefighters make progress in tackling widespread blazes that have slowed the outflow of natural gas from Canada into the United States, spiking prices. Record-high temperatures and tinder-dry vegetation have led to an intense, early start…
By Suban Abdulla LONDON (Reuters) – British consumer confidence has risen for the fourth month in a row to its highest in 15 months as households take a more positive view about the economy and their finances, despite inflation still in double digits, a survey showed on Friday. Market research firm GfK’s headline confidence index…
(Reuters) -Twitter Inc has alleged that Microsoft Corp violated an agreement over using the social media company’s data, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday. Twitter owner Elon Musk’s lawyer leveled accusations of “unauthorized” usage of Twitter’s data by Microsoft, including sharing data with government agencies without permission in some cases. In the…
