Global rate hike push slows to a trickle in April ahead of busy May

By Karin Strohecker and Vincent Flasseur LONDON (Reuters) – Interest rate hikes from central banks around the globe slowed to a trickle in April thanks to a combination of easing inflation and slowing growth prospects amid a dearth of meetings on monetary policy decisions. April saw two interest rate hikes across five meetings by central…

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Analysis-Investors see big Novo Nordisk stock boost if obesity drug shows heart benefit

By Maggie Fick LONDON (Reuters) – Positive trial data showing Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug helps save and extend lives, not just lose weight, could propel Europe’s best-performing stock even higher, according to 10 investors and industry analysts interviewed by Reuters. Demand for the Danish company’s weight-loss treatment Wegovy is soaring in the United States, leading…

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Taiwan seeking US cooperation to make next generation fighters

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan is seeking U.S. cooperation to make the island’s next domestically developed fighter jet, the head of Taiwanese defence contractor Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) said on Wednesday. Taiwan’s air force scrambles daily to see off incursions by Chinese jets into the airspace around the island as Beijing steps up its pressure…

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Analysis-From tea to ketchup, some shelves lie empty as retailers struggle to predict demand

By Richa Naidu and Helen Reid LONDON/BARCELONA (Reuters) – A “salad crisis” affecting British supermarkets hit headlines earlier this year but shoppers across Europe and the Middle East seeking some basic groceries – from pasta to beer to toothpaste – are also finding gaps on the shelves. Top industry executives, consultants and analysts told Reuters…

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