Australia’s current account surplus widens in Q1, small drag on GDP

By Stella Qiu SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s current account surplus widened in the March quarter, helped by strong exports of resources and travel services, with net exports proving to be a much smaller drag on growth than first thought. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday showed the current account surplus widened to…

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Mexico’s rulers clinch opposition bastion ahead of presidency race

By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexico’s ruling party comfortably captured a major historic stronghold of the opposition in an election on Sunday, consolidating President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s hold on power ahead of the battle to succeed him next year. Lopez Obrador’s leftist National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) won the State of Mexico gubernatorial contest…

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Retailers battle for uncertain back-to-school demand after ‘volatile’ quarter

By Katherine Masters NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stocking shelves with low-priced notebooks and slashing prices on sneakers and uniforms, major retailers including Walmart, Foot Locker and Marks & Spencer are preparing for a challenging back-to-school shopping season this year. U.S. shoppers’ spending in the summer ahead of the college and K-12 school year has grown…

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About ducking time: Apple to tweak iPhone autocorrect function

(Reuters) – One of the most notable happenings at Apple’s event for developers on Monday is likely the iPhone maker’s tweak that will keep its autocorrect feature from annoyingly correcting one of the most common expletives to “ducking.” “In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, the keyboard will learn…

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Mexico unveils tax break plan for southern business corridor

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico on Monday pitched a series of tax incentives aimed at luring companies into investing in a business corridor that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is developing in a southern isthmus in hopes of competing with the Panama Canal. The finance ministry said companies that invest in the so-called Inter-Oceanic Corridor…

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Cancer vaccines poised to unlock ‘new treatment paradigm’ with Merck/Moderna data

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) – Adding an experimental mRNA-based vaccine from Moderna Inc and Merck & Co reduced the risk that the most deadly skin cancer would spread by 65% over treatment with an immunotherapy alone in a mid-stage trial, the companies reported on Monday. With this and earlier data, Moderna is considering seeking…

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