MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s nuclear chief on Thursday pushed back against Ukrainian assertions that Moscow had plotted to blow up a nuclear power station it controls, saying no evidence supported the claim and that only “a complete idiot” would do such a reckless thing. Kyiv has repeatedly said that Russian forces planned to blow up…
BEIJING (Reuters) – Alibaba’s Ele.me on Thursday became China’s first delivery platform to sign collective contracts on wages and labour safety with its staff, official media reported, as Beijing signals an end to its crackdown on the tech sector. The contracts will apply to 3 million workers on the platform across 11,000 delivery stations in…
By William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s public debt could surge to more than 300% of annual economic output by the 2070s, up from about 100% now, and the government is not taking measures to make big changes in the short term, the government’s budget forecasters said. The Office for Budget Responsibility said challenges from an…
BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Mitsubishi Motors’ joint venture with China’s Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) on Thursday said it would cut staff costs to try to revive its fortunes after sharp sales declines for sport utility vehicles (SUV) such as the Outlander. State-owned automaker GAC said in a statement the venture would look to “optimise” its employment…
By Fabian Cambero SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Now that Chile has passed an increase in mining royalties, copper miners are pushing for incentives to keep investing in production of the metal needed for the renewable energy revolution, with steps such as cuts in energy costs, speeded-up permit approvals and other incentives. Beginning in 2024, mining royalties…
MILAN (Reuters) – Stellantis will build the new Jeep Compass, one of the carmaker’s bestsellers in Europe, as the fifth model for its Melfi plant in southern Italy, two sources close to the matter told Reuters on Thursday. The new model will be a development from the Compass SUV the Franco-Italian group currently produces in…
By Andy Bruce and William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s economy shrank by less than expected in May despite a bank holiday to mark King Charles’ coronation and strikes, suggesting a widely forecast recession caused by high inflation and surging interest rates was not already under way. Economic output fell 0.1% in May from April, the…
By Idrees Ali ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) – Russia’s leadership is suffering a significant amount of “friction and confusion” since the Wagner mercenary group’s mutiny last month, but the impact it is having on front lines in Ukraine is still uncertain, the United States’ top general said on Thursday. The June 24 mutiny…
By Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante ROME (Reuters) – Just as King Canute failed to hold back the seas, so Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has floundered in her efforts to stop the flow of migrants to Italy since she took office last October. Despite pledges before last year’s national election that she would cut immigration,…
(This July 12 story has been refiled to remove an additional word in paragraph 1) By Guy Faulconbridge and Filipp Lebedev MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia is decaying in a potent brew of absurdity and repression that is comparable to the Leonid Brezhnev-era of the Soviet Union, Oleg Orlov, one of Russia’s most respected human rights…