Papal envoy to discuss repatriation of Ukrainian children with Biden

By Philip Pullella and Costas Pitas VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, assigned by Pope Francis to help bring peace to Ukraine, will discuss repatriating children who Kyiv and others say have been deported by Russia with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington as part of a three-day visit. Zuppi will meet Biden…

Read More

Plaintiffs ask US Supreme Court to temporarily halt Microsoft, Activision merger

By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A group of individual plaintiffs on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily halt Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the largest in the history of the videogame industry. The bid by the plaintiffs was separate from a request by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to pause…

Read More

US stocks rise on earnings outlook, global shares dip on China data

By Herbert Lash NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. stocks rose on Monday on expectations corporate earnings will exceed forecasts, but global shares and the dollar traded little changed after data showed the Chinese economy grew slower than anticipated. China overnight reported growth of 0.8% in the second quarter, above the 0.5% forecast, but the annual pace…

Read More

End of Black Sea grains deal promises pain for Africa’s neediest

By Abdi Sheikh and Aaron Ross MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Russia’s announcement that it was withdrawing from a pact that allowed Ukrainian grains to leave Black Sea ports sent a shiver through poorer countries, many of which are already reeling from inflation, climate shocks and conflict. The Black Sea grains deal, brokered by the United Nations…

Read More

Oil dips over 1.5% on demand fears after weak Chinese data

By Arathy Somasekhar HOUSTON (Reuters) -Oil dropped by more than 1.5% on Monday after weaker than expected Chinese economic growth raised doubts over the strength of demand in the world’s second biggest oil consumer, and a partial restart of halted Libyan output also pressured prices. China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.3% year-on-year in the…

Read More

Microsoft granted two-month pause of UK appeal over Activision deal

By Sam Tobin and Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) -Microsoft’s appeal against Britain’s block on its $69 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard was formally paused by a London tribunal on Monday, to give the parties more time to resolve the dispute. Microsoft, Activision and Britain’s competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), had all asked…

Read More