U.S. issues guidelines on defending Philippines from South China Sea attack

By Karen Lema MANILA (Reuters) – The United States has laid out in clear terms the extent of its defence treaty commitments to the Philippines, issuing new guidelines that refer specifically to attacks in the South China Sea, including on its coast guard. The six-page “bilateral defence guidelines” agreed in Washington on Wednesday follow a…

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US jobs market softening; slumping productivity boosts labor costs

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits increased last week as the labor market gradually softens amid higher interest rates, which are cooling demand in the economy. But borrowing costs could remain elevated for a while, with other data on Thursday showing labor costs surged in…

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Westinghouse unveils small modular nuclear reactor

By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. company Westinghouse unveiled plans on Thursday for a small modular reactor to generate virtually emissions-free electricity that could replace coal plants or power water desalinization and other industries. Rita Baranwal, the Westinghouse Electricity Co’s top technology officer, said the reactor, dubbed AP300 for its planned 300 Megawatt capacity,…

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Bud maker’s profit jumps as customers absorb higher prices

By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, reported higher than expected first-quarter earnings on Thursday as sharp price increases failed to put customers off. The Belgium-based company, which makes around a quarter of all beer drunk globally, said its results confirmed the resilience of the beer market in the face of…

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Goldman Sachs cooperating with government probes on SVB collapse

(Reuters) -Goldman Sachs Group Inc said in a filing on Thursday it is cooperating with government probes into collapsed Silicon Valley Bank. The Wall Street bank is “cooperating with and providing information to various governmental bodies in connection with their investigations and inquiries” into SVB, including the two companies’ dealings in March. Goldman was involved…

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