China keeps lending benchmarks unchanged amid signs of recovery

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) -China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged for the eighth straight month on Thursday in line with expectations, as the economic recovery reduced the need for any immediate monetary support. The world’s second-largest economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace in the first quarter, as the end of strict COVID curbs lifted businesses and…

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Rising costs force UK firms to compromise on sustainability -survey

By Farouq Suleiman and Tommy Wilkes LONDON (Reuters) – British businesses are struggling to meet their sustainability goals due to rising energy prices, costs associated with international trade barriers and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey showed on Thursday.     Almost three quarters of the more than 500 business leaders questioned said their…

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New Sudan ceasefire attempt fails with vital supplies running short

By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir KHARTOUM/CAIRO (Reuters) -A new attempt at a ceasefire in fierce fighting between Sudanese troops and paramilitary forces in Khartoum failed on Wednesday, leaving people fearful about dwindling food supplies and a breakdown in medical services. The 24-hour ceasefire – lobbied for by countries trying to evacuate their citizens after…

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Fox resolves Dominion case, but $2.7 billion Smartmatic lawsuit looms

By Jack Queen (Reuters) – Fox News on Tuesday disposed of one legal threat with its $787.5 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, but the network still faces a $2.7 billion lawsuit from another voting technology company, Smartmatic USA, over its coverage of debunked election-rigging claims. Dominion accused Fox and its parent company Fox…

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UN chief to convene meeting to work on way forward on Afghanistan

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will convene envoys on Afghanistan from various countries next month to work on a unified approach to dealing with the Taliban authorities, the United Nations said on Wednesday. The closed-door meeting in Doha on May 1-2 was announced after U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed suggested…

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Republican McCarthy unveils plan to lift US debt ceiling, cut spending

By Richard Cowan and Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday unveiled a plan to raise the nation’s debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion and cut federal spending by three times that amount, laying out an opening position in what is likely to be a tense partisan debate over government borrowing….

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