Spain, Morocco seek reset of testy relationship at Rabat summit

Spain, Morocco hold first summit in eight years Relations long strained by illegal migration issue Expected to sign up to 20 accords on trade, investment RABAT, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Spain and Morocco have agreed to set aside their differences, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday, as they seek to repair a relationship … Read more

US weekly jobless claims drop to nine-month low; productivity gains speed

Weekly jobless claims drop 3,000 to 183,000 Continuing claims decrease 11,000 to 1.655 million Productivity accelerates at a 3.0% rate in the fourth quarter Unit labor costs grow at 1.1% pace WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to a nine-month low last week as the … Read more

US and allies mark anniversary of Myanmar coup with more sanctions

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) – The United States and its allies imposed further sanctions on Myanmar on Tuesday, marking the two-year anniversary of a military coup with curbs on energy officials and junta members, among others. Washington imposed sanctions on the Union Election Commission, mining enterprises and energy officials, among others, according to a Treasury … Read more

Three years on, Britain still waits for Brexit dividend

UK lags behind peers for growth, investment and trade Many economists say Brexit contributes to underperformance Polls show Britons increasingly regret leaving the EU Pro-Brexit economist Lyons: UK problems have long roots LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuters) – Three years after its departure from the European Union, Britain is yet to benefit from the Brexit dividend … Read more

Strong US economic growth expected in fourth quarter, outlook darkening

Fourth-quarter GDP forecast to increase at a 2.6% rate Strong consumer spending seen; other sectors to contribute Weekly jobless claims expected to rise moderately WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) – The US economy likely maintained a strong pace of growth in the fourth quarter as consumers boosted spending on goods, but momentum appears to have slowed … Read more

Explainer: Why is Turkey blocking Swedish and Finnish NATO membership?

STOCKHOLM, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Swedish and Finnish hopes of quickly joining NATO have run into an obstacle in the form of objections by Turkey, which holds veto powers over accession to the military alliance. The three nations reached an agreement on how to proceed in Madrid last June, but Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has … Read more

China offers Sri Lanka debt moratorium, IMF help still in doubt

China offers debt service relief in 2022, 2023 Sri Lanka sources unclear if China letter will be enough for IMF Broad agreement between IMF, China on Zambia could provide clues NEW DELHI/COLOMBO, Jan 24 (Reuters) – The Export-Import Bank of China has offered Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on its debt and said it would … Read more

US home sales slump to 12-year low; glimmers of hope emerging

Existing home sales drop 1.5% in December Sales fall 17.8% in 2022, sharpest annual decline since 2008 Median house price rises 2.3% from last year WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) – US existing home sales plunged to a 12-year low in December, but declining mortgage rates raised cautious optimism that the embattled housing market could be … Read more

French strike nationwide to say ‘no’ to Macron’s pension reform

Government wants to raise retirement age by two years to 64 Railways, schools and refineries among those hit by strike Macron’s reformist credentials at stake in dispute Polls show widespread opposition to pension reform NICE/TOURS, Jan 19 (Reuters) – French workers went on strike and joined marches across the country on Thursday, halting trains and … Read more

Fed policymakers call for further rate hikes to beat inflation

Jan 18 (Reuters) – Federal Reserve policymakers on Wednesday signaled they will push on with more interest rate hikes, with several supporting a top policy rate of at least 5% even as inflation shows signs of having peaked and economic activity is slowing. “I just think we need to keep going, and we’ll discuss at … Read more