Venezuela’s PDVSA to cut office hours as power crisis worsens
Venezuelan state-run oil firm PDVSA will cut office hours for its administrative workers, an internal document seen by Reuters showed, following an energy-saving order by the government amid a worsening power crisis. The administration of President Nicolas Maduro announced on…
European shares hits a weekly decline as tariff worries persist
European shares slid on Friday as fresh U.S. data amplified worries about higher inflation, ending a week where new tariff announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump kept investors away from risky assets. The pan-European STOXX 600 index ended 0.7% lower…
What to know about Australia’s upcoming election
SYDNEY – Australia will hold a general election on May 3, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Friday. Opinion polls indicate it will be a neck-and-neck race between Albanese’s ruling centre-left Labor party and the conservative Liberal-National coalition led by…
Brazil’s top court tosses out probe into Bolsonaro’s vaccine records
BRASILIA – Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Friday tossed out a probe into whether former President Jair Bolsonaro forged vaccine records, a court decision seen by Reuters showed. Moraes’ ruling came after Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet earlier…
Trump Organization eyes multi-billion-dollar projects in Vietnam amid tariff risks
HANOI – The Trump Organization and its partner in Vietnam are working on multiple investments worth billions of dollars in golf courses, hotels and real estate projects in the Southeast Asian country, a spokesman for the consortium told Reuters. The…
Australia pours billions into missile procurement amidst global shortages
Australia -The Ukraine war and increased European defence spending are likely to slow Australia’s plans to develop its own missile components’ capability as it pushes ahead with a multibillion-dollar effort to acquire long-range strike missiles. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged…
China, France to hold high-level strategic and economic dialogues this year
BEIJING -China and France will hold three high-level dialogues on strategic, economic, financial and cultural issues this year, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after meeting with his French counterpart in Beijing on Thursday. In a meeting Wang described as “constructive”…
University of Michigan shuts DEI office, citing Trump orders and funding warning
WASHINGTON – The University of Michigan – long seen as a bastion of diversity, equity and inclusion programs – said on Thursday it was closing its DEI office, citing executive orders from President Donald Trump and a warning from the…
Rubio voices US concerns to Turkey after arrest of Istanbul mayor
MIAMI – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he expressed concern to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan over protests and detentions in Turkey following the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul. Sunday’s arrest of President…
US says it is ‘not surprised’ that China would be upset at Panama ports deal
WASHINGTON – The U.S. State Department said on Friday it was “not surprised” that China would be upset by Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison’s (0001.HK) deal to sell its two port operations near the Panama Canal to a BlackRock-led group,…
Somalia offers US exclusive control of air bases, ports
NAIROBI – Somalia is prepared to offer the United States exclusive control of strategic air bases and ports, its president said in a letter to President Donald Trump seen by Reuters on Friday. In the March 16 letter, authenticated by…
Factbox-Hot or not? How recent high-profile US IPOs have performed
The U.S. IPO market stands at a critical juncture, with CoreWeave’s debut set to be a key test of whether companies move forward with listings or retreat amid market volatility. Hopes for a blockbuster rebound in 2025 have dimmed, as…
Analysis-Deal slump hits US high-grade bond supply, pressures spreads
NEW YORK – The pipeline for U.S. high-grade corporate bond issuance to fund mergers has fallen to the lowest levels in five years as President Donald Trump’s trade war deters deals, in what could be a boon for borrowers but…
Months after first incursion, Ukrainian troops fighting in second Russian region
Just as Ukrainian forces are losing their grip on the pocket of Russia’s Kursk region they captured last year, they have staged a little-publicised incursion into the adjacent Belgorod region, according to Russian military bloggers. Several Russian military correspondents said…
US judge blocks Trump administration from fast-tracking deportations
BOSTON -A federal judge on Friday blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from deporting migrants to countries with which they had no relationship without giving them a chance to raise claims that they would face persecution or torture if sent…
Zelenskiy cautious on new minerals deal but says past U.S. aid was not a loan
KYIV -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine would not accept any mineral rights deal that threatened its integration with the EU but said it was too early to pass judgment on a dramatically expanded minerals deal proposed by Washington. The Ukrainian…
After quake, Thailand’s capital grinds to a halt amid fear and chaos
BANGKOK – Bangkok ground to a halt on Friday after a strong earthquake shook the clogged Thai capital, causing chaos and triggering city-wide evacuations that left many thousands of people stranded for much of the day. All urban rail systems…
US needs Greenland for international security, says Trump
WASHINGTON – The United States needs Greenland for international security peace, President Donald Trump said on Friday, adding that there were Chinese and Russian ships in the area that Washington could not leave to Denmark or anyone else to “take…
Nippon, U.S. Steel offer increased investment to Trump officials to close deal, Semafor reports
Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel are in active talks about a deal that would preserve their $14 billion merger and secure billions more in investments from the Japanese steelmaker into Rust Belt facilities, Semafor reported on Thursday. In recent meetings…
Canada budget deficit over first ten months of 2024/25 increases to C$26.85 billion
OTTAWA, March 28 – Canada recorded a marginally higher C$26.85 billion ($18.77 billion) budget deficit for the first ten months of the 2024/25 fiscal year as government expenditures grew slightly faster than revenues, the finance ministry said on Friday. By…