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…
ECB’s Nagel encouraged but warns against ‘over-optimism’ on inflation target
BERLIN – ECB policymaker Joachim Nagel said on Friday he was encouraged by recent data on inflation in a number of euro zone economies but warned against over-optimism as the European Central Bank works to bring inflation down further to…
New Zealand consumer confidence dips in March, survey shows
SYDNEY – Consumer confidence in New Zealand dipped in March, with declines seen across nearly all sectors as consumers remained cautious on spending, ANZ-Roy Morgan data showed on Friday. “The economy is improving under the hood, but we’re at the…
Fed’s Collins says it is clear tariffs will drive inflation up near term
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins said on Thursday that Trump administration tariffs will drive up U.S. inflation but it is unclear how persistent that upward pressure will be. “It looks inevitable that tariffs are going to increase…
RBA to hold rates steady in April, but cut again in May
BENGALURU – The Reserve Bank of Australia will keep its cash rate unchanged on Tuesday as it waits for concrete signs of easing inflation, according to a Reuters poll of economists, who mostly still expect two rate cuts this year…
US Democrats raise regulatory concerns over Trump family crypto venture, WSJ reports
Five Democratic senators, led by Elizabeth Warren, sought answers regarding World Liberty Financial, a crypto project backed by President Donald Trump and family, and its newly announced plans to issue a stablecoin, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing…
South Korea exports to rise for second month on chip boost; tariff risks loom: Reuters poll
SEOUL – South Korea’s exports likely rose in March for a second straight month on a growth in chip sales, a Reuters poll found on Friday, but economists warned of weakening momentum due to U.S. tariffs. Outbound shipments from Asia’s…
RBI to cut rates again on April 9, then just once more in August
BENGALURU-The Reserve Bank of India will cut interest rates at a second straight meeting on April 9, with just one more cut expected in August, which would mark the shortest easing cycle on record, a Reuters poll of economists found….
US to provide short-term funding for program tracking abducted Ukrainian children
WASHINGTON -The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that short-term funding was being given to an initiative documenting abducted Ukrainian children, after Republican President Donald Trump’s administration decided to pause the program on January 25. The U.S. government-funded initiative led…
Core inflation in Japan’s capital accelerates, stays above BOJ target
TOKYO -Core consumer inflation in Japan’s capital stayed above the central bank’s target and accelerated in March on steady gains in food costs, data showed on Friday, keeping alive market expectations of a near-term interest rate hike. Service-sector inflation also…
US Senator Sanders to force Senate votes on blocking arms for Israel
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders said on Thursday he would force votes next week on resolutions that would block $8.8 billion in arms sales to Israel, citing the human rights crisis faced by Palestinians in Gaza after Israel’s bombardment…
US investigates Stanford, University of California schools over affirmative action
The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday launched investigations into Stanford University and three University of California schools to ensure they comply with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down race-conscious admissions. The 2023 ruling effectively prohibited affirmative action…
BOJ board at loggerheads over inflation, US tariff risks, March summary shows
TOKYO -Bank of Japan policymakers were at loggerheads this month over how soon they should raise interest rates again as some focused on domestic inflationary pressure and others on uncertainty over U.S. tariff policy, a summary of opinions at its…
US Attorney General Bondi tells Fox News many judges need to be removed
WASHINGTON -U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that many of the judges who have recently ruled against the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration were unable to be impartial and needed to be removed. “Many judges need…