Economic News

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Heavy gunfire has been heard south of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, witnesses told Reuters, following days of tension between the army and a powerful paramilitary group that has sparked warnings of a confrontation.

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -The start of the annual Grand National horse race was briefly delayed on Saturday after a large group of animal rights protesters forced their way into the Aintree grounds to disrupt one of the highest-profile sporting events in Britain.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces shared a video on Saturday that they said showed Egyptian troops who had “surrendered” to them in Merowe, northern Sudan.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Banks in the Middle East and Central Asia have very limited exposure to last month’s banking turmoil in the United States and Europe, but financial pressures are adding to strains caused by high interest rates, volatile oil prices and years of double-digit inflation,

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Belarusian furniture company Swed House, which sells items intended to look like those made by Swedish giant IKEA, opened its first store in Moscow on Saturday to a mixed initial reaction from consumers.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Argentina is considering how to persuade the International Monetary Fund to further ease the economic targets embedded in the country’s $44 billion IMF loan program, a source said, as a severe drought hits exports and threatens to push the economy into recession.

By Jorgelina do Rosario and Rodrigo Campos

By Leika Kihara WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Bank of Japan may have scope to tweak its bond yield target this year on growing prospects the country will see a durable rise in wages, a senior International Monetary Fund official said on Saturday.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel’s government on Saturday rebuffed an outlook downgrade on the country from credit ratings agency Moody’s, while tens of thousands of Israelis returned to the streets to protest against a planned overhaul of the country’s judiciary.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s Navy and the United States are searching for three American sailors who were last seen on April 4 in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Fighters of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group have captured two more areas of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

By Andrea Shalal and Jorgelina do Rosario

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Thousands of Palestinian Christians and pilgrims from around the world filled Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday to celebrate the Orthodox Holy Light ceremony, under a heavy Israeli police presence that has drawn anger from churches.

(Reuters) – Ducati’s reigning MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia smashed the circuit lap record to take pole position for the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Saturday.

QUITO (Reuters) – At least 12 inmates were killed in an Ecuadorian jail amid a new clash between gangs, the SNAI prison agency said on Saturday, in the latest chapter in the South American nation’s prison violence.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said banks are likely to tighten lending further in the wake of recent bank failures, possibly negating the need for further Federal Reserve rate hikes, according to a CNN interview transcript released on Saturday.

By Chiara Elisei LONDON (Reuters) – Some holders of bonds issued by French food retailer Casino are working with financial adviser Perella Weinberg Partners to push for better terms should the company’s planned tie-up with smaller food firm Teract proceed, three sources familiar with the matter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by the U.S. in February carried solar panels that could generate enough electricity to power a type of radar that can generate images at night and through clouds, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing

By Jorgelina do Rosario and Rodrigo Campos

KYIV (Reuters) – At least five people were killed and 15 wounded on Friday by a Russian missile strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, the regional governor said.