Economic News

By Ankur Banerjee SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The dollar was on the back foot on Thursday after cooler-than-anticipated U.S. inflation data lifted risk sentiment and stoked expectations that the Federal Reserve will be done with its monetary tightening after hiking one last time next month.

(Reuters) – After central banks across Latin America and the Caribbean raised rates to battle inflation, the International Monetary Fund is now pointing at less spending from governments to help slow down price pressures – while reminding the region’s rich to pay more taxes.

By Mike Scarcella (Reuters) – Food and drug retailer Kroger Co on Wednesday asked a U.S. judge to dismiss as “speculative” a consumer antitrust lawsuit alleging the company’s proposed $24.6 billion acquisition of rival Albertsons Companies Inc would lessen grocer competition and drive up prices.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate Labor committee will hold an April 20 confirmation hearing on U.S. Labor Secretary nominee Julie Su, panel chairman Senator Bernie Sanders said in a statement.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The leak of classified information was a “deliberate, criminal act,” the Pentagon said on Thursday.

NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cyprus is investigating how a number of its nationals ended up on U.S. and British sanctions lists for allegedly cooperating with sanctioned Russians, a spokesman said on Thursday.

By Angelo Amante, Giuseppe Fonte and Gavin Jones

By Ingrid Melander PARIS (Reuters) – French unions have called on workers to walk off the job and join protest rallies on Thursday for a twelfth nationwide day of protests against a bill that will make the French work longer.

RABAT (Reuters) – The Moroccan government said on Thursday it adopted a decree cancelling the value-added tax on agricultural inputs to help lower prices of fresh produce and other agrifoods.

By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Google will likely argue Thursday that the U.S. Justice Department’s allegations that it broke antitrust law to build and maintain its dominance of search are flawed and that its lawsuit should be thrown out, according to court filings.

(Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co has cut dozens of base metals clients and slashed bankers’ bonuses after last year’s nickel crisis, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

By Michael S. Derby (Reuters) – Ongoing stress in the New York City commercial real estate sector is still creating economic headwinds for the region as it nears a complete recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s unclear when or if the sector will return to

(Reuters) – BNP Paribas said on Thursday it has appointed José Placido as chief executive officer of its U.S. operations, effective April 1.

CAIRO (Reuters) – A travel ban on Lebanon’s central bank governor Riad Salameh was lifted on Thursday, public prosecutor Ghada Aoun told Reuters, in a move aimed at paving the way for him to attend a hearing in Paris related to a cross-border graft probe.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Ankara and Cairo will cooperate more closely regarding Libya, where they back opposing sides, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, marking another step in the rapprochement between the two regional powers.

LONDON (Reuters) – British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday there was no room for complacency in tackling low growth and high inflation after data showed the economy stagnated in February, hurt by strikes among public workers.

By Lizbeth Diaz MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The fire that led to the deaths of 40 people in a migrant detention center in northern Mexico marks a “good moment” to consider alternatives to depriving migrants of their freedom, a senior Red Cross regional officer said.

(Reuters) – Wells Fargo has named Saul Van Beurden as the chief executive officer of its consumer and small business banking (CSBB) unit, effective May 15, it said in a statement on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The leader of an online group where secret U.S. government documents were leaked is an Air National Guardsman, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing interviews and documents it reviewed.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s foreign ministry on Thursday announced sanctions against Michael McCaul, chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, for “interfering” in the country’s domestic affairs and for visiting Taiwan.