By Balazs Koranyi and Bart H. Meijer FRANKFURT/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The European Central Bank ended a long-running stimulus scheme on Thursday and said it would deliver next month its first interest rate hike since 2011, followed by a potentially larg…
Schumer expresses optimism on gun legislation talks, pledges quick action
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday that talks aimed at reaching agreement on bipartisan gun legislation are making good progress and pledged quick Senate action if a deal is reached. (Reporting by David Mo…
U.S. weekly jobless near five-month high; labor market still very tight
By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased to the highest level in nearly five months last week, but that likely does not mark a material shift in labor market conditions, whic…
Golf-PGA Tour suspends players who joined LIV Golf circuit
By Frank Pingue (Reuters) – The PGA Tour has suspended all current and future players who have decided to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series that began on Thursday. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan sent a letter to members that said th…
Pandemic’s origins obscured by lack of Chinese data – WHO panel
By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization said on Thursday its latest investigation into the origins of COVID-19 was inconclusive, largely because data from China is missing, another blow to its years-long effort to determine h…
How a battery shortage is hampering the U.S. switch to wind, solar power
By Nichola Groom (Reuters) – U.S. renewable energy developers have delayed or scrapped several big battery projects meant to store electrical power on the grid in recent months, scuttling plans to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar energy. At lea…
Exclusive-Beijing gives initial nod to revive Ant IPO after crackdown cools-sources
By Julie Zhu HONG KONG (Reuters) – China’s central leadership has given billionaire Jack Ma’s Ant Group a tentative green light to revive its initial public offering (IPO), two sources with knowledge of the matter said, in the clearest sign yet Beijing…
Top U.S. official meets Philippines’ Marcos to boost “longstanding alliance”
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President-elect Ferdinand Marcos met with a top U.S. official in Manila on Thursday, underscoring efforts to preserve an alliance strained by incumbent leader Rodrigo Duterte’s animosity toward Washington and his embrace o…
German investigators question driver after ‘dark day’ for Berlin
By Riham Alkousaa BAD AROLSEN, Germany (Reuters) -German investigators are trying to make sense of “confused” statements from a 29-year-old man who rammed his car into a group of schoolchildren and killed a teacher in Berlin, the city’s mayor, Franzisk…
European labour strife, staff shortages disrupt summer travel
By Allison Lampert and Inti Landauro (Reuters) -Labour strife in Europe is driving expectations of more travel headaches during the busy summer season, with airports and airlines clamouring to find more workers, minimize cancelled flights and reduce de…