ECONOMY & MARKETS

British finance minister Rishi Sunak cut fuel duty and softened some of a looming payroll tax increase on Wednesday as he sought to alleviate a severe cost-of-living squeeze against the backdrop of slowing economic growth.

Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Loretta Mester on Tuesday said she would like to raise interest rates to about 2.5% by year end, with bigger rate hikes in the first half, and further tightening next year to bring down high inflation and keep it from getting entrenched.

Top trade officials from the United States and Britain will meet in Scotland in April after two days of talks in the U.S.

British government bond issuance will fall closer towards pre-pandemic norms in the coming financial year, when the market's biggest buyer over the last decade - the Bank of England - will move to the sidelines, according to a Reuters poll of primary dealers.

Western countries are refusing to engage with Russia at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva in a coordinated move that has already led to negotiations seizing up across a number of sectors, trade sources told Reuters.

Ukraine's spring crop sowing area may more than halve this year from 2021 levels to some 7 million hectares, its Agriculture Minister Roman Leshchenko said on Tuesday, versus 15 million hectares expected before the Russian invasion.

Federal Reserve officials are helping shape market expectations for sharper interest-rate hikes to curb the surge in inflation, but have not managed to dispel fears the tightening cycle could blow a hole in the economy and labor market.

Federal Reserve officials are helping shape market expectations for sharper interest-rate hikes to curb the surge in inflation, but have not managed to dispel fears the tightening cycle could blow a hole in the economy and labor market.

Red-hot inflation has Canadians opening their wallets wider at the grocery store and gas pump, but that's not stopping them from also spending on travel, new cars and home improvements as pent-up demand outweighs cost pressures, at least for now.

U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo will travel to Europe next week to coordinate sanctions with allies over Russia's assault on Ukraine and discuss next steps with partners, including targeting critical sectors of the Russian economy, a Treasury Department spokesperson told Reuters.

Brazil's recently announced tax cut for ethanol, sugar and soy oil imports should have little impact on trade deals in the short term and was driven more by politics than business, analysts said on Tuesday.

Global economic growth this year will manage to stay in positive territory despite the war in Ukraine, but a number of countries with already weak economies may be tipped into recession, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Tuesday.

Peru's embattled state-owned oil firm Petroperu will not submit its annual financial audit before the end of July, new Chief Executive Francisco de la Torre told Reuters on Tuesday, meaning it will miss a key May deadline to present the document.

Former President Donald Trump's Save America group has quickly become one of the top Republican fundraising organizations ahead of the Nov. 8 congressional elections.

The European Union raised over 12 billion euros ($13.24 billion) in a debt sale on Tuesday, as investors wait to see if the bloc will unveil a new joint borrowing plan to tackle member states' funding needs following the invasion of Ukraine.

The National Bank of Hungary raised its base rate by 100 basis points to 4.4% on Tuesday, the biggest hike in the rate since 2008, saying rising energy costs and the war in Ukraine had fuelled inflation risks.

Italy is looking to install two floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) to boost liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports as part of plans to cut reliance on Russian gas, three sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Italy is looking to install two floating storage and regasification units (FSRU) to boost liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports as part of plans to cut reliance on Russian gas, Italy's energy transition minister said on Tuesday.

The European Union will discuss in a few weeks whether it needs to jointly borrow more money in response to the challenges created by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said on Tuesday.

A growing number of European countries are cutting fuel taxes to lower surging pump petrol prices.

The United States and Britain ended a four-year dispute over U.S.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday, led by a sharp gain in the Nasdaq, as technology and shares of other big growth names rebounded from recent losses and Nike rose after it reported upbeat results.

The Nasdaq led Wall Street's main indexes higher on Tuesday as investors bought the dip in technology stocks, while briefly taking in their stride a more aggressive tone by the Federal Reserve to raise the cost of borrowing to tame inflation.

U.S. stocks were higher in afternoon trading on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 both up at least 1%, as technology and shares of other big growth names rebounded from recent losses and Nike rose after it reported upbeat results.

Energy and commodity markets are in shock after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the world's top trading firms said on Tuesday, warning of gas and diesel shortages in Europe and economic recession if Russian flows fall further.

A jump in the price of oil and a yawning gap between yields at home and those of U.S.

Japan stands ready to take further stimulus steps as economic and financial market uncertainty emerges over the Ukraine crisis, policymakers said on Tuesday, as parliament approved a record $900 billion state budget for the next fiscal year.

Gold prices fell over 1% on Tuesday after the U.S.

Gold prices held steady on Tuesday as U.S. Treasury yields hit multi-year highs following an aggressive inflation stance by the Federal Reserve chairman, while an intensifying conflict between Russia and Ukraine supported bids for the safe-haven metal.