IBT Staff Reporter

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to help the Western Balkans to reinvigorate their long-stalled campaign for European Union membership, a move aimed at easing regional tensions and fending off the influence of rival powers such as Russia.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vuvic appeared to rebuff pressure from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday for Serbia to join European Union sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, saying he did not believe sanctions to be "efficient".

Japanese imports likely jumped in May at the fastest pace in six months, buoyed by surging raw material prices and the yen's decline to two-decade lows, a Reuters poll showed on Friday.

Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in intense street fighting and under day and night shelling in Sievierodonetsk, officials said, as Russia pushes to control the bombed-out city, key to its objective of controlling eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in intense street fighting and under day and night shelling in Sievierodonetsk, officials said, as Russia pushes to control the bombed-out city, key to its objective of controlling eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials pleaded for more help from the West on Friday, including quicker deliveries of artillery and battlefield rocket systems, to hold off Russian forces at a critical time in the battle in the east.

Ukrainian officials pleaded for more help from the West on Friday, including quicker deliveries of weapons to hold off better armed Russian forces at a critical time in the battle in the east.

Ukraine sought more help from the West on Friday, pleading for faster deliveries of weapons to hold off better-armed Russian forces and for humanitarian support to combat the march of deadly diseases.

Ukraine pleaded to Western countries for faster deliveries of weapons as better-armed Russian forces pounded the east of the country, and for humanitarian support to combat growing outbreaks of deadly diseases.

Russian shelling of the Azot chemical plant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk ignited a big fire on Saturday after a leak of tonnes of oil, the regional governor said, as the battle for the city raged on.

Ukraine remains in control of the Azot chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk where hundreds of civilians are sheltering amid bitter fighting, the region's governor said on Saturday, after a Russia-backed separatist claimed 300 to 400 Ukrainian fighters were also trapped there.

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India's retail inflation likely slipped modestly in May, but stayed well above the Reserve Bank of India's upper tolerance limit for a fifth consecutive month, as lower fuel prices offset surging food costs, a Reuters poll found.

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Asian shares tracked a global equities sell-off on Friday as rate hike guidance from the European Central Bank and jitters over upcoming U.S.

World stocks hit a two-week low on Friday as rate hike guidance from the European Central Bank and jitters over upcoming U.S.

Global equity markets slumped and the dollar strengthened on Friday after a bigger-than-expected U.S.

Oil prices fell on Friday but still hovered near three-month highs, with fears over new COVID-19 lockdown measures in Shanghai outweighing solid demand for fuels in the world's top consumer United States.

Oil prices slipped on Friday but remained within touching distance of three-month highs as fears over new COVID-19 lockdown measures in Shanghai outweighed solid demand for fuels in the United States, the world's top consumer.

Oil prices slipped on Friday but remained within touching distance of three-month highs as fears over new COVID-19 lockdown measures in Shanghai outweighed solid demand for fuels in the United States, the world's top consumer.

The torrid pace of U.S. inflation may have eased slightly in May, but prices have remained high to the detriment of Americans' wallets, sending President Joe Biden and the Federal Reserve racing to help.

The dollar was at a two-week high on the euro on Friday, ahead of inflation data that should guide the Federal Reserve's policy tightening path, and after the European Central Bank said it would start its rate-hike campaign next month.

The dollar edged off a two-week high on the euro on Friday, ahead of inflation data that should guide the Federal Reserve's policy tightening path, and after the European Central Bank said it would start its rate-hike campaign next month.

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki on Friday refrained from commenting on the possibility of government intervention in the foreign exchange market to stem a weak yen, while maintaining his warning against any rapid fluctuations.

Brazil and the United States should forge closer ties after the two countries drifted apart for ideological reasons, Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday at a first official meeting with his U.S.

The U.S. Federal Reserve will hike its key interest rate by 50 basis points in June and July, with rising chances of a similar move in September, according to a Reuters poll of economists who see no pause in rate rises until next year.

Production at Hyundai Motor Co's biggest factory complex halved on Thursday due to component shortages triggered by South Korea's truckers' strike, a union official at the automaker said on Friday.