Town Hall News

By Leika Kihara TOKYO (Reuters) – Asia’s factory activity weakened in March as soft overseas demand hurt output, surveys showed on Monday, suggesting that a deteriorating global outlook will remain a drag on the region’s recovery and keep policymakers on their toes. Export-reliant Japan and South Korea both saw manufacturing activity contract in March while growth in China stalled, highlighting the challenge facing Asia as authorities try to keep inflation […]

By Wayne Cole SYDNEY (Reuters) – Oil prices surged on Monday after Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ producers announced a surprise round of output cuts, a potentially ominous sign for global inflation just days after a slowdown in U.S. price data had boosted market optimism. Brent oil futures jumped $3.94 to $83.83 a barrel on news output would be cut by around 1.16 million barrels per day. U.S. crude climbed […]

(Reuters) – The number of people wounded in the bomb blast that killed a prominent Russian military blogger in St Petersburg on Sunday has risen to 32 from 25 reported earlier, Russia’s RIA sate news agency reported. Citing the ministry of health, RIA reported on Monday that 10 of the people were in a serious condition. Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in a St Petersburg cafe in what appeared to be […]

(Reuters) – The number of people wounded in the bomb blast that killed a prominent Russian military blogger in St Petersburg on Sunday has risen to 32 from 25 reported earlier, Russia’s RIA sate news agency reported. Citing the ministry of health, RIA reported on Monday that 10 of the people were in a serious condition. Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in a St Petersburg cafe in what appeared to be […]

(Reuters) – The number of people wounded in the bomb blast that killed a prominent Russian military blogger in St Petersburg on Sunday has risen to 32 from 25 reported earlier 25, Russia’s RIA sate news agency reported. Citing the ministry of health, RIA reported on Monday that 10 of the people were in a serious condition. Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in a St Petersburg cafe in what appeared to […]

(Reuters) – The death toll from a violent storm that whipped up tornadoes in the southern and midwestern regions of the United States rose to at least 32 over the weekend, according to officials and media reports. In Memphis, Tennessee, two children and an adult were found dead on Saturday after the storm’s heavy winds knocked trees onto several houses, according to the Memphis Police Department. In Tennessee’s McNairy County, […]

By Ira Dugal and Ankur Banerjee MUMBAI (Reuters) – Mumbai resident Shivam Vahia cannot remember the last time he left home to shop. He spends about 30,000 rupees ($364) a month buying necessities like groceries, clothes and gadgets, all by tapping a few buttons on his mobile phone. “My only offline spends are bars and restaurants, when I go to meet friends,” said the 24-year-old engineering graduate. Vahia is one […]

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s sprawling manufacturing sector, accounting for a third of the world’s second-largest economy by value, lost momentum in March as weak export orders outweighed a jump in activity driven by a recent exit from restrictive COVID-19 policies. The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 50.0 in March. That followed February’s reading of 51.6, which indicated the first monthly activity expansion in seven months. The […]

By Florence Tan and Mohi Narayan (Reuters) – Oil prices surged on Monday, jolted by a surprise announcement by OPEC+ to cut production further in what top producer Saudi Arabia called a precautionary measure to support market stability. Brent crude traded at $84.26 a barrel by 0347 GMT, up $4.37, or 5.5% after touching the highest in a month at $86.44 earlier in the session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude […]