By Philip Blenkinsop and Kate Abnett BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union country leaders may support plans to launch a new gas price benchmark at a meeting next week, as they seek to curb energy prices for consumers and industries, a draft document sho…
U.S. envoy hopes Total, ENI will prepare for gas exploration in Lebanese waters ‘within weeks’
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The U.S. envoy who negotiated a maritime border agreement between longtime foes Israel and Lebanon said he hoped a consortium of companies could begin work in Lebanese waters “within weeks.” Amos Hochstein said he hoped TotalEnergies…
TotalEnergies offers fresh talks to unions to end strikes
By Tassilo Hummel and Pascal Rossignol DUNKIRK, France (Reuters) – French energy major TotalEnergies on Thursday started talks with trade unions to break a deadlock over a third week of strikes in refineries and fuel depots which have sapped the countr…
Stellantis cutting shift at Michigan plant because of chip shortage
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Chrysler-parent Stellantis NV said on Thursday it is cutting one of three shifts at its Warren, Michigan Truck Assembly Plant because of the global semiconductor chips shortage. Stellantis has about 5,500 workers at the plant tha…
IMF head admonishes UK officials over coherence of fiscal, monetary policies
By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday rebuked Britain over its planned tax cuts, telling its finance minister and central bank chief that their policies should not be contra…
Iraq names new president, paving way for new government
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s parliament on Thursday elected Kurdish politician Abdul Latif Rashid as president, according to two lawmakers, paving the way for the formation of a new government and ending a year of deadlock. Rashid, 78, is a British-educa…
Saudi Arabia, United States clash over reason for OPEC+ oil cut
By Ahmad Elhamy and Moaz Abd-Alaziz CAIRO (Reuters) -Saudi Arabia rejected as “not based on facts” criticism of an OPEC+ decision last week to cut its oil production target despite U.S. objections, and said on Thursday that Washington’s request to dela…
North Korea launches missile into sea after flying warplanes near border -Seoul
By Josh Smith and David Brunnstrom SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast on Friday, South Korea’s military said, the latest in a series of launches by the nuclear-armed country. Earlier, Sout…
Britain says alcohol trade barriers removed in some export markets
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain on Thursday said it had negotiated to reduce or remove tariffs on exports of alcohol to several markets around the world, as it eyes a free trade deal with India, one of its biggest whisky markets. Britain is seeking to negot…
BoE’s repo facility to ease pension pain is no silver bullet, sources say
By Sinead Cruise and Tommy Wilkes LONDON (Reuters) – A Bank of England fix to ease pension schemes’ cash crunch by getting banks to assume the role of rescue lender is being shunned by some of the biggest banks, who say the returns on offer do not rewa…