WASHINGTON, June 18 Reuters U.S. retail sales increased less than expected in May as lower prices for gasoline weighed on receipts at service stations. Retail sales rose 0.1 last month after a downwardly revised 0.2 drop in April, the Commerce Department39;s Census Bureau said on Tuesday. Retail sales were previously reported to have been unchanged […]

LONDON, June 18 Reuters A consortium of NATO allies has confirmed the first tranche of companies awarded funding as part of the groups one billion euro 1.1 billion innovation fund. The alliance unveiled the fund in the summer of 2022, months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, promising to invest in technologies that would enhance its […]

SEOUL, June 18 Reuters South Korea39;s central bank governor said on Tuesday the pace of consumer inflation is likely to continue to slow, feeding expectations the Bank of Korea will start cutting interest rates towards the end of this year. Considering the recent slowdown in international oil and agricultural product prices, future prices are expected […]

SYDNEY, June 18 Reuters Australia39;s central bank held interest rates steady on Tuesday as expected but warned there were still reasons to be vigilant against inflation risks, leading markets to pare back the chance of a rate cut this year. Wrapping up its June policy meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia RBA kept rates at […]

Beijing, Shanghai home sales pick up after May 17research firm Smaller cities struggle to revive demand agents Excess supply, fears of undelivered projects keep buyers away More support likely, but recovery to be LshapedGoldman Sachs BEIJINGHONG KONG, June 18 Reuters China39;s latest property support measures have boosted transactions in its biggest cities, but activity in […]

LONDON, June 18 Reuters Supporters for more consolidation in the euro zone39;s banking sector have been watching Spanish lender BBVA39;s hostile bid for Sabadell, alongside comments from some supervisors and lawmakers supporting the idea of more tieups. Regulators are keen for more consolidation both within and across countries because they believe fewer, stronger lenders will boost the […]

MUMBAI, June 18 Reuters India is expected to grow by 7.2 in the current fiscal year, stronger than earlier expected, with its central bank opting for just a onequarterpoint rate cut in that period, Fitch Ratings said in its quarterly Global Economic Outlook GEO report published on Tuesday. The ratings agency has also raised its […]

June 18 Reuters The global commercial shipping industry could cut down its carbon emissions by 47 million tonnes per year by deploying artificial intelligence for sea navigation, a study by autonomous shipping startup Orca AI showed on Tuesday. The use of the technology could reduce the need for maneuvers and route deviation from close encounters […]

FRANKFURT, June 18 Reuters Building permits for apartments in Germany fell 17 in April from a year earlier, government data showed on Tuesday, underscoring a continued downturn in demand in the construction and real estate industry. Germany has been jolted by the most severe slump in the property sector in decades. Some 17,600 permits were issued, which […]

BERLIN, June 18 Reuters The recovery in German investor morale tapered off in June, the ZEW economic research institute said on Tuesday, reporting a modest rise in its economic sentiment index that fell short of forecasts. The economic sentiment index rose to 47.5 points from 47.1 points in May. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast […]