DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 5 Dead After Inhaling Hazardous Gas at a Water Plant in Sicily
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | More About Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Five workers died on Monday afternoon while working in a sewer connected to a water treatment plant in the town of Casteldaccia near Palermo, Sicily, according to firefighters who recovered the bodies. A sixth worker was seriously injured and in intensive care, local officials said. Girolamo Bentivoglio, chief of firefighters in Palermo, said the workers had breathed in hydrogen sulfide, a gas often present at waste treatment plants that is toxic in high concentrations. The accident raised a new round of outrage over the incidence of workplace deaths in Italy. In April, seven workers were killed in an explosion in a hydroelectric plant near Bologna, while five died in Florence during the construction of a supermarket in February.

Persons: Girolamo Bentivoglio, Mr, Bentivoglio Organizations: Eurostat, European Union Locations: Casteldaccia, Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Bologna, Florence

☆ Trump’s bombardment of dishonesty: Fact-checking 32 of his false claims to Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +43 min

We’re paying for close to 100% of NATO.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. They don’t pay their bills.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. (It rose to about $314 billion in 2020, Trump’s last full year in office.) Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Facts First: Trump’s claim that “nobody died other than Ashli” is false.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “, William Barr, Bill Barr, Barr, Bill, I’m, ”, it’s, Biden, Joe Biden, Tamar Hermann, Hermann, Bill Clinton, “ Trump, ” Trump, …, National Guard Trump, I’ve, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul —, –, Erwan, George Washington, “ don’t, they’re, Stoltenberg, Trump’s, Lagadec, Marc Lipsitch, Barack Obama, European Union won’t, Cortellessa, “ Moody’s, Moody’s, Mark Zandi, Zandi, ’ ” Zandi, Joe Biden’s, rioter Ashli Babbitt, Brian Sicknick, Sicknick, Trump’s ‘, patriotically, ‘, patriotically ’, ” Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Christopher Miller, Miller, Eric Cortellessa, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Alvin Bragg, ” Cortellessa, Hillary Clinton, —, Roe, Wade, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Crime Biden, don’t, “ Biden, he’s, James Biden, Jeff Asher, Asher, It’s, ” “, ” Asher Organizations: Washington CNN, Time, Trump, NATO, Capitol, Trump’s, Trade Center, didn’t, World Trade Center, Department, ISIS, CNN, Democratic, White House, White, South Korea Trump, Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data, Biden Administration, Congressional Research Service, Israel, Israeli Democracy Institute, National Guard, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, for Disease Control, World Bank, Washington Post, Harvard, Harvard’s, National, Trump -, of Health, Human Services, Strategic, Biden, U.S . International Trade Commission, European, Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, Bloomberg Economics, US Capitol Police, Capitol Police, “, Republican, Democratic Rep, National Guardsmen, District of Columbia National Guard, Army, Capitol Police Board, Senate, Justice Department, Pulitzer Foundation, Pulitzer, New York Times, Electoral, Democrat, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, ”, Customs, Border Protection, Crime, Manchurian, Republicans, FBI Locations: “, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Mexico, South Korea, Trump , South Korea, South, Korea, Israel, Washington, Trump , Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Trump, Minnesota, St, United States, Germany, Brussels, Belgium, Harvard University, China, EU, DC, Trump’s, ”, York, Manhattan, York’s, Russia, That’s

400,000 Men at each age 200,000 Age: 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95Can Ukraine Find New Soldiers Without Decimating a Whole Generation? Healthy men under age 30, the backbone of most militaries, are part of the smallest generation in Ukraine’s modern history. Mr. Zelensky’s decision to draft men starting at age 25 risks further diminishing this small generation of Ukrainians. But the lower draft age risks shrinking a small generation even more. And in occupied areas of the country Russia is conscripting Ukrainian men to fight against Ukraine, starting at age 18.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, birthrates, thein, —, Oleksandr Gladun, it’s, ”, Serhiy Hrabsky, Gladun, “ Organizations: Boys, United Nations, Ptukha, Social Studies, European Union, Eurostat, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, United States, Soviet Union, Russia, Europe

☆ Farmers’ protests have erupted across Europe. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

This week, the farmers’ protests struck at the heart of the European Union, when they rolled into Brussels on Thursday as leaders held a major summit on Ukraine. The EU has waived quotas and duties on Ukrainian imports in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “In Germany, it was really focused on diesel, so starting to tax diesel for tractors. France this week announced a series of measures for farmers in light of the protests. This has already been seen in Germany, when the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) involved itself in the protests and expressed solidarity with the farmers.

Persons: ”, Sebastien Bozon, Kay Nietfeld, Hugo Auge, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s, Dimitar Dilkoff, Emmanuel Mathé, “, we’re, Anger, Renaud Foucart, Sakis Mitrolidis, Stefano Guidi, Gabriel Attal, Attal, Ursula von Der Leyen, Rob Engelaar Organizations: CNN — Farmers, CNN, European Union, Toulouse, BFMTV, Getty Images Farmers, AP, Farmers, Getty, ” Farmers, EU, Lancaster University, Deal, Green, European Commission, French, Farmer, Citizen Locations: Europe, Paris, France, Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Eastern Europe, EU, Brussels, Ukraine, Zandvliet, Meer, Lyon, Vesoul, AFP, Berlin, Thessaloniki, Spanish, Hamburg, Cologne, Bremen, Nuremberg, Munich, Eastern, Bulgaria, Yvelines, French, Noisy, Seine et Marne, England, Novara, Belgium, Arendonk, Dutch

☆ More young people are dying of colorectal cancer. Three lifestyle factors could be partly to blame, scientists say.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Kim Schewitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Colorectal cancer deaths among younger people in Europe are forecast to rise by around a third in 2024.to rise by around a third in 2024. Obesity, low levels of physical activity, and alcohol might be partly to blame, scientists say. Cancer researchers from the University of Milan, Italy, predicted that colorectal cancer deaths among people aged 25 to 49 will rise significantly in the EU and the UK this year compared to 2018. AdvertisementAlthough they estimated that deaths from colorectal cancer will fall overall in 2024, this is the first year they have predicted a rise in colorectal cancer deaths among younger people. More people drinking alcohol, which has been linked to early-onset colorectal cancer, and less physical activity could also be factors, the study said.

Persons: —, Christina Annunziata, Chadwick Boseman's, Annunziata, Carlo La Vecchia, La Vecchia, Kimmie Ng Organizations: EU, Service, Cancer, University of Milan, American Cancer Society, Oncology, World Health Organization, Dana, Farber Cancer Institute, NBC Locations: Europe, Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland, France, Boston

Energy prices fell 6.3%, contributing to the drop in inflation in the 20 European Union countries that use the euro currency. Inflation has fallen steadily as the ECB rapidly raised interest rates, the typical antidote to out-of-control price increases. Inflation decreased to 3.1% in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, down from 3.8% in December and the lowest since June 2021. The decline in inflation has unleashed speculation that the European Central Bank could start cutting interest rates as early as April. And European growth could use a boost.

Persons: Christoph Swonke, ” Organizations: European Union, Energy, Union, European Central Bank, ECB, DZ Bank, Bank of England, U.S . Federal Reserve Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Europe’s, France, Europe, Iranian, Yemen, Africa, Suez, Israel, U.S

☆ Trump vs. Biden: Goldman Sachs names the global stocks to play the U.S. elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As the U.S. presidential election comes into the spotlight, Goldman Sachs has assessed the potential impact on global markets by changes in regulation, taxation, and other government policies. However, it sees U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies potentially gaining if Trump delivers on a cut to corporation taxes. On average, European companies generate 25% of sales in the U.S., but most come from U.S.-based businesses rather than exports from the EU, according to Goldman Sachs. As these companies run substantial U.S. operations and assets, Goldman also sees them as benefiting from potential U.S. corporate tax cuts under Trump. However, they flagged that Biden has mentioned increasing the rate of corporate tax, "which would have an impact on US-exposed companies."

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Donald Trump, Trump, DAX, Sharon Bell, Joe Biden, Goldman, Biden, Michael Bloom Organizations: U.S, Ukraine, Trump, Eurostat, Stocks, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Boeing, Aero, BAE Systems, Kerry Group, Goldman, Republican Locations: United States, U.S, Europe

☆ Europe narrowly avoids a recession
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Europe’s economy avoided ending 2023 in a recession by the narrowest of margins, official data showed Tuesday. In the July-to-September quarter, GDP dipped 0.1%. Europe’s economy has struggled to regain momentum following the pandemic, hamstrung by high inflation and rapid interest rate hikes to combat it. The French economy, Europe’s second-largest, stagnated in the fourth quarter but grew 0.7% over the whole of 2023. He expects the eurozone economy to “flatline” in the first half of 2024 “as the effects of past monetary tightening continue to feed through and fiscal policy becomes more restrictive.”

Persons: —, Russia’s, ‘, Christoph Weil, ”, ” “, Jack Allen, Reynolds, “ Organizations: London CNN, Gross, Eurostat, Union, EU, ’, Commerzbank, European Central Bank, Capital Economics, ECB Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Italy, Spain

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe’s economy failed to expand at the end of 2023, with the stagnation now lasting for more than a year amid higher energy prices, costlier credit and lagging growth in powerhouse Germany. Zero economic growth for the October-to-December period of last year follows a 0.1% contraction in the three months before that, according to figures released Tuesday by EU statistics agency Eurostat. That extends a miserable run of economic blahs: The 20 countries that use the euro currency have not shown significant growth since the third quarter of 2022, when the economy grew 0.5%. With higher shipping costs and delays to products from clothes to keyboard components, concerns are growing of new consumer price spikes if the conflict in Gaza drags on or escalates. The trade disruption could add as much as 0.5% to core inflation, which excludes volatile fuel and food prices, Oxford Economics said.

Persons: ”, Holger Schmieding, Yemen's Houthi Organizations: EU, Eurostat, European Central Bank, Oxford Economics, ECB, Hamas, Oxford Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Suez, Asia, Europe, Berenberg, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Red, Africa, Gaza

☆ Italy, EU's Oldest Country, Plans More Spending for Elderly
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The government was set to present the package at the end of a cabinet meeting later on Thursday. With a median age of 48, Italy is the EU's oldest country, and also has the highest old-age dependency, defined as the ratio of people aged 65 and over to those of working age, according to statistics agency Eurostat. Pensions already eat up more than 15% of gross domestic product (GDP), and the Treasury expects spending to reach 17% of output in 2042. In its 2024 budget, the government earmarked around 1 billion euros for several measures aimed at addressing Italy's demographic crisis. One temporarily removes social contributions paid by working mothers with at least two children.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Angelo Amante, Giuseppe Fonte, Alvise, Peter Graff Organizations: Italian, Reuters, Ageing, Pensions, Treasury Locations: ROME, Italy, Rome

☆ Euro zone inflation rebounds in December, fueling rate-cut debates
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Headline inflation in the euro zone jumped to 2.9% in December, up from 2.4% the previous month, though core inflation continued to ease, according to data released Friday by Eurostat. Core inflation — which doesn't include energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices — cooled to 3.4% last month from 3.6% in November. An overall rise was expected due to base effects from the energy market, as price falls moderate. Energy prices were down 6.7% year on year in December, versus a 11.5% drop in November. The headline inflation rise "is essentially a technicality," Michael Field, European market strategist at Morningstar, said in a note.

Persons: Michael Field Organizations: Eurostat, Energy, European, Morningstar

☆ Eurozone Inflation Falls Faster Than Expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Liz Alderman | More About Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Excluding food and energy prices, so-called core inflation rose 3.6 percent, a sharply slower pace than previous months. “The price to pay is higher interest rates, more difficult financing and therefore an economic slowdown,” he added. Interest rates were raised from below zero and are now at the highest level in the central bank’s two-decade history. But Europe is facing a drawn-out economic slowdown as high interest rates and the lingering impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine continue to curb activity. to start lowering interest rates next year, possibly before the summer.

Persons: ” Bert Colijn, ” Bruno Le Maire, Christine Lagarde, Colijn Organizations: ING Bank, European Central Bank, ”, Eurostat, France Inter Locations: Ukraine, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Europe, United States

☆ Euro zone inflation sinks to 2.4%, below expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

(Photo by Ying Tang/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Annual inflation in the euro zone cooled to 2.4% in November from 2.9% in October, flash figures showed Thursday. Inflation in the euro zone's largest economies, Germany and France, has dropped to 2.3% and 3.8%, respectively. ECB officials have repeatedly stressed that it is too early to declare victory over price rises in the 20-member euro zone bloc, as they monitor potential pressures from wage increases and energy markets. Separate data released by statistics agency Eurostat on Thursday showed that unemployment in the euro area remained at a record low of 6.5% in October, despite a contraction in the euro zone economy in the third quarter. "For the ECB, signs of an imminent victory on inflation are mounting," Bert Colijn, senior euro zone economist at ING, said in a note, adding that some of the impact from existing monetary tightening was yet to be felt.

Persons: Ying Tang, —, Mathieu Savary, Bert Colijn Organizations: Aachen, Getty, Reuters, European Central Bank, Energy, ECB, BCA Research, Eurostat, ING Locations: Aachen, Germany, France, European

It's a far cry from the peak of 10.6% in October 2022 as an energy crisis left Europe's households and businesses struggling to make ends meet. The new figure is close to the European Central Bank's inflation target of 2% following a rapid series of interest rate hikes dating to summer 2022. Energy prices plunged 11.5% from November 2022. Meanwhile, the larger eurozone economy has stalled this year, even shrinking 0.1% in the July-to-September quarter, according to Eurostat. ___This story has been corrected to show that the eurozone economy shrank 0.1% in the third quarter, not grew by that amount.

Persons: ”, Andrew Kenningham, Christine Lagarde, ” Lagarde, That's, upended, ” Carsten Brzeski Organizations: Eurostat, ECB, Capital Economics, Energy, OECD, ING Locations: Europe, Germany, Europe's, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine

[1/2] A woman counts U.S. dollar bills at her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina August 28, 2018. Cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation data on Tuesday and Wednesday hastened market expectations for how soon the Federal Reserve will cut rates. Such a move would weaken a major dollar support and could come as early as next year's first quarter. The yen - punished broadly this year by dollar strength - broke the 150 mark for the first time in nearly two weeks, gaining 0.69% to 149.68 to the dollar. Japanese authorities do not have specific exchange-rate levels in mind when deciding when to intervene in the currency market, Deputy Finance Minister Ryosei Akazawa told parliament on Friday.

Persons: Marcos Brindicci, Bipan Rai, Thierry Wizman, Wizman, Ryosei Akazawa, Lee Hardman, Robert Holzmann, Joachim Nagel, Christine Lagarde, Herbert Lash, Iain Withers, Rae Wee, Tom Westbrook, Alexander Smith, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Reserve, CIBC Capital Markets, FX, Eurostat, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, North America, Toronto, United States, Macquarie, New York, Britain, London, Singapore

[1/2] A woman counts U.S. dollar bills at her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina August 28, 2018. Cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation data on Tuesday and Wednesday reset market expectations for how soon the Federal Reserve will cut rates and weighed on the dollar. The greenback is poised for its biggest weekly drop since July, down 1.6% over the past five days, and second-biggest decline this year. Data that showed U.S. single-family homebuilding increased marginally in October briefly supported the dollar, but with inflation the main market driver it remained lower on the day. The euro was up 0.17% at $1.0868 after Eurostat data confirmed year-on-year inflation in the euro zone slowed sharply in October.

Persons: Marcos Brindicci, Bipan Rai, Thierry Wizman, Wizman, Lee Hardman, Robert Holzmann, Joachim Nagel, Christine Lagarde, Herbert Lash, Iain Withers, Rae Wee, Tom Westbrook, Mark Potter, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Reserve, CIBC Capital Markets, FX, Eurostat, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, North America, Toronto, United States, Macquarie, New York, Britain, London, Singapore

And while the local government says Berlin has sufficient space to build over 100,000 apartments, there is no sign the housing crisis gripping the city will ease. But as Europe's largest economy teeters near recession, economists warn that high rents will feed inflation and reduce household consumption. In Berlin, local opposition has frustrated plans to build, while regulation creates a two-tier rental market that is cheap for some long-term tenants and expensive for new renters. Rising property demand saw private companies develop luxury apartments that offered a higher yield - in part, Buch said, because government permissioning for more affordable housing projects was so slow. OPPOSITIONSome building projects have since faced local opposition while a recent attempt to curb rent increases backfired.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Rolf Buch, Buch, you've, Konstantin Kholodilin, Marwa, Monika Neugebauer, Goldman Sachs, Neugebauer, Gesa Crockford, Martin Pallgen, Anna Hohnrath, Hohnrath, Matthias Inverardi, Matthias Williams, Catherine Evans Organizations: Berlin, REUTERS, Rights, Vonovia, Reuters, DIVISION, International Union of Tenants, European, West, Foreigners, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, San Francisco, California, City, Tempelhof, Valencia, Spain

☆ Euro zone Q3 GDP shrinks, but employment rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The euro zone economy contracted marginally quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter, a new estimate confirmed on Tuesday underlining expectations of a technical recession if the fourth quarter turns out equally weak, but employment still rose. The European Union's statistics office Eurostat confirmed its estimate from Oct 31 that gross domestic product in the 20 countries sharing the euro fell 0.1% quarter-on-quarter in the July-September period for a 0.1% year-on-year rise. European Central Bank vice president Luis de Guindos said last week the euro zone economy was likely to contract slightly or at best stagnate in the fourth quarter after business activity data for October showed further weakening of demand in the dominant services industry. But contrary to the usual trend when the economy weakens, employment in the euro zone rose 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in the same period, for a 1.4% year-on-year increase. The growth slump is caused by strong headwinds from high inflation and record high interest rates as well as the slowly tightening fiscal policy.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Luis de Guindos, De Guindos, Jan Strupczewski Organizations: Shipping, REUTERS, Rights, European Central Bank, ECB, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Rights BRUSSELS, France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Estonia, Lithuania

BRUSSELS (AP) — These days, think twice before you lavishly ladle olive oil onto your pasta, salad or crusty bread. Olive oil, a daily staple of Mediterranean cuisine and the life of many a salad throughout Europe, is experiencing a staggering rise in price. In Spain, the world's biggest olive oil producer, prices jumped 53% in August compared to the previous year and a massive 115% since August 2021. Apart from olive oil, “potato prices were also on a staggering rise,” according to EU statistical agency Eurostat. Even if ETUC blames profiteering of big agroindustry in times of crisis, the olive oil sector has faced its own challenges.

Persons: ”, Esther Lynch, ETUC, ___ Ciarán Giles Organizations: European Union ., Eurostat, European Trade Union Confederation, Agriculture Ministry Locations: BRUSSELS, Olive, Europe, European Union . Olive, Spain, U.S, Japan, Ukraine, Madrid

☆ Oil prices edge higher Middle East conflict stokes supply concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Oil wells are seen at an oil facility by the Highway 5 near Bakersfield in California, United States on November 27, 2022. Oil prices edged higher in early trade on Thursday as the conflict in the Middle East kept investors on edge about whether it could disrupt oil supplies around the region. Brent crude futures rose 38 cents at $85.01 a barrel by 0000 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 46 cents at $80.90 a barrel. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Muslim states to cease oil and food exports to Israel, demanding an end to its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, state media reported. Iran, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, produced around 2.5 million barrels per day of crude in 2022, according to U.S. energy data.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Organizations: East, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Iran's, Organization of, Petroleum, Hamas, Bank of England, European Central Bank Locations: Bakersfield, California, United States, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Egypt, Europe

A view shows the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia August 12, 2022. Oil's rally comes along with gains across financial assets after the Fed maintained its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 5.25%-5.50% at its latest meeting on Wednesday. Iran, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), produced around 2.5 million barrels per day of crude in 2022, according to U.S. energy data. Data from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed that the country's crude stocks increased as refiners undergoing seasonal maintenance restarted units more slowly than expected. But despite lower refining runs, U.S. gasoline stocks (USOILG=ECI) rose by 0.1 million barrels in the week to 223.5 million barrels, the EIA said.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Jon Maier, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Stephanie Kelly, Muyu Xu, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Oil, U.S . Federal Reserve, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Fed, Global, Iran's, Organization of, Petroleum, Bank of England, European Central Bank, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Europe, U.S

An aerial view shows an oil factory of Idemitsu Kosan Co. in Ichihara, east of Tokyo, Japan November 12, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Brent January crude futures rose 0.3%, or 28 cents, to $85.30 a barrel by 0330 GMT, after falling more than 1% on Tuesday. Brent December futures settled 4 cents lower at $87.41 a barrel at the contract's expiry on Tuesday. Interest rate hikes aimed at taming inflation can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand, while rate cuts to spur spending could increase oil consumption. The Fed, which will end its meeting on Wednesday, is expected to hold rates steady, according to a poll by CME's Fedwatch tool.

Persons: Brent, Edward Moya, CME's, Goldman Sachs, Antony Blinken, Mohi Narayan, Emily Chow, Jamie Freed Organizations: Kyodo, U.S . Federal Reserve, . West Texas, Treasury, Federal, Market, American Petroleum Institute, Central Bank, Bank of England, Israel, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, DELHI, Israel, ., U.S, Europe, China, East, Gaza, New Delhi, Singapore

☆ Oil gains ahead of Fed meeting as Middle East conflict persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices edged up in early Asian trade on Wednesday ahead of key global central bank meetings this week including the U.S. Federal Reserve, as the market also closely watches the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Brent January crude futures rose 36 cents, or 0.4%, to $85.38 a barrel by 0040 GMT, after falling $1.33 on Tuesday. Brent December futures settled 4 cents lower at $87.41 a barrel at the contract's expiry on Tuesday. Interest rate hikes aimed at taming inflation can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand, while rate cuts to spur spending could increase oil consumption. The Fed, which will end its meeting on Wednesday, is expected to hold rates steady, according to a poll by CME's Fedwatch tool.

Persons: Brent, Edward Moya, CME's, Goldman Sachs, Antony Blinken Organizations: Raffles, U.S . Federal Reserve, . West Texas, Treasury, Federal, Market, American Petroleum Institute, Central Bank, Bank of England, Israel Locations: Yantai, East China's Shandong province, Israel, ., Europe, East, Gaza, U.S

☆ European markets set to open higher ahead of Fed rate decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

European markets are heading for a higher open, with investors awaiting the next interest rate decision from the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday. Central bankers are largely expected to hold rates steady, with fed funds futures pricing suggesting a more than 97% probability that rates will remain at current levels, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. European markets traded higher Tuesday after data showed euro zone inflation fell to a two-year low of 2.9% in October, preliminary data showed Tuesday. Meanwhile, statistics agency Eurostat said the euro zone economy contracted by 0.1% in the third quarter, below a forecast of stagnation. The readings come after the European Central Bank paused its record run of 10 consecutive interest rate hikes when it met last week.

Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Reuters, Eurostat, European Central Bank

☆ Euro zone inflation drops to two-year low in October; economy shrinks in third quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)Inflation across the euro zone dropped to a two-year low of 2.9% in October, according to preliminary data released Tuesday, down from 4.3% the previous month and below a consensus estimate of 3.1% from a Reuters poll of economists. The agency also revealed Tuesday that the euro zone economy contracted by 0.1% in the third quarter, according to flash estimates, below consensus estimates for GDP to be unchanged from the previous quarter. The ECB expects the euro zone economy to grow by just 0.7% this year, by 1% in 2024 and 1.5% in 2025. The euro zone has been grappling with high inflation for the past 18 months, with the consumer price index peaking at 10.6% in October 2022. The ECB needs to see wage inflation slowing and this could take a further six months," he added.

Persons: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, Mathieu Savary, Mark Wall Organizations: Getty, European Union, Eurostat, ECB, European Central Bank, Council, BCA Research, Deutsche Bank Research Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, AFP, Europe's, Latvia, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Austria, Israel, European

Search resuls for: "Eurostat"

25 mentions found