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[1/6] Pope Francis presides over the Good Friday Passion of the Lord service in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, April 7, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSROME, April 7 (Reuters) - Pope Francis presided at one indoor service on Good Friday, but doctors ordered him to skip an outdoor evening "Way of the Cross" procession at Rome's Colosseum after being hospitalised last week for bronchitis. Friday marked the first time since his election in 2013 that Francis missed a Way of the Cross event. The last pope to skip a Good Friday Way of the Cross service was Pope John Paul II. He is due to preside at an Easter vigil Mass on Saturday night in St. Peter's Basilica, and on Easter Sunday he is due to say Mass in St. Peter's Square and then deliver his twice-annual "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing and message in St. Peter's Square.

☆ Subway is giving out free Cadbury Creme Egg sandwiches in the UK ahead of Easter weekend — and it is surprisingly not a late April Fools' joke
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Subway is debuting a new sandwich that will be given out at four UK locations on Good Friday. The sandwich features the chain's Italian bread, with melted Cadbury Creme Eggs inside. The sandwich chain assured Insider the creation is not a late April Fools' Day joke, as some have speculated — or hoped. "Our Italian White Bread and Cadbury Creme Eggs make the most flavorsome combination — a perfect seasonal treat!" "The highly-anticipated Creme Egg season is in full swing and we're so excited to launch this innovative product with Subway as a final hoorah of the season," Cadbury Creme Egg brand executive Charlotte Docker said.

☆ London's FTSE 100 climbs ahead of Easter break
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.5% and is on course to end the holiday-shortened week about 1% higher, with gains in oil & gas and healthcare stocks offering support. Shell (SHEL.L) rose 1.7% as the energy giant forecast higher liquefied natural gas (LNG) output in the first quarter. The midcap FTSE 250 index (.FTMC) rose 0.2%, with London-listed shares of travel firm TUI jumping 7.2% after sharp losses this week. "The report noted mortgage rates have continued to trend downwards, housing transactions have picked up slightly and the employment market remains robust. We still see challenges ahead as affordability remains under pressure," said Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown.

☆ Asian stocks slide, bond yields depressed as recession worries weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Asia-wide index had surged more than 5% since mid-March to close at a 1 1/2-month high on Tuesday. E-mini futures for the broader S&P 500 indicated a 0.24% decline at the reopen, extending Wednesday's 0.25% slide. As signs have built this week for a sharp U.S. slowdown, traders have been pricing for a more dovish Fed. That helped the yen, which is highly sensitive to U.S. yields, gain against fellow safe haven the greenback. The dollar index rose 0.12% to 101.99, continuing its bounce from a two-month low.

☆ Kevin McCarthy says he's 'very concerned' he won't reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling because Biden 'never wants to meet'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kevin McCarthy said he's "very concerned" he and Biden won't reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling. But Biden has been adamant that Congress must past a clean debt ceiling bill without spending cuts. Congress passed a clean spending-cut-free debt ceiling increase three times under former President Donald Trump. "I'm very concerned about the debt ceiling. "He's just having the toughest time satisfying those demands either when it comes to passing a budget or to putting a bill on the floor — clean — to raise the debt ceiling."

LISBON, April 6 (Reuters) - Portugal's government approved on Thursday the abolition of the scandal-hit immigration agency SEF, whose border force officers, uncertain about their future, have mooted industrial action during the usually busy Easter period. It was not immediately clear whether the strike will go ahead from Friday. Parliament approved SEF's abolition in November of the same year, but the process has been slow. There will be a transition period of six months, and SEF officers will help to train their replacements, the government said. Additional reporting by Patricia Rua, editing by Andrei Khalip and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The most immediate part of the plan earmarked 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) to refund EU countries for sending urgently needed artillery shells from stockpiles to Ukraine. In announcing the package, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the munitions would come from "European industry and from Norway". Draft legislation agreed by ambassadors from EU countries, seen by Reuters, used the same formulation. Diplomats and officials expressed confidence that EU countries would finalise a deal after the Easter break. European financing must serve to buy European," the official said.

Strikes have rolled through France, Portugal, Britain and Germany in recent weeks and could cause air travel disruption in parts of Europe through the Easter holidays, officials at airlines, airports and air traffic authorities told Reuters. There's no doubt about it," said Steven Moore, who is in charge of air traffic management operations at Eurocontrol. Airlines say they have to pay compensation without themselves getting compensated for air traffic delays. Consumer groups say air traffic control strikes are not new and airlines should be quicker to react and pay compensation. He called last week on the European Commission to do more to stop such strikes hitting overflights, by introducing minimum service rules, though industry experts say strikes are a national issue.

☆ Israeli police attack worshippers in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Israeli border policemen set up a fence near Al-Aqsa compound also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, while tension arises during clashes with Palestinians in Jerusalem's Old City, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar AwadJERUSALEM, April 5 (Reuters) - Israeli police attacked dozens of worshippers in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound before dawn on Wednesday, witnesses said, in what Israeli police said was a response to rioting. It said in a statement that Israeli forces were preventing its medics from reaching the mosque. Friction at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, has set off violence in recent years. Videos circulating on social media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed fireworks going off and police beating people inside the mosque.

☆ Ascential's consumer data unit draws interest from Apax, BC Partners - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Amy-Jo Crowley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Private equity firms including Providence Equity and Carlyle are also evaluating an offer for WGSN, two of the people said. Apax, Ascential, BC Partners, Carlyle, JPMorgan and Providence declined to comment. BC Partners has experience in owning information assets including the financial media and data firm Acuris, which it sold to Irish software firm ION Investment Group in 2019. Ascential generated 121.1 million pounds in adjusted EBITDA last year, up 36% from a year earlier. Revenue rose to 524.4 million pounds from 349.3 million pounds.

☆ Ahead of Easter, Nicaraguan Catholics press on despite procession ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Ismael Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ortega's tough stance on the church has been met by a mix of fear and determination among the Central American nation's Catholics. "What's most important is to live our faith," said Maria Flores, who noted that the canceled street procession this Friday - when Christians worldwide mark the crucifixion of Jesus - will be the first time in over four decades she will miss it. Eliseo Nuñez, a Nicaraguan political analyst in exile in neighboring Costa Rica, said government officials banned the processions to quash the prospect of further unrest. In 2005, former Marxist rebel Ortega converted to Catholicism ahead of winning the presidential election the following year. Reporting by Ismael Lopez; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Walmart rolls out fresh look for its website and app
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart has redesigned its website and app to try to encourage shoppers to browse and buy more. Starting this week, all customers who browse the company's website and app will see bigger and glossier photos, videos and social media-inspired content that Walmart hopes will nudge more purchases. It anticipates same-store sales for Walmart U.S. will increase between 2% and 2.5% excluding fuel, in the fiscal year ahead. He said along with offering low prices, Walmart wants to catch customers' attention by putting fresh, trendy and seasonal items in front of them, such as spring dresses, patio furniture and toys for Easter baskets. He said the website and app's new look could also lift sales for third-party sellers that have joined or could join Walmart's marketplace.

☆ Walmart's new website design might look familiar to Amazon users
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The redesign offers a "product-focused experience," according to Walmart's e-commerce lead. Walmart's new website and app represent its latest move to try to gain ground on rival Amazon. At the end of the company's second quarter in 2020, it reported e-commerce year-over-year sales growth of 97%. For comparison, Walmart's e-commerce sales grew a healthy, but not as remarkable, 17% year-over-year in the most recent quarter. What do you think of Walmart's redesign?

☆ Oil prices surge, markets narrow odds on Fed hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent oil futures jumped $5.16 to $85.05 a barrel on news output would be cut by around 1.16 million barrels per day, while U.S. crude climbed $4.88 to $80.55. The latest reductions could lift oil prices by $10 per barrel, the head of investment firm Pickering Energy Partners said on Sunday. Goldman Sachs lifted its forecast for Brent to $95 a barrel by the end of the year and to $100 for 2024. The rise in oil prices is bad news for Japan's trade balance given it imports most of its energy. The lift in the dollar and yields nudged gold prices down nearly 0.5% to $1,958 an ounce .

☆ Oil prices jump in blow to global inflation hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Brent oil futures jumped $4.30 to $84.19 a barrel on news output would be cut by around 1.16 million barrels per day, while U.S. crude climbed $4.17 to $79.84. The change comes before a virtual meeting of an OPEC+ ministerial panel, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia. "That means that oil markets may potentially see around 1% of global oil supply or more being curtailed from May." The latest reductions could lift oil prices by $10 per barrel, the head of investment firm Pickering Energy Partners said on Sunday. The rise in oil prices is bad news for Japan's trade balance given it imports most of its energy.

Signage is displayed outside the new McDonald's Corp. headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Monday, June 4, 2018. McDonald's is closing its U.S. corporate offices Monday through Wednesday as the company lays off workers, according to an internal email viewed by CNBC. CEO Chris Kempczinski announced in January that the company would be cutting jobs as part of a broader corporate restructuring. At the time, McDonald's said the layoffs weren't a cost-cutting measure, but instead are meant to help the company innovate faster and work more efficiently. At the end of 2022, McDonald's employed more than 150,000 people in its corporate offices and company-owned restaurations.

☆ Morning Bid: Crude cut complicates Q2
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Brent crude surged on Monday in response, settling about 5% higher than Friday's close. The mild reaction in the rates and bond markets to the OPEC move reflects some of that. Asia and Europe's main stock indices were steady to higher, with S&P500 futures only marginally in the red ahead of Monday's open. The VIX (.VIX) volatility index was a touch higher, though still below 20, and the dollar (.DXY) was up smartly. The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers' index teetered back on the 50 dividing line between expansion and contraction again in March.

REUTERS/Lisa Marie DavidANTIPOLO, Philippines, April 2 (Reuters) - Thousands of Filipino Catholics attending church on Palm Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week with prayers for the health of Pope Francis as they presented palm fronds to be blessed. At a church in Antipolo City about 20 km (12.4 miles) east of Manila, hundreds of devotees attended morning mass and waved palm fronds as a sign of discipleship and remembrance of Jesus Christ. Filipino Catholics this year offered prayers for Pope Francis, who was hospitalised on Wednesday after complaining of difficulty breathing. The pope was discharged from hospital on Saturday after successful treatment for a severe bout of bronchitis and attended a Palm Sunday service in St Peter's Square. "We should all continue praying for our Pope Francis this Lenten season.

☆ Pope Francis attends Palm Sunday service after hospital stay
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, April 2 (Reuters) - Pope Francis attended a Palm Sunday service in St Peter's Square, a day after he was discharged from hospital following successful treatment for a severe bout of bronchitis. He was driven into the huge esplanade, sitting in the back of an open-topped vehicle as it passed through the crowds, before descending and starting the service from his position beneath an ancient Egyptian obelisk. The pope, 86, was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties, but recovered quickly following an infusion of antibiotics and returned to his Vatican residence on Saturday. Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday on April 9 this year. Reporting by Crispian Balmer Editing by Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pope Francis leaves hospital, saying 'I'm still alive'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Remo Casilli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ROME, April 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis left hospital and returned to the Vatican on Saturday after being treated for bronchitis, making light of his illness by saying: "I'm still alive you know". Looking to show he was fully recovered, Francis got out of his car before leaving left the hospital grounds, using a walking stick to support himself. Before getting back into the car, Francis embraced a sobbing mother, whose young daughter had died overnight in the hospital, and then prayed with both the parents. Asked by reporters if he had been afraid during his hospital stay, the pope said: "No, afraid no." [1/6] Pope Francis rides in a car near the Vatican after having been discharged from Gemelli hospital in Rome, Italy, April 1, 2023.

☆ Pope Francis leaves hospital; ‘Still alive,’ he quips
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Pope Francis addresses the media as he leaves the Gemelli hospital on April 1, 2023 in Rome. Pope Francis was discharged on Saturday from the Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis, quipping to journalists before being driven away: "I'm still alive." Francis, 86, was hospitalized on Wednesday at Gemelli Polyclinic after reportedly having breathing difficulties following his weekly public audience. The Vatican said that before departing, Francis hugged a couple whose daughter died Friday night at the hospital. Francis sat in the front seat of the white Fiat 500 car that drove him away from Gemelli Polyclinic.

☆ A dozen fake Easter eggs in dying kits from Walmart and Target are cheaper on average than a dozen real ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Egg prices are off of their January peak, but a dozen still costs more than $4, inflation numbers show. With Easter approaching, fake-egg dye kits from Walmart and Target may be cheaper than the real thing. The high cost of eggs led one of the largest dollar-store chains to decide not to carry them for now. (Actual egg prices vary substantially by geography. Easter decorators aren't the only ones adjusting their plans due to the still-high cost of eggs this spring.

☆ Morning Bid: Dogged inflation shades rebound
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But for most major stock and bond investments beyond the banking sector itself, the quarter remained a pretty upbeat one overall. "Inflation remains too high and recent indicators reinforce my view that there is more work to do," said Boston Fed chief Susan Collins. Futures markets are still broadly split on the chances of another Fed hike in May, but leaned a bit more on Friday to one more quarter point move. But core inflation, excluding energy and unprocessed food, ticked up as forecast to a new record high for the bloc at 7.5%. Germany said import price inflation fell to its lowest in two years at 2.8% in February.

☆ April is usually the best month for the Dow. Here’s how much it typically goes up and why
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

By comparison, the Dow has gained around 0.7% in an average month since 1950. April has historically been the second best month for the S & P 500 and fourth best for the Nasdaq Composite (and second best for Russell 1000 and third best for the Russell 3000). More good news: The Aprils of previous pre-election years have posted an even stronger average performance. Lately, the Dow Industrials have exhibited strength following the tax filing deadline, per the Almanac, which falls on April 18 this year. A March advance would mark a reversal from February, when the Dow Industrials lost 4.2% and briefly gave up all of its early 2023 gain.

Summary Pontiff was hospitalised unexpectedly on WednesdayVatican says he has respiratory infectionNot clear if pope will be able to lead Easter servicesVATICAN CITY, March 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis spent a peaceful night in a Rome hospital after suffering from a respiratory infection, a Vatican source said on Thursday. Bruni has said Francis would have to stay at Rome's Gemelli hospital for "a few days" for "appropriate" medical treatment. An official update on his condition was expected in late morning, the Vatican source said. Last year, the pope attended but did not preside at some of the Easter services due to his knee pain. Francis, who this month marked 10 years as pope, is sometimes short of breath and generally more exposed to respiratory problems.

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