Updated - Squid Business

France urges Azerbaijan to free up road to disputed enclave, Baku unhappy

By Nailia Bagirova BAKU (Reuters) -French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna urged Azerbaijan on Thursday to remove a newly installed checkpoint on the road linking Armenia to the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, on the first leg of a delicate trip to both countries. Her comments in Baku drew a sharp retort from her Azerbaijani counterpart that …

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India tells China peace needed on border for better ties

By Krishn Kaushik NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India’s defence minister told his Chinese counterpart on Thursday that improved relations depend on “peace and tranquillity” returning to their frontier disturbed by military tensions, an Indian government statement said. Relations between the nuclear-armed Asian giants have deteriorated since mid-2020, when Chinese and Indian troops clashed on their disputed …

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Mastercard shrugs off economic jitters as consumers continue to splurge

By Siddarth S and Manya Saini (Reuters) – Mastercard Inc on Thursday beat estimates for quarterly profit as travel demand held up against a turbulent economy, and bet on resilient consumer spending through the year. Rising interest rates and stubborn inflation have had little impact on wealthier consumers who continue to spend on travel and …

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Millennium Trust’s owners explore $8 billion sale -sources

(This April 26 story has been corrected to fix revenue description in paragraph 3) By David French and Anirban Sen NEW YORK (Reuters) – The private equity owners of Millennium Trust Company are exploring options for the U.S. retirement account custodian, including a sale that could value it at as much as $8 billion, including …

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UK sets out tougher gambling rules for smartphone era

By Kylie MacLellan and Muvija M LONDON (Reuters) – Britain on Thursday set out long-awaited plans to crack down on problem gambling as it aims to bring regulations up to date with a rise in betting online and on smartphones. The proposals would see new online stake limits of between 2 pounds ($2.49) and 15 …

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Indian shares extend gains, close higher on earnings boost

By Bharath Rajeswaran BENGALURU (Reuters) -Indian shares rose on Thursday, as strong earnings from major firms overshadowed weak global cues on the April series derivatives expiry day. The Nifty 50 closed 0.57% higher at 17,915.05, while the S&P BSE Sensex gained 0.58% to 60,649.38. The Nifty 50 has advanced for four sessions in a row, …

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Disney v. DeSantis judge called Florida governor’s law ‘dystopian’

By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) -When attorneys for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appear in court to defend against Walt Disney Co’s lawsuit that accuses the Republican official of weaponizing state government, they will see a familiar face, if not always a welcome one. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee has struck down several …

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Jobless young Chinese seek solace in temples, tale of failed scholar

By Laurie Chen and Sophie Yu BEIJING (Reuters) – Queues stretch hundreds of metres around temples in China on weekends, as despondent young worshippers pray to find jobs in an economy slowly clawing its way back from the coronavirus pandemic. “I hope to find some peace in temples,” said 22-year-old Wang Xiaoning, pointing to “the …

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House Republicans pass debt-ceiling hike, hoping to spur Biden to talks

By David Morgan and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday narrowly passed a bill to raise the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling that includes sweeping spending cuts over the next decade. The bill isn’t expected to pass the Senate, and President Joe Biden would veto it if it did …

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South Korea, US to share nuclear planning to deter North Korean threat

By Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Wednesday pledged to give South Korea more insight into its nuclear planning over any conflict with North Korea amid anxiety over Pyongyang’s growing arsenal of missiles and bombs. The announcement, which included a renewed pledge by Seoul not to pursue a …

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