Inflation cloud obscures Fed peak with markets edgy about the US debt ceiling standoff

Inflation cloud obscures Fed peak with markets edgy about the US debt ceiling standoff

If consensus forecasts are correct, the April inflation readout later on Wednesday may well force the Fed to keep that equivocal line up for a bit longer. Annual inflation is expected to stick at March’s near two-year low of five per cent – while the higher core rate, excluding food and energy prices, is set to ebb a tenth of a point to 5.5 per cent.

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How sugar creates junk brains: Bingeing on sweets and sweetened beverages for as little as six weeks can make you ‘stupid’

How sugar creates junk brains: Bingeing on sweets and sweetened beverages for as little as six weeks can make you ‘stupid’

A BBC documentary The Truth About Sugar, revealed one serving of Pad Thai noodles has nearly 9.5 teaspoons of sugar; a package of sweet and sour chicken with rice has 12.5 teaspoons; and a serving of dry bran flakes, a breakfast that many think is a healthier choice, has 3 teaspoons.

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Biden, GOP meet to avert government default as the spectre of raising economic chaos looms large

Biden, GOP meet to avert government default as the spectre of raising economic chaos looms large

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen acknowledged the “very big gap” between Democrats and Republicans in an interview Monday with CNBC. Biden, she said, was not willing to discuss compromises with “a gun to the head of the American people and the American economy.”

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Ukraine grain growers risk their lives to strip their farms of explosives ahead of critical planting season

Ukraine grain growers risk their lives to strip their farms of explosives ahead of critical planting season

More than a year since Russia’s invasion, the Ukrainian agriculture industry is starting to see the full impact of what’s been dubbed “the breadbasket of the world,” whose affordable supplies of wheat, barley and sunflower oil are crucial to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia where people are going hungry.

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Novo Nordisk fuels fierce Big Pharma race as rivals jostle for $100 billion porky weight-loss drug market

Novo Nordisk fuels fierce Big Pharma race as rivals jostle for $100 billion porky weight-loss drug market

Over 650 million adults worldwide are obese, more than triple the rate in 1975, and roughly another 1.3 billion are overweight, exacerbating conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, according to the World Health Organization.

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US officials assessing if market manipulation caused recent volatility on banking shares

US officials assessing if market manipulation caused recent volatility on banking shares

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration was closely watching on the situation, but any possible action would be taken by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Should world’s greatest footballers – Messi and Ronaldo – shun Saudi Arabia’s porky offers?

Should world’s greatest footballers – Messi and Ronaldo – shun Saudi Arabia’s porky offers?

The legacy of sporting figures is complicated. Those who believe in it often focus on highlights rather than entire storylines. Few Ronaldo fans bring up his miss in the penalty shootout at the 2008 Champions League final, instead preferring to talk about the header he scored in normal time.

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Strong job market gives Democrats, Biden confidence in US economy ahead of 2024 polls

Strong job market gives Democrats, Biden confidence in US economy ahead of 2024 polls

The strong jobs report came after a Wednesday Federal Reserve meeting that suggested the US central bank might pause on its rate hikes, the primary tool for cutting inflation from its still high 5 per cent to something closer to 2 per cent. Talks are also starting over the need to raise the debt limit, with Biden inviting congressional leaders to the White House for a Tuesday meeting in hopes of ultimately getting a commitment to avoid a default.

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ECB raises interest rates days after euro zone banking data showed lowest loan appetite in 10 years

ECB raises interest rates days after euro zone banking data showed lowest loan appetite in 10 years

Policymakers had been split in the run up to the meeting between a 25 basis point and a 50 basis point rise but markets and economists had overwhelmingly bet on the smaller increase after soft data in recent weeks and similar moderation by other big central banks.

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Retiring password: Google transitions to passkeys to enhance online security by restricting phishing

Retiring password: Google transitions to passkeys to enhance online security by restricting phishing

Passkeys can sync between your devices through end-to-end encrypted services like Google Password Manager and iCloud Keychain. Or you can set up passkeys on multiple devices by generating a QR code on a device that’s logged in to your Google account that will anoint another device where you want to log in.

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