Town Hall News

By Lewis Krauskopf and Saqib Iqbal Ahmed NEW YORK (Reuters) – A benign U.S. inflation report is bolstering hopes that the Federal Reserve can bring down consumer prices without hurting the economy, a so-called Goldilocks environment that investors believe will benefit stocks and bonds. Both asset classes have ripped higher in November following a months-long wobble, fueled by hopes that the Fed was unlikely to deliver any more of the […]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia said on Wednesday China could lift all its remaining trade blocks by next month as relations between the commodity trade partners stabilise and after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Beijing earlier this month. Albanese’s government has taken credit for patching up ties with China since coming to office last year. China has lifted most trade blocks imposed amid a 2020 diplomatic dispute after Australia called […]

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Trevor Hunnicutt GAZA/ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) – The White House said on Tuesday its independent intelligence supported Israel’s claim that Hamas was using Gaza’s hospitals, including its biggest, to hide command posts and hostages while a glimmer of progress emerged in hostage negotiations. President Joe Biden said he was in discussions daily with parties involved in talks to secure the release of hostages taken by […]

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Index provider MSCI said on Tuesday that 46 securities will be added to and 69 deleted from its widely-followed MSCI ACWI stock index, while 14 will be added and two deleted from its frontier markets stock index. Changes will be implemented as of market close on Nov. 30, MSCI announced in its quarterly index review. (Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Chris Reese) Brought to you […]

By Alphonso Toweh and Carielle Doe MONROVIA (Reuters) -Ballot counting was underway in Liberia on Tuesday in a run-off election between President George Weah and former vice president Joseph Boakai, in what is expected to be a closely fought vote. Former soccer star Weah, 57, who came to power in 2018 after beating Boakai, won just 7,000 more votes than career politician Boakai in the October poll. Weah failed to […]

Palestinians Furious with Israeli Officials’ Call for Voluntary Emigration of Gazans Arabs decry a suggestion by Israeli lawmakers published in a WJS op-ed that countries around the world accept limited numbers of Gazans ‘who have expressed a desire to relocate’ from Gaza   By Mohammad Al-Kassim/The Media Line Palestinians are outraged at statements made by several Israeli officials calling for a voluntary emigration of Gazans. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich […]

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A Democratic-led U.S. Senate committee advanced legislation on Tuesday that would clear the way for the quick confirmation of hundreds of military promotions that one Republican senator has been delaying for months to protest Defense Department abortion policy. The Rules Committee voted 9-7 – along party lines – to send the resolution for a vote in the full Senate. Although Democrats control a 51-seat majority […]

(Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it had sent a warning letter to Amazon.com related to sale of seven unapproved eye drops on the company’s e-commerce platform. In the letter dated Nov. 13, FDA said Amazon was selling eye drops which have not been recognized as safe and effective for providing temporary relief from eye symptoms such as excessive watery discharge, redness, burning, or pink […]

By Hyunsu Yim and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) -A Russian delegation led by natural resources minister Alexander Kozlov is visiting Pyongyang, North Korean state media said on Wednesday, as the politically isolated state announced new progress in its banned ballistic missile programme. Kozlov arrived on Tuesday, as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with U.N. member states enforcing the Korean War armistice in Seoul and said they were concerned that […]