Commodities
China factory prices jump in March
China's factory gate prices rose faster than expected in March and at the fastest pace for almost three years as higher commodity costs fed through in the world's biggest manufacturing nation.
Macbook, iPad production hit by global chip shortage
Apple has been forced to slow output due to the global shortage of components which has wreaked havoc in the tech and automotive industries.
US blacklists seven Chinese companies over national security fears
The US Commerce Department on Thursday added seven Chinese supercomputing companies to its 'black list' due to national security concerns.
Initial jobless claims rise more than expected
Initial jobless claims rose more than expected in the week ended 3 March despite signs of healing elsewhere in the jobs market.
Spain limits AstraZeneca use to people over 60
Spanish health minister Carolina Darias announced on Wednesday that Spain would restrict use of the AstraZeneca shot to people over the age of 60.
EMA finds potential link between AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and blood clots
The European Medicines Agency said on Wednesday it had found a potential link between AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine and blood clots in adults who had received the shot.
Daily Brazil death toll surpasses 4,000 as pandemic spirals out of control
Brazil’s daily death toll from the novel coronavirus broke the 4,000 person mark on the day before the anniversary of the start of the pandemic in February 2020.
Xi warns Merkel of difficulties ahead in China-EU relations
China’s President Xi Jinping on Wednesday told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that relations between China and the EU were facing “various challenges” and he hoped the 27-nation bloc could “independently” make correct judgements, Chinese state media reported.
EU regulator to investigate ethical standards of Sputnik V trials
The European Medicines Agency will launch an investigation next week into the ethical standards of the clinical trials for the Russian Sputnik V jab against the novel coronavirus.
Manufacturing surge fuels eurozone revival - PMI
Business activity in the eurozone returned to growth in March as manufacturing output surged and services improved, a survey showed.
Spanish unemployment drops by most in March since 2015
The number of unemployed people in Spain fell by more than expected last month as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were gradually lifted across the country.
Consumers spend $900bn more online in 2020 - Mastercard
The Mastercard Economics Institute revealed in a report on Tuesday that shoppers globally increased their online spending by $900bn in 2020.
US job openings jump in February, 'quits' rise
The number of job openings in the US jumped in February, alongside faster hiring and an increase in so-called 'quits' or voluntary separations.
EU expects near-total inoculation by July
Brussels expects to receive enough jabs by the end of June to vaccinate most of the European Union's population against Covid-19.
Iran, US to begin negotiations on nuclear deal revival
Iranian and US officials are set to begin talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal on Tuesday in Vienna.
Eurozone unemployment rate steady in February
The eurozone unemployment rate remained stable in February, according to figures released on Tuesday by Eurostat.
Biden outlines multi-trillion dollar fiscal stimulus plan
Joe Biden unveiled his proposal for a massive new programme of fiscal stimulus centred on public investment to boost the nation's productivity and make growth more equitable.
US non-farm payrolls grow nearly twice as quickly as expected in March
The pace of job growth in the US recovered substantially last month, nearly doubling economists' forecasts, led by hiring in the beaten-down travel sector as the economy began reopening.
US manufacturing PMI hits highest level since 1983 in March
Manufacturing sector activity surprised sharply to the upside in March, accelerating at its quickest pace in almost four decades.
Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine 100% effective against South African variant
Updated trials results confirmed the high efficacy of the Covid-19 shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, including against the new strain of the virus first detected in South Africa, which is known as B1351.