By Reuters Staff
Slideshow ( 3 images )
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States stands ready to facilitate maritime border talks between Lebanon and Israel that will have benefits for the crisis-hit Lebanese economy, a U.S. envoy said on Thursday.
On a visit to Beirut, Under Secretary of State David Hale blamed Lebanese leaders for failing to end a deadlock in cabinet talks to tackle the collapse, which has crashed the currency. He warned that “those who continue to obstruct” progress open themselves up to punitive actions, without naming individuals.
As part of its pressure campaign on Tehran, Washington escalated sanctions last year against Lebanese allies of Hezbollah, hitting former ministers on charges of corruption and ties to the Iran-backed group, which it classifies as terrorist.
By Reuters Staff
(Adds data on trade with Britain, details)
MADRID, April 15 (Reuters) - Britain’s exit from the European Union has hit Spanish imports from Britain in the first two months of the year as new EU trade rules disrupt trade flows across the Channel.
Spain’s imports from the UK decreased 49% in the first two months of the year compared with the same period a year ago. By contrast, intra-EU trade data showed Spanish imports fell only 7%, the Spanish industry ministry said on Thursday.
During the same period, Spanish exports to Britain decreased 15%, much more than the 5.1% drop of Spain’s sales to other EU partners. The ministry hasn’t provided trade balance data with individual countries.
By Reuters Staff
1 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi meets journalists, in Rome, Italy, March 26, 2021. Alessandra Tarantino/Pool via REUTERS
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Tuesday urged the Libyan government to ensure that the country’s ceasefire is maintained and strictly observed.
In comments to the press alongside Libya’s interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Draghi said the two leaders had spoken about immigration and economic cooperation between the two countries with strong historic ties.
For Libya “to be able to proceed with courage and decisiveness it is a prerequisite that the ceasefire must continue and be strictly observed,” Draghi said after his first foreign trip since he took office in February.
(Adds quotes, details)
LISBON, April 15 (Reuters) - Portugal’s government has cut its 2021 economic growth forecast to 4% from 5.4%, the finance minister said on Thursday, after a severe worsening of the coronavirus pandemic at the start of this year forced a nationwide lockdown lasting over two months.
Joao Leao also told a news conference the budget deficit should reach 4.5% of gross domestic product this year, up from the previously forecast 4.3%.
The Bank of Portugal estimated in March that growth would reach 3.9% this year.
The new estimates were laid out in the so-called Stability Programme, assessing the impact of pandemic-induced restrictions on growth, which must be presented to the European Commission as part of EU members’ economic plans.
BlackRock Inc's first-quarter profit beat Wall Street estimates on Thursday, as a continued rally in global financial markets and broad-based strength in the asset manager's businesses helped vault the firm's assets under management to a record $9.01 trillion.