BERLIN (Reuters) – Sentiment among small and mid-sized businesses in Germany, hard-hit by massive cost increases, weak demand and high interest rates, is back near pandemic lows, a survey showed on Thursday. A study by credit agency Creditreform showed morale among the “Mittelstand” companies that form the backbone of the…

By Muhammad Al Gebaly and Farah Saafan CAIRO (Reuters) -Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi confirmed on Monday that he will stand for a third term in office in an election in December, as opposition parties complained that people trying to register support for other candidates had faced obstacles. “Just as…

By Simon Lewis and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The failure of Congress to reauthorize the main U.S. program aimed at reducing the spread of AIDS sends a message that Washington is “backing down” from its leadership on the issue, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday. A deadline…

The post-pandemic boom in hiring appears to be over, and businesses are adding fewer workers. Is the slowdown in employment going to continue? Here’s what to watch in the U.S. jobs report due Friday morning. The forecast The United States is expected to add 170,000 jobs in September, keeping the…

By Alien Fernandez HAVANA (Reuters) – In Cuba, beset by economic crisis and shortages, even the most fundamental of endeavors like fishing or farming can get complicated quickly. That’s why two young Cuban entrepreneurs decided to turn to aquaponics to combine the two in a bid to get more bang…

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Patrick Harker, head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, engaged with small business owners in York, Pennsylvania on Monday. The visit was part of an effort to gain a more diverse perspective on the economic challenges faced in the post-pandemic era. The businesspeople…

Orders for U.S. manufactured goods rose 1.2% in August, the Commerce Department said Wednesday, after declining 2.1% the prior month. Economists were predicting a 0.3% increase, according to a Wall Street Journal poll. Excluding transportation, orders rose 1.4% in August after a 0.7% gain in the prior month. Durable-goods orders…

Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, warned on Monday of an impending economic slowdown due to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes. Ackman suggested that the current level of real interest rates has reached a point that could decelerate the economy. The central bank has increased rates 11…

The numbers:  An ISM barometer of U.S. business conditions at service-oriented companies such as retailers and health-care providers fell slightly in September to 53.6% and indicated some softening in the economy. The reading matched the forecast of economists polled by The Wall Street Journal. The index registered 54.5% in August. Numbers…

By Howard Schneider YORK, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -After helping build a floor under the economy during the pandemic only to put a squeeze on it as inflation soared, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Monday faced a public he’d warned would go through painful times as the central bank hiked interest…