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Global markets higher ahead of US inflation, Fed rates decision

Global stock markets and Wall Street futures rose Tuesday ahead of a U.S. inflation update and a Federal Reserve decision on another possible interest rate hike.

London and Paris opened higher. Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong advanced. Oil prices rebounded from Monday's plunge.

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Once a reliable cash cow, Amazon's cloud business slows as companies pull back on service

When the pandemic hit three years ago, Amazon was one of the few businesses that thrived.

Customers flocked to the online commerce site amid global lockdowns. But even when those lockdowns eventually lifted and Amazon's sales slowed as people returned to stores, the company could still count on its massive cash cow: Amazon Web Services.

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Americans warned not to mail checks as check fraud cases escalate dramatically

Check fraud is back in a big way, fueled by a rise in organized crime that is forcing small businesses and individuals to take additional safety measures or to avoid sending checks through the mail altogether.

Banks issued roughly 680,000 reports of check fraud to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, also known as FinCEN, last year. That's up from 350,000 reports in 2021. Meanwhile the U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported roughly 300,000 complaints of mail theft in 2021, more than double the prior year's total.

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China struggles with weak post-COVID economic recovery

Sales of Yizhuan Automobile Co.'s trash trucks picked up after China ended anti-virus controls in December, but their growth is in low gear as managers struggle to rebuild business lost during the pandemic.

China's economy rebounded at the start of 2023, but after a good first quarter, factory output and consumer spending are weakening. An official survey in April found a record 1 in 5 young workers in cities were unemployed.

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World shares mostly higher as investors await Fed policy decision, price data

Shares opened higher Monday in Europe after a mixed session in Asia as investors await an interest rate decision by the Federal Reserve.

Shares rose in most markets apart from Shanghai and Seoul and U.S. futures also advanced. Oil prices fell sharply.

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UBS completes takeover of Credit Suisse

UBS said Monday that it has completed its takeover of embattled rival Credit Suisse, nearly three months after the Swiss government hastily arranged a rescue deal to combine the country's two largest banks in a bid to safeguard Switzerland's reputation as a global financial center and choke off market turmoil.

A statement from the bank said that "UBS has completed the acquisition of Credit Suisse today, crossing an important milestone."

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Italians call for a pasta protest as food prices squeeze Europe

When it comes to skyrocketing pasta prices, Italians are crying: Basta!

They have had enough after the cost of the staple of every Italian table soared by twice the rate of inflation. One consumer advocate group is calling for a weeklong national pasta strike starting June 22 after the Rome government held a crisis meeting last month and decided not to intervene on prices.

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Iraq MPs approve budget granting Baghdad upper hand over Kurdish oil

Iraq's parliament on Monday approved a budget that boosts public spending in the war-scarred nation and grants the federal government the upper hand over oil exports from the autonomous Kurdistan region.

The 198.9 trillion dinar ($153 billion) budget -- valid for three years though subject to future amendments -- also sets out record spending on public wages, investments and development projects.

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'Dollarization' of North Korean economy, once vital, now potential threat to Kim's rule

Before fleeing North Korea in 2014, Jeon Jae-hyun kept U.S. dollars as a store of value and used Chinese yuan to make everyday purchases at markets, restaurants and other places. He used the domestic currency, the won, only occasionally.

"There were not many places to use the won, and we actually had little faith in our currency," Jeon said during a recent interview in Seoul. "Even the quality of North Korean bills was awful as they often ripped when we put them in our pockets."

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Speaker McCarthy eyes new commission to tackle debt

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is studying the history books and considering the appointment of a mix of lawmakers and business leaders as he lays the groundwork for a new commission to tackle the nation's growing debt.

McCarthy is fresh off his biggest political victory since becoming speaker in January. He got the White House to negotiate on a bill that suspends the debt ceiling into January 2025 while also producing a projected $1.5 trillion in deficit savings over the coming decade. But the legislation only focused on a sliver of the federal spending that occurs each year and excluded programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that account for the majority of government spending and are the biggest drivers of the debt.

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