Global sugar prices soared to their highest level in almost 13 years in September as the El Nino weather phenomenon hit production in India and Thailand, the Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday.

The ruble fell further against the dollar on Friday, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said the sanctions-hit country's economic situation was "stable".

The Russian currency fell by as much as 101.46 rubles to the dollar in morning exchanges before paring down some losses.

Global shares advanced Thursday after a plunge in oil prices aided a recovery on Wall Street.

France's CAC 40 lost 0.3% to 6,976.60. Germany's DAX shed 0.2% to 15,222.00, and Britain's FTSE 100 was unchanged at 7,414.46. The futures for the S&P 500 and Dow industrials were 0.3% lower.

Surging interest rates are intensifying the challenges for the U.S. economy and threatening to derail the Federal Reserve's drive to tame inflation without causing a deep recession.

Since mid-summer, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, a benchmark for many loans, has steadily climbed, causing a spillover rise in other borrowing costs. The costs of mortgages, auto loans and credit card debt have all risen in response. The collective impact of higher rates across the economy could also weaken the government's own finances.

For devoted Disney fans, there's often no better treat than spending Halloween at its theme parks — and more specifically, at its after-hours parties, where visitors can trick-or-treat through Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room and watch a Halloween-exclusive parade, among other experiences.

But tickets are neither cheap nor easy to acquire. The parties are held on multiple nights throughout the season, and the version at Disney's California resort, the "Oogie Boogie Bash," is so popular that the 2023 event sold out the first day tickets went on sale. Fans reported trouble with virtual queues and website crashes.

Japan hopes to resolve China's ban on its seafood following the release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant within the World Trade Organization's scope, Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita said Wednesday.

Despite repeated assurances, China banned seafood from Japan immediately after the plant began its treated radioactive wastewater release in August. Seafood accounts for a small portion of Japan's overall trade but the ban has hit exporters hard as China was the top destination for Japanese seafood exports.

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday confirmed that it will maintain a production cut of 1 million barrels of oil a day through the end of the year.

The announcement could further prop up oil prices, which are hovering around $90 a barrel. Production cuts first announced by Saudi Arabia and Russia in July have driven up prices at the pump, enriched Moscow's war chest and complicated global efforts to bring down inflation.

The Central Bank has issued a circular preventing banks from deducting new fees from bank accounts created prior to October 2019.

The Bank also asked commercial banks to disclose accurate information about the “real cost” and mechanism of any fees imposed on clients, warning that the Central Bank’s Banking Control Commission will oversee the implementation of the circular and will penalize any violating banks.

Asian markets declined Tuesday following a mixed session on Wall Street, where buying was pressured by rising bond yields.

U.S. futures fell and oil prices also were lower.

South Asia is expected to grow by 5.8% this year, making it the fastest-growing region in the world even as the pace remains below pre-pandemic levels, the World Bank said on Tuesday.

The latest South Asia Development Update from the World Bank projected growth in the region to slow slightly to 5.6% in 2024 and 2025, as post-pandemic rebounds fade and reduced global demand weighs on economic activity.