Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Extreme heat and rising electricity demand are expected to drive up power prices in Texas this summer, while the rest of the U.S. power markets are broadly pricing lower, according to analysts and data this week.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Imbalances in U.S. power supply and demand, along with extreme weather, can lead to wholesale power price spikes that can eventually be passed down to businesses and households.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney and Warner Bros Discovery will offer a bundle of the Disney+, Hulu and Max streaming services in the United States starting this summer, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday.

Customers will be able to sign up on any of the three individual websites and chose from an ad-free or ad-supported plan. No prices were disclosed.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday denounced calls to weaken the role of the European Union as self-destructive and irresponsible, speaking ahead of EU parliamentary elections in June.

In a video message posted on the government's website, Scholz said some populists wanted Germany to leave the European Union, others wanted to "wind down" the bloc, and others saw Russia or China as role models.

"What... (continue reading...)

(Reuters) - Chemicals maker Celanese beat first-quarter profit estimates on Wednesday, helped by a steady rise in demand for its products amid persistent destocking trends.

Destocking, a process by which companies offload excess inventory, had plagued chemicals companies amid soft demand. This trend, however, is expected to slow down this year as demand picks up in key regions such as the U.S., Europe and China.

The company said volumes... (continue reading...)

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed "firm support and solidarity" for Russia in his congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin over Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the end of World War Two, state news KCNA agency said on Thursday.

Russia on Thursday marks the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two as relations with the West spiral deeper into crisis over the advance of... (continue reading...)