Reuters

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Wages in Germany have been rising faster than expected, casting some doubt on expectations for a continued fall in inflation, the country's central bank said Wednesday.

The European Central Bank is all but certain to begin lowering interest rates next month, with President Christine Lagarde saying on Tuesday she was "really confident" inflation was now "under control".

But the ECB's biggest shareholder, Germany's... (continue reading...)

DHAKA (Reuters) - A member of Bangladesh's ruling party was found murdered in the Indian city of Kolkata on Wednesday morning, more than a week after he went missing, Bangladeshi Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said.

Anwarul Azim Anar, from the Awami League party, went missing on May 13, a day after going to India to seek medical treatment, according to his relatives.

Khan told reporters that three Bangladeshis had been arrested over the... (continue reading...)

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday it had taken measures against 12 companies involved in the U.S. military-industrial complex and their senior executives, in response to the U.S. arming of Taiwan and sanctions on Chinese companies.

The U.S. companies included units of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and General Dynamics, China's Foreign Ministry said.

The measures, which include freezing assets in China and banning senior executives... (continue reading...)

PARIS (Reuters) -International lawyers representing the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo said on Wednesday new evidence gathered from whistleblowers indicates that Apple is sourcing minerals from conflict areas in the east of the country.

In a statement, the lawyers urged Apple to answer questions about its supply chain in the country, and said they were evaluating legal options. Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters request for... (continue reading...)

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO (Reuters) - Israeli tanks advanced to the edge of a crowded district in the heart of Rafah on Wednesday during one of the most intense nights of bombardment of the southern Gaza city since Israel launched its offensive there this month.

Israel's assault on Rafah on Gaza's southern edge has set hundreds of thousands of people fleeing what had been a refuge for half of the enclave's 2.3 million people. It has also... (continue reading...)