Reuters

(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Wednesday ahead of the crucial consumer prices data that will test the recent market rally fueled by hopes of monetary policy easing by the Federal Reserve.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq notched a fresh record closing high on Tuesday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell's assessment of U.S. growth and inflation reassured investors as they digested hotter-than-expected producer prices print for April.

By Simon Lewis

KYIV (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday praised the resilience of Ukraine's grain production in the face of Russian attacks as he toured a U.S.-supported transshipment facility on the outskirts of Kyiv.

Russia has struck ports and infrastructure since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, worsening a global food crisis, but grain exports have recovered amid Ukrainian attacks on... (continue reading...)

BEIJING (Reuters) - The U.S. move to raise tariffs on Chinese goods is a case of "typical bullying" and "shows that some people in the United States have reached the point of losing their minds," China's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

"The U.S.'s suppression of China does not prove that the U.S. is strong, but rather exposes that the U.S. has lost its self-confidence and is out of order," Minister Wang Yi said, according to state broadcaster... (continue reading...)

SEOUL (Reuters) - Planemakers Airbus and Boeing need to put more pressure on their suppliers to reduce the delivery delays of new aircraft that are hindering airlines' ability to meet travel demand, Qatar Airways CEO said on Wednesday.

"We are ... really trying our best to assist both Boeing and Airbus and try to find solutions for them to make sure they deliver," Badr Mohammed Al Meer said on a panel at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union urged Georgia on Wednesday to withdraw its controversial "foreign agents" law and warned that the measure would set back the country's ambitions to join the bloc.

"The adoption of this law negatively impacts Georgia's progress on the EU path," said a statement from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi.

"The choice on the way forward is in Georgia's... (continue reading...)