Reuters

(Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building at the University of California, Irvine, on Wednesday, leading university officials to call in multiple police agencies, cancel classes and advise people on campus to shelter in place, a university spokesperson said.

No arrests or injuries were reported as several law-enforcement agencies from Orange County including Irvine police responded to a university request for assistance, a spokesperson... (continue reading...)

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's economic development agency CORFO on Wednesday said it reached an agreement with Albemarle to establish an option for the U.S. company to increase its production quota by 240,000 metric tons of lithium metal equivalent (LME).

The increase would raise Albermarle's production quota by close to 50%, from about 460,000 metric tons of LME currently.

To access the higher quota, Albemarle would need to prove its... (continue reading...)

By Satoshi Sugiyama and Tetsushi Kajimoto

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's economy contracted in the first quarter, squeezed by weaker consumption and external demand and throwing a fresh challenge to policymakers as the central bank looks to lift interest rates away from near-zero levels.

Preliminary gross domestic product (GDP) data from the Cabinet Office on Thursday showed Japan's economy shrank 2.0% annualised in January-March from the prior... (continue reading...)

By Carolina Mandl

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hedge fund Coatue Management dissolved its stake in Apple Inc in the first quarter while Viking Global Investors built a sizeable new position, securities filings showed on Wednesday. Coatue, founded by Philippe Laffont, had 2.4 million shares of Apple in December, worth $470.6 million. Regulatory filings showed it had dissolved that stake entirely by the end of March.

Apple's shares plunged... (continue reading...)

By Andrew MacAskill

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer will set out six priorities for his party if it wins power, including economic stability and fixing the health service, in a challenge to the governing Conservatives ahead of an election later this year.

Starmer, who has dragged his party towards the centre ground of British politics after it pursued left-wing policies under his predecessor, is offering... (continue reading...)