US inflation rate lowest in two years
US inflation fell to 5% last month – the lowest rate since May 2021. March’s monthly consumer price index continued its steady decline from its peak of just over 9%.
US inflation fell to 5% last month – the lowest rate since May 2021. March’s monthly consumer price index – which measures the price of a ‘basket’ of goods and services – continued its steady decline from its peak of just over 9%. It prompted US President Joe Biden to tweet that: “Inflation has come down 45% since its summer peak. Gas prices are down, and grocery prices fell last month for the first time since September 2020”. But the slowdown is not expected to sway officials at the Federal Reserve, who set interest rates. Economists are still expecting an increase.
They became fashionable during the pandemic...so why are so-called 'blank cheque' companies now being ripped up? Also known as special purpose acquisition companies - or Spacs - they raise cash by listing on the stock market before looking for a private company to merge with. The biggest of them in Europe, Pegasus Europe, is being wound up, prompting fears that Spacs may be reaching the end of the road.
And - do you fancy buying a dinosaur skeleton?...because if you do next week is your big chance. The full skeleton of a T-Rex goes to auction in Switzerland. But you'll need a minimum of around $5 million if you fancy bidding. There is, however, some concern about the whole ethics of selling off such rare fossils. Will the public ever get to see it in future - or will fossil ownership simply become another rich person's toy?
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- Wed 12 Apr 2023 21:32GMT91ȱ World Service Europe and the Middle East
- Wed 12 Apr 2023 22:32GMT91ȱ World Service except Europe and the Middle East