The US central bank can continue to raise interest rates gradually, despite persistent low inflation that could suggest a fundamental change in the economy, a top Federal Reserve official said Thursday.

The U.S. Senate passed a $15.25 billion relief package Thursday for victims of Hurricane Harvey, in an effort to fully fund federal emergency operations as another potentially catastrophic storm bears down on Florida.

The package passed 80 to 17 one day after President Donald Trump and congressional leaders announced a shock deal that includes the hurricane relief, as well as temporarily lifting of the US debt ceiling and funding of the federal government.

Brazil's central bank slashed its key interest rate on Wednesday by a percentage point to 8.25 percent, the eighth consecutive cut as the country slowly exits a painful recession.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator said Thursday he is ready to step up the pace of talks with Britain as he voiced concern about progress and London's proposal for the border with Ireland.

Finnish telecoms giant Nokia said Thursday it planned to cut around 600 jobs in France as it seeks to make cost-savings and refocus its loss-making businesses.

Europe's main stock markets climbed at the start of trading on Thursday awaiting the ECB's regular policy meeting.

Britain must provide "clarity" over its Brexit strategy in order to stimulate jobs and investment in the offshore oil and gas sector, industry body Oil & Gas UK urged on Wednesday.

Brazilian prices notched up only slightly in August, leaving the annual inflation rate of 2.46 percent the lowest for 18 years, the government statistics office said Wednesday.

Latin America's biggest economy is inching out of its deepest recession in history and steadily falling inflation is allowing the central bank to slash the previously sky high basic interest rate, with a new cut expected when the bank meets later Wednesday.

Australia's economy has shrugged off a sluggish start to the year, boosted by government and consumer spending with the nation extending its record run of growth, official data showed Wednesday.

Former U.S. Department of the Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorism Finance Daniel Glaser – one of the world’s leading authorities on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing – to be Senior Advisor to SGBL Chairman Antoun Sehnaoui, an SGBL press release stated.