US consumer price growth slows in February

 February's Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed consumer prices rose less than forecast in February as investor fears rise over the health of the US economy.

The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 2.8% over the prior year in February, below January's 3% annual gain and ahead of economist expectations of a 2.9% annual increase.

The index rose 0.2% over the previous month, a deceleration from the 0.5% increase seen in January and a beat compared to economists' estimates of a 0.3% monthly uptick.

On a "core" basis, which strips out the more volatile costs of food and gas, prices in February climbed 0.2% over the prior month, lower than January's 0.4% monthly gain, and 3.1% over last year. This marked a downtick from the 3.3% core price increases seen in the prior-month period.

Both metrics were also ahead of Wall Street's projections.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/inflation-data-cools-in-february-easing-investor-fears-about-the-health-of-the-us-economy-123241312.html

UK Says 'Rapidly Negotiating' Deal with US to Remove Additional Tariffs

 The Government is negotiating “rapidly” towards a trade deal with the US after President Donald Trump imposed global tariffs on steel and aluminium.

Treasury Minister James Murray on Wednesday said the UK was “not going to retaliate immediately” to the taxes and is instead working “toward an economic agreement with the US”.

The tariffs came into effect at around 4am GMT and raise a flat duty on steel and aluminium entering America to 25%.

The European Union has already announced it will introduce counter-measures on American goods.

But Mr Murray told Times Radio: “We're not going to retaliate immediately in that way.

“Obviously, the imposition of tariffs is disappointing, but we want to take a pragmatic approach and we're already negotiating rapidly toward an economic agreement with the US with the potential to eliminate additional tariffs.

“We think that the best way for the UK to respond is with a cool-headed, pragmatic, productive response working with the US, but whilst at the same time making absolutely clear that we will stand up for British industry and all options are on the table."

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has described Mr Trump's plans as "disappointing" and said "all options" are on the table to respond in the national interest.

Brussels said counter-measures to the tariffs, which affect around 26 billion euros (around £22 billion) of EU exports, will be introduced in April "to defend European interests".

In a statement, the European Commission described the US measures as "unjustified trade restrictions".

The Government estimates around 5% of UK steel exports and 6% of aluminium exports by volume go to the US, although the aluminium industry body said the US market accounts for 10% of exports - valued at £225million.

Mr Trump has previously threatened to impose tariffs on other countries and then relented, but he remains wedded to the overall idea of making the US richer through taxing imports.

Mr Murray added: "We reserve our right to retaliate, but we want a pragmatic approach, working closely and productively with the US.

“We want to continue with that really important work which came out of the Prime Minister's successful visit to Washington last month.

“And we think that's in the best interest of British businesses and the British public."

Gareth Stace, director-general of trade association UK Steel, branded the Trump administration's move "hugely disappointing".

He added: "These tariffs couldn't come at a worse time for the UK steel industry, as we battle with high energy costs and subdued demand at home, against an oversupplied and increasingly protectionist global landscape. What's more, the EU is also pushing ahead with trade restrictive action that will amplify the impact of US tariffs."

Nadine Bloxsome, chief executive of the Aluminium Federation, said: "The UK aluminium sector is already seeing the first impacts of these tariffs.

"The sharp rise in US premiums has created new incentives for scrap exports, raising the risk of significant domestic scrap leakage. This not only weakens the UK's recycling capacity but risks undermining our sustainability objectives and circular economy targets.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/britain-rapidly-negotiating-us-trade-deal-after-donald-trump-steel-tariffs-blow/ar-AA1AKBS8

TSMC Proposes Joint Venture with Intel: A New Chapter for U.S. Chipmaking?

 TSMC has pitched U.S. chip designers Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom about taking stakes in a joint venture that would operate Intel's factories, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

Under the proposal, the Taiwanese chipmaking giant would run the operations of Intel's foundry division, which makes chips adapted for the needs of customers, but it would not own more than 50%, the sources said. Qualcomm has also been pitched by TSMC, according to one of the sources and a separate source.

The talks, which are at an early stage, come after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration requested TSMC, the world's leading contract chipmaker, assist in turning around the troubled U.S. industrial icon, the sources said on condition of anonymity because the talks are not public.

The details of the plan for TSMC to take no more than a 50% stake and its overtures to potential partners are being reported for the first time.

Any final deal - the value of which is unclear - would need approval from the Trump administration, which does not want Intel or its foundry division to be fully foreign-owned, the sources said.

Intel, TSMC, Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm declined to comment. The White House and Broadcom did not respond to requests for comment.

At stake is the future of the U.S. chipmaking giant, whose shares have lost more than half of their value in the last year.

Intel reported a 2024 net loss of $18.8 billion, its first since 1986, driven by large impairments. The foundry division's property and plant equipment had a book value of $108 billion as of December 31, according to a company filing

Intel stock rose more than 7% in premarket U.S. trading on Wednesday, while Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom and Qualcomm were up between 0.8% and 1.5%. TSMC closed about 1.8% higher in Taiwan.

Trump is keen to revive Intel's fortunes, as he seeks to boost American advanced manufacturing, three of the sources said.

The sources said TSMC's joint venture pitch was made to potential backers before the Taiwanese chipmaker announced with Trump on March 3 that the company planned to make a fresh $100 billion investment in the United States that involves building five additional chip facilities there in coming years.

Talks about the joint venture over Intel's foundry division have since continued, the three sources said, with TSMC looking to have more than one chip designer as a partner.

Multiple companies have expressed interest in buying parts of Intel, but two of the four sources said the U.S. company has rejected discussions about selling its chip design house separately from the foundry division.

Qualcomm has exited earlier discussions to buy all or part of Intel, according to those people and a separate source.

Intel board members have backed a deal and held negotiations with TSMC, while some executives are firmly opposed, according to two sources.

Intel's contract manufacturing business, or foundry division, was a crucial part of former CEO Pat Gelsinger's effort to save Intel. Gelsinger was forced out by the board in December, which named two interim co-CEOs who have mothballed its forthcoming AI chip.

Any deals between historical rivals TSMC and Intel would face major challenges and be costly and laborious. The two companies currently use vastly different processes, chemicals, and chipmaking tool setups at their factories, according to separate sources at the companies.

Intel has previously had manufacturing partnerships with Taiwan's UMC and Israel's Tower Semiconductor that could offer a precedent for the two companies to operate together, but it remains unclear how such a partnership would work regarding trade manufacturing secrets.

The Taiwanese chipmaker wants potential investors in the joint venture to also be Intel advanced manufacturing customers, according to one of the sources.

Reuters reported last week, citing sources, that Nvidia and Broadcom are running manufacturing tests with Intel, using the company's most advanced production techniques, known as 18A. AMD is also evaluating whether Intel's 18A manufacturing process is suitable for it.

But 18A has been an area of contention in negotiations between Intel and TSMC, two sources said. During talks in February, Intel executives told TSMC that its advanced 18A manufacturing technology was superior to TSMC's 2-nanometer process, according to those sources.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-tsmc-pitched-intel-foundry-034915749.html

Amazon, Google sign pledge to support tripling of nuclear energy capacity by 2050

 

Major companies such as Amazon and Google on Wednesday signed a pledge to support the goal of at least tripling the world's nuclear energy capacity by 2050, on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference in Houston.

Shale company Occidental and Japanese heavy machinery maker IHI Corp also added their names to the pledge.

The pledge is expected to gain more support over the coming months from industries including maritime, aviation and oil and gas, said the World Nuclear Association (WNA), the nuclear industry group that facilitated the pledge, in a press release.

The pledge adds on to the vow from over 30 countries, which also aimed to triple capacity by 2050 in 2023.

Nuclear energy, a source of clean power, generates 9% of the world's electricity from 439 power reactors, according to WNA.

As of early 2025, the world has only around 411 nuclear power reactors operating, with a combined capacity of 371 gigawatts.

https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2025-03-12/amazon-google-sign-pledge-to-support-tripling-of-nuclear-energy-capacity-by-2050

Merck MS tablet set for wider use by NHS in England

 Thousands more patients with multiple sclerosis in England will soon be able to access Merck KGaA's take-at-home tablet Mavenclad, reducing their need for clinic visits.

New guidance (PDF) from health technology assessment (HTA) agency NICE means that Mavenclad (cladribine) will soon be an option for people with active relapsing-remitting MS who are having relapses or new disease activity visible on MRI scans.

The drug has been an option for people with more severe, highly active forms of the disease – who have two or more relapses per year – since 2019.

In December, NICE said it was minded not to recommend the broader label, but has now changed its stance after a campaign by patient organisations including the MS Society.

The new decision means that patients with less severe symptoms will have an oral alternative to current injected or infused MS medications – such as Roche's Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Novartis' Kesimpta (ofatumumab) – which require regular trips to hospital for dosing and monitoring.

In contrast, Mavenclad needs to be dosed just 20 times in the first two years of a four-year treatment cycle. The tablets are taken for a maximum of 10 days in the first and second years, with no treatment needed in the subsequent two years.

The intermittent treatment is also a big advance in treatment for MS patients hoping to have children because, while Mavenclad is contraindicated in pregnancy, they should be able to safely conceive in the third and fourth years of the treatment cycle.

NICE's decision follows the decision by the MHRA to approve Mavenclad for active relapsing-remitting MS last year, becoming the first medicines regulator in Europe to extend the drug's label.

It is estimated that more than 150,000 people in the UK live with MS, with around 85% having the relapsing-remitting form at first diagnosis, and NICE reckons about 2,000 patients could be offered the treatment over the first three years.

"Cladribine is self-administered, so this decision could particularly benefit people who'd struggle to go into hospital regularly, like younger working-age adults," said the MS Society's head of policy Laura Thomas.

"It will also benefit patients considering starting a family, as it's safe to get pregnant six months after the final course of treatment," she added. "We're so glad more people with MS will now be able to choose an effective treatment which suits their lifestyle."

The list price of Mavenclad is around £2,050 per 10mg tablet, although Merck is providing it to the NHS in England at a confidential discount. The new guidance is due to be finalised in April, with access in Wales and Northern Ireland typically decided shortly afterwards. Scotland meanwhile is still carrying out its appraisal of the wider use.

The drug is one of Merck's top sellers, with sales rising 12% last year to reach €1.1 billion.

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/merck-ms-tablet-set-wider-use-nhs-england

MSD opens $1bn plant for HPV vaccine in the US

 MSD has opened the doors of a $1 billion manufacturing facility at its site in Durham, North Carolina, that will be used to produce the bulk drug substance for its HPV vaccine Gardasil.

The 225,000 sq. ft. plant – which is dedicated to vaccines production – is part of a broader $12 billion capital investment that MSD has made in its manufacturing capacity since 2018, with another $8 billion planned between now and 2028.

While the announcement of the opening comes at an opportune time for MSD (known as Merck & Co in the US and Canada), given President Trump's strident calls for more pharma manufacturing to be located within the US, the additional capacity for Gardasil comes at a time when sales of the vaccine have gone into reverse.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, worldwide sales of Gardasil products fell 17% to $1.6 billion, while for the full year they fell 3% to $7.6 billion. MSD has attributed the fall to lower demand in China – tied to reduced "discretionary consumer spending" – that was not able to offset "higher demand in most international regions, particularly in Japan."

The company is hoping to reverse the trend in China, following the approval in January of a broader label for the vaccine to include the prevention of certain HPV-related cancers and diseases in males between nine and 26 years of age.

In the meantime, however, it has temporarily paused shipments to China – beginning in February and lasting through at least the middle of this year – saying that would allow it to achieve a more rapid correction to its inventory levels.

Chief executive Robert Davis said last month that China "still represents a significant long-term opportunity for Gardasil, given the large number of females, and now males with our recent approval, that are not yet immunised," although the company has reined back its $11 billion peak sales prediction for the shot.

Meanwhile, the new facility is being hailed as a showcase for MSD's manufacturing prowess, boasting new technical and digital capabilities, including data analytics, generative AI, 3D printing, and a training centre equipped with a digital twin – a virtual model of the shop floor manufacturing process systems – that can simulate process changes before they are implemented.

"Expanding our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Durham marks a significant milestone in our efforts to strengthen our production and manufacturing capabilities in the US," said Sanat Chattopadhyay, executive vice president and president of Merck's manufacturing division.

"The cutting-edge technologies employed here empower our workforce and underscore our leadership in innovation to support patients everywhere."

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/msd-opens-1bn-plant-hpv-vaccine-us

Butcher Christians in the Middle East and receive a VIP invite to an EU conference in Brussels

 

By Olivia Murray

(See also, “Syria’s ruling ISIS ‘moderates,’ hailed by the EU and the swamp, commence slaughtering the Christians” by Monica Showalter.)

Syria’s new head of state, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the violent Islamist—but I repeat myself—who rose to power after his forces toppled Bashar al-Assad, is the man of the hour for European progressives, as the European Commission recently extended an invitation to the interim president to attend a “donor conference” in Brussels. This is all despite the fact that under his watch, thousands of civilians, many of the Christian faith, have been slaughtered in the streets by what are reportedly, government forces.

Here’s a Christian man being affixed to a cross before taking three AK-47 rounds to the head:

Here the Christians crawl along the ground on the way to their inevitable execution:

And here we have a man laying down on the ground before the new “security personnel” treat him like target practice:

But Al-Sharaa had nothing to do with the wholesale massacres though, and he’s going to make sure the perpetrators, whoever they are, are brought to justice—yeah, sure he is—at least that’s his story and he’s sticking to it!

Naturally, the very anti-Christian and pro-Islamist EU would consider him to be a legitimate leader who’s earned a legitimate seat at the table. Will they send a private plane for his personal use? Will they put him up in a five-star hotel? Will they hand him millions of taxpayer dollars in “humanitarian aid” to spend at his discretion? Will they honor him as an avant-garde revolutionary?

A “yes” answer to all the above hypotheticals is entirely conceivable, which is almost as disturbing as the murder of innocent people.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/03/butcher_christians_in_the_middle_east_and_receive_a_vip_invite_to_an_eu_conference_in_brussels.html