Finnish police say one dead after violent incident at school

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – One person is dead after a violent incident at a school in a shopping center in Kuopio, a town in eastern Finland, police said on Tuesday.

Officers used firearms and one person has been taken into custody, the force also said on its Twitter feed.

Cops launch search for missing boy and girl, 13, who vanished in school uniform

RBA’s Lowe Expects Australia’s Economic Growth To Pick Up

Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe said the economic growth is set to pick up, but a strong expansion is not expected in the near term.

The economy has reached a gentle turning point after having been through a soft patch, he told the Armidale Business Chamber on Tuesday.

GDP growth over the first half of this year was stronger than in the second half of 2018. “We are expecting a further modest pick-up in the quarters ahead,” said Lowe.

However, Lowe noted that the main source of domestic uncertainty continues to be the strength of household spending.

According to Lowe, tax refunds will boost household income by 0.6 percent this year. Half of this refund is likely to be spent over the coming quarters. Disposable income is also being underpinned by lower interest rates, he observed.

The governor added that the fundamental factors underpinning the longer-term outlook for the Australian economy remain strong.

Regarding the outlook for investment, Lowe said he does not see the same spike in the measure of policy uncertainty in Australia. However, there has been some softening in measures of business conditions.

The RBA lowered its interest rate in June and July to make more assured progress towards full employment and the inflation target, Lowe said. “Further monetary easing may well be required,” he said.

“At our Board meeting next week, we will again take stock of the evidence,” he added.

McCormick & Co. Q3 adjusted earnings Beat Estimates

McCormick & Co. (MKC) reported earnings for its third quarter that increased from last year.

The company’s bottom line came in at $191.9 million, or $1.43 per share. This compares with $173.5 million, or $1.30 per share, in last year’s third quarter.

Excluding items, McCormick & Co. reported adjusted earnings of $196.5 million or $1.46 per share for the period.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.29 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

The company’s revenue for the quarter rose 0.8% to $1.33 billion from $1.32 billion last year.

McCormick & Co. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q3): $196.5 Mln. vs. $170.0 Mln. last year.
-EPS (Q3): $1.46 vs. $1.28 last year.
-Analysts Estimate: $1.29
-Revenue (Q3): $1.33 Bln vs. $1.32 Bln last year.

-Guidance:
Full year EPS guidance: $5.30 to $5.35

Gold Prices Hover Near Two-month Lows

Gold prices were flat to slightly lower on Tuesday to hover near two-month lows as a blizzard of soft global data encouraged investors to buy dollars.

Spot gold declined 0.4 percent to $1,466.72 per ounce, after hitting its lowest since Aug. 6 at $1,458.50 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures were virtually unchanged at $1,473.15 per ounce.

The U.S. dollar held near its highest level since May 2017 against a basket of other currencies, a day after data showed that German inflation unexpectedly slowed to the weakest level in almost three years.

The euro area manufacturing sector contracted at the fastest pace in nearly seven years as output, new orders and purchasing fell sharply in September, final data from IHS Markit showed earlier today.

Elsewhere, Japan’s manufacturing sector contracted the most in seven months in September as firms reduced production amid weak demand, survey data from IHS Markit showed. The corresponding index dropped to 48.9 from 49.3 in August.

The dollar is also enjoying some support from investor optimism surrounding upcoming U.S.-China trade talks after White House economic advisor Peter Navarro dismissed reports that the Trump administration was considering delisting Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges as “fake news.”

Lebanon bonds climb as central bank promises dollars to importers

LONDON, Oct 1 (Reuters) – Lebanon’s dollar-denominated government bonds climbed on Tuesday after the central bank introduced measures to provide commercial banks with U.S. dollars to support imports of fuel, wheat and medicine.

The country’s markets have been blighted by default worries for months but the central bank’s vow sent a 2037-maturing bond up 0.75 cents to 65.63 cents in the dollar and a 2032 issue to 65.51 cents, according to Tradeweb. Both were the highest level in a week. (Reporting by Tom Arnold; editing by Marc Jones)

UK PM Johnson's government will publish new Brexit proposals: official

LONDON (Reuters) – The British government will publish its proposals for an amended Brexit agreement in coming days, a government official said.

A British minister will make a statement to outline the plans, the official said.

The Brexit plans will not include proposals for border posts between 5-10 miles (8-16 KM) back from the border, the official said.

North Korea, US to hold working-level talks on October 5 – KCNA

North Korea and the United States have agreed to hold working-level talks on October 5, North Korea's state news agency KCNA reported on Tuesday.

The two countries agreed to have preliminary contact on October 4, followed by the working level talks, the agency said, citing a statement issued under the name of vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui.