TOKYO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A vast majority of Japanese firms want fiscal support to keep flowing at least through this year, a Reuters poll showed, while two-thirds want help to ease the pain from rising commodity prices and a weaker yen.

MELBOURNE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Thursday, trimming big gains from the previous two sessions, amid uncertainty over near-term demand as cases of the highly contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus surge around the globe.

BEIJING, Jan 12 (Reuters) - China's auto sales last year grew for the first time since 2017, industry data showed on Wednesday, boosted partly by a jump of 1.5 times in sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs).

SYDNEY, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The dollar was below key support levels on Thursday, having hit new lows overnight, after data showing U.S. consumer prices rose at their fastest rate in nearly 40 years was not deemed worrying enough to change an already hawkish rates outlook.

WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. consumer prices increased solidly in December as rental accommodation and used cars maintained their strong gains, culminating in the largest annual rise in inflation in nearly four decades, which bolstered expectations that the Federal Reserve will start raising interest rates as early as March.

BEIJING, Jan 11 — China’s automobiles sales grew for the first time since 2018 last year, a trade association said today, as demand for new energy vehicles continues to rise.