BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Baidu and Pony.Ai said on Thursday they had received permits to deploy robotaxis without humans in the driving seat on open Chinese roads for the first time, in another instance of Beijing city's support for the autonomous-driving sector.

(Reuters) -Exxon Mobil Corp said on Wednesday its Russian unit Exxon Neftegas Ltd has declared force majeure for its Sakhalin-1 operations due to sanctions on Russia that have made it increasingly difficult to ship crude to customers.

TOKYO (Reuters) -The Bank of Japan on Thursday maintained its massive stimulus programme and a pledge to keep interest rates ultra-low, reinforcing its resolve to support a fragile economy even as sharp rises in raw material costs push up inflation.

A Reuters poll showed core consumer prices in Tokyo likely rose at the fastest pace in seven years in April, to near the Bank of Japan's 2% target, in a sign of the broadening impact of global commodity inflation.

The Bank of Japan maintained its massive stimulus on Thursday and pledged to continue buying unlimited amounts of 10-year government bonds to defend its implicit 0.25% cap, signalling its resolve to focus on supporting a fragile economy.

Baidu and Pony.ai said on Thursday they had received permits from the Beijing municipal government to provide driverless ride-hailing services in a 60 sqm area in the Chinese capital.