Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
WASHINGTON, March 21, 2021—World Bank Group President David Malpass issued the following statement on behalf of the Bank Group to mark today’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. “March 21 is observed annually to memorialize the day police in Sharpeville, South Africa opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid in […]
Queen thanks volunteers for helping Britain through the pandemic
LONDON (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth has thanked the millions of people who stepped up to volunteer during the pandemic in Britain, including those who delivered food, medicines and friendship to vulnerable people shielding at home for months. The 94-year-old Queen joined Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of heir-to-the throne Prince Charles, on a […]
U.S.-China high-level talks to wrap up after acrimonious opening
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – Senior U.S. and Chinese officials are set to conclude their talks in Alaska on Friday after a dramatic opening round laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.
U.S. Justice Department probing Visa over debit-card practices: source
(Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Visa Inc engages in anticompetitive practices in the debit-card market, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.
IMF economist sees only ‘transitory’ bump in inflation from U.S. stimulus
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion U.S. stimulus plan could trigger a temporary bump in consumer prices, but inflation was not likely to last long, International Monetary Fund Chief Economist Gita Gopinath said in an interview broadcast on Friday. Gopinath told National Public Radio that the U.S. Federal Reserve had tools to address […]
U.S. Fed to let bank leverage exemption expire this month, will review rule
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Big U.S. banks will have to resume holding an extra layer of loss-absorbing capital against U.S. Treasuries and central bank deposits from next month after the Federal Reserve said on Friday it would not extend a temporary pandemic regulatory break due to expire this month. The Fed said it would, however, launch […]
Nokia sees pick up in margins as turnaround takes shape
HELSINKI (Reuters) – Telecoms equipment maker Nokia is forecasting a pick up in profit margins to 10-13% in 2023, as new CEO Pekka Lundmark charts a course to catch up with rivals in the race to deliver 5G networks. Missteps with strategy during the early phase of the 5G cycle have led the Finnish company […]
Gaps Remain in Countries Readiness to Deploy COVID-19 Vaccines
Assessments by World Bank and partners provide insights into more than 120 countries’ readiness to safely distribute vaccines WASHINGTON, March 18, 2021 – As countries undertake the largest vaccination campaign in history, the World Bank has worked with governments, WHO, UNICEF, the Global Fund and GAVI on assessing countries’ readiness to safely deploy COVID-19 vaccines in […]
Stocks cheer dovish Fed, yen supported before BOJ decision
TOKYO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Asian shares and U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday after the Federal Reserve committed to maintaining accommodative monetary policy and projected a rapid jump in U.S. economic growth this year as the COVID-19 crisis eases. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.87%, while stocks in China rose 0.74%. […]
Japan to lift Tokyo area state of emergency as planned on Sunday
TOKYO (Reuters) – The Japanese government’s advisory panel on coronavirus measures approved on Thursday a plan to let the state of emergency expire in the Tokyo area as scheduled on March 21, while the capital’s governor warned citizens not to let down their guard.
