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.
Proposal to rewrite Thailand’s military-backed constitution fails
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s parliament has failed to pass a bill that would have allowed changes to a military-backed constitution enacted after a 2014 coup, stalling a move by lawmakers to address a key demand of mass street protests last year. The bill, which included a plan for an elected committee to rewrite the constitution, […]
Biden vows Russia’s Putin will ‘pay a price’ for election meddling: ABC News
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin will face consequences for directing efforts to swing the 2020 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump, and that they would come soon. “He will pay a price,” Biden told ABC News in an interview that aired on Wednesday. Asked what the consequences would come, […]
Dollar wobbles after Fed pushes back against rate hike speculation
TOKYO (Reuters) – The U.S. dollar was on the defensive on Thursday after the Federal Reserve signalled it was in no hurry to raise interest rates through all of 2023 even as it saw a swift recovery in the world’s largest economy. The dollar’s index against six major currencies stood at 91.488. It had hit […]
Virgin Atlantic set to raise 160 million pounds in new financing
(Reuters) – British airline Virgin Atlantic, which has been hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic like much of the sector, is set to raise 160 million pounds ($222.75 million) in new financing, a spokeswoman for Richard Branson’s airline said in an emailed statement. “We continue to bolster our balance sheet in anticipation of the lifting of […]
