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☆ China cuts medium-term loan rates as economy sputters, more easing expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank (PBOC), in Beijing, China September 30, 2022. Activity data to be released later on Thursday morning was expected to point to further weakness. The cuts could also pave the way for reductions in China's benchmark lending rates when they are set next Tuesday. With 200 billion yuan ($27.93 billion) worth of MLF loans set to expire this month, Thursday's operation resulted in a net 37 billion yuan ($5.17 billion) of fresh fund injection into the banking system. The central bank also injected 2 billion yuan ($279.14 million) through seven-day reverse repos at 1.9%, it said in an online statement.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, skidding, Goldman Sachs, Li Gu, Tom Westbrook, Kim Coghill Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, BNP, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, outflows, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ NZ must free up land, expand housing supply to ease home affordability - IMF
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WELLINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - New Zealand needs to keep increasing the supply of houses to address housing affordability, which is still a concern, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday, adding that land should be freed up to promote investment. “The cyclical downturn in (house) prices does not imply that the structural housing shortage has been addressed. The IMF report said while prices have fallen, financial stability risks appear contained. It added that achieving long-term affordability depends critically on freeing up land supply and improving planning and zoning, and fostering infrastructure investment to enable fast track housing developments and reduce construction costs and delays. “Risks to the outlook stem from the external environment and a potential need for stronger tightening of monetary and financial condition,” it said.

Persons: Lucy Craymer, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Zealand

☆ Asian shares up, dollar wobbly as US inflation data reinforces Fed pause bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The much-watched U.S. CPI report overnight showed prices barely rose in May, with just a 0.1% increase from the prior month. On an annual basis, consumer prices rose 4%, the smallest in more than two years, slowing from April's 4.9%. Short-dated German yields jumped to a 3-month high overnight as investors looked to the rate decision from the European Central Bank on Thursday. Oil prices were lower in early trade after receiving a 3% boost on China's policy rate cut. U.S. crude futures were off 0.5% to $69.12 per barrel, while Brent crude futures fell 0.4% to $74.02 per barrel.

Persons: China's, Tony Sycamore, Jerome Powell, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Nikkei, Federal Reserve, U.S, CPI, Fed, Tokyo's Nikkei, Bank of Japan, Nasdaq, IG, Bank of England, European Central Bank, Brent, Thomson Locations: China, Hong Kong, SYDNEY, Asia, Pacific, Japan

That yen hoard has mostly been held as cash with the aim of ploughing into Japanese bonds when yields eventually turn higher. "We're all waiting for the end of YCC so we can buy JGBs," said a Japanese pension fund manager who requested anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to media. Japanese banks have ploughed money into overseas bonds, but insurance firms and pension funds have kept their powder dry. MARKETS WONT BLINKSuch is the positioning and inertia among long term Japanese investors that analysts expect markets to barely blink even if the BOJ plays for time this week. Lifers and pension funds say they have very little exposure to Japanese government bonds, so a surprise policy change won't hurt them either.

Persons: Androniki, Haruhiko Kuroda, Kazuo Ueda, Bart Wakabayashi, Hirofumi Suzuki, Suzuki, Kevin Buckland, Ankur Banerjee, Vidya Ranganathan Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of, Japan, Nippon Life Insurance, Sumitomo Life Insurance, Insurance, State, Thomson Locations: Japan, Tokyo, TOKYO, SINGAPORE, YCC, Singapore

The budget deficit is estimated at a record 64.36 trillion Iraq dinars, more than double the last budget deficit in 2021, according to a budget document and lawmakers. The budget sets the exchange rate for oil revenues in U.S. dollars at 1,300 dinars per dollar. It will remain valid through 2025, though it is subject to amendment, including to the oil price it uses given its near-total dependence on oil revenue. To break even, Iraq required an oil price of $96 bpd, it said, while the price averaged $71.3 bpd in May. Baghdad previously had no say over Kurdistan's expenditure of oil revenues, with Kurdistan unilaterally exporting crude via Turkey despite Baghdad's objections.

Persons: Mohammed Nouri, Ahmed Tabaqchali, Ahmed Rasheed, Timour, Shri Navaratnam, Robert Birsel Organizations: Media, REUTERS, London School of Economics Middle East Center, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Baghdad, Iraq, REUTERS BAGHDAD, Kurdistan, Iraqi, Turkey, Erbil, Iraq's, Kurdish, Ankara

☆ Australia recession risk heightens after RBA warns of bumpy path to low inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

For a year, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe has been talking of successfully navigating a narrow path to lower inflation while keeping unemployment near 50-year lows. He expects quarterly growth to average just a 0.1% over the next four quarters, with a 50% chance that the economy would enter a recession. Jonathan Kearns, chief economist at investment firm Challenger and a former RBA executive, says the risk of trying to hold on to job gains was that higher inflation expectations hardened and kept the actual inflation rate high. And pushing rates higher is increasing the chance that Australia goes into a recession," said Kearns, who headed the RBA's domestic markets department until earlier this year. A survey of union officials cited by Lowe showed that medium-term inflation expectations have risen to a 3-4% range.

Persons: Philip Lowe, Lowe, Paul Bloxham, HSBC's, Bloxham, Jonathan Kearns, Kearns, Ivan Colhoun, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: CBA, HSBC, SYDNEY, Reserve Bank of Australia, Global Commodities, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Challenger, National Australia Bank, Thomson Locations: Australia, New Zealand

"Oil prices are expected to stay in a range of about 3 dollars above and below $70 for WTI in the near term," Satoru Yoshida, a commodity analyst with Rakuten Securities. Oil prices had risen early in the week following Saudi Arabia's pledge over the weekend for deep output cuts, but they pared gains after rising U.S. fuel stocks and weak Chinese export data. Yoshida said factors such as fears over tighter supply and higher demand as the United States enters driving season which could drive prices higher were being offset by worries over a slow pickup in China's fuel demand. "Crude prices didn't get any favours from China as their economic recovery has disappointed," OANDA analyst Edward Moya said. While a Reuters poll of economists showed the U.S. Federal Reserve could skip a rate hike at its June 13-14 meeting, the absence of similar signals from other major central banks was weighing on the oil demand outlook, Moya added.

Persons: Satoru Yoshida, Saudi Arabia's, Yoshida, Edward Moya, Moya, Yuka Obayashi, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Saudi, Brent, U.S . West Texas, WTI, Rakuten Securities, U.S . Federal, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, United States, Iran, U.S, United, China

[1/4] Li Yunze, director of China's National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), speaks at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai, China June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Jason XueSHANGHAI/BEIJING, June 8 (Reuters) - China is open for investment, the country's top financial regulators told foreign financiers at a high-profile forum in Shanghai on Thursday, as concerns mount among foreign firms that they may no longer be welcome. "Opening up is China's long-term national policy, and the door of China's financial industry will only be opened wider and wider." Yi Huiman, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, told forum participants that China will "adamantly" push for deregulation in terms of market access, institution qualification and products. Internal circulation will be supported by "external circulation," as in foreign financing and China's interactions with the global economy.

Persons: Li Yunze, Jason Xue, Goldman Sachs Group's, David Solomon, Tesla's, Elon Musk, Xi, Merrill Lynch, Li, Jane Fraser, Yi Huiman, Noah Fraser, Yi, Joe Cash, Shri Navaratnam, Edmund Klamann, Kim Coghill Organizations: China's, Financial Regulatory Administration, REUTERS, HSBC, Credit Agricole, Mizuho Financial, Paypal, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Canada China Business Council, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Jason Xue SHANGHAI, BEIJING, U.S, flashpoints, Ukraine, South, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Russia, Mongolia

☆ Toshiba board recommends shareholders support JIP-led $14 bln buyout
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, June 8 (Reuters) - Japan's Toshiba Corp (6502.T) said on Thursday its board of directors has decided to recommend shareholders take up a tender offer from a consortium led by private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners (JIP). The board earlier this year accepted the buyout offer, which would value the conglomerate at 4,620 yen a share or 2 trillion yen ($14.29 billion), but did not go as far as recommending shareholders tender their shares. Since 2015, Toshiba has been battered by accounting scandals and suffered heavy loss, and came close to being delisted. Toshiba plans to hold an online press conference on the matter at 1:00 p.m. (0400 GMT). ($1 = 139.9100 yen)Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kiyoshi Takenaka, Shri Navaratnam, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Japan's Toshiba Corp, Japan Industrial Partners, Toshiba, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ South Korea plans to discuss bilateral FX swap with Japan, finmin says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, June 8 (Reuters) - South Korea will discuss with Japan re-establishment of their bilateral foreign exchange swap line that expired in 2015, its finance minister said on Thursday. "Current economic issues, including bilateral and regional financial cooperation, will be discussed at the bilateral finance minister meeting on June 29," Minister Choo Kyung-ho said, adding that currency swap arrangement was also on the agenda. Choo was speaking at a discussion forum, in response to a reporter's question about the bilateral finance minister meeting between Japan and South Korea that is scheduled to be held in Tokyo. On the domestic economy, Choo said this year's economic growth would likely be "slightly lower" than the government's previous projection of 1.6%. He said the revision would be contained in the government's economic forecast due in late June or early July, when it releases its biannual policy plans.

Persons: Choo Kyung, Choo, Jihoon Lee, Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, Tokyo

☆ Citi CEO commits to China expansion, Beijing says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The CEO also held meetings with Citi staff and clients, which include some of the largest U.S. multinational companies with presence in China, a Citi spokesperson said. Fraser's first trip to China since taking up the CEO role in March 2021 follows a visits by JPMorgan's chief Jamie Dimon last week and by other global financial executives in March. Sequoia said on Tuesday it plans to spin off its Chinese business as part of wider changes at the U.S. venture capital giant. Li told Fraser that China will open up its financial sector further. Citi is in the process of getting approval to set up a securities brokerage in China, having submitted its application in late 2021.

Persons: Jane Fraser, Fraser, Li Yunze, Li, NFRA, Fraser's, Jamie Dimon, Sequoia, Selena Li, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Navaratnam, Alexander Smith Organizations: National Financial Regulatory Administration, Citi, U.S, United States . International, Beijing, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, BEIJING, U.S, Beijing, China, United States, China's, Hong Kong

☆ Citigroup CEO pledges to Beijing to continue China expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Fraser held a meeting with the head of China's new financial regulator on Monday, the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) said in a statement on Wednesday. Most of the CEOs were reluctant publicly express their enthusiasm in growing their China business, as they tread a fine line between showing commitment to China and not antagonizing the United States. Citi currently offers corporate and institutional banking, global markets, wealth businesses and other banking services in China. The U.S. lender started winding down its retail banking business in China last December due to a global strategy shift, a move set to impact about 1,200 local staff. China will open up its financial sector further, Li Yunze, chief of China's financial regulator told Fraser.

Persons: Jane Fraser, Fraser, Morgan's, Jamie Dimon, Li Yunze, Li, Selena Li, Nivedita Bhattacharjee Organizations: National Financial Regulatory Administration, Citi, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, J.P, United States, The U.S, China's, Hong Kong

☆ Australia Q1 economy grows at slowest pace in 1-1/2 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SYDNEY, June 7 (Reuters) - Australia's economy grew at the weakest pace in 1-1/2 years last quarter as high prices and rising interest rates sapped consumer spending, and emerging signs suggest a further slowdown ahead amid a deceleration in global growth. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.2% in the first quarter, easing from 0.5% in the previous quarter and under forecasts of 0.3%. Annual growth was at 2.3%, also missing forecast for 2.4%. Reporting by Stella Qiu Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Bureau, Statistics, Thomson

☆ Dollar adrift as traders assess Fed options; Aussie buoyant
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In the broader currency market, the U.S. dollar dipped in early Asia trade, as traders pared back their expectations of a rate hike at next week's FOMC meeting. Against the greenback, sterling rose 0.08% to $1.2432, while the kiwi gained 0.08% to $0.6084. "We don't think the FOMC will hike next week ... but risks again are skewed to the upside," said Kong. The U.S. dollar index slipped 0.03% to 104.05, while the euro rose 0.07% to $1.0698. CRYPTO SHAKEOUTIn the cryptoverse, bitcoin , the world's biggest cryptocurrency, was last marginally higher at $27,273, after jumping nearly 6% on Tuesday.

Persons: Philip Lowe, Carol Kong, Lowe, CRYPTO, Coinbase, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Tony Sycamore, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Federal Reserve, Australian, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, U.S, Fed, The U.S, European Central Bank, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, IG Markets, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, U.S, The, Turkish

[1/3] Jun 4, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) in the second quarter in game two of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY SportsJune 6 (Reuters) - Underdog Miami's chances of overcoming the odds and beating the favored Nuggets will hinge on big man Bam Adebayo's success in containing dynamic Denver center Nikola Jokic, his teammates said on Tuesday. "Bam has been playing incredibly well this entire playoffs, for sure this series, and this one he got the toughest matchup by far on the defensive side of the ball," Heat forward Jimmy Butler told reporters on Tuesday. "Like I said, he's going to be the reason why we win a championship." "Everybody thinks basketball is always supposed to be pretty, it's supposed to be fluid," he said.

Persons: Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo, Isaiah J, Downing, Bam, Jimmy Butler, he's, Adebayo, Jokic, Rory Carroll, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Ball, USA, Heat, Eastern, Knicks, Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Thomson Locations: Denver, USA, Miami, Los Angeles

TOKYO, June 7 (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Wednesday after the previous session's losses, as demand concerns owing to slow global economic growth were offset by fears of tighter global supply following Saudi Arabia's pledge to deepen output cuts. Meanwhile, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday that U.S crude oil production this year will rise faster and demand increases will cool compared to prior expectations. A reduction in the U.S. crude stocks also lent support to the oil market, NS Trading's Kikukawa said. U.S. crude oil inventories fell by about 1.7 million barrels last week, while fuel inventories rose, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Analysts forecast U.S. energy firms added about 1.0 million barrels of crude into storage during the week ended June 2, according to a Reuters poll.

Persons: Saudi Arabia's, paring, Hiroyuki Kikukawa, Brent, Kikukawa, Yuka Obayashi, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Saudi, Brent, U.S . West Texas, NS, Nissan Securities, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Saudi Arabia's, Organization of, Petroleum, Citi, UBS, U.S . Energy Information Administration, American Petroleum Institute, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, U.S, United States, China, Russia, OPEC

☆ Australia Q1 GDP growth hits weakest pace in 1-1/2 years as consumers struggle
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.2% in the first quarter, easing from 0.5% in the previous quarter and under forecasts of 0.3%. Annual growth came in at 2.3%, also missing forecasts for 2.4% expansion. The report contained initial signs that domestic price pressures are easing and evidence that households are saving less to meet high costs of livings and rising mortgage rates. Household consumption rose only a meagre 0.2% in the March quarter, contributing 0.1% percentage points to GDP, mostly from spending on essential goods and services. Reporting by Stella Qiu Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Price, Philip Lowe, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Bureau, Statistics, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson

The Aussie was last up 0.6% at $0.6656, after leaping as high as $0.6686, a level last seen on May 16. "For this week it will be wait-and-see mode for euro-dollar," Al-Saraf said, expecting euro-dollar to remain rangebound around 1.07. Meanwhile, the dollar was flat at 139.58 yen , while sterling fell 0.2% to $1.2410. Elsewhere, bitcoin attempted to find its feet around $25,700, after tumbling 5.1% on Monday in its biggest drop since April 19. Reporting by Samuel Indyk and Kevin Buckland; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sean Callow, Chris Turner, Mohamad Al, Saraf, bitcoin, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Samuel Indyk, Kevin Buckland, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill, Ed Osmond Organizations: Australian, Reserve Bank of Australia, U.S, Westpac, Bank of, BoC, Canadian, CENTRAL FOCUS, Market, Danske Bank, Fed, European Central Bank, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ China may cut rates further in H2, government researcher says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, June 6 (Reuters) - China will likely further cut banks' reserve ratio and interest rates in the second half of this year to support the economy, the China Securities Journal reported on Tuesday, citing policy advisors and economists. China's economy rebounded faster than expected in the first quarter but lost momentum at the beginning of the second. Zhang Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a top government think tank, told the state newspaper that low inflationary pressures in China will provide room for monetary easing. China can consider further rate cuts and target the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cuts to lower lending costs, said Zhang. Li Chao, chief economist at Zheshang Securities, also expects potential rate cuts and RRR cuts in the second half of this year, the report said.

Persons: Zhang Ming, Zhang, Li Chao, Ziyi Tang, Ryan Woo, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: China Securities, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Zheshang Securities, U.S . Federal Reserve, United, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, United States

☆ Dollar on back foot after weak ISM; Aussie awaits RBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Leading cryptocurrency bitcoin sagged toward the psychological $25,000 mark after U.S. regulators sued Binance, the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange. "The soft ISM services PMI was unexpected to say the least," said Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG Markets in Sydney. The dollar was little changed at 139.55 yen , while the euro edged 0.08% higher to $1.0718. "The market is still short the Aussie dollar," he said. Elsewhere, bitcoin attempted to find its feet around $25,370, after tumbling 5.1% overnight in its biggest drop since April 19.

Persons: Binance, Tony Sycamore, Sycamore, you've, bitcoin, Changpeng Zhao, Kevin Buckland, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Federal, Reserve Bank of, Global, U.S, Fed, Market, PMI, IG Markets, Services, China, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Sydney

☆ Asian stocks wobble as traders weigh Fed rate pause option
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A string of economic data along with last week's dovish rhetoric from Fed officials have emboldened bets of the Fed refraining from an interest rate hike at its June 13-14 meeting. Saxo strategists said recession concerns, firmer signs of Fed rate cuts or China stimulus measures may be needed to turn sentiment on the energy markets. In the currency market, the dollar index , which measures greenback against six major peers, eased 0.01%. The Australian dollar eased 0.02% to $0.661 as traders wait for the policy decision from the country's central bank. "We expect the RBA to leave the cash rate on hold," analysts at Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in a note.

Persons: Australia's, Hong, nonfarm, Gary Dugan, Brent, Saxo, Sterling, bitcoin, Ankur Banerjee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Federal Reserve, Tokyo's Nikkei, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Federal, Saxo Markets, Dalma, OPEC, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, CBA, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ Australia cenbank warns of more hikes ahead after raising rates to 11-yr high
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The omission of this sentence reads hawkish in our view and may spell further rate hikes ahead from the RBA." Adam Boyton, head of Australian economics at ANZ, expects the RBA to raise interest rates by another quarter-point in August. In the policy statement, Lowe said the latest rate increase will "provide greater confidence that inflation will return to target within a reasonable timeframe." The RBA has increased interest rates by a whopping 400 basis points since May last year, the most aggressive tightening cycle in its modern history. "As the RBA takes rates higher, the risk of a greater slowing in the economy is rising," said Tapas Strickland, head of market economics at NAB.

Persons: Prashant Newnaha, Adam Boyton, Lowe, Tapas Strickland, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: SYDNEY, Reserve Bank of Australia, Securities, Australian, ANZ, Graphics Global, Federal, NAB, Thomson Locations: Asia, Australia

☆ Panama ex-President Martinelli chosen as RM candidate for elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Elida Moreno | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PANAMA CITY, June 4 (Reuters) - Panama's former President Ricardo Martinelli was on Sunday chosen as the presidential candidate for his party Realizando Metas (RM) in next year's elections. Martinelli - along with his sons - is also charged in Panama for his alleged involvement in laundering millions of dollars in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. "The only way to get me out of the presidential race is by impeachment ... they're going to have to kill me," Martinelli said. The Untied States has barred Martinelli from entering the North American country, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accusing him of accepting bribes. Reporting by Elida Moreno Writing by Oliver Griffin Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ricardo Martinelli, Realizando, Martinelli, Antony Blinken, Elida Moreno, Oliver Griffin, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: PANAMA CITY, U.S, Thomson Locations: PANAMA, Panama, American

☆ Turkish lira slips despite appointment of well-regarded finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 5 (Reuters) - Turkey's lira slid almost 1% on Monday in thin trading during the Asian day to weaken past 21 per dollar, in a shaky initial reaction to the appointment of highly-regarded Mehmet Simsek as finance minister. The lira hit 21.1 to the dollar, not far above a record low of 21.8 made last week. Simsek, 56, won markets' confidence during terms as finance minister and deputy prime minister between 2009 and 2018. Turkey's annual consumer price inflation hit a 24-year peak beyond 85% last year, and stood at 44% in April in a sign that further monetary tightening was required, according to Elmi. "A simple return to credible economic policy could see a marked change in Turkey's investment appeal," he said.

Persons: Mehmet Simsek, Tayyip Erdogan's, Mohammed Elmi, Tom Westbrook, Shri Navaratnam, Jamie Freed Organizations: Federated Hermes, Thomson Locations: Turkey

☆ BOJ's Ueda keeps free hand, says no time frame for achieving price goal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The BOJ's target remained elusive until last year, when supply constraints and a spike in commodity costs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine drove up Japan's core consumer inflation near 4%. "The time it takes for the impact of monetary policy to appear on the economy could move around a lot depending on circumstances. We therefore do not have any time frame in mind," Ueda said on Friday. Given it will take more time to achieve our price target, we will maintain the easy policy," he said, when asked by an opposition lawmaker on the likelihood of selling the BOJ's holdings. "Given uncertainty over the outlook, clarifying a set time frame for achieving our price target could have unexpected impact on financial markets," Ueda said.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Haruhiko Kuroda, Ueda, We'll, Leika Kihara, Chang, Ran Kim, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Bank of Japan, Monetary, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Ukraine

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