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☆ Yen steady, markets on intervention alert; Aussie up before RBA decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"This is sending signals that a coordinated intervention may be coming as yen continues to hover above 144 per dollar," said Charu Chanana, market strategist at Saxo Markets. "A coordinated intervention usually has a longer lasting impact on the yen than a unilateral intervention would have." RBA WATCHThe focus in Asian hours will be on the policy decision from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). "We estimate that a hike would push up Aussie modestly by 0.8% so long as the post‑meeting statement was not dovish. The Australian dollar was at $0.668, up 0.16% against the U.S. dollar, while the New Zealand dollar was also up 0.16% at $0.616.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Masato Kanda, Janet Yellen, Charu, Kristina Clifton, CBA's Clifton, Ankur Banerjee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Saxo Markets, Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, U.S . Federal, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reuters, Australian, U.S ., New Zealand, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Japan, U.S, United States, U.S ., Tokyo, Singapore

☆ Australia's central bank is not finished with tightening cycle, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAustralia's central bank is not finished with tightening cycle, economist saysStephen Halmarick of Commonwealth Bank of Australia says that the Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to deliver one final rate hike in its August meeting.

Persons: Stephen Halmarick Organizations: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Reserve Bank of Australia

☆ Yen steady, markets on intervention alert, Aussie up before RBA decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The yen nudged up on Tuesday but remained vulnerable to more weakness, hovering near the key 145 per dollar level as markets were on alert for signs of intervention, while the Australian dollar moved up ahead of a central bank policy decision. "This is sending signals that a coordinated intervention may be coming as yen continues to hover above 144 per dollar," said Charu Chanana, market strategist at Saxo Markets. "A coordinated intervention usually has a longer lasting impact on the yen than a unilateral intervention would have." The focus in Asian hours will be on the policy decision from the Reserve Bank of Australia, or RBA. The Australian dollar was at $0.668, up 0.16% against the U.S. dollar, while the New Zealand dollar was also up 0.16% at $0.616.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Masato Kanda, Janet Yellen, Charu, Kristina Clifton, CBA's Clifton Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Saxo Markets, Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, U.S . Federal, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reuters, Australian, U.S ., New Zealand Locations: Japan, U.S, United States, U.S .

Four Ukrainian drones were shot down by Moscow air defences while a fifth was jammed and crashed into the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, the Russian defence ministry said. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. High-profile drone attacks deep inside Russia, the world's largest country, have increased over recent months with attacks on the Kremlin in May and on Russian oil infrastructure last month. After May's drone attack on the capital, President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was trying to scare and provoke Russia, adding that the capital's air defences would be strengthened. "At this moment, the attacks have been repelled by air defence forces," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram messaging channel.

Persons: Maria Zakharova, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Sobyanin, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, Robert Birsel Organizations: Kyiv, United Arab, UN Security, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Moscow Russia, Kyiv MOSCOW, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Odintsovo, Kaluga, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kubinka, United States, Britain, France, Kyiv, Melbourne

☆ America keeps missing out on topping a list of the world's most liveable cities to Canada, Europe, and Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Melbourne has topped the list seven times so far, but Vienna has come first for the past two years. Instead, the ranking has been dominated by cities in Europe, Australia, and Canada. Last year, when two cities were tied for both third and 10th place, the list consisted of six cities in Europe, three in Canada, and one each in Japan and Australia. In creating the list, the EIU looked at 173 cities across the world. Since the EIU started the ranking in 2009, Melbourne, Australia, has topped the list seven times.

Persons: —, –, isn't, San Diego – Organizations: Economist Intelligence, Service, New Zealand, Commonwealth Fund Locations: Melbourne, Vienna, Austria, Honolulu, Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan, New, Auckland , New Zealand, California, Los Angeles, San, San Francisco, New York City, Auckland, Vancouver

☆ Yen weakens past 145 per dollar, yuan propped by stimulus hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SINGAPORE, June 30 (Reuters) - The yen weakened past the closely watched 145 per dollar level on Friday, keeping traders wary of potential intervention by Japanese authorities, while the yuan crept higher as hopes for further stimulus from Beijing gathered steam. The onshore yuan fell to its lowest since November at 7.2615 per dollar shortly after trading opened on Friday, but was last marginally higher at 7.2505 per dollar. "PMIs released... reinforced the need for stimulus support. The Australian dollar , often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, tracked the Chinese currency higher and rose 0.29% to $0.6635. Further clarity on the bloc's inflation outlook will come later on Friday, with June's flash inflation data due to be released.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Saktiandi Supaat, PMIs, Christopher Wong, Carol Kong, Sterling, Elwin de Groot, Rae Wee, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of Japan's, Japan's Finance, Tokyo perked, New Zealand, U.S, U.S . Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of England, Central Bank, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Beijing, Asia, Tokyo, U.S

☆ Yen weakens past key 145 per dollar level; yuan falls after China PMI data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, June 30 (Reuters) - The yen weakened past 145 per dollar on Friday, a level which kept speculators wary of potential intervention from Japanese authorities, while a faltering economic recovery in China also kept pressure on the yuan. Its renewed decline has stoked speculation that intervention by Japanese authorities could be imminent, particularly as the level of 145 per dollar first prompted them to shore up the yen in September. The onshore yuan fell to its lowest since November at 7.2615 per dollar shortly after trading opened on Friday. The Australian dollar , often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, slipped 0.12% to $0.6608. The dollar index steadied at around 103.33 and was heading for a gain of about 0.7% in the second quarter.

Persons: Saktiandi Supaat, Maybank's Supaat, Carol Kong, Sterling, Elwin de Groot, Rae Wee Organizations: Bank of Japan's, People's Bank of China, New Zealand, U.S, U.S . Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of England, Central Bank, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China, Asia, Tokyo, U.S

Sunak responded by defending his record and framing the resignation as a consequence of Goldsmith's reluctance to apologise for remarks criticising a parliamentary committee over its investigation of former prime minister Boris Johnson. In his resignation letter, Goldsmith said Britain had "visibly stepped off the world stage and withdrawn our leadership on climate and nature". When Sunak was serving as finance minister, Britain won international plaudits in 2021 for brokering a global climate pact at the COP26 summit in Glasgow. However shortly after becoming prime minister, Sunak said he would not attend the 2022 COP summit, before changing his mind when faced with criticism. On Friday, shortly after Goldsmith's resignation, the government announced a new multi-million pound fund to create and restore wildlife-rich habitats.

Persons: Goldsmith, Sunak, Johnson, Zac Goldsmith, Britain, Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, Goldsmith's, William James, Farouq Suleiman, Sarah Young, Philippa Fletcher, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Johnson LONDON, Conservative Party, State, Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Britain, Thomson Locations: British, Glasgow

☆ The Man Who Pictured Ghana’s Rise at Home and Abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Aruna D Souza | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The 94-year-old British-Ghanaian photographer James Barnor calls himself “Lucky Jim” — he’s been “at the right place at the right time and met the right people” during a career spanning more than six decades and two continents, he said in a recent telephone interview from his London home. It’s easy to believe him looking at “James Barnor: Accra/London,” a major retrospective of his work across genres — studio and street photography, photojournalism and fashion, images that range from the quietly intimate to the historical and iconic. Shown at the Serpentine Galleries in London in 2021, the exhibition is on view in an expanded form at the Detroit Institute of Arts, through Oct. 15. Take a modest picture by Barnor from 1952 of Roy Ankrah, a Commonwealth featherweight boxing champion. Barnor posed the three on Nkrumah’s couch — and then jumped into the frame, perching on an armrest, becoming part of a momentous history unfolding.

Persons: James Barnor, “ Lucky Jim ” — he’s, Barnor, Roy Ankrah, Ankrah, Rebecca, Kwame Nkrumah Organizations: Detroit Institute of Arts, Commonwealth Locations: Ghanaian, Accra, London, ”, Republic of Ghana

☆ France violence: Is it safe to visit Paris and other cities right now?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Barry Neild | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Merzouk’s death appears to have become a flashpoint for anger about racial inequality in France and claims of police discrimination. Yves Herman/ReutersLimited curfews have been imposed in two towns close to Paris at the center of some of the worst violence. Several buses were torched in the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers. The violence and protests erupted after police shot dead a teenager in a Paris suburb. The central areas of Paris, home to the Louvre Art Museum and the Eiffel Tower have been almost totally unaffected.

Persons: –, Nahel Merzouk, Merzouk, Emmanuel Macron, Trappes, Yves Herman, Nicolas Tucat, it’s Organizations: CNN, Elite, Eurostar, London —, Reuters, Ministry of, Metro, Louvre Art Museum, Eiffel, US State Department, State Department, Foreign, Commonwealth Office Locations: Paris, France, Bus, Parisian, Nanterre, Montreuil, Neuilly, Clamart, ”, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, London, Roubaix, Aubervilliers, Préfecture, Nicolas, AFP

☆ Yen weakens past key 145 per dollar level as yuan falls after China PMI data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The yen weakened past 145 per dollar on Friday, a level which kept speculators wary of potential intervention from Japanese authorities, while a faltering economic recovery in China also kept pressure on the yuan. Its renewed decline has stoked speculation that intervention by Japanese authorities could be imminent, particularly as the level of 145 per dollar first prompted them to shore up the yen in September. The onshore yuan fell to its lowest since November at 7.2615 per dollar shortly after trading opened on Friday. The Australian dollar , often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, slipped 0.12% to $0.6608. The dollar index steadied at around 103.33 and was heading for a gain of about 0.7% in the second quarter.

Persons: Saktiandi Supaat, Maybank's Supaat, Carol Kong, Sterling, Elwin de Groot Organizations: Bank of Japan's, People's Bank of China, New Zealand, U.S, U.S . Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of England, Central Bank, Rabobank Locations: China, Asia, Tokyo, U.S

☆ Asia pushes back on 'excessive' currency moves amid enduring dollar strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Japan finance officials have warned all this week against the "excessive" depreciation of the Japanese yen . Contrasting moves in the world's major currencies — including the Japanese yen, the Chinese yuan and the U.S. dollar — underscore the variance in domestic interest rates and monetary cycles. Authorities may be buying the Japanese yen "with the rise in USD/JPY set to run further," she added. The Japanese currency was hovering at about 144 against the greenback in Asia trade on Thursday. The central bank allows the currency to trade within a narrow band of 2% from each day's midpoint.

Persons: Sheldon Cooper, Carol Kong, Masato Kanda, Shunichi Suzuki, Philip Wee, Adnan Zaylani, BNM, Goldman Sachs Organizations: People's Bank of, Getty, U.S ., U.S, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Ministry, Bank of Japan's, Reuters, Finance, DBS, greenback, Japan's Finance, Bank Negara Malaysia, Central Bank Locations: People's Bank of China, Asia, Japan, China, Covid, Ukraine, Malaysian, U.S . Federal, Bank

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred questions about Surovikin to the defence ministry, which has so far made no statement about him. Asked by reporters if the Kremlin could clarify the situation with Surovikin, Peskov said: "No, unfortunately not. "So I recommend that you contact the defence ministry; this is its prerogative." Questions about "structural units within the ministry," Peskov said, should be addressed to the defence ministry. The Kremlin said Putin also chaired a meeting about the development of tourism in the region.

Persons: Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin, Dmitry, Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Russia's, PUTIN, Alexander Lukashenko, Andrei Kartapolov, Kartapolov, Guy Faulconbridge, Alexander Marrow, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: General Staff, Kremlin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: St Petersburg MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Soviet, Kala, Moscow, St Petersburg, Russia, Belarus, Concord

☆ Asian shares subdued, yen and yuan hover near 8-mth troughs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was flat, while markets in Singapore, India and Malaysia are closed for holidays. Japan's Nikkei (.N225), however, gained 1% and was headed for a monthly rise of 8.5% and a quarterly jump of 19%. The offshore yuan hovered near an eight-month trough at 7.24 per dollar on Thursday, after the central bank fixed the daily guidance at the weakest level since November. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, on the other hand, cemented expectations for a ninth consecutive rise in euro zone rates in July. U.S. crude futures were little changed at 69.55 per barrel, and Brent crude was down 0.1% at $74.00 per barrel.

Persons: HSI, Jerome Powell, Stephen Wu, Christine Lagarde, Kazuo Ueda, Mark McCormick, hawkish, Powell, Brent, Stella Qiu, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Japan's Nikkei, Nasdaq, Apple, Dow, Micron Technology, European Central Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ECB, Bank of Japan, U.S, Reuters, TD Securities, Thomson Locations: Asia, Pacific, Japan, Singapore, India, Malaysia

☆ Yen under pressure; Aussie slides as inflation slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We are closely watching currency moves with a strong sense of urgency," Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda told reporters on Wednesday. The yen was hovering around the seven-month low of 144.18 per dollar it touched overnight. Against the euro, the yen was pinned near the 15-year low of 157.93 it hit on Tuesday. Against sterling, the Asian currency was hovering around 183.25, just a shade below the 7.5-year low it touched on Tuesday. In the spot market, the onshore yuan opened at 7.2225 per dollar and was changing hands at 7.2285.

Persons: Masato Kanda, Carol Kong, Kong, Rodrigo Catril, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Andrew Bailey, Christine Lagarde, Kazuo Ueda, Ankur Banerjee, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Jamie Freed Organizations: Bank of Japan, Ministry, Finance, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Federal, Fed, National Australia Bank, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Sterling, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Japan, Sintra , Portugal, Tokyo, Singapore

☆ Dollar flat; Aussie slides as inflation slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Australian dollar fell sharply as consumer inflation eased in May. The dollar index is on course to log a decline of about 1.5% for the month. Meanwhile, the Australian dollar fell 0.72% to $0.6637 after the Australian consumer price inflation rate slowed to a 13-month low in May, driven by a sharp pullback in fuel. A measure of core inflation also cooled, in a sign interest rates might not have to rise again in July. The Japanese yen strengthened 0.16% to 143.81 per dollar, but remained close to the seven-month low of 144.18 it touched on Tuesday.

Persons: Rodrigo Catril, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Carol Kong, Bank of England's Andrew Bailey, Christine Lagarde, Kazuo Ueda, Lagarde, Sterling, CBA's Kong, Ankur Banerjee, Muralikumar Organizations: U.S, Federal, Data, Fed, National Australia Bank, European Central Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of England's, Bank, Bank of Japan, Ministry, Finance, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Sintra , Portugal, Singapore

☆ Dollar flat, Aussie slides as inflation slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Rodrigo Catril, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Carol Kong, Bank of England's Andrew Bailey, Christine Lagarde, Kazuo Ueda, Lagarde, Sterling, CBA's Kong Organizations: U.S, Federal, Data, Fed, National Australia Bank, European Central Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of England's, Bank, Bank of Japan, Ministry, Finance Locations: Sintra , Portugal

☆ $630,000 Homes in Virginia, North Carolina and Louisiana
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Angela Serratore | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is also close to a Japanese grocery store, a record shop and a toy store, as well as numerous restaurants, including those serving Greek food and homemade ice cream. A branch of the Richmond Public Library is two blocks away. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is less than half a mile away. Driving to Virginia Commonwealth University or the Capitol District takes about 10 minutes. An entrance door topped by an original transom window opens into a foyer with original hardwood floors and a staircase to the second level.

Organizations: West Cary Street, Byrd Theatre, National Register of Historic Places, Richmond Public, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, Capitol District Locations: Richmond, Va, West

REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoSummary Fears of civil war rose in world's biggest nuclear powerMercenaries posed biggest threat to Putin in 23-year rule'Anyone with anything to lose was extremely tense' -sourceThe elite wonder: What's next for Russia? One fear was that Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group, if he entered Moscow, would try to take over the economy, triggering yet another redistribution of ownership in Russia, the world's biggest supplier of natural resources. The source spoke on condition of anonymity due to the danger of speaking publicly in contemporary Russia. Russians started to withdraw significant amounts of roubles and seek foreign currency in 15 regions across Russia. But within the elite, there is now a fear that Putin will seek to assert his position and remove those he felt did not profess their loyalty with enough ardour.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Putin, What's, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, Prigozhin's, Mikhail Gorbachev, Andrei Belousov, Dmitry Gusev, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Viktor Zolotov, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Southern Military District, REUTERS, Reuters, Kremlin, KGB, Bolshevik, Air, Jets, General Staff, National Guard, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, MOSCOW, Moscow, Russian, Soviet, Ukraine, Belgrade, Istanbul, Dubai, Sochi, Belarus, Belarusian, Zolotov

MOSCOW, June 28 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he persuaded Russian President Vladimir Putin not to "wipe out" mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, in response to what the Kremlin cast as a mutiny that pushed Russia towards civil war. While describing his Saturday conversation with Putin, Lukashenko used the Russian criminal slang phrase for killing someone, equivalent to the English phrase to "wipe out". "I also understood: a brutal decision had been made (and it was the undertone of Putin's address) to wipe out" the mutineers, Lukashenko told a meeting of his army officials and journalists on Tuesday, according to Belarusian state media. Later Lukashenko told his military that "people fail to understand that we are approaching this in a pragmatic way ... Prigozhin halted what he called was "march of justice" on Moscow from the southern city of Rostov-on-Don within 200 kilometres of the capital after Lukashenko's intervention.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin, Lukashenko, Sasha, Wagner, They've, Guy Faulconbridge, Lidia Kelly, Nick Starkov, Andrew Osborn, Peter Graff Organizations: Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Russia, Belarus, Kremlin, Belarusian, Moscow, Rostov, Melbourne

Flightradar24 showed an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet appeared in Rostov region at 0232 GMT and began a descent at 0420 GMT near Minsk. The identification codes of the aircraft match those of a jet linked by the United States to Autolex Transport which is linked to Prigozhin by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control. Under a deal mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday to halt a mutiny by Prigozhin's mercenary fighters, Prigozhin is meant to move to Belarus. Prigozhin, who has bragged about meddling in U.S. elections, said last week his fighting force was 25,000 strong. Speaking from the Kremlin on Monday, Putin vowed to stand by his promise to allow Wagner fighters to leave for Belarus, though he did not mention Prigozhin by name.

Persons: Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Flightradar24, Dmitry Peskov, Flightradar, Alexander Lukashenko, WAGNER'S, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Russia's, Gleb Stolaryov, Guy Faulconbridge, Angus MacSwan, Jon Boyle Organizations: Belarus Russia, Prigozhin, Embraer, U.S . Office, Foreign Assets Control, Kremlin, Central African Republic, Federal Security Service, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Russia, Prigozhin MOSCOW, Prigozhin, Russian, Rostov, Minsk, United States, Belarusian, Africa, Central African, Mali, Ukraine, Kremlin

☆ Supreme Court Allows Unusual Pennsylvania Law on Corporate Suits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Abbie Vansickle | Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court upheld a Pennsylvania law on Tuesday that requires corporations to consent to being sued in its courts — by anyone, for conduct anywhere — as a condition for doing business in the state. Only Pennsylvania has such a law. But the ruling may pave the way for other states to enact similar ones, giving injured consumers, workers and others more choices of where to sue and subjecting corporations to suits in courts they may view as hostile to business. The Supreme Court was split 5 to 4, with Justice Neil M. Gorsuch writing for the majority. In ruling against the corporation at the center of the case, Norfolk Southern, Justice Gorsuch rejected its argument that it was entitled “to a more favorable rule, one shielding it from suits even its employees must answer” under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Persons: Neil M, Justice Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, John G, Roberts Jr, Elena Kagan, Brett M, Kavanaugh, ” Organizations: Chief Locations: Pennsylvania, Norfolk Southern

☆ Dollar steady as investors ponder over global rates, economic outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Investors were also on guard after dramatic weekend events in Russia, though reaction in the currency market was subdued as they assessed the implications of the aborted mutiny. The euro was nursing its losses from last week and was last up 0.07% at $1.0902 in Asia trade. Flash Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data on Friday showed Britain's economy displayed signs of a slowdown this month but inflation pressures stayed high. Elsewhere, the Japanese yen rose 0.3% to 143.27 per dollar, though was not far from an over seven-month low of 143.87 hit on Friday. The offshore yuan languished near a seven-month low at 7.2162 per dollar.

Persons: Sterling, Bank of England stoked, Carol Kong, Masato Kanda, Vladimir Putin's, CBA's, Rae Wee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Bank of England, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, PMI, U.S, U.S ., Bank of Japan's, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Russia, Asia, Europe, U.S, Russian, Rostov, Moscow, CBA's Kong, China, Beijing

MOSCOW, June 26 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin's former chief strategist on Monday urged an end to mercenary groups in Russia after a mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner militia, cautioning that they interfered with the chain of command. Vladislav Surkov, once known as the Kremlin’s ‘puppet master’ by friends and foes alike, said "private military companies" were an idea imported from the U.S., created to engage in proxy wars. This is not a proxy war, this is the SVO," Surkov said. As first deputy chief of the Kremlin administration from 1999 to 2011, Surkov helped Putin forge his tightly controlled political system. Prigozhin last month said his nickname "Putin's chef" was stupid as he could not cook, quipping that "Putin's butcher" might be more apt.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, Vladislav Surkov, Surkov, Alexei Chesnakov, Putin, Prigozhin, Wagner, Russia's, Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Kremlin, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, U.S, Ukraine, St Petersburg, Prigozhin

☆ US officials saw signs Prigozhin was planning challenge to Russian military but surprised by rapid escalation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Alex Marquardt Jim Sciutto | Natasha Bertrand | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

US and Western intelligence officials saw signs that Prigozhin was making preparations for such a move, including by massing weapons and ammunition, one Western intelligence official and another person familiar with the intelligence said. Prigozhin had vowed Friday to retaliate against Russian military leadership over an alleged strike on a Wagner military camp and claimed control of military facilities in two Russian cities. A European intelligence official told CNN that the “temperature had obviously been building,” but few could have predicted what Prigozhin was planning. It is not clear to US or European officials how far in advance Prigozhin was planning the rebellion. One source familiar with Western intelligence said it appeared that it must have taken at least several days to organize.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Putin, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken’s, Blinken, Matthew Miller, “, Stringer Stringer, Kamala Harris, Adam Hodge, Lloyd Austin, Brig, Pat Ryder, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Intelligence, Ukraine, House, European Union, Foreign, Commonwealth, Development, ”, Southern Military District, REUTERS, Reuters Biden, National Security, US, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Japan, United States, Ukraine, Britain, Rostov, Don, Poland

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