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☆ Tropical Maldives heads to polls closely watched by India and China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Mohamed Junayd | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Maldives national flag flutters as pigeons fly past during the morning in Male February 8, 2012. "August’s poll reveals a majority of voters, 53%, remain undecided just three weeks before the first round vote on 9 September. This month’s poll has seen the most ‘undecideds’ since Baani began its monthly poll in April," the organisation said in a statement. If no candidate manages to secure 50% plus one vote, there will be a second round vote on Sept. 30 to decide the winner. Reporting by Mohamed Junayd, writing by Uditha Jayasinghe, editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dinuka, Ibrahim Solih, Mohamed Muizzu, Muizzu, Abdulla Yameen, undecideds, Baani, Mohamed Junayd, Uditha Jayasinghe, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Baani, Thomson Locations: Maldives, COLOMBO, India, China

☆ North Korea conducts missile launch into sea after US bomber drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. The launch comes a day before South Korea and the U.S. wrap up 11 days of combined military drills, which Pyongyang has denounced. The B-1B bombers conducted separate air drills with warplanes from South Korea and Japan earlier on Wednesday. North Korea's ballistic missiles are banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions that have imposed strict sanctions on the nuclear-armed country. Kirby said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had recently travelled to North Korea to try to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.

Persons: Kim Hong, John Kirby, Kirby, Sergei Shoigu, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Chang, Ran Kim, Josh Smith, Alison Williams, Alex Richardson, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Korea's, Chiefs, Staff, United Nations, White House, Russian, Korean, . Space Force, . U.S, South Korean, Korea, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, TOKYO, U.S, Korea, United States, Pyongyang, Japan, Russia, The U.S, ., Tokyo, Seoul

☆ China approves 37 retail funds to help revive market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Chinese national flag flutters outside the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) building on the Financial Street in Beijing, China July 9, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Aug 28 (Reuters) - China's securities regulator approved the launch of 37 retail funds over the weekend, part of government efforts to revive a stock market struggling for lift-off in an ailing economy. In an editorial on Monday, the official China Securities Journal said that recent support measures underline authorities' determination to stabilise the capital market, whose sound operation is essential to China's economic recovery. "A vibrant capital market is key to stabilizing people's expectations and increasing confidence," the editorial said. "Policymakers' resolve to revive the market and boost confidence must not be underestimated."

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: China Securities Regulatory Commission, REUTERS, Rights, China Securities Journal, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing

☆ North Korea approves return of its citizens from abroad after COVID lockdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 27 (Reuters) - North Korea has approved the return of its citizens who were abroad after years of strict border restrictions during the COVID pandemic, state media reported on Sunday as the isolated country cracks open its border to passenger travel. "Those returned will be put under proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week," the statement said. Cargo train and ship traffic has slowly increased over the past year, but North Korea has only just begun to allow some international passenger travel. Many foreign delegations closed their embassies in Pyongyang because they were unable to rotate staff or ship in supplies for much of the pandemic.

Persons: Kim Hong, lockdowns, Soo, hyang Choi, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Epidemic, Koryo, North, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, Beijing, China, Russian, Kazakhstan

REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, Aug 25 (Reuters) - China's banks will cut deposit rates soon as part of efforts to make mortgages more affordable and revive property demand, analysts reading China's cryptic policy messages reckon. But China did not opt for a broad rate cut that would further depress banks' narrow net interest margins, instead deferring to banks to cut their deposit rates and give themselves room to cheapen mortgages, analysts said. Lowering deposit rates will give banks much needed wiggle room to cut mortgage rates. "Further reductions to the deposit rates are 'arrows on the string,'" said Wang Yifeng, banking analyst at Everbright Securities. He also expects a tweak to rules so that existing mortgage rates can be reset lower.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Wang Yifeng, Zhu Qibing, LPR, Zhu, Lu Ting, Lu, Xing Zhaopeng, Xing, Winni Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Samuel Shen, Vidya Ranganathan, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: China Securities Regulatory Commission, REUTERS, Rights, Bankers, Everbright Securities, People's Bank of China, BOC International China, Nomura, ANZ, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Rights SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ North Korea's Kim inspects cruise missile test as South Korea-US military drills begin
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A North Korea flag flutters next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia March 9, 2017. The latest missile test came as South Korea and the United States began the Ulchi Freedom Shield summer exercises on Monday, designed to enhance their joint responses to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. South Korean lawmakers have said the North could seek to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile or take other military action to protest the allies' drills or last week's summit of South Korea, the United States and Japan. North Korea has been constantly testing what it calls "strategic cruise missiles" since late 2021. While modernising and bolstering its naval power, North Korea showcased a new nuclear-capable underwater attack drone in March.

Persons: Edgar Su, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim, Hyonhee Shin, Lisa Shumaker, Diane Craft Organizations: North, REUTERS, Rights, United States, Command, Navy, Thomson Locations: Korea, North Korean, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, Pyongyang, United States, Japan, North Korea

☆ North Korea slams UN human rights meeting as a US 'scheme'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.N. Security Council discussed human rights abuses in North Korea on Thursday, with the U.S. ambassador criticising leader Kim Jong Un for using "repression and cruelty" to develop nuclear weapons and missiles. U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of South Korea and Japan agreed at Camp David on Friday to deepen military and economic cooperation, facing China's growing power and nuclear threats from North Korea. China, North Korea's major ally, opposed the meeting of the 15-member council on abuses in North Korea but it did not attempt to block it. "We will never tolerate the U.S. and its followers' anti-(North Korea) 'human rights' slander scheme, and will defend the sovereignty of the state, the socialist system and security interests," North Korea's KCNA quoted as an unnamed spokesperson from the country's human rights think tank as saying. North Korea said on Wednesday an American soldier, Travis King who crossed into North Korea last month, had fled racism and abuse in America.

Persons: Kim Hong, Kim Jong, Joe Biden, David, KCNA, Travis King, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, . Security, U.S, Korean, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Nations, United States, Pyongyang, Japan, China, North, America

☆ US slams North Korea for using repression to build nuclear weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. North Korea (DPRK) has repeatedly rejected accusations of abuses and blames sanctions for a dire humanitarian situation. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said that there had been decades of chronic human rights violations in North Korea, and that many "stem directly from, or support, the increasing militarization of the DPRK." North Korea did not address the meeting. Ilhyeok Kim fled North Korea when he was 17.

Persons: Kim Hong, Kim Jong Un, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Kim Jong, –, Geng Shuang, Kim, Volker Turk, Travis King, Thomas, Ilhyeok Kim, Michelle Nichols, Alistair Bell Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, North, United Nations, U.S, Security Council, China, South, DPRK, State, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, United States, China, Albania, Japan, DPRK, Pyongyang, U.S, Korea, Greenfield

☆ US Navy joins Army, Marine Corps in having no Senate-confirmed leader, in historic first
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Andrew KellyWASHINGTON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy on Monday became the third branch of the military to no longer have a Senate-confirmed leader for the first time in history, as a Republican senator continues to block military nominations. The Navy, Army and Marine Corps are now all without a confirmed leader. And it is unsafe," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a relinquishment ceremony at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Several states have limited abortion access since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the military argues that women service members cannot choose where they are stationed. Tuberville's hold cannot prevent the Democratic-majority Senate from voting on any promotion, but it can drastically slow down the process.

Persons: Andrew Kelly WASHINGTON, Mike Gilday, Lloyd Austin, Tommy Tuberville, it’s, Austin, Joe Biden, Lisa Franchetti, Roe, Wade, Idrees Ali, Hugh Lawson Organizations: U.S . Marines, U.S . Navy, U.S . Navy Wasp, Fleet, REUTERS, Republican, Naval, Navy, Army, Marine Corps, . Defense, Naval Academy, Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Senate, U.S, Supreme, Democratic, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bataan, New York, Annapolis , Maryland, Alabama

☆ Philippines says refurbishing grounded ship an option to strengthen hold on disputed shoal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A Philippine flag flutters onboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a marooned transport ship which Philippine Marines used as a military outpost, in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea March 30, 2014. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File PhotoPUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines Aug 11 (Reuters) - The Philippines is looking at several options to strengthen its hold on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea including refurbishing a grounded and rusting warship it uses as a military outpost, a move that would likely anger Beijing. The Philippines intentionally grounded the World War Two-era warship Sierra Madre in 1999 as part of its sovereignty claim to the Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within its exclusive economic zone, and rotates a handful of troops through the ship. China has urged the Philippines to fulfill a "promise" to tow away the grounded vessel, but Manila denied striking any agreement to abandon the shoal, which it calls Ayungin. The Philippines won an international arbitration award in 2016 against China's South China Sea sovereignty claim, after a tribunal ruled Beijing's sweeping claim had no legal basis, including at the Second Thomas Shoal.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Alberto Carlos, Romeo Brawner, Thomas, Ayungin, Carlos, Ramsey Gutierrez, Gutierrez, Karen Lema, Michael Perry Organizations: flutters, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Marines, REUTERS, Philippine Western Command, Chinese Coast Guard, Philippines, China's, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, Spratly, South, PRINCESA, Philippines, South China, Beijing, Sierra, China, Manila, Japan, France, South Korea, United States, Philippine, Thomas Shoal . China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia

☆ North Korea denounces US arms aid to Taiwan as 'dangerous' provocation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A North Korea flag flutters next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia March 9, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File PhotoSEOUL, Aug 4 (Reuters) - North Korea on Friday criticised a U.S. weapons aid package to Taiwan, state media reported on Friday, accusing the United States of driving tensions in the region to "another ignition point of war". The United States unveiled an aid package for Taiwan worth up to $345 million on Friday as Congress authorised up to $1 billion worth of weapons for the island as a part of the 2023 budget. Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claims and says only Taiwan's people can decide their future. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met a Chinese delegation in Pyongyang last week and vowed to develop the two countries' relations to a "new high".

Persons: Edgar Su, Kim Jong Un, Soo, hyang Choi, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, REUTERS, United, U.S, Thomson Locations: Korea, North Korean, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, Taiwan, United States, Yong, China, Beijing, Washington, Taipei, Asia, Pacific, Pyongyang

☆ Morning Bid: Bank of Japan sets the stage for higher yields
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A Japanese flag flutters on the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo, Japan, March 15, 2016. The BOJ maintained its guidance allowing the 10-year yield to move 0.5% around the 0% target, but said those would be "references" rather than "rigid limits". There's weakness all around in stock markets, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) down, along with Japan's Nikkei (.N225). The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 0.67% to snap its longest winning streak since 1987. Second-quarter GDP estimates for Spain, France and Germany should show modestly expanding and yet struggling economies, if latest purchasing manager indexes are any indication.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Vidya Ranganathan, Jerome Powell, Christine Lagarde, there's, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, ECB, U.S . Commerce Department, Japan's Nikkei, Dow Jones, The U.S . Commerce Department, Reuters Graphics Reuters, AstraZeneca, BASF, Exxon Mobil, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Vidya, United States, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Spain, France, Germany, The

☆ IMF urges BOJ to move away from yield control, prepare for future tightening
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Leika Kihara | Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Bank of Japan should start preparing for future monetary tightening by moving away from its yield control policy, the International Monetary Fund’s chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said on Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: A Japanese flag flutters on the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo, Japan, March 15, 2016. They have also said the BOJ was mindful of the cost of YCC such as market distortions caused by its heavy bond buying. Widening the allowance band around its 10-year yield target, a step it took last December, could be among options to mitigate the side-effects of YCC, analysts say. Growth in the world’s third-largest economy is expected to slow to 1.0% in 2024 as the effect of past stimulus measures dissipate, the IMF said.

Persons: Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Toru Hanai, ” Gourinchas, Gourinchas, Kazuo Ueda Organizations: Bank of Japan, Monetary Fund’s, REUTERS, Reuters Locations: TOKYO, WASHINGTON, Tokyo, Japan

Pentagon officials had widely expected the nomination to go to Admiral Samuel Paparo, who leads the Navy in the Pacific and who has experience grappling with the growing challenge from China. "Throughout her career, Admiral Franchetti has demonstrated extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas," Biden said in a statement, noting that she was the second woman ever to achieve the rank of four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy. Last year, Biden picked Admiral Linda Fagan to lead the U.S. Coast Guard, making her its first female commanding officer. Franchetti would become the first woman to lead a military service within the Defense Department and to join the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a group of eight top uniformed service members who advise the president on military issues. Biden also elevated Paparo, nominating him to become the commander of all U.S. military forces in the Pacific.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Joe Biden, Lisa Franchetti, Biden, Samuel Paparo, Franchetti, Admiral Franchetti, Linda Fagan, Stephen, Koehler, Paparo, Tommy Tuberville, Charles " C.Q, Brown, Tuberville, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, Jasper Ward, Rami Ayyub, Sharon Singleton, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S . Marines, U.S . Navy, U.S . Navy Wasp, Fleet, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Navy, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Pentagon, Pacific, U.S . Naval Forces Korea, U.S . Coast Guard, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S . Pacific Fleet, Senate, Air Force, Marine Corps, United States Armed Forces, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bataan, New York, China

[1/2] A Chinese national flag flutters outside the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) building on the Financial Street in Beijing, China July 9, 2021. China's long-awaited rules for offshore stock exchange listings form part of a regulatory tightening on cross-border listings after years of a laissez-faire approach. REGULATORY 'BLACKBOX'The new listing regime requires CSRC to respond within 20 working days upon accepting an issuer's listing filing. Submitting additional materials can be time-consuming and thus delay the listing process, said bankers and lawyers. Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Kane Wu in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Selena Li in Hong Kong; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, JD.com, Scott Murdoch, Kane Wu, Selena Li, Sumeet Chatterjee, Muralikumar Organizations: China Securities Regulatory Commission, REUTERS, China, U.S, iMotion Automotive Technology, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Hong Kong, SYDNEY, HONG KONG, Suzhou, Sydney

☆ A.I., rate cuts and Japan's rebound: Asia stocks are looking 'much more promising' than U.S. peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Japanese flag flutters over the Bank of Japan (BoJ) head office building (bottom) in Tokyo on April 27, 2022. At first glance, Asian stocks as a whole have more modest gains so far this year compared with their U.S. and European counterparts. But Asia is more economically diverse than Europe and the U.S., and there are still bright spots in the region, especially in Japan and South Korea. In April, the BOJ announced it will conduct a "a broad-perspective review of [its] monetary policy," which could span 12-18 months. But Lombard Odier still expects the BOJ to end the yield curve control policy before this review is over.

Persons: Kazuhiro Nogi, Nomura, Daniela Gombert, bode, Gombert, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Lombard Odier, Morgan Stanley, Google's Bard, Ernie Bot, Lombard, Marco Barresi, Barresi Organizations: Bank of Japan, Afp, Getty, U.S, Asia, Nomura, Nikkei, Bank of, Private, U.S . Federal, Chips, Lombard Odier Locations: Tokyo, Asia, Europe, U.S, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Bank of Japan, Indonesia, A.I, OpenAI, Taiwan, China

REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File PhotoSEOUL, June 29 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday picked a conservative scholar and an outspoken critic of North Korea's human rights record as the country's new unification minister handling relations with Pyongyang in a cabinet reshuffle. Kim, 63, served as a presidential secretary for unification and a human rights envoy under the conservative Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. North Korea has long rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers. Kim is the right person to pursue a "principle-based" and consistent North Korea policy, said Yoon's chief of staff, Kim Dae-ki. The unification ministry's role ranges from cross-border dialogue and exchanges to studying human rights abuses in North Korea and helping defectors resettle in the South.

Persons: Kim Hong, Yoon Suk, Kim Yung, Yoon, Kim, Lee Myung, Kim Jong, Kim Dae, Jang Mi, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South, REUTERS, Sungshin Women's University, North, Thomson Locations: Korean, South Korean, Paju, South Korea, SEOUL, Pyongyang, North Korea, North Korean, Korea, United States

☆ Iran holds talks with EU mediator Mora in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The Iranian flag flutters in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) organisation's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Leonhard FoegerDUBAI, June 21 (Reuters) - Iran held talks in Qatar with the European Union's Enrique Mora, who coordinates talks between Tehran and six powers on reviving a 2015 nuclear pact, top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani tweeted on Wednesday. Talks between Iran and world powers to re-establish a 2015 accord meant to curb Tehran's disputed nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief have stalled since last September. We exchanged views and discussed a range of issues including negotiations on sanctions lifting," Bagheri Kani said in a tweet. Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; editing by Jon Boyle and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger DUBAI, Enrique Mora, Ali Bagheri Kani, Bagheri Kani, Donald Trump, Jon Boyle, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, REUTERS, Mora, Dubai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, Iran, Qatar, Tehran, Doha

☆ Christians caught with a Bible in North Korea have faced death and had their families, including children, thrown in prison for life, a new report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

North Korea offers freedom of religion to its citizens on paper but not in practice. A recently released Department of State report notes that while North Korea constitutionally allows for religious freedom, there is no such thing in practice. One NGO, Open Doors USA, has reported that for Christians in North Korea, life is a "constant cauldron of pressure" and "capture or death is only a mistake away." The North Korea flag flutters next to barbed wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That report found that North Korea "denied the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion" and engaged in "crimes against humanity."

☆ Eyeball to eyeball: Estonia stares down Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Jill Dougherty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It sits high on the western bank of the Narva River, its 13th-century castle proudly flying the blue, black and white flag of Estonia. We think we know roughly what makes them tick.”Like parts of Ukraine, Estonia was illegally annexed and occupied by the Soviet Union. Estonians at the conference were adamant: Unless Russia is utterly defeated in Ukraine, there is no reason to expect Putin will change his strategic objective. Jill Dougherty/CNNSeveral Russians at the conference said they feel personally responsible for the horrors Russia is unleashing on Ukraine. What’s more, Vladimir Putin is winning support for the war from so-called “swing states” and nations in the Global South.

☆ Bank of Japan debated side-effects of easy policy and further steps, March meeting summary shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Japanese flag flutters over the Bank of Japan (BoJ) head office building (bottom) in Tokyo on April 27, 2022. The Bank of Japan must be ready to work further towards improving market functions if needed, a central bank policymaker was quoted as saying at a March meeting, underscoring the bank's concern over the rising cost of its bond yield control policy. At the March meeting, the BOJ maintained its ultra-loose policy, including a controversial 0.5% cap for the 10-year bond yield that had come under attack from markets betting on a near-term interest rate hike. Many BOJ board members at the March meeting said the central bank must maintain its massive stimulus to support the economy and ensure Japan would sustainably achieve the central bank's 2% inflation target, the summary of opinions at the meeting showed on Monday. "Although the widening of issuance spreads on corporate bonds has paused, the effects of deterioration in the functioning of the Japanese government bond market remain and warrant close monitoring," according to one opinion.

REUTERS/Marton MonusBUDAPEST, March 20 (Reuters) - After the lights dim in Budapest's magnificent Opera House, Ukrainian ballerina Ganna Muromtseva flutters high with undulating arms in the lead role of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet. Muromtseva was at the peak of her career at the National Opera of Ukraine when the war rewrote all her plans. Her mother plans a visit to see her in Swan Lake at the end of March, which gives her emotional strength. Though the Hungarian State Opera has hired her for another year and she is happy with her new opportunity, Muromtseva would naturally like to return home one day. "I am waiting for this day, that one day I can dance on Kyiv stage again, but for now I have a contract here."

☆ Bank of Japan board debated feasibility of tweaking yield curve control, January meeting minutes show
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Japanese flag flutters over the Bank of Japan (BoJ) head office building (bottom) in Tokyo on April 27, 2022. Bank of Japan policymakers debated the feasibility of making further tweaks to its bond yield curve control with one member saying it must keep "various options in mind" on the future course of monetary policy, minutes of its January meeting showed on Wednesday. "The BOJ must keep various options in mind in guiding monetary policy. But with overseas economies slowing now, it's inappropriate to rush towards an exit" from ultra-easy policy, another board member said, according to the minutes. At the January meeting, the BOJ maintained ultra-low rates, including a bond yield cap it was struggling to defend, defying market expectations it would phase out its massive stimulus program amid mounting inflationary pressure.

[1/2] Iranian military ship Iris Makran navigates on the coast of Rio de Janeiro as a Brazilian flag flutters in Copacabana Beach, Brazil, February 27, 2023. REUTERS/Ricardo MoraesRIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Two Iranian warships docked in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government granted permission despite pressure from the United States to bar them. "In the past, those ships facilitated illegal trade and terrorist activities, and have also been sanctioned by the United States. Brazil is a sovereign nation, but we firmly believe those ships should not dock anywhere," she said. He traveled to Tehran to meet then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2010 as he sought to broker a nuclear deal between Iran and the United States.

[1/2] A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/PoolSEOUL, Feb 18 (Reuters) - North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, after Pyongyang warned of a strong response to upcoming U.S.-South Korea military drills. Saturday's long-range missile was launched from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, South Korea's military said. Sunan is the site of the Pyongyang International Airport, where North Korea has conducted most of its recent ICBM tests. Some 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a full peace treaty, leaving the parties technically at war.

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