Indonesia's inflation accelerated in May to its highest level in five months due to increased food prices, data showed Monday, as people stocked up before the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The consumer price index rose 7.15 percent year-on-year, according to the official statistics agency, faster than expected and up from a 6.79 percent increase in April. It was the highest level since 8.36 percent in December.
Full StoryAnother volatile week marked by distrust over the U.S. growth rebound and Greece's debt talks prevented U.S. markets from locking in recent record highs.
Tech stocks brooked most of the selling pressure, with the Nasdaq Composite scoring a fresh record Wednesday, but investors mostly saw more to worry about than reason to push ahead.
Full StoryThe yen slid to a fresh 12-year low against the dollar Friday as growth in the two major economies continued to diverge.
The euro meanwhile edged higher against the greenback amid fresh pressure from the G7 on Greece and official creditors to reach a new financing deal before the country defaults on its debt.
Full StoryTurkish authorities announced Friday they had taken control of the country's 10th largest lender, Bank Aysa, which is linked to an ally-turned-foe of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.
In a statement, the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency said it had handed over the reins of the bank to the state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) eight days before legislative elections on June 7.
Full StoryThe Group of Seven countries are in fundamental agreement that the Chinese yuan should be part of the IMF's international basket of reference currencies, but there is no need to rush it, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Friday.
"There are technical issues and not just technical ones" to sort out, Schaeuble told a news conference concluding a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors. "We are in full agreement on the goal, but it would not be good to rush it," he added.
Full StoryWith most of its natural and mineral resources having fallen under rebel control, Syrian state revenues have shrunk, leaving the government dependent on unstable sources of income for its survival.
Four years of conflict have decimated the state coffers.
Full StoryAs sunset falls on his private island in the South China Sea, entrepreneur Lin Dong likes few things better than to lounge on a hammock strung between two trees as waves lap the shore.
"I don't like noise, and I'm not a fan of the pollution in crowded cities," he said. "The island life suits me much better".
Full StoryJapan and the European Union will hold summit talks later Friday, with a long-stalled Free Trade Agreement expected to be on the agenda.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk in the latest annual get-together between the leaders of the two big trading partners.
Full StorySri Lanka's new government raised nearly a billion dollars through its first overseas bond issue after parliament shot down plans to increase local borrowings, the country's central bank said Friday.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said $650 million was raised Thursday through a 10-year bond at an annual interest rate of 6.125 percent while the rest was through shorter tenure.
Full StoryFinance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven wealthiest nations gathered in Dresden Thursday to seek ways of boosting global growth, while the Greek crisis also cast its shadow over the talks.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble had invited his counterparts from Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the United States for an "in-depth exchange of views" on a wide range of subjects, from the state of the global economy, to financial regulation, tax evasion, and ways of starving terror groups like the Islamic State of funding.
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