Category: World
UN calls on UK, Sweden to end Assange’s deprivation of liberty
Feb 05, 2016 (LBO) – The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said today that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arbitrarily detained by Sweden and the United Kingdom since his arrest in London on 7 December 2010, as a result of the legal action against him by both Governments. In a public statement, […]
UK to grow 2.2-pct this year; BoE cuts growth, holds rates
Feb 05, 2016 (LBO) – The Bank of England has forecast country’s economy would grow 2.2 percent this year and 2.3 percent in 2017, cutting its November forecast of 2.6 percent for this year. “Although activity growth in the United Kingdom has slowed to slightly below average rates, the domestic private sector remains resilient,” the […]
US presidential race kicks off, Ted Cruz wins Iowa Republican caucuses
Feb 02, 2016 (LBO) – Texas Senator Ted Cruz has won the Iowa Republican caucuses defeating controversial figure Donald Trump in the United State’s first presidential contest. Cruz has bagged 28 percent of the Republican vote beating Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. Votes in the Democratic race are still being counted showing a fierce battle […]
Bank of Japan introduces negative interest rate policy
Jan 29, 2016 (LBO) – The Bank of Japan has introduced a negative interest rate policy to achieve a price stability target of 2 percent at the earliest possible time. At the Monetary Policy Meeting held today, the Policy Board of the Bank of Japan has decided to introduce Quantitative and Qualitative Monetary Easing with […]
US, EU lift certain sanctions on Iran after IAEA report
Jan 17, 2016 (LBO) – The United States and European Union have officially lifted certain sanctions against Iran after the UN nuclear watchdog released a statement saying Iran has fulfilled necessary steps to start the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program. The report has been submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency […]
Brent at 12 year low amid concerns over China demand, Iran supply
Jan 14, 2016 (LBO) – Brent oil prices have fallen below 30 US dollars a barrel in New York for the first time in 12 years amid concerns over Chinese fuel demand and Iran fuel supply, foreign media reports said. Brent oil has dropped below 30 US dollars a barrel for the first time since […]
Pakistan PM on three-day visit to Sri Lanka
Jan 04, 2015 (LBO) – Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be in Sri Lanka this week on a three-day visit for bilateral talks with the government and to launch a single country exhibition. Among topics to be discussed include the existing Free-Trade Agreement and cooperation in several areas including health, science and technology, money […]
Surprise visit signals possible thawing of India-Pakistan relations
Dec 28, 2015 (LBO) – A surprise visit on Christmas Day between the leaders of India and Pakistan could be a sign of thawing relations between the two nuclear-armed countries.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif is the first visit to Pakistan by an Indian prime minister in almost […]
South Korea issues its first yuan-denominated sovereign bonds
Dec 16, 2015 (LBO) – The South Korean government has issued its first ever yuan-denominated sovereign bonds in China’s onshore bond market. This sovereign bond issue is expected to contribute to diversifying the currency composition of Korea’s foreign exchange reserves and further China’s efforts to open its capital markets to the world.“The bond issuance was […]
China, US Rates Pressures Build for APAC Banks in 2016
Dec 16, 2015 (LBO) – Banking sectors within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region are likely to face a more challenging year ahead as financial systems adjust to slowing growth in China and the prospect of higher US interest rates, says Fitch Ratings in the agency’s 2016 Outlook Report for the region.Earnings and capital buffers built up in […]
Sharp China slowdown would hit global growth hard: Fitch
Dec 15, 2015 (LBO) – A sharp slowdown in China’s GDP growth rate to 2.3% during 2016-2018 would disrupt global trade and hinder growth, with significant knock-on effects for emerging markets and global corporates, according to a hypothetical study by Fitch Ratings. In turn, this would keep short-term interest rates and commodity prices lower for […]
IMF includes Yuan in reserve currency basket
Dec 01, 2015 (LBO) – The International Monetary Fund has included the Chinese yuan as a fifth currency in their basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Rights (SDR). Effective from October 1, 2016 the Chinese Yuan is determined to be a freely usable currency along with the US dollar, the euro, the […]