Asia

Germany's federal elections this month are unlikely to dominate the headlines in Southeast Asia. But experts agree that the outcome of the vote will be important for the region nevertheless. The German election marks the end of Merkel's 16 years as chancellor. Pundits think there is also a chance that the new government will be formed without Merkel's once-dominant alliance of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), as part of the ruling coalition. Analysts think these factors could lead to a policy shakeup. Merkel's legacy in Southeast Asia Jürgen Rüland, an expert on Southeast Asia at Germany's University of Freiburg, explained that during Merkel's 16 years in power, she visited China 12 times . According to Rüland, this pointed to Merkel's concern with maintaining good relations with Beijing, a key importer of German goods. Comparatively, Merkel visited Southeast Asia on three occasions during her …

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Summary Cautious mood in Asia as Singapore, Taiwan see outbreaks Risk currencies slip, but dollar still faces broad pressure Fed minutes in focus Graphic: World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E SINGAPORE/TOKYO, May 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar was supported on Monday amid renewed worries about coronavirus restrictions in Asia, but investors are heavily positioned for it to fall while the U.S. Federal Reserve keeps rates low. Bitcoin skidded to a three-month low after Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) boss Elon Musk suggested at the weekend that the car maker is considering selling or may have already sold some of its holdings in the cryptocurrency. read more Easing commodity prices and fresh virus outbreaks in Singapore and Taiwan - where COVID-19 had been contained - helped modest dollar gains of 0.3% against the Australian dollar and 0.4% versus the New Zealand dollar. The greenback was little changed against the euro and the yen , but it remained close to …

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Summary Graphic: World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E Fed speakers expected to repeat that rates will remain low Dollar loses ground as Treasury yields stall Yen falls on crosses as economic concerns grow TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) - The dollar plumbed a six-year trough against the Canadian dollar and teetered near multi-month lows versus European currencies amid renewed expectations that the United States will not hike interest rates anytime soon. Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan on Monday reiterated his view that he does not expect interest rates to rise until next year, fuelling a further decline in bets that inflationary pressure could force the Fed to act sooner. This week a host of Fed policymakers are scheduled to speak, and the U.S. central bank will also release minutes from its most recent meeting, which may give indications about where monetary policy is headed this year. However, the growing consensus is that the Fed will tolerate …

[Read more...] about Dollar falls on expectations U.S. rates will stay low for longer

Summary Graphic: World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E Fed speakers expected to repeat that rates will remain low Dollar loses ground as Treasury yields stall Yen falls on crosses as economic concerns grow TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) - The dollar plumbed a six-year trough against the Canadian dollar and teetered near multi-month lows versus European currencies on Tuesday, as Treasury yields stalled amid renewed expectations the United States will not hike interest rates anytime soon. Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan on Monday reiterated his view that he does not expect interest rates to rise until next year, fuelling a further decline in bets that inflationary pressure could force the Fed to act sooner. This week a host of Fed policymakers are scheduled to speak, and the U.S. central bank will also release minutes from its most recent meeting, which may give indications about where monetary policy is headed this year. However, the growing …

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Published 1 hour ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing The Taliban have banned hairdressers in Afghanistan's Helmand province from shaving or trimming beards, saying it breaches their interpretation of Islamic law. Anyone violating the rule will be punished, Taliban religious police say. Some barbers in the capital Kabul have said they also received similar orders. The instructions suggest a return to the strict rulings of the group's past tenure in power, despite promises of a milder form of government. Since taking power last month, the Taliban have carried out harsh punishments on opponents. On Saturday, the group's fighters shot dead four alleged kidnappers and their bodies were hung in the streets of Herat province. In a notice posted on salons in southern Helmand province, Taliban officers warned that hairdressers must follow Sharia law for haircuts and beards. …

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BEIJING, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Chinese cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global said on Sunday it had stopped taking new mainland customers from Friday and would end contracts with mainland clients by the end of the year to comply with local regulations. China's regulators intensified a crackdown on Friday, banning cryptocurrency transactions and mining, clarifying that overseas exchanges are barred from providing services to mainland investors via the internet. Huobi Global said in a statement it will conduct an orderly exit of its existing mainland clients on the premise that safety of their assets is guaranteed. Reporting by Cheng Leng, Samuel Shen and Ryan Woo; Editing by William Mallard Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. …

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Premier League clubs fear that continuing the September model of moving matches for television could leave themselves open to rebate claims from overseas companies, but are ready to consider home season-ticket only broadcast access. With clubs increasingly resigned to fans only returning in significant numbers in late October or November at the very earliest, attention has turned to how they will manage broadcast arrangements beyond the end of September. Although the September model has allowed every match to be broadcast domestically , with some on free-to-air television, there is specific concern that continuing to move matches to later weekend time slots and Monday evenings could upset broadcasters in other parts of the world. The three rounds of fixtures in September, for example, have meant broadcasting additional matches on a Monday evening rather than a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Evening matches, however, have significantly less value across Asia, especially on a …

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RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed five Hamas militants in gun battles during raids on Sunday against one of the group's cells in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli military spokesperson said. Two soldiers - including an officer - were critically wounded in one of the incidents, the spokesperson added. The shootouts marked the deadliest violence between Israel and Hamas since an 11-day Gaza war in May and threatened to raise tensions along the Israeli border with the coastal enclave and in the West Bank. An uncle of one of the Palestinians killed said he was a 16-year-old walking to school when he was shot. A military spokesperson said, "as far as we are concerned, all those killed were armed Hamas operatives, taking part in firefights", but added he was checking the relative's information. Israeli officials have long voiced concern that Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, intends to gain strength in the West Bank and challenge its rival there, the …

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Summary Graphic: World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E Fed minutes loom on horizon Traders also look to CPI data from Britain and Canada Monetary policy outlook holds key to dollar's direction China's policy moves unsettle cryptocurrencies TOKYO, May 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar steadied but remained near a six-year low against its Canadian counterpart and nursed losses against European currencies as expectations that U.S. interest rates will remain low undermined the greenback. The minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's most recent meeting due later on Wednesday are expected to confirm that policymakers think a rate hike is still in the distance. Investors will also be scrutinising consumer price data in Britain and Canada later in the trading day to determine how quickly major economies will be forced to rein in their accommodative monetary policy, which holds the key to the dollar's trend in the medium term. "I'm most concerned about the relative …

[Read more...] about Dollar steadies before Fed minutes, bitcoin stumbles

Summary Graphic: World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E Fed minutes loom on horizon Traders also look to CPI data from Britain and Canada Monetary policy outlook holds key to dollar's direction China's policy moves unsettle cryptocurrencies TOKYO, May 19 (Reuters) - The dollar steadied against major currencies on Wednesday as traders awaited U.S. Federal Reserve minutes, but bitcoin tumbled after China banned its financial institutions from offering services related to cryptocurrency assets. The minutes from the Fed's most recent meeting due later on Wednesday are expected to confirm that policymakers think a rate hike is still in the distance. Investors will also be scrutinising consumer price data in Britain and Canada later in the trading day to determine how quickly major economies may be forced to rein in their accommodative monetary policy, which holds the key to the dollar's trend in the medium term. "I'm most concerned about the relative …

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