Headlines

Moving in the opposite direction to much of the rest of the world, Russia’s central bank lowered its interest rate 1.5 percentage points to 8 percent on Friday, taking it even lower than it was before the country invaded Ukraine, the New York Times reported. The bank said inflation, which fell to 15.9 percent last month from about 17 percent in May, was slowing in the country because of “subdued” consumer demand and the strength of the ruble, which reached a seven-year high against the dollar last month. The rate cut was larger than economists had expected.

Turkey's Financial Stability Committee discussed the impact of global inflation and rising commodity prices on macroeconomic indicators, and the effect of tightening financial conditions on developing countries, it said in a statement, Reuters reported. The committee's meeting came as the Turkish lira slipped to its weakest level against the U.S. dollar since last December, amid concerns about the government's foreign exchange policy in the face of surging inflation and fears of global recession.

Japan's government slashed its economic growth forecast for this fiscal year largely due to slowing overseas demand, highlighting the impact of Russia's war in Ukraine, China's strict COVID-19 lockdowns and a weakening global economy, Reuters reported. The forecast, which serves as a basis for compiling the state budget and the government's fiscal policy, included much higher wholesale and consumer inflation estimates as surging energy and food costs and a weak yen push up prices.

Singapore's key consumer price gauge rose at its fastest pace in more than 13 years, official data showed on Monday, increasing pressure on the central bank to consider tightening monetary policy again later this year if inflation pressures persist, Reuters reported. The data showed inflation rising across a broad set of categories including services, food, retail and utilities. The core inflation rate — the central bank's favoured price measure - rose to 4.4% in June on a year-on-year basis. A Reuters poll of economists had forecast a 4.2% increase in June.

Brazil posted a current account deficit of $2.764 billion in March, the lowest shortfall for the period in five years, amid a solid performance in foreign trade, central bank data showed on Monday, Reuters reported. This was the best reading for March since 2017, when the country recorded a current account surplus of $185.5 million. The performance was backed by an improvement in the trade balance, which showed a surplus of $6.109 billion against a $514 million deficit in March 2021.

The clock is ticking for the world’s most indebted developer, whose liquidity woes sparked a broader debt crisis in China’s property industry that’s gone on to engulf more home builders, threaten banks and pose growing challenges for President Xi Jinping, Bloomberg News reported. China Evergrande Group, once the country’s largest real estate firm, previously said it was on track to deliver a preliminary restructuring plan by the end of July. That leaves mere days for the builder with about $300 billion of liabilities, just as a shakeup stirs fresh uncertainties.

Just one month after being declared free from bankruptcy, Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia announced Friday that it had added three Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft to its operation and would increase its flight frequency by 32 percent in August, xinhuanet.com reported. "This strategy aims to optimize the company's performance. We need to continue boosting operational capacity and restructure the company," Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra said in a statement.

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering may face a court-ordered rehabilitation process unless action is taken on a month-long strike there, the company’s main creditor Korea Development Bank said Friday, the Korea Herald reported. “It would be more difficult for DSME to repay its debts as the strike drags on … we’re not going to help the builder unless it gets back to work,” an executive at the state-run bank said, suggesting that the country’s third-largest shipbuilder would have no choice but to ask the court for help if the strike results in a poorer liquidity.

Clem Oladehin, an economist and investment banker, has warned that Nigeria is edging toward bankruptcy, regretting that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is making political decisions at the expense of the economy, Hallmark News reported. Oladehin pointed out that the continued payment of fuel subsidies is having grievous effects on the economy, even as he noted that policy inconsistencies on the part of the government are hampering investor confidence. “Subsidies are undermining the little growth achieved before,” said Oladehin.