Panama passes bill to permit use of crypto assets

Lawmakers in Panama’s National Assembly on Thursday approved a bill to regulate the use and commercialisation of crypto assets in the Central American country renowned as a hub of offshore financial services.
30 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Apple sees bigger supply problems

Apple Inc on Thursday forecast bigger problems as COVID-19 lockdowns snarl production and demand in China, the war in Ukraine dents sales and growth slows in services, which the iPhone maker sees as its engine for expansion.
30 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Russia makes last-gasp dollar bond payments

Russia made what appeared to be a late u-turn to avoid a default on Friday, as it made a number of already-overdue international debt payments in dollars despite previously vowing they would only be paid in roubles.
30 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Germany skirts recession with Q1 growth

The German economy grew by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2022, official figures published Friday showed, swerving a technical recession after ending 2021 on a downwards note.
30 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Omicron, imports may restrain US growth

US economic growth likely slowed sharply in the first quarter as a wave of Covid-19 cases curbed activity, but retained sufficient underlying strength to keep the expansion on track amid headwinds from soaring inflation and rising interest rates.
28 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Global inflation to stay stubbornly high: poll

The global streak of high inflation is far from over and aggressive monetary policy tightening will fall short in taming price pressures to mandated levels as broken supply chains are unlikely to mend anytime soon, Reuters polls showed.
28 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Indonesia bans all exports of palm oil

Indonesia began imposing a complete ban on palm oil exports Thursday, as the world’s largest producer of the commodity risked destabilising a global vegetable oil market already hitting peak prices.
28 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Eurozone inflation close to peak

A surge in eurozone consumer prices, propelled even higher by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is “very close” to reaching its peak, European Central Bank vice-president Luis de Guindos said Thursday.
28 April 2022, 18:00 PM

WB to give Sri Lanka $600m in financial aid

The World Bank has agreed to provide Sri Lanka with $600 million in financial assistance to help meet payment requirements for essential imports, the Sri Lankan president’s media division said in a statement on Tuesday.
27 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Oil prices sink more than 5pc

World oil prices sank more than five percent Monday on fears that China’s worsening Covid outbreak could slam demand from the major energy consumer.
26 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Germany boosts borrowing to tackle war costs

Germany will take on an additional 39.2 billion euros ($42.1 billion) of debt in 2022 to counter the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, sources in the finance ministry said Monday.
26 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka to sell golden visas

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka announced Tuesday it would sell long-term visas to attract desperately needed foreign currency after the island nation ran out of dollars to pay for food and fuel.
26 April 2022, 18:00 PM

World faces biggest energy shock since 1970s: WB

Energy prices have surged since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and, along with other commodities, are likely to remain at  “historically high” levels through 2024, endangering economic growth, the World Bank warned Tuesday.
26 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Indonesia may widen palm export ban

Indonesia is prepared to widen its ban on exports of refined palm olein if it faces domestic shortages of derivatives used in the production of cooking oil, according to details presented at a meeting between government and industry officials.
26 April 2022, 18:00 PM

EU needs to recycle more to hit green energy goals: study

Europe must act fast to secure supplies of crucial metals required for a green energy transition and its best bet is to recycle, a report said Monday.
25 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Pakistan seeks hike in size of IMF programme

Pakistan has sought an increase in the size and duration of its $6 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the country’s Finance Minister, Miftah Ismail, said on Monday.
25 April 2022, 18:00 PM

EU, India agree to broaden trade ties

The European Union (EU) and India agreed on Monday to set up a trade and technology council to step up cooperation, as the bloc’s chief held talks with officials in New Delhi who have seen a flurry of top visits since the start of the Ukraine war.
25 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Rouble firms past 74 vs dollar

The Russian rouble opened stronger on Monday, firming past 74 against the dollar, helped by tax payments that companies are due to make this week and as the market looked ahead to a central bank rate decision on Friday.
25 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Investors in the dark on China industrial transport amid data curbs

A wave of Covid-19 lockdowns in Shanghai presents the biggest test yet for investors, trading companies and logistics managers trying to follow China’s economy after the government restricted firms from releasing real-time data.
25 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Sri Lanka exchange halts after 13pc plunge

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka’s stock exchange halted again Monday after a nearly 13 per cent plunge, derailing the bourse’s tentative reopening after a two-week break aimed at forestalling a market collapse.
25 April 2022, 18:00 PM