World economy
Trump threatens to 'cut off' all ties with China
15 May 2020
US Fed cuts rate to 0-0.25% in coronavirus fight
16 Mar 2020
Along with the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Bank of England and Australia’s central bank announced rate cuts to pump in extra liquidity while five other central banks, including Reserve Bank of India, opened swap lines to make it easier to provide dollars to their financial institutions, to calm markets
BoE cuts rate to 0.25%, launches SME fund to offset COVID-19 effects
12 Mar 2020
BoE said the reduction in Bank Rate is aimed at boosting business and consumer confidence at a difficult time, to bolster cash flows of businesses and households, and to overcome disruptions caused by the impact of COVID-19
And now, UK health minister Nadine Dorries tests positive for COVID-19
11 Mar 2020
Dorries had attended meetings at Westminster and in her constituency, besides a reception hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Downing Street last Thursday
US Fed cuts rates by 50 bps to 1-1.25% in coronavirus fight
04 Mar 2020
Fed will reinvest principal payments from agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities of up to $20 billion per month in treasury securities and those in excess of $20 billion per month in agency mortgage-backed securities
Rishi Sunak replaces Sajid Javid as UK finance minister
14 Feb 2020
The 39-year-old Rishi Sunak, son-in-lay of Infosys founder Narayana Murthi, is set to move into No 11 Downing Street, next door to the Prime Minister’s Office as he takes charge of the second most important government position as the finance minister
The American Dream is back for all, says President Trump
05 Feb 2020
The American Dream is back” and is “stronger than ever before – for all of US citizens, including African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Asian-Americans, Trump said in his State of the Union address
China warns of faster spread of Coronavirus as toll climbs to 80
27 Jan 2020
Outside China, Canada reported its first case on Saturday while six cases were reported in Hong Kong; five each in Thailand and Macao; four in Australia; three each in South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal and France; and two each in Japan, the US and Vietnam
WEF: Investor Soros flays Trump, Modi and Xi for nationalist fervor
24 Jan 2020
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Soros said the rise of nationalism across the globe was the great enemy of open society and he blamed leaders like US President Donald Trump, China's Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi for narrowing options for businesses
Queen sign Brexit Bill into law, clears way for 31 January exit from EU
24 Jan 2020
The Brexit deal protects the rights of EU citizens, makes special trading arrangements for the British province of Northern Ireland, and settles the UK's EU debts, but leaves UK-EU ties largely the same while both sides try to agree a new trading and security partnership
China seals off Wuhan in stepped-up battle against Coronavirus
23 Jan 2020
State television reported 571 confirmed infections, most of them in Wuhan and the surrounding province of Hubei, while cases have appeared elsewhere in China and countries, including Thailand, South Korea and the United States
Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev, govt resign under new Putin plan
16 Jan 2020
Media speculates that with the changes in the constitution and loyalists in key positions, President Putin is planning a comeback as Prime Minister, with more powers after the 2024 elections, circumventing or scrapping rule entirely as his fourth term in office ends
US, China sign Phase 1 trade deal
16 Jan 2020
The partial trade deal, under which China will purchase American goods and services worth at least $200 billion and frees Chinese-made cellphones, toys and laptop computers from new tariffs while halving the tariff rate to 7.5 per cent on about $120 billion worth of other goods, however, leaves the larger part of the deal to a “re-elected” President Trump
Britain set to exit EU on 31 Jan as lawmakers approve Brexit deal
10 Jan 2020
Brexit won’t end Johnson’s problems, rather it would only help start fresh negotiations on Britain’s future relationship with the EU, which may extend well beyond the year or leave Britain with a no-deal exit