Author: Press Room

The IMF has warned that an abrupt change in Japan’s ultra-loose monetary regime would have “meaningful spillover” effects on global financial markets, underscoring the need for the Bank of Japan to clearly communicate about its future policy. In an interview, Gina Gopinath, the IMF’s first deputy managing director, called on the BoJ to take a flexible approach to controlling yields on government bonds as she warned of “significant upside risks” to inflation in the near term. She added that Asia’s most advanced economy was at “a delicate juncture”. The BoJ, which will have a new governor in April, has come…

First ever Australian of the year was an “objectively great achievement” on the world stage according to Sky News host James MacPherson.The prestigious award “seems to have changed in more recent times”, he told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.“It’s less about objectively great achievements and more about advocacy for particular social causes.” Source: Sky News

JAKARTA: Indonesia will take stern action against firms that are found to have caused forest fires in the country, Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar warned on Wednesday (Jan 25). She was quoted as saying by state news agency Antara that there will be “no mercy” for those who are caught. “If forest fires happen because of (the activities of) the private sector, there will be no mercy (for the firms),” Ms Siti said at a press conference. She added that firms will be “immediately given a warning” once a fire hotspot has been identified on their land. “As soon as…

European stocks and Wall Street futures edged higher on Thursday, with a flurry of US macroeconomic data and corporate results set to shed further light on the health of the world’s biggest economy.The regional Stoxx Europe 600 added 0.5 per cent and Germany’s Dax rose 0.2 per cent, while London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.3 per cent. Contracts tracking Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 and those tracking the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 gained 0.3 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively, ahead of the New York open.The muted moves in equity markets came after Tesla’s shares rose more than 5 per cent…

Sick of the office? Good news – Portugal has launched a new one-year digital nomad visa.Under the new scheme, remote workers are able to live and work in the country for up to 12 months.Since launching the scheme in October 2022, Portugal has approved 200 digital nomad visas. The majority of applications have come from Brazil, the UK and the USA, according to the country’s Ministry of Affairs. To qualify, applicants must earn at least €2,800 per month – four times Portugal’s minimum wage.“Portugal is a country for immigration. Every year, we receive thousands of immigrants, seeking opportunities in our country,” said…

SWIFT CRACKDOWN China’s government and state media apparatus have made scant acknowledgement of the protests – some of which occurred in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai – and have not directly mentioned the detentions. But an oversight body for domestic law enforcement said in November that it would “crackdown on illegal criminal acts that disrupt social order” in a possible warning to demonstrators. Security services appeared to move swiftly in the wake of the unrest, with participants’ friends and relatives confirming to AFP that several arrests subsequently took place. One mother said her child – an LGBT activist…

Prince Andrew has been given the boot by King Charles III and told he can no longer use his suite of rooms at Buckingham Palace.The disgraced royal has been told he has to move out of the Palace now that Charles is King, and has been given the option of moving into the nearby St James’s Palace.A source told UK outlet The Sun that the King “made it clear that Buckingham Palace is no place for Prince Andrew”.Love news? Stream 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2023″Andrew loved having…

China’s Consul General in the city of Fukuoka, Lu Guijun, told state broadcaster CGTN on Thursday that of the 13 people found, “eight have been confirmed dead, of whom six are Chinese”. “Five of them – including four Chinese crew members – are not in life-threatening conditions,” he added. “We express our deepest condolences to the unfortunate victims.” The Japanese coast guard later confirmed the toll given by Lu, adding that the other two dead crew members were from Myanmar. Nine more people remained missing, it said – four from China and five from Myanmar. Officials from local Chinese missions…

Former host of the Today Show Steve Liebmann says his coverage of the 9/11 events was “very emotional” as his sister and her husband were living in Manhattan, New York at the time.“I realised it was a big story and jumped in the car, went out to the Nine Network studios knowing all along my sister and her husband were in New York,” Mr Liebmann told Sky News Australia.He said the team in the Today Show control room were trying to “track down” his sister at the time.“Finally I got a message in my earpiece saying ‘we’ve got her’ and…

Kevin Durant must not be a WWE fan. Durant was not happy with Joel Embiid’s D-Generation X crotch chop after the 76ers star made a layup that led to a 3-point play in the third quarter of the Nets’ 137-133 loss on Wednesday night in Philadelphia. “Trash celebration @joelembiid,” Durant tweeted. Not surprising, Embiid, who like Durant is an avid tweeter, had a response for the Nets’ star after the win. The 28-year-old 76ers center fired off a video edit of him doing crotch chops over the D-Generation X theme. He apparently sent the tweet just before his postgame press…