Analysis-Vast China-Russia resources trade shifts to yuan from dollars in Ukraine fallout

By Chen Aizhu SINGAPORE (Reuters) – China has dramatically increased use of the yuan to buy Russian commodities over the past year, with nearly all of its purchases of oil, coal and some metals from its neighbour now settled in the Chinese currency instead of dollars, multiple trading executives with direct knowledge of the matter…

Read More

China, Ecuador sign free trade agreement, says Chinese commerce ministry

BEIJING (Reuters) – China and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement on May 11, China’s commerce ministry said on Thursday. The two sides will create a more favourable, transparent and stable business environment for enterprises through the FTA, and further stimulate the potential of trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, the ministry said….

Read More

South Korea to drop mandatory 7-day quarantine for COVID patients from June

By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea on Thursday lowered its crisis level for COVID-19 and will from June no longer require infected people to quarantine for seven days, dropping one of the country’s few remaining pandemic-related restrictions. Health authorities will still recommend five days of self-isolation for infected people but it will not…

Read More

Border crossings top 10,000 daily as migrants seek US entry before Title 42 ends

By Mike Blake and Ted Hesson SAN DIEGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Thousands of migrants are crossing into the United States this week before a new regulation takes effect that could bar most who cross illegally from seeking asylum, while others gathered on the Mexico side amid confusion about U.S. policy. The U.S. rolled out a regulation on…

Read More
Philippines Q1 GDP Slows To 6.4%, But Faster Than Forecast

Philippines Q1 GDP Slows To 6.4%, But Faster Than Forecast

MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippine economy expanded 6.4% in the first quarter from a year earlier, the statistics agency said on Thursday, topping expectations. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, growth slowed to 1.1% from the earlier reported 2.4% expansion in the previous three-month period. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected first quarter gross domestic product (GDP)…

Read More