Taliban’s central bank governor meets Chinese envoy to discuss banking ties

By Charlotte Greenfield (Reuters) -The Taliban’s acting governor of the Afghan central bank met China’s ambassador this week to discuss banking relations and business, the bank’s spokesperson told Reuters on Friday. Afghanistan’s banking system has been severely hampered by U.S.-led sanctions, a drop in liquidity from frozen central bank assets and a cut in development…

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Analysis-Australia’s top companies back Indigenous Voice as public support wavers

By Byron Kaye, Melanie Burton and Praveen Menon SYDNEY (Reuters) – Some of Australia’s biggest companies, including miners, banks and retailers, are emerging as powerful sources of support for a campaign to recognise the country’s Indigenous people in the constitution, a development that could sway the outcome of a referendum later this year. The advocacy…

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Turkey’s central bank to hike policy rate to 20% in policy U-turn: Reuters poll

By Ali Kucukgocmen and Ezgi Erkoyun ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey’s central bank is expected to raise its policy rate by a huge 1,150 basis points next week, from 8.5% to 20%, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, in a policy U-turn after rate cuts under President Tayyip Erdogan led to a cost-of-living crisis. The central…

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ECB’s Centeno: international market price falls yet to reach consumers

By Sergio Goncalves LISBON (Reuters) -Declines in the international market prices of raw materials, energy and foods will need to start making their mark on consumer goods or interest rates will have to be raised further, ECB Governing Council member Mario Centeno said on Friday. “The overwhelming majority of inflationary shocks, if not all, have…

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Putin thanks UAE leader for Ukraine help, hails growing economic ties

By Andrew Osborn (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday thanked the president of the United Arab Emirates for his efforts in freeing prisoners of war in Ukraine and hailed what he said were expanding economic ties between Moscow and Abu Dhabi. Putin made the comments during talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin…

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Greece scours shipwreck site; hundreds feared drowned in boat’s hold

By Lefteris Papadimas and Stamos Prousalis KALAMATA, Greece (Reuters) -Rescuers scoured the seas off Greece on Thursday following a shipwreck that killed at least 78 migrants, as hopes of survivors dwindled and fears grew that hundreds more, including children, may have drowned inside the crowded vessel’s hold. Reports suggested between 400 and 750 people had…

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Intel facility is largest greenfield investment in Poland, PM says

WARSAW (Reuters) – Polish Prime Minister says Intel’s new semiconductor assembly and test facility near Wroclaw, western Poland, will the biggest greenfield investment in the country and that he hoped it would attract other investors. Intel announced on Friday it will invest up to $4.6 billion in the new facility as part of a multi-billion-dollar…

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