South Africa’s foreign minister said Saudi Arabia and four other countries have accepted the invitation to join the BRICS club of nations that was extended during a summit last year. Minister Naledi Pandor said that Russia, who takes over as chair of the bloc this year from South Africa, has received written interest from 34 … Read more
President Vladimir Putin said Russia doesn’t want to fight “endlessly” in Ukraine but won’t give up its positions and is ready for peace only on its own terms. Speaking in televised comments on Monday during a visit to a military hospital, Putin said he’s satisfied with the Russian army’s performance in Ukraine as it’s now … Read more
Anxiety dominates China’s $9.1 trillion stock market now more than at any time in the past year, according to a Bloomberg indicator. The so-called Fear and Greed indicator, a measure of buying strength versus selling strength, for the Shanghai Composite index on Monday fell to its lowest level since October 2022. The ongoing slump has … Read more
“Modern money is backed by a series of institutions, mostly housed in central banks. Its value rests on confidence. The value of money requires not just the belief of the public at a point in time but, critically, the consent of the public at all times … When it comes to money, the consent and … Read more
The Philippines said two of its vessels collided with Chinese boats during a mission to deliver supplies to a South China Sea outpost. A China Coast Guard vessel collided with a Philippines-contracted resupply boat at about 6:04 a.m. Sunday approximately 13.5 nautical miles (about 25 kilometers) east-northeast of the outpost, the Philippine task force for … Read more
South Africa’s Eskom Chairman Mpho Makwana Quits, Replaced by … Bloomberg Source link
Will the use of CBDCs improve cross-border payments? Central Banking Source link
Canada’s High Commission will reduce the number of diplomats in India due to security concerns as a diplomatic row escalates over murder allegations made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “In the light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats,” Global Affairs Canada said … Read more
To get John Authers’ newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, sign up here. In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a giant computer called Deep Thought is programmed to calculate the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything. Millions of years later, its circuits finally reveal the answer to the humans … Read more
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she’s increasingly confident that the US will be able to contain inflation without major damage to the job market, hailing data showing a steady slowdown in inflation and a fresh influx of job seekers. “I am feeling very good about that prediction,” Yellen said Sunday when asked about her previous … Read more