Category: Policy

Eurozone to Avoid Recession, Growth to Accelerate in Third Quarter: ECB Survey

FRANKFURT—The eurozone will avoid a recession this year and growth will accelerate noticeably after bottoming out in the second quarter, a key European Central Bank survey showed on Monday. The economy is now expected to grow by 0.1 percent in the second quarter, accelerating to 0.4 percent in both the third and fourth quarters, the…


Pennsylvanians Say State on Wrong Path, Many Consider Leaving: Poll

A Pennsylvania-based think tank that works with lawmakers to enact state policies has released results of a statewide poll that it says shows policymakers “a new pathway to prosperity” through the support of the foundation’s 23-point reform agenda. The right-leaning Commonwealth Foundation released its May poll results on Thursday. The unelected but powerful, policy pushing…


Russia Says Ruble Appreciations Poses No Threat to Fiscal Policy

The recent sharp strengthening of the ruble “does not pose a risk to Russia’s fiscal policy,” the finance ministry said on Thursday. The ruble firmed sharply in Moscow trade on Thursday to levels last seen before Russia sent tens of thousands of soldiers to Ukraine. The appreciation of the ruble “impacts oil and gas revenues…


UK-Based EasyJet Becomes Latest Airline to Relax Mask Rules

British-based EasyJet has become the latest airline to announce a relaxation of its mask-wearing policy. From Sunday, passengers and crew will no longer need to wear masks onboard flights if they are not a legal requirement at either end of the route. It means mandatory mask-wearing will be dropped on UK domestic flights–excluding routes to…


IMF Backs ECB’s Easy Policy as It Sees Inflation Easing

FRANKFURT—The European Central Bank has been right to maintain its easy money policy as inflation is set to fall after “transient boosts” from supply snags that may extend into next year, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday. Backing from her former employer was likely to bring some relief to ECB President Christine Lagarde as…


BOJ Kuroda Vows to Keep Ultra-Easy Policy in Wake of ECB’s Hawkish Shift

TOKYO—The Bank of Japan must keep monetary policy ultra-loose as inflation remains well below that of other economies, Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said, brushing aside the view it could follow in the footsteps of more hawkish U.S. and European peers. Mounting inflation risks have prompted central banks across the globe, including the U.S. Federal Reserve and…


Fed’s Bullard Sees Three Successive Hikes to Start Policy Tightening

St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard on Tuesday said he favors starting the turn to tighter U.S. monetary policy with successive rate increases at the Fed’s March, May, and June meetings, before assessing whether the pace of inflation requires more aggressive steps from there. But he pushed back against the idea of kicking off…


WhatsApp Has Until End of Feb to Clarify Privacy Policy Change, EU Says

BRUSSELS—Facebook unit WhatsApp has been given until the end of February to explain changes to its privacy policy and whether this complies with EU consumer protection laws after complaints from consumer groups, the European Commission said on Thursday. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and eight of its members took their grievances to the EU executive…


BOJ Raises Price Forecast, Keeps Policy Steady

TOKYO—The Bank of Japan on Tuesday raised its inflation forecast for the fiscal year beginning in April and said risks to the price outlook were evenly balanced, nodding to recent signs the commodity-driven rise in inflation was broadening. As widely expected, the central bank kept unchanged its -0.1 percent target for short-term interest rates and…


BOJ’s Kuroda: Too Early to Consider Normalising Monetary Policy

TOKYO—Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Monday it was too early to consider normalizing monetary policy, bolstering the view that the Japanese central bank would lag behind other central banks in dialing back monetary stimulus. Kuroda made the remark as the Bank of England last week became the first G7 central bank to…