ECONOMY & MARKETS

World shares slid on Monday as U.S. warnings that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time kept oil prices near seven-year peaks and sent investors scurrying to the safe-haven government debt they have mostly shunned this year.

Asian shares sagged on Monday as warnings that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time sent oil prices to seven-year peaks, boosted bonds and belted the euro.

World shares skidded on Monday as warnings that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time drove oil prices to seven-year peaks, belted the euro and sent investors scuttling back to the safe-haven government bonds they have been dumping all year.

The Bank of England will raise interest rates faster than previously thought to tame surging inflation, according to economists polled by Reuters who significantly upgraded their forecasts for consumer price rises.

Israel needs to cut red tape in traditional industries so they can boost productivity and catch up with the country's booming high-tech sector, the head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said on Sunday.

The European Central Bank (ECB) will keep a flexible approach as it unwinds its ultra-expansionary monetary policy, monitoring not only inflation threats but also risks of uneven financing conditions across euro zone countries, a top policymaker said.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday rejected an appeal by 18 Democratic lawmakers who want the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to end its practice of charging mostly middle and lower-income countries significant surcharges on larger loans that are not repaid quickly.

Democratic U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tina Smith have asked the Department of Labor to deny Swiss lender Credit Suisse Group AG a regulatory exemption related to its management of retirement funds as a result of a Justice Department settlement for bribery, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Friday.

The International Monetary Fund said on Friday it would remain "closely engaged" with Lebanon's authorities to help the crisis-ravaged country formulate an economic reform programme.

Colombia's economic growth probably slowed in the final quarter of 2021, but is expected to have hit a new annual record after authorities lifted coronavirus curbs and adopted expansive policies, a Reuters poll showed on Friday.

Turkish inflation will fall to around 24% by year-end and hit single digits by May of 2023, the finance minister said on Friday, painting a far rosier picture than that of economists who see it 10 percentage points higher.

Venture capitalists have invested billions of dollars in fast grocery delivery services such as Turkey's Getir and Germany's Gorillas and Flink, in a race to expand across Europe to meet soaring demand during COVID-19 lockdowns.

U.S. stocks were set for a slightly higher opening on Friday after a sharp selloff in the previous session when soaring inflation numbers raised fears about quicker interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

Wall Street stocks fell sharply on Friday for the second straight day, as investors fretted about potential steep U.S.

Wall Street's main indexes were mixed on Friday as investors digested hot inflation data that caused a sharp selloff in the previous session on fears about quicker interest rate hikes.

Wall Street stocks ended sharply lower on Friday for the second straight session, as investors fretted about deepening tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

U.S. stock indexes were mixed in choppy trading on Friday as investors digested hot inflation data that spurred a sharp selloff in the previous session on fears about aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserves are plummeting, essential imports are stalling and opposition leaders and some experts warn that time is running out to avoid a sovereign default that would further upend the economy.

Investors are piling into derivatives linked to a rising euro, according to industry data and trading sources, as they bet the European Central Bank's hawkish tilt means the end to eight years of negative interest rates.

Canada's main stock index edged higher on Friday, adding to this week's gains, as rising concern that Russia could invade Ukraine sent oil and gold prices sharply higher.

The White House is warning the chip industry to diversify its supply chain in case Russia retaliates against threatened U.S.

The United States is seeking to free up half of the $7 billion in frozen Afghan central bank assets on U.S.

The European Union's markets watchdog said on Friday it will start working on a legal definition of "greenwashing" to underpin enforcement action as trillions of euros flow into funds that are advertised as climate-friendly.

There will be no access to the European Union for Britain's derivatives clearing houses after June 2025, the bloc's financial services chief Mairead McGuinness said on Friday.

Britain suffered a smaller economic hit than feared in December as COVID-19 cases mounted, capping a historic two-year collapse and rebound for the world's fifth-biggest economy, but surging inflation is set to slow the recovery in 2022.

Whether emerging economies have already done enough to pre-empt the global central bank tightening cycle may dictate whether investors in them can escape yet another dire decade.

Singapore could return to a small budget surplus in 2022 as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the government turning its focus to rebuilding public finances and an imminent tax hike after two years of unprecedented spending.

Malaysia's economy returned to growth in the fourth quarter of last year, as coronavirus curbs were lifted and economic activity resumed.

Malaysia's economy returned to growth in the fourth quarter last year with the central bank expecting the recovery to continue this year despite risks of further disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.