EMERGING MARKETS

Bankers are predicting a burgeoning offshore market for renminbi-denominated bonds as corporates increasingly turn to the Chinese currency to issue debt, making it only a matter of time before the renminbi is on a par with dollars, euros and yen.

Long-term South African bonds rose on Friday after a four-day sell-off fuelled by the government's disappointing budget deficit forecast for next fiscal year.

Long-term South African government bonds continued to fall on Thursday in anticipation of supply to fund the budget deficit, while the rand climbed and stocks closed moderately lower.

South African government bonds fell to three-month lows on Wednesday but the rand firmed over 1.0 percent after the finance ministry projected a higher- than-expected budget deficit for the 2011/2012 financial year.

South African resource-heavy stocks slipped on Tuesday as Libyan unrest prompted an equities sell-off while the rand firmed against the dollar, recovering from earlier losses as better-than-expected GDP data boosted the currency.

South Africa will export 4 million tonnes of surplus maize to the world's biggest emerging markets but wants to ensure security of food supplies in southern Africa first, a minister said on Tuesday.

Medtronic Inc (MDT.N) cut its full-year earnings forecast, hampered by weakness in key medical device markets, and said it would eliminate up to 2,000 jobs, sending its shares down 2 percent. The world's largest medical device maker has struggled with slow sales as patients postponed treatments in the global

Crude oil prices have surged more than 7 percent this morning in New York trading, reaching as high as $98 per barrel, as the chaos in Libya raised fears of supply disruptions.

Reform of the international monetary system is needed to prevent foreign assets flooding to one particular currency, the head of the People's Bank of China said on Friday.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s prepared remarks at the Banque de France Financial Stability Review Launch Event, Paris, France, Feb. 18, 2011

South Africa's rand jumped more than 1.5 percent against the dollar in late trade on Wednesday, helped by an aggressive sell-off in the U.S. currency and better-than-expected local data.

Gold was set for its largest one-day rise in a week, aided by a weaker dollar and Chinese inflation data that soothed some concern over the prospect of rapid rate rises in the world's second-largest bullion consumer.

We believe that the worst is now over for emerging market equities. Moreover, we believe that the resignation of Hosni Mubarak as Egypt’s President will not only ease tensions in the region but will also restore confidence towards investing in emerging markets again

The United States has incited Brazil and India to criticise China's currency policy, but Beijing need not worry too much because it can defuse the tension through talks, a series of Chinese government advisers told Reuters.

The Brazilian government plans to cut the federal budget by about $30 billion in 2011, which is more than double the budgetary cut last year, said a media report on Thursday.

Federal Reserve chairman said the risk of inflation was “quite low” and that higher prices in emerging markets were unlikely to spill over into the U.S.

When competitors shut down payments to WikiLeaks after the controversial website released a slew of sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables, Sharif Alexandre refused to join the boycott. The Egyptian-born entrepreneur and founder of Xipwire - a Philadelphia-based mobile payments startup - stood opposed to PayPal and Amazon and let customers continue making donations via cellphones.

South Africa's rand crept higher against the dollar on Wednesday, partly aided by a firmer price for gold, but remains one of the worst emerging market performers so far this year, as the central bank continues to accumulate foreign reserves.

Toyota vehicles didn't have any electronic flaws that were earlier blamed to have caused sudden acceleration in its vehicles, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Social networking site Facebook on Tuesday opened shop in Hong Kong to expand its presence in Asia notwithstanding its ban in mainland China.

Automaker Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 39 percent fall in its third quarter profit, hurt by slower domestic sales and a strong yen.