The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) cut its key interest rate on Friday from 9.5% to 8.0%, citing further slowdown in annual inflation and subdued consumer demand. The cut was bigger than predicted by any of the Bloomberg-surveyed economists. According to the bank’s statement, the decline in business activity has proven …
Read More »
Russian state gas exporter Gazprom announced on Tuesday that it was reducing gas deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline after German company Siemens failed to return gas pumping units to Gazprom’s compressor station on time. “Gas supplies to the Nord Stream gas pipeline can currently be provided in the amount …
Read More »
The supposed surge in American children being killed by Covid-19 amid rapid spread of the Omicron variant perhaps didn’t happen after all, as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its data with a sharply lower death toll. The agency’s Covid Data Tracker was updated this week …
Read More »
The new guidance came on Friday from the French National Authority for Health, shortening the recommended time frame for boosters by two months in order to strengthen immunity as Omicron infections are on the rise. The health body cited research indicating that available vaccines offer around 80% protection for up …
Read More »
“Risks are tilted to the downside, mainly because of uncertain pandemic dynamics, vaccine efficacy against virus variants, supply chain disruptions, and potential global financial spillovers from the US monetary normalization,” the IMF said, adding that “The global Covid-19 pandemic is still ravaging the region.” Nevertheless, Asia-Pacific will remain the fastest-growing …
Read More »
Thus, the share of the euro in Russia’s forex reserves decreased over the past year by 1.6 percentage points to 29.2% as of January 1. The share of the greenback dropped 3.3 percentage points, to 21.2%. The British pound’s share was also slightly down – by 0.2 percentage points, to …
Read More »