EMERGING MARKETS-Philippine peso slips 0.4%, Indonesian rupiah down 0.2%

Reuters
Fed shifts talk to 'scenarios' as policy grows less certain
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in a May 1 press conference he didn't want to talk about economic "hypotheticals," but that's what he and other U.S. central bank officials have shifted towards in discussing monetary policy that has hit an uncertain juncture in the effort to tame inflation. Dropping what had been explicit guidance about the likelihood of interest rate cuts this year, Powell and other Fed officials are instead focusing attention on broadly different near-term paths the economy might follow, and their likely reaction to each case. Former Fed officials and staffers with experience attending meetings of the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee say that's a sign of just how uncertain policymakers feel right now and is meant to shift attention from the detailed economic and policy projections they produce each quarter and onto a wider array of potential outcomes.
AFP News
US Fed's rate meeting minutes show growing inflation concerns
A strong US economy and an uptick in inflation led the Federal Reserve's rate-setting committee to conclude that progress against rising prices had stalled, according to minutes of its most recent meeting published Wednesday.The minutes of the two-day Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting show that policymakers generally felt that "recent data had not increased their confidence that inflation was moving sustainably toward two percent."
Reuters
Gold prices dip after record highs on profit taking, rate cut bets cool
Gold prices dipped over 1% on Wednesday as the gold rally cooled with investors booking profits, as traders pulled back from bets on Federal Reserve's rate cuts this year. Spot gold fell 1.8% to $2,377.43 per ounce by 1858 GMT. "You're seeing some week-long liquidation, some profit taking by the shorter term futures traders; all of which is not unusual in a market that hit a record high," said Jim Wyckoff, senior analyst at Kitco Metals.
Barrons.com
Dow Falls 300 Points After Fed Minutes
Stocks fell further following the release of meeting minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee’s recent meeting. The Nasdaq Composite was down 0.6%. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell downplayed a potential hike in his press conference, noting he believed monetary policy was restrictive enough to bring inflation back down toward the central bank's 2% target.
Reuters SG
EMERGING MARKETS-Most Asian currencies steady ahead of Fed minutes; stocks inch up
* Taiwan stocks jump to all-time high * Bank Indonesia keeps rates unchanged * Bank of Korea rate decision in focus (Updated at 0738 GMT) By John Biju May 22 (Reuters) - Most Asian currencies struggled for direction while equities edged higher on Wednesday ahead of the minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting that could provide more insight into the central bank's interest rate trajectory. The Indonesian rupiah was largely unchanged after the country's central bank kept interest rates steady .
Reuters
Morning Bid: New Zealand, Indonesia set rates; Nvidia vigil almost over
Monetary policy decisions from New Zealand and Indonesia are the main points of focus in Asia on Wednesday, as debate over the timing of the first U.S. rate cut ebbs and flows, and lofty equity markets consider their next step. The message on interest rates from a raft of Federal Reserve officials on Tuesday was patience. With many stock markets around the world at record or multi-year highs, a period of cooling may be inevitable.
Reuters SG
UPDATE 3-Singapore posts fastest growth in 18 months as outlook improves
Singapore's economy grew 2.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, the quickest pace in 18 months, data showed on Thursday as the government said it expected manufacturing and trade-related sectors to improve over the course of 2024. OCBC's Ling said first quarter data showed the economy was on track for full-year GDP to come in "slightly above the 2% handle".
Reuters
BOJ's Ueda sticks to economic recovery view, keeps alive rate hike chance
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Thursday the economy was on track for a moderate recovery, suggesting a slump in first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) alone would not keep the central bank from raising interest rates in coming months. But Ueda said the outlook for the U.S. economy was among key risks to growth that will likely be discussed at a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced nations. "As for risks, the biggest focus would be whether the U.S. economy will complete that one last mile and engineer a soft landing or not," Ueda told reporters ahead of the G7 finance leaders' gathering this week in Stresa, Italy.
The Independent
Influencer’s two-year-old son drowns in hotel pool while parents napped
‘When I woke up, I found that he was not next to me,’ influencer reveals details of son’s tragic death
NextShark
1 dead, 71 injured as Singapore Airlines flight hits severe turbulence
A Singapore Airlines passenger has died and 71 others were injured after the plane encountered extreme turbulence during a flight from London to Singapore on Tuesday. Boeing 777-300ER, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, was about 10 hours into the flight to Singapore when turbulence occurred over Myanmar, leaving a 73-year-old British man dead and six others suffering serious injuries. Photos and videos of the incident have been shared on social media, and passengers have recalled the terrifying moments on the airplane.
The Independent
Families of female Israeli hostages taken by Hamas release graphic video of their capture
Families of the hostages requested that the video be released
AFP News
'Monk' DJ not allowed to drop the beat in Singapore: minister
An unconventional South Korean DJ "monk" who dispenses Buddhist wisdom and Gen-Z life advice over his thumping beats will be barred from performing in Singapore, the interior minister said Wednesday.He is credited with reviving Buddhism's popularity among young South Koreans -- even as his performances have ruffled feathers regionally.
The Independent
Six Brits on Singapore Airlines flight still fighting for their lives as survivors describe ‘sheer terror’
Aviation investigators have arrived in Bangkok to work out what caused the turbulence struck the Singapore Airlines flight from London Heathrow
The Telegraph
China’s next shock is coming – and Britain and Europe are sitting ducks
The EU will be forced to follow Joe Biden’s tariffs against China whether it likes it or not, otherwise Europe will alone face the concentrated trade shock from Xi Jinping’s predatory mercantilism.
The Independent
‘I don’t want to scare you’: Distressing text sent by Singapore Airlines passenger to terrified mother
Passengers have spoken of the terror onboard the Singapore Airlines flight forced to make an emergency landing in severe turbulence in Bangkok
Cosmo
Anya Taylor-Joy flashes her bum in open-back mini dress that laces all the way up
Anya Taylor-Joy stepped out in New York wearing an open-back mini dress from Mugler's AW 2024 collection that laces all the way up the back to flash her bum.
Evening Standard
Transfer news LIVE! Arsenal Sesko decision; two Chelsea deals imminent; Olise to Man Utd
Latest updates as the summer transfer window ramps up
INSIDER
New pictures of the US Air Force's newest stealth bomber — the B-21 Raider — just dropped as flight testing continues
Pentagon leadership says the B-21 penetrating strike aircraft will form the "backbone" of America's future bomber fleet.
People
Vera Wang, 74, Shares Why She 'Can't' Bring Herself to Go Gray Yet: 'Would Look Like a Bad Skunk'
The fashion designer had a candid conversation about aging on Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, "Wiser Than Me"
Evening Standard
Manchester United and Bayern Munich on high alert as Mauricio Pochettino leaves Chelsea
52-year-old’s sudden availability blows manager market wide open

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EMERGING MARKETS-Philippine peso slips 0.4%, Indonesian rupiah down 0.2%

Latest stories

Fed shifts talk to 'scenarios' as policy grows less certain

US Fed's rate meeting minutes show growing inflation concerns

Gold prices dip after record highs on profit taking, rate cut bets cool

Dow Falls 300 Points After Fed Minutes

EMERGING MARKETS-Most Asian currencies steady ahead of Fed minutes; stocks inch up

Morning Bid: New Zealand, Indonesia set rates; Nvidia vigil almost over

UPDATE 3-Singapore posts fastest growth in 18 months as outlook improves

BOJ's Ueda sticks to economic recovery view, keeps alive rate hike chance

Influencer’s two-year-old son drowns in hotel pool while parents napped

1 dead, 71 injured as Singapore Airlines flight hits severe turbulence

Families of female Israeli hostages taken by Hamas release graphic video of their capture

'Monk' DJ not allowed to drop the beat in Singapore: minister

Six Brits on Singapore Airlines flight still fighting for their lives as survivors describe ‘sheer terror’

China’s next shock is coming – and Britain and Europe are sitting ducks

‘I don’t want to scare you’: Distressing text sent by Singapore Airlines passenger to terrified mother

Anya Taylor-Joy flashes her bum in open-back mini dress that laces all the way up

Transfer news LIVE! Arsenal Sesko decision; two Chelsea deals imminent; Olise to Man Utd

New pictures of the US Air Force's newest stealth bomber — the B-21 Raider — just dropped as flight testing continues

Vera Wang, 74, Shares Why She 'Can't' Bring Herself to Go Gray Yet: 'Would Look Like a Bad Skunk'

Manchester United and Bayern Munich on high alert as Mauricio Pochettino leaves Chelsea