Asia-Pacific News Southeast Asia

ANKARA, Oct 21- Turkey's banking regulator urged the public on Saturday to ignore rumours about financial institutions, in an apparent dismissal of a report that some Turkish banks face billions of dollars of U.S. fines over alleged violations of Iran sanctions. U.S. authorities have hit global banks with billions of dollars in fines over violations of...

ANKARA, Oct 21- Turkey's banking regulator urged the public on Saturday to ignore rumours about financial institutions, in an apparent dismissal of a report that some Turkish banks face billions of dollars of U.S. fines over alleged violations of Iran sanctions. Two senior Turkish economy officials told Reuters that Turkey has not received any notice from the...

ANKARA/ ISTANBUL, Oct 21- Six Turkish banks face billions of dollars of fines from U.S. authorities over alleged violations of sanctions with Iran, the Haberturk newspaper reported on Saturday, citing senior banking sources. Two senior Turkish economy officials told Reuters that Turkey has not received any notice from the United States about such penalties,...

LONDON, Oct 20- Nickel prices hit a six-week high on Friday, helped by expectations that market deficits will widen in the future, while copper gained on an optimism demand will grow in top consumer China. Helping copper prices was the receding fear over a slowdown in China's growth. China's factory output grew 6.6 percent year-on-year in September, beating...

*Singapore oBike hopes to launch in Paris in coming weeks. Launched just last week, Hong Kong's Gobee.bike has already spread its bikes all over Paris and Chinese giants Ofo and Mobike, as well as Singapore startup oBike, see entering the French capital as a key step in their plans to conquer Europe's city centres. Paris deputy mayor for urban planning Jean-Louis...

WASHINGTON, Oct 20- The United States does not aim to impede European trade and business transactions with Iran despite President Donald Trump's decision last week to decertify the 2015 nuclear agreement, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the Wall Street Journal. European Union leaders in Brussels on Thursday highlighted the need to protect their...

LONDON, Oct 20- Nickel prices hit a six-week high on Friday, helped by expectations that market deficits will widen going forward, while copper gained on an upbeat view of demand growth in top consumer China. "Nickel prices are set by the cost of making nickel pig iron in China and moves like we've seen are probably detaching from that anchor," he said.

*World Bank: Indonesia needs to spend $1.5 trln to match rivals. JAKARTA, Oct 20- Soon after Indonesian President Joko Widodo took office in 2014, he ordered his ministers to give private companies first pick of profitable infrastructure projects, until then usually grabbed by state-owned enterprises. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told a World Bank...

SYDNEY/ MANILA, Oct 20- London nickel futures jumped to a six-week high on Friday, supported by a rally in Chinese steel prices as investors looked to more production curbs in the world's top steel producer. Traders said the modest pullback in copper on Thursday was in reaction to data showing that economic growth in China, the world's biggest metals consumer, was...

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24 BRASILIA- Central Bank of Brazil holds Monetary Policy Committee Meeting. BUDAPEST- Hungarian Central Bank rate-setting meeting. WINDHOEK, Namibia- Central Bank of Namibia monetary policy meeting.

BRUSSELS, Oct 19- European Union leaders on Thursday reaffirmed their full commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, hoping that the U.S. Congress would not let it collapse despite relentless criticism by President Donald Trump. Trump last week adopted a harsh new approach to Iran by refusing to certify its compliance with the nuclear...

*Chevron suspends drilling activity in Kurdistan. HOUSTON, Oct 19- Oil prices fell more than 1 percent on Thursday, breaking four days of gains, pressured by larger-than-expected product inventories in the United States and profit-taking after a recent run-up in markets. "The geopolitical risk that came rushing into the market is starting to come out," said John...

Iraq to restore Kirkuk oil production by Sunday. HOUSTON, Oct 19- Oil prices fell more than 1 percent on Thursday, pressured by larger-than-expected product inventories in the United States, and some profit-taking after a recent run-up in oil benchmarks. Ongoing tension in the Middle East has been supportive, however, as reduced flows from the Iraqi Kurdish...

*Iraq to restore Kirkuk oil production by Sunday. HOUSTON, Oct 19- Oil prices slipped on Thursday, pressured by larger-than-expected product inventories in the United States, and some profit-taking after a recent run-up in oil benchmarks. Ongoing tension in the Middle East has kept a bid under the market, however, as reduced flows from the Iraqi Kurdish pipeline...

THE HAGUE, Netherlands— An international team investigating the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine appealed Thursday for information about a photograph which prosecutors believe features the Buk rocket that blew the passenger jet out of the sky, killing all 298 on board. The Boeing 777 was shot down July 17, 2014, over conflict-torn...

*OPEC expected to extend supply cuts through next year. LONDON, Oct 19- Oil prices slipped on Thursday but held on to most recent gains, supported by OPEC- led supply cuts, tension in the Middle East and lower U.S. production. Brent crude fell by $1.13 a barrel to a low of $57.02 before recovering a little to $57.30 by 1345 GMT.

ISTANBUL, Oct 19- Turkey and Iran's central banks have formally agreed to trade in their local currencies, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Thursday in a move aimed at increasing bilateral trade. The deal is in line with Iran's efforts to dodge unilateral U.S. sanctions, which remain intact despite the lifting of international financial sanctions on...