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Warsh Faces Tenuous Balancing Act in First Fed Meeting as Chairman

16 June 2026 at 10:03
Elevated inflation and the specter of rate increases will greet Kevin M. Warsh in his debut as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

Kevin M. Warsh, the Federal Reserve chairman, has inherited a multitude of economic challenges.

Bank of Japan raises interest rates to 31-year high … of 1%

16 June 2026 at 11:41

Country acts amid Iran war inflation pressures, but US Fed and Bank of England expected to hold rates

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has raised interest rates to a 31-year high as it tries to dampen inflationary pressures created by the Iran war.

Policymakers in Tokyo raised the BoJ’s short-term policy rate by a quarter of one percentage point, to 1% from 0.75%, and warned that companies were passing on rising oil costs to each other at a “relatively fast pace”.

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© Photograph: Franck Robichon/EPA

© Photograph: Franck Robichon/EPA

© Photograph: Franck Robichon/EPA

RBA interest rates: Reserve Bank holds official cash rate at 4.35%

16 June 2026 at 08:35

Reserve Bank of Australia decision on Tuesday comes after three consecutive cash rate hikes this year

The Reserve Bank has warned it is ready to raise interest rates further despite leaving its official interest rate on hold at 4.35%.

The widely expected decision on Tuesday will bring little relief to mortgage holders, already strained by the RBA’s three consecutive rate hikes earlier in 2026.

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© Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

© Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

© Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Japan Raises Rates to 31-Year High to Ward Off War Inflation

Going against Prime Minister Takaichi’s wishes, Japan’s central bank acted amid U.S. pressure, a tanking currency and inflation from energy disruptions.

© Jiji Press/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan in Tokyo last month. Her government spending agenda faces pressure from rising interest rates.
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