The pound recovered strongly against major currencies yesterday, as the government hinted at quarantine-free international travel even to “amber” countries for the double vaccinated, and a possible earlier-than-expected end to covid restrictions if hospitalisations and deaths remain low.
News on that will be given on Thursday, which is also the Bank of England’s interest rate decision day.
The European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde marked the end of a three-day gathering discussing future monetary policy, saying that the ECB’s sub-2% inflation goal was likely to be relaxed slightly, potentially looking at different data when setting targets.
The US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell will also repeat his claim before Congress today that current higher inflation is transitory.
In the business news today we’ve learned that the government is planning to build on its recent trade agreement with Australia and join the CPTPP – the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnerships.
In a similar vein, the UK will have a new “national yacht”, paid for by the Ministry of Defence but hosting trade fairs and talks, a “national flagship which will drive investment into the economy and boost trade”, according to the Prime Minister’s spokesman.
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