Weak demand in Asia calls for more stimulus

(Reuters) - Companies struggled in China and much of the rest of Asia in March amid persistently weak domestic and global demand, suggesting that policymakers may have to resort to more stimulus to spur growth.

BOJ Refrains From Easing With Signs Japan Weathering Tax Rise

Japan’s central bank refrained from boosting stimulus and raised its view of business investment as the economy shows signs of weathering the impact of the first sales-tax increase since 1997.

Former BOJ Policy Maker Sees Japan Inflation Dilemma

The Bank of Japan faces a “terrifying dilemma” of inflation forcing it to tighten monetary policy just as the central bank most needs to support the bond market, according to a former board member.

BOJ to hold fire but exports seen as a concern

(Reuters) - The Bank of Japan is expected to maintain its massive monetary stimulus on Tuesday on a view the economy can weather a sales tax increase in April without extra support, although there is expected to be some concern about weakness in exports.

Japan's hard to budge obstacle in the fight with deflation

TOKYO: Vending machines stocked with sodas are ubiquitous here, tucked away, it seems, in every nook and cranny of the country.

G20 feeling less heat over 'currency wars': Canadian official

OTTAWA: Finance officials from the world's leading economies will be less focused on "currency wars" at meetings this week despite recent attention on Japan's aggressive monetary policy, according to a senior Canadian finance official on Tuesday.

U.S. Urges Japan to Refrain From Competitive Yen Devalue

The U.S. Treasury Department said it will press Japan to refrain from competitive devaluation while stopping short of accusing it of manipulating the yen in a report on exchange rates.

G-20 toughens stance against efforts to influence exchange rates

Group of 20 finance chiefs sharpened their stance against governments trying to influence exchange rates as they sought to tame speculation about a global currency war without singling out Japan for criticism.

G20 should focus on debts, not Japan-bashing: Russia

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's top financial diplomat said the Group of 20 should focus on making new commitments to curb borrowing, and not rush to judge Japan's bid to reflate its economy when policy makers meet this month.

Fed waits for job market to perk up

LONDON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve's ultra-loose monetary policy is a root cause of the "currency wars" that some see as a looming threat to the world economy, but don't expect the U.S. central bank to signal a shift back to normal any time soon.

Japan defends stimulus, yen policy under fire

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Japan's economy minister rejected criticism on Saturday that his country's extraordinary fiscal and monetary stimulus program was aimed at weakening the yen and undermined central bank independence.

Global Economy in Twilight Zone as Stocks Suggest Growth1

The world economy is sliding into a “twilight zone,” trapped between outright expansion and renewed recession. “It could go either way,” said Joachim Fels, chief economist at Morgan Stanley in London, who coined the description in an Aug. 15 report.

Japan eyes end to decades long deflation

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan on Friday offered its strongest indication yet it sees a way out of deflation next year, after being mired in a corrosive mix of falling prices and weak economic growth for much of the past two decades.

BOJ eases policy, sets near-term price goal

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan on Tuesday eased its policy by boosting asset purchases and defined 1 percent consumer inflation as a near-term goal in response to growing calls for more action to help the economy mired in deflation and weighed down by a strong yen.