Japan's finance ministry said Thursday it intervened in the currency market to bolster the yen, which has plummeted against the dollar in recent months on the widening policy gap between the US and Japanese central banks.

The Bank of Japan maintained ultra-low interest rates and dovish policy guidance on Thursday, as it seeks to reassure markets that it will continue to swim against a global tide of central banks tightening monetary policy to combat soaring inflation.

Generous energy subsidies restrained inflation, at 4.69 percent in August, allowing Bank Indonesia (BI) to delay raising rates until last month, well behind most other central banks. 

Stocks in Asia sank and bond yields were elevated on Wednesday, as investors braced for another aggressive interest rate hike from the US Federal Reserve later in the day.

Indonesian palm oil producers are whittling down their hefty inventory overhang with discounts versus rivals and aggressive sales to India, where demand is picking up for next month's Diwali festival, industry officials said.

The dollar lingered near a two-decade top on major peers on Monday, ahead of a week loaded with market holidays and central bank decisions from Washington to London and Tokyo.

Asian markets fell Monday as traders extended last week's rout across risk assets, with expectations high that the Federal Reserve will this week announce another outsized interest rate hike.

China has stepped up spending on coal in the face of extreme weather, a domestic energy crunch and rising global fuel prices -- raising concerns Beijing's policies may hinder the fight against climate change.

Asian stocks mostly edged higher on Thursday, tracking gains on Wall Street, as markets adjusted following a rout this week on higher-than-expected US inflation data.

The Japanese yen also began slipping again, getting only a limited boost from the strongest hints yet of possible market intervention by Japanese authorities. 

The strongest warnings to date came shortly after the yen fell close to the psychologically important 145 line against the US dollar, reflecting market expectations of a further divergence in the monetary policies of the two nations. Japanese authorities warned that the yen's recent movements have been rapid, one-sided, and excessive.

Asian shares tumbled, the dollar held firm and two-year Treasury yields hit a new 15-year high on Wednesday, as a US inflation report dashed hopes for a peak in inflation, fueling bets rates may have to be raised higher for longer.

Asian stocks rose on Tuesday as traders in Korea returned from holidays in a mood to catch up on a global bounce, while other markets held steady ahead of US inflation data that will offer a crucial guide to the interest rate outlook.

Asian shares crept higher as the dollar eased, with markets turning calmer after a record interest rate hike from the European Central Bank and hawkish comments from the US Federal Reserve Chair reinforced bets of aggressive tightening ahead.

State-owned oil-and-gas company Pertamina is in talks to buy crude oil from Russia while the G7 forum is trying to get other countries to join its push for a price cap on Russian oil.

Most Asian markets enjoyed a rare advance on bargain-buying Thursday, tracking a Wall Street rally after a series of losses, though the dollar resumed its upward march with the Federal Reserve expected to announce another bumper interest rate hike.

Asian shares rose on Tuesday morning after China pledged to make renewed efforts to boost its economy on Monday, while investors pinned hope on more clarity ahead of a number of central bank meetings.

Oil prices jumped along with the whole energy complex as a holiday in US markets made for thin trading conditions. News of more coronavirus lockdowns in China only added to the jittery mood.

Faced with recession fears, the OPEC+ countries are expected to agree a modest increase in oil production at a meeting on Monday, with some experts even forecasting a cut to support prices.

Asian shares were mixed and the dollar stood tall on Friday ahead of a key US jobs report as investors braced for more aggressive rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, while commodities took an overnight dive amid new China lockdowns.

Asian stocks slid and the dollar spiked on Thursday as investors greeted September by selling everything that was not nailed down after a month battered by concerns about aggressive rate hikes from global policymakers.

Asian markets extended the global stocks selloff on Wednesday, as investor worries about aggressive monetary tightening were inflamed further by strong US jobs data.

Some market watchers point to the decision of BlackRock to launch a private bitcoin investment product specifically for institutional investors as a strong sign that demand remains strong and could drag crypto out of the doldrums. 

China stocks dropped on Tuesday, as more cities tightened COVID-19 restrictions in response to rising cases, fuelling fears of a further economic slowdown.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's promise of policy "pain" to contain inflation quashed hopes that the central bank would ride to the rescue of markets as so often in the past.

Asian shares rose on Friday, buoyed by news of possible progress for China and the United States to hammer out an audit deal, while traders anxiously awaited a speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on rate-hike path later in the day.

The US dollar edged back from near a two-decade peak against a basket of major currencies on Thursday as investors looked to a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell the following day for fresh clues on the path for monetary policy.

A fleet of 14 trains provided by French industrial giant Alstom to the German state Lower Saxony will replace the diesel locomotives on the 100 kilometers of track connecting the cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde and Buxtehude near Hamburg.

China's autumn harvest is under "severe threat" from high temperatures and drought, authorities have warned, urging action to protect crops in the face of the country's hottest summer on record.

Indonesia's central bank could also add to the gloom, if it delivers a surprise interest rate increase at its scheduled policy meeting. Economists polled by Reuters expect it to hold its 7-day reverse repo rate steady at 3.50 percent.