• The dollar held on to most of its gains on Tuesday, following a sharp rebound on improving investor risk sentiment as worries over North Korea and Hurricane Irma receded.
The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was steady at 91.874, after it skidded to a 2-1/2-year low of 91.011 on Friday.
The euro was little changed at $1.1955 after shedding 0.7 percent overnight. The common currency reached $1.2092 on Friday, its highest since January 2015, as the dollar suffered a broad retreat.
• The United Nations Security Council unanimously stepped up sanctions against North Korea on Monday over the country’s sixth and most powerful nuclear test conducted on Sept. 3, imposing a ban on the country’s textile exports and capping imports of crude oil.
It was the ninth sanctions resolution unanimously adopted by the 15-member council since 2006 over North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. A tougher initial U.S. draft was weakened to win the support of Pyongyang ally China and Russia.
“We don’t take pleasure in further strengthening sanctions today. We are not looking for war,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council after the vote. “The North Korean regime has not yet passed the point of no return.”
• China’s Big Four state-owned banks have stopped providing financial services to new North Korean clients, according to branch staff, amid U.S. concerns that Beijing has not been tough enough over Pyongyang’s repeated nuclear tests
• The German economy will continue its solid upswing after robust growth in the first six months of the year but it could lose some momentum in the second half of 2017, the economy ministry said on Tuesday.
• Oil prices edged down on Tuesday, as traders weighed up the dampening effect on demand of Hurricane Irma versus refinery restarts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey that should lead to more crude oil processing.
International benchmark Brent crude LCOc1 was down 14 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $53.70 per barrel by 0530 GMT from the previous close.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 was down 12 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $47.95 a barrel.
Reference: Reuters
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