• The dollar wallowed near six-month lows against a basket of major currencies on Thursday as the U.S. political crisis appeared to deepen, threatening to delay efforts by President Donald Trump to implement his economic stimulus plans.
The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six major rivals, fell as low as 97.333 .DXY on Wednesday, its lowest level since Nov. 9, having given up all the gains it had made following the U.S. presidential election in November.
It fell to a three-week low of 110.53 yen early on Thursday before bouncing back slightly to 111.25 yen JPY=, up 0.5 percent from late U.S. levels on bargain-hunting by Japanese investors.
The euro EUR= hit a six-month high of $1.1174 and last stood at $1.1143, down 0.1 percent on the day.
• The U.S. Justice Department, in the face of rising pressure from Capitol Hill, named former FBI chief Robert Mueller on Wednesday as special counsel to investigate alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election and possible collusion between President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow.
• U.S. President Donald Trump told South Korea's presidential envoy that Washington was willing to try to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis through engagement, but under the right conditions, South Korea's foreign ministry said on Thursday.
• Bettors on both sides of the Atlantic are ramping up wagers in niche online markets over whether Donald Trump will serve out a full term as U.S. president in the wake of controversies surrounding the dismissal of FBI Director James Comey.
• Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump had not divulged any secrets during a meeting in Washington with Russian officials and offered to prove it by supplying Congress with a transcript.
• Bank of Japan (BOJ) Deputy Governor Kikuo Iwata said on Thursday that no decision has been made on how the central bank will eventually withdraw its monetary stimulus program.
• Home prices in China rose 0.7 percent in April, barely faster than the 0.6 percent increase in March, following tougher curbs aimed at driving speculators out of what had been a red hot market.
Analysts say accelerated prices gains were likely supported by increased demand in smaller cities where property market curbs are less stiff.
• Oil prices dipped on Thursday, weighed down by plentiful supply despite ongoing efforts led by OPEC to tighten the market by cutting production.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 9 cents, or 0.2 percent, at $48.99.
Brent crude was down 11 cents, or 0.2 percent, from its last close at $52.10 per barrel at 0644 GMT.
Reference: Reuters
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