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Jerome Powell

Jerome Powell: Known for his leadership as the current Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, a role he has held since 2018. He oversees monetary policy, aiming for maximum employment and price stability, and guided the Fed’s extensive intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic. His background includes significant experience in investment banking, notably as a partner at The Carlyle Group, and public service as an Under Secretary at the US Treasury. He previously served on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from 2012. Powell, a lawyer by training, is recognised for his consensus-building approach and expertise in financial markets and fiscal policy.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with new Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh (left) at the White House on Friday. Photo: AFP

United States

Warsh takes US Fed’s helm with inflation dilemma already unfolding

Trump’s pick to lead the central bank must contend with an economy roiled by the AI boom, as well as oil price and tariff shocks.

23 May 2026 - 4:17AM

Banking & finance

Stephen Miran, Trump’s economic guru, is leaving the Fed. What happens now?

15 May 2026 - 8:00PM

US-China relations

Is China set to benefit from new US Fed chair Kevin Warsh’s policy vision?

14 May 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

United States

Warsh confirmed as Fed chair, as US central bank faces Trump assault

He is taking over as the world’s largest economy reels from repeated shocks, including inflation fuelled in part by the Iran war.

14 May 2026 - 11:01AMvideocam

Kevin Warsh testifies during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill in April. Photo: AFP

United States

US Senate confirms Trump pick Kevin Warsh to Federal Reserve Board

The decision clears the way for Warsh to take over the role of Fed chair from Jerome Powell later this week.

13 May 2026 - 12:59AMvideocam

United States

US consumer inflation jumps as Iran war sends energy prices higher

Inflation had been dropping more or less steadily since peaking with a 9.1 per cent year-over-year spike in prices in June 2022.

12 May 2026 - 9:44PM

Banking & finance

Trump’s pick for Fed chair says he’ll stay independent. Does he mean it?

Kevin Warsh said at a confirmation hearing he would not become the US president’s ‘human sock puppet’, but concerns over interference persist.

9 May 2026 - 9:07AMvideocam

Interest rates

HKMA warns of interest-rate uncertainty as Fed’s trajectory remains unclear

HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) keep their prime and savings rates unchanged.

30 Apr 2026 - 7:13PMvideocam

United States

Powell says he’ll stay at Fed as governor, defying Trump

Outgoing chair triggers fresh clash with the White House by exercising his right to remain on the Fed board.

30 Apr 2026 - 1:57PM

United States

US drops criminal probe of Fed chair Powell, likely clearing way for Warsh

Judge James Boasberg, said prosecutors had produced ‘essentially zero evidence’ to suspect Powell of a crime.

24 Apr 2026 - 11:47PMvideocam

US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference following the Federal Open Market Committee meeting at the Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, DC, on March 18. Photo: AFP

Banking & finance

America First Fed? Trump pick Warsh signals ‘monetary sovereignty’: analysts

Potential successor to Jerome Powell may pursue policies that pressure US dollar-driven assets and curb global liquidity, analysts say.

22 Apr 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Kevin Warsh, nominee for US Federal Reserve chair, testifies on Tuesday during a Senate Banking Committee hearing in Washington. Photo: TNS

United States

Trump’s pick for Fed chief, calls for ‘regime change’ at US central bank

The remarks were made at a contentious confirmation hearing, which took place amid a criminal probe of current chair Jerome Powell.

22 Apr 2026 - 2:26AMvideocam

United States

Trump threatens to fire Fed chair Powell if he doesn’t step down ‘in time’

Powell’s stint as the leader of the central bank expires in May, but his term on Board of Governors does not end until 2028.

15 Apr 2026 - 9:45PM

Artificial intelligence

‘Common ignorance’: how China took the lead in global efforts to govern AI

As AI development gathers speed, governments and industry leaders say guardrails are needed to protect the public from the fast-moving tech.

13 Apr 2026 - 11:04PMvideocam

China is leading a global charge to rein in AI as governments and industry leaders fear the world is entering the unknown in terms of where the technology is going. Photo: Shutterstock

Artificial intelligence

China banks buffer against AI contagions as US sweats over Anthropic’s Mythos

With Beijing prioritising financial stability, analysts say state lenders take a measured approach to generative models amid growing global cybersecurity risks.

10 Apr 2026 - 11:00PM

With the United States warning banks about potential risks from Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence model, analysts note how China is monitoring for any potential contagion risks. Photo: Reuters

Yuan

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

30 Mar 2026 - 10:03AMvideocam

Hong Kong stock market

Recession fears grip markets as energy facilities under fire in Middle East

Risk-off mode takes hold as attacks bring crisis to ‘a more dangerous level for the global economy’, analyst says.

19 Mar 2026 - 7:30PM

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong, mainland China stocks tumble as oil shock revives recession worries

Shanghai Composite Index falls below 4,000 points for the first time in two months, underscoring investor jitters.

19 Mar 2026 - 5:10PM

A resurgence in oil prices has fuelled concerns about a global recession. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

HKMA warns of interest rate uncertainty amid Middle East conflict

HKMA leaves city’s base rate untouched at 4 per cent, as HSBC, Standard Chartered and BOCHK keep prime lending and saving rates unchanged.

19 Mar 2026 - 5:19PM

United States

Trump administration urges judge to revisit ruling blocking Powell subpoenas

A federal judge had ruled on Friday that a DOJ investigation into Powell was intended to pressure the Fed chairman to lower interest ‌rates.

17 Mar 2026 - 3:13AM

United States

Judge quashes subpoenas of Fed chair, says probe was ‘politically motivated’

A ‘mountain of evidence’ suggests the subpoenas were to pressure Jerome Powell to obey Trump’s demands to cut interest rates, the judge says.

14 Mar 2026 - 4:17AMvideocam

US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference in Washington in January. Photo: Reuters

China stock market

Trump’s Fed pick Warsh stokes uncertainty as investors weigh his policy shifts

US Treasuries have been falling recently, partially reflecting investor concerns that Warsh’s succession will slow rate reductions.

8 Mar 2026 - 9:30AM

Former US Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh speaks during a monetary policy conference at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution in Palo Alto, California, May 9, 2025. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

US seeks fair China competition, looks to realign Latin America ties

Scott Bessent says Washington wants to reduce security risks without decoupling from Beijing as it steps up engagement across Latin America.

11 Feb 2026 - 6:16AMvideocam

Banking & finance

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

7 Feb 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Donald Trump

Why gold still glitters in Asia despite volatility triggering ‘panic selling’

Investors are also looking to buy more silver despite the recent rush of funds towards the US dollar, analysts say.

6 Feb 2026 - 5:07PM

The outlook for gold remains strong in Asia due to its reputation as a safe haven investment. Photo: Shutterstock

Banking & finance

‘America First’ Fed? Why China economists doubt Trump’s pick can boost US dollar

Kevin Warsh unlikely to deliver long-term rebound while central bank independence still at risk, analysts say.

2 Feb 2026 - 7:00PM

Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee for Fed chair, speaks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York City, in 2017. Photo: Reuters

United States

Trump picks former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh to chair US central bank

The nomination comes as economic issues – from tariffs to affordability – dominate the policy agenda ahead of the November midterm elections.

31 Jan 2026 - 6:29AMvideocam

US Federal Reserve

Before Trump’s Fed pick, a new clear favourite emerges for chair

Betting markets show shiny odds for a former governor, with a prominent asset manager trailing a distant second as the announcement looms.

30 Jan 2026 - 7:14PM

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Jerome Powell

Warsh takes US Fed’s helm with inflation dilemma already unfolding

Trump’s pick to lead the central bank must contend with an economy roiled by the AI boom, as well as oil price and tariff shocks.

Stephen Miran, Trump’s economic guru, is leaving the Fed. What happens now?

Is China set to benefit from new US Fed chair Kevin Warsh’s policy vision?

Warsh confirmed as Fed chair, as US central bank faces Trump assault

He is taking over as the world’s largest economy reels from repeated shocks, including inflation fuelled in part by the Iran war.

US Senate confirms Trump pick Kevin Warsh to Federal Reserve Board

The decision clears the way for Warsh to take over the role of Fed chair from Jerome Powell later this week.

US consumer inflation jumps as Iran war sends energy prices higher

Inflation had been dropping more or less steadily since peaking with a 9.1 per cent year-over-year spike in prices in June 2022.

Trump’s pick for Fed chair says he’ll stay independent. Does he mean it?

Kevin Warsh said at a confirmation hearing he would not become the US president’s ‘human sock puppet’, but concerns over interference persist.

HKMA warns of interest-rate uncertainty as Fed’s trajectory remains unclear

HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) keep their prime and savings rates unchanged.

Powell says he’ll stay at Fed as governor, defying Trump

Outgoing chair triggers fresh clash with the White House by exercising his right to remain on the Fed board.

US drops criminal probe of Fed chair Powell, likely clearing way for Warsh

Judge James Boasberg, said prosecutors had produced ‘essentially zero evidence’ to suspect Powell of a crime.

America First Fed? Trump pick Warsh signals ‘monetary sovereignty’: analysts

Potential successor to Jerome Powell may pursue policies that pressure US dollar-driven assets and curb global liquidity, analysts say.

Trump’s pick for Fed chief, calls for ‘regime change’ at US central bank

The remarks were made at a contentious confirmation hearing, which took place amid a criminal probe of current chair Jerome Powell.

Trump threatens to fire Fed chair Powell if he doesn’t step down ‘in time’

Powell’s stint as the leader of the central bank expires in May, but his term on Board of Governors does not end until 2028.

‘Common ignorance’: how China took the lead in global efforts to govern AI

As AI development gathers speed, governments and industry leaders say guardrails are needed to protect the public from the fast-moving tech.

China banks buffer against AI contagions as US sweats over Anthropic’s Mythos

With Beijing prioritising financial stability, analysts say state lenders take a measured approach to generative models amid growing global cybersecurity risks.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

Recession fears grip markets as energy facilities under fire in Middle East

Risk-off mode takes hold as attacks bring crisis to ‘a more dangerous level for the global economy’, analyst says.

Hong Kong, mainland China stocks tumble as oil shock revives recession worries

Shanghai Composite Index falls below 4,000 points for the first time in two months, underscoring investor jitters.

HKMA warns of interest rate uncertainty amid Middle East conflict

HKMA leaves city’s base rate untouched at 4 per cent, as HSBC, Standard Chartered and BOCHK keep prime lending and saving rates unchanged.

Trump administration urges judge to revisit ruling blocking Powell subpoenas

A federal judge had ruled on Friday that a DOJ investigation into Powell was intended to pressure the Fed chairman to lower interest ‌rates.

Judge quashes subpoenas of Fed chair, says probe was ‘politically motivated’

A ‘mountain of evidence’ suggests the subpoenas were to pressure Jerome Powell to obey Trump’s demands to cut interest rates, the judge says.

Trump’s Fed pick Warsh stokes uncertainty as investors weigh his policy shifts

US Treasuries have been falling recently, partially reflecting investor concerns that Warsh’s succession will slow rate reductions.

US seeks fair China competition, looks to realign Latin America ties

Scott Bessent says Washington wants to reduce security risks without decoupling from Beijing as it steps up engagement across Latin America.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

Why gold still glitters in Asia despite volatility triggering ‘panic selling’

Investors are also looking to buy more silver despite the recent rush of funds towards the US dollar, analysts say.

‘America First’ Fed? Why China economists doubt Trump’s pick can boost US dollar

Kevin Warsh unlikely to deliver long-term rebound while central bank independence still at risk, analysts say.

Trump picks former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh to chair US central bank

The nomination comes as economic issues – from tariffs to affordability – dominate the policy agenda ahead of the November midterm elections.

Before Trump’s Fed pick, a new clear favourite emerges for chair

Betting markets show shiny odds for a former governor, with a prominent asset manager trailing a distant second as the announcement looms.

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead