* reuters://realtime/verb=Open/url=cpurl://apps.cp./Apps/econ-polls?RIC=RUGDPYAP Reuters poll dataBy Zlata Garasyuta and Andrey OstroukhMOSCOW, March 30 (Reuters) - The Russian central bank isexpected to cut its key interest rate to as low as 6.5 percentby the end of the year, the level where it is seen holding thecost of borrowing throughout 2019, a monthly Reuters poll showedon Friday.The Bank o...Read More

About 400 illegal gold miners invaded a farm that belongs to former Zimbabwean first lady, Grace Mugabe.Local newspaper Newsday reports that Mugabe was touring the farm, located in the northern village of Mazowe which is some 40 kilometres north of Harare, when she ran into the miners. They were allegedly uprooting lemon trees, digging shafts and loading gold ore into lorries."When Grace arrived a...Read More

(Adds context)BEIJING/SHANGHAI, March 30 (Reuters) - China announced apilot scheme on Friday to encourage tech, bio-tech and high-endmanufacturing firms to list their shares in Shanghai andShenzhen.The move paves the way for domestic listings ofoverseas-listed tech giants such as Alibaba, JD.com, TencentHoldings, Baidu, Weibo and Sogou. The scheme, proposed by China's securities regulator, isaimed...Read More

BELGRADE, March 30 (Reuters) - Serbia's central bankpurchased an unspecified quantity of euros on the interbankmarket on Friday to stem gains of the dinar, dealers said.The bank which keeps dinar in a managed float on the foreigncurrency market, stepped in as the dinar traded at the rate of118.02 to the euro, or 0.2 percent stronger than the previousclose.A day earlier it purchased 20 million euro...Read More

A union representing the majority of workers at Codelco's Radomiro Tomic mine in Chile has rejected a final offer for a new labor contract, forcing a period of government-facilitated mediation, the company said on Thursday.The union, part of state miner Codelco's Northern Division, has 744 members, the majority of the mine's workers.At the same time, Codelco said in a statement it had inked a wage...Read More

Prices of steel rebar, coke, and coking coal jumped on Friday as the key steel city of Handan in northern China announced new curbs in its fight against pollution, while investors covered short positions to close out the month and first quarter.The most active rebar contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed up 4.4 percent at 3,391 yuan ($540.62) a tonne, surging late in the session after He...Read More

Mar 30 (Reuters) - Below are the ratings awarded by Investment Information Credit RatingAgency Ltd. (ICRA) for local debt instruments as of March 29, 2018.COMPANY INSTRUMENTRATINGAMOUNT MOVEMENT(RS.MLN)------------------------------------SHORT TERM RATINGS:-------------------Abm Telemobiles India Pvt Ltd Non-FBL ICRA A3270 -Adam & Coal Resources Pvt Ltd Non FB Limits ICRA A3+ 850 -Issuer not c...Read More

PORT LOUIS, March 30 (Reuters) - The weighted average yieldon Mauritius' 91-day Treasury bill fell to 3.63 percent atauction on Friday from 3.64 percent at the last sale on March23, the central bank said.The Bank of Mauritius offered a total of 1.2 billion rupees($35.84 million) for both the 91-day and the 182-day paper. Itsold 755.6 million of the 91-day instruments. Complete auction results were...Read More

WARSAW, March 30 (Reuters) - Poland's central bank revisedthe current account balance in the last quarter of 2017 to asurplus of 23 million euros ($28.4 million) from a deficit of583 million euros indicated by preliminary monthly data, thebank said on Friday.($1 = 0.8113 euros) (Reporting by Marcin Goettig;Editing by Lidia Kelly;) Messaging: marcin.goettig.reuters.com@thomsonreuters.net)) Disclaim...Read More

It was a big week for a pair of Irish oil executives whose respective companies saw long awaited progress - sending both shares higher.Providence Resources PLC (LON:PVR) soared after it finally found a partner for its Barryroe project in the Celtic Sea.A Chinese consortium led by Apec Energy has agreed to take a 50% interest in the project in return for the cost of three wells and associated side-...Read More

BUCHAREST, March 30 (Reuters) - Romanian debt managers aimto sell leu currency bills and bonds worth 3.82 billion lei($1.01 billion) in April, including 420 million lei atnon-competitive rounds of auctions, the finance ministry said onFriday.In March, the ministry sold debt worth 3.75 billion lei,with upward pressure on yields as the central bank begantightening its benchmark interest rate at the...Read More

BEIJING, March 30 (Reuters) - China's State Councilannounced on Friday a pilot scheme to encourage technology,bio-tech and high-end manufacturing firms to issue shares inmainland centres Shanghai and Shenzhen, pitting them against theoffshore market of Hong Kong.The scheme would allow qualifying overseas-listed companieswith a market value of no less than 200 billion yuan ($32billion) to issue sha...Read More

March 30 (Reuters) - India's foreign exchange reserves rose to $422.53 billion as of March 23, compared with $421.33 billion a week earlier, the Reserve Bank of India said on Friday.Changes in foreign currency assets, expressed in dollar terms, include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of other currencies held in its reserves.Foreign exchange reserves include India's Reserve Tranche posit...Read More

ZAGREB, March 30 (Reuters) - Croatian economic indicators,updated on March 30 with February money supply, currencyreserves and industrial output as well as 2017 Q4 currentaccount data. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) Q4 '17Q3 Q4 2016Growth rates yr/yr (pct) 2.03.33.5-Household consumption 3.43.73.7-Government2.62.32.2-Gross fixed capital formation 1.73.45.0-Exports of goods/services 3.65.76.5-Imports...Read More

March 30 (Reuters) - Indian banks' loans rose 11.1 percent in the two weeks to March 16 from a year earlier, while deposits rose 6.4 percent, the Reserve Bank of India's weekly statistical supplement showed on Friday.Outstanding loans rose 309.50 billion rupees ($4.75 billion) to 83.77 trillion rupees in the two weeks to March 16. Non-food credit rose 344.20 billion rupees to 83.35 trillion rupees...Read More

SARAJEVO, March 30 (Reuters) - Following is a summary ofBosnia's economic indicators, updated on Friday with foreigninvestment in the fourth quarter of 2017 and February currencyreserves, published by the central bank. FOREIGNQ1-Q4 2016 INVESTMENT 2017TOTAL mln BAM758.4 482.2 NOTE: Countrywide data, including re-invested earnings, released by the central bank. CURRENCY RESERVES (net)FEB 18JAN 18F...Read More

Vancouver-based East Africa Metals (TSX-V:EAM) revealed that its previously announced Ethiopian Project Financing Memorandum of Understanding with Luck Winner Investment Limited failed to materialize.In a press release, East Africa said that "despite the best efforts of both parties, negotiations failed to define a viable transaction that would be in the best interests of East Africa shareholders...Read More

Vancouver-based East Africa Metals (TSX-V:EAM) revealed that its previously announced Ethiopian Project Financing Memorandum of Understanding with Luck Winner Investment Limited failed to materialize.In a press release, East Africa said that "despite the best efforts of both parties, negotiations failed to define a viable transaction that would be in the best interests of East Africa shareholders...Read More

* 2017 surplus is 13 mln euros* 2017 public debt is 73.6 pct of GDP* 2018 debt seen below 70 pct of GDPBy Marja NovakLJUBLJANA, March 30 (Reuters) - Slovenia ended 2017 with asmall budget surplus for the first time in 24 years, thestatistics office said on Friday.The export-oriented country, which narrowly avoided aninternational bailout for its banks in 2013, returned to growthjust one year later...Read More

BELGRADE, March 30 (Reuters) - Serbia's foreign tradedeficit rose to 748.9 million euros($923.02 million) in thefirst two months of 2018, up 27.7 percent compared to the sameperiod a year ago, the state statistics office said on Friday. Jan-Feb Jan Jan-Feb '17Imports 3.116,41,479.72,667.6 Exports 2.367,5940.12,081.1Balance-748,9 -336.4 -586.4 (Figures in millions of euros)($1 = 0.8114 euros) (Repo...Read More