March 18, Monday, 2024

1. Incumbent Russian leader Vladimir Putin has declared himself the victor in the country’s presidential election. Putin said he wanted to thank all Russians who came out to vote, claiming the country is one united family. He also said the result of the election would allow Russia to become stronger.
2. The United States and Britain have called into question Russia’s latest presidential election. President Vladimir Putin declared victory in the race. A White House National Security Council spokesperson released a statement on Sunday. The statement says: “The results were unsurprising. The elections were obviously not free nor fair given how Mr. Putin has imprisoned political opponents and prevented others from running against him.”
3. Bank of Japan policymakers will discuss ending the era of negative interest rates at their two-day meeting starting on Monday. Many observers say recent pay hikes signal that the economic conditions are being met for a shift in the BOJ’s massive monetary easing.