TAKAICHI met with the Philippine president and agreed to upgrade bilateral relations.

BREEDEN said hedge funds are an important source of demand for UK government bonds.

US law-enforcement officials told U.S. media on the 27th that the Trump administration privately instructed the Miami U.S. attorney not to continue pursuing a criminal probe of Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez. Sources said the pause was intended to avoid undermining the administration's efforts to stabilize the situation in Venezuela and to secure the country's openness to U.S. investment. Sources said it was unclear whether prosecutors believed Rodriguez had committed any crimes or whether investigators were preparing charges. A Justice Department spokesman said there is no investigation of Rodriguez that needed to be halted.