ECB Governing Council member Radev said policymakers need to consider tightening financial conditions.

Market pricing on Thursday shows investors do not fully price a 25bp Bank of England hike until the MPC meeting in February next year. LSEG data show cumulative tightening priced by the Dec. 17 decision is 24.3bp, versus 36bp priced by the Feb. 4 decision. Pricing for the Sept. meeting implies under 4bp of tightening, equating to roughly a 15% chance of a hike; by comparison markets price about 24bp at the ECB’s Sept. meeting. UK July CPI rose to 2.9% on higher household energy bills, while the labour market remains moderate — the primary source of longer‑run inflation concern among MPC members.

Two sources told Reuters-like outlets that senior US officials intervened in an international criminal probe of Alejandro Betancourt, a UK-based Venezuelan businessman recruited by the Trump administration to help secure influence over Venezuela’s government and oil sector. US officials lobbied Swiss authorities to resolve the case in a way that would avoid criminal charges and lift his travel restrictions, and the US did not execute a Swiss arrest warrant. Betancourt was reportedly allowed repeated entry to the US to meet Trump administration officials. He has faced investigations in Switzerland, Spain and the US on alleged money laundering, including a loan arrangement US prosecutors say diverted more than $1 bln from Venezuela’s state oil company.