The Philippines' inflation rate could settle around 3.2% this year, its finance minister said on Friday, giving room for the central bank to further cut rates. "This gives the BSP more room to be aggressive in its monetary policy easing to help the economy grow at a faster rate and support the government in increasing its revenue collections,

Katsunobu Kato is set to become Japan’s next finance minister, according to Kyodo News, replacing Shunichi Suzuki to take on the job of steering the country’s finances through a period of economic change.

The Philippine Statistics Authority says headline inflation in September fell sharply to its lowest rate in more than four years.

Philippine annual inflation accelerated at its slowest rate in more than four years in September due to a slower rise in food prices and downtrend in transport costs, the statistics agency said on Friday.