WSJ.com What's News - Worldwide News Briefs for Aug 03

RUSSIANS PORTRAY WASHINGTON AS MIRED IN CHAOS

Switch on the news in Russia, and the message is clear: Washington is in chaos. The new sanctions bill-which President Donald Trump signed into law on Wednesday-is the latest sign of Beltway disarray, in the Russian view.

GLOBAL INFLATION HITS LOWEST LEVEL SINCE 2009

Inflation in the G-20 largest economies fell to its lowest level in almost eight years in June, deepening a puzzle confronting central banks as they contemplate removing post-crisis stimulus policies.

CHINA PUSHES BACK ON U.S. ACCUSATIONS ON TRADE, URGES COOPERATION

China urged the Trump administration to back off plans for tough trade actions, warning that conflict would hurt both sides.

IN AFGHAN DEBATE, IS THERE A LESSON IN THE 2011 PULLOUT FROM IRAQ?

As President Donald Trump's administration weighs how to handle Afghanistan's chronic war, looming large is the question of what is the right lesson of the 2011 U.S. withdrawal from another conflict: Iraq.

BOE SIGNALS RATES TO RISE FASTER THAN MARKETS EXPECT

The Bank of England joined other major central banks in signaling that a long era of easy money is gradually drawing to a close, saying that it anticipates raising interest rates in the U.K. at a faster pace than investors currently expect.

JAPAN'S ABE SHAKES UP CABINET BY ADDING SOME CRITICS

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe named new cabinet ministers, bidding to shore up plummeting public approval ratings and head off potential unrest within his party by giving posts to experienced lawmakers from outside his close circle.

SUU KYI'S MYANMAR PROBLEM: WHERE'S THE ECONOMY?

When Aung San Suu Kyi came to power in Myanmar after years of military rule, many investors expected an economic boom. Instead, economic growth fell to a five-year low and foreign investment slipped 22%.

VENEZUELAN OFFICIALS TAMPERED WITH ELECTION, VOTING-SOFTWARE FIRM SAYS

Venezuelan authorities tampered with votes during an election this week to elect a body to rewrite the country's constitution, said the company that provides the government with the voting software.

(For continuously updated news from the Wall Street Journal, see WSJ.com at http://wsj.com.)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 03, 2017 17:25 ET (21:25 GMT)