* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh. The U.S. dollar erased earlier losses and rose on Friday after investors cut back short positions in the greenback as concerns about slower global growth prospects and political tensions boosted its safe-haven appeal.
Critical information for the U.S. trading day. We're going to hear from a busy lineup of Federal Reserve officials on Friday, and they may shed more light on why the bank was so divided on this week's interest rate cut. Our call of the day, from Oaktree Capital's billionaire co-chairman Howard Marks, also weighs in on the Fed as he says the economy doesn't really need the rate cuts it's been doling out.
St. Louis Federal Reserve bank president James Bullard said on Friday he argued for a deeper, half a percentage point cut at this week's Fed meeting because of signs the U.S. economy will slow "in the near horizon," and that manufacturing "already appears in recession." The Fed cut rates a quarter of a percentage point at its policy meeting that ended Wednesday.
* Aug exports fall 4% y/y, even with gold boost. * Rice exports plunge 45% y/y, deepest fall since mid-2012. * Strong baht hurt farm shipments - official. * Baht is Asia's top performing currency this year. By Orathai Sriring and Satawasin Staporncharnchai.
India is likely to receive above-average monsoon rains in 2019 for the first time in six years as seasonal rainfall continues longer than expected, two senior weather department officials told Reuters, in a boon for the country's cooling economy.
Greece's current account balance showed a slightly smaller surplus in July compared to the same month last year, as imports outpaced exports, the Bank of Greece said on Friday. Central bank data showed the surplus at 1.28 billion euros compared to a surplus of 1.31 billion euros in July 2018. Tourism revenues rose to 3.65 billion euros from 3.28 billion in the same month a year earlier.
* August nationwide core CPI +0.5%, matches forecast. * Index excluding oil, fresh food +0.6% in August. * Soft inflation adds pressure on BOJ to ease further. By Leika Kihara.
* August nationwide core CPI +0.5%, matches forecast. * Index excluding oil, fresh food +0.6% in August. * Soft inflation adds pressure on BOJ to ease further. By Leika Kihara.
Japan's core consumer prices rose 0.5% in August from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday. The core consumer price index, which includes oil products but excludes fresh food prices, compared with economists' median estimate for a 0.5% annual gain. Stripping away the effect of fresh food and energy, consumer prices rose 0.6% in August from a year ago.
Argentina's economy contracted again in the second quarter while unemployment rose, as the country was slammed by galloping inflation, government austerity and high interest rates. Argentina's gross domestic product shrank a seasonally adjusted 0.3% from the first quarter, the fourth contraction in five quarters, statistics agency Indec said Thursday, though it expanded 0.6% from a year earlier. Indec revised the first quarter figure to unchanged from the fourth quarter...
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