MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
* Israel Discount Bank Ltd.
* The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Ltd. said it is working with professional services firm Accenture and fintech hub The Floor to develop a new blockchain securities lending platform.
* The Central Bank of Iraq has ordered financial firms in the country to stop doing business with Al Bilad Islamic Bank for Investment and Finance (PSC)
* Qatar's Commercial Bank (PSQC)
* The Central Bank of Egypt maintained the rate of its main operation at 17.25% and the overnight deposit rate and overnight lending rate at 16.75% and 17.75%, respectively. The discount rate was kept at 17.25%.
* Banque Misr SAE
* The IMF reached a staff-level agreement with Egyptian authorities that would make approximately $2 billion in loans available to the country, bringing total disbursements under the three-year, $12 billion extended fund facility program for Egypt to about $8 billion. The agreement is subject to the approval of the IMF's executive board.
* Moody's downgraded the investment manager quality assessment of United Arab Emirates-based Mashreq Capital (DIFC) Ltd.
* Capital Intelligence Ratings affirmed National Bank of Bahrain BSC's long- and short-term foreign-currency ratings at BB/B, with a stable outlook.
EAST AND WEST AFRICA
* Equity Group Holdings Plc
* Cim Finance Ltd., a Mauritius financial technology company, has launched its operations in Kenya with an investment of 9 billion Kenyan shillings in mobile-based lending for household items, Business Daily Africa wrote.
* Fitch Ratings assigned
* Tanzania-based CRDB Bank Plc
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
* Investec, which comprises London-listed Investec PLC and Johannesburg-listed Investec Ltd., reported combined earnings attributable to shareholders of £505.5 million for the year ended March 31, up from £442.5 million in the year-ago period. The board proposed a final dividend of 13.5 pence per ordinary share, equating to a full-year dividend of 24 pence, up from 23 pence in 2017.
* Old Mutual PLC plans to delist its shares from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange on June 29, pending approval from shareholders, as part of the Anglo-South African financial group's managed separation of its businesses, The Financial Gazette reported.
* Mauritius-based MCB Group Ltd.
* The Bank of Mauritius postponed its May 18 monetary policy committee meeting to May 30, citing "administrative matters" following a reorganization of the committee.
* Zambian President Edgar Lungu extended Denny Kalyalya's contract as governor of the country's central bank for five years, effective in February, according to Bloomberg News.
* Foreign exchange house operators in Angola urged President João Lourenço to allow them to buy euros from the central bank, seven months since they were excluded from the monetary authority's weekly auctions, O País reported. The country has been suffering from an acute shortage of foreign currency in recent years due to lower crude prices and a halt on dollar-clearing services by foreign banks.
* Mozambique's central bank launched a Sandbox incubator project to help develop the country's financial technology sector and boost financial inclusion, O País reported. In the project's first phase, five startups will be supported for six months.
* The Reserve Bank of Malawi launched an invitation to bid regarding its intention to engage a service provider to carry out an external quality assessment review of the central bank's internal audit function. Eligible interested bidders have until June 29 to submit their bids.
IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD
Asia-Pacific: Hong Kong fines Citi unit; Indonesia hikes rate; ANZ to exit Cambodian JV
Europe: Deutsche Börse to shed managers; NN Group, KBC post Q1 results; AIB selling NPLs
Latin America: Macri: Argentine currency crisis over; Grupo Aval's Q1 profit rises 1.8%
North America: KS, First Citizens settle; Vista Equity, Thoma Bravo seek billions in funds
North America Insurance: Sen. Graham in another ACA repeal effort; Travelers' cat bond to upsize
Deza Mones, Henni Abdelghani, Sophie Davies and Helen Popper contributed to this report.
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