Most Asian markets rise as traders jockey ahead of US inflation
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Equities mostly rose in Asia on Wednesday following a tepid day on Wall Street. Investors are nervously awaiting the release of crucial US March consumer prices data after beating forecasts in the first two months of the year. The fear is that CPI has continued to be a thorn in the side of the Fed. Investor expectations on rate cuts this year have been pared from six at the start of the year to three at most. Atlanta Fed boss Raphael Bostic said he was open to changing his mind as the data came in. Hong Kong piled on more than one percent, while Sydney, Taipei, and Wellington were also in the green, though Shanghai edged lower. Tokyo was also down as a stronger yen weighed on exporters. The currency picked up against the dollar following less-than-dovish comments from Bank of Japan boss Kazuo Ueda. Key figures around 0230 GMT: Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 39,666.24, Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.3 percent at 17,045.88, Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,044.78, Dollar/yen: DOWN at 151.72 yen from 151.76 yen on Tuesday, Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0856 from $1.0860, Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2676 from $1.2678, Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.63 pence from 85.64 pence, West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.1 percent at $85.30 per barrel, Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.1 percent at $89.49 per barrel, New York - Dow: FLAT at 38,883.67, London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,934.79.



https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240410-most-asian-markets-rise-as-traders-jockey-ahead-of-us-inflation 

 The European Court of Human Rights condemns France for its treatment of Algerian "Harkis"
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The European Court of Human Rights has condemned France for its treatment of Algerian "Harkis" - Algerians who fought for France during the war of independence in the 60s. The decision was announced on Thursday. The court's decision is a condemnation of France's treatment of the Harkis and their families, who faced discrimination and persecution after the war. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that France violated the rights of the Harkis and their families, including the right to life, the prohibition of torture, and the right to a fair trial. The court has ordered France to pay compensation to the victims and to take measures to prevent similar violations in the future.



https://www.france24.com/en/video/20240404-the-european-court-of-human-rights-condemns-france-for-its-treatment-of-algerian-harkis 

 Pope calls for humanitarian aid to 'be ensured' to Gaza in Easter address
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Pope Francis called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages in his Easter address. He presided over Mass in St. Peter's Square and delivered his 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing and message. The pontiff expressed concern for the suffering in war zones and appealed for access to humanitarian aid in Gaza. He also called for an immediate ceasefire in the Strip. Pope Francis has been in poor health recently but appeared in good spirits during the Easter events.

#PopeFrancis #Gaza #Easter #IsraelhamasWar #HumanitarianAid #Ceasefire

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240331-pope-francis-calls-humanitarian-aid-ensured-gaza-easter-address-sunday-israel-hamas-war-catholic 

 Iraq Central Bank says regulated dollar transactions rising
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Iraq's Central Bank has reported a significant increase in overseas dollar transactions through the official global SWIFT system. The country has imposed restrictions on the use of American dollars domestically and adopted the SWIFT system to tackle money laundering and ensure respect for international sanctions. Transactions through the Central Bank's electronic platform have increased from $50 million per day at the beginning of 2023 to around $200 million per day. However, the black market for dollars is still thriving, with the official exchange rate fixed at 1,320 dinars to the dollar and the unofficial market trading at 1,470 dinars per dollar. Iraq has close commercial ties with Iran, and sanctions preventing dollar transfers to Iranian banks have driven Iraqi traders to the black market. Iraqi authorities have banned more than 20 banks from conducting dollar transactions in accordance with US regulations, but they are allowed to operate local transactions. The Central Bank is in contact with the US Treasury to lift the ban.

#Iraq #CentralBank #DollarTransactions #SwiftSystem #BlackMarket #Sanctions #Iran

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240325-iraq-central-bank-says-regulated-dollar-transactions-rising 

 🔴 Live: UN to vote on Gaza ceasefire resolution as Qatar talks continue
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Israel's spy chief was due to travel to Qatar on Friday for ceasefire negotiations while the US planned to put a resolution calling for an immediate truce in Gaza to a vote of the UN Security Council. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said talks mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt could still reach a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. The United States called for a vote on a UN resolution declaring an immediate and sustained ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. European Union leaders called for an 'immediate' humanitarian pause in Gaza. Israel said it expected to continue attacks on Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City for a few more days. The facility is the only partially working medical facility in the north of the enclave and has already been under attack for four days. According to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave, 31,988 Palestinians have been killed and 74,188 wounded since the offensive on Gaza began. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with foreign ministers from while in Cairo on Thursday as he pushes for a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas. More than a third of the US Senate's Democrats called on President 's administration to take 'bold' action towards establishing a Palestinian state. Gaza's health ministry collects data on casualties, but does not report how Palestinians were killed or distinguish between civilians and combatants. The UN and other organizations have cited the ministry's death tolls in their reports.

#Gaza #Ceasefire #Un #Israel #Hamas #Qatar #Us #AntonyBlinken

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240322-%F0%9F%94%B4-live-un-to-vote-on-gaza-ceasefire-resolution-as-qatar-talks-continue 

 ‘Two Sessions’ congress: The economic goals in Chinese leaders’ coded language
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China's 'Two Sessions' congress is the country's most important political event of the year. The congress sets the legislative agenda for the coming year and provides insights into the political climate in China. Key buzzwords and terms used during the congress include 'new productive forces', which refers to the modernization of economic sectors favored by Chinese leaders; 'AI plus', which aims to make artificial intelligence a driving force in the economy; and the 'new three', which refers to solar panels, electric cars, and batteries and symbolizes China's ambition to move towards an eco-responsible economy. These terms provide insights into China's economic and social policies and indicate changes in direction and priorities. The congress also highlights China's focus on technological products with high added value and its commitment to a 'green' economy.

#China #TwoSessions #Congress #EconomicGoals #CodedLanguage #ChineseCommunistParty #Ccp #Buzzwords #NewProductiveForces #AiPlus #NewThree #EconomicSectors #ArtificialIntelligence #SolarPanels #ElectricCars #Batteries #Eco-responsibleEconomy #GreenChina

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20240309-two-sessions-china-congress-economy-coded-language-xi-xinping-artificial-intelligence-electric-cars 

 Pride and sadness: 40 years on Sarajevo remembers its Olympics
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Four decades after Bosnia's capital Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympics, residents remember the event with a mixture of pride and melancholy. The Olympics offered a symbol of harmony, but cracks were already emerging that exploded into inter-ethnic conflicts in the 1990s. Bosnia's diversity helped secure its spot as an Olympic host. Most of the Olympics infrastructure was destroyed during the war that raged from 1992 to 1995. In the wake of the conflict, progress and rebuilding have been incremental. Politics in the country is still largely overshadowed by the conflict. Bosnia remains partitioned in accordance with a peace deal that stopped the fighting but ultimately never reunited the country.

#Sarajevo #WinterOlympics #Yugoslavia #Bosnia #War #Rebuilding

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240208-pride-and-sadness-40-years-on-sarajevo-remembers-its-olympics 

 Macron remembers French victims of Hamas's 'anti-Semitic massacre'
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President Emmanuel Macron hosted a ceremony in Paris to pay tribute to the French victims of the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which he described as the 'biggest anti-Semitic massacre of our century'. The ceremony at the Invalides memorial complex honored the 42 French citizens killed in the attack and the three others still missing. Macron vowed not to give in to 'rampant and uninhibited anti-Semitism' and said France would work for the release of the remaining French hostages. He also mentioned that France would provide an opportunity to remember French citizens killed in the Israeli bombardments of Gaza that followed the attack. The bloodiest-ever Gaza war started with Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians.

#EmmanuelMacron #Hamas #Anti-semitism #FrenchVictims #InvalidesMemorialComplex #GazaWar

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240207-macron-remembers-french-victims-of-hamas-s-anti-semitic-massacre 

 Protests in Argentina as lawmakers debate Milei's sweeping reform bill
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Protests erupted in Argentina as lawmakers debated President Javier Milei's sweeping economic, social, and political reform package. The protests outside Congress led to the police firing rubber bullets and water cannons at demonstrators. Opposition legislators walked out of the building to denounce the police action but later returned to resume the debate. Milei, a libertarian and self-described anarcho-capitalist, won the election on a wave of anger over economic crises and has implemented reforms such as devaluing the peso, cutting state subsidies, and deregulating the economy. His reform package covers various areas of public and private life, including privatizations, cultural issues, the penal code, divorce, and the status of football clubs. The opposition lawmakers have warned of seeking further changes to the bill, particularly regarding special powers delegated to the executive in an economic emergency and the extent of privatizations. Milei's party holds only 38 of the 257 seats in the lower chamber, and plans to privatize state-owned company YPF have already been scrapped.

#Argentina #Protests #Lawmakers #ReformBill #JavierMilei

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240202-protests-in-argentina-as-lawmakers-debate-milei-s-sweeping-reform-bill