WOTS Friday 3/22/19:
Forex Rates:
Symbol | Bid | Ask | High | Low | Open | Change | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USD/IQD | | | 1,169.6000 | 1,169.6000 | 1,169.6000 | | 21:00 |
USD/VND | | | 23,198.0000 | 22,901.3000 | 22,901.3000 | | 05:12 |
USD/CNY | | | 6.7141 | 6.6893 | 6.6893 | | 06:08 |
USD/KWD | | | 0.3030 | 0.3021 | 0.3028 | | 06:08 |
GBP/USD | | | 1.3156 | 1.3083 | 1.3121 | | 06:11 |
USD/IRR | | | 12,048.0000 | 12,048.0000 | 12,048.0000 | | 17:51 |
USD/IDR | | | 14,233.0000 | 14,120.0000 | 14,120.0000 | | 06:09 |
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DC NY Iraq Articles:dd
A helicopter during the search for victims
Killed in the sinking of Mosul and the Declaration of mourning 3 days
http://translate. googleusercontent.com/ translate_c?depth=2&hl=en& rurl=translate.google.com&sl= ar&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=http://www. faceiraq.org/inews.php%3Fid% 3D7044451&xid=17259,15700022, 15700186,15700190,15700248, 15700253&usg= ALkJrhgDjdKnz7R4u9BzQhE_ chzOWcMbkA
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22/03/2019
A helicopter during the search for victims
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi declared a three-day national mourning period after at least 77 people, mostly women and children, were killed by a ferry sinking in northern Mosul, state television reported.
Coup in the Tigris River
The disaster of the Tigris in Iraq .. The high number of deaths Sinking ferry
Abdul Mahdi went to the city of Mosul where the tragic incident took place and many families were celebrating Nawruz, the Kurdish New Year, on the banks of the Tigris River.
Many of the dead women and children who could be seen struggled to swim against a strong current, their heads swaying in the water opposite the restaurants and amusement parks people celebrated.
The death toll in the accident, which residents said was the worst in recent memory, is expected to rise as people wait on the banks of the Tigris to get news of their loved ones.
Footage of the ferry disaster posted on the Internet showed people struggling against a strong current. The normally quiet Tigris River was high at this time of year, fed by the melting of ice from mountains in Turkey. The river swelled more after a rainy season that saw more rain than in previous years.
The history of Nowruz, or the new Persian year, dates back to 1700 BC. It is celebrated in areas that were part of the ancient Persian Empire, extending from the Middle East to Central Asia.
The disaster of the Tigris in Iraq .. The high number of deaths Sinking ferry
Abdul Mahdi went to the city of Mosul where the tragic incident took place and many families were celebrating Nawruz, the Kurdish New Year, on the banks of the Tigris River.
Many of the dead women and children who could be seen struggled to swim against a strong current, their heads swaying in the water opposite the restaurants and amusement parks people celebrated.
The death toll in the accident, which residents said was the worst in recent memory, is expected to rise as people wait on the banks of the Tigris to get news of their loved ones.
Footage of the ferry disaster posted on the Internet showed people struggling against a strong current. The normally quiet Tigris River was high at this time of year, fed by the melting of ice from mountains in Turkey. The river swelled more after a rainy season that saw more rain than in previous years.
The history of Nowruz, or the new Persian year, dates back to 1700 BC. It is celebrated in areas that were part of the ancient Persian Empire, extending from the Middle East to Central Asia.
riday، 22 March 2019 12:08 AM
Iraq's energy needs force US to allow it to cooperate with Tehran
22 March 2019 12:08 AM
From financing the expansion of the vast courtyards that lead into the Shiite shrines of the holy city of Najaf, to ensuring that a Tehran-friendly candidate gets the job of interior minister, Iran’s role in Iraq keeps growing, the New York Times reported.
The US Administration has renewed for another 90 days a sanctions waiver for Iraq to continue importing energy from neighboring Iran despite the American sanctions on Tehran, an official with the US State Department told Reuters on Wednesday.
“Iraq was granted a 90-day waiver to purchase energy imports from Iran,” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
This is the third waiver for Iraq—which depends on Iranian electricity and natural gas imports for part of its energy needs—that the United States has granted since it re-imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil, energy, and shipping industries in early November 2018.
At the end of last year, the US granted Iraq a 90-day extension to the initial 45-day waiver allowing Baghdad to continue imports of electricity from Iran after the US sanctions on Tehran returned.
Major Iraqi power plants are dependent on Iranian natural gas supply, while Iraq also imports electricity from Iran, as Baghdad’s power generation is not enough to ensure domestic supply.
Iraq has argued that it needs more time to find alternative sources of electricity supply if it is to avoid more and more power outages, which is one of the main reasons for protest rallies in the heart of Iraq’s oil region in the southern city of Basra last summer.
The United States, for its part, has been urging Iraq to become energy independent, at least energy independent from Iran.
At his keynote address at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US is encouraging countries to partner with the US for their energy security.
“We’re reminding them that we’re simply better to do business with than Russia, China, or Iran,” Pompeo said, calling out Iran for the energy influence it exerts over Iraq.
“Perhaps there’s no clearer example than in Iran. Iran uses its energy exports to exert undue influence all across the Middle East, most particularly today on Iraq. While the United States is working to develop an independent, sovereign Iraq, Iran is using its energy to create a vassal state,” Secretary Pompeo said.
Cementing its dominance in Iraq is a piece with Iran’s regional ambitions, which aim to secure a route to the Mediterranean through friendly countries, in part so it can ship arms and support to Hezbollah in Lebanon, continue assisting President Bashar Assad’s military in Syria and threaten Israel.
Now that Iran has expanded the Shiite armed groups into a political force, much as they have done with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Tehran’s new priority is to increase economic ties with Iraq to offset American sanctions.
The US Administration has renewed for another 90 days a sanctions waiver for Iraq to continue importing energy from neighboring Iran despite the American sanctions on Tehran, an official with the US State Department told Reuters on Wednesday.
“Iraq was granted a 90-day waiver to purchase energy imports from Iran,” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
This is the third waiver for Iraq—which depends on Iranian electricity and natural gas imports for part of its energy needs—that the United States has granted since it re-imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil, energy, and shipping industries in early November 2018.
At the end of last year, the US granted Iraq a 90-day extension to the initial 45-day waiver allowing Baghdad to continue imports of electricity from Iran after the US sanctions on Tehran returned.
Major Iraqi power plants are dependent on Iranian natural gas supply, while Iraq also imports electricity from Iran, as Baghdad’s power generation is not enough to ensure domestic supply.
Iraq has argued that it needs more time to find alternative sources of electricity supply if it is to avoid more and more power outages, which is one of the main reasons for protest rallies in the heart of Iraq’s oil region in the southern city of Basra last summer.
The United States, for its part, has been urging Iraq to become energy independent, at least energy independent from Iran.
At his keynote address at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US is encouraging countries to partner with the US for their energy security.
“We’re reminding them that we’re simply better to do business with than Russia, China, or Iran,” Pompeo said, calling out Iran for the energy influence it exerts over Iraq.
“Perhaps there’s no clearer example than in Iran. Iran uses its energy exports to exert undue influence all across the Middle East, most particularly today on Iraq. While the United States is working to develop an independent, sovereign Iraq, Iran is using its energy to create a vassal state,” Secretary Pompeo said.
Cementing its dominance in Iraq is a piece with Iran’s regional ambitions, which aim to secure a route to the Mediterranean through friendly countries, in part so it can ship arms and support to Hezbollah in Lebanon, continue assisting President Bashar Assad’s military in Syria and threaten Israel.
Now that Iran has expanded the Shiite armed groups into a political force, much as they have done with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Tehran’s new priority is to increase economic ties with Iraq to offset American sanctions.
U.S. Grants Iraq New Waiver to Import Energy from Iran
Iraq, March 22, 2019
New 90 day sanctions waiver has come into effect to allow Iraq to continue to import vital energy from Iran
The U.S. government has provided Iraq with a new 90 day waiver to allow the country to continue to import energy from neighboring Iran, following the expiry of the initial waiver on March 19th.
With Iraq heavily reliant on Iranian energy imports to meet its electricity needs, the new waiver will help Iraq mitigate potential energy shortages with Iranian gas imports amounting to 28 million cubic meters per day - enough to supply power for up to 1 million homes in Iraq.
The U.S. will also continue to work with Iraq to promote investment for its energy sector development and reduce its reliance on imports. Despite a number of major new build and upgrade power projects ongoing in the country, it is expected it will still take years for Iraq to achieve a state of self sufficiency in energy production.
U.S. sanctions on Iran were initiated in 2018 after withdrawing from its joint economic agreement in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear development program.
rebuildingiraq
Iraqi prime minister to start first regional tour next month
Iraq, March 22, 2019
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi will start a five-state regional tour next month, his first major solo trip since he assumed office in October last year.
Abdul Mahdi will make stops in each of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran and Turkey as part of his April’s tour, Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar reported Wednesday.
According to the paper, the tour aims at maintaining Baghdad’s balanced relations with the regional partners, without “jeopardizing ties with Damascus.”
Baghdad needs 500.000 hoursing units Council
9:48 AM admin
Baghdad/ Iraq TradeLink: Baghdad Provincial Council disclosed that the capital needs more than 500.000 housing units at the present time.
Member of the council Nazar al-Sultani clarified that the governmental initiative to grant housing lands to the people will not be in effect.
He added that there are only 30.000 pieces of land could be distributed with the outer limits of the capital.
Baghdad population reached to 8.5 million people, six million of them live in the center and 2.5 million are lodging at the outskirts.
He called for granting banking loans with simplified conditions to help the citizen to acquire his decent home.
Kauaihn Iraq Articles:dd
Iraq – Financing a Modern Economy
22st March 2019 in Construction & Engineering In Iraq, Investment, Iraq Banking & Finance News, Iraq Industry & Trade News, Iraq Oil & Gas News
Iraq – Financing a Modern Economy
10 April, The Mansion House, London
The Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) invites you to attend its Ninth Annual Conference at the Mansion House on the 10th of April. This year’s conference is organised in partnership with the Central Bank of Iraq and the Iraqi Private Banking League.
With a strong focus on the Iraqi banking sector, two sessions of the conference will be devoted to financial sector issues. Other areas will focus on building human capital in the public and private sector and on oil & gas.
Christophe Michels, Managing Director of IBBC states:
“The security situation in Iraq is now much improved, with a new Government in place that has a clear mandate from the people to improve governance and to provide important basic utilities. IBBC is the Iraqi Governments private sector partner of choice for developing the private sector in Iraq. We firmly believe that only private enterprise can meet the challenges facing Iraq by developing a modern economy”.
H.E. Dr Fuad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance will lead a high level delegation alongside Dr Mehdi Al Alak, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, officials from the Central Bank of Iraq, a delegation from the Iraq Private Banks League and the Governors of Erbil, Sulamania and Karbala. A large delegation of Iraqi Businessmen from all governorates of the country will also be in attendance.
Round-table discussions will take place with Iraqi officials, including the Iraqi Governors, where delegates can engage in concentrated debates on country specific issues. As well as specific round-tables on Tech in Iraq and Women’s Group.
Dr Mehdi Al Alak, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers will present a paper on ‘Private Sector Development and Investment in Iraq‘. Delegates will receive an exclusive insight into the Government’s planned measures and strategies to realise this ambition. There will also be special presentations by the Central Bank of Iraq and Basra Gas Company.
Dr Renad Mansour, Research Fellow at Chatham House and the preeminent voice on Iraq in the UK is publishing a briefing paper specifically for the IBBC conference, discussing the short to medium term economic and political outlook for Iraq.
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, President of IBBC and the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan & Kazakhstan will open the conference, alongside The Lord Mayor Locum Tenens, H.E. Dr Fuad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Jon Wilks CMG, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Iraq and Louis Taylor, Chief Executive of UK Export Finance (UKEF)Minister of Transport Naeem Al - Rubaie
DOHA:
DOHA:
HE Jassem bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Communications and Communications, met at his office in the Ministry yesterday with HE Dr. Naim Thajeel Al-Rubaie, Minister of Communications of the Republic of Iraq.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation in the field of communications and information technology and means of enhancing them, in addition to discussing the possibility of benefiting from the investment opportunities available in these areas, as well as discussing a number of topics of mutual interest between the two countries. The meeting was attended by HE Mr. Mohamed Ali Al Mannai, Chairman of TRA, HE Mr. Abdul Sattar Al Janabi, Chargé d'Affaires of the Iraqi Embassy to the UAE and a number of officials from both sides.
Salahuddin clans donate 250 million dinars to the victims of Mosul
Editorial Date: 2019/3/22 0:24 • 270 times read
{Salah al-Din: Euphrates News} Clans of the province of Salah al-Din, the amount of 250 million dinars for the victims of the ferry accident in the province of Nineveh.
The correspondent of the agency {Euphrates News} that "the clothes will be handed over to the Nineveh Provincial Council for distribution through them to the families of the victims."
The Department of Forensic Medicine in the province of Nineveh, announced the receipt of 100 bodies of victims of the ferry that sank Thursday in the tourist island of Mosul.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi arrived in Mosul on Thursday evening to inspect the site of the accident and the wounded. He also declared the general mourning in Iraq for three days for the victims' lives and an immediate investigation into the disaster.
While the Mosul investigation court decided to arrest 9 workers responsible for the ferry and issued a warrant for the owner of the ferry and the owner of the island, and instructed the investigating authorities to quickly implement.
The Department of Forensic Medicine in the province of Nineveh, announced the receipt of 100 bodies of victims of the ferry that sank Thursday in the tourist island of Mosul.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi arrived in Mosul on Thursday evening to inspect the site of the accident and the wounded. He also declared the general mourning in Iraq for three days for the victims' lives and an immediate investigation into the disaster.
While the Mosul investigation court decided to arrest 9 workers responsible for the ferry and issued a warrant for the owner of the ferry and the owner of the island, and instructed the investigating authorities to quickly implement.
Larijani to Calus: It is important to widen the compatibility between reform and construction and are not ready to negotiate with America {expanded}
Editorial Date: 2019/3/22 • 102 times read
(Baghdad: Al Furat News) The President of the Islamic Shura Council (parliament) in Iran, Ali Larijani the importance of the broad compatibility between the coalition of reform and construction.
"We do not want to interfere in the decisions of the Iraqi political currents. It is important to have a national consensus and to preserve the security of Iraq and the Iraqi government to be stronger," Larijani told Kuwait's Al-Furat satellite channel on Thursday night.
"The more the coalition is used, the more useful it is. They know this better, and what is important is the result of a better and more successful Iraq."
As for Iraq's call for a regional dialogue, Larijani said: "They are ways to define the objective if the goal is stable security in the region and solving problems. Surely it is a right thing to do.
"We do not want to interfere in Iraq's decisions," he said. "The Iraqi government is independent and has its own interests, but we must pay attention to God's ability to be neighbors and the same religion and live together, but those who come from overseas have their goals.
"They can not attack Iran and they have bases in the region before they establish military bases in Iraq. Can they attack Iran? We do not want to interfere in Iraq's affairs. We want to say that in the form of balances, everything must be taken into consideration."
"Prince Bandar bin Sultan told me earlier that we sinned against Iran, that he helped the Taliban and the second that we helped Saddam with his war on Iran," he said. "We have no problem with Saudi Arabia and we regard it as an Islamic state and its people are Muslim. And the financing of 40 billion dollars. "
"I want to say now that they are launching an aggression against Yemen. Is this true and we will not ratify this work, and they are pressing Hezbollah to be on the terrorism list while it is a pride for the Arabs," Larijani said.
"We welcome the dialogue with Saudi Arabia if they are ready for that," he said. "In Yemen, we told them we are ready for a political solution, but when a state says it only wants a military solution, what can we say?"
"Iran's strategy on regional issues is to resolve differences in dialogue and even in Bahrain, but some may not accept this and want to run things by force because the Americans need disputes in this region and for division and exhaustion of the Arabs and they say that Iran is the enemy and they sold your money to sell," he said. "He said, referring to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi." They do not expect me to negotiate with them, "he said.
He pointed to the American and Turkish presence in Syria. Larijani said that "our priorities from the beginning are that Syria has a stable government and that there are no external and military interventions. We have no other objective. Therefore, foreign interventions, especially Americans, can understand why they did so. The ability to fight terrorists and have a strong army and will not be appreciated by the Americans. "
"We can not negotiate with them. President Trump, who does not respect his country's signature, how do we deal with him?" He said.
"We had nuclear talks and raised the issue of 5 + 1, but the Americans were playing and the July 2006 war and they issued a statement in the Security Council. I told them that they are fighting and issuing the resolution against us. They contacted me a few days later and told me that the saboteurs had spoiled it. But the Americans also ruined it. "
Larijani said: "We are determined by our interests and the road is not closed to us." He said he had spoken with his country's minister of foreign affairs, Mohammed Jawad Zarif, about his resignation. The best was resolved. "
At the end of his speech, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani referred to his relations with Martyr Shahid al-Mihrab, Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim. "We had good and old relations with Shahid al-Mihrab and he was a wise and intelligent person for Iraq. The events in Iraq was a corner in finding these transformations and we were working with his counsel and the night he wanted to return to Iraq was in my house at the dinner and we were worried about his return but Iraq needed a high morale and he was a great man as well as Mr. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim {Quds} b Zl great efforts and great for the sake of Iraq and now Mr. Ammar al-Hakim is a conscious, intelligent and energetic personality, a young man with a burning mentality and hope to preserve Mr. Ammar al-Hakim of Iraq. "
Basra Oil Company wishes to show that the Majnoon field facilities are operating their natural operating cards, and that the company has engaged in a continuous engineering effort under the supervision of the Ministry of Water Resources for the purpose of solidifying the payment and the earth barriers to prevent water access to the water," the company said in a statement received by SNG. Wells or any field installations. " On the news of the sinking of oil wells, the company said that "the news published about the sinking of a number of wells is inaccurate news that these wells are currently operating and are protected by a number of land payment."
"The more the coalition is used, the more useful it is. They know this better, and what is important is the result of a better and more successful Iraq."
As for Iraq's call for a regional dialogue, Larijani said: "They are ways to define the objective if the goal is stable security in the region and solving problems. Surely it is a right thing to do.
"We do not want to interfere in Iraq's decisions," he said. "The Iraqi government is independent and has its own interests, but we must pay attention to God's ability to be neighbors and the same religion and live together, but those who come from overseas have their goals.
"They can not attack Iran and they have bases in the region before they establish military bases in Iraq. Can they attack Iran? We do not want to interfere in Iraq's affairs. We want to say that in the form of balances, everything must be taken into consideration."
"Prince Bandar bin Sultan told me earlier that we sinned against Iran, that he helped the Taliban and the second that we helped Saddam with his war on Iran," he said. "We have no problem with Saudi Arabia and we regard it as an Islamic state and its people are Muslim. And the financing of 40 billion dollars. "
"I want to say now that they are launching an aggression against Yemen. Is this true and we will not ratify this work, and they are pressing Hezbollah to be on the terrorism list while it is a pride for the Arabs," Larijani said.
"We welcome the dialogue with Saudi Arabia if they are ready for that," he said. "In Yemen, we told them we are ready for a political solution, but when a state says it only wants a military solution, what can we say?"
"Iran's strategy on regional issues is to resolve differences in dialogue and even in Bahrain, but some may not accept this and want to run things by force because the Americans need disputes in this region and for division and exhaustion of the Arabs and they say that Iran is the enemy and they sold your money to sell," he said. "He said, referring to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi." They do not expect me to negotiate with them, "he said.
He pointed to the American and Turkish presence in Syria. Larijani said that "our priorities from the beginning are that Syria has a stable government and that there are no external and military interventions. We have no other objective. Therefore, foreign interventions, especially Americans, can understand why they did so. The ability to fight terrorists and have a strong army and will not be appreciated by the Americans. "
"We can not negotiate with them. President Trump, who does not respect his country's signature, how do we deal with him?" He said.
"We had nuclear talks and raised the issue of 5 + 1, but the Americans were playing and the July 2006 war and they issued a statement in the Security Council. I told them that they are fighting and issuing the resolution against us. They contacted me a few days later and told me that the saboteurs had spoiled it. But the Americans also ruined it. "
Larijani said: "We are determined by our interests and the road is not closed to us." He said he had spoken with his country's minister of foreign affairs, Mohammed Jawad Zarif, about his resignation. The best was resolved. "
At the end of his speech, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani referred to his relations with Martyr Shahid al-Mihrab, Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim. "We had good and old relations with Shahid al-Mihrab and he was a wise and intelligent person for Iraq. The events in Iraq was a corner in finding these transformations and we were working with his counsel and the night he wanted to return to Iraq was in my house at the dinner and we were worried about his return but Iraq needed a high morale and he was a great man as well as Mr. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim {Quds} b Zl great efforts and great for the sake of Iraq and now Mr. Ammar al-Hakim is a conscious, intelligent and energetic personality, a young man with a burning mentality and hope to preserve Mr. Ammar al-Hakim of Iraq. "
Basra oil reveals the truth of the sinking of wells of the field of Majnoon
2019/3/22
[Basra - Where]
The Basra Oil Company, on Thursday, the fact that the wells of the Majnoon field in the province.
Basra Oil Company wishes to show that the Majnoon field facilities are operating their natural operating cards, and that the company has engaged in a continuous engineering effort under the supervision of the Ministry of Water Resources for the purpose of solidifying the payment and the earth barriers to prevent water access to the water," the company said in a statement received by SNG. Wells or any field installations. " On the news of the sinking of oil wells, the company said that "the news published about the sinking of a number of wells is inaccurate news that these wells are currently operating and are protected by a number of land payment."
Minister of Transport Naeem Al - Rubaie
Last Updated on Friday 22/3/2019 at 3:46 am Doha local time
DOHA:
HE Jassem bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Communications and Communications, met at his office in the Ministry yesterday with HE Dr. Naim Thajeel Al-Rubaie, Minister of Communications of the Republic of Iraq.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation in the field of communications and information technology and means of enhancing them, in addition to discussing the possibility of benefiting from the investment opportunities available in these areas, as well as discussing a number of topics of mutual interest between the two countries. The meeting was attended by HE Mr. Mohamed Ali Al Mannai, Chairman of TRA, HE Mr. Abdul Sattar Al Janabi, Chargé d'Affaires of the Iraqi Embassy to the UAE and a number of officials from both sides.
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10 Things to Know for Today
ABC News
Among 10 Things to Know: After mosque attacks, New Zealand bans 'military-style' guns; Indonesian official: 3rd pilot aided next-to-last Lion Air flight; NCAA Tournament: Let the games begin Read the full story
OIL/COMMODITIES/ENERGY
Gold edges lower ahead of Fed decision
MarketWatch
Gold futures edge lower ahead of the conclusion of a Federal Reserve meeting later Wednesday, but concerns about U.S.-China trade talks is seen providing support. Read the full story
Gold ends higher as traders expect Fed to maintain dovish stance
MarketWatch
Gold futures end higher on Tuesday as traders look to a two-day meeting of Federal Reserve policy makers that’s expected to see the central bank maintain its dovish stance. Read the full story
Gold Prices Tread Water Ahead of Fed Statement, Powell
Investing.com
Commodities Mar 20, 2019 12:43 GMT Investing.com - Gold prices were little changed on Wednesday, as investors looked ahead to a policy decision by the Federal Reserve which is expected to shed more light on its interest rate plans for the rest of the year. Comex gold futures inched up $1.05, or less than 0.1%, to $1,307.65 a troy ounce by 8:40AM ET (12:40 GMT). Meanwhile, spot gold was trading at $1,307.90 per ounce, up $1.42, or 0.1%. The Fed is widely expected to keep rates steady later in the Read the full story
Oil Prices Fall as Sino-U.S. Trade Talks Anxiety RisesInvesting.com
Commodities Mar 20, 2019 04:51 GMT Investing.com - Oil prices fell on Wednesday in Asia as uncertainty on the Sino-U.S. trade front intensified. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that U.S. officials are concerned that China might refuse to accept U.S. demands in the countries’ ongoing trade talks. Meanwhile, Chinese negotiators want to receive more assurances that tariffs imposed on Chinese goods would be lifted once a deal is struck. The report raised Read the full story
Oil Prices Fall as Sino-U.S. Trade Talks Anxiety RisesInvesting.com
Commodities Mar 20, 2019 04:51 GMT Investing.com - Oil prices fell on Wednesday in Asia as uncertainty on the Sino-U.S. trade front intensified. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that U.S. officials are concerned that China might refuse to accept U.S. demands in the countries’ ongoing trade talks. Meanwhile, Chinese negotiators want to receive more assurances that tariffs imposed on Chinese goods would be lifted once a deal is struck. The report raised Read the full story
BANKS/BANKING/CREDIT
A Boost To Big Banks Draws Democratic Support
HuffPost
Four top federal regulators ― including two Democrats ― urged the FederalReserve last month to weaken a key post-crisis rule limiting risk-taking atthe nation's six largest banks. If successful, the bipartisan effort wouldboost short-term bank profits but render the financial system vulnerable toanother crash.At issue is the supplementary leverage rule, which was adopted in theaftermath of the 2008 collapse as a last line of defense against financialexcess. While most banking rules involve a ... Read the full story
Report: Wells Fargo Eyes $1-Billion Sale of Unit
Barron's
Barron's
Wells Fargo reportedly is in advanced talks to sell its retirement-plan services business to Principal Financial Group in a deal that could be worth more than $1 billion. Read the full story
Citibank abandons its native crypto project; plans to back SWIFT
AMBCrypto
Citibank, instead of joining the bandwagon of institutional giants like JP Morgan in creating its own digital asset, has abandoned its native cryptocurrency project. The financial service provider is instead, considering to back existing fintechs or regulators, like SWIFT. Gulru Atak, the Global Head of the company, said that they were planning to enhance the existing financial... Read the full story
First Bank Announces Agreement to Acquire Grand Bank, N.A.
Benzinga
Benzinga
HAMILTON, N.J., March 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Bank (Nasdaq Global Market: FRBA) and Grand Bank, N.A. announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which First Bank will acquire Grand Bank in a stock transaction valued at approximately $19.4 million. The merger has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both institutions and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2019, subject to the approval of First Bank and Grand Read the full story
Chase's Checkless Account Won't Make A Dent In The Unbanked Ranks
Forbes
Chase's new "checkless" checking account, designed for lower-income unbanked consumers might appeal more to new college graduates. Read the full story
Fintech Leader National Funding is a Platinum Sponsor of Broker Fair 2019
Global Banking & Finance Review
National Funding, one of the largest fintech lenders of small- and medium-sized business loans, announced Read the full story
TREASURIES/BONDS/STOCKS
Wall Street Is Betting the Fed’s Rate-Raising Days Are Done for Now
The New York Times
Money has finally started to chase this year’s stock market rally, which has been driven largely by the Fed’s sharp turn away from last year’s steady rate increases. Read the full story
Investors who believe the market's too calm right now could use these hedges
CNBC
The Cboe Volatility Index, or the VIX, hit its lowest level since October on Tuesday, but periods of calm like this don't last for long. Read the full story
Stocks Trade Mixed Before Fed; Treasuries Steady: Markets Wrap
Investor's Business Daily
Global stocks were mixed Wednesday as investors adopted a cautious stance before the Federal Reserve policy decision and further news on U.S.-China trade. Read the full story
Why it's a bullish backdrop for big bank stocks
Yahoo Finance
Shares of Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and other big banks are on fire. Here are several surprising reasons why. Read the full story
Top 5 Things to Know in the Market on Thursday
Investing.com
Economy Mar 21, 2019 09:47 GMT Investing.com - Here are the top five things you need to know in financial markets on Thursday, March 21: 1. Futures point to subdued open, Treasury yields hit 1-year low after Fed pivot The Federal Reserve took a 2019 rate hike off the table on Wednesday and released details of a plan to end the monthly reduction of its balance sheet. The decision was a marked about-face from its prior December forecasts to raise interest rates twice this year. Although U.S. Read the full story
CRYPTO'S / DIGITAL CURRENCY
BlockFi CEO Zac Prince explains in depth how the startup manages the myriad risks of lending and borrowing crypto. Read the full story
XRP/USD Price Analysis: Bears rush collective market as XRP looks to hold firm
AMBCrypto
Bullish predictions for the collective market led to two successive trends which have since subsided leaving major coins in red. XRP, the second largest altcoin in the market, felt the brunt of the market downturn and recorded a 0.12 percent decline against the US dollar in a 24-hour window. At press time, the cryptocurrency was... Read the full story
The cryptocurrency exchange winners of the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2019
Coin Insider.
ADVFN International Financial Awards 2019 ADVFN, a financial services provider focused on offering online data and services to private investors, has announced the winners of the International Financial Awards for this year. The awards given are to showcase the outstanding performers within the cryptocurrency industry and stand to give a stage to the upcoming field of innovative financial technology. Clem Chambers, CEO of ADVFN, commented on the awards saying: “[T]he 2019 awards truly reflect Read the full story
BlockFi CEO Zac Prince explains in depth how the startup manages the myriad risks of lending and borrowing crypto. Read the full story
Tezos [XTZ] shoots up by 22% as cryptocurrency becomes latest altcoin to see green
AMBCrypto
Price surges in the cryptocurrency market have been dominated by altcoins, with most of the popular ones witnessing double-digit gains. The latest altcoin to surge on the back of the bulls was Tezos [XTZ]. At the time of writing, Tezos was rising by 5.14% on the hourly charts, and by 22.46% on the 24-hour spectrum.... Read the full story