Zig’s Place Chat News Friday AM 3-19-21
Zig’s Place Chat News Friday AM 3-19-21
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Butterfly Friday 19, March 2021 08:35 The media office of the deputy for the Finance Committee, Majida Al-Tamimi, renewed its denial of the statements attributed to the deputy regarding the demand for an increase in the dollar exchange rate.
Al-Tamimi’s media office stated in a statement, “Setting the monetary policy and determining the exchange rate are the prerogatives of the Central Bank exclusively under Article (4) of the Iraqi Central Bank Law No. (56) for the year 2004 as amended, and it is not the prerogative of the Finance Committee or the House of Representatives.
" Representative Majda Al-Tamimi is one of the representatives who signed the questioning of the governor of the Central Bank, and she is one of the (329) representatives in Parliament.
He explained, "The electronic armies funded by the corrupt who were exposed in front of public opinion and their interests were damaged are trying to liquidate opponents and distort the image of the supervisory authorities that exposed the thefts of corruption whales. The current conditions are very suitable for promoting rumors and fabricating news and statements, by publishing fabricated photos of the deputy on Facebook Writing a line or two of words indicates absolute ignorance about the campaign and its promoters. "
And the media office continued, "As we renew our denial of these false statements, we call on our honorable people to report on these pages that aim to mislead public opinion and bring down national figures."
https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894226
butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894237
Al-Abadi calls for a review of the dinar exchange rate to control inflation
Friday 19, March 2021 10:22 The leader of the victory coalition Haider al-Abadi called on Parliament to reconsider the exchange rate of the dinar in order to control inflation.
Al-Abadi said in a tweet on Twitter, "The reduction in the exchange rate of the dinar has negatively affected citizens, especially those with limited incomes."
He added, "With the significant increase in oil prices during the past month, I call on the House of Representatives to stand with the citizens and reconsider the exchange rate of the dinar in order to control inflation."
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894248
Oil prices continue to decline with the increase in the number of Corona injuries in the world
Friday 19, March 2021 11:02 Oil prices fell today, Friday, as a new wave of Covid-19 infections, especially in Europe, imposed new general isolation measures and dampened hopes for an imminent recovery of fuel demand.
Thus, oil prices have fallen for the sixth consecutive day, as US West Texas Intermediate crude fell by 0.07 percent to $ 59.96 a barrel, by Friday morning, while Brent crude fell 0.16 percent to $ 63.18 a barrel.
Goldman Sachs said that adverse factors linked to demand from the European Union and Iranian supplies will slow the oil market's recovery by 0.75 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2021, although it expects the OPEC + group to compensate for that.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894249
Friday 19, March 2021 11:21 The meetings of the tenth session of the Iraqi-Syrian Joint Ministerial Committee were concluded in the capital, with the signing of eight memoranda of understanding in various fields.
Trade Minister Alaa Ahmad al-Jubouri, head of the Iraqi side, said in a statement today: "The meetings resulted in the signing of eight memoranda in the fields of reconstruction, housing, investment, higher education, education, sports, youth, culture, tourism and media, by the ministers of the relevant ministries."
He added, "The signing of the final report will be a framework for the two sides in various aspects," noting: "The holding of the tenth session of the committee's meetings is to strengthen economic and trade relations between the two countries as well as being an important opportunity to discuss all issues and joint projects and agree on the necessary mechanisms to overcome them. .
The minister pointed out: "There are various fields of cooperation between Iraq and Syria with regard to projects and the establishment of international and specialized exhibitions, in addition to investment opportunities," stressing the importance of joint work on building economic interests in an integrated manner and developing the trade balance.
It is noteworthy that the meetings of the Iraqi-Syrian Joint Committee lasted for two days, headed on the Iraqi side by Minister of Trade Alaa al-Jubouri and on the Syrian side by Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Muhammad Samer al-Khalil. During which a number of common files and topics were discussed in various fields to enhance economic, commercial and investment cooperation.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894253
Economist to NINA: "Despite the rise in the price of oil ... the dollar price is still high in Iraq ... and the central bank is the reason
Friday 19, March 2021 11:47 Economist Raad Twig criticized the central bank’s monopoly on the dollar, stressing: "The rise in the price of Basra oil to $ 70 a barrel will not be able to reduce the price of the dollar in Iraq."
Twig said in a statement to the Iraqi National News Agency ( NINA ): "Despite the high oil prices and the price of Basra crude reaching $ 70, the price of the dollar is still high within what is targeted by the Central Bank of Iraq, about 145 thousand dinars for one hundred dollars," attributing that For the lack of other major sources to sell the dollar.
He pointed out that "the main source for selling the dollar is the central bank’s currency window, and other sellers of the dollar are mere intermediaries for what the currency window is to generate, and therefore the exchange rate cannot deviate from the orbit of the central bank’s monetary policy and the price it sets." The rentier economy dependent on oil and the Iraqi economy’s dependence on the monetary position of the government as a source of dollars.
The market mechanisms of the Iraqi economy are incomplete or disrupted until the emergence of large productive forces from the private, mixed or even governmental sector with the ability to export in order to achieve self-sufficiency, replacing import. .
He continued: "The availability of other sources for the economy will be a real source for the dollar and can break the monopoly of the Central Bank as the only source of the rentier dollar, and thus the restrictions are removed from the market mechanisms and market forces work effectively and the exchange rate will be in a real balance according to the country's economic needs."
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894257
Gold prices decline with the strength of the dollar
Friday 19, March 2021 12:09 Gold prices fell, during trading today, Friday, as the dollar held on to the gains it had made in the previous session, against the background of a rise in the revenues of the US Treasury.
In spot transactions, gold fell 0.2 percent to $ 1733.74 an ounce, after reaching a two-week high of $ 1755.25 on Thursday. While US gold futures fell 0.1 percent to 1731.50 dollars an ounce.
The dollar index rebounded from its lowest level in two weeks, supported by higher returns that held close to the highest level in more than a year, reducing the attractiveness of the yellow metal, which does not yield a return.
As for other precious metals, palladium fell 1.2 percent to $ 2,650.19 an ounce, after rising 7.3 percent in the previous session, after the Russian company, "Nornickel", the world's largest producer of the metal, lowered its production estimates, fueling concerns about supplies.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894259
Goldman Sachs: The price of oil could reach $ 80 a barrel this summer
Friday 19, March 2021 12:15 | Goldman Sachs Bank confirmed that the decline in the price of oil represents a buying opportunity, and that Brent crude oil is expected to reach $ 80 a barrel this summer, even at a time when the wave of high prices has stopped recently, to take a breath.
Oil prices are falling about 9% this week after growing concern about weak demand in Europe and the rise in the US dollar pushed Brent futures contracts to drop about 7% on Thursday.
Brent jumped above $ 70 a barrel on March 8 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began. It was trading at $ 63.47 a barrel on Friday. Despite the sharp drop in prices, Goldman expects the oil market to quickly recover its equilibrium in the coming months.
The bank said, "Adverse factors related to the demand from the European Union and Iran's supplies will slow down the oil market's recovery by 0.75 million barrels per day in the second quarter, but it expects OPEC + to compensate for that.
The bank expects an increase in OPEC production + 2.8 million barrels per day by August," This exceeds the increase in production expected by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the International Energy Agency The bank expects a significant increase in global demand for oil in the coming months, thanks to indications of demand in regions with high rates of immunization from Covid-19, while its forecast has increased Brent crude from $ 65 a barrel in March to $ 80 a barrel this summer.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894258
Economic specialist for / NINA /: The exchange rate of the dinar must be reconsidered after its justified disappearance
Friday 19, March 2021 12:27 Economic specialist Dergham Muhammad Ali called for a review of the exchange rate of the dinar after the justification for reducing it had ceased to exist.
In a statement to the Iraqi National News Agency ( NINA ) , Muhammad Ali said, "The inflationary effects and losses that the new exchange rate has inflicted on the local market and the citizen are put forward beyond any doubt that its negative effects are much greater than any alleged reform." With the drop in oil prices, it has disappeared, and its survival strongly raises the hypothesis of a common conspiracy between the political blocs for reasons to maintain the current price levels.
And between: "The accounts of the gains of the blocks go far beyond the interest in the lower income groups that have been crushed by the new exchange rate, as the blocks are looking for compensation that the budget will allocate to contractors and investors for the exchange rate difference, in addition to taking advantage of the liquidation of the dollar-block balances into more dinars to buy state real estate and its agricultural lands Which the budget allowed to be sold. "
He stressed, "The current year’s budget carries the biggest conspiracy against Iraq and that those who set it up and those who amend it are partners in destroying the country for the interests of their blocs," according to him. "
The Parliamentary Finance Committee had announced that the exchange rate in the draft budget law submitted for voting remains at what it is 1450 dinars to the dollar.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894266
An economist is likely to keep the dollar exchange rate until the end of this year
Friday 19, March 2021 12:36 The expert in economic affairs, Malaz Al-Amin, said that the dollar exchange rate will remain until the end of this year.
The secretary said in a statement to the Iraqi National News Agency / NINA / that "the central bank is the one who owns the monetary policy fee, and he finds that the difference between the old and the new price can contribute to bridging the deficit, repaying Iraq's debts and increasing the cash reserve of hard currency."
The secretary added: "The budget law must contain paragraphs to help poor families affected by the high dollar exchange rate."
The Parliamentary Finance Committee announced that the exchange rate in the draft budget law submitted for voting remains at what it is 1450 dinars per dollar.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894275
Al-Kaabi: The parliament will support the private sector and will not delay in issuing legislation to develop it Friday 19, March 2021 13:24 Hassan Karim Al-Kaabi, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, called on the government to give the private sector great importance in light of the difficult economic conditions that Iraq and the world are going through as a result of the fluctuation of oil prices and the Corona pandemic, while this sector is not inferior to other sectors that can Investing it to maximize the state's resources and supplement the Iraqi budget with money.
Al-Kaabi said during his meeting with the heads and members of the Hotel Association in the governorates of Najaf, Karbala and Baghdad, "The House of Representatives will support the private sector and encourage tourism to serve the Iraqi economy, and will not delay issuing legislation and decisions that contribute to the development of this sector."
In a related context, and immediately after the expanded meeting with the members of the Association, Al-Kaabi met with Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, where a set of hotel owners' demands were conveyed that would support the local economy and motivate investors.
During the meeting with the Prime Minister, the First Deputy Chairman called for putting in place possible facilities and ending all obstacles in front of companies and hotels to activate, activate and support the tourism sector, and take into account the difficult circumstances they went through as a result of the epidemic, stressing: “Supporting the tourism sector will contribute to making it a basic tributary of the Iraqi budget and will give it. A role in developing the economy and maximizing the country's resources away from oil .
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894290
The national approach: We will boycott the session to vote on the general budget
Friday 19, March 2021 14:33 The National Approach / Parliamentary Bloc announced that it was boycotting the voting session on the General Budget Law scheduled to be held today Friday, due to the lack of equity in the central and southern governorates compared to the region, as well as the Parliament's lack of response to the fundamental amendments that it demanded.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894293
The Kurdish blocs meet to resolve their position on attending the budget voting session
Friday 19, March 2021 14:43 The Kurdish blocs held a closed meeting, to discuss their position on attending the voting session on the General Budget Law 2021, scheduled to be held today Friday.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894295
An agreement to provide the Shiite blocs an alternative text for the government text for the Kurdistan region’s share
Friday 19, March 2021 14:45 The Parliamentary Finance Committee has completed its joint meeting with the Presidency of the House of Representatives and the leaders of the blocs, by agreeing that the Shiite blocs provide an alternative text to Article 11 related to the Kurdistan region’s share of the General Budget Law, during the coming hours, then the committee meets again with the Presidency of Parliament to discuss the new text Before the voting session takes place, otherwise the government text will be presented at the session scheduled for Friday
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894297
Three new disputes obstruct the passage of the vote on the Budget Law
Friday 19, March 2021 14:51 The Parliamentary Finance Committee revealed three new disputes that obstruct the passage of the draft Federal Budget Law 2021, at the session scheduled for today Friday, related to the shares of the governorates, new job grades and the region’s share.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894300
Claims to add allocations to the governorates and to confirm contracts and lecturers in the budget
Friday 19, March 2021 15:03 The Parliamentary Finance Committee received new demands from some blocs and deputies, to add allocations to the deprived and liberated governorates, and allocate to install contract employees and wages and lecturers in the draft General Budget Law 2021, before the voting session scheduled to be held today, Friday.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894301
A proposal to vote on the articles agreed upon in today's session and postponing the controversial paragraphs
Friday 19, March 2021 15:12 Some political blocs adopted a proposal to vote on the provisions of the draft Federal Budget Law 2021 from the agreed upon non-controversial paragraphs, at the session scheduled for today Friday, and to postpone the controversial articles, including the text related to the share of the Kurdistan region in Article 11 of the Budget Law, Until after the Nowruz holidays.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?Key=894307
Intense security deployment in Hilla in anticipation of demonstrations
Friday 19, March 2021 15:51 The city of Hilla, the capital of Babel Governorate, witnessed intense security deployment, including the demonstrations square near the Revolution Bridge and a number of residential neighborhoods, in anticipation of the outbreak of demonstrations and the occurrence of violence accompanying them.
Babel Police Information Director Brigadier General Adel Al-Husseini said, "The police announced a state of alert and deployed forces in a number of residential neighborhoods in the city of Hilla."
He added, "The police have appealed to the leaders of the demonstrations in order to miss the opportunity for the infiltrators and to prevent any clash with the security forces."
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894302
The Kurdish blocs agree to attend today's session and vote for the government text in the budget
Friday 19, March 2021 15:18 The Kurdish blocs ended their closed meeting by agreeing to attend the voting session on the 2021 General Budget Law scheduled for today Friday, and vote to pass the government text for Article 11 of the Budget Law related to the Kurdistan region’s share.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894303
The Arab Project Bloc: We will not participate in the budget voting session until these paragraphs are added
Friday 19, March 2021 15:30 The Arab Project bloc announced that it will not participate in the voting session on the general budget until these paragraphs are added to the budget law.
The head of the bloc, MP Ahmad al-Jarba, read a set of demands prepared by his bloc, including “adding an article to the budget for the disappeared and missing after the events of ISIS, paying the salaries of their families, increasing the allocations in the compensation file for the liberated governorates in general and the Nineveh governorate in particular, and returning the dismissed officers and employees of the local and federal police,” And the return of the dismissed officers and members of the defense, the popular mobilization and the tribe, the return of those dismissed from the customs and the ports, and the budget for the file of lecturers,
graduates and the daily procedures, as well as returning the dollar to what it was or fixing it at the price of 1250 dinars.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894312
A new meeting for the presidency of Parliament and Shiite blocs outside the Green Zone
Friday 19, March 2021 16:17 The Presidency of the House of Representatives held a new joint meeting with the heads of the Shiite blocs outside the House of Representatives building, to agree on the alternative text of Article 11 in the Federal Budget Law related to the Kurdistan Region’s share, while parliamentary circles discussed that the meeting was held at the Badr Organization headquarters in Al-Jadriya
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894316
Representatives from the Al-Fateh Alliance: adding new proposals in exchange for voting on the general budget
Friday 19, March 2021 16:32 Representatives from the Al-Fateh Alliance announced new proposals to add allocations to the draft General Budget Law 2021 before the voting session scheduled for Friday.
The deputy head of the National Sanad bloc, Faleh Khazali, indicated, in a joint press conference, to several important observations that must be taken into account in the budget, indicating that "there are 300,000 contract employees in the Ministry of State and lecturers whose contracts have been canceled by the Popular Mobilization Forces and the state's obligations to complete more than 6 thousand projects. ".
He added, "We are continuing to include them, including the exchange rate and pressure on the government to restore the exchange rate, and there are observations about the benefits of the Kurdistan region," stressing, "It is not fair that Basra Governorate exports 3 million barrels of oil per day and is given to the finance, and the region exports more than 500 thousand. A barrel and delivers only 250,000 barrels. "
He stressed, "There are more than 20 border crossings and outlets in the region for the entry of goods outside the controls and the money goes into the pockets of the ruling parties," adding, "There is no database for the region’s employees, including the Peshmerga and Asayish, and there are opponents from Turkey and Syria who receive salaries from the region at the expense of the Iraqi citizen, please." About information about the presence of more than three thousand space employees in the Kurdistan region.
Khazali said, "We reached half the contracts in the Popular Mobilization Forces and contracts in the Ministry of Electricity and followed up on the file of lecturers and the file of prisoners and martyrs," indicating there are 600 thousand wounded and 400 thousand martyrs in Iraq from the defense, the interior, the popular crowd, combating terrorism and others, stressing the need to "take into account the state's funds, the most important of which is." Article 38, which permits the privatization of the state’s service sectors, including the electrical station, must be removed and the sale of the state’s fixed assets is prohibited .
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894318
Representatives to / NINA /: We will ask to study the final version of the budget for 48 hours before voting
Friday 19, March 2021 16:38 Representatives of different blocs intend to ask the Presidency of the Council of Representatives to inform them of the latest final version of the draft general budget bill and study it for 48 hours before it is presented in the voting session.
Zig butterfly : Lots of news for a Friday...
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894324
Parliamentary Finance by / NINA /: The vote on the budget will proceed in succession, and some articles will not be postponed to other sessions
Friday 19, March 2021 17:12 The Parliamentary Finance Committee confirmed that the vote on the draft general budget bill will proceed successively, without postponing some articles to other sessions.
A member of the committee, Deputy Ikhlas Al-Dulaimi, stated in a statement to the Iraqi National News Agency / NINA / that "the Finance Committee is still waiting for the proposal of the Shiite blocs on Article 11 to study it, and then we vote either on the government text or on the new proposed text."
She explained, "There are objections about the date of setting the voting session, because some blocs find the bill arrived late and needs time to review and study it."
She added, "Until this moment, there is no talk about voting on alternative proposals for some texts of the budget articles in future sessions," indicating that "voting on the draft budget law will proceed sequentially without postponing some articles to other sessions, whether the government text or the text is passed Proposed by the Finance Committee. "
And the Presidency of the House of Representatives decided to hold the session today, Friday, to complete the draft General Budget Law 2021.
Butterfly https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=894325
MP Alaa Al-Rubaie: We congratulate the Iraqi people for dismissing Al-Khoweildy, and we will have another access to the current Board of Trustees of the Media and Communications Commission
Friday 19, March 2021 17:25 Member of the Parliamentary Services Committee, Alaa al-Rubaie, blessed the Iraqi people with what the House of Representatives had achieved through its oversight role and its vote on the dismissal of the Chief Executive of the Media and Communications Commission, Ali al-Khuwailidi.
Al-Rubaie said in a statement today: "We congratulate the Iraqi people about what the House of Representatives has achieved through its oversight role and its vote to dismiss the Chief Executive of the Media and Communications Commission after a professional questioning, which is considered the first in this session in which we uncovered many facts in front of the people despite the great pressures that were exerted, but our position is to serve Iraq." Protecting public funds is our focus, and we will never tolerate that. "
He added, "I would like here to extend my thanks and gratitude to the Presidency of the Council of Representatives, to all members of the Council and to all media outlets and social strata who supported us, and we promise them that the reform process will not stop there, but rather we will continue until all truth is fulfilled."
He continued: "We also announce from here that we will continue to hold accountable everyone who is proven involved in corruption files in the Media and Communications Commission or those who provided cover for major corruption operations, and those who have recently revealed their relationships with some mobile companies when some of them try to obtain their support here and there to be a substitute for the article and for several reasons, the most important of which is not to disclose.
The files that we announced, as well as to cover the corruption of these companies, therefore we will be on the lookout for them, and we will have another access to the current board of trustees, which has many indications, as it was a partner in all the decisions that were taken, as well as for the telecommunications sector in general.
Butterfly https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Crude-oil-extends-losses-to-sixth-day-as-Europe-faces-pandemic-lockdowns Crude oil extends losses to sixth day as Europe faces pandemic lockdowns
Butterfly 2021-03-19 04:07 Shafaq News/ Oil prices steadied on Friday, but were down 8% for the week, after an overnight sell-off as a new wave of coronavirus infections across Europe triggered fresh lockdowns and dampened expectations of any mminent recovery in fuel demand.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 33 cents, or 0.55%, to $59.67 a barrel by 0755 GMT.
Brent crude was up 23 cents, or 0.36%, to $63.51 a barrel.
The market is increasingly nervous about the outlook for fuel demand as new lockdown measures are imposed and vaccination rollouts stall, analysts said.
Oil prices plunged 7% for a fifth day in a row on Thursday as several large European economies have reimposed lockdowns and vaccination programs have been slowed by distribution issues and concerns about possible side-effects.
Several French regions, including the Ile-de-France region around Paris, will start a four-week lockdown from Friday.
“That will impact oil consumption in Europe and thus potentially give oil prices a modest headwind,” Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA, said.
Although Germany, France and other countries have announced the resumption of inoculations after regulators declared the AstraZeneca vaccine safe, the programme halt has made it harder to overcome resistance to vaccines among some of the population.
Britain will have to slow its COVID-19 vaccine rollout next month due to a supply delay.
Goldman Sachs said headwinds related to European Union demand and Iran supply would slow the oil market rebalancing by 0.75 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, although it expects the OPEC+ grouping of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies to act to offset that.
Supplies of oil are plentiful, with Saudi Arabia’s crude exports increasing in January for a seventh straight month to the highest since April 2020, the Joint Organisations Data Initiative website found on Thursday.
Shipments from the world’s biggest oil exporter
Butterfly https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Dollar-stronger-amid-higher-U-S-yields-on-Fed-s-lower-for-longer-mantra Dollar stronger amid higher U.S. yields on Fed's lower-for-longer mantra
2021-03-19 03:12 Shafaq News/ The safe-haven U.S. dollar held firmer on Friday, supported by higher Treasury yields and falling stock markets, as investors digested the Federal Reserve’s pushback against expectations of any early interest-rate hikes.
The dollar index was slightly higher following a 0.5% jump from Thursday that was the most in two weeks.
The benchmark U.S. 10-year yield climbed to a more than one-year peak of 1.754% overnight before easing to 1.706%, while Asian stocks followed Wall Street lower.
The yen dipped briefly after the Bank of Japan widened its target band for the benchmark yield in a decision that was in line with market expectations.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) pledged this week to press on with aggressive monetary stimulus, saying a near-term spike in inflation would prove temporary amid their projections for the strongest U.S economic growth in nearly 40 years.
“After some navel gazing,” bond investors “concluded that the Fed is not (posing) any challenges or discomfort for longer-dated UST yields to keep pushing higher,” National Australia Bank’s senior FX strategist Rodrigo Catril wrote in a client note.
“The USD regained its mojo.”
The greenback was flat at 108.895 yen, adding to small gains overnight.
Following the BOJ’s decision to widen the target band for the 10-year Japanese government bond yield to 25 basis points around 0% from 20 basis points previously, the yen briefly weakened past 109 per dollar, before retracing all of that move.
butterfly “There’s no reason for dollar-yen to react to the latest results of the BOJ assessment because it’s almost in line with what the media reported in advance,” said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief currency strategist at Mizuho Securities.
“For dollar-yen, U.S. Treasury yield change is a much more important driver than the JGB yield change.”
The euro was slightly weaker at $1.1915, extending Thursday’s 0.5% tumble.
While AstraZeneca vaccinations are poised to restart in Germany, France and other European nations, the region’s growth outlook was dinged as Paris went into a month-long lockdown.
The British pound sank 0.1% to $1.3913 after weakening 0.3% a day earlier, as the Bank of England warned the outlook for Britain’s recovery remained unclear, dampening some speculation the bank would signal a more confident outlook.
In the crypto currency market, Bitcoin stood at around $57,800, as it seesawed after briefly topping $60,000 again overnight. It had surged to a fresh record high of $61,781.83 on Saturday, after more than doubling since the start of the year.
“Bitcoin is a momentum trade and it feels like it could go a lot further,” said Edward Moya, a New York-based senior market analyst at online FX broker OANDA.
“Is it a bubble? Yes. But it can easily go to $100,000 before it comes crashing down.”
The Global Coalition provides Iraqi security forces with new equipment 2021-03-19 09:34 Shafaq News / The Joint Task Force CJTFOIR announced that it had granted the Iraqi security forces with towers, thermal cameras, and generators.
In a statement, the force said that this step is part of the training and equipping program to combat ISIS, implemented in 2014 and funded through the Ministry of Defense.
The program aims to support the Iraqi government in its war against ISIS.
Butterfly https://www.shafaq.com/en/Iraq-News/Al-Fatah-submits-proposals-to-be-included-in-the-budget-bill
Al-Fatah submits proposals to be included in the budget bill 2021-03-19 09:30 Shafaq News/ Al-Fatah coalition submitted new proposals that include adding allocations to the Budget bill before the voting session scheduled for Friday.
MP Faleh al-Khazali, said in a joint press conference, "there are several important notes that must be taken into account in the budget", indicating, "there are 300,000 contract employees in the Ministry of State and lecturers and members al-Hashd al-Shaabi whose contracts has been terminated."
"We are keen to include these proposals, including pressure on the government to restore the exchange rate. There are notes regarding Kurdistan Region entitlements…it is not fair that Basra Governorate exports three million oil barrels daily and the ministry of finance receives the revenues, and the region exports more than 500 thousand barrels and delivers only 250 thousand barrels."
He stressed, "There are more than 20 border crossings and outlets in the region", adding, "There is no database for the region's employees, including the Peshmerga and Asayish, not to forget that there might be more than three thousand judicial employees in the Kurdistan region."
Al-Khazali said, "We reached half-contracts in the Popular Mobilization Forces and contracts in the Ministry of Electricity and following up on the file of lecturers and the file of prisoners and martyrs," indicating that there are 600 thousand wounded and 400 thousand martyrs in Iraq from the Ministries of defense and interior, PMF, combating terrorism and others, stressing the need to "take into account the state's funds, the most importantly Article 38, which permits the privatization of the state's service sectors, including the electrical station, must be removed and the sale of the state's fixed assets prohibited."
Al-Halbousi convened with the Shiite blocs seeking compromise over Article 11 of the Budget
2021-03-19 09:18 Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Parliament Speaker, Muhammad al-Halbousi, and the first deputy Speaker, Hassan al-Kaabi, held a meeting with the Shiite blocs to seek a scope of compromise on Kurdistan's region share of the Federal Budget that is workable to pass the bill through.
The source told Shafaq News Agency, "the Presidium of the Parliament holds a meeting at the headquarters of Badr Organization in al-Jaderiya area downtown the capital, Baghdad, with the heads of the Shiite blocs to agree on the alternative text of Article 11 of the Federal Budget bill related to the share of the Kurdistan Region."
He explained, "Al-Halbousi, Al-Kaabi, and the heads of the Shiite blocs held a meeting to discuss the proposal of the Shiite blocs stipulating that the Kurdistan region must hand over 460,000 barrels per day instead of the government text of the budget bill which requires the delivery of 250,000 barrels."
The source added, "dialogues are ongoing to reduce the Shiite blocs' demand from 460,000 to less than 350,000 barrels." The Kurdish blocs held a meeting earlier today, Friday, to discuss participating in the voting session on the 2021 budget bill.
An informed source told Shafaq News Agency," it was agreed during the meeting to attend the session and vote to pass the government text for Article 11 of the Budget Law related to the Kurdistan Region's share. Otherwise, these blocs will boycott the session."
For his part, Ali Hama Saleh, a member of the Kurdistan Region Parliament for the Change Bloc, called on the Kurdish blocs on Friday to accept the Shiite proposal regarding the region's share of the 2021 budget.
In a post on Facebook, he said, "This proposal made by the Shiite parties is not bad and preserves the region's share."
He added, "The region will still have 210 thousand barrels of oil to pay the oil companies' dues, and 250 thousand barrels per day will be delivered to SOMO.
The Autonomous administration to impose a curfew to limit the Covid-19 spread 2021-03-19 05:11
Shafaq News / The Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northeastern Syria have recently witnessed a remarkable increase in Covid-19 cases.
Rogin Ahmed, the official spokesperson for the Health Committee told Shafaq News Agency that “we would recommend partial or even total curfew the number of infected cases and deaths continues to increase.
Ahmed confirmed the necessity to adhere the preventive measures in public places, especially during Nowruz celebrations.
Yesterday, the Autonomous Administration registered 77 new cases of Covid-19 to take its total to 8977, the Health Authority said. It also reported four fatalities to take the total to 350. The Autonomous Administration recorded 1265 recoveries.
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Collect signatures for dissolving the House of Representatives one day before the elections
Friday 19, March 2021 17:37 The Badr Parliamentary Bloc has adopted collecting signatures to dissolve the House of Representatives one day before the early elections will be held on October 10.
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Badr Bloc: The meeting of the parliament presidency and the leaders of the blocs reached a solution to the differences in voting on the budget
butterfly The head of the Badr Parliamentary Bloc, Hassan Shaker Al-Kaabi, announced that the joint meeting of the Presidency of the House of Representatives and the heads of the Shiite blocs, in the presence of the leader of the Al-Fateh Alliance, Hadi Al-Ameri, at the headquarters of the Badr Organization this evening Friday, reached a resolution of differences to vote on the general budget.
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Nina's Democratic Party Bloc: We refuse to postpone voting on any article of the Budget Law, including the Kurdistan quota
Friday 19, March 2021 17:52 The Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc rejected the efforts of some parties to postpone voting on any article of the Budget Law to another session.
Representative Hendrin Dosky said, in a statement to the Iraqi National News Agency / NINA / that "the representatives of political blocs are waiting for the end of the joint meeting of the Presidency of Parliament and the leaders of the blocs to hold the voting session on the articles of the General Budget Law, respectively," indicating that "there are differences and demands for some political blocs to determine degrees Functional to install contracts and lecturers, and some provincial deputies are demanding the allocation of funds to their provinces. "
He added, "We have two options to vote on the budget law, either presenting the Shiite blocs' proposal or proceeding with the government text in the budget law," noting that "the Kurdish blocs will vote for the government text in Article 11 of the General Budget Law, in light of the lack of official agreement on a new alternative text proposed by the blocs." Shiites to be included in the budget. "
He explained that "the Kurdish blocs refuse to postpone voting on any article of the budget law to another session, and not only related to the region’s share of it, but all of them without exception."
And the Presidency of the House of Representatives decided to hold the session today, Friday, to complete the draft General Budget Law 2021.
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Al-Fateh Alliance (NINA): We have an overwhelming majority to pass the vote on the General Budget Law
Friday 19, March 2021 18:05 The Al-Fatah Alliance bloc announced that the vote to pass the General Budget Law 2021 will be passed by an overwhelming majority, regardless of which side boycotting or abstaining.
The deputy of the coalition, Muhammad al-Baldawi, said in a statement to the Iraqi National News Agency / NINA / that "the dispute over the budget law is not emerging today. Rather, all previous budgets renew the same differences, but we want to agree with everyone and achieve justice and equality without marginalizing any party."
He added that "the formulation and presentation of alternative texts before the final voting session was held is not justified, because the Parliamentary Finance Committee and the negotiating delegations met over the past months to discuss the budget law and did not take a new decision," noting that "this same problem was repeated in the borrowing law, and the vote was made by majority." ".
He explained, "We have an overwhelming majority to pass the vote on the budget law, including the representatives of the National Union and Change blocs, the Islamic Group, the New Generation, minorities, Turkmen and Arab representatives, regardless of which party boycott or refuses," noting that "the Kurds are determined to pass the budget to pay the salaries of employees claiming their rights." In the territory. "
And the Presidency of the House of Representatives decided to hold the session today, Friday, to complete the draft General Budget Law 2021.
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A Kurdish delegation meets with the Presidency of the Parliament
Friday 19, March 2021 18:29 A Kurdish delegation headed by Qubad Talabani arrived at the House of Representatives building this evening, Friday, where it met with Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi and his two deputies in the office of al-Halbousi.
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Qais Khazali calls on the House of Representatives to adopt the constitution regarding the amount of oil and the Kurdistan region’s share of it
Friday 19, March 2021 18:22
The Secretary General of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Qais Khazali, called on the House of Representatives to adopt the constitution regarding the quantity of oil and the Kurdistan region’s share of it.
Khazali said in a tweet on Twitter, "Today we urge the brothers, the patriotic members of Parliament, not to succumb to political pressures and to advance the interest of Iraq and its people first and foremost. And to adopt the constitution on the issue of the amount of oil and the region’s share of it. / Ended."
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