Global FX DATA:

• • • ASIAN MARKET
      
      Asian shares slipped on Thursday as hopes waned for real progress in Sino-U.S. trade talks, while the U.S. dollar consolidated recent bumper gains after the Federal Reserve reaffirmed the outlook for more rate hikes.
       
    • GOLD
      
      Gold demand posted its weakest start to the year in a decade, the World Gold Council said on Thursday, as prices of the metal stagnated and the threat of rising interest rates led investors to seek better returns elsewhere.
       
  • • OIL
      
      Oil prices fell early on Thursday, pulled down by a rise in U.S. crude inventories and record weekly U.S. production, which is countering efforts by producer cartel OPEC to cut supplies and prop up prices.
       
    • INDIA
      
       Indian factory growth accelerated in April on strong domestic demand and output, a business survey showed on Wednesday, while price pressures were subdued in a comforting sign for the central bank as it seeks to temper inflation without hurting the economy.
       
    • DOLLAR
      
      The dollar traded below a four-month high against a basket of currencies on Thursday, with the focus shifting to economic data after the Federal Reserve did little to alter market expectations for further interest rate rises this year.
       
    • CRYPTO CURRENCY
      
       Cryptocurrency prices rose morning in Asia. Reports that the defunct cryptocurrency exchange Mt Gox sparked concerns of an imminent price crash gathered some attention. Meanwhile, a hedge fund CEO voiced his optimism for the digital tokens.

    • FRANCE
      
      France’s President Emmanuel Macron may have had le vin rouge on his mind when he thanked Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his “delicious wife” for their warm welcome on his official visit.

    • CHINA
      
      Smartphone and connected device maker Xiaomi filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering on Thursday that could raise $10 billion and become the largest listing by a Chinese technology firm in almost four years.

    • NEW YORK
      
      Hedge fund managers will take center stage at a conference in New York on Thursday to call out companies they are wagering against.Years of strong equity gains have battered short sellers betting on a company’s stock price to fall, marking a harrowing ride for some as they watched their targets climb.

    • PARIS
      
      French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called for the creation of a new strategic alliance among France, India and Australia to respond to challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and the growing assertiveness of China.

    • MALAYSIA
      
      One answer to why Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is heading for another victory in next week’s general election can be found in the remote village of Sawai, tucked between vast palm oil plantations and a river in northern Borneo.

    • SYRIA
      
      Syrian troops tightened the noose on Sunday around a Palestinian refugee camp held by Islamic State militants in southern Damascus where hundreds of civilians face an uncertain future, state media, witnesses and residents said.
       

    • ISRAEL
      
      Israeli troops shot and killed three Palestinians along the border with the Gaza Strip in two separate incidents on Sunday, the Israeli military said.
       

    • BRITAIN
      
      Britain, France and Germany have agreed that the nuclear deal that U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to scrap remains the best way of stopping Tehran getting nuclear weapons, British Prime Minister Theresa May’s office said on Sunday.
       

    • US
      
      A U.S. trade delegation arrived in Beijing on Thursday for key talks over tariffs, with Chinese state media saying China will stand up to U.S. bullying if needed but that it was still better to hash things out around the negotiating table.