Currency Markets Show Caution Amid U.S.-Iran Negotiations 
Australia's Inflation Eases in February but Core Pressures Persist 
Asian Currencies Slide as U.S.-Iran Tensions and Rising Oil Prices Rattle Markets 
Oil Prices Rebound as Iran Denies U.S. Talks Amid Gulf War Supply Fears 
Goldman Sachs Raises ECB Rate Hike Forecast Amid Persistent Energy-Driven Inflation 
UK Consumer Confidence Weakens Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Living Costs 
Oil Prices Plunge Over 6% as Middle East Ceasefire Hopes Ease Supply Fears 
Iran-Israel Missile Strikes Continue Amid Mixed Signals on U.S.-Iran Diplomacy 
Bank of Japan Eyes April Rate Hike Despite Inflation Dip, ING Says 
Bank of Japan Officials Signal Continued Interest Rate Hikes Amid Inflation Concerns 
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released its Trade and Development Report 2016 earlier on Thursday. UNCTAD said that the world economy in 2016 is in a "fragile state,” and added that “Neither financial bubbles nor export surges offer a sustainable solution to tepid growth and weak labour market conditions.”
UNCTAD said that there was lack of policy coordination among systemically important economies. The agency called for a more ambitious policy package to address existing imbalances and ease the constraints on faster growth.
The UNCTAD report follows a modest downgrade by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to global growth forecasts on Wednesday. OECD trimmed global GDP growth forecast for 2016 to 2.9 percent from previous 3.0 percent. 2017 GDP growth forecast was cut to 3.2 percent from previous 3.3 percent.
