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European shares mostly down after rally in Asia, as focus remains on rates

European shares mostly declined early Friday, but Asian benchmarks rose after U.S. stocks climbed to records.

France's CAC 40 edged up less than 0.1% in early trading to 8,019.83, while Germany's DAX dipped 0.1% to 17,823.36. Britain's FTSE 100 shed nearly 0.2% to 7,680.05. U.S. shares were set to trade mixed in a narrow range, with Dow futures down less than 0.1% at 38,813.00. S&P 500 futures added less than 0.1% to 5,166.25.

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Saudi crown prince transfers another 8% of Aramco shares to sovereign wealth fund

Saudi Arabia's crown prince transferred another 8% of shares in the kingdom's oil giant Saudi Aramco to the country's prominent sovereign wealth fund on Thursday. The shares are worth some $160 billion.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's decision comes as the kingdom is trying to build a series of megaprojects and invest in sports and other fields aggressively abroad to wean the country off of relying solely on oil.

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Millions of train, air passengers affected by union strikes in Germany

Millions of travelers across Germany were affected by strikes again on Thursday after two unions called for two-day walkouts over wages and work conditions.

Around 80% of all long-distance trains as well as regional and commuter trains in the country were canceled as train drivers went on strike. Air travel was affected as well, as ground staff for German airline Lufthansa stopped working early in the morning.

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Czech farmers block traffic in Prague in protest against agriculture policies

Czech farmers blocked traffic in Prague on Thursday, cramming the streets with hundreds of tractors and other vehicles as they rallied against the government and agriculture policies set by the European Union.

Public transport came to a standstill during the morning rush hour in several parts of the Czech capital. The street leading to the government office where the protesters planned to present their demands was completely blocked.

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China accuses US of devising tactics to suppress China

China's foreign minister accused the U.S. on Thursday of devising tactics to suppress China's rise and criticized the Biden administration for adding more Chinese companies to its sanctions lists.

Wang Yi, speaking to media during the annual meeting of China's legislature, said China's relations with the U.S. have improved since Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden met in November, but America has not fulfilled its promises.

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Europe's inflation is way down but hope is gone for quick interest rate cut

Europe's energy crisis sparked by Russia's war in Ukraine has eased. Inflation is way down from its painful double-digit peak. But there likely won't be an interest rate cut at the European Central Bank's meeting Thursday, even as higher borrowing costs weigh on the stalled economy.

And the wait could be longer than many originally expected.

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British governing party announces tax cuts

British Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt sought Wednesday to bolster spirits within his Conservative Party with another tax cut for 27 million working people, hoping it can turn the political dial ahead of a general election this year.

Even though the British economy has hit one definition of recession and public finances will remain stretched over coming years, Hunt used his annual budget statement to announce a further reduction in national insurance by a further 2 percentage points, to 8%. He also promised to cut national insurance rates further "so we truly make work pay."

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Polish farmers, angrier than before, stage large protest against EU policies

Protesting Polish farmers on tractors blocked highways leading into Warsaw on Wednesday while thousands of their supporters gathered in front of the prime minister's office. Some trampled a European Union flag and burned a mock coffin bearing the word "farmer."

The protesters are demanding a withdrawal from the EU's Green Deal, a plan meant to fight climate change with measures that farmers denounce as excessively costly. They also want the Polish-Ukrainian border closed to stop the imports of Ukrainian food products.

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Egyptian pound falls sharply against dollar and hikes interest rates

The Egyptian pound slipped sharply against the dollar on Wednesday after the Central Bank of Egypt raised its main interest rate and said it would allow the currency's exchange rate to be set by market forces.

The measures were meant to combat inflationary waves and attract foreign investment as the country experiences a staggering shortage of foreign currency.

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SchoolTec this week in Beirut! 

The second edition of SchoolTec, Lebanon’s First Trade Fair & Conference for Educational Supplies and Solutions, will be held this week on Thursday, March 7 and Friday, March 8 at the Mövenpick Hotel, Beirut.

Educators, principals, coordinators, teachers, counselors, academic supervisors, non-academic staff members, investors willing to start a new educational initiative, parents, or anyone interested, all have the opportunity to learn more about the education technologies, and to get an idea about all educational solutions, supplies and services at SchoolTec.

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