Daily Digest: Wednesday 22nd March
USA
-Despite recent concerns over the state of the banking sector, the US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced that interest rates would be hiked by 25 basis points or 0.25% in order to continue the Reserves fight against inflation.
-US listed cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase ($COIN) has been given a written warning from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) identifying a series of issues within the business that may not comply with regulatory standards. This was sent in the form of a ‘Wells Notice’, a document that typically precedes formal SEC charges.
UK
-The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released February’s inflation data showing that the UK consumer price index (CPI) rose by 10.4% in the year leading to February 2023, an increase of 0.3% from January figures.
-Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today faced the party gate privileges committee, as officials attempt to determine whether Johnson misled parliament over the lockdown scandals.
-Prince William made a surprise visit to UK troops based in Poland, thanking servicemen currently deployed across Europe.
Rest of the World
-President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow officially concluded on Wednesday with the leaders said to have discussed possible opportunities to end the Russia Ukraine war during the three day trip.
-Protests have continued across France opposing President Macron’s recent pension reforms, which saw the French retirement age increase from 62 to 64.
-Ugandan Parliament passes heavily opposed anti LGBTQ legislation, outlawing homosexuality in the East African country.