Dollar recovers some losses, stocks mixed as traders eye tariff deals

The dollar rose in Asia on Tuesday fuelled by hopes for trade deals to avert Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, while equities were mixed as investors await the Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision.Oil also staged a comeback after tanking on news of an output hike by key producers that came despite growing concerns about demand and the outlook for the global economy.While no agreements have yet been reached with the White House, there is optimism that governments are making progress in averting or tempering the US president’s eye-watering levies, which have sent shivers through world markets.Sentiment was given a lift by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told CNBC that the administration had been approached by 17 countries and offered “very good” trade proposals.He also said there could be “substantial progress in the coming weeks” with China, which has been hit with tariffs of 145 percent.Trump has imposed lower duties of 10 percent on goods from most other countries, along with 25 percent levies on specific items like steel, automobiles and aluminium.Hopes for deals have seen Asian currencies rally against the dollar, with Taiwan’s unit up around seven percent this month, while South Korea’s won, the Malaysian ringgit, Indian rupee and Thai baht have also seen healthy gains.The greenback was barely moved against the yen, euro and pound.The gains have led some to speculate governments are allowing for an appreciation of their currencies as part of negotiations with Washington.”The factor many talk about is whether these countries with historically ‘weak’ and heavily managed currencies are now appealing to Trump through the currency channels and are now allowing for an appreciation of the currency as part of the trade negotiations,” said Pepperstone’s Chris Weston.”If these Asian nations are indeed opting for a currency revaluation, it could be a significant development not just in driving the dollar lower, but also in the trade negotiation process and accelerate the idea of trade deals.”Equities were mixed, with Hong Kong and Shanghai advancing as investors returned from a long weekend.Singapore, Manila and Jakarta also rose along with London.But Sydney, Taipei, Mumbai, Bangkok, Paris and Frankfurt slipped. Wellington was flat.Traders brushed off losses on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 snapping a nine-day winning streak and film studios hit by Trump’s warning of new tariffs on all films made outside the United States.Focus turns to the Fed’s policy announcement Wednesday, with expectations it will stand pat on interest rates, even as Trump continues to push for more cuts.While data last week showed that the US economy contracted in the first quarter, strong jobs and services sector figures suggest there is still some resilience.”Soft data had baked in a Fed pivot, but the ensuing hard data prints got bond desks slashing their rate-cut tickets,” said SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes.”So long as the real economy hums and fresh levies are expected to spark a second inflation wave, Powell’s hawkish brace stays locked in,” he said in reference to Fed chairman Jerome Powell.Oil prices rose more than two percent, clawing back Monday’s losses that come on the back of a decision by Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other members of the OPEC+ cartel to boost output by 411,000 barrels a day for June.The move came a month after a similar announcement that also caused prices to fall.- Key figures at around 0810 GMT -Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.7 percent at 22,662.71 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 1.1 percent at 3,316.11 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 8,617.32Tokyo – Nikkei 225: Closed for holidayEuro/dollar: UP at $1.1344 from $1.1319 on MondayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3327 from $1.3296Dollar/yen: DOWN at 143.25 yen from 143.72Euro/pound: UP at 85.12 pence from 85.10West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.3 percent at $58.43 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 2.3 percent at $61.59 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 41,218.83 (close)

La Bourse de Paris hésite avant la Fed, face aux incertitudes commerciales

La Bourse de Paris oscille autour de l’équilibre mardi, timide face à de nouvelles contradictoires sur le front de la guerre commerciale, en attendant la réunion de politique monétaire de la Réserve fédérale américaine (Fed).Vers 09H50 à Paris, l’indice vedette de la place parisienne, le CAC 40, cédait 0,24% après avoir ouvert en petite hausse, soit une perte de 18,71 points, pour s’établir à 7.709,22 points. La veille, il avait terminé en légère baisse de 0,55%, pour s’établir à 7.727,93 points.”L’idée d’un apaisement commercial a perdu de son élan, en l’absence de progrès concrets dans les négociations et après un message de Trump dimanche soir appelant à des droits de douane de 100 % sur les films produits hors des États-Unis”, commente Jim Reid, économiste à la Deutsche Bank.De quoi doucher les espoirs des investisseurs quant à une désescalade des tensions commerciale.Le secrétaire américain au Trésor Scott Bessent a pourtant indiqué lundi à la chaîne CNBC que les États-Unis avaient été approchés par 17 pays et leur avaient présenté de “très bonnes” propositions commerciales. Il a également déclaré qu’il pourrait y avoir des “progrès substantiels dans les semaines à venir” avec la Chine, frappée par des droits de douane allant jusqu’à 145%.Mais en l’absence de projets concrets, les investisseurs restent sur leurs gardes.Les banques centrales devraient retenir l’attention cette semaine, avec en premier lieu la décision de politique monétaire de la Fed mercredi, après une réunion sur deux jours.Depuis décembre, ses taux se situent dans une fourchette comprise entre 4,25% et 4,50%, et le marché s’attend au statu quo.”Il est largement anticipé que la Réserve fédérale maintiendra ses taux directeurs inchangés”, selon François Rimeu, stratégiste chez Crédit Mutuel AM.”Les données économiques actuelles ne justifient pas une baisse de taux,  bien que l’économie américaine ait enregistré une contraction au premier trimestre 2025″, explique-t-il. “Par ailleurs, le marché du travail demeure solide et l’inflation reste supérieure à l’objectif de 2% fixé par la Fed”.Les valeurs industrielles à la peineLes valeurs du secteur industriel et aéronautique souffrent de l’incertitude autour des droits de douane de Donald Trump, étant particulièrement exposées à la conjoncture économique mondiale.Vers 09H50 à Paris, Saint-Gobain perdait 1,18% à 96,90 euros, ArcelorMittal cédait 1,78% à 26,43 euros, Safran baissait de 1,48% à 239,80 euros et Airbus de 1,88% à 155,30 euros.

Loyalists cheer as ex-PM Zia returns home to Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia, chair of the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned home to cheering crowds on Tuesday after months abroad for medical treatment. Zia, 79, led the South Asian nation twice but was jailed for corruption in 2018 during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina, her successor and lifelong rival who barred her from travelling abroad for medical care.The 79-year-old was released from house arrest after a student-led mass uprising ousted Hasina in August 2024.She flew to Britain in January and returned on Tuesday, BNP spokesperson Shairul Kabir said.Thousands of party activists welcomed her, gathering on either side of the road leading to the airport, carrying photographs of Zia and waving party flags and placards with welcome messages.Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, 84, who has led an interim government since Hasina fled into exile as crowds stormed her palace, has said elections will be held as early as December, and by June 2026 at the latest. “This is a significant day for the country and the people of Bangladesh,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP’s secretary general, told reporters.”The celebration we are witnessing is not only an outpouring of emotion but also a demonstration of our strength.”Zia’s rival Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India and has defied an arrest warrant from Dhaka over charges of crimes against humanity.

Lycéenne poignardée à Nantes: information judiciaire ouverte pour “assassinat”, selon le parquet

Une information judiciaire a été ouverte pour “assassinat” dans l’enquête sur la mort le 24 avril d’une adolescente de 15 ans dans un lycée de Nantes tuée à coups de couteau par un autre adolescent, a annoncé mardi le parquet de la ville.”Je confirme (…) la saisine du juge d’instruction de Nantes, le 30 avril 2025, des chefs d’assassinat, tentative de meurtre et violences aggravées par trois circonstances, en l’occurrence avec arme, au sein d’un établissement scolaire et avec le visage dissimulé”, a indiqué à la presse le procureur de la République de Nantes Antoine Leroy, précisant que le mis en cause était “toujours en soins psychiatriques”.Le 24 avril, peu après midi, un jeune garçon de 16 ans, masqué et muni d’un couteau de chasse d’environ 20 cm, a tué une lycéenne de 15 ans, en la frappant de 57 coups de couteau dans une salle du groupe scolaire de Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides. Dans une autre salle, il a fait trois blessés, deux garçons et une fille, âgés de 15 à 16 ans. Lors d’une conférence de presse le 25 avril, le procureur avait indiqué qu'”aucun mobile” ne pouvait être évoqué de “façon certaine”.L’intervention d’un technicien en informatique qui a donné “un coup de chaise dans le dos” de l’agresseur a mis fin à l’attaque du lycéen, qui a été interpellé quelques minutes plus tard par la police, placé en garde à vue, puis hospitalisé dans une unité psychiatrique.Le procureur a également décrit la personnalité de l’agresseur, présenté comme “extrêmement solitaire” avec peu d’amis. Le jeune homme manifeste “clairement une certaine fascination pour Hitler”, qui lui a valu une convocation avec sa mère devant le sous-directeur du lycée la veille des vacances de Pâques.Lors de sa conférence de presse, le magistrat a indiqué qu’une enquête pour “meurtre” est ouverte, n’écartant toutefois pas la possibilité que celle-ci évolue en “assassinat” compte tenu “des éléments susceptibles de caractériser une préméditation”.Les obsèques de la jeune adolescente tuée ont eu lieu le 2 mai dans l’intimité familiale.

Tous soignés à la même enseigne? Pas vraiment, selon la Défenseure des droits

Douleurs minimisées, refus de prise en charge, actes non consentis : les femmes, les personnes d’origine étrangère ou en situation de handicap sont l’objet de discriminations dans leur accès aux soins et leur parcours médical, selon un rapport de la Défenseure des droits publié mardi. “Si les refus d’accès aux soins restent la forme la plus connue et manifeste, les discriminations peuvent survenir à toutes les étapes de la prise en charge et, de façon moins visible ou consciente, au sein de la relation soignant-soigné”, estime l’autorité indépendante chargée de veiller au respect des droits en France. En 2022, 224 plaintes ont été déposées devant les ordres professionnels et l’Assurance maladie et 31 réclamations ont été envoyées à la Défenseure des droits, Claire Hédon, mais l'”ampleur des discriminations dépasse largement” ces chiffres, précise le rapport.En théorie, les professionnels de santé n’ont pas le droit de refuser un patient, sauf si la demande de soin ne correspond pas à leur domaine de compétence ou s’ils ont un nombre trop élevé de patients ou si le patient en question a déjà été violent ou insultant à leur égard.Mais dans les faits et sur le terrain, cette règle fait l’objet de nombreuses entorses, que ce soit dans l’accès aux soins ou dans le parcours de soins, relève la Défenseure des droits.Dans les services d’urgence, l’autorité indépendante décrit “une sous-évaluation” de la douleur et “de la gravité des symptômes exprimés par les femmes, notamment lorsqu’elles sont jeunes, d’origine étrangère ou perçues comme telles”.”Selon les cas, la douleur de la patiente est soit minimisée, soit remise en cause et renvoyée à une supposée anxiété ou à une souffrance psychologique dissimulée”, dénonce-t-elle. “Le +syndrome méditerranéen+, préjugé raciste sans fondement médical selon lequel les personnes d’origine nord-africaine ou noire exagèrent leurs symptômes ou douleurs”, a quant à lui “pour effet une minimisation des souffrances exprimées” par ces patients “et/ou un refus de prise en charge, aux conséquences parfois fatales”.Autres victimes de ces discriminations, les personnes vulnérables économiquement, comme les patients vivant à la rue ou consommateurs de drogues qui en “raison de leur apparence physique, de leur odeur corporelle ou au motif de l’alcoolisation” peuvent se voir refuser l’accès aux urgences. – Impact “délétère” – Les bénéficiaires de la couverture maladie universelle (CMU), de la complémentaire santé solidaire (CSS) et de l’aide médicale d’Etat (AME) rencontrent eux des difficultés à obtenir ne serait-ce qu’un rendez-vous, selon le rapport.Quant aux personnes en situation de handicap, certaines se voient opposer des refus pour des motifs allant “du manque de temps ou de formation” aux “locaux inaccessibles ou à un matériel médical inadapté”. Au-delà de l’accès aux soins, la Défenseure des droits s’inquiète “d’atteintes fréquentes” au droit du patient à recevoir les informations utiles pour faire un choix éclairé et pouvoir donner son consentement.C’est le cas en particulier des femmes lors de leur suivi gynécologique avec des examens (frottis, échographie endovaginale, pose de stérilet) “réalisés sans information préalable et sans que leur consentement soit recherché”. Mais l’institution dit également avoir été alertée au sujet d'”actes de soins non consentis sur des personnes présentant un handicap psychique”, comme l’administration contrainte d’une injection à un patient pourtant pris en charge sous le régime de la libre hospitalisation, ou le recours à la force, à la contention ou à l’isolement de manière accrue et non justifiée.Ces discriminations ont des conséquences “délétères immédiates et durables sur le parcours de soins des patients” qui finissent par reporter ou renoncer totalement aux soins, alerte l’institution qui exhorte le gouvernement à mettre en place une stratégie nationale de prévention et de lutte contre ces pratiques. Elle recommande notamment de concentrer l’effort sur la prévention de ces discriminations, le recueil et le traitement des signalements et l’adaptation du système de soins aux besoins spécifiques de certains patients.”On s’aperçoit qu’il y a très peu de recours et très peu de sanctions donc il faut former les médecins” mais “aussi les ordres” des différentes professions de santé, a estimé Claire Hédon sur franceinfo mardi. “Et je pense qu’à un moment, il faut passer par des sanctions qui soient suffisamment dissuasives.”

‘Makes no sense’: Hollywood shocked by Trump’s film tariffs announcement

Hollywood reacted with skepticism on Monday to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of 100 percent tariffs on foreign films, with movie insiders calling it a policy made up on the fly by a president who fails to understand how the industry works.”It makes no sense,” entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel said of Trump’s idea.Handel told AFP that many US productions, from James Bond flicks to the “Mission Impossible” franchise, are filmed abroad for obvious creative reasons.”If the stunt is Tom Cruise climbing up the Eiffel Tower, what are we supposed to do, shoot at the replica Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas?” Handel said. “I mean, it’s just nonsensical.”Writing on his platform Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump said: “I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.””WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” he wrote.His words plunged the movie industry into uncertainty as entertainment companies saw their stock prices fall, unions struggled to understand if the bombshell also applies to TV series and everyone wondered if the policy could even be enforced.Handel said movies involve intellectual property.”You can buy a movie ticket, but you don’t buy a movie the way you buy a piece of clothing or an automobile,” which can be taxed as they cross a border into the United States, he said.Even if a system could be devised to impose tariffs on movies filmed outside the United States, such levies would do more harm than good to the US industry, Handel said.”The result of that would be to reduce production, to increase the cost of movies, to reduce the number of movies available for movie theaters and streamers to show, which would damage the distribution side of the business,” he said.California Governor Gavin Newsom called on Monday for a partnership with the Trump administration to “Make America Film Again”.”We’ve proven what strong state incentives can do. Now it’s time for a real federal partnership to Make America Film Again,” he wrote on social media platform X.- ‘Confusion’ -Unions for actors and other media and entertainment workers said they awaited more details of Trump’s plan but supported the goal of increasing production of movies, TV and streaming in the United States. “We will continue to advocate for policies that strengthen our competitive position, accelerate economic growth and create good middle-class jobs for American workers,” said one such guild, SAG-AFTRA.Many movie studios and other industry organizations had yet to officially react by Monday but Trump’s announcement triggered crisis meetings, Hollywood news outlets reported, publishing skeptical comments from insiders speaking on condition of anonymity.”I can’t see his target here other than confusion and distraction,” the showbiz news outlet Deadline quoted a top distribution executive as saying.”Let’s hope this only encourages desperately needed increases in US state tax incentives being implemented ASAP,” the person said.Such incentives offered by other countries — such as Britain, Canada and Ireland, among others — are a lure for US movie studios to film outside the country.Australia, which for years used generous tax breaks and other cash incentives to lure foreign filmmakers, said it still wants to make “great films” with the United States.With Trump’s tariffs threatening the home of Hollywood hits including “The Matrix”, “Elvis” and “Crocodile Dundee”, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday that “collaboration is a good thing.”While Trump’s idea is divisive, there is widespread agreement that the US movie industry is in dire straits.Hollywood has struggled to get back on its feet since the historic strikes by actors and writers that shut it down in 2023.The number of filming days in Los Angeles hit a record low in 2024, excluding the total shutdown in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic.This is in part because many movies are now filmed in a growing number of countries that offer incentives such as tax rebates.Deadline quoted a Hollywood movie financier as saying he agreed with Trump’s goal of having more movies filmed in the United States.”But obviously the need is for rebates, not tariffs. Tariffs will just choke the remaining life out of the business,” they were quoted as saying.As Hollywood fretted over Trump’s announcement, the White House said no decision on foreign film tariffs has been made. “The Administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump’s directive to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again,” the White House said in a statement.Trump told reporters Monday: “I’m not looking to hurt the industry. I want to help the industry. But they’re given financing by other countries.”That seemingly conciliatory remark stopped short of walking back the film tariff announcement, as Trump criticized Newsom, who is pushing for his state to double the tax credits it grants to the movie industry.”Our film industry has been decimated by other countries taking them out, and also by incompetence,” Trump said of Newsom.”He’s just allowed it to be taken away from, you know, Hollywood.”

‘Makes no sense’: Hollywood shocked by Trump’s film tariffs announcement

Hollywood reacted with skepticism on Monday to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of 100 percent tariffs on foreign films, with movie insiders calling it a policy made up on the fly by a president who fails to understand how the industry works.”It makes no sense,” entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel said of Trump’s idea.Handel told AFP that many US productions, from James Bond flicks to the “Mission Impossible” franchise, are filmed abroad for obvious creative reasons.”If the stunt is Tom Cruise climbing up the Eiffel Tower, what are we supposed to do, shoot at the replica Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas?” Handel said. “I mean, it’s just nonsensical.”Writing on his platform Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump said: “I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.””WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” he wrote.His words plunged the movie industry into uncertainty as entertainment companies saw their stock prices fall, unions struggled to understand if the bombshell also applies to TV series and everyone wondered if the policy could even be enforced.Handel said movies involve intellectual property.”You can buy a movie ticket, but you don’t buy a movie the way you buy a piece of clothing or an automobile,” which can be taxed as they cross a border into the United States, he said.Even if a system could be devised to impose tariffs on movies filmed outside the United States, such levies would do more harm than good to the US industry, Handel said.”The result of that would be to reduce production, to increase the cost of movies, to reduce the number of movies available for movie theaters and streamers to show, which would damage the distribution side of the business,” he said.California Governor Gavin Newsom called on Monday for a partnership with the Trump administration to “Make America Film Again”.”We’ve proven what strong state incentives can do. Now it’s time for a real federal partnership to Make America Film Again,” he wrote on social media platform X.- ‘Confusion’ -Unions for actors and other media and entertainment workers said they awaited more details of Trump’s plan but supported the goal of increasing production of movies, TV and streaming in the United States. “We will continue to advocate for policies that strengthen our competitive position, accelerate economic growth and create good middle-class jobs for American workers,” said one such guild, SAG-AFTRA.Many movie studios and other industry organizations had yet to officially react by Monday but Trump’s announcement triggered crisis meetings, Hollywood news outlets reported, publishing skeptical comments from insiders speaking on condition of anonymity.”I can’t see his target here other than confusion and distraction,” the showbiz news outlet Deadline quoted a top distribution executive as saying.”Let’s hope this only encourages desperately needed increases in US state tax incentives being implemented ASAP,” the person said.Such incentives offered by other countries — such as Britain, Canada and Ireland, among others — are a lure for US movie studios to film outside the country.Australia, which for years used generous tax breaks and other cash incentives to lure foreign filmmakers, said it still wants to make “great films” with the United States.With Trump’s tariffs threatening the home of Hollywood hits including “The Matrix”, “Elvis” and “Crocodile Dundee”, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday that “collaboration is a good thing.”While Trump’s idea is divisive, there is widespread agreement that the US movie industry is in dire straits.Hollywood has struggled to get back on its feet since the historic strikes by actors and writers that shut it down in 2023.The number of filming days in Los Angeles hit a record low in 2024, excluding the total shutdown in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic.This is in part because many movies are now filmed in a growing number of countries that offer incentives such as tax rebates.Deadline quoted a Hollywood movie financier as saying he agreed with Trump’s goal of having more movies filmed in the United States.”But obviously the need is for rebates, not tariffs. Tariffs will just choke the remaining life out of the business,” they were quoted as saying.As Hollywood fretted over Trump’s announcement, the White House said no decision on foreign film tariffs has been made. “The Administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump’s directive to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again,” the White House said in a statement.Trump told reporters Monday: “I’m not looking to hurt the industry. I want to help the industry. But they’re given financing by other countries.”That seemingly conciliatory remark stopped short of walking back the film tariff announcement, as Trump criticized Newsom, who is pushing for his state to double the tax credits it grants to the movie industry.”Our film industry has been decimated by other countries taking them out, and also by incompetence,” Trump said of Newsom.”He’s just allowed it to be taken away from, you know, Hollywood.”