News: 2014-04-01

March manufacturing growth highest in three years – PMI – Independent.ie

Eurozone unemployment refuses to budge from near-record highs – FT.com

Manufacturing still ‘too reliant’ on domestic demand – Telegraph

This makes no sense whatsoever and it shows just how confused things are. If you can’t rely on domestic demand, it shows you the economy is weak. It’s not about being ‘too reliant’ on domestic demand. That’s simply idiotic.

Major economies end first-quarter on weaker note | Reuters

Russian prime minister angers Ukraine by visiting Crimea | Reuters

Growth Is Picking Up In U.S. Office Market – WSJ.com

Sheryl Sandberg slashes Facebook holdings – FT.com

Gold Near Seven-Week Low on Fed Outlook as SPDR Assets Shrink – Bloomberg

Russia tightens squeeze on Ukraine with gas price rise | Reuters

Ukrainians build ‘Maginot Line’ to repel Russia – FT.com

China slowdown fears linger as manufacturing remains sluggish – Telegraph

German Jobless Falls for Fourth Month as Growth Picks Up – Bloomberg

UK PMI Points To Moderating Growth, Inflation – Real Time Economics – WSJ

You Don’t Know the Best Way to Deal with Russia, by Bryan Caplan

How Dropbox Knows When You’re Sharing Copyrighted Files

Exclusive: NSA infiltrated RSA security more deeply than thought – study | Reuters

Bitcoin Is Pointless as a Currency, But It Could Change the World Anyway | Opinion | WIRED

NSA chief’s legacy is shaped by big data, for better and worse – latimes.com

“In Iraq, for example, the National Security Agency went from intercepting only about half of enemy signals and taking hours to process them to being able to collect, sort and make available every Iraqi email, text message and phone-location signal in real time, said John “Chris” Inglis, who recently retired as the NSA’s top civilian.”

Former Citi chief backs breaking up big banks

Afghanistan Is The Big Winner In U.S. Foreign Aid – TIME

“Most of the aid to South and Central Asia went to just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Together, they accounted for about $14.02 billion of the $15.1 billion that went to the region, and were among the top recipients of U.S. aid worldwide in 2012.”

Calculated Risk: Chicago PMI declines to 55.9

As Portugal prepares to exit from it’s dark days of crisis, will it still need a safety net? – WSJ.com

Schäuble Compares Putin Moves in Crimea to Policies of Hitler – SPIEGEL ONLINE

“Schäuble Says Putin’s Crimea Plans Reminiscent of Hitler”

Yuriko Koike regards Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in light of Japan’s own territorial disputes. – Project Syndicate

“Japan is particularly concerned with Russian expansionism, because it is the only G-7 country that currently has a territorial dispute with Russia, which has occupied its Northern Territories since the waning days of World War II.”

Michael Lewis Doesn’t Like High-Frequency Traders – Bloomberg View

Prominent Germans Have Understanding for Russian Annexation of Crimea – SPIEGEL ONLINE

Andreesen On How To Kill Stock Market – Business Insider

The Real Reason the U.S. Dollar Has Value

March U.S. Auto Sales Were In Like A Lamb, Out Like A Lamb – Forbes

“The upside for consumers is that incentives for March were the highest they’ve been since 2010, at an average of $2,773, according to TrueCar, based in Santa Monica, Calif.”

Speed Trading in a Rigged Market – Bloomberg View

“On “60 Minutes” last night, author Michael Lewis made a bland assertion: High-frequency traders, he said, working with U.S. stock exchanges and big banks, have rigged the markets in their own favor. The only surprising thing about Lewis’s assertion was that anyone could be even remotely surprised by it.”

Election defeat puts François Hollande in deep hole – FT.com

Ringgit Set for Biggest Quarterly Gain Since 2012 on Fund Inflow – Bloomberg

Thai Baht Headed for Quarterly Advance as Political Unrest Eases – Bloomberg

Bitcoin Slips In The Wake Of The IRS’s Tax Decision | TechCrunch

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