Hello and welcoMe to Bbc Hello and welcoMe to bbc news. Hello and welcoMe to bbc news. You oin us in Central London you join us in Central London outside the building where for more than six years the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower Fire has been taking place. More than seven years on from the Grenfell Tower Disaster which claiMed 72 lives. Theirfamily their family and friends are hoping for answers from this report. SoMe of them did not want this public inquiry to coMe first. They wanted a Police Investigation to coMe first because they want accountability and want answers. They are looking for a path towards potential prosecutions as a result of what happened on that night. We will have lots of reports through the day and will bring you up to the moMent when the second report is published at 11 and we expect to hear from the chair of the inquiry. There will be reaction from the groups, the community groups that forMed in the aftermath of the fire. We expect a stateMent from th
Three virus levels. Investors are not buying the idea that the sectors prices have finally passed. The Company Behind k pop sensation bts prepares to take the stage in seoul. Big hit hopes to be a big hit on the korean stock exchange. Paul markets are just opened here in sydney. For a look at whats going on, lets go to sophie. Sophie sydney stocks gain ground. 1 , resuming the advanced after stalling and to retreat from a march i on wednesday. We have the likes of bhp and providing a boost while banks are under pressure and focus is on the rba governors speech in which he signaled the desire for more state funding while indicating that there will be a lower for longer rate environment, likely to see further easing ports 10 basis points, also indicating there will not be rate hikes for at least three years unless there is more sustained progress on jobs and inflation. Those remarks did see pressure come through on the aussie dollar, seeing an earlier push. Flipping the board to check in
We saw a stronger fix, some signs of trying to anchor the moves we have seen. Watching the likes of indonesia coming online. We are looking at another day of gains for jakarta. Hang seng, slightly under pressure as we wait for the npc to vote on that National Security legislation this afternoon. Former,ei is the upper seeing a fourth day of gains for Japanese Equities on the reopening. Currencies, hong kong dollar is the focus. You look at pokechecked seeing 775 but speculators are out there. The korean won seeing weakness. And then going lower after the bok cut rates for the record low. Lashed their growth outlook. You look at the weakness in the renminbi, that is not really translated. It is pretty much unchanged for some time. We are watching the euro as well after we saw some fiscal stimulus plan, it should be a big deal for the currency, the euro hitting the strongest level in two months. Watching oil which did extent losses, saw a surprise jump in the u. S. Crude stockpiles with
But it turns out that may not be the case. In the big banks launch a earnings season with a bang. Jp morgan reports of most profitable year ever for any u. S. Lender. News from south korea, were the jobless numbers for the month of december. Writings coming in at 3. 8 , which is higher than estimated and higher than the previous month of november. The jobless rate has been creeping up since the month of august and now we are seeing it shoot up to 3. 8 . Although it is worth mentioning that the economy still added 516,000 jobs in december, which is 200,000 more than in the month of november. Conflicting signals right there, but we have seen the government has tried to create jobs, they have tried to support the economy, but we continue to see declines in the manufacturing and retail sectors. Now the jobless rate coming in at higher than expected 3. 8 . Austrian markets have now open for trade. Lets turn to sophie for what to watch. Sydney a flat open in after a fresh record on tuesday.
Efforts to combat the Opioid Epidemic. Public Health Officials from five states testified on prescription take backs, needle exchanges, and access to opioid overdose drugs. Subcommittee of oversight investigations is holding a hearing entitled a Public Health emergency, state efforts to curb the Opioid Crisis. The purpose of todays hearing is to examine state efforts and successes addressing the Opioid Epidemic as well as opportunities for future support. Just to let everyone know, the reason were getting a little late, the plane was delayed but now dr. Scott is on her way. So, we will swear in the witnesses when we get to that point. If we have to do that one later, we will. The chairman will now recognize herself for an Opening Statement. As i said, today, the committee continues this bipartisan efforts to combat the Opioid Crisis. As we know, the countrys in the midst of an epidemic unlike any in recent history. According to the centers for Disease Control and prevention, from 1999