Trump to Announce New Federal Reserve Chair Pick as Powell Replacement Looms 
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
U.S. Dollar Slides for Second Week as Tariff Threats and Iran Tensions Shake Markets 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
The German bunds gained during European trading session Friday as investors shifted base to safe-haven assets following Israel’s airstrike on Syria-based Iranian military near the Iraqi border, according to news released by the Syrian Observatory for Human rights.
The German 10-year bond yield, which move inversely to its price, slipped 1/2 basis point to -0.226 percent, the yield on 30-year note also edged tad down to 0.321 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year suffered nearly 1 basis point to -0.599 percent by 10:20GMT.
After yesterday’s upside surprise in the German industrial production data for November, the equivalent French figures released this morning were also a touch better than expectations. In particular, total French IP rose for the third successive month, albeit by just 0.3 percent, to be up 1.2 percent, the strongest annual rate in six months, Daiwa Capital Markets reported.
Meanwhile, the German DAX edged tad 0.20 percent to 13,521.15 by 10:25GMT.
