Interim Venezuelan President Rodriguez said Venezuela has begun a democratic process and urged political dialogue to secure freedom and reconciliation.

China A-shares were weaker at midday: Shanghai Composite -0.93%, Shenzhen Composite -1.74%, ChiNext Index -1.84%. Wind-turbine equipment stocks led gains — Weili Transmission +11%+, Jixin Technology hit the daily limit. Robotics names also strong with Luozhou Co. and Ningbo Dongli at limit-up. Xinhua Media and Xinhua Winshare hit limits as media stocks rebounded. Coal, banks, medical aesthetics, textiles and small appliances outperformed; precious metals, components and planting sectors lagged. Combined Shanghai- and Shenzhen-market turnover was about 1.07 trillion yuan at midday, down roughly 91.4 billion yuan from the same period yesterday; more than 1,000 stocks rose.

美聯儲理事巴爾：多種因素導致美國住房負擔能力下降。