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☆ Cape Town’s ‘urban’ baboons: How to live with our primate cousins
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —More than half of the world’s population live in urban areas where nature can feel like a distant concern. Thriving ecosystems do, however, exist within our cities — even beneath our feet — and embracing urban nature can be a powerful force for change. Cape Town’s baboons can often be found rummaging through garbage cans and around backyards, putting them at greater risk of conflict with humans. Easy access to food from Cape Town’s trash means baboons spend less time and energy foraging, and more on socializing with potential mates and the rest of their group. The city has begun taking proactive measures to keep them away from Cape Town’s outskirts and in their natural hillside habitat.

Persons: CNN —, Corey Arnold, denning, Lawrence Hylton, Neil Zeller, Gizem, Harvard University’s, Mary Cleave, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Southern, DreamWorks, Gizem Gumuskaya Tufts University Scientists, Tufts University, Harvard, Harvard University’s Wyss, NASA, Challenger, Tasmanian, CNN Space, Science Locations: West London, city’s, Cape Town , South Africa, backyards, Cape Town’s, California, Hong, New Territories, Shing Mun, Canadian, Guatemala

Owen Chow Ka-shing, one of the 47 pro-democracy activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law, arrives at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts building, in Hong Kong, China November 29, 2021. On the first day of closing submissions, one of the handpicked national security judges, Andrew Chan, said a verdict would "tentatively" come in three to four months, with 10 days set aside for closing submissions. Beijing says the national security law brought stability to the city after monthslong pro-democracy protests in 2019. "Communication with the public is much easier, (it's) easy to manipulate those means in order to endanger national security," he added. Thirty-one of the 47 charged have pleaded guilty - which could qualify them for reduced sentences.

Persons: Owen Chow Ka, Lam, Andrew Chan, Hong, Jonathan Man, Man, Gwyneth Ho, Owen Chow, Gordon Ng, Leung Kwok, Helena Wong, Benny Tai, Joshua Wong, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Hong, Thomson Locations: Kowloon, Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, United States, Beijing

☆ Want 8% yield? Buy 'fallen angels' in the U.S. bond market, BNP Paribas says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The bond bear market is the worst in more than 200 years, according to BNP Paribas' global chief investment officer. "This represents the biggest US bond bear market in over 200 years," Shing said. But, he said, one corner of the bond market is an opportunity for investors: U.S. "fallen angels" in the high-yield credit segment. "So actually, you can still capture 8% plus gross yield of these fallen angels, but at a much lower default risk at a time when the economy is slowing." Those keen on investing in "fallen angel" bonds can consider exchange-traded funds and funds that have been specifically developed to focus on such bonds.

Persons: Edmund Shing, CNBC's, They've, there're, Shing Organizations: BNP, Treasury, U.S, U.S . Federal, U.S ., Morningstar Locations: U.S

☆ Beijing claims a US citizen jailed for life in China was a decorated spy who worked undetected for decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

At the time, authorities provided no details about his case, except that he was detained by state security officers in April 2021. According to a court statement at the time he had been arrested by state security authorities in April 2021. Beijing and Washington have escalated espionage accusations against each other, after the controversy over an alleged Chinese spy balloon shot down by the US further inflamed tensions earlier this year. In its WeChat post, China’s spy agency claimed Leung’s patriotic Chinese persona was a means of gaining access to Chinese intelligence. The latest allegations against Leung from China come the same week an alleged Chinese spying scandal has rocked the heart of British politics.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, John Shing, Wan Leung, Leung, William Burns, “, ”, Tom Tugendhat, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ministry of State Security, Authorities, CNN, US State Department, CIA, Conservative Party, Sunday, British Locations: Hong Kong, Hong Kong CNN — Beijing, American, China, PRC, Beijing, Washington, Houston, London

☆ Shelved port deal will test Temasek’s private push
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, July 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Temasek is having a bad weather week. The Singaporean investor’s wholly owned port operator PSA International is shelving plans to sell its 20% stake in CK Hutchison’s (0001.HK) port business, per Bloomberg. PSA was seeking $4 billion for its stake, a touch less than what it paid. This week, Temasek itself reported a 5.2% drop in the net value of its portfolio to $285 billion in the 12 months to the end of March, as public markets remain weak. The world’s 10th-largest sovereign investor has 53% of its portfolio parked in unlisted assets, double the level a decade ago.

Persons: CK Hutchison’s, Li Ka, China's Cosco, Breakingviews, Daga, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Temasek, CK, Bloomberg, Twitter, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, HK, Hong Kong, Singapore, China

☆ Hong Kong pro-democracy radio closes in face of "dangerous" pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Jessie Pang | Thomson Reuters | Jessie Pang Joined Reuters In After An Internship. She Covers Hong Kong With A Focus On Politics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, June 30 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's pro-democracy online Citizens' Radio station will cease operations on Friday owing to what its founder described as a "dangerous" political situation and the freezing of its bank account. Tsang also said his radio station's bank account had been frozen, without giving specifics. Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly said that media freedoms are respected and enshrined in city laws. In 2019, four masked men wielding bats and hammers barged in to the radio station after smashing through its glass door. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" agreement aimed a preserving its freedoms for 50 years.

Persons: Kong's, Tsang Kin, Tsang, Hong, Cédric Alviani, OFCA, Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong, Jessie Pang, James Pomfret, Robert Birsel Organizations: Citizens, Apple Daily, Radio, Media, Hong Kong, Communications Authority, Reuters, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong, China, Hong Kong, East Asia

☆ China-bashing throws Vodafone a curveball
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Vodafone's (VOD.L) M&A ambitions in Britain are falling prey to anti-China rhetoric. Parliamentarians are also fretting over the security impact on contracts with government departments once the deal goes through. Vodafone may face similar scrutiny, leading to inevitable delays. The fact that CK Hutchison has retained the right to appoint the chief financial officer may be a red flag. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: CK Hutchison's, Li Ka, Franco, Patrick Drahi, Hakan Koc, Pyrros Koussios, Roman Abramovich, CK Hutchison, Pamela Barbaglia, Aston Martin, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, HK, Vodafone, BT, UK's National Security and Investment Act, Twitter, Siemens, Thomson Locations: Britain, China, Hong Kong, Canada

☆ American jailed for spying by China rubbed shoulders with senior Chinese officials, CNN reporting shows, CNN reporting shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“He’s a very famous person, known by many overseas Chinese in the southern US,” Tang said. Reports published by Chinese-language media in Texas and China’s state media show Leung’s long-running access to senior Chinese officials. In 2014, he met with the director of Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office during a visit to Nanjing, the provincial capital. This photo shows John Leung with Wang Hua, the former director of Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office. It also comes as American and Chinese officials are resuming high-level engagements since a dispute over a suspected Chinese spy balloon shattered efforts to mend ties earlier this year.

☆ China Sentences American Citizen to Life in Prison for Espionage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Dan Strumpf | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

John Shing-wan Leung was tried in the city of Suzhou near Shanghai. Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty ImagesHONG KONG—Chinese authorities said they sentenced an American citizen to life in prison on espionage charges, in a case that could further strain relations between Beijing and Washington. John Shing-wan Leung, a 78-year-old U.S. passport holder who also holds Hong Kong permanent residency, was found guilty and sentenced on Monday following a trial in the eastern city of Suzhou near Shanghai, according to a court notice.

☆ China Sentences a U.S. Citizen to Life in Prison for Espionage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Chang Che | Olivia Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Chinese court said it sentenced a 78-year-old American citizen to life in prison on Monday on unspecified charges of spying, the latest in a wave of espionage cases the authorities have pursued amid growing wariness of foreign influence in the country. The Intermediate People’s Court in the southeastern city of Suzhou said in a short statement that it pronounced John Shing-Wan Leung guilty of espionage and sentenced him. Mr. Leung holds a United States passport and is a permanent resident of Hong Kong, according to the statement posted on the court’s social media account. A spokesman for the United States Embassy in Beijing said the embassy was aware of the reports about the case but declined to comment because of privacy concerns. American citizens arrested in China must sign a privacy waiver to allow embassies and consulates to release information about their cases to the public.

☆ US citizen sentenced to life in prison for espionage - Chinese court
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, May 15 (Reuters) - A 78-year-old U.S. citizen and Hong Kong resident was on Monday convicted of espionage and sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in eastern China, a court statement said. The court added that Leung was a Hong Kong resident and a U.S. passport holder. The court gave no specifics of his alleged offence, but said: "Suzhou's National Security Bureau began investigating Leung on April 15, 2021, on suspicion of spying." Last week, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan met China's top diplomat Wang Yi to try to keep open channels of communication and to stablise the relationship between the superpowers. Hong Kong and Chinese media outlets reported that Leung had once been a senior member of a Chinese patriotic group in the United States called the U.S.-China Friendship Promotion Association.

☆ China sentences 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison for espionage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —A 78-year-old American citizen has been sentenced to life in prison by a Chinese court on spying charges. Leung was detained on April 15, 2021 by state security authorities in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, according to the brief statement, which did not provide details on his charges. Chinese authorities and state media have not previously disclosed any information on Leung’s detention or the court process that led to his conviction. In China, cases involving state security are usually handled behind closed doors. In another high-profile case, two Canadians – former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor – were detained by China for nearly three years.

☆ China sentences 78-year-old U.S. citizen to life in prison on spying charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Relations between Washington and Beijing are at their lowest in decades amid disputes over trade, technology, human rights and China's increasingly aggressive approach toward its territorial claims involving self-governing Taiwan and the South China Sea. Jason Lee | ReutersChina sentenced a 78-year-old United States citizen to life in prison Monday on spying charges, in a case that reflects the deterioration in ties between Beijing and Washington over recent years. Details of the charges against John Shing-Wan Leung, who holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, have not been publicly released. High-level government visits have been on hold and U.S. companies are delaying major investments amid mixed-messaging from Beijing. Now the world’s second-largest economy, China is expanding its footprint in ports, railways and other infrastructure from Europe to Southeast Asia and beyond.

☆ Economic data remains surprisingly strong, CIO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEconomic data remains surprisingly strong, CIO saysEdmund Shing, chief investment officer at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, discusses market participation, the earnings season and the economic outlook.

Yet congenital syphilis is easily preventable if an infected person gets access to penicillin during their pregnancy. There were 2,677 cases of congenital syphilis in the U.S. in 2021 for a population of 332 million, according to preliminary CDC data. Canada had 96 cases for a population of 38 million, according to Health Canada. Health Canada told Reuters it has dispatched epidemiologists to help provinces contain the increase in congenital syphilis. The province had an incidence of 185 cases of congenital syphilis per 100,00 live births in 2021.

☆ Alibaba hands parched dealmakers a glass half-full
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Then New York- and Hong Kong-listed Alibaba (9988.HK) revealed it was creating six independently run businesses. That will keep dealmaking teams busy for months if, as CEO Daniel Zhang envisions, multiple listed companies emerge from the $250 billion parent. And if a breakup is good for Alibaba, they can dust off pitchbooks for its domestic rivals. Follow @AntonyMCurrie on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSAlibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said on March 29 that he hopes multiple listed companies will emerge from the group. “I hope there will be multiple listed companies emerging from the Alibaba system, and that they will continue to nurture their own sons and daughters, and cultivate more listed companies”, Zhang said, according to the South China Morning Post.

☆ This startup has developed an operating system for GPs that cuts down on admin. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck Doctorly used to raise $10 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

German health tech startup Doctorly has raised $10 million in Series A funding. The startup, founded in 2018, offers practice management software for healthcare providers. A German health tech startup that has developed an operating system for medical practices has raised $10 million in fresh funds. The startup wants to "re-digitize" practices and make it easier for them to adapt to external innovations in health tech. Doctorly is one of the very few regulated health tech startups in Germany and it believes its technology can help cut the time spent by practitioners on administration in half.

☆ How China planted an FBI mole who was discovered only after gutting the CIA's vast spy network
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( James Bamford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

At the time, four years after the handover from Britain to China, much of Hong Kong remained a world of neon and noise. "Five years ago, everyone looked down on you if you spoke Mandarin," said a Beijing executive living in Hong Kong. As soon as the Hong Kong Arts Festival ended, the Hong Kong International Film Festival began. In February 2006, Alex Ma, China's mole in the FBI, sent David photos he received from his handlers of five suspected human sources. Born in Hong Kong like Alex, Lee grew up in Hawaii and became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Follow @KatrinaHamlin on TwitterloadingCONTEXT NEWSHong Kong-listed Apollo Future Mobility said on Jan. 12 that it had agreed to buy Chinese electric-car maker WM Motor Global for HK$15.9 billion ($2.02 billion). To fund the acquisition of its larger peer, Apollo will issue 28.8 billion new shares at HK$0.55 each. Apollo shares fell 8.6% and were trading at HK$0.23 by market close on Jan. 12. WM Motor Global filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering in May 2022, but the application lapsed in November. WM Motor Global’s owner, WM Motor Holdings, is the largest shareholder in Apollo Future Mobility, and WM Motor founder Freeman Shen sits on the latter’s board as co-chair.

☆ Hong Kong November home prices ease to more than 5-yr low
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Hong Kong private home prices dropped 3.3% in November to the lowest since August 2017, official data showed on Wednesday, as its housing market - one of the most unaffordable in the world - is set to post the first annual drop since 2008. November's fall in home prices came after a revised 2.7% drop in October. Home prices in Hong Kong have fallen 13.8% in the first 110 months of the year. For 2023, real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield expects home prices to be 0-5% lower than this year, with prices stabilizing in the second half after an expected peak of interest rates. Another consultancy, JLL, expects prices to fall another 10% next year for the mass market.

☆ Exclusive: Temasek's PSA evaluates multi-billion dollar exit from Hutchison Ports-sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Port operator PSA International, fully owned by Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings, is considering selling its multi-billion dollar, 20% stake in the ports business of CK Hutchison Holdings (0001.HK), two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. PSA, the world's second-biggest container terminal operator, whose global network encompasses 160 locations in 42 countries, had acquired the stake in the Hong Kong-based conglomerate's ports business for $4.4 billion in 2006. Both Temasek and CK Hutchison, the conglomerate of retired billionaire Li Ka-shing, declined to comment. Temasek reported a nearly 6% rise in its portfolio value to a record S$403 billion ($297 billion) in the year to March 2022. Economic conditions have worsened since then, with global markets selling off along with a sharp increase in interest rates.

A similar proposal failed last year, but as its woes worsen, Kaisa may reconsider. As with most holders of dollar bonds issued by Chinese developers, Kaisa’s investors are in a tough position. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBut this crisis looks more serious than 2015. Credit ratings agency Moody’s estimates property sales could contract another 20% by next June. Kaisa’s sales slumped 80% in the first eight months this year, per Chinese consultancy CRIC. Local governments are under increasing pressure from Beijing to ensure private developers’ stalled housing projects pre-sold to buyers are delivered to avoid social unrest.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Kaisa offshore creditors offer $2 bln to take over stalled projects - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A sign of the Kaisa Holdings Group is seen at the Shanghai Kaisa Financial Centre, in Shanghai, China, December 7, 2021. It also comes as authorities are scrambling to contain a mortgage boycott by homebuyers against stalled projects. The offshore bondholder group, which is being represented by financial advisory group Lazard Ltd, made the offer to acquire Kaisa's stalled projects to the developer's advisor CITIC Securities, said the people. As most of Kaisa's projects are in top-tier Chinese cities, where housing prices are relatively resilient, bondholders expect to reap the profits after the completion of the stalled projects, said the two people. It is unclear how many stalled projects would be covered by the bondholder group's offer, and how many of them meet the purchase criteria laid out by the group.

☆ Exclusive: Kaisa offshore creditors offer $2 billion to take over stalled projects
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Beijing a devenit orașul cu cei mai mulți miliardari din lume. Ce orașe mai sunt în topul Forbes
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-07 | by ( Onixmedia Srl | ) diez.md time to read: +2 min

Beijing a devenit orașul cu cei mai mulți miliardari din lume. Business Insider notează că bogații au devenit și mai bogați anul trecut, în ciuda pandemiei și a recesiunii economice. La nivel global, 660 de oameni au devenit miliardari în 2020, însumând un total de 2 755 de miliardari la nivel mondial, în dolari americani. Cinci orașe din China se clasează printre cele 10 orașe cu cei mai mulți miliardari, inclusiv regiunea administrativă specială Hong Kong. Beijing (100 de miliardari), cel mai bogat om – Zhang Yiming (35,6 miliarde)2.

Persons: Pandemia, Zhang Yiming, Michael Bloomberg, Colin Zheng Huang, Len Blavatnik, San Francisco, Dustin Moskovitz Organizations: Forbes, San Locations: Beijing, New York, SUA, China, Hong Kong, York City, Kong, Moscova, Shanghai, Londra, Mumbai, Hangzhou

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