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☆ Maybank Group Wealth Management says Malaysia is its favorite Southeast Asian market
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | 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 EmailMaybank Group Wealth Management says Malaysia is its favorite Southeast Asian marketEddy Loh, chief investment officer at Maybank Group Wealth Management, says that's partly thanks to the country's economic framework and political stability.

Persons: Eddy Loh Organizations: Wealth Management Locations: Malaysia

☆ Giraffes appear to be on a path to joining the ranks of Winnie the Pooh and Peppa Pig on Beijing's internet watchlist
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementGiraffes might just be the next thing banned on China's social media. The post doesn't mention China and instead promotes US efforts to track down endangered giraffes in Africa using GPS technology. But on Weibo, China's version of X, the embassy's post mysteriously went viral, with 970,000 likes and 180,000 comments as of Tuesday evening. AdvertisementInvestors flooded the giraffe post last weekend with comments complaining about China's slumping stock market, as Bloomberg, CNN, and Reuters reported. Irate commenters were copy-pasting the headline of a state media article, published on the same day as the giraffe post, that said the "entire country is filled with optimism."

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Peppa, Long, haven't, Weibo Organizations: Service, Embassy, Bloomberg, CNN, Reuters, CSI, Beijing, China Digital Times, Business Locations: China, Africa, Weibo, Republic, China's

☆ Silver set for a 'terrific year' and could outperform gold to hit a 10-year high
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Global silver demand is forecast to reach 1.2 billion ounces in 2024, which would mark the second-highest level on record, the Silver Institute said in a recent report. "We think silver will have a terrific year, especially in terms of demand," Michael DiRienzo, executive director of the Silver Institute told CNBC. He expects silver prices to reach $30 per ounce, which would be a 10-year high, according to data from LSEG. Silver prices, like gold, tend to have an inverse relationship with interest rates. In contrast, gold prices usually rise during times of economic weakness or uncertainty.

Persons: Nicky Loh, Michael DiRienzo, Randy Smallwood Organizations: Silver Bullion, Bloomberg, Getty, Silver Institute, CNBC, Wheaton, Metals, U.S . Federal Reserve, Wheaton Precious Metals, Vw Locations: Singapore, India, U.S

☆ A mega restaurant chain is on a mission to get half of China to eat KFC and Pizza Hut by 2026
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Currently serving just one-third of China's population, our ambitious goal is to extend our reach to half of the population by 2026," Yum China CEO Joey Wat said in the company's latest quarterly results report. Yum plans to fuel its growth through restaurants in China's "lower-tier cities," which host over half of the firm's stores, Wat said. That's more than twice the number of KFC restaurants in the US, which has 4,293 stores, though only half of the around 6,750 Pizza Huts in the US. Both restaurant brands also have 470 million members in China, Yum said, though it didn't say if this number accounted for any overlap. "2023 was a pivotal year for Yum China," Wat said.

Persons: —, Joey Wat, Yum, China's COVID, Wat Organizations: Service, China Holdings, Business, KFC Locations: China, China's, Cities, Shanghai, Beijing, Xiamen, Harbin

☆ New parents in South Korea are getting $750 every month as Seoul launches its 'birth encouragement' gambit to slow population decline
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul officials on Tuesday announced a new "birth encouragement" program to raise fertility rates. New parents in South Korea are eligible for $750 per month until their baby turns 1 year old. After their child turns 1, parents will also be eligible for an allowance of $375 a month for one year. Nearly a fifth of South Korea's entire 51 million population lives in Seoul, where the fertility rate was 0.59 in 2022, per the latest government statistics. AdvertisementThe entire country's birth rate, by comparison, was 0.78 that year.

Persons: —, Yonhap, childrearing Organizations: Service, South Korean, Yonhap, South, Business Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, Japan, South

☆ A Pennsylvania man who took drone selfies at a stadium and delayed an AFC Championship game now faces up to 4 years in prison: prosecutors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A man who delayed an NFL game while taking drone selfies now faces federal charges, prosecutors said. Matthew Hebert, 44, mistakenly thought he was allowed to fly his drone at the time, per prosecutors. AdvertisementA 44-year-old man faces up to four years in federal prison after he flew a drone over a National Football League game in Baltimore, federal prosecutors said on Monday. Hebert flew the drone at around 330 feet for about two minutes, and took at least six photos of himself and the stadium, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Hebert "relied exclusively on the DJI application" to know if he was allowed to fly the drone.

Persons: Matthew Hebert, —, Chadds, Hebert, Prosecutors, DJI Organizations: NFL, Service, National Football League, T, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, AFC Championship, Justice Department, NFL Security, Baltimore Sun, State, Federal Aviation Administration, Ravens, Chiefs, States National Defense, Business Locations: Baltimore, Chadds Ford , Pennsylvania

☆ A pigeon detained for 8 months on suspicion of spying for China has finally been set free
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A pigeon detained in India for eight months was released on Tuesday after police cleared it of suspicions that it was a spy bird for China, the news agency Press Trust of India reported. It was taken to the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals because police suspected it was used for spying, per the outlet. Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsPETA contacted police and obtained a certificate for the bird's release, the organization said. The pigeon was later discovered to be a racing bird from Taiwan that escaped and flew to India, according to the AP. Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsIndian authorities have detained other pigeons on similar suspicions before.

Persons: Dinshaw, Narendra Modi Organizations: Press Trust of, Associated Press, Hospital for Animals, People, Animals, PETA, Bombay Society for, AP, Pigeon Racing, Taiwan News Locations: India, China, Press Trust of India, Mumbai, Taiwan, Taipei, Kashmir, Pakistan

☆ A junior high principal was fired after he was caught pouring more coffee than he paid for
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A junior high principal was fired after getting caught trying to steal an extra half-cup of coffee. He would pay for a $0.75 cup, but pour himself a $1.25 cup at a convenience store, per local media. But he was caught in December by a store clerk, who called the police as the principal tried to leave. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe principal of a junior high school in Japan was dismissed from his job on Tuesday after he was caught dispensing more coffee than he paid for at a convenience store, local media reported.

Persons: —, he'd Organizations: Service, Yomiuri, Business Locations: Japan, Takasago

☆ China's defense budget was reported as 3 times smaller than America's, but 2 analysts say the Pentagon is underselling Beijing's true military strength
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewBeijing's military spending and threat are likely far higher than portrayed by the Pentagon, which recently reported figures that indicate China's defense budget was nearly four times smaller than America's, two US analysts said on Monday. Peters and Beaver wrote that the Pentagon's assessment failed to account for China's military research spending. "Confusingly, the report does not attempt to account for either of these significant considerations in its treatment of China's defense budget topline," Peters and Beaver wrote. China's reported GDP for 2023 was around $17.8 trillion. "We should avoid overreacting to what seems to be this more accurate data of China's military push," Stavridis wrote.

Persons: —, Robert Peters, Wilson Beaver, Peters, Beaver, Sen, Dan Sullivan, James Stavridis, Stavridis Organizations: Service, Pentagon, Business, Allison Center for National Security, Heritage Foundation, The Defense Department, Beaver, Beijing's, National Atlantic Treaty Organization, Bloomberg, China's Locations: China, Beijing, Taiwan, United States, Alaska

☆ SGX discusses what's next after reaching its target of $100 billion in average daily volume
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | 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 EmailSGX discusses what's next after reaching its target of $100 billion in average daily volumeLoh Boon Chye of SGX Group discusses its growth outlook for 2024.

Persons: SGX, what's, Loh Boon Organizations: SGX Group

☆ Canadian police are looking for a 500-pound taxidermy polar bear stolen from a resort in frigid, below-zero weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A 500-pound stuffed bear was stolen from a resort in Canada, police told local media. An executive for the resort told The Globe and Mail that it runs 24-hour security every day. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementPolice in Canada said they're looking for a missing taxidermy polar bear that was stolen from a resort near the city of Edmonton. Harry, the 500-pound stuffed bear, was nabbed from the Lionsheart Wellness Center at the Lily Lake Resort earlier this month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told The Globe and Mail.

Persons: — Organizations: Globe, Service, Police, Lionsheart Wellness, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Business Locations: Canada, Edmonton, Lily

☆ We won't meddle in the 2024 election, China's Xi Jinping told Biden: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese leader Xi Jinping promised President Joe Biden in a brief in-person exchange in November that Beijing would stay out of the 2024 US election, CNN reported. AdvertisementBiden was the one who broached the subject with Xi, one of the sources told CNN. Foreign election interference has increasingly been in the spotlight in the US, especially in the wake of the Russian hacking controversy in the 2016 election. We oppose making China an issue based on election politics," the Chinese Foreign Ministry told CNN when asked for comment. AdvertisementAt the time, China's Foreign Ministry called the accusations "groundless and fabricated out of thin air."

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Wang Wenbin Organizations: CNN, Economic Cooperation, Chinese, White House National, Foreign Ministry, Foreign, Ministry Locations: Beijing, Asia, San Francisco, China, Bangkok, United States, Iran, Russia, Cuba

☆ Oklahoma teachers who mistakenly received $15,000 to $50,000 in bonuses are now being told to give it all back
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some teachers in Oklahoma are being told to return tens of thousands in bonuses they got by mistake. At least nine teachers received letters demanding they return bonuses of up to $50,000 each, nonprofit news organization Oklahoma Watch reported Thursday. The bonuses can be bigger if the teachers commit to a rural or poorer school, though the maximum is $50,000, per the state department website. This was the source of confusion for several teachers like Bojorquez, a teacher in Oklahoma last year but still received the money, Oklahoma Watch reported. A spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Persons: they've, —, Kay Bojorquez, she'd, Kristina Stadelman, She's, It's, Ryan Walters, Walters, Bojorquez Organizations: Service, Oklahoma Watch, Associated Press, Oklahoman, Oklahoma State Education Department, Business Locations: Oklahoma

☆ A snowboarder stuck 15 hours overnight on a California ski gondola said she screamed for help to workers below who couldn't hear her
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewA snowboarder reported missing at a ski resort in California on Thursday was stranded on a gondola overnight in the cold. Laso told KCRA that she tried getting the attention of workers she could see below, but they couldn't hear her. Heavenly Ski Resort operates a gondola ride that is 2.4 miles long and runs daily, per its website. Heavenly Ski Resort said it is investigating the incident, per the outlet. Vail Resorts, which owns Heavenly Ski Resort, did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Persons: —, Monica Laso, Laso, KCRA, Kim George, Tom Fortune Organizations: Service, Business, NBC, KCRA, National Weather Service, El, Office, Associated Press, AP, Vail Resorts Locations: California, El Dorado County

☆ 6 photos and stats that put into perspective the sheer size of Evergrande, China's dying real-estate giant that has $300 billion in debt
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewEvergrande, once the second-largest property developer in China by sales, is being liquidated by order of a Hong Kong court on Monday. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Analysts have long feared that the embattled property giant's collapse would send shockwaves across China's already stalling economy, and potentially even destabilize foreign firms. To help you understand the scale of China's former real estate darling, we've pulled together some statistics and comparisons that put it into perspective.

Persons: —, Lehman, we've Organizations: Service, Business, Analysts Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shenzhen

☆ Ukraine losing Western support makes the US 'more vulnerable' because China is watching the war closely, NATO chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned that Putin achieving his goals in Ukraine sets an example for Beijing. China wants to see how long the US can keep up support to Ukraine, Stoltenberg said. He urged the West to continue aid to Ukraine as funding for Kyiv is questioned in Congress. AdvertisementChina is closely watching how long the US and Europe can maintain support for Ukraine, Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, said on Sunday. "So it's not only making Europe more vulnerable but all of us, also the United States, more vulnerable if Putin gets what he wants in Ukraine."

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Putin, Stoltenberg, —, Shannon Bream, Putin doesn't, Wang Yi Organizations: Ukraine, Service, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Fox News, it's, GOP, NATO, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Beijing, China, Europe, Kyiv, it's Ukraine, Taiwan, United States, Russia, Russia's

☆ China surrounding Taiwan would be enough to drag the US into military conflict, said the majority of 52 US experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US military is likely to intervene if China enacts a quarantine or blockade in China, experts say. Almost all of the surveyed experts — 96% — said the US would join the fight if China were to fully invade Taiwan. Experts aren't confident that US allies will get involvedHowever, the experts weren't as confident that US allies would jump into the conflict. Meanwhile, 60% of the experts were confident that US allies would assist militarily if China were to invade the island. CSIS also surveyed 35 experts and scholars from Taiwan, who were less optimistic about US intervention.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, William Lai Ching, Tsai Ing, Beijing's, Xi Organizations: CSIS, Pentagon, Service, Center, Strategic & International Studies, People's Liberation Army, APEC, Democratic Progressive Locations: China, Taiwan, Beijing, Washington, Taipei, San Francisco

☆ Taiwan says China is still sending balloons to the island, which it calls an act of 'cognitive warfare'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewChina isn't letting up on its deluge of balloons on Taiwan, sending over another six high-altitude balloons on Sunday, according to the island's defense ministry. But Taiwan said on January 6 that China is using the balloons in a campaign of harassment. Tensions between Taiwan and China are growing as William Lai Ching-te was elected president of the island on January 13. Lai's party, the Democratic Progressive Party, has long campaigned on resisting China and preparing for the threat of war. AdvertisementChina's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Persons: —, China hasn't, Axios, it's, William Lai Ching, te Organizations: Service, Business, Taiwanese Defense Ministry, People's Liberation Army, Pentagon, Democratic Progressive Party Locations: China, Taiwan, Pingtung City, Taipei, Washington, Beijing, South Carolina

☆ Crypto fund creator Su Zhu said his 3 months in a Singaporean prison were 'really enjoyable' because he finally didn't have internet, caffeine, or alcohol
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewPrison is awesome, says disgraced crypto star Su Zhu. "You have an insane amount of time to read," Zhu said. AdvertisementAnother prison plus, Zhu said, is that the facility lights are shut off from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., allowing for the "best sleep in my life." Since leaving prison, Zhu has been posting AI-generated photos of oxen and buffalo on X, in an attempt to promote a new crypto project called Ox.Fun.

Persons: —, Su Zhu, Zhu, Jack Reacher, Kyle Davies, Liquidators Organizations: Service, Arrows Capital, Business, Three Arrows, Voyager, The New York Times Locations: Singapore, Bali, Bahrain, Dubai, The

☆ Chinese people are debating a superstition that says 2024 is the 'Year of the Widow.' Beijing is starting to pay attention.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. They asked Beijing to issue a public notice advising people against allowing superstition to affect their life decisions. The belief involves the lack of a "beginning of spring" day, also known as lichun, at the start of a lunar year. "There surely must be a reason behind thousands of years of folk tradition," another person wrote in defense of the superstition. Advertisement"First you need to find someone to marry," wrote law blogger Chen Yiyu.

Persons: —, Mao Zedong's, haven't, Chen Yiyu Organizations: Service, Business, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, Weibo Locations: China, Beijing, Weibo

☆ A couple says they were caught naked by a cleaner who walked into their hotel room. They're demanding 10 times the cost of their stay as an apology.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewA couple who stayed at a hotel in Guangdong, China, is demanding a refund worth 10 times the cost of their room after a cleaner walked in on them while they were naked. Huang and his girlfriend were staying at the Ranz Hotel in the city of Shenzhen on Saturday and had arranged for a late checkout at 6 p.m., per the outlet. Related storiesA front desk staff member at the Ranz Hotel confirmed the incident to Hunan-based daily Xiaoxiang Morning News. The hotel told the outlet it could offer an apology, but not the money. The Ranz Hotel did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI.

Persons: —, Huang, Xie Organizations: Service, Business, TV, Guangdong Radio, Ranz Hotel, Morning, BI Locations: Guangdong, China, Shenzhen, Hunan, Weibo

☆ In another blow to Boeing, a Delta Airlines 757 jet lost a wheel under its nose just before takeoff from Atlanta
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA wheel under the nose of a Boeing 757 operated by Delta Air Lines popped out of place and rolled down a hill as the passenger jet prepared for takeoff, per the Federal Aviation Administration. The Delta flight on Saturday was carrying 184 passengers, four cabin crew, and two pilots, as it prepared to depart from an airport in Atlanta, Georgia, per a preliminary FAA report filed on Monday. The aircraft was lining up and waiting for takeoff when its "nose wheel came off and rolled down the hill," it stated. AdvertisementBoeing and Delta did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent by BI outside regular business hours.

Persons: —, Delta, Max Organizations: Service, Boeing, Delta Air Lines, Federal Aviation Administration, Business, FAA, Washington Post, Hartsfield, Jackson International Airport, Alaskan Airlines, Max, Delta, BI Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, Bogotá, Colombia

☆ Men in medieval China were able to move up the social ladder as easily as male Baby Boomers in the US, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Obtaining high status was likely as easy for men in the Tang Dynasty as for men in the modern US, a study suggests. It found that social mobility for men at the time could be compared to that of the 1960s in the US. AdvertisementMen in medieval China could gain high status in society as easily as male Baby Boomers in the US, according to a new study released on Thursday. Women, however, were unlikely to be part of the Chinese bureaucracy, and few would have taken the imperial exam, Hout said. But I wouldn't see a farmer's kid being able to pass the exam," Hout said.

Persons: —, Michael Hout, Hout, Du Zhong Liang, Wu Zetian, It's, they're Organizations: Service, Boomers, National Academy of Sciences, New York University, Business, National Library of China Locations: China, Tang, Europe

☆ China doesn't have the military power to successfully invade Taiwan, the majority of 52 US experts said in a survey
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The CSIS surveyed 52 US experts on whether they think China can successfully invade Taiwan. AdvertisementA new survey of leading experts from the US and Taiwan casts doubt on China's ability to invade Taiwan with its current military strength. CSIS also surveyed 35 experts from Taiwan, of whom only 17% said they felt China had the power to successfully execute an invasion. China could also impose a military blockade on Taiwan, which 81% of US experts believe Beijing could do, while 60% of the experts from Taiwan concurred. Around 68% of American experts think such a crisis is likely to occur.

Persons: —, China —, William Lai Ching, Tsai Ing, Xi Jinping, Ma Ying, ROSLAN RAHMAN, Lai Organizations: CSIS, Service, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Liberation Army, Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, Getty Locations: China, Taiwan, Beijing, Congress, Washington, Taipei . Lai

☆ 6 Chinese people demanded that a British pianist remove their faces from his public live stream. The ensuing fight has gone viral.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewA confrontation between a group of Chinese people and a pianist in a London train station has gone viral on YouTube. "We are here filming for Chinese TV, did you film all of us in your cameras?" Business Insider could not immediately verify her claim that she works for Chinese TV. The other officer told Kavanagh to stop filming and that he was "not allowed to put this on your YouTube channel because this is a police matter." Later, the officer who told Kavanagh to shut down his live stream returned.

Persons: —, Brendan Kavanagh, Kavanagh, YouTube Kavanagh, We're, we're, Kavanagh's cameraperson, YouTuber Organizations: Service, YouTube, Business, Pancras International, Police, St, Communist, British Transport Police, Embassy, Google Locations: London, St, People's Republic of China, Communist China, Weibo, China

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