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☆ Singapore PM Lee tests positive for Covid again in rebound case, says he feels fine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has tested positive again for Covid-19 Thursday, a week and a half after his initial diagnosis, in what his doctors say is a case of rebound infection. SINGAPORE — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has tested positive again for Covid-19 a week and a half after his initial diagnosis, in what his doctors said is a case of rebound infection. "I feel fine but I am afraid I have turned COVID-19 positive again," Lee said Thursday on social media. Lee, who is 71-years-old, was prescribed the antiviral medication Paxlovid when he first tested positive on May 22 after returning from a six-day official working trip to South Africa and Kenya. He has been serving as prime minister of the Southeast Asian city-state since 2004.

Persons: Lee Hsien Loong, Lee, Li Shangfu, Defense Lloyd Austin, Anthony Albanese Organizations: Singapore, SINGAPORE — Singapore, Defense, Australian Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore, Asia, China, U.S, South Africa, Kenya, Covid

☆ Analysis: China says it wants peace in Ukraine, but is it only on Russia's terms?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But Li’s trip has also laid bare the divisions between China and Europe when it comes to how peace can be reached — and served to underline Beijing’s close alignment with Moscow. As such, that’s “not on the table for China,” Tsang said. That stance has horrified much of Europe, and Li’s tour comes as China has been attempting to repair relations there. “No one will do anything against us behind Ukraine’s back, because we have built trusting relationships with all our key partners,” he added. “The crucial question is what message from Europe — Kyiv, Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, and Brussels — Li will deliver in Moscow and Beijing,” he said.

☆ Under Xi Jinping, China's military has become an untouchable nationalist symbol
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Yue’s alleged transgression: “uglifying” and “insulting” China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Under Xi, China passed a law in 2018 to ban the slander of national “heroes and martyrs,” a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. To outsiders, it may appear puzzling that China’s military, the largest and one of the most powerful in the world, would be so easily offended by a seemingly tame joke. Xi has staked his legitimacy on returning China to its former greatness, and a strong and powerful military plays a key role in driving that nationalist agenda. He has also ramped up China’s military posturing, sending fighter jets and warships to the Taiwan Strait and around the disputed islands with Japan.

☆ ‘Uncle Roger’ jokes about China and censors don’t see the funny side
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

By Saturday his account on China’s highly censored Weibo platform had been barred from creating new posts. ‘Don’t make him disappear’Ng, 32, shot to fame three years ago with a video of Uncle Roger – an outspoken middle-aged man who speaks with a thick Malay accent – making fun of BBC Food presenter Hersha Patel’s way of cooking Chinese-style egg-fried rice. The sketch Ng posted on Twitter last week was filmed at his recent stand-up tour, which broached more political subjects. In one clip, after learning that an audience member is from China’s southern Guangzhou province, Uncle Roger says China is a “good country.”“We have to say that now, correct? “Uncle Roger good comrades,” he quipped.

☆ Medicare is prohibited from paying for weight-loss drugs. These are the 3 potential ways to change that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There are three routes lawmakers and regulators could use to add coverage for weight-loss drugs. Older Americans hoping to get their hands on powerful weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may find it impossible to access them. Should Medicare cover weight loss medication, it could also unlock access for people who have private coverage. "A decision by Medicare to cover weight-loss drugs would put pressure on employers and other private insurers to cover weight-loss drugs too," said Tricia Neuman, a senior vice president at KFF who co-authored a recent brief on the subject. There are three potential strategies that could be used to expand Medicare coverage to weight-loss drugs.

☆ Horse trained by Bob Baffert euthanized ahead of the Preakness
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( David K. Li | Julianne Mcshane | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bob Baffert, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, stands near the track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, April 28, 2021. A horse of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was euthanized at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on the undercard of Saturday's Preakness Stakes. Havnameltdown, a 4-5 favorite in the sixth race, broke down and threw jockey Luis Saez at the top of the stretch. The colt's euthanization comes in the wake of a string of equine deaths leading up to the Kentucky Derby earlier this month at Churchill Downs. Eight horses died in a little more than a week at the famed Louisville course, raising concerns about the sport's treatments of its animals.

☆ Sea’s rising tide gets a harsh reality check
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, May 17 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sea (SE.N) was sailing strong. The $41 billion Southeast Asian internet giant retreated from overseas markets, slashed marketing spend, and shed thousands of jobs. Still, that wasn’t enough for the company to meet earnings estimates on Tuesday. Li is assuring the market that the company he built – once valued at over $200 billion -- is more self-sufficient. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Asian hedge funds piled to China education, U.S. AI shares in Q1
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Summer Zhen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Investors poured money into private tutoring leaders, including New Oriental and TAL Education (TAL.N), that have come through a near two-year crackdown in China on after-school education. Greenwoods also built a new position in TAL Education by acquiring 2.2 million shares. The fund run by ex-Alibaba CTO John Wu bought 2.1 million more shares to boost its stake in the tutoring giant. Share prices of both New Oriental and TAL collapsed over 90% from its peak after Beijing’s ban on K-12 private tutoring. The price of two stocks have doubled from the low point in October after China dropped its strict controls against COVID-19.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: France, Germany step up military aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

France said it will send dozens of armoured vehicles and light tanks, including the AMX-10RCs fighting vehicles, to Ukraine in the coming weeks. During the past 24 hours, Russian forces launched air strikes, along with missile, drone and heavy rocket attacks, on targets in Ukraine, it said. The Ukrainian air force also counted 17 striks on areas where Russian personnel and military equipment were concentrated. * A top Chinese envoy will begin a tour of Ukraine, Russia and other European cities on Monday in a trip Beijing says is aimed at discussing a "political settlement" to the Ukraine crisis. Li Hui, China's special representative for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Russia, will also visit Poland, France, Germany on the multi-day trip.

☆ I Got My Name From Connie Chung. So Did They. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Connie Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

In my freshman class alone, there was a Connie Zheng, a Connie Guo, a Connie Xu, a few Connie Chengs, and multiple Connie Wangs. That ayi was Constance Yu-Hwa Chung, or, as the world knows her, Connie Chung. Connie Chung hosting the “CBS Evening News” in 1991, the year after the author named herself Connie. Connie Wang Connie Koh Connie Yang Connie Tang Connie Jang Connie Chung Connie Moy Connie Huang Connie Kwok Connie Chang Connie Sun Connie Chung, center, surrounded by 10 members of Generation Connie. Clockwise from top right, Connie Yang, Connie Tang, Connie Moy, Connie Sun, Connie Chang, Connie Kwok, Connie Huang, Connie Jang, Connie Wang and Connie Koh.

☆ China's May Day holiday spending exceeds pre-pandemic levels for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Holiday spending during China’s Golden Week has surged past pre-pandemic levels for the first time in three years, in a sign the country’s travelers have fully emerged from the depths of Covid-related restrictions and are eager to live large to make up for lost time. Alipay, the country’s biggest digital payment app, reported a 200% increase in online holiday spending from a year earlier. “The fact that domestic tourism spending is now back to 2019 levels suggests that the reopening boost to consumer spending has largely run its course,” said Capital Economics analysts in a Thursday report. “The swift recovery in in-person services has been the major driver of China’s post-Covid recovery this year,” they said. However, “the lackluster property recovery, a global slowdown and rising geopolitical conflict remain major challenges for China’s recovery to be sustained.”

☆ Workers in a study got an AI assistant. They became happier, more productive, and less likely to quit.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Instead of looking at whether AI will replace workers, a study suggests it could improve work lives. A recent study by Erik Brynjolfsson, Danielle Li, and Lindsey R. Raymond shows that generative AI can actually boost productivity for workers. While their study was about generative AI and its impact on workers at a company, the researchers noted that the purpose of the study isn't to "shed light on the aggregate employment or wage effects of generative AI tools." The paper stated that the AI system used was "designed to augment, rather than replace, human agents." The AI system used by some of the workers in the study consisted of a GPT-based large language model along with machine learning algorithms.

☆ Mark Zuckerberg says people spent 24% more time on Instagram after Meta launched AI-powered Reels
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meta reported revenue growth in the first quarter, reversing three consecutive quarters of decline. Mark Zuckerberg is crediting higher engagement in Instagram Reels for part of this growth. Zuckerberg said time spent on Instagram has risen by 24% since the company launched the product. On an earnings call on Wednesday, Zuckerberg said that time spent on Instagram had risen by 24% since the company launched its short-form video product Reels — a TikTok challenger. Meta also reported a net profit of $5.7 billion during the quarter, a 24% drop year-over-year — partly due to the company's restructuring.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Meta, Teladoc, Harley-Davidson, Southwest Airlines and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Teladoc Health – The telemedicine company saw its stock soar more than 7% after revenue topped analyst estimates in the latest quarter. The company also raised the low end of its revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance, although it posted a wider-than-anticipated loss in the latest quarter. Harley-Davidson – Harley-Davidson jumped 4.4% after the motorcycle maker topped earnings and revenue expectations, according to consensus estimates from Refinitiv. Honeywell International – Honeywell advanced 1.8% after surpassing earnings and revenue expectations in its latest quarter. ServiceNow – Shares declined 1.1% premarket after a 17% runup year-to-date entering its latest earnings.

☆ China Says It Is Investigating Taiwan-Based Publisher on Security Grounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Li Yanhe was being investigated by national-security authorities. Photo: Chen Yehua/Zuma PressChina said it is investigating a Taiwan-based publisher for suspected national-security violations. The publisher, Li Yanhe, disappeared from view after arriving in Shanghai to visit family in March. Mr. Li, editor in chief of Gusa Publishing, is “under investigation by national-security authorities on suspicion of engaging in activities endangering national security,” said Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, at a routine briefing Wednesday. Ms. Zhu said Mr. Li’s rights would be respected but didn’t offer more details.

☆ China says its newest aircraft carrier will be able to launch 'new-type aircraft'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jack Lau | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Chinese navy currently operates two aircraft carriers. Neither carrier features the Fujian's signature catapult system, which allows planes to launch more frequently and carry more fuel and munitions. Despite plans for the navy to gain the ability to operate globally, the CCTV report only referred to operations in domestic waters when saying that China would build more aircraft carriers. "But due to China's vast oceans, the demand cannot be met with only three aircraft carriers — the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian. Therefore, new aircraft carriers are bound to be built in the future."

☆ China Detains Taiwan-Based Publisher in National Security Investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Amy Chang Chien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A Taiwan-based publisher who disappeared while in China has been detained for suspected violations of security laws, Chinese authorities confirmed on Wednesday, fanning concerns in Taiwan that Beijing is sending a warning to the island’s vibrant publishing sector. The publisher, Li Yanhe, widely known by his pen name, Fu Cha, is a Chinese citizen who has been living in Taiwan since 2009. His company, Gusa Publishing, is well known in Taiwan for books that cast a critical eye on China’s ruling Communist Party. Mr. Li had returned to China early last month to visit relatives but fell out of contact shortly after, according to his colleagues and friends. Mr. Li’s detention is “a strong blow and will have a chilling effect,” Bei Ling, a writer from China living in Taiwan, said on Wednesday.

☆ Chinese electric car makers suffer as Elon Musk doubles down on Tesla price war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Shares in Tesla’s Chinese rivals fell on Thursday, after CEO Elon Musk signaled that the company will continue cutting prices to boost demand for electric cars in an increasingly competitive market. XPeng plunged 8% in Hong Kong, while Nio (NIO) sank 5.6%. BYD (BYDDF), the world’s largest seller of plug-in hybrid EVs and battery EVs, also dropped 1% in Hong Kong. A number of car manufacturers in China followed suit by cutting prices or offering discounts, including Xpeng, Leapmotor, BYD and Huawei’s EV unit. According to the most recent statistics from the CPCA, Tesla’s sales of its China-made vehicles surged 35% in March to more than 88,000 units.

☆ Nio says it won't join the 'price war' and slash prices like Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowSHANGHAI — Chinese electric car company Nio will keep its prices high rather than cut them, CEO William Li told CNBC in an interview. "For us, we will certainly not join the price war," Li said, claiming Nio's products and services are worth the price. Tesla , Elon Musk's car company, this year slashed prices in the U.S. and China. New energy vehicles — which includes hybrid and pure electric — saw penetration of passenger car sales reach 34% in March, according to the China Passenger Car Association. Within that market, Nio said it delivered 31,041 vehicles in the first quarter, up by 20.5% year-on-year.

☆ China's defense minister applauds Putin for 'promoting world peace' amid Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's defense minister applauded Putin for "promoting world peace" as they met in Moscow. Beijing and Moscow have maintained warm ties in spite of Russia's brutal war in Ukraine. The war in Ukraine — the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II — has left Ukrainian cities in ruins and wreaked havoc on the global economy. As Europe curtails Russian energy imports in response to the war in Ukraine, China remains a major buyer. Meanwhile, China in February unveiled a peace plan for the Ukraine war, which was met with major skepticism in Washington.

April 16 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu in Moscow on Sunday and both men hailed military cooperation between the two nations, which have declared a "no limits" partnership. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Putin in Moscow last month. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was also present. "We are working actively through our military departments, regularly exchange useful information, work together in the field of military-technical cooperation, and hold joint exercises," Putin said. Beijing had announced Li's visit to Moscow last week, saying he would meet defence officials, but made no mention of a meeting with Putin.

☆ China protests U.S. sanctioning of firms dealing with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Beijing on Saturday protested U.S. sanctions against additional Chinese companies over their alleged attempts to evade U.S. export controls on Russia, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains. "The U.S. should immediately correct its wrongdoing and stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," it added. However, Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Friday said China won't sell weapons to either side in the war, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide outright military assistance to Russia. "Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude," Qin said at a news conference alongside visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.

☆ Here's what's getting cheaper at the grocery store
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Grocery prices finally dipped in March, falling for the first time since September 2020, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The meats, poultry, fish and eggs index fell 1.4%, pulled down by another month of large decreases in egg prices. In the year through March, grocery prices jumped 8.4%, outpacing overall inflation of 5%. Grocery prices finally fell in March. But more recently, egg prices have been coming down.

☆ ‘Expect Big Changes Ahead’: The Fortune Cookie Industry Is In Upheaval
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Angus Loten | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Over the past two decades, Charles Li, the owner and chief executive of Chicago-based fortune-cookie factory Winfar Foods Inc., has drawn on Chinese proverbs and popular sayings to write thousands of messages that go into the wafers. Mr. Li says he and his 80-year-old father-in-law spend long hours coming up with lines that are clever but still brief enough to fit on a ribbon of paper. Winfar now supplies fortune cookies to more than 11,000 restaurants nationwide, and Mr. Li says he has had to bring in outside copywriters. “Writing fortunes is both fun and hard work,” he says, which itself sounds like something out of a fortune cookie.

☆ ‘Expect Big Changes Ahead.’ AI Is Coming for Fortune Cookies.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Angus Loten | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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