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☆ New Zealand's Georgina Beyer, world's first openly transgender MP, dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 6 (Reuters) - New Zealander Georgina Beyer, the world's first openly transgender member of parliament and tireless advocate for LGBTQ rights, has died at the age of 65. She had long battled kidney disease but statements about her death did not mention the cause. A former sex worker, actor and drag queen, Beyer was elected to national parliament in 1999 after several years as mayor of Carterton, a rural town on the country's North Island. Beyer received a kidney transplant in 2017 after four years of end-stage renal failure that required daily dialysis. "I certainly think that Georgina blazed a trail that has made it much easier for others to follow."

☆ Macau casino stocks, bonds on a roll as Chinese visitors return
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Georgina Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Chinese tourists are returning to Macau in hordes after Beijing lifted its restrictions on travel to the world's biggest gambling hub, lifting stocks and bonds of casino operators as investors bet on a boom in their revenues. The casino operators' bonds are in demand as investors look for exposure to Chinese junk debt but seek to avoid property developers' bonds. Those bonds account for a large chunk of the high-yield market and the developers' fortunes remain under a cloud after a crackdown by Beijing. Among the three U.S. casino groups that operate in Macau, CreditSights has an "outperform" rating on Wynn Macau bonds due to higher yields. Sands China's (1928.HK) 10-year bond, rated at investment grade by Moody's Investors Service and Fitch, trades at a yield of 6.59%, compared with 9.3% on Wynn Macau's bond of the same maturity.

☆ Investors see Hong Kong property stocks, funds as reopening trades
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Georgina Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Investors see value in property companies regardless of whether their assets are in mainland China or Hong Kong, which reopened at about the same time. Rises in Hong Kong mortgage rates that began last year have compounded troubles for developers and mortgagees. Hong Kong interest rates tailgate those of the U.S. due to the local currency's peg to the dollar. "Hong Kong has a lot more to get us excited than China property companies where their financial data remains weak," said Tim Gibson, co-head of Global Property Equities at Janus Henderson Investors. "We remain positive on Hong Kong and many of its listed real asset companies, across infrastructure, utilities and property," said Fitzgerald.

☆ New Zealand's Auckland braces for ex-cyclone Gabrielle impact
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Residents of New Zealand's biggest city were urged on Sunday to prepare for the impact of a storm that buffeted Australia's Norfolk Island overnight. Gabrielle, downgraded to a sub-tropical low pressure system from a Category 2 cyclone, passed over Norfolk Island, its "most destructive winds" missing the island, the Australian outpost's emergency management authority said. Wind and rain were "starting to spread across NZ from the north", with a 133 kph (83 mph) wind gust reported overnight on the country's North Island, MetService said. The storm was on track to lie off Cape Reinga at the North Island's north end on Sunday afternoon, after moving away from Norfolk Island, MetService said. "There is still considerable clean up to be undertaken and it may take a while for services such as power to be restored," Emergency Management Norfolk Island said.

SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Chinese brokerages are in a race to raise billions of dollars in capital to meet regulatory requirements, jumping on a market upturn to bolster operations as they brace for tougher competition from Wall Street banks on their home turf. The brokerages need fresh capital to meet Chinese risk management rules, and finance capital-intensive businesses such as margin financing and market-making, having weathered volatile markets in the last couple of years. Chinese brokerages raised just 77 billion yuan via follow-up share sales last year, Refinitiv data showed. "Securities firms need capital to transform their business model by reducing reliance on traditional businesses." Chinese brokerages face stiffer competition after Beijing allowed Western banks, including Morgan Stanley (MS.N), Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Credit Suisse (CSGN.S), to take full control of their China brokerage units.

Childhood vaccinations across the U.S fallen for a second year in a row, leaving hundreds of thousands of kids vulnerable to otherwise preventable illnesses. But fears stoked by vaccine misinformation have also been a growing problem, O'Leary said. "We're still trying to understand the extent to which misinformation around Covid vaccines has spread to misinformation about other childhood vaccines," he said. In a December interview, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, told NBC News that vaccine misinformation is one of the biggest threats to public health. About a third of kids ages 5 through 11 have had two doses of a Covid vaccine.

☆ Nearly 250,000 kindergarteners in U.S. are vulnerable to measles due to slide in vaccination rates, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"And we know that measles, mumps and rubella vaccination coverage for kindergarteners is the lowest it has been in over a decade," Peacock said. Nearly a quarter of a million kindergartners are potentially vulnerable to measles due to a dip in vaccination coverage during the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kindergarteners are required to be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, chickenpox, polio, and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. The vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella was 93.5% during the 2021-2022 school year, below the target coverage of 95% to prevent outbreaks. The CDC report looked at whether the kindergarteners had received the second dose of their measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

☆ Hong Kong set to shortlist crypto tokens for retail trading
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Georgina Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Hong Kong securities watchdog will propose a subset of tokens it would allow for retail investors' trading, its chief executive said on Wednesday, as it presses on with a new regulatory regime that will make the city more friendly to crypto startups. Hong Kong's move to allow retail trading in cryptocurrencies has come after months of turmoil in the sector, with the collapse of crypto exchange FTX the latest blow. The SFC will start accepting applications for VASP licences, in mid 2024, Leung said. The new crypto regime requires all trading platforms and exchanges to apply for a licence failing which would result in fines and jail terms,Industry sources have said they expected the consultation on retail trading to start within the first quarter. Leung said the tokenization of investment funds and bonds will also fall under the purview of the SFC.

☆ CSOP bitcoin futures ETF closes higher in Hong Kong debut
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Georgina Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's first bitcoin and ether futures exchange traded funds (ETFs) ended their first trading day higher on Friday, reflecting investors' interest despite the broader crypto market meltdown. The CSOP Bitcoin Futures ETF (3066.HK) closed up 0.5% at HK$7.81 per unit, while the CSOP Ether Futures ETF ended 0.4% higher at HK$7.805. Both ETFs had opened flat compared to their estimated net asset values, both at HK$7.77 per unit. Among the two, the bitcoin futures ETF attracted more trading volume, as a total of 937,200 units worth HK$7.3 million changed hands. ($1 = 7.7777 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Georgina Lee; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amid crypto turmoil, Hong Kong debuts first crypto futures ETFs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Georgina Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Two exchange traded funds (ETF) that track U.S.-listed cryptocurrency futures have raised a combined $73.6 million ahead of their debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Friday in defiance of the sector's meltdown. Cryptocurrencies have endured months of turmoil, with the collapse of crypto exchange FTX the latest blow to the sector. The larger of the two, CSOP Bitcoin Futures ETF (3066.HK), pulled in $53.9 million, according to the manager. "Coming after the recent liquidity problems affecting some of the crypto platforms, our two crypto futures ETFs demonstrate that Hong Kong remains open-minded on the development of virtual assets," said Yi Wang, head of quantitative investment at CSOP. On Friday, each lot trading on the Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEX) (0388.HK) will debut at HK$780 each.

Billionaire money manager Bill Ackman went public last week with his wager that the days of the Hong Kong dollar's 39-year-old peg to the U.S. dollar are numbered. "For me, the Hong Kong dollar peg is like a delayed, or lagging bet against China," said Diego Parrilla, who runs Quadriga Igneo, a $240 million fund designed to profit from market turmoil. The Hong Kong dollar has been pegged in a tight band between 7.75 and 7.85 per greenback for nearly four decades. In the short-term, the market is moving against this style of trade as local interest rates and the Hong Kong dollar go up. "The far forwards market still prices in higher U.S. rates than Hong Kong rates," said Mukesh Dave, founder and CIO at Aravali Asset Management in Singapore, which in theory ought to contain gains in the Hong Kong dollar.

☆ Chinese nickel firm Lygend to raise $470 mln in Hong Kong IPO - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Alexander Marrow | Supantha Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 25 (Reuters) - Chinese nickel producer and trader Lygend Resources has priced shares at HK$15.80 apiece to raise $470m in its Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO), according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. The Ningbo-based firm sold 232.54 million shares in the IPO, the fourth largest in Hong Kong so far in 2022. The biggest IPO fundraising so far this year has been CALB's (3931.HK) $1.28 billion issue. The company says it is the world's largest nickel product trader, and the largest in China in terms of nickel ore trading in 2021, with a market share of 26.8% in 2021. ($1 = 7.8120 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Georgina Lee in Hong Kong; Additional reporting Gao Zhuo; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Moody's closing its consulting business in China, cutting staff -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S.-headquartered credit rating firm started winding down the business, Moody's Analytics, in China this week, the people said on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to media. The move, first announced internally on Monday, has affected more than 100 employees across Moody's Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen offices, one of the sources said. Total headcount for the business unit could not immediately be ascertained. Moody's credit ratings business will continue to operate in the world's second-largest economy, the source added. Reporting by Samuel Shen in Shanghai, Georgina Lee and Selena Li in Hong Kong; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hong Kong's leading crypto retail operator says it ceases trading as FTX fallout roils sector
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Georgina Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Nov 18 (Reuters) - A leading cryptocurrency retail service provider in Hong Kong said it has ceased trading as the broader fallout from the collapse of FTX, and solvency issues at other major crypto firms, continues to roil the sector. Genesis Block has no connection with a separate crypto player called Genesis Global Capital which suspended customer redemptions this week. One person with knowledge of the matter said one Genesis Block official was previously a director in FTX Hong Kong, but resigned from the directorship this month. FTX Hong Kong is one of the about 130 FTX-affiliated companies backed by Sam Bankman-Fried that have filed Chapter 11 bankrupcy proceedings in the United States. CoinHero's website offers a guide for its customers on how to buy FTT through Genesis Block's trading desk in Hong Kong.

☆ Reactions to Trump announcing 2024 White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SINGAPORE, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's aides filed paperwork for his 2024 White House bid on Tuesday as the former president launched a run to regain the title, aiming to pre-empt potential Republican rivals. Republicans are meanwhile closing in on the 218 seats they need to take a majority in the 435-seat House of Representatives. COMMENTS:ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, FOUNDER, SKYBRIDGE CAPITAL, SINGAPORE (FORMER WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR)"You know how you have a zombie that you can’t kill, like in the Night of the Walking Dead? If any one of those other candidates can present themselves with some of the Trump messaging without the Trump drama, there might be opportunities." Neil Young said 'it's better to burn out than fade away'...feels like Trump will go down this time with little glory."

CNN —Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo says he keeps his son’s ashes with him at his home and describes his death as the “worst” moment of his life. “[My son’s] ashes are with me, like my Daddy, they are here in the house. It’s – you don’t know if you cry or you don’t know if you smile. Cristiano Ronaldo said losing his son was the "worst" moment of his life. “And to pass through in that moment was probably the most difficult moment that I have in my life.

☆ Cristiano Ronaldo: Has Portuguese star ruined his legacy after TV interview slamming Manchester United?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It is no secret that the Portuguese superstar has not enjoyed a fairytale reunion with Manchester United ever since he returned to Old Trafford last year. Since trying to force a move away from United over the summer, Ronaldo has featured sparingly, only making 16 appearances for the Red Devils. “He thinks he is [bigger than Ten Hag] and in the footballing world he is, but at Manchester United right now he’s not. Manchester United beat Fulham on Sunday, taking the club to fifth place in the Premier League table. In that statement, the club said: “Manchester United notes the media coverage regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo.

☆ Cristiano Ronaldo says Manchester United owners ‘don’t care about the club’
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The superstar has been on a war-path against his current club and is clearly uninspired by Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family. He says there are “things inside the club” that are preventing Manchester United from reaching the top level and competing with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and now league leader Arsenal. I think the fans should know the truth, should know that the players want the best for the club,” Ronaldo added. This is why I came to Manchester United. Manchester United released a statement on its website saying it “notes the media coverage regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo.”It added: “The club will consider its response after the full facts have been established.

☆ Ronaldo accuses Manchester United of betrayal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ronaldo rejoined United from Juventus for a second spell at Old Trafford in August 2021 on a two-year deal, returning to the club where he won eight major trophies from 2003-2009. If you don’t respect me, I’m never gonna have respect for you." After the Tottenham game, Ten Hag said that Ronaldo remained "an important player in the squad". read moreRonaldo says Manchester United did not support him when he and his partner Georgina Rodriguez's daughter was taken to hospital in July. This is why I came to Manchester United.

SINGAPORE/LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Regulators are moving in on distressed crypto exchange FTX as it scrambles to raise billions in funds to stave off collapse, while its chief executive, Sam Bankman-Fried, faces heightened scrutiny. The Securities Commission of the Bahamas has frozen assets of FTX Digital Markets, an FTX subsidiary. FTX Australia called in administrators on Friday, the Australian Financial Review reported, citing a company statement. Bankman-Fried is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for potential securities law violations, Bloomberg reported, citing a source. This source said helping out FTX was the question for larger investors in FTX.

He is seeking the remainder from other funds, including current investors in FTX such as venture capital fund Sequoia Capital, the source added. Tether's chief technology officer, Paolo Ardoino, tweeted that it had "no plans to invest in or lend assets to FTX." FTX also got hit by the Bahamas Securities Commission, where the company is based, freezing assets of FTX Digital Markets "and related parties". In a tweet, FTX said it had reached a deal with Tron to establish a special facility that would allow clients to swap some crypto assets from FTX to external wallets. Bankman-Fried told investors that Alameda owes FTX about $10 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported.

☆ FTX to start U.S. bankruptcy proceedings, CEO to exit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Crypto exchange FTX is to start U.S. bankruptcy proceedings and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is to step down, after a liquidity crisis at the cryptocurrency group that has prompted intervention from regulators around the world. The distressed crypto trading platform had been struggling to raise billions in funds to stave off collapse after a wave of withdrawals. "I'm really sorry, again, that we ended up here," said FTX founder Bankman-Fried, in a series of tweets after the commencement of the bankruptcy filing. FTX is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Justice Department, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, according to a source familiar with the investigations. Cyprus's Securities and Exchange Commission has asked FTX EU to suspend its operations on Nov. 9, the regulator said on Friday.

Bankman-Fried said he was in talks with "a number of players" in the crypto sector, including Justin Sun who is the founder of crypto token Tron, after a potential rescue deal with larger rival Binance fell apart. He also said his firm Alameda Research, which sources have said was partly behind FTX's problems, was winding down trading. FTX's native token, FTT , is down more than 90% this week and was attempting to steady around $3.50. Another exchange, OKX, said it had been approached earlier in the week by Bankman-Fried, who described liabilities of $7 billion that needed covering fast. Bankman-Fried said FTX.US, the U.S. operations of the exchange, however, had not been financially impacted.

HONG KONG/SINGAPORE/NEW YORK Nov 10 (Reuters) - FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried is seeking new funds after a deal with Binance collapsed, according to a staff memo on Thursday viewed by Reuters, as the crypto exchange looks to plug a reported $8 billion hole in its finances. Larger rival Binance walked away from a bailout of FTX on Wednesday, sending cryptocurrency prices plunging as hopes for a rescue diminished. In the memo, viewed by Reuters, Bankman-Fried said for the next week he would be "conducting a raise" to do right by customers and "possible new investors." It came after Bankman-Fried told employees on Wednesday he was exploring all options for his firm after the Binance deal with collapsed. TX's shortfall comes after users rushed to withdraw $6 billion in crypto tokens from FTX in just 72 hours.

He is seeking the remainder from other funds, including current investors in FTX such as venture capital fund Sequoia Capital, the source added. Bankman-Fried told investors that Alameda owes FTX about $10 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported. FTX had lent more than half of its customer funds to Alameda, the newspaper said. The U.S. securities regulator is investigating FTX.com's handling of customer funds and crypto-lending activities, according to a source with knowledge of the inquiry. Canada's Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, Tiger Global and Japan's Softbank are also FTX investors.

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