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☆ China may 'miss the 5%' growth target this year as downside risks spread
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Greg Baker | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Without more stimulus, China is increasingly likely to miss its growth target of around 5% this year, economists said. "In such a case, economic momentum may stay subdued in the rest of the year and China may miss this year's growth target of around 5%," she said. China is the world's second-largest economy, and accounted for nearly 18% of global GDP in 2022, according to World Bank data. "We also see bigger downside risk to our 4.9% y-o-y growth forecast for both Q3 and Q4, and it is increasingly possible that annual GDP growth this year will miss the 5.0% mark," the report said. Growth vs. national securityChinese authorities' initial crackdown on real estate developers in 2020 was an attempt to curb their high reliance on growth.

Persons: Greg Baker, Tao Wang, spender, Nomura Ting Lu, Ting Lu, haven't, Louise Loo, Loo, that's, Xiangrong Yu, Gabriel Wildau, Teneo, Wildau Organizations: Afp, Getty, UBS Investment Bank, Bank, China, People's Bank of, Oxford Economics, Zhongrong International Trust, Information, Beijing, CNBC, Baoshang Bank, Anbang Locations: Beijing, BEIJING, China, Asia, People's Bank of China

☆ Israel parliament starts vote on limiting supreme court power
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nonetheless, commanding a comfortable majority in parliament, Netanyahu's coalition looked set to win the vote on the bill that limits the Supreme Court's powers to overrule decisions made by governments and ministers. 'DISASTER'[1/10]Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows Justice Minister Yariv Levin his phone as lawmakers gather at the Knesset plenum to vote on a bill that would limit some Supreme Court power, in Jerusalem July 24, 2023. "If you vote for this bill you will weaken the state of Israel, the people of Israel and the Israel Defence Forces." Justice Minister Yariv Levin who has been driving the changes defended the bill, which would amend a law enabling the Supreme Court to void decisions it deems "unreasonable". Netanyahu's coalition has been determined to push back against what it describes as overreach by a Supreme Court that it says has become too politically interventionist.

Persons: gov't, Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Isaac Herzog, Yair Lapid, Yariv Levin, Amir Cohen, We're, Lapid, Levin, Dan Williams, Steven Scheer, Miral Fahmy, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Monday, Police, Netanyahu's, REUTERS, Israel Defence Forces, Supreme, Thomson Locations: Washington, JERUSALEM, Jerusalem, Israel

☆ Benjamin Netanyahu, a hawk in the eye of the storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits between Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as lawmakers gather at the Knesset plenum to vote on a bill that would limit some Supreme Court power, in Jerusalem July 24, 2023. POLARIZINGPerhaps the most polarizing of Israel's leaders, but a supreme pragmatist, Netanyahu had always been seen as a recognizable conservative - pro-business and tough on security. A stocky, imposing figure, his poise and flawless American English have underlined his outsized role on the world stage. That meant closing ranks with religious and ultra-nationalist parties untroubled about upsetting Israel's allies with their openly expansionist agenda. A lifelong security hardliner and a scourge of liberal opinion, Netanyahu described himself in his autobiography - "Bibi My Story" - as "conservative but decidedly not extreme".

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yariv Levin, Yoav Gallant, Amir Cohen JERUSALEM, Netanyahu, Herzi Halevi, pragmatist, Israel's, Bibi, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Joe Biden, James Mackenzie, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Special Forces, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Israel

☆ Thousands rally, block highways as final vote on Israeli judicial bill looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Thousands poured onto the streets in rallies across the country, many waving Israeli flags, and police reported at least a half-dozen highways had been blocked. Dozens entered the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, tossing fake banknotes as symbols of corruption. [1/3]People demonstrate on the 'Day of National Resistance' in protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government's judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel July 18, 2023. A group describing itself as military reservists opposed to the judicial overhaul attempted to block the entrance to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in Tel Aviv. Still, the coalition looked set to bring the bill to the plenum on Sunday for final votes before the July 30 recess.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Jonathan Eran Kali, Kali, Bezalel Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Corinna Kern, Herzi Halevi, Halevi, Noam Sohlberg, Dan Williams, Conor Humphries Organizations: Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Reuters, Finance, of, Israeli, REUTERS, Israel Defence Forces, Thomson Locations: TEL AVIV, Tel Aviv, Israel

☆ Instant View: China's Q2 GDP growth slows to 0.8% q/q, raises stimulus expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

"Consumers are not spending, mainly driven by the bleak outlook for the property market. Disappointing retail numbers and property market sales show it doesn't seem that the boost from rate cuts is sufficient. ..the property market is beginning another slowdown - the government will have to come up with more stimulus for property." "Nonetheless, we think more stimulus is required to stabilise and restore confidence in the property market." ZHIWEI ZHANG, CHIEF ECONOMIST, PINPOINT ASSET MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG"Nominal GDP growth turns out to be lower than real GDP growth in Q2, the first time since comparable data are available in Q4 2016.

Persons: CHRISTOPHER WONG, LOUIS KUIJS, CAROL KONG, XING ZHAOPENG, KEN CHEUNG, ALVIN TAN, VISHNU VARATHAN, MARCO SUN, CHEN, TONY SYCAMORE, ZHIWEI ZHANG, JING LIU Organizations: Gross, National Bureau, Statistics, Shanghai, NBS, BANK OF, ANZ, MIZUHO BANK, OF, OF ASIA FX, RBC, MUFG BANK, IG, SYDNEY, Friday's, BANK OF SINGAPORE, HSBC, stoke, Authorities, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: U.S, SINGAPORE, ASIA, HONG KONG, SYDNEY, CHINA, SHANGHAI, OF ASIA, China

☆ China’s Catch-22 situation for the economy – and how to invest around it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A look through China's economy today reveals a few dilemmas, especially for investors trying to gauge future growth. The nature of China's economic recovery over the last few months from Covid have unique characteristics that aren't easily captured in broad strokes, Goldman Sachs' Andrew Tilton and a team pointed out back in late May. That means the stock winners of China's recovery are likely hidden under broader market performance. One month since Goldman's assessment, China's economic trajectory remains the same. "If weak confidence becomes so entrenched, it could be self-fulling and derail the economic recovery."

Persons: outflows, Michael Pettis, Chang Li, There's, — it's, Goldman Sachs, Andrew Tilton, Covid, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Peking University, CNBC, Citi, AIA, Hong Locations: U.S, China, Hong Kong, Shenzhen

[1/7] BERLIN, GERMANY - MARCH 30: King Charles III addresses members of the German Bundestag at the Reichstag Building on March 30, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. The king, on the second day of a three-day trip to Germany, alternated between German and English for the half-hour speech, which won a standing ovation from lawmakers. Both Britain and Germany had shown "vital leadership", Charles said, praising Berlin's decision to provide large military support to Ukraine as "remarkably courageous, important and appreciated". Throughout his visit, German officials have praised his interest in environmental causes and sustainability that has shone through in the engagements he has chosen to understake. Charles had been due to travel first to France but cancelled that part of the tour due to violent social unrest there.

☆ Netanyahu sees Israel joining U.S. Visa Waiver Programme in September
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, March 29 (Reuters) - Israel expects to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme in September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, after Israeli legislation of measures required by Washington. The embassy said on Jan. 30 that Israel met its requirement of being below the 3% non-immigrant refusal rate - a reference to the number of applicants turned away due to faulty paperwork. Before Netanyahu's announcement, his national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said on Twitter that parliament was due to ratify the last of four bills "that will advance us toward getting the U.S. visa waiver for the citizens of Israel". It was not immediately clear whether Israel met another U.S. condition for the visa waiver - free passage for Palestinian-Americans at its airports and into the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu's statement said Israel would in the coming months address outstanding requirements, which it did not detail.

☆ Hundreds of elite Israeli reservists say they are joining judicial protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

That, critics say, could foster corruption and imperil judicial independence key to Israel's economic strength and defences against attempts to isolate it internationally. Netanyahu has condemned the protests' reach into the military ranks as an attempt to subvert an institution meant to be above politics. While reservists have helped Israel prevail in previous wars, more recently it has relied on regular forces. But some units consider reservists especially valuable given their maturity and accrued skills. An air force pilot taking part in the protests told Channel 12 TV that as many as 60% of crews sent on bombing sorties in Syria are volunteer reservists.

☆ China gives itself easy GDP homework
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, March 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China aims to grow GDP by “around 5%” in 2023, which might seem low given last year’s 3% marked the country’s weakest performance in decades. Chen Long of Plenum China notes that the annual work report, usually an important window into the economy and official priorities for the year ahead, dedicates only six pages to discussing the future, compared to 22 pages last year. That may be because Premier Li Keqiang, who gives the work report, is on his way out along with other reformers. By keeping goals conservative and methods vaguer than usual, the government makes it harder for newcomers to fail. The government is aiming for a 2023 budget deficit target of 3% of gross domestic product, according to the report, widening from a deficit goal of around 2.8% last year.

☆ Israeli parliament in uproar over Netanyahu plans for judiciary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Israeli lawmakers engaged in a shouting match on Monday in a parliamentary committee deciding on government plans to overhaul the judiciary, a move President Isaac Herzog has warned risks tipping the country into "constitutional collapse". The plans, which would give rightist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greater control of appointments to the bench and weaken the Supreme Court's ability to strike down legislation or rule against the executive, have triggered widespread protests. Morning trains from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem were packed with people, many carrying Israeli flags and protest signs, heading to the demonstration. U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Netanyahu to build consensus before pushing through far-reaching changes, saying in comments published by the New York Times on Sunday that an independent judiciary was one of the foundations of U.S. and Israeli democracy. Additional reporting by Hannah Confino; Writing by James Mackenzie, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Explainer: Uproar over Israel judicial changes - what's it all about?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Many among Israel's right-wingers say the Supreme Court is left-leaning, elitist and overreaches into the political sphere, while often putting minority rights before national interests. The government has been pushing for changes that would limit the Supreme Court's powers to rule against the legislature and the executive, while giving lawmakers decisive powers in appointing judges. Critics fear Netanyahu wants to leverage the judicial push to freeze or cancel his trial, which he has denied. The left-wing opposition also says his nationalist allies want to weaken the Supreme Court to establish more settlements on land the Palestinians seek for a state. Some of the coalition's proposed changes now sit with the Knesset's plenum, where they await a first reading out of three needed to be written into law.

☆ Explainer: Uproar over Israeli judicial changes - what's it all about?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The government has been pushing for changes that would limit Supreme Court powers to rule against the legislature and the executive, while giving coalition lawmakers more power in appointing judges. Netanyahu has been formally barred from involvement in the initiative because he is on trial on corruption charges, which he denies. Critics fear Netanyahu wants to leverage the judicial push to freeze or void his trial. The opposition also says his nationalist allies want to weaken the Supreme Court to establish more settlements on land the Palestinians seek for a state. Some of the coalition's proposed changes have been approved at the Knesset's plenum in the first of three readings required for ratification.

☆ Netanyahu set to retake power at head of far-right government
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Israeli designate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session at the plenum at the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem December 28, 2022. Fending off criticism, Netanyahu has repeatedly pledged to promote tolerance and pursue peace. "We will establish a stable government for a full term that will take care of all Israel's citizens," Netanyahu said on Wednesday. Israel's longest serving leader, he was prime minister for three years in the 1990s and then from 2009-2021, albeit at times heading a caretaker government ahead of elections. Violence in the West Bank has surged this year.

☆ China's Premier Li Keqiang left off new party Central Committee
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and three other members of the elite Politburo Standing Committee of the ruling Communist Party were excluded from the newly elected Central Committee on Saturday. More than 2,000 delegates to a once-every-five-years party congress in Beijing elected a 205-person Central Committee as well as 171 alternate members. Li Keqiang, 67, Li Zhanshu, 72, Wang Yang, 67, and Han Zheng, 68 - members of the current seven-person Standing Committee - were excluded from the new Central Committee. The Central Committee will convene behind closed doors at its first plenary session, or plenum, on Sunday to vote on the next Politburo, usually comprising 25 people, and its Standing Committee. Vice Premier Liu He, 70, China's economic czar, was also excluded from the new Central Committee.

REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, Oct 22 (Reuters) - China's Communist Party wrapped up its twice-a-decade congress on Saturday, approving amendments to its charter aimed at cementing Xi Jinping's core status and revealing a new Central Committee missing two key officials lacking close ties to Xi. The new Central Committee on Sunday will choose the elite Politburo Standing Committee, with Xi, 69, widely expected to secure a third leadership term. Among the amendments to the party constitution, the "Two Establishes" define Xi as the "core" leader of the party and cement his ideas as the guiding principles of China's future development. Voting was conducted by show of hands in the vast Great Hall of the People, where much of the week's party congress proceedings have taken place behind closed doors. At its first plenum on Sunday, the party's new central committee will choose the next Politburo, which is typically 25 people, and its new Standing Committee.

☆ Factbox: FACTBOX How China's Communist Party Congress works
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A day after the congress, the newly elected Central Committee will convene behind closed doors at its first plenum. The 200 Central Committee members with voting rights will then vote "yes" or "no" on each of the proposed candidates for the two committees. The Central Committee will then elect one person from the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) to be the general secretary. The general secretary will then introduce his new team and speak about the work ahead. The Central Committee also approves the make-up of a new secretariat and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

☆ Factbox: How China's Communist Party Congress works
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping is poised to win a third five-year term as General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party, the most powerful job in the country, at the 20th Party Congress that starts on Sunday. During the opening ceremony, which is broadcast with a delay, Xi will read out the 20th party congress report, reviewing the party's achievements of recent years and laying out its vision for the next five years. At the 19th party congress, the opening speech lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes. THE CLOSING CEREMONYAt the closing ceremony, typically a week after the start, delegates vote to endorse the congress report and party constitution amendment. The Standing Committee members enter in order of seniority, highest to lowest.

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