DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ China investors will be asking these 3 questions in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

CHONGQING, CHINA - JANUARY 02: People visit the 2nd International Light and Shadow Art Festival at the Fine Arts Park on January 2, 2024 in Chongqing, China. For all the geopolitical risks, the attraction of China as a fast-growing market has waned as the economy matures. Many were disappointed when China's economy did not rebound as quickly as expected after the end of Covid-19 controls in December 2022. Real estate is a clear example of a debt-fueled sector, one that has accounted for about a quarter of China's economy. Machinery, electronics, transport equipment and batteries combined contributed to 17.2% of China's economy in 2020, Citi analysts said.

Persons: it's, Jason Hsu, They're, Liqian Ren, Goldman Sachs, Ding Wenjie, Ding Organizations: Fine Arts, Art, Getty, Visual China, U.S, Citi, People's Bank of, Rayliant, Rayliant Global Advisors, National Bureau, China Asset Management Co, CNBC, Machinery Locations: CHONGQING, CHINA, Chongqing, China, BEIJING, Covid, People's Bank of China, Beijing, WisdomTree

☆ Blinken to meet with leaders of Saudi Arabia, UAE with aim to avert larger Middle East war
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he boards an aircraft during his departure from Washington to travel to the Middle East, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., January 4, 2024. This is a conflict that could easily metastasize, causing even more insecurity and suffering," Blinken told reporters in Doha after meeting with Qatar's leadership on Sunday. The Middle East trip follows the assassination by drone of deputy Hamas chief Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, which Hamas has blamed on Israel. Many U.S. officials now fear that the fighting will draw Hezbollah and Lebanon into the war, a shift that could see Iran up its involvement as well. Hezbollah, the most powerful militant and political organization in Lebanon, has been described by analysts as having 10 times the power and military capabilities as Hamas.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Saleh al Organizations: Joint Base Andrews, United Arab Emirates — U.S, United Arab, Sunday, Hamas, Palestinian, Many U.S Locations: Washington, Israel, Joint Base Andrews , Maryland, U.S, DUBAI, United Arab, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Doha, Arouri, Beirut, Iran, Lebanon, Many

☆ A slew of new conflicts could erupt in 2024, analysts say — while the world is watching Gaza and Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-28 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

- | Afp | Getty ImagesWith the eyes of the world on the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, an unprecedented number of potentially "catastrophic" conflicts are going under the radar, analysts have warned. The U.N. estimated in October that more than 114 million people were displaced by war and conflict worldwide. There is good reason for that — it is currently the most dangerous place in the world to be a civilian." The political turbulence comes amid ongoing armed conflict in eastern DRC and widespread poverty, and precedes further regional elections early next year. If you look at Myanmar, of course you've got this huge population in Bangladesh of displaced Rohingyas, and also displaced within Myanmar itself," she said.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, David Miliband, Miliband, Isabelle Arradon, Rapid Support Forces —, Gen, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, Khalifa Haftar —, Arradon, Félix Tshisekedi, U.N, Antonio Guterres, you've, We've, It's Organizations: Afp, Getty, Rescue, Crisis, CNBC, Rapid Support Forces, UAE, IOM, UN's, Organization for Migration, Sudanese Armed Forces, Democratic, Government Locations: Red Sea, Port Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libyan, Khartoum, Darfur, METEMA, Ethiopia, Metema, AFP, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of, Congo, DRC, Goma, North Kivu, Kigali, Kinshasa, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Shan, Sagaing, Kayah, Rakhine State, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal

☆ Iran vows revenge after Israel kills top military commander in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-26 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Israel killed Iranian general Seyed Razi Mousavi in Syria, where he coordinated Iran-backed forces. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi vowed revenge on Israel. Iran-backed groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq have launched attacks on Israel and its allies in support of Hamas. Hossein Akbari, Iran's ambassador to Syria, condemned the killing, saying that Mousavi was in Syria as a "formal military advisor." Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years.

Persons: Israel, Seyed Razi Mousavi, Ebrahim Raisi, —, Daniel Hagari, Mousavi, Bashar Assad's, Qassim Soleimani, Houthi, IRNA, Hossein Akbari, Akbari, IRNA didn't Organizations: Service, Iranian, Revolutionary Guard, Reuters, Quds Force, Hamas, Monday, Human Rights, Syrian Locations: Syria, Iran, Israel, Damascus, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Lebanon, Irbil, U.S, Britain, Lebanese, Russia

☆ Wanxiang Trust: Another Chinese ‘shadow bank’ faces major financial trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A trust company usually manages funds for individuals, companies or other entities. The reports come two weeks after Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, another major shadow bank, declared itself “insolvent” after missing payments to its investors. Moody’s Investors Services also warned in September that China’s trust sector could face liquidity challenges during the current property downturn. The two medical trust products were related to a hospital project in Guizhou, which is one of China’s most indebted provinces, according to Cailianshe. Last month, at its twice-a-decade Central Financial Work Conference, the Chinese leadership stressed the importance of addressing risks more systematically across the financial sector and preserving overall stability.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Cailianshe, Wanxiang, hasn’t, Zhongzhi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — Wanxiang Trust, Century Business Herald, Wanxiang Group, Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, ”, Zhongrong, Zhongzhi Enterprise Group Bloomberg, Getty, Fitch, Moody’s, Services, Kaisa, CNN Local, Financial Work Conference Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Beijing, Guizhou

☆ The forever labor shortage is pitting parents and their childfree coworkers against each other
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Childfree workers told Business Insider they often feel pressured to cover for parents at work. Benson's not alone in experiencing the tension of splitting work between childfree workers and those with kids. For childfree workers, it may lead to resentment, or feeling like their time isn't as valuable. And that might, in turn, lead to childfree workers being asked to take on more. But the childfree workers, parents, and experts that Business Insider spoke with say that making it a worker-to-worker dispute takes the onus off of companies and policy.

Persons: —, Kira Benson, Benson, Benson's, isn't, tenable, It's, aren't, Amanda Pericles, JessieMay Reed, they've, I'm, Benson doesn't, Arindrajit Dube, Claudia Goldin, Dube, " Dube, Evi, Nardi, Pericles, Pericles isn't, Reed, Kitty Richards, Richards, Betsy Cardenas, She's, Cardenas, we're Organizations: Business, Service, Bloomberg Law, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Treasury Department, of Labor Statistics, monopsony Locations: Seattle, —

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Fauci, former chief White House medical adviser, is expected to testify before Congress early next year as part of Republicans' yearslong investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and the U.S. response to the disease. Fauci, who served as the nation's top infectious disease expert before retiring last year, will sit for transcribed interviews in early January and a public hearing at a later date. House Republicans have investigated whether Fauci or other U.S. government officials took part in any sort of cover-up about the origin of the deadly virus. Fauci, who served under both Republican and Democratic presidents, has repeatedly called the GOP criticism nonsense. Political Cartoons View All 1273 ImagesWenstrup, who is also a longtime member of the House Intelligence Committee, has accused Fauci and U.S. intelligence of withholding key facts about its investigation into the coronavirus.

Persons: — Anthony Fauci, Fauci, Brad Wenstrup, Sen, Ted Cruz, Merrick Garland, Amanda Seitz, Nomaan Merchant Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, Republicans, Republican, Fauci, Democratic, House Intelligence, Wuhan, of Virology, National Institutes of Health, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Wuhan, Texas

☆ China economy: PBOC governor says focus will be on ‘high-quality, sustainable’ growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“High-quality, sustainable growth is far more important.”The country is moving away from manufacturing and real estate, its traditional drivers of growth, towards a newer economic model driven by consumption and services, he added. “I’m confident China will enjoy healthy and sustainable growth in 2024 and beyond.”His remarks come at a time when China is battling a protracted recession in its vast real estate sector. But the country’s real estate sector is still struggling with sluggish sales and falling home prices. “China’s real estate market is experiencing some adjustments,” he said. The regulators have also introduced a raft of measures to stabilise the real estate industry, including reducing mortgage rates for home buyers.

Persons: Pan Gongsheng, “, Pan, “ I’m, ”, Stringer Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, People’s Bank of, “, Getty Locations: Hong Kong, “ China, People’s Bank of China, China, “, Fuyang, China's, Anhui, AFP, Wuhan, Hubei

Local governments plan to use the proceeds of the latest bond sales to purchase equity or convertible bonds from smaller banks, most of them state-owned, effectively recapitalising them, according to the deal prospectuses. DEEPER IN DEBTThe intensified efforts to support smaller banks also come amid growing worries about the impact of ballooning local government debt on the economy. While policymakers are highly concerned over rising debt levels, Beijing has little option but to support smaller banks to contain spillover risks, analysts said. It was not immediately clear if the central authorities had given any guidance to the local governments on recapitalising smaller banks, and who were the buyers of these special-purpose bonds. "Local governments are a likely the first line of defense whenever regional banks become stressed," they said.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Gavekal, Zhang Xiaoxi, Pan Gongsheng, Ziyi Tang, Ryan Woo, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, China Electronic Local Government Bond, Authorities, National Financial Regulatory Administration, International Monetary Fund, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights BEIJING, China, Henan, China's, Liaoning, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia

☆ German government unveils budget fixes as way out of crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Christian Kraemer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The government said the spillover effects from the energy crisis that hit in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and caused rocketing prices had created an emergency situation that justified suspending the debt brake. The leader of Scholz's SPD urged the government to consider suspending the debt brake next year, a move rejected in particular by the fiscally hawkish Free Democrats (FDP). "The debt brake must remain." The debt brake, introduced after the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, was first suspended in 2020 to help the government support firms and health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday he stressed the need to give companies, which have been worried by the uncertainty caused by the budget crisis, clarity as quickly as possible.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner, Robert Habeck, Annegret, Olaf Scholz's, finalising, Scholz's, Christian Duerr, Bijan Djir, Christian Kraemer, Riham Alkousaa, Amir Orusov, Rachel More, Matthias Williams, Thomas Escritt, Alison Williams, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Finance, Climate, REUTERS, Free Democrats, ZDF, Greens, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, BERLIN, Ukraine, Sarai, East Germany

☆ Vietnam to Extend Anti-Graft Drive as Police Reveal Real Estate Fraud Worth 3% of GDP
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Khanh Vu and Francesco GuarascioHANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's top leader vowed to extend "for the long-term" an anti-corruption campaign that has had a chilling effect on the economy, after police revealed financial scandals in the real estate sector worth more than 3% of gross domestic product. Trong's remarks came after the police announced the outcome of months-long investigations into two financial scandals, revealing for the first time the scale of the fraud, worth a combined $12.8 billion, or 3.2% of the economy. The case had been widely publicised when My Lan was arrested in October last year and led to a crisis in the real estate sector and the market for corporate bonds, which she has been accused of issuing illegally in large amounts. The huge scale of the fraud had not been known until this week and has raised concern among financial experts about the impact on the banking sector. In September, the Asian Development Bank warned of potential spillover into banking from the crisis in the real estate sector as the ratio of non-performing loans increased.

Persons: Khanh Vu, Francesco Guarascio HANOI, Nguyen Phu Trong, Trong's, Truong My Lan, Van Thinh, Lan, Morgan, Moody's, Tan, Francesco Guarascio, Robert Birsel Organizations: Communist Party's, Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, Stock Commercial Bank, Morgan Research, Asian Development Bank, Group Locations: Communist, Saigon, China

[1/5] Mourners carry the coffins of Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah fighters who were killed by US airstrike in Jurf al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad during a funeral in Baghdad, Iraq November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani Acquire Licensing RightsBAGHDAD, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Iraq's government condemned overnight U.S. airstrikes south of Baghdad that killed eight members of Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah, saying they were a "dangerous escalation" not coordinated with authorities. The U.S. has carried out two series of strikes in Iraq since Tuesday, in response to more than 60 attacks by Iran-aligned militias against forces in the region, and destroyed a Kataib Hezbollah operations centre and a command and control node. Kataib Hezbollah said the strikes in Iraq killed eight of its members in its stronghold of Jurf al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad. In a statement, it threatened to attack a wider array of targets if U.S. strikes continued.

Persons: Iraq's, Thaier, Kataib, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Ahmed Rasheed, Timour, Timour Azhari, Andrew Heavens, Alex Richardson, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Israel, Hamas, Iraq's, Islamic State, Popular, Forces, Islamic, United, Thomson Locations: Jurf, Baghdad, Iraq, Rights BAGHDAD, Iran, U.S, United States, Gaza, Syria, Israel, Ain, Asad, Iranian, Islamic State, Iraqi, State

☆ Hungary gets Ukrainian truck queues as protests clog Polish, Slovak crossings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In Slovakia, the main border crossing with Ukraine was also blocked on Tuesday, although the country's haulers' union called it the action of a single truck. The group has still warned it could join Polish truckers in protest. The spillover of long border queues hit Hungary on Wednesday, with the main border crossing, Zahony, seeing long queues of trucks waiting to enter Ukraine. Polish truckers will also begin blocking the Medyka crossing together with farmers on Thursday, a protest organizer said. On Sunday, Ukrainian authorities said about 3,000 mostly Ukrainian trucks, including those carrying fuel and humanitarian aid, were stuck on the Polish side of the border.

Persons: haulers, Trucks, Dennik, Boldizsar Gyori, Jason Hovet, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Truckers, European Union, Authorities, Hungarian Tax, Customs Authority, EU, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Slovak, Hungarian

☆ Reaction to Sam Altman's return as OpenAI CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sam Altman, CEO of Microsoft-backed OpenAI and ChatGPT creator speaks during a talk at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Openai LLC FollowNov 22 (Reuters) - OpenAI said on Tuesday it had reached an agreement for Sam Altman to return as CEO days after his ouster, capping frenzied discussions about the future of the startup at the center of the artificial intelligence boom. THRIVE CAPITAL, OPENAI SHAREHOLDER"OpenAI has the potential to be one of the most consequential companies in the history of computing. "Sam Altman seems awfully powerful and it is unclear that any board would be able to oversee him. Altman and (Microsoft CEO) Nadella may have pushed to allow Altman a much freer hand."

Persons: Sam Altman, Amir Cohen, OpenAI, DANNI HEWSON, BELL, Altman, DANIELA HATHORN, Altman's, Greg, Brockman, ChatGPT's, would've, SUSANNAH STREETER, HARGREAVES LANSDOWN, Sam Altman's, KELVIN WONG, MAK, Nadella, hasn't, Supantha Mukherjee, Ankika Biswas, Bansari Mayur, Aditya Soni, Miyoung Kim, Nivedita Organizations: Microsoft, Tel Aviv University, REUTERS, BANK, OpenAI, MNC, OF, UNIVERSITY OF, UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE BUSINSS, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE, OpenAI, Stockholm, Bengaluru

☆ Hungary Gets Ukrainian Truck Queues as Protests Clog Polish, Slovak Crossings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: haulers, Trucks, Dennik, Boldizsar Gyori, Jason Hovet, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Truckers, European Union, Authorities, Hungarian Tax, Customs Authority, EU Locations: BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Slovak, Hungarian

☆ Lebanon mourns two journalists killed in Israeli air strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The crowds gathered around the two coffins of correspondent Farah Omar and camera operator Rabih al-Maamari, both draped in Lebanese flags and topped with wreaths of flowers, outside the Al Mayadeen headquarters in Beirut. The Committee to Protect Journalists said deaths added to a toll of over 50 journalists killed covering the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and its spillover to other regions including the Lebanon-Israel border area, where Israeli and Lebanese Hezbollah forces have been exchanging fire since Oct. 7. Al Mayadeen said the Israeli strike occurred near the town of Tayr Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli frontier. A third person, who was not working with the channel but was accompanying them as they filmed, was also killed. The Israeli military has previously said it cannot guarantee journalists' safety in areas of military activity.

Persons: Al Mayadeen, Farah Omar, Al, Israel, Najib Mikati, Nabih Berri, Jazeera, Maya Gebeily Organizations: Protect Journalists, Caretaker, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Beirut, BEIRUT, Israel, Gaza, Lebanese, Tayr, France, Yaroun

☆ Hezbollah, Israel trade strikes at Lebanese border in latest escalation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Smoke rises on the Lebanese side of the border between Israel and Lebanon after an Israeli airstrike, as seen from northern Israel, November 18, 2023. The Iran-backed Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli drone near the border in the early hours of Saturday. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident. Hezbollah released a series of statements early on Saturday saying it had hit Israeli military sites and troops in areas along the border and caused casualties. Hezbollah has attacked Israeli troops at the Lebanese border since the latest Gaza war began and Israel has launched air and artillery strikes against southern Lebanon.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Hani Kobeissy, John Davison, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hezbollah, Palestinian, Hamas, United, Thomson Locations: Israel, Lebanon, Rights BEIRUT, Lebanese, United States, Iran, Israeli, Nabatieh, Gaza, Beirut

☆ Asia markets dip as mid-week rally cools
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"We think the meeting shows the intention from both sides to restore bilateral relations. This could help reduce near-term risk of escalatory confrontation," Morgan Stanley analyst Robin Xing wrote in a Thursday note. This also indicates a continued reduction in direct foreign investment and technology spillover to China, Xing said, which could weigh on China's long-term growth outlook. Moving forward, the analyst believes that further stimulus and reforms in China are needed to help stabilize market confidence in the country. According to Piper Sandler analyst Andy Laperriere, the economic and geopolitical relationships between the U.S. and China will remain locked in competition.

Persons: Biden, Xi, Morgan Stanley, Robin Xing, Xing, Piper Sandler, Andy Laperriere, — Pia Singh Organizations: U.S Locations: China

☆ Enovix Corp establishes $1.2 bln high-volume manufacturing facility in Malaysia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Enovix Corporation, a U.S.-based advanced silicon battery firm, will establish a 5.8 billion ringgit ($1.23 billion) high-volume manufacturing facility in Malaysia, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) said in a statement on Thursday. The investment, which will be spent over a period of 15 years, includes the first manufacturing line amounting to 315 million ringgit, MIDA said. The company's investment plan was disclosed to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during a meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the United States, MIDA said. "Enovix's (investment)... promises significant local spillover impact, notably the creation of substantial high-quality job opportunities for Malaysians, and the enhancement of our nation's industrial landscape," Malaysia's Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said in the statement. ($1 = 4.7050 ringgit)Reporting by Rozanna LatiffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: MIDA, Anwar Ibrahim, Industry Ministry Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Rozanna Organizations: Enovix Corporation, Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Economic Cooperation, Trade, Industry Ministry, Thomson Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, U.S, Malaysia, Asia, United States

☆ Fed's Cook says economic risks two-sided, 'soft landing' possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I believe that a 'soft landing' is possible, with continued disinflation and a strong labor market, but it is not assured," Cook said in remarks prepared for delivery to a San Francisco Fed conference on Asian economic policy. "I see risks as two-sided, requiring us to balance the risk of not tightening enough against the risk of tightening too much." Meanwhile, Cook noted, other global central banks have also tightened policy rapidly. "But in a world of uncertainty it is hard to judge the exact size of these spillovers." Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lisa Cook, Jonathan Ernst, Cook, bank's, there's, Ann Saphir, Paul Simao Organizations: Federal Reserve, of Governors, Capitol, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Federal, San Francisco Fed, U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Arson was the cause of a massive weekend fire that charred and indefinitely closed a vital section of a Los Angeles freeway, causing major traffic headaches for hundreds of thousands of commuters, California authorities said. Los Angeles residents were urged to avoid travel to the area Monday and to work from home if possible. Ertugrul Taciroglu, chair of the civil and environmental engineering department at the University of California, Los Angeles, said part of the challenge is how expensive real estate has become. The city and county of Los Angeles in 2020 agreed to provide housing for almost 7,000 people living under freeways and near exit and entrance ramps. Associated Press writer Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, “, ” Newsom, Crews shored, Joe Biden, Karen Bass, ” Bass, Newsom, ”, it’s, Shailen Bhatt, we’re, ” Bhatt, Blair Besten, Kristin Crowley, Daniel Berlant, They’ve, Mainak, ” D’Attaray, Ertugrul Taciroglu, ___ Watson, Christopher Weber, McMurray Organizations: ANGELES, Gov, ” LA, Associated Press, Business, Flames, California Fire, Apex Development, Inc, University of California, Transportation Locations: Los Angeles, California, LA, Long Beach, Angelenos, ”, Angeles, Philadelphia, downtown, She’s, —, San Diego, Chicago

☆ UK's interior minister accuses police of pro-Palestinian bias over marches
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Kate Holton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Critics in opposing parties and her own have accused her of stoking division and undermining the police. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described Saturday's planned march as disrespectful and said he would hold Rowley to account that the remembrance events are safeguarded. Braverman, seen as a possible future Conservative party leader, often takes a harder line than her party as a whole on issues such as crime and immigration. Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said Sunak was too weak to challenge her. In a separate incident, two men were arrested over damage to the Cenotaph war memorial in the northern English town of Rochdale.

Persons: Braverman, Suella Braverman, Mark Rowley, Rishi Sunak, Saturday's, Rowley, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Neil Basu, King Charles, Sarah Young, Andrew MacAskill, Elizabeth Piper, Sharon Singleton, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: The, Hamas, British, Conservative, Opposition Labour Party, British Loyalist, London, LBC Radio, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, London, The Times, Northern Ireland, Britain, British, Braverman, Rochdale

REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/Pool/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBLIN Nov 8 (Reuters) - A rise in geopolitical tensions across the world could aggravate already subdued growth in Europe and China and the spillover may alter the path of the U.S. economy, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook said on Wednesday. "We are not only watching subdued growth, we're watching the geopolitical tensions that we're all talking about, and that could change the outlook both in the United States and the global economy." Cook added that geopolitical tensions may in particular destabilize commodity markets and access to credit in the current higher interest rate environment. "Any shock could make the situation worse that we're already (in)... and could be destabilizing to commodity markets, could be destabilizing to the system of credit," Cook said. "More broadly, escalation of geopolitical tensions could lead to lower economic activity and increased fragmentation of global trade flows and financial intermediation, raising financing and production costs and contributing to more sustained supply chain challenges and inflationary pressures," Cook said.

Persons: Lisa DeNell Cook, Ken Cedeno, Lisa Cook, Cook, We're, Padraic Halpin, Conor Humphries, Ann Saphir, Lindsay Dunsmuir, Leslie Adler, Mark Potter Organizations: Governors, Federal Reserve System, Banking, Housing, Urban, Capitol, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, DUBLIN, Federal, Central Bank of Ireland, Thomson Locations: Michigan, Washington ,, Europe, China, U.S, Dublin, United States, Ukraine, Russia, East, San Francisco

☆ Reaction to Reuters report on potential Ping An rescue of Country Garden
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

EUGENE LAW, DIRECTOR OF CHINA GALAXY INTERNATIONAL:"If the central government steps in to help Country Garden, it's for easing the debt crisis and preventing a spillover to financial institutions. But it will not help the China property market, which depends on factors, including employment and consumer confidence. Homebuyers would not rush to buy property just because Country Garden gets out of trouble. For the broader property market, the key is still home sales." Country Garden may have reached a tipping point where it will need more liquidity to fulfill such a policy goal.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Ping, EUGENE LAW, Homebuyers, MICHAEL WONG, XU TIANCHEN, YAO, homebuyers, GARY NG, Clare Jim, Anne Marie Roantree, Edwina Gibbs, Kim Coghill Organizations: Ping An Insurance, REUTERS, Ping An Insurance Group, HK, Reuters, LU, OF CHINA GALAXY, Garden, Central Financial Work Conference, Thomson Locations: Shenzhen, China, HONG KONG

☆ Jordan open to 'all options' as Gaza conflict intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jordan also announced last week that Israel's ambassador, who left Amman shortly after Hamas' attack, would not be allowed to come back, effectively declaring him persona non grata. "All options are on the table for Jordan in our dealing with the Israeli aggression on Gaza and its repercussions," Khasawneh, whose country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, told state media. Khasawneh said Israel's siege of the densely populated Gaza was not self-defence as it maintains. Jordan is reviewing its economic, security and political ties with Israel and may freeze or revoke parts of its peace treaty if the Gaza conflict worsens, diplomats familiar with Jordanian thinking said. The Israel-Hamas war has reawakened long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants.

Persons: Bisher, Najib Mikati, Mohamed Azakir, Jordan, Bisher al Khasawneh, Khasawneh, Israel, King Abdullah, Jens Stoltenberg, Ayman Safadi, Safadi, Jordan's, Antony Blinken, William Burns, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Mark Heinrich, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Jordanian, Lebanese, REUTERS, Rights, Jordan, West Bank, NATO, U.S, CIA, Thomson Locations: Beirut, Lebanon, Rights AMMAN, Gaza, Israel, Amman, Jordan, Palestine, Brussels, Jerusalem, Jordanian, U.S

Search resuls for: "SpillOver"

25 mentions found