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☆ Billionaire Bernard Arnault hits back at 'absurd' and 'senseless' money laundering allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Billionaire LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault has hit back at allegations of money laundering, after the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed it is investigating financial transactions between Arnault and Russian oligarch Nikolai Sarkisov. In a statement, Arnault's attorney, Jacqueline Laffont, said the allegations were "absurd and unfounded." The investigation, seemingly under way, will demonstrate these facts," she said in an emailed statement over the weekend. "Furthermore, who could seriously imagine that Bernard Arnault, who has developed over the past 40 years the leading French and European company, would pursue money laundering to expand a hotel? I believe the senseless nature of these allegations will be recognized by all."

Persons: Bernard Arnault, Nikolai Sarkisov, Jacqueline Laffont Organizations: Paris, Sarkisov Locations: Courchevel

☆ LVMH boss Bernard Arnault under investigation in Paris over Russian oligarch transactions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, attends a news conference to present the 2022 annual results of LVMH in Paris, France, January 26, 2023. The prosecutor's office declined to comment further on the ongoing investigations. The Paris public prosecutor's office is investigating LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault over financial transactions involving Russian oligarch Nikolai Sarkisov. "All transactions were carried out by French companies, through French notaries by French lawyers on all sides. He added that neither the company nor Sarkisov had received any request for documents from French authorities.

Persons: Bernard Arnault, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Le, Sarkisov, France's, Nikolai Sarkisov, Arnault, Igor Ivanov, Ivanov, LVMH Organizations: LVMH, CNBC Locations: Paris, France, Arnault, Belgium, Courchevel

☆ Race for Republican Party’s presidential nomination appears to be Trump’s to lose, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | 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 EmailRace for Republican Party’s presidential nomination appears to be Trump’s to lose, economist saysCailin Birch, global economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit, discusses next year’s U.S. presidential election and the Republican Party primaries.

Persons: Cailin Birch Organizations: Republican, Economist Intelligence Unit, Republican Party

☆ Singapore’s birth rate is at a record low — but ‘throwing money’ at the problem won’t solve it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Mai Yo | Klaud9 | Getty ImagesSINGAPORE — Almost two decades ago, Loh and her husband made a decision not to have children. Singapore's birth rate hit a record low in 2022, after years of decline. "There is a sense of instability is dragging people further away from having children," Zheng told CNBC. Shrinking labor forceA declining birth rate, coupled with an aging population, will have repercussions on Singapore's labor force. "Having fewer children means you have a smaller workforce that can contribute to the economy.

Persons: Mai Yo, Loh, Jaya Dass, " Dass, Wen Wei Tan, EIU's Tan, Tan, Mu Zheng, Zheng, Tan Poh Lin, Lee, Carlina, Dass Organizations: Institute of Policy Studies, Getty, SINGAPORE, CNBC, Singapore Department of Statistics, Ranstad's, Women, Getty Images Government, Economist Intelligence Unit, EIU, National University of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public Locations: Singapore, Jaya, Jaya Dass Asia, Pacific, Covid, Ranstad's Asia, —, New York City, Singapore's

☆ China cuts banks' reserve ratio for second time in 2023 to aid recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank, is pictured in Beijing, China, February 3, 2020. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) said it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for all banks, except those that have implemented a 5% reserve ratio, by 25 basis points from Sept. 15. The central bank said the weighted average reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for financial institutions stood at around 7.4% after the cut. Dan Wang, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank China, cautioned to watch for a cut in Medium-term Lending Facility (MLF) on Friday off the back of the RRR cut. "That would be more significant than the RRR cut and suggest central bank is up to something," said Wang.

Persons: Jason Lee, Wen Bin, Xu Tianchen, Dan Wang, Wang, Liangping Gao, Joe Cash, Ellen Zhang, Kevin Yao, Kevin Liffey, Alison Williams, Christina Fincher Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, Minsheng Bank, Xinhua, Economist Intelligence Unit, Hang Seng Bank China, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING

Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. Zhang also handed over the role of group CEO to Wu on Sunday as scheduled. "Alibaba Cloud has lost some ground with government and state-owned enterprise clients, which were previously a stronghold for the company," Li said. "During his leadership tenure, Alibaba Cloud's business did not improve significantly despite his efforts. Zhang likely realised that the challenges facing Alibaba Cloud's lacklustre growth were beyond what he could influence or control as an individual executive."

Persons: Aly, Daniel Zhang, Alibaba, Eddie Wu, Zhang, Wu, Canalys, Li Chengdong, Li, Sern Ling, Union Bancaire Privee, Donny Kowk, Josh Ye, Yelin, Anne Marie Roantree, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, China's, Reuters, DAMO Academy, Huawei Technologies, Union Bancaire, HK, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, HK, Alibaba, Beijing, Yelin Mo

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Qualcomm, Tesla, Hostess and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alibaba — Shares lost 1% after outgoing CEO Daniel Zhang unexpectedly quit its cloud business. In June, the company had said Zhang was leaving as chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group to focus on the cloud intelligence unit. Qualcomm — The semiconductor stock jumped 7.4% premarket after saying Monday it will supply Apple with 5G modems for smartphones through 2026. The Wall Street firm said the slide in the Band-Aid maker has created an attractive entry point. The Wall Street firm called software and services revenue the "biggest value driver" for Tesla.

Persons: Alibaba —, Daniel Zhang, Zhang, Tesla, Morgan Stanley, —, Smucker, Alex Harring, Hakyung Kim, Michelle Fox Theobald, Samantha Subin, Sarah Min, Kif Leswing Organizations: Tenable Holdings, JPMorgan, Alibaba Group, Qualcomm, Apple, Deutsche Bank, Oracle, Hostess Brands, Meta, Wall Street

☆ Shares of Alibaba tumble over 3% after outgoing CEO unexpectedly quits cloud business
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The move comes months after Alibaba said in June that Zhang was departing as chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group to focus on the cloud intelligence unit. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart iconIn a surprise leadership reshuffle in June, Alibaba announced that Zhang was bowing out as both CEO and chairman on Sept. 10 to focus on the cloud intelligence business. Zhang was Alibaba Group CEO since 2015 and the group chairman since 2019. He has also been chairman and CEO of the Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group since 2022. "The board of our Company expresses its deepest appreciation to Mr. Zhang for his contributions to Alibaba Group over the past 16 years," Alibaba said in the Sunday statement.

Persons: Daniel Zhang Yong, Daniel Zhang, Alibaba, Zhang, Eddie Wu, Wu, Joseph Tsai Organizations: Alibaba, Fund, Visual China, Getty, Alibaba Group, Cloud Intelligence Group, Company Locations: Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China, Hong Kong

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Tesla, Qualcomm, Meta, Moderna and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla — Shares of the electric vehicle maker jumped 6% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to overweight from equal weight. Kenvue — Shares of the Band-Aid maker gained 3% after being upgraded by Deutsche Bank to buy from hold on Sunday. The Wall Street firm called Kenvue a high-quality company and believes the stock's slide has created an attractive entry point. Nubank – The U.S.-traded shares of the Brazilian financial firm rose nearly 6% after JPMorgan upgraded Nubank to overweight from neutral. Discovery and Paramount also traded higher on the news, rising 2.2% and 1.9%, respectively,AstraZeneca — The pharmaceutical company's shares lost nearly 3% midday Monday.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Adam Jones, — Smucker, Alibaba, Daniel Zhang, Zhang, Nubank, Warner, Pascal Soriot, Immatics, — CNBC's Alexander Harring, Samantha Subin, Yun Li, Jesse Pound, Michelle Fox, Tanaya Macheel Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, Hostess Brands, Tenable Holdings, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Alibaba Group, Wall Street, Meta, Qualcomm, Apple, Media, Disney, Charter Communications, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, AstraZeneca, Reuters, Mail, Moderna —, Moderna Locations: Shanghai, U.S, Brazil

☆ India's policy contradictions are making it harder for investors to crack its market
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

At a time when shifting geopolitical alliances are elevating India's strategic importance, such curbs add to the contradictions global investors have to negotiate as they hunt for viable alternatives to a slowing China. They said the move will add to end-product costs for foreign vendors and shift consumer spending toward Indian firms or established foreign vendors with a manufacturing base in India. To attract foreign investors, Modi's government doubled to 170 billion rupees ($2.04 billion) its initial budget in May for a production-linked incentive scheme for IT hardware that was approved in 2021. watch now"India's large and growing domestic market, limited political instability and long-term policy continuity bolsters India's appeal to investors," Dasgupta said. Attracted by such lofty projections, global investors have also poured into Indian equity markets this year.

Persons: Javier Ghersi, Narendra Modi's, There's, Pravin Krishna Johns, it's, Pravin Krishna, Krishna, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Taiwan's Foxconn, iPhones, Sumedha Dasgupta, Dasgupta, Modi, Goldman Sachs, — Organizations: Apple, Samsung, Dell, Pravin Krishna Johns Hopkins University's School, Johns Hopkins University's School, International, BMI Industry Research, South, BMI, Sumedha Dasgupta Economist Intelligence, Economist Intelligence Unit, CNBC, Bharatiya Janata Party, U.S, The, Monetary Fund, Capital Locations: India, China, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam

☆ Cash in or lose out: Banks are turning to AI, cloud computing, and Web3 to gain competitive advantage and customer loyalty
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Nicholas Fearn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AI and cloud tech are giving some banks an edge over competitors and enticing brand loyalty. Traditional banks that ignore this reality risk losing loyal customers to digital banks that have emerged over the past few years, research suggests. Digital transformation is a must for banksWith online banking now the norm, digital transformation is no longer optional for banks. Legacy banking systems were not designed to provide the banking experience that people expect today," she said. As a result, banking customers and employees can view transactions in real time and deliver "a more seamless and personalized experience" for all stakeholders, she added.

Persons: Banks, Victoria Newton, Newton, Laura Merling, Merling, Jay Venkateswaran, WNS, Eno, Goldman Sachs, Nigel Vaz, Publicis, Publicis Sapient Nigel Vaz, Venkateswaran, Vaz, James Whybrow Organizations: Service, Starling Bank, Arvest Bank, Banking, Capital One, Microsoft, Bank of America, Amazon Web Services, Google, Economist Intelligence Unit, Arvest, Software AG, Software Locations: Wall, Silicon, It's, Starling, WNS, Morgan

☆ India's G20 presidency risks ringing hollow as Ukraine war dashes hopes of consensus
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

US President Joe Biden, right, and Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, at an arrival ceremony during a state visit on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 22, 2023. One of the risks is that by elevating India's presidency of the G20 so much, there are now expectations for India to deliver some concrete breakthroughs. Russia-Ukraine impasseIndeed, the specter of Russia's Ukraine invasion has loomed large over G20 meetings for the various tracks that India has convened. He even labeled it the "biggest achievement" of India's G20 presidency so far — despite Russia and China abstaining. This development serves to buttress India's burgeoning economic clout, the basis of its greater confidence and assertiveness geopolitically.

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, India's, haven't, Manjari Chatterjee, Modi, Manjari Chatterjee Miller, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Putin, Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Chaudhuri, Sergei Lavrov —, Putin —, CFR's Miller, Eurasia Group's Chaudhuri, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Sumedha Dasgupta, Biden, Taiwan —, assertiveness, It's, Pravin Krishna Johns Organizations: White, Bloomberg, Getty, Indian, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Manjari Chatterjee Miller, Foreign, Council, Foreign Relations, CNBC, Global, African Union, UN, Group Russia's, West, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, India's, Economist Intelligence Unit, Moscow, . Warming, Apple, Pravin Krishna Johns Hopkins University's School, International Locations: Washington , DC, New Delhi, India, Ukraine, Pakistan, South Asia, Washington ,, Russia, China, Varanasi, Bali, Eurasia, Asia, U.S, . Warming India, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ Alibaba's cloud division eyes state firms for up to $3 bln fundraising- Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's (9988.HK) cloud division is weighing raising funds via a private round from Chinese state-owned enterprises ahead of the business' market debut in Hong Kong, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The tech giant is working with advisers on a potential fundraise by its Cloud Intelligence unit that could mop up about 10-20 billion yuan ($1.38-$2.75 billion), the report said, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Earlier this year, Alibaba announced plans to restructure into six units following a two-year regulatory crackdown on China's tech sector. It approved a full spinoff of the Cloud Intelligence Group via a stock dividend distribution to shareholders, aiming to complete the public listing within the next 12 months.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alibaba, Shivani Tanna, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, Bloomberg, Cloud Intelligence, Cloud Intelligence Group, Ant, Thomson Locations: HK, Hong Kong, Alibaba, Bengaluru

☆ Abbott's Texas National Guard set up a secret spy operation and treated the border like it was the war in Iraq: whistleblowers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Texas National Guardsmen set up a secret spying mission by using WhatsApp to snoop on migrants, a watchdog found. Top brass in Operation Lone Star — a state-run effort to combat illegal immigration — "wanted to pretend it was like Iraq," one servicemember told The Texas Tribune and The Military Times. Insider has reached out to the Texas National Guard for comment. After whistleblowers reported the WhatsApp surveillance, leaders in the Texas National Guard shut down Operation Lone Star's intelligence unit, the report said. The Texas Military Department's inspector general also investigated the activity and determined it was an unauthorized foreign intelligence operation, the outlets reported.

Persons: snoop, Greg Abbott, Greg Abbott's, Tuesday's, weren't, David Tyler Organizations: Texas National Guardsmen, Lone Star, The Texas Tribune, The Military Times . Texas Gov, National Guardsmen, Service, Gov, Texas Tribune, The Military Times, The Tribune, Operation Lone Star, Tribune, Texas National Guard, Star, Texas Gov, Department of Homeland Security, feds, DHS, The Texas Military Locations: Iraq, Wall, Silicon, Texas, Rio Grande, Lt

Even as the import ban kicked in, tables were filled at Japanese restaurant Fumi in Hong Kong on August 24, 2023. Kathleen Magramo/CNNHours before China’s announcement, the Asian financial center of Hong Kong – a semi-autonomous Chinese city – imposed its own ban on aquatic product imports from 10 Japanese regions including Tokyo and Fukushima. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reportedly “strongly” requested via diplomatic channels that China “immediately overturn” the ban. Still, Fei too thought that the bans from China and Hong Kong would have limited impact on Japanese trade. Consequently, even considering the reputational damage for Japanese seafood products, Japan’s overall exports will not be materially undermined,” Fei said.

Persons: “ It’s, ”, Thomason Ng, Fumi’s, “, Kathleen Magramo, Japan’s, Masanobu Sakamoto, Fumio Kishida, ” Sakamoto, –, Nigel Marks, there’s, CNN “ It’s, ” Marks, David Krofcheck, ” Krofcheck, Stefan Angrick, Angrick, That’s, China “, Fei Xue, Fei, ” Fei, restaurateurs, Hong Kong’s, Cara Man, we’ll Organizations: CNN, Hong Kong’s, East China, Fisherman’s Cooperative Association, ” “ Fishermen, Japanese, Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, Curtin University, University of Auckland, World Health Organization, Moody’s, Economist Intelligence Unit, “ Seafood Locations: Hong, Hong Kong’s Central, Fumi, Asia, Japan, China, Fukushima, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Weibo, East, Beijing, Australia, Ocean, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Japanese, Central, Japan’s Hokkaido, Kyushu, Kagoshima, Norway, Canada

☆ With Prigozhin dead, Putin has traded low-budget global reach for safety at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

On Friday, the Kremlin's spokesperson said the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the Wednesday plane crash that killed Yevgeny Prigozhin was "a complete lie." It was unavoidable payback for Prigozhin's insubordination, which culminated in a march towards Moscow with a column of his Wagner Group mercenaries. AdvertisementAdvertisementThose files were obtained from anonymous hackers who had pried them loose from the Wagner Group. Russia uses the Wagner Group to boost its military strength, but it is nothing like a conventional fighting force or diplomatic corps. Other reports suggest that the job replacing Wagner in Africa will fall to the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Prigozhin's, he'd, —, Putin, grandiosity, they'd, Alexander Lukashenko, James, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Wednesday, Wagner Group, Saint, Kremlin, Group, Central African, YouTube, Google, Wagner, Saint Petersburg, ISIS, Russia, Wall Street Journal, Russia's Ministry of Defence Locations: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Central African Republic, Russian, Ukraine, East, Africa, Saint, China, Belarus, Russia's

China operates talent programs at various levels of government, targeting a mix of overseas Chinese and foreign experts. China has previously said its overseas recruitment through the TTP aimed to build an innovation-driven economy and promote talent mobility, while respecting intellectual property rights, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. It said that anyone who recommends a candidate who is then selected for the talent programs would receive "diamonds, bags, cars, and houses". In some cases, these people said, those experts will be offered roles at Chinese chip companies' overseas operations. ($1 = 7.1475 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Julie Zhu, Fanny Potkin, Eduardo Baptista and Michael Martina; editing by David CrawshawOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Florence Lo, Xi Jinping, Qiming, Dean Boyd, Nick Marro, Chen Biaohua, Chen, Ma Yuanxiao, Dawei Di, Di, Zhuji, Julie Zhu, Fanny Potkin, Eduardo Baptista, Michael Martina, David Crawshaw Organizations: REUTERS, Washington, Reuters, China, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, U.S . Commerce Department, Xinhua, Ministry of Science, Technology, U.S, government's National Counterintelligence and Security Center, Economist Intelligence, China Center for Information Industry Development, China Semiconductor Industry Association, Qiming, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, Stanford, HK, LinkedIn, Hangzhou Juqi Technology, Fortune, Beijing Institute of Technology, BIT's School of Integrated Circuits, Electronics, Britain's University of Nottingham, University of Hong, BIT, Communist Party's Organization Department, Zhejiang University, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: China, HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, WASHINGTON, U.S, China's, Qiming, Beijing, Hangzhou, ResearchGate, University of Hong Kong, Ma, Zhejiang, Wenzhou, Cambridge

☆ How Mexican narcos use remittances to wire U.S. drug profits home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +28 min

Now the news agency is the first to detail how Mexican drug gangs have harnessed legitimate remittance networks to repatriate their U.S. drug profits, and the factors that make this activity so difficult for authorities to detect and thwart. But authorities say Mexican drug cartels are piggybacking on this legal network to repatriate earnings from U.S. narcotics sales. A Reuters search of Mexican court records dating back to 2012 turned up no cases involving money laundering through remittances. Still, prosecutors in those cases mentioned several of those firms in court documents because they said the defendants had used their platforms to wire drug money. His office did not respond to requests for comment about law enforcement allegations that Mexican cartels are using remittances to launder drug money.

Persons: Money, ”, “, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ” Jorge Godínez, ” Godínez, John Cornyn of, Chuck Grassley, ” Grassley, pocketing, John Horn, remitters ”, Horn, – Oscar Gustavo Perez, Bernal, Itzayana Guadalupe Perez, Susan Fiorella Ayala, Chavez –, Los, –, Jose Luis Rosales, Ocampo, Josue Gama, Perez, Thania Rosales, Dulce Rosales, – Ana Lilia Leal, Martinez, Ana Paola Banda, Maria de Lourdes Carbajal, Henri Watson, Carbajal, Sigue, Sangita Bricker, Transfast –, ” Sigue, Transfast, fanny, Juan de Dios Gámez, Rubén Rocha, BanCoppel, Banorte, hadn’t, El, López Obrador, ” López Obrador, Signos, Signos Vitales, Oquitoa, Enrique Cardenas, Tim Walz, Keith Ellison Organizations: Sinaloa Cartel, Reuters, Jalisco New, Mexican, WorldRemit, ., National Intelligence, narcos, U.S, Republican U.S, Treasury, U.S . Department of, U.S ., Financial Intelligence Unit, “, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Los Rosales, Kansas City, ”, Leal, IDT Corporation, IDT, Mastercard, Express Cellular, Prosecutors, IRS, Western Union, U.S . Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, ‘, Banco Azteca, Elektra, World Bank, Minnesota, Caborca Locations: CULIACÁN, Mexico, Mexican, Culiacán, Sinaloa, United States, Jalisco, U.S, Colorado, Union, Americas, London, John Cornyn of Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado , Georgia , Ohio , Oklahoma , Texas, Virginia, Washington, Georgia, Atlanta, Columbus, Rosales, Nayarit, Michoacan, Missouri, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Miami, , New Jersey, Ria, Kansas, California, New York, Western, Sinaloan, Costa Rica, BanCoppel, India, China, Mexico City, Minnesota, Arizona , Colorado , Florida , Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Oquitoa, Sonora

☆ Russia's inflation spike sets Kremlin and central bank on collision course
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina Alexei Nikolsky\TASS via Getty ImagesRussia's rising inflation and plunging currency have spotlighted an emerging discord between the Kremlin and the country's central bank. Analysts suggested the government's direct strong-arming of the central bank into monetary policy action was a sign of the problems faced by the country's economy. In other words, the Russian currency has entered a vicious circle that it will struggle to escape from." This is because the negative factors behind the weakening currency are largely outside the control of the Central Bank of Russia." She added that blaming the central bank has therefore become an "easy tactic" for the Kremlin in the absence of any tangible options through which to improve the situation.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina Alexei Nikolsky, Vladimir Putin's, Maxim Oreshkin, Anatoly Aksakov, Agathe Demarais, Demarais, Stephanie Kennedy, Julius Baer, Kennedy Organizations: Russian Central Bank Governor, Getty, Kremlin, Central Bank of Russia, Bank, Bank of Russia, Financial, Bank of, Economist Intelligence Unit, CNBC, CBR, U.S . Locations: Russia, Bank of Russia, Ukraine

☆ Ten foreigners arrested as $735 million in cash and assets seized in Singapore
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Ten foreign nationals have been arrested in Singapore on suspicion of committing offenses such as forgery and money laundering after about S$1 billion ($735 million) worth of cash and assets were seized in raids across the country. Two gold bars, more than S$23 million ($17 million) in cash, more than 250 luxury bags and watches, more than 270 jewelry items, more than 120 electronic devices and 11 documents related to virtual assets were seized, according to police. Also targeted were 94 properties and 50 vehicles, with an estimated total value of more than S$815 million ($599 million), police added. Prohibition of disposal orders were issued against 50 vehicles and 94 properties -- with an estimated total value of more than S$815 million ($599 million). If found guilty, individuals charged with money laundering could face up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Persons: David Chew, Ho Hern Shin Organizations: CNN, Singapore Police Force, Police, Facebook, Reuters, Cypriot, Commercial Affairs Department, Financial Intelligence, Monetary Authority of Singapore, MAS, Gallup’s Global Locations: Singapore

REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) work communication and collaboration platform DingTalk will split from the company's cloud division, according to two sources close to the company. Alibaba's Cloud Intelligence Business Group did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the matter. Though the Slack-like DingTalk will split structurally from Alibaba's Cloud Business Intelligence unit, the sources said it would continue to work closely with the cloud division technology-wise. The tech giant announced the split of its business in March and has said the cloud division was likely to IPO by May next year. Alibaba Group last week reported better than expected results for its first quarter, but sales for its Cloud Intelligence Business Group, a major growth driver outside of e-commerce, reported the smallest revenue growth among the group's business units of 4%.

Persons: Aly, Group's, DingTalk, Casey Hall, Himani Sarkar, Conor Humphries Organizations: Alibaba, Holding, REUTERS, Rights, HK, Alibaba Holding, Cloud Intelligence Business Group, Cloud Business Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China

☆ An oversupply-led plunge in pork price has pushed the Chinese economy into deflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pork prices are a significant driver of the consumer price index, and have fallen 26% year-on-year. Pork is the largest driver of the country's Consumer Price Index basket, comprising approximately 3% of it, per the Economist Intelligence Unit. "A rough rule of thumb is therefore that a 10% increase in the pork price will push up the CPI by 0.3%," the EIU said in a research note. The swing in pork prices over the past many years has thrown a huge challenge in front of China's hog farmers. This oversupply and resulting decline in pork prices has weighed heavily on the country's consumer price index, pushing the country into the region of deflation.

Persons: Oversupply, Xi Organizations: Service, Intelligence Unit, National Bureau, Statistics Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Beijing

Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank (PBOC), in Beijing, China September 30, 2022. Investors in China's stock markets, however, were clearly underwhelmed, as Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI) dropped roughly 2% over the week, while the mainland's benchmark CSI 300 index (.CSI) eked out a 0.7% gain. But investors are becoming frustrated by the time the NDRC is taking to flesh out stimulus policies, or order measures like a cut in stamp duty - that could help China's ailing property sector, and please investors in stocks and bonds. Even in a best-case scenario, growth over the second half of this year looks set to be modest." Reporting by Joe Cash and Albee Zhang in Beijing; Editing by Himani Sarkar & Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, HSI, flexibly, Zou Lan, Xu Tianchen, Joe Cash, Albee Zhang, Himani Sarkar, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, National Development, Reform Commission, Communist Party's, UBS, Council, Economist Intelligence Unit, Weibo, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING

BEIJING, July 31 (Reuters) - China's manufacturing activity fell for a fourth straight month in July while the services and construction sectors teetered on the brink of contraction, official surveys showed on Monday, threatening growth prospects for the third quarter. Construction sector activity for July was its weakest since COVID-19-related workplace disruptions dissipated around February, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed. The non-manufacturing PMI, which incorporates sub-indexes for service sector activity and construction, dropped to 51.5 from June's 53.2. "Meanwhile, we're seeing improvements in inventory levels, suggesting that with destocking nearing its end, China's manufacturing sector bottomed out in the second quarter," he added. "Unless concrete support is rolled out soon, the recent downturn in demand risks becoming self-reinforcing."

Persons: Xu Tianchen, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Joe Cash, Sam Holmes, Edmund Klamann Organizations: National Bureau, Statistics, Communist Party, PMI, Economist Intelligence Unit, destocking, China, State, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

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