DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, also increased at a faster 4.6% pace in August aided by the summer travel season, and was the quickest growth since May. The upbeat data suggest that a flurry of recent measures including property support policies to shore up a faltering economic recovery are starting to bear fruit. "Despite signs of stabilisation in manufacturing and related investment, the deteriorating property investment will continue to pressure economic growth," said Gary Ng, Natixis Asia Pacific senior economist. Ng said confidence remains the root of most problems requiring larger "constructive policy and regulatory changes" to boost growth momentum. For August, property investment extended its fall, down 19.1% year-on-year from a 17.8% slump the previous month, according to Reuters calculations based on NBS data.

Persons: Gary Ng, Ng, Albee Zhang, Liangping Gao, Kevin Yao, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, Natixis Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: Wuhan, Hubei province, China, BEIJING, U.S

☆ Canada trade minister is postponing a planned trade mission to India
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Canada's Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng speaks at a Lunar New Year celebration in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng is postponing a trade mission to India planned for October, an official said on Friday, reflecting increasingly tense diplomatic relations just days after India's prime minister scolded his Canadian counterpart at a G20 summit in New Delhi. "At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India," said Shanti Cosentino, a spokesperson for the minister, without giving a reason. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held formal bilateral meetings with many world leaders during the G20 summit, snubbed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, allowing only a short, informal meeting on the sidelines five days ago. Earlier on Friday, India said it had paused trade talks with Canada.

Persons: Mary Ng, Blair Gable, Shanti Cosentino, Narendra Modi, Justin Trudeau, Steve Scherer, Chris Reese, Matthew Lewis Organizations: of International Trade, Export, Small, Economic, REUTERS, Rights, Canadian Trade, Canadian, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, India, New Delhi, Punjab, Ottawa

☆ Here’s what major analysts thought of the new iPhone and what to do with Apple’s stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

He highlighted the enhanced photo capabilities on Pro models and called the new double tap feature the most notable upgrade to the Apple Watch. Many analysts expected hikes around $100 and $200 for the beefed up Pro and Pro Max iterations. Apple essentially delivered a $100 price hike on the Pro Max by doing away with the lower storage option. He noted that the hike on the Pro Max skewed to the low end of the Wall Street firm's expectation range. Evercore ISI's Amit Daryanani regarded the event as "mildly disappointing" for bulls hoping for a Pro price increase.

Persons: Toni Sacconaghi, Canaccord Genuity's Michael Walkley, Goldman Sachs, Michael Ng, Wells, Aaron Rakers, Pro Max, iPhones, Atif Malik, Evercore ISI's Amit Daryanani, David Vogt, Samik Chatterjee, Erik Woodring's, Morgan, Apple, Woodring, Sacconaghi, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Apple, Apple Watch, Wall, Pro, Citi, UBS Locations: China

Kim’s delegation likely includes his foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, and his top two military officials – Korean People’s Army Marshals Ri Pyong Chol and Pak Jong Chon. Other officials identified in North Korean state media photos may hint at what Kim might seek from Putin and what he would be willing to give. U.S. officials released intelligence last week that North Korea and Russia were arranging a meeting between their leaders. After decades of a complicated, hot-and-cold relationship, Russia and North Korea have been drawing closer since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both Russian and North Korean officials denied such claims.

Persons: —, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Jeon Ha Gyu, Choe Sun Hui, Ri, Pak Jong Chon, Putin, Pak, Song, Adm, Kim Myong Sik, it's, Kim Jong, Jo Chun Ryong, Putin’s, Dmitry Peskov, ”, Adrienne Watson, “, Matthew Miller, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Jim Heintz, Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee, Dake Kang, Ng Han Guan Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, Korea’s Defense Ministry, Korean People’s, Korea’s Unification Ministry, TASS, Associated Press, White, National Security, North, Democratic People’s, ”, Washington, United, Korean, Russian Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, North, North Korean, Korea, Russian, Vladivostok, Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday ., Ukrainian, DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Washington, Japan, Moscow, Beijing, United States, Korean, Tallinn, Estonia, Fangchuan, China, russia, ukraine

☆ TES' e-LNG could 'solve the energy transition for billions of people': CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | 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 EmailTES' e-LNG could 'solve the energy transition for billions of people': CEOMarco Alvera, CEO of TES explains the process behind the creation of e-NG (electric natural gas), and how it could replace traditional LNG.

Persons: Marco Alvera Organizations: TES

☆ Opinion: The ‘rising superpower’ myth about China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Opinion Peter Bergen | Joel Rayburn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

He was the US Special Envoy for Syria and the senior director for Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon on the National Security Council staff during the Trump administration. After that, China’s National Bureau of Statistics said it would suspend publishing youth unemployment data in the future. What does it signify that China’s national power, which today is vast, is almost certain to be weaker in the future? If Xi and his strategists have a feasible plan for nimbly averting China’s demographic doom, they are keeping very quiet about it. This brings us back to the question of national security strategies for the United States and its allies.

Persons: Peter Bergen, Peter Bergen ”, Joel Rayburn, Trump, Biden, Saddam Hussein’s, Lloyd Austin, China’s, Xi Jinping, Stephen Shaver, ”, Ng Han Guan, Xi, China “, ” Trump Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, American Center for Levant Studies, New America, US, National Security Council, CNN, Strategy, Pentagon, of Defense, Development Research Center, Communist Party, UPI, Manpower, Census Bureau, National Bureau of Statistics, Financial, China’s Southwestern University of Finance, Economics, Rocky, United Nations, Beijing, Pew Research Center, Communist, Trump administration’s National Security, Twitter, Trump Locations: New America, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Washington, China, United States, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, al Qaeda, Ukraine, People’s Republic of China, Beijing, India, Yarkent County, China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Saudi Arabia, USSR, Russia, Russia’s Ukraine, Vietnam, Korea, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong

Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's steps to roll back reforms aimed at opening Mexico's power and oil markets to foreign competitors ultimately sparked the trade dispute. The steps add to a significant worsening of trade relations between Washington and Mexico City, even as their economic integration grows. Like the energy policies, Washington argues that banning GMO corn for human and animal consumption violates Mexico's obligations under the trade pact. The White House has hoped to avoid escalating energy trade tensions with Mexico as it sought help on immigration and drug trafficking, but talks that began last year have made little progress. In 2022, Mexico had a $130.5 billion goods trade surplus with the United States.

Persons: Katherine Tai, Tatiana Clouthier, Trade Mary Ng, Joe Biden's, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's, USTR, Obrador, Biden, Donald Trump, Jarrett Renshaw, David Lawder, Stephen Eisenhammer, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Trade, Small Business, Export, Washington, United States Trade Representative, United, Chevron, Marathon Petroleum, Comision Federal, Mexico, Ministry, U.S, North American Free Trade, Thomson Locations: Mexican, United States, Mexico, Canada, Mexico City, U.S, United States Mexico Canada, USMCA, Washington, China, Washington's

"The United States is also working to ensure that the procedures governing the defendant's return to Malaysia will not unduly delay the service of his U.S. sentence," prosecutors said. Ng's lawyers agreed to the one-month delay, prosecutors said. The case stemmed from about $6.5 billion in bonds that Goldman helped 1MDB sell in 2012 and 2013. Agnifilo said at the hearing that Malaysia wanted Ng's cooperation with an ongoing 1MDB probe. Ng was arrested in Malaysia in Nov. 2018 and agreed to be extradited to the United States three months later.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Margo Brodie, Roger Ng's, Marc Agnifilo, Goldman, 1MDB, Ng, Brodie, Drew Rolle, Agnifilo, Malaysia's, Tim Leissner, Jho, Luc Cohen, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, Malaysia, United, Thomson Locations: Malaysia, New York, Brooklyn, Kuala Lumpur, United States, U.S

Country Garden also offered on Tuesday to extend repayment of eight onshore bonds worth 10.8 billion yuan ($1.48 billion) by three years, according to people with knowledge of the matter and documents seen by Reuters. Country Garden did not respond to a request for comment. A general view of a construction site of residential buildings by Chinese developer Country Garden in Tianjin, China August 18, 2023. Country Garden has not missed a debt payment obligation, onshore or offshore. "The three-year extension of maturity offered by Country Garden looks better than restructuring plans by most of the other troubled developers," Meng said.

Persons: Gary Ng, Tingshu Wang, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, DODGE, CreditSights, Ting Meng, Meng, Xie Yu, Shuyan Wang, Jason Xue, Sumeet Chatterjee, Christopher Cushing, Kim Coghill Organizations: HK, Reuters, Country, Natixis Asia Pacific, REUTERS, Services, Global, Hargreaves, Mainland Properties, CSI, ANZ, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, BEIJING, Tianjin, China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Bengaluru

☆ Binance global head of product Mayur Kamat resigns - The Block
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Binance logo is seen in this illustration taken March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - Binance's global head of product and design, Mayur Kamat, has resigned amid a string of executive exits and job cuts at the cryptocurrency exchange, The Block reported on Monday citing a source. Kamat's exit follows a recent executive exodus from Binance that includes Chief Strategy Officer Patrick Hillmann and General Counsel Hon Ng. Binance did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report. The cryptocurrency exchange has lately been under heavy regulatory scrutiny in the United States, with regulators aggressively clamping down on what they deem are illegal activities.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mayur Kamat, Patrick Hillmann, Hon Ng, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Akanksha, Eileen Soreng Organizations: REUTERS, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru

☆ In surprise move, Canada pauses talks on trade treaty with India
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Canada on Friday unexpectedly said it had paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with India, just three months after the two nations said they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year. Canada and India have been talking off and on since 2010 about a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. India and Canada said in May they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year to increase trade and expand investment while setting out a mechanism to deal with disputes. Last month, a top Indian trade official said New Delhi planned to hold bilateral free trade talks with Canada and other nations on the sidelines of a G20 summit next week. Neither Trudeau's office or the office of Trade Minister Mary Ng were immediately available for comment.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Chris Helgren, we've, Sanjay Kumar Verma, Trudeau, Mary Ng, David Ljunggren, Jonathan Oatis, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Canada's, Seventh Assembly of, Global Environment, REUTERS, Rights, Canadian Press, Ottawa, Trade, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, India, New Delhi, Delhi

Country Garden is China's largest private developer. Country Garden has been in talks with onshore creditors to extend payments on the private bond and has proposed to repay in instalments over three years instead of meeting its obligations by the deadline on Saturday. "Country Garden may be able to extend its debts, but it does not mean the company and property sector are out of the woods unless home sales rebound." On Wednesday, creditors holding 10.5% of the outstanding principal, added a new proposal where they can vote to immediately call the company in default. The company's extension plan for the onshore private bond calls for payments in seven instalments ending in September 2026.

Persons: Matthew Pestronk, Goldman Sachs, Moody's, Kaven Tsang, Gary Ng, Ng, Xie Yu, Clare Jim, Li Gu, Matt Tracy, Sumeet Chatterjee, Anne Marie Roantree, Jacqueline Wong, Kim Coghill, Susan Fenton Organizations: HK, Post, People's Bank of China, Thursday, Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: China, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, Beijing, Hong Kong, Philadelphia, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Caa1, Asia, Shanghai

☆ Exclusive: Chinese exporters using currency swaps to retain dollars as yuan sags
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The swaps allow exporters to place their dollars with banks and get yuan instead, but through a contract that will eventually reverse the flows and give them back their dollars. However, while they remove a much-needed source of dollar supplies into spot yuan markets, analysts reckon Chinese monetary authorities can't really force exporters to convert dollars. When exporters swap higher-yielding dollars for the cheaper yuan for even 3 months, they get local currency for business needs and also earn a pick-up of an annualised 3.5% on the swap deal. "By trading FX swaps, exporters can postpone their settlements while meeting their yuan demand," said Becky Liu, head of China macro strategy at Standard Chartered Bank. Exporters' swaps, meanwhile, give state banks a pile of dollars to use in their yuan operations, in which they can undertake swaps to acquire the dollars from the onshore forwards market and sell them in the spot market to stem fast yuan declines.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ding, Gary Ng, Becky Liu, Jindong Zhang, Winni Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Federal Reserve, Asia Pacific, Traders, Administration of Foreign Exchange, Standard Chartered Bank, China Merchants Bank, Thomson Locations: Rights SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, U.S, Shanghai, China, Natixis, Singapore

☆ African climate summit seeks to shift focus to finance from floods, famine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A report last year by the non-profit Climate Policy Initiative found Africa has received only 12% of the finance it needs to cope with climate impacts. The thousands of delegates are expected to debate solutions ahead of a U.N. climate summit next month in New York in September and the COP28 U.N. summit in the United Arab Emirates from the end of November. The summit's organisers also say they expect deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars to be concluded in Nairobi. In June, it hosted an auction where companies from Saudi Arabia bought more than 2.2 million tonnes of carbon credits. One project generating carbon credits in Kenya is BURN Manufacturing's production of clean cooking stoves to replace heavily polluting wood and charcoal-based fires.

Persons: Finbarr O'Reilly, Soipan Tuya, Amos Wemanya, Chris McKinney, Joseph Ng'ang'a, Duncan Miriri, Christophe Van Der, Aaron Ross, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Initiative, Kenyan Environment, United, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Africa Carbon Markets, Thomson Locations: Haute Uele, Congo, Rights NAIROBI, Africa, Nairobi, New York, United Arab, Gabon, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Egypt

☆ Singapore braces for 'partisan' vote for president, guardian of its vast reserves
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian (left) waves as he arrives at the nomination center for the presidential election in Singapore on August 22, 2023. Song is standing in the city-state's 2023 presidential election. Presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam waves to his supporters at the nomination center for the upcoming presidential election in Singapore on Aug. 22, 2023. Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty ImagesThe full scale of Singapore's reserves is not publicly available, though public information of some institutions charged with investing its reserves offer a glimpse into the size of the reserves. Local independent news outlet Jom estimated that only 0.044% of Singaporean adults qualify to run as Singapore president.

Persons: —, incorruptibility, Eugene Tan, Tan Kin Lian, Roslan Rahman, Tan, Ng Kok, Lee Kuan Yew, Tharman, Ng, Shanmugaratnam, Tan Meng, Singapore's, Lee Kuan, Kevin Tan, Cherian, Halimah Yacob —, Cherian George, who's Organizations: Getty, SINGAPORE, Observers, Singapore Management University, NTUC, Afp, Monetary Fund, Party, CNBC, Bloomberg, Presidential Advisors, Xinhua News Agency, Temasek, Singapore, Monetary Authority of, Cherian George National University of Singapore, Hong Kong Baptist University, Malay, National University of Singapore, Hong, Hong Kong Baptist University's School of Communication Locations: Singapore's Marina Bay, Singapore, State, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Hong, Hong Kong

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

☆ Simon Rogan, Michelin-starred chef, fights toxic kitchen culture
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Maggie Wong | Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

We’re gonna push you.’”Chef Simon Rogan thinks a change in kitchen culture is overdue. Meanwhile, reality TV shows glorifying intense and even toxic kitchen culture, such as “Hell’s Kitchen,” have been captivating audiences for years. Rogan, seen here on his farm in Cartmel, England, claims there has never been a better time to join the restaurant industry. A commis chef (novice chef) in our rural location makes about £30,000 [per annum] ($38,155),” says Rogan. Most of their restaurants offer a five-day work week and a 10-hour work shift, as opposed to the six-day work week followed by many of the region’s eateries.

Persons: Simon Rogan, ” Rogan, squinting, You’ve, Maggie Hiufu Wong, Barbara Lynch, Lynch, Copenhagen’s Noma, René Redzepi, Noma, Michel Roux Jr, Le Gavroche, Rogan, ”, wasn’t, “, Rogan's, Simon Rogan “, you’ve, “ We’ll, L’Enclume, ‘, Caleb Ng, Joshua Ng, Ng, ” Ng Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Financial Times, Financial, Le, ”, Michelin, Twins, Shanghai – Locations: New York, Boston, Menton, Copenhagen, London, “, Cartmel, England, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, American, Singapore, Shanghai

China cut its one-year benchmark lending rate on Monday, which is set to further weigh on banks' NIM. Chinese commercial banks' NIM shrank sharply to 1.74% last quarter from 1.91% at the end of 2022, official data showed. Shares of China's biggest five banks have been sliding since early May amid concerns over the weakening economy. Debt-laden municipalities represent a major risk to China's economy and financial stability, after years of over-investment in infrastructure and plummeting returns from land sales. Still, there's really no getting around the fact that banks will need to sacrifice profitability to support the economy this year," Beddor added.

Persons: Florence, headwinds, Gary Ng, NIM, Christopher Beddor, there's, Beddor, Ziyi Tang, Ryan Woo, Sumeet Chatterjee, Himani Organizations: Bank of Communications, Fair for Trade, Services, REUTERS, China Construction Bank, Corporate, Investment Banking, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, Bank of Communications Co, Agricultural Bank of China, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING

☆ Canada to challenge extension of US softwood lumber duties
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Finished lumber is seen at West Fraser Pacific Inland Resources sawmill in Smithers, British Columbia, Canada February 4, 2020. REUTERS/Jesse Winter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Canada will challenge what Ottawa described as an "unfair, unjust and illegal" extension of U.S. import duties on Canadian softwood lumber products, the trade ministry said on Tuesday. The softwood lumber tariffs are the legacy of a decades-long trade dispute over the structure of Canada's timber sector that could not be resolved when a quota agreement expired in 2015. "For years, the United States has imposed unfair, unjust and illegal duties on Canadian softwood lumber, hurting Canadian industry and increasing housing costs in both countries," Trade Minister Mary Ng said in the statement. "We are prepared to discuss another softwood lumber agreement when Canada is ready to address the underlying issues related to subsidization and fair competition so that Canadian lumber imports do not injure the U.S. industry," a USTR spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Persons: Jesse Winter, Mary Ng, Ismail Shakil, Susan Heavey, Devika Syamnath, Andy Sullivan Organizations: West Fraser Pacific Inland Resources, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Ottawa, U.S . Commerce Department, Canada, Washington, Trade, United, U.S . Trade, Thomson Locations: West, Smithers , British Columbia, Canada, U.S, Mexico, United States, Ottawa, Bengaluru

☆ Ukrainian Children Brought to Camps in Belarus, Exposed to Pro-Kremlin Propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Karolina Jeznach | Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Videos and photos posted by authorities in occupied Ukrainian regions show children waving Russian flags, studying Russian history and dancing to patriotic Russian songs. WSJ’s Ian Lovett explains the Kremlin’s efforts to re-educate Ukrainian children. Photo composite: Kalvin NgWARSAW—Belarus, a staunch ally of Russia, has transported thousands of Ukrainian children—some of them orphans—to the country, where they were exposed to pro-Kremlin propaganda, an effort that underscores the former Soviet nation’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. More than 2,000 children have been brought by rail from Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine to Belarus as part of an agreement between Russia and Belarus, according to a publicly available document from the Belarusian government as well as leaked documents from Russian Railways and Belaruskali, a Belarus company funding the effort.

Persons: WSJ’s Ian Lovett, Ng, — Organizations: Kremlin, Russian Railways Locations: Ukrainian, Ng WARSAW, Belarus, Russia, Soviet, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Japanese restaurant owners in Hong Kong brace for Fukushima seafood ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Japanese restaurant owners in Hong Kong are grappling with a looming ban on seafood imports from 10 Japanese prefectures because of Tokyo's plan to release treated water from the crippled Fukushima plant into the sea from Aug. 24. Hong Kong is Japan's second largest market, after mainland China, for agricultural and fisheries exports. Although the details of Hong Kong's ban remains unclear, Halry Yu, 42, owner of Japanese restaurant Hassun, said more than 90% of seafood sent to Hong Kong is gathered in Tokyo. “If they ban imports that come via Tokyo, I think all sushi restaurants in Hong Kong will be in trouble. Advertising executive Hilda Lee, 30, said she enjoys eating Japanese seafood, and dines at Japanese restaurants two to three times each month.

Persons: Hong, Halry Yu, ” Yu, barbecued, Yu, Hong Kong, Hilda Lee, dines, Lee, Jim Smith, there's, Smith, Dino Leung, Leung, Edmond Ng, Joyce Zhou, Farah, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Japan, Hong, University of Portsmouth, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, Saitama, Wan Chai

[1/3] Presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian, speaks to the media and supporters at the nomination centre in Singapore August 22, 2023. About three-quarters of Singapore's 3.5 million citizens are ethnic Chinese, with the rest of the population ethnic Malays, ethnic Indian or Eurasian. Tan was also one of four candidates who ran for president in the 2011 election. Singapore's president sits for a 6-year term. ($1 = 1.3568 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Xinghui Kok, Additional reporting by Chen Lin; editing by Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tan Kin Lian, Caroline Chia, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Lee Hsien Loong, Ng, Halimah, Tan, Xinghui Kok, Chen Lin, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Action Party, Thomson Locations: Singapore

☆ We have room to hike rates without contracting the economy, says Philippine central bank chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | 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 EmailWe have room to hike rates without contracting the economy, says Philippine central bank chiefEli Remolona, governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, says he expects there will be "some recovery" in the country's economy in the third quarter.

Persons: Eli Remolona Organizations: ng Pilipinas Locations: Philippine

"We think the situation is probably getting a little bit worse because of this Country Garden incident," Chan told CNBC in a phone interview Thursday. The debt troubles at Country Garden and the uncertainty of government support are feeding into broader unease in the Chinese housing market. Louise Loo Oxford EconomicsThe Chinese property sector has been reeling since 2020, when Beijing cracked down on the debt levels of mainland property developers. Chan said S&P's bear case for China's property sector is for 11 trillion yuan in sales this year, and 10 trillion yuan for 2024. Land sales divergenceAs China's property sector consolidates amid the debt and credit malaise, state-owned developers are better positioned to grow than non-state ones.

Persons: Edward Chan, Chan, Evergrande, Louise Loo, Global's Chan, That's, China's, Gary Ng Organizations: Future Publishing, CNBC, JPMorgan, Louise Loo Oxford, Oxford Economics, Natixis Corporate, Investment Banking Locations: Chengdong, Hai, City, East China's Jiangsu Province, China, U.S, China's, Beijing

☆ Japan's core inflation eases, bolstering view BOJ will stand pat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 3.1% rise in the core consumer price index (CPI), which includes oil products but excludes volatile fresh food prices, matched a median market forecast, following a 3.3% increase in the previous month. The so-called core-core inflation index, which excludes fresh food and energy prices and is closely watched by the BOJ as a better gauge of trend inflation, rose 4.3% year-on-year in July, accelerating from the previous month. Still, analysts say an acceleration in service-led inflation is a positive sign that demand-side inflation, which the BOJ is looking to stoke, may be building. Gabriel Ng, economist at Capital Economics, said the key question is whether services inflation can pick up the baton. Food costs were among the major contributors to the overall inflation due to elevated prices of raw materials.

Persons: Takeshi Minami, Gabriel Ng, Ng, Kazuo Ueda, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of Japan, Norinchukin Research, Capital Economics, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, stoke

Search resuls for: "" Ng"

25 mentions found