Market

Commentary: Hong Kong and Singapore air travel bubble could be a game-changer
1Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, Market, Singapore, World

Commentary: Hong Kong and Singapore air travel bubble could be a game-changer

The air travel bubble between both countries is a landmark agreement that signals the start of a gradual recovery for Asia’s international passenger traffic, says Brendan Sobie. SINGAPORE: The air travel bubble announced by Hong Kong and Singapore on Oct 15 marks the first significant positive development in several months for both aviation hubs, Singapore Airlines (SIA) as well as Cathay Pacific. Both the Changi Airport and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) are currently at about 1.5 per cent of normal passenger traffic levels. Passenger traffic at SIA Group and Cathay Pacific Group are at even lower levels – down almost 99 per cent in recent months. Traffic has been essentially stalled at the current paltry level for the last three months, following a very slight uptic...
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Singapore’s foray into space: Boldly going where no little red dot has gone before
1Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
China, Market, Singapore, World

Singapore’s foray into space: Boldly going where no little red dot has gone before

The efforts of the country’s budding space industry are giving the Republic a larger stake in the space race than many people may think. The programme Why It Matters looks at the opportunities and obstacles. SINGAPORE: Over the past four years, Singapore-based start-up Transcelestial has made a device called Centauri, about the size of a shoe box. Its aim: To provide internet connectivity that is around 1,000 times faster, or more, than now. It just needs to connect to a satellite using laser communications — no, make that a global satellite network the company wants to put into space. Working from home at the speed of light, however, “isn’t even scratching the surface of the capability” of laser-linked satellites, says Transcelestial co-founder Rohit Jha. He is looking into connec...
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Older Americans are selling the stock market, slowly but ceaselessly, to junior generations
31Oct By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, World

Older Americans are selling the stock market, slowly but ceaselessly, to junior generations

Trevor Williams Baby boomers own an outsize helping of the market and are constantly reducing it, a process with significant implications for the supply and demand for equities, the interpretation of fund-flow statistics and the kinds of stocks likely to perform better and worse in coming years. A breakdown of household-stock and stock-fund ownership by generation shows more than half is possessed by baby boomers, those born between World War II and the mid-1960s. Millennials, now the largest generation, lack the size and financial wherewithal to absorb very much of the ongoing boomer liquidation in real time. The good news, such as it is, might be that stock ownership is so concentrated at the upper end of the wealth strata that most of these holdings don't need to be sold by their well...
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Pentagon chief stresses stronger alliances to counter China, Russia
30Oct By Desk TeamNo Comments
China, Market, World

Pentagon chief stresses stronger alliances to counter China, Russia

WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Mark Esper revealed a new initiative on Tuesday (Oct 20) to strengthen and expand US alliances with "like-minded democracies" to counter Russia and China. Esper said the Pentagon would systematically monitor and manage its relationships with partner countries, aiming to find ways to coordinate militaries and also to advance US arms sales. The initiative, called the Guidance for Development for Alliances and Partnerships(GDAP), came just two weeks before the presidential election that, if President Donald Trump loses, could see Esper replaced in January. It also came after nearly four years of Trump's efforts to restructure and even dismantle alliances, including threatening NATO. "America's network of allies and partners provides us an asymmetric ad...
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The fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, explained
29Oct By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, World

The fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, explained

At the call of the CCAF (Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France) several hundred people belonging to the Armenian community in France gathered near the Azerbaijan Embassy in Paris, France, on September 29, 2020, to protest against the war that broke out in recent days in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey. Samuel Boivin | NurPhoto via Getty Images LONDON — The re-emergence of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region have ratcheted up fears of a wider regional conflict at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. Dozens have been reported killed and hundreds wounded since fighting between the two former Soviet republics broke out on Sunday. The contested mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh is...
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South link needs clarity
26Oct By Brian ThompsonNo Comments
China, Market, USA

South link needs clarity

As plans for the southern land bridge project make the headlines, doubts are growing on whether the multi-billion-dollar project will ever materialize, despite its economic benefits.Recently, Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered a new feasibility study for a land bridge in the South, which would connect Chumphorn province on the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand and Ranong province on the southeastern shores of the Andaman Sea.According to him, as the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) alone won't be enough to boost the economy in the long run, the government had to look for another megaproject to invest in. Ultimately, it was decided that a land bridge would be a good choice.Two projects were considered -- in addition to the land bridge, the government also looked at buildin...
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India-Bangladesh relationship towards a healthy hike
22Oct By Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Market

India-Bangladesh relationship towards a healthy hike

Despite being torn apart by geopolitical boundaries, Bangladesh shares a common socio-political heritage with its biggest neighbor India.The people of the two countries cherish more affinities than detachment, which is why India invested tremendous efforts for the cause of the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, and Bangladesh has always been very thankful to India for that.There have been minimal disturbances and discrepancies in India-Bangladesh relationship since then, and a strong fraternal unity has kept the two countries tied in harmony for decades.Especially, after the advent of the Awami League Government led by the daughter of Bangabandhu, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the second time in 2008, the relationship between India and Bangladesh has become so strengthened that even ...
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J&K: Samoon reviews action plan of Srinagar’s Craft Development Institute
20Oct By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Market

J&K: Samoon reviews action plan of Srinagar’s Craft Development Institute

Principal Secretary, School Education and Skill Development Department, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon, convened a meeting with senior officers of Skill Development Department to review and discuss action plan for Craft Development Institute (CDI) at Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar.The meeting was attended by Director Skill Development, Sajad Hussain Ganai, Director Finance, Skill Development, Joint Director Planning, Skill Development and other concerned officers.Director, Skill Development, gave detailed brief through power point presentation on roadmap and objectives of the Institute saying that the Craft Development Institute adopts a holistic approach to handicrafts development by maximizing the potential of skill-based activities.CDI draws inspiration from the rich heritage of arts and crafts i...
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J&K’s woolen sector to get major revamp under World Bank funded project
12Oct By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Market

J&K’s woolen sector to get major revamp under World Bank funded project

The traditional wool-based industry in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is being given a major overhaul under the ongoing World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP) —a move associated with wool production as well as the employees working at the heritage government Bemina Woolen Mill.Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Chief Executive Officer of the project said that the J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA) under the component of restoration and strengthening of livelihoods of the World Bank funded JTFRP is taking concrete steps for the restoration/strengthening of livelihoods under the traditional cottage-based industry. “This step a major revamp underway for the restoration of government Woollen Mills at Bemina,” he said.He further explained tha...
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