Market

Delhi Court rejects bail plea of Chinese national arrested under Official Secrets Act
17Nov mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, China, Market

Delhi Court rejects bail plea of Chinese national arrested under Official Secrets Act

A bail petition by Miss Qing Shi, a Chinese National arrested in India by special cell of Delhi Police under the Official Secrets Act has been rejected by a Delhi Court.She was arrested along with freelance Journalist Rajeev Sharma and one other accused in September.While rejecting the bail, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Singh Rajawat said that “no ground is made out to grant bail to Qing Shi at this stage.”The court noted that, if accused Wing Shi is released on bail, she will not only try to flee from the country through land routes but may also attempt to indulge in similar offences.The court also observed, “Furthermore, the other material which was recovered coupled with the preliminary electronic evidence collected by the investigating agency points towards involvement of accuse...
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A headless chicken: Multiple obstacles hit CPEC’S progress
17Nov mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
China, Market, USA

A headless chicken: Multiple obstacles hit CPEC’S progress

 A ‘headless’ body, officially admitted as such, is supposed to be taking (or delaying) decisions in Pakistan regarding the 60 billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.The Pakistan Government’s ordinance under which the CPEC Authority (CPECA) was set up last year lapsed in July, 2020 and no fresh legal/constitutional arrangement has been made. Questioned by a parliamentary committee, the government said the body is headed by “no one.”The man placed at the top of CPECA, retired Lt. general Asim Bajwa, is working away from the office, and not drawing any salary. He was forced to resign as a Special Adviser of Prime Minister Imran Khan in October following media exposure about over 90 business firms his family has allegedly set up. He was holding dual charge and now, Kha...
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Analysis: Fear on the wild frontier as riskier stock markets left trailing
16Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
China, Market, World

Analysis: Fear on the wild frontier as riskier stock markets left trailing

related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. 3 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. Frontier stocks have trailed bigger emerging markets in recovering from the coronavirus-induced crash as liquidity has dried up and investors beat a hasty retreat. LONDON: Frontier stocks have trailed bigger emerging markets in recovering from the coronavirus-induced crash as liquidity has dried up and investors beat a hasty retreat. BMO Global Asset Management shut a US$78 million fund and Aberdeen Standard Investments wound up an investment trust, both invested in frontier stocks, in recent months after fellow fund manager Barings took a similar step last year. Money managers say assets under management in dedicated frontier fu...
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Californians pass proposition to let Uber treat drivers as contractors: projection
12Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, World

Californians pass proposition to let Uber treat drivers as contractors: projection

Voters in trend-setting California backed a ballot proposal by Uber and its allies that cements app-based food delivery and ride-hail drivers' status as independent contractors, not employees, according to a projection by data provider Edison Research. REUTERS: Voters in trend-setting California backed a ballot proposal by Uber and its allies that cements app-based food delivery and ride-hail drivers' status as independent contractors, not employees, according to a projection by data provider Edison Research. Victory in the most expensive ballot contest in state history is a rebuke to state legislators and allows Uber, Lyft and allies to set the employment terms of the gig economy that they helped create. Some had threatened to leave California, their home market, if they lost. The ...
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Kelly Evans: Here’s what we know…
12Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, World

Kelly Evans: Here’s what we know…

...as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern time: (1) Stocks are jumping, tech stocks especially. The Dow's up more than 500 points. The Nasdaq is up almost 4%! Why? No blue wave. No matter the outcome of the presidency, this makes the prospect of major tax hikes (sell your winners, i.e. tech) less likely. It means no killing the filibuster, which could have introduced frequent major policy swings, as we've discussed. It more or less means the "good" kind of D.C. gridlock, in which any big changes require a large consensus, not just a slim majority. (2) Bond yields are slumping. The 10-year, which ran up to a high of 0.94% early last night when the Democrats' prospects looked more promising, has now slumped to 0.75%. Wow. The reason for that, people say, is much lower odds of any major Covid relief pack...
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Malaysia says aviation firms may need three years to recover from COVID-19
12Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, Market, Singapore, World

Malaysia says aviation firms may need three years to recover from COVID-19

KUALA LUMPUR: Airlines in Malaysia could take three years to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, depending on the outbreak in the country and abroad, the transport ministry said. Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said earlier this week that in the Malaysian Aviation Commission's (MAVCOM) revised projections for passenger traffic this year, it expects passenger numbers to shrink as much as 75.6 per cent to 26.6 million, compared with the 109.2 million passengers recorded in 2019. "In this regard, airlines are expected to need a period of three years to fully recover the situation from the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, subject to the of the outbreak in the country and abroad," Wee said in a written parliamentary reply dated Monday (Nov 9). Airlines globally have taken a hit from ...
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New Virgin Australia strategy spells end of business travel arms race
11Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, World

New Virgin Australia strategy spells end of business travel arms race

Virgin Australia looks set to cut basic fares and start charging fees for items like checked baggage and food under new chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka, prompting a wider industry shake-up as the country's airlines reawaken from the coronavirus crisis. SYDNEY: Virgin Australia looks set to cut basic fares and start charging fees for items like checked baggage and food under new chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka, prompting a wider industry shake-up as the country's airlines reawaken from the coronavirus crisis. Virgin's shift from being a full-service carrier will also mark the end of a decade-long arms race with Qantas Airways Ltd for corporate travellers involving lavish airport lounges, celebrity chefs and lie-flat business seats on longer domestic flights. Unusually for airlines glob...
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Businesses should get ready for more volatility in the Chinese yuan, regulator says
11Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
China, Market, World

Businesses should get ready for more volatility in the Chinese yuan, regulator says

Jason Lee | Reuters BEIJING — China's foreign exchange regulator told businesses Friday to prepare for more volatility in the yuan. The Chinese currency, also known as the renminbi, strengthened roughly 1% this week against the U.S. dollar to levels not seen since July 2018. Less than five months ago, the yuan was at its weakest against the greenback since early 2008. Although that is based on a midpoint set by the central bank, the People's Bank of China, Beijing has been allowing markets to play a greater role in the exchange rate. One-year implied volatility of the yuan has climbed to 5%, versus less than 2% for previous years, indicating a basis of "increased flexibility" in the exchange rate, State Administration of Foreign Exchange spokeswoman Wang Chunying told reporters on Friday....
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South Korea Oct factory activity grows at fastest pace in more than 2 yrs
11Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
China, Market, USA, World

South Korea Oct factory activity grows at fastest pace in more than 2 yrs

SEOUL: South Korea's factory activity expanded at the fastest pace in more than two years in October, a private-sector survey showed on Monday (Nov 2), as global demand picked up from its coronavirus slump. The IHS Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI) jumped to 51.2, from 49.8 in September, the first expansion in 10 months and the highest reading since September 2018. The 50-mark threshold separates growth from contraction. That reflected the rise in major sub-indexes, with factory production and new orders logging their sharpest growth since April 2013. New export orders returned to growth for the first time in nine months, albeit at a subdued level. "October data marks a clear improvement in South Korea's manufacturing sector ... outright expansions in both output and new orde...
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Commentary: The world has big expectations for a Joe Biden presidency
11Nov By Desk TeamNo Comments
China, Market, USA, World

Commentary: The world has big expectations for a Joe Biden presidency

Countries around the world hope to see huge efforts devoted to restoring US leadership and repairing alliances, say the Financial Times’ Katrina Manson, Aime Williams and Michael Peel. LONDON: Joe Biden has promised to put an end to Donald Trump’s isolationist, disruptive approach to global relations. But a Biden administration bid to restore American leadership will require time and political capital at a time when the superpower’s global role stands in doubt at home and abroad. While diplomats are not likely to hear the phrase “America First” for a while, Mr Biden will face challenges including countering China, re-entering the nuclear deal with Iran, resetting relations with Europe and dealing with the fallout of Brexit on the relationship with the UK. CHINA: LITTLE LET-UP IN PR...
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