Injunctive relief and damages

- A + A (May 16): As spiraling inflation spreads across the globe, emerging-market bonds from Turkey to Thailand are feeling the brunt. Local-currency debt from developing nations -- which is far more sensitive to a country’s domestic inflationary pressures than dollar denominated equivalents — has slumped almost 9% this year, the most since at least 2008, according to a Bloomberg index. There’s unlikely to be any relief soon as central bankers around the world attempt to control surging prices by raising interest rates even more aggressively — potentially risking growth in doing so. That certainly wasn’t the plan. Many developing economies led the charge in rate hikes last year, getting ahead of policy makers in the US and hoping to avoid a redux of the 2013 taper tantrum. But with inflation raging in the US and the strong dollar pressuring currencies elsewhere, these countries are now making a new rulebook. Policy makers across emerging nations are either … [Read more...] about Bond traders reel as inflation hits world’s emerging local debt

U.S. equity markets are sinking as Russia escalates attacks on Ukraine, raising concerns about disruptions of oil and other commodities. The Dow at one point was down more than 600 points, while crude oil approached $107 a barrel. Key Takeaways The Dow Jones fell more than 600 points as crude oil surged past $105 a barrel and financial and travel company shares slumped. Wheat and corn futures traded limit up as both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters, with wheat hitting prices not seen since 2008. Retailers including Target and Walmart are trading higher. Oil prices are soaring to more than $105 a barrel, the highest they’ve been since 2014. Wheat and corn futures traded limit up as both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters. Wheat prices are at levels not seen since 2008. Investors continued to put money into haven investments. Bond prices are rising with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note falling another 11 basis points (BPS) to 1.72%. Gold and … [Read more...] about Stocks’ Rout Deepens as Oil Soars and Russian Invasion Raises Recovery Worries

- A + A LONDON (May 16): European stocks slipped on Monday and Wall Street was set for a lower open, as investor sentiment struggled to recover from last week's sell off amid fears of a slowdown in economic growth. Global shares hit their lowest point in 18 months last week, with investors worried that rising interest rates to counter high inflation will damage the global economy. Unexpectedly weak economic data kept from China kept those worries in centre stage on Monday. April retail sales plunged 11.1% on the year, almost twice the fall forecast, as full or partial Covid-19 lockdowns were imposed in dozens of cities. Industrial output dropped 2.9% when analysts had looked for a slight increase. At 1104 GMT, the MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 50 countries, was up around 0.1% on the day, struggling to recover from last week's lows. Europe's STOXX 600 was down 0.2%, while London's FTSE 100 was down flat. US stock index futures pointed to a … [Read more...] about Stock markets struggle as fears over economy grow

- A + A (May 16): The rupiah risks weakening to its lowest level in almost two years as Indonesia’s ban on palm oil exports adds to headwinds from interest rate hikes in the US. The currency fell to a one-year low last week, despite an assurance from the central bank that it would stabilize the currency. Technical support at its April 2021 low is now in danger and a breach of this level would pave the way for a decline to its September 2020 low. Investors are watching for further export restrictions and rising demand for the dollar, said Divya Devesh, head of Asean and South-Asia FX research at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. He sees the rupiah depreciating to 14,800 to the greenback by the end of June, from 14,613 on Friday. Palm oil accounted for 1.5% of Indonesia’s gross domestic product in 2021 and the prohibition on shipments could cut US$2 billion from the nation’s exports for each month it stays in place, according to estimates from Goldman Sachs … [Read more...] about Rupiah nears breach of support with palm oil ban hurting trade

- A + A PARIS/MANILA (May 16): International wheat prices jumped on Monday as an export ban by India, the latest country to use trade curbs to counter food inflation, threatened to further squeeze world wheat supply strained by the war in Ukraine. US and European wheat futures climbed by nearly 6%, with the Chicago market — the global benchmark — earlier reaching its daily trading limit and Paris prices approaching all-time highs. By end of its overnight trading session, Chicago futures were up 4.9%, off an earlier two-month peak. Wheat has contributed to record highs this year for global food prices as measured by the UN's food agency, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine upending the market by halting massive shipments from Ukrainian sea ports. India's embargo, prompted by a heatwave that has cut harvest prospects and sent domestic prices soaring, marks a policy U-turn after the government maintained just days earlier that it was still targeting record exports of … [Read more...] about Wheat prices jump as India export ban adds to supply squeeze

- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (May 16): Continuous heavy rain since the afternoon has triggered flash floods in several locations in three states; however, only one relief centre (PPS) was opened on Monday (May 16) night. The locations are Kuala Kubu Bharu in Selangor; Nilai, Seremban and Kuala Pilah in Negeri Sembilan and Baling in Kedah. In SELANGOR, state Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said they received a report of flash floods at about 6pm, involving Kampung Jawa, Kampung Pasir and Kerling Estate, Sungai Dua Kerling in Kuala Kubu Bharu. He said the water level in the affected areas was about 1.8 metres and no PPS had been opened so far. In NEGERI SEMBILAN, Nilai Fire and Rescue Station chief Bakarya Mohd Salleh said about 10 houses in Kampung Sungai Mahang were affected by flash floods. Meanwhile, five individuals faced an anxious moment after the Toyota Avanza they were travelling in was swept away by the floods in Kampung Dingkir Inas, Kuala … [Read more...] about Flash floods strike several areas in three states

Christie Pitney is a certified nurse midwife who was working at a federally funded health center in California’s Central Valley when the pandemic struck. In those early months, several of her patients struggled to get abortions. Under normal circumstances, the closest abortion clinic is 45 minutes away, but during the pandemic, clinics around the country suffered staff shortages and canceled services. Patients were having trouble getting to clinics even when they were open. advertisement advertisement This is part of a series of articles on the business case for abortion access. See the full package here. “My patients and the population in that area, they don’t have reliable transportation. They are working six to seven days a week,” she says. “They have childcare needs and don’t have reliable income. Most of them are either working in a packing house or in the fields.” And that’s in California, one of the most accessible states to get an … [Read more...] about In a post-‘Roe’ world, abortion pills won’t be enough

BRASÍLIA, Brazil — Brazil’s highest court on Thursday rejected a lower court’s decision to remove from Netflix a comedy depicting Jesus Christ in a gay relationship. The head of the Supreme Federal Court, Judge Antonio Dias Toffoli, sided with the streaming platform’s appeal against a temporary injunction banning the movie. It denied the idea that the movie was insulting to Christians. “One cannot suppose that a humorous satire has the ability to weaken the values of the Christian faith, whose existence is traced back more than two thousand years, and which is the belief of the majority of Brazlian citizens,” the judge said. The film, entitled “The First Temptation of Christ”, by the Brazilian production company Porta dos Fundos, came out on December 3 and drew strong criticism from conservative politicians in the mainly Catholic country, from the church itself and from evangelicals. It depicts Jesus returning home with his boyfriend Orlando after 40 days in the desert, as … [Read more...] about Brazil supreme court sides with Netflix over gay Jesus comedy

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin There’s exciting news in the world of phage therapy and antimicrobial resistance! Jerry Nick, MD, of National Jewish Health, and Graham Hatfull, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, announced a patient’s cure from a Mycobacterium abscessus lung infection with phage therapy. What are phages? They are viruses that infect bacteria and can lyse (or kill) them without the need for antibiotics. While their use goes back more than a hundred years , they fell out of favor with the discovery and growth of antibiotics—which are flashier and more profitable. As antibiotic resistance is a growing problem globally, interest in phage therapy has been renewed. More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the US alone each year, with 35,000 deaths. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered one of the top 10 global public health threats by the World Health Organization. The stagnant drug development pipeline compounds … [Read more...] about Bacteria-Killing Viruses Are Successful In Treating Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Stores must understand the mood of today’s shopper in order to be successful. The mood has changed significantly in recent times, and retailers must evaluate how to shift shopping back to stores. It is more complicated than just trying to compete with the internet; the ‘does she still want to shop online’, or ‘does she want to go to a store?’ is only part of the challenge. The consumer’s urge to get out of the house is evident, and that provides an immediate opportunity for stores to find ways to tap into. For instance, shoppers for fashion often want to try on clothes and chose the right color, right fabric and have an assurance that it fits, and stores are set up to do that conveniently. In contrast, during the pandemic I am told that many customers forced to shop online bought two (or three) sizes to insure the proper fit. The rest were returned for credit. That process has hassles that an in-store shopper can avoid. … [Read more...] about Will Stores Be Successful During Inflation?