- A + A (Aug 9): China’s top auditor is conducting a review of the US$3 trillion trust industry, paving the way for a potential overhaul of a key shadow banking sector where losses on property loans are mounting. In an unscheduled move, the National Audit Office — which previously led an examination of bank exposures to Jack Ma’s Ant Group Co — has for the past month been inspecting the books of at least 20 trust firms, including the top five, to gauge the risks they pose to financial stability, according to people familiar with the matter. The firms are being asked to report on their risky loans to developers and any plans to dispose of them, the people said, asking not to be named as they’re not authorised to speak publicly. The audit office is expected to submit its conclusions to policy makers in Beijing, who may decide on the future reforms of the sector, the people said. While it is unclear what regulatory action the scrutiny will spur, the move illustrates … [Read more...] about China orders surprise audit of US$3 trillion trust industry
Negatively surprised synonym
10 Things To Know About The Beverly Hills Hotel
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Established in 1912 by Margaret Anderson, the ultra-luxurious Beverly Hills Hotel has become an infamous establishment synonymous with style, glamour and elegance. It’s no surprise then, that it has hosted everyone from A-listers to the fashion glitterati and royalty alike, and this year, the beloved L.A. landmark celebrates its 110th anniversary. At the helm is General Manager, John Scanlon, and he shares ten things to know about this world-famous, celebrity-adored hotel. Female founder: The Beverly Hills Hotel was opened by Margaret Anderson in 1912, two years before the city of Beverly Hills was established. Margaret owned and operated the hotel for many years, and her motto was “Guests are entitled to the best of everything regardless of cost!” The hotel has recently introduced a variety of activations to celebrate its 110th anniversary. Iconic architecture: Paul Revere Williams, one of the world’s … [Read more...] about 10 Things To Know About The Beverly Hills Hotel
Bursa ends mixed
- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 9): Bursa Malaysia closed mixed on Tuesday (Aug 9) with the benchmark index ending in the positive territory backed by buying in heavyweights, in sync with the mixed performance in regional bourses. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 1.65 points to 1,497.68 from Monday’s close of 1,496.03. The benchmark index, which opened 2.49 points higher at 1,498.52 on Tuesday morning, fluctuated between 1,495 and 1,501.03 throughout the trading session. The broader market was negative as losers beat gainers 395 to 373, while 460 counters were unchanged, 1,039 untraded, and eight others suspended. Total turnover increased to 2.52 billion units worth RM1.26 billion from 2.19 billion units worth RM1.33 billion on Monday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said investors seemed reluctant to make more significant moves due to the absence of buying catalysts as the market undertone remained jittery … [Read more...] about Bursa ends mixed
Opinion: Biden’s Afghanistan exit decision looks even worse a year later
Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, a vice president at New America and a professor of practice at Arizona State University. Bergen's new paperback is "The Rise and fall of Osama bin Laden." from which this article is, in part, adapted. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN. (CNN) In 1961, after a CIA-backed invasion of Cuba failed spectacularly, President John F. Kennedy said of the Bay of Pigs fiasco, "Victory has 100 fathers and defeat is an orphan." Peter Bergen Last week, President Joe Biden took a victory lap when he announced that the US had tracked down and killed its most wanted terrorist, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was living in a house in Kabul, Afghanistan. Don't expect a similar celebration on August 30, the first anniversary of the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, which ended the longest war in American history. Any realistic assessment of that action shows that it … [Read more...] about Opinion: Biden’s Afghanistan exit decision looks even worse a year later
Opinion: How Biden can avoid Carter’s one-term presidential fate
Julian Zelizer, a CNN political analyst, is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author and editor of 24 books, including, " The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: A First Historical Assessment ." Follow him on Twitter @julianzelizer . The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN. (CNN) President Joe Biden delivered a bold speech on Thursday night , calling for a ban on assault weapons and other gun policies, including strengthening background checks and enacting new "red flag" laws. "Enough, enough," he told the nation, urging Congress to take action after a slew of mass shootings rocked the country. "We can't fail the American people again." The speech comes at a difficult moment for Biden. The administration is facing multiple escalating crises, which are slowly undermining his leadership and political strength. There's the Russian war in Ukraine, inflation and stock market turbulence, mass … [Read more...] about Opinion: How Biden can avoid Carter’s one-term presidential fate
CNN Exclusive: Biden administration offers convicted Russian arms dealer in exchange for Griner, Whelan
Washington (CNN) After months of internal debate, the Biden administration has offered to exchange Viktor Bout , a convicted Russian arms trafficker serving a 25-year US prison sentence, as part of a potential deal to secure the release of two Americans held by Russia , Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, according to people briefed on the matter. These sources told CNN that the plan to trade Bout for Whelan and Griner received the backing of President Joe Biden after being under discussion since earlier this year. Biden's support for the swap overrides opposition from the Department of Justice, which is generally against prisoner trades. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that "so far, there is no agreement on this issue." Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday that the US presented a "substantial proposal" to Moscow "weeks ago" for Whelan and Griner, who are classified as wrongfully detained. Speaking at a press … [Read more...] about CNN Exclusive: Biden administration offers convicted Russian arms dealer in exchange for Griner, Whelan
Stocks stumble as caution reigns ahead of U.S. inflation data
Representative image Shares slipped and the dollar hung off recent highs on Tuesday as investors eyed U.S. inflation data due a day later that will likely yield clues to any further aggressive Federal Reserve rate hikes. The stakes are high for the July U.S. consumer prices report on Wednesday after an unexpectedly strong U.S. jobs data last week boosted expectations of a sharp interest rate increase to tackle soaring inflation. The broader Euro STOXX 600 fell 0.6%, after logging its best session in nearly two weeks on Monday, with German stocks down 0.7%. Miners and autos, among top gainers a day earlier, led declines on Tuesday. Wall Street futures pointed to slim gains. "The focus is on tomorrow's U.S. inflation numbers and whether or not they are likely to show any indication of a softening of inflationary pressures," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. Close "Are we near the peak, and will tomorrow's CPI numbers reflect that?" … [Read more...] about Stocks stumble as caution reigns ahead of U.S. inflation data
USD vs INR | India’s macroeconomic fundamentals are strong
Representative Image In the August Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that the Indian Rupee (INR) has fared “much better than several reserve currencies as well as many of its EME and Asian peers”. The Governor also added that the INR has depreciated “more on account of the appreciation of US dollar rather than weakness in macroeconomic fundamentals of the Indian economy”. Of late, there has been a lot of discussion around the INR. Towards the end of July, the rupee touched 80 against a US dollar , leading to discussions that it is a sign of a weakening Indian economy. But, is this the case? First, exchange rate increasing or decreasing against a foreign currency is not a sign of weakness or strength. In fact depreciation of the currency is often cited as a positive development for the domestic economy. If a currency depreciates against a foreign currency, the exports become cheaper with respect to the other country, and imports … [Read more...] about USD vs INR | India’s macroeconomic fundamentals are strong
Dalmia Bharat: Volume growth a bright spot in an otherwise dull quarter
PRO Only Highlights - Quarterly performance largely backed by improved realisations - Medium-term triggers China plus and protectionist measures for tyre industry - Valuations not inexpensive; but improved medium-term outlook The June-quarter results of Dalmia Bharat, India’s fourth largest cement maker, were in stark contrast to the industry competitors. Surprisingly, the realisations for Q1 turned out to be quite muted, but the company more than made up for it with a strong outperformance on the volume growth front. Quarterly result highlights In Q1, the company grew its sales by 27 percent year on year (YoY). Overall volumes for the quarter came in at 6.2 MT, which is 27 percent higher than last... … [Read more...] about Dalmia Bharat: Volume growth a bright spot in an otherwise dull quarter
So, You’ve Been Knocked Off. Congratulations!
In her article "The Real Danger of Going on 'Shark Tank': Copycats" for the Wall Street Journal last weekend, writer Ruth Simon documents the consequences of going public with your product idea. If it's promising, it will be imitated quickly... and even if it isn't, others may accuse you of being a thief. As an example, Simon relays the ordeal of Lori Cheek, an entrepreneur who appeared on the show in 2014. Her dating business still doesn't have any revenue. "But it has accumulated more than $60,000 in legal bills, after a viewer of the show accused Ms. Cheek of stealing his idea." Ouch. Here's the reality: If you have a great new product, it will get copied. Even if you have a patent, trademark, and/or copyright protection. In my opinion, it's literally impossible to protect anything these days. Reverse engineering is as doable as ever. If counterfeiters don't steal from you outright, a close alternative may pop up on the market. And make no mistake. It's not just … [Read more...] about So, You’ve Been Knocked Off. Congratulations!