Second time around watch

A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business' Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here . You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link. London (CNN Business) This week, Russia defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time since the Bolshevik revolution after it failed to pay interest on two bonds during a 30-day grace period that expired Sunday. But to put the event in context, we don't need to go as far back as 1918. Instead, we can look to 1998 . That's the year Russia defaulted on ruble-denominated bonds, triggering a "Moscow meltdown" that infected markets around the globe. Quick rewind: In August 1998 , following years of upheaval after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian government defaulted on its local debt and devalued the ruble. The move sparked chaos in Russia, driving up inflation, causing an economic contraction and triggering bank … [Read more...] about Russia’s last default sparked a crisis. This time is different

Today the iPhone celebrates its 10th anniversary as one of the best-selling products of all time. As a communication specialist, I mark the event for a slightly different reason. The launch of the iPhone was accompanied by one of the best business presentations in corporate history. Here are five techniques that Steve Jobs used to make the iPhone launch magical and memorable, tips that you can use in your very next pitch or presentation. 1. The Setup A good story--and nearly every successful Hollywood movie--follows the three-act structure: setup, conflict, and resolution. The setup is key. It introduces the characters and provides the background to move the action forward. In the 2007 iPhone presentation, Jobs built up the narrative before he even mentioned a new product. "This is a day I've been looking forward to for two and a half years," Jobs began. "Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything ... Apple … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons Why Steve Jobs’s iPhone Keynote Is Still the Best Presentation of All Time

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Your job doesn't fulfill you anymore, so you decide to pursue something more meaningful. You start to put your feelers out for new roles and even snag a couple of interviews. But, after a few weeks, your workload doubles, and you begin to lose focus. At this point, you're so exhausted from work and personal commitments that looking for a job starts to take a backseat. It’s a common predicament. Nobody enjoys looking for a job—especially when you already have one. While you may not be thrilled with your current role, searching for a new position is challenging. For one thing, there’s the time commitment. If you’re buried in projects and consistently worn out, how are you supposed to find time to look for a job? And then there’s the stealth factor. You don’t necessarily want your employer to find out you’re searching for opportunities outside the company. Finally, you may not even be sure what you're looking for, making the job … [Read more...] about How To Look For A Job While Working Full-Time

(FILES) In this file photo taken on December 1, 2019 Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates his victory at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, after the final race of the Formula One Grand Prix season.  (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said he is “completely overcome with rage” about racial injustice in the wake of the death of George Floyd. It is the second time this week that Britain’s six-time world champion has spoken angrily about the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man who died on May 25 during an arrest in Minneapolis. “This past week has been so dark. I have failed to keep hold of my emotions,” Hamilton said in a statement posted Tuesday on his social media accounts. “I have felt so much anger, sadness and disbelief in what my eyes have seen,” he continued, after days of protests that have gripped cities across the US prompting curfews and the use of force by law enforcement agencies. “I am completely overcome … [Read more...] about Lewis Hamilton ‘overcome with rage’ over racial injustice

- A + A WASHINGTON (June 28): US consumer confidence dropped to a 16-month low in June, as worries about high inflation left consumers to anticipate that the economy would slow significantly or even slide into recession in the second half of the year. Despite the gloomy outlook, consumers showed little sign of cutting back on spending, with buying plans for motor vehicles and other big ticket items like refrigerators and washing machines increasing, the survey from the Conference Board on Tuesday showed. But fewer consumers compared to April intended to go away on vacation at home or abroad, reflecting record high gasoline prices and expensive airfares. The economy is on recession watch as the Federal Reserve aggressively tightens monetary policy to tackle inflation. For now, it continues to grow, with other data on Tuesday showing the goods trade deficit again narrowing significantly in May as exports hit a record high. "Right now we are at an inflection point in … [Read more...] about Inflation saps US consumer confidence; house prices remain elevated

MASKED CELEBRATIONS Thousands of devotees turned up at a Mass in Tondo, Manila, during the Feast of the Sto. Niño (Child Jesus) on Jan. 17 this year, wearing masks and face shields. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ MANILA, Philippines — Christianity was introduced to the Philippines 500 years ago, the faithful have found ways to weave the Filipino culture into their expression of faith, particularly through religious festivals or fiesta — joyous occasions that fill communities with color, hope and a sense of unity. “Although Christianity — the prayers, rituals and devotions — comes from Europe, the past 500 years have shown that the Filipino people have not only embraced Christianity; we have given it a ‘Filipino flavor,’” said former Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. In “Fiesta: Ang Makulay na Pananampalatayang Pilipino,” a documentary film produced by Jesuit Communications to commemorate the 500 years of Christianity in the country, some Filipino festivals and traditions are … [Read more...] about Fiestas survive pandemic albeit on socially distanced, masked or virtual scale

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin During pregnancy, a mother’s body suppresses parts of the immune system to help tolerate the growing fetus. This means pregnant women are at an especially high risk of contracting disease, including Covid-19. The risk they face is two-fold: first, towards their own health, and second, towards the health of their unborn child. Still, not much is known about the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. In a previous article , I summarized some of the key findings thus far. Since then, two new studies have been published, offering additional insights into the dangers of Covid-19 exposure during pregnancy. The first findings come from researchers at the University College London. Their work suggests that mothers who catch Covid-19 during their first trimester are more likely to have an early miscarriage. The second study , led by a group at Harvard Medical School, found that infants born to mothers who had Covid-19 … [Read more...] about Covid-19 During Pregnancy: Increased Risk Of Preterm Delivery And Infant Neurodevelopmental Issues

If you're looking for capitulation in 2022, it's in the bond market. And that tells you that investors' confidence in the global economy is very low. Inside the stock market, it's all about defense. Defensive stocks, which include big healthcare companies and dividend-paying value stocks, have been driving the gains. An index of global defensive stocks put together by Goldman Sachs, which is heavy in healthcare giants, has climbed to more than an 18-month high relative to the MSCI AC World Index. Inside the U.S., the defensive ETF ticker DEF has been outperforming the Spider ETF SPY all last week and all year. For market watchers, this feels a whole lot like a recession trade. While investors in the capital markets are battening the hatches for a recession, money in the private markets is also drying up. The value of venture capital deals in the U.S. dropped more than 25% in the second quarter to just $1 trillion, according to Dealogic . M&A activity in the United States … [Read more...] about What the Business Cycle is Telling us About a Recession

UPDATE Stall sellers and the owners of the Ratchawong Rungrueng packaging shop building, which caught fire in Bangkok’s Chinatown on Saturday, say they are going to sue the Metropolitan Electricity Authority for negligence after a broken transformer caused the blaze that killed 2 people. The faulty transformer caught fire and quickly ripped through the 3-story building on Ratchawong Road in the Sumphanthawong district of Bangkok, also affecting 4 nearby buildings and stalls, causing the death of 2 people and millions of baht worth of damage. The inspector of police from the Chakkrawat Police Station, Ponlawat Promsorn, yesterday spoke to the building owners, and stall sellers, and they estimated the damage caused by the fire is about 10 million baht. They revealed they are suing the MEA and other relevant departments for their recklessness. The building owner revealed to the police and media that they asked the MEA to repair the transformer many times, but they allegedly did … [Read more...] about UPDATE: Owner of fire building in Bangkok Chinatown to sue electric authority

- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (June 28): Here is a brief look at some corporate announcements and news flow on Tuesday (June 28) which include Petronas Dagangan Bhd (PetDag), United Malacca Bhd, Inari Amertron Bhd, Kim Loong Resources Bhd, AT Systematization Bhd, AMMB Holdings Bhd (AmBank), Poh Huat Resources Holdings Bhd, NTPM Holdings Bhd and Mah Sing Group Bhd. Petronas Dagangan Bhd ( PetDag ) is disposing of working inventory and deadstock (un-pumpable inventory) in six fuel terminals to Petronas’ wholly-owned unit Petco Trading Labuan Co Ltd (PTLCL) in a related party transaction for RM132.93 million. PetDag said the deal is part of its efforts to eliminate exposure to movement of Means of Platts Singapore (MOPS), thus ensuring its product cost to be reflective of current market prices. United Malacca Bhd net profit dropped 38.1% quarter-on-quarter to RM18.72 million for its fourth quarter ended April 30, 2022 (4QFY22), from RM30.24 million, as the plantation … [Read more...] about PetDag, United Malacca, Inari, Kim Loong, AT Systematization, AmBank, Poh Huat, NTPM and Mah Sing