Finance news

HDE consumption barometer: The mood is calming down – but the economy is not picking up

Consumers initially brushed off the Iran war. But what remains are the high prices at gas stations and growing concerns about unemployment.

Energy: Reiche breaks agreement with Schneider - and helps water down the methane regulation to the majority

The economics minister has promised Germany's vote for the suspension of the EU regulation - although she was probably not allowed to do so. The question is whether oil and gas will otherwise run out.

Education chief argues students must master technology, not be disconnected from it

As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. Hong Kong students should not be barred from using technology and electronic devices simply because they do not know how to use them responsibly, the city’s education minister has said, arguing that the next generation must learn to navigate the digital era. Secretary for Education

Trend district 2026: “It wasn’t worth waiting” – that’s how critical the situation on the Cologne real estate market is

There is a shortage of more apartments in the cathedral city than in almost any other metropolis. In some parts of the city there are opportunities for buyers despite high prices.

Shared children with your ex?: Child support is missing: This is what those affected can do

If the ex doesn't pay maintenance payments for their children, those affected are often in a fix. To what extent the youth welfare office can provide help - and what steps are still possible.

Innovations: Germany is falling further behind in the patent race

An IW study shows: In future fields such as AI and armaments, the location is in danger of being left behind by other countries. And almost a third of German patents are in foreign hands.

Can you afford it?: Do you have to support yourself? Why career choices are now less free

Anyone who is obliged to support minor children cannot simply cut back on their career. Why this is the case and what other special features those affected should know.

Space travel: Chinese probe reaches asteroid Kamo'oalewa

First the moon, then Mars – now China has its sights set on an asteroid. After a good year of flight, the “Tianwen 2” probe has reached its destination. Samples should now be taken.

Questions from labor law: Boss wants a change to the contract: Do I have to sign?

The employer demands more tasks or less salary? Why you should never simply accept a contract change - and when there is a risk of termination.

A Trump visit to Hong Kong would be a strategic masterstroke

If one word could capture the essence of Hong Kong, it would be resilience. Just two years ago, much of the international community had written off Hong Kong. A widely circulated newspaper commentary carried the headline: “It pains me to say Hong Kong is over”. Though the writer later changed his opinion, the piece captured the pessimism about the city’s future as a global hub. Hong Kong’s dramatic comeback is well documented. According to Boston Consulting Group, the city has overtaken...

China restaurant sparks debate after selling simple tomato scrambled egg dish for US$75

A Shanghai restaurant has captured attention on mainland Chinese social media for launching a special dish of stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs at an exorbitant price of 520 yuan (US$75), triggering a heated discussion. The dish itself is among the most common, affordable household food items in the country, containing ordinary ingredients – tomatoes and eggs. But the dish served at Jinlong Dabianlu Restaurant in Hongkou district in downtown Shanghai is sold at 520 yuan, dozens of times more.

South Korean won holds steady as historic 24-hour trading begins

The South Korean won was stable against the dollar after inching higher as the currency began its first day of 24-hour trading, marking a milestone in Seoul’s push to open its financial markets to global investors. The won eased 0.1 per cent to 1,531.40 against the US dollar, after rising as much as 0.2 per cent when it started trading at 6am. Other major currency pairs were little changed. The launch of 24-hour trading is the centrepiece of a years-long effort to improve foreign access to local

Can China’s budget brands crack developed markets? Mixue shows it won’t be easy

Three months after moving from China to Japan, Alisa Lin has yet to buy a single drink from Mixue – the Chinese ice cream and tea giant – despite being a frequent customer back home, where a cup costs under five yuan (73 US cents) during promotions. “It’s not a very popular brand here. Only one of my friends in Japan has ever bought it,” Lin said, adding that value for money was the main consideration behind her own consumer choices in Tokyo. While Mixue’s basic teas are cheap, a plain bubble...

Naturalization: “We’re coming back” – Why New York Jews become Germans

More and more New York Jews are applying for German citizenship as descendants of those persecuted by the Nazis. Many see this as a return to their roots – and also security.

Commercial fish farm encroaches on government land, deemed ecological threat

Part of a network of more than 20 artificial fish ponds in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis development occupies government land without permission, with a green group warning that materials used at the site also threaten the area’s ecology. The ponds are near the Mai Po Nature Reserve and the Inner Deep Bay wetlands, which have been designated as internationally important under the Ramsar Convention as they are a vital habitat for migratory birds. Some of the ponds also fall within the proposed.

Philippine Senate to start high-stakes impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte

Philippines’ record capital wage rise leaves workers hungry for more

In the Philippine capital, 85 pesos (US$1.40) is barely enough to buy a meal for one, let alone a family of five. Yet that modest sum, roughly the price of 1½kg of premium imported rice, is the largest single wage increase ever approved for Metro Manila’s minimum-wage earners. The government called it “historic”. Labour groups called it an insult. The increase, to be rolled out in two stages, was confirmed by the Department of Labour and Employment on Tuesday. Non-agricultural workers will see..

U.S. stock futures rise as Wall Street looks to extend its rally coming off the holiday weekend

U.S. stock-index futures gained on Sunday, with Wall Street looking to extend last week’s gains.

Some Lebanese Christian villages ‘asked to be annexed’ by Israel, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had asked to be annexed by Israel so that they could be protected from Hezbollah militants. Lebanon was drawn into the wider war in the Middle East on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, where its troops now occupy...

Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis university town tender to launch in 2 months

As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. The first tender for the university town in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis will be launched in two months, with successful bidders to be announced after the site formation of the plot is completed by the end of this year, the education minister has revealed. Secretary for...

Ukraine war: Russia flies new air strikes on Ukraine

Shortly before the NATO summit, the Ukrainian president warned of massive Russian attacks on his country. That night his fears are confirmed. Several cities are massively attacked.

Opportunity for its own ETF?

​ For six years I've been a part of the Semiconductors and data centers build out and it led me to start researching. Over the last year, I've spent a lot of time researching the semiconductor and data center market. One thing that has stood out to me is how much of the AI conversation revolves around chip designers and hyperscalers, while the picks and shovels enabling production and deployment often receive less attention. I'm referring to areas such as: Advanced packaging Testing and inspecti

Big Tech’s $3 Trillion Struggle to Secure Enough Electricity

For most of modern history, oil was the world’s most valuable resource. It powered industrial growth, decided wars, reshaped geopolitics, and created the largest corporations in history. Then oil lost its crown. Data replaced it as the world’s dominant asset. The companies that learned to collect, process, and monetize information - Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft - became the most valuable enterprises the world had ever seen. But that era is now over. Data has become abundant, and the world’s

What caused the pre-holiday chip stock slump and what to do about it

The problem is that we have seen this horror movie before.

The situation at a glance: Zelensky fears a massive Russian attack before the NATO summit

According to Kiev's findings, there is a threat of a massive Russian attack against Ukraine before the NATO summit. President Zelensky asks allies for ammunition. An important meeting is coming up.

Where is the best place to exchange dollars for euros (in Germany)?

I get hundreds of dollars in tips every month from my part-time job. Since I won't be traveling to the USA or other countries where you pay in dollars for the foreseeable future because of having children, I would like to regularly exchange the money into euros. Where can you get the best rates for changing cash in Germany? Just go to the local savings bank? Exchange office? Somewhere else? submitted by /u/fscge [link] [comments]

Wu Xinbo on why Trump’s ‘America first’ foreign policy may be driving China’s rise

Wu Xinbo is the dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai and a leading Chinese researcher on the US. In this interview, he analyses how shifts in US foreign policy are changing the relationship between the two countries. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, how do you assess US foreign policy and the future direction of its relations..

Venezuela leader vows ‘no social unrest here’ as earthquakes death toll passes 3,000

Venezuela’s interim president said on Sunday the country would not descend into social unrest after the twin earthquakes which killed more than 3,000 people and left thousands more missing. One of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters, the June 24 shocks collapsed scores of buildings, leaving thousands homeless, especially in the coastal La Guaira area north of the capital Caracas. “There will be no social unrest here, what we have here is deep social solidarity,” Delcy Rodriguez said...

Get in with everything straight away?

I have 25k on the site right now. I invest in a 70/30 world portfolio and would also like to invest this 25k? Should I put everything in at once or divide it up? Towards the end of the year I received another 50k, which I had fixed interest in the bank. The same question applies to this. Should I invest 50k at once? With these two amounts I would then double my portfolio. submitted by /u/oN_cLUE [link] [comments]

Anti-drug video fiasco not a vote of confidence in Hong Kong’s AI goals

It’s unfortunate for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu that his speech on July 1 marking the 29th anniversary of the handover and highlighting his government’s achievements may have been overshadowed by the outcry over an anti-drug video – or at least what was intended as one. The Correctional Services Department released the video, generated by artificial intelligence (AI), on June 26 before having to pull it twice, ahead of the anniversary. The video – featuring an appealing K-pop...