Finance news

How Benin is on the road to reshaping its cotton industry, with China’s help

For decades, moving Benin’s cotton harvest from the north of the country to its southern ports was a slow, difficult journey along unpaved roads. Benin is Africa’s largest cotton producer, but it lacked the infrastructure needed to connect its northern cotton-growing belt to the coast and processing plants in the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) near Cotonou, the country’s largest city and economic capital. The GDIZ – part of the government’s efforts to end raw cotton exports – now processes a.

Iran War: Talks between Iran and USA should start – Vance optimistic

It's about Tehran's nuclear program and an end to the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel: Today, representatives of the USA and Iran are expected to work out solutions to this in Switzerland.

Korean drama Teach You a Lesson serves up a reality check on education

Within a week of its release, Netflix’s new Korean drama Teach You a Lesson, directed by Hong Jong-chan, topped the platform’s global non-English rankings for the week of June 1 to 7. Adapted from the popular webtoon Get Schooled (2020), the 10-episode series about a government-backed vigilante unit trying to fix the wrongs in schools has quickly become a highly rated breakout hit. Described in a Forbes article as “one of the most addictive feel-good dramas of the year”, the series has exploded.

Vance in Switzerland for US-Iran talks as Strait of Hormuz closed again

A new round of negotiations over the Middle East war was set to kick off on Sunday as Iranian negotiators and US Vice-President J.D. Vance arrived in the Swiss host city, even as Tehran said it was closing the Strait of Hormuz again over Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Before boarding his flight to Europe, Vance told reporters he hoped to “make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we’re going to be focused...

Situation at a glance: Talks between Iran and USA start – Vance optimistic

It's about Tehran's nuclear program and an end to the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel: Today, representatives of the USA and Iran are expected to work out solutions to this in Switzerland.

Real estate: Why buying a house on credit is so expensive - and how the financing works

One in seven property buyers borrows the entire purchase price from the bank - and pays extremely high interest rates. Saving for longer can really pay off.

Hong Kong only place in China that can adopt model akin to SpaceX, CY Leung says

Hong Kong is the only place in China capable of replicating the financing model of US tech giant SpaceX, which leverages market forces to grow rapidly, former leader Leung Chun-ying has said, urging the city to develop professional services for the emerging aerospace industry. Leung, a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body, also called on Hong Kong to make trade-offs when formulating its first five-year plan,...

Dear You gets 8 extra Teochew shows in Singapore after ‘overwhelming’ demand

Theatre chain Golden Village (GV) and film distributor Clover Films have added eight more screenings of Dear You in its original Teochew language in Singapore. The additional screenings will take place from June 25 to 29 at GVmax at GV VivoCity. Tickets will go on sale at 3pm on June 22 via GV’s box office counters and online channels. The move comes after all eight of the Chinese film’s previously announced Teochew-language screenings, held from June 18 to 21, sold out. Directed and co-written.

Climate crisis: How much more common heat is in Germany today

The five most intense heat waves in Europe all occurred in the last 16 years. Hot days have also become more common in Germany. This is likely to continue.

Hong Kong parents turn to summer school options in Asia amid soaring airfares

Hong Kong families are turning away from long-standing summer school favourites in Britain and North America amid soaring airfares, with education consultants reporting a sharp surge in demand for alternatives in Asia. Applications for British summer schools fell 35 per cent this year as Hong Kong parents balk at soaring airfares, fuelled by the war in Iran, according to Samuel Chan Sze-ming, founder of education consultancy Britannia StudyLink. The firm acts as an agent for programmes in the...

Singaporean men are fighting to be heard. A movement is letting them do just that

Danny Loong did not fully grieve his father’s death until he became a parent himself. For two decades after his father’s passing, Loong remembered him mostly as a provider and disciplinarian: a man who pushed hard, cared quietly and offered little by way of tenderness. “He would ask me, ‘How come you’re not this, or that? How come you’re not studying hard enough?’ So when he passed away, I missed him, but I somehow couldn’t really grieve for him,” said Loong, 54. “It was only after I had my own.

Thai property crackdown: Foreign buyers hit pause on villas as nominee loophole closes

Thailand’s crackdown on a loophole that effectively bypasses its restrictions on land ownership by foreigners is causing prospective buyers to delay purchase decisions on luxury villas in resort destinations such as Phuket and Koh Samui, according to agents. Bangkok has stepped up its scrutiny of business and property ownership in the country, with the Department of Business Development (DBD) flagging 11,426 companies on Koh Phangan and Koh Samui where foreigners hold stakes, accounting for...

Japan chipmaking equipment suppliers report 10% drop in China sales

'The Stringer' defies critics with four Emmy documentary nominations

Criminal online shopping: Growing problem with criminal customers in online retail

Fake shops are a problem for online shoppers. On the other hand, honest traders have a growing problem with dishonest customers - with the involvement of organized crime.

Canada's largest city: Bauhaus, Brickman, Berczy Park: German traces in Toronto

The metropolis in Ontario is known as a peaceful melting pot - it combines influences from more than 200 nations. A walk through downtown shows how Germans continue to shape Toronto today.

Italy’s Meloni let Trump’s jibes slide for so long. Now, she’s hitting back

US Donald Trump has sparred with most of his fellow Group of Seven leaders at some point. But Italy’s Giorgia Meloni this week did something none of them dared: she escalated. Unlike Spanish Socialist Pedro Sanchez, one of the few leaders in Europe who has made political capital of being berated by Trump, the Italian prime minister had stood out as one of the few Europeans he actually liked: an outspoken conservative at ease talking Maga. But Meloni has also transitioned from a populist...

China-led team develops AI system to track radar-disrupting space hurricanes

A China-led team has developed an AI system to detect space hurricanes, a phenomenon in the Earth’s upper atmosphere that can disrupt satellite signals, radar and radio communications. While the hurricane-like atmospheric phenomenon can have major space weather effects, detection has so far relied on a tedious process of studying satellite images manually. The team said it had developed a new deep-learning system that could automatically detect and pinpoint space hurricanes through ultraviolet..

Cross-border biotech deals grow more complex as US targets China investment links

Cross-border biotech deals between China and the United States are becoming more complicated and could face a modest slowdown as Washington steps up efforts to restrict investment and technology transfers, according to industry analysts. “There will be more geopolitical scrutiny going forward. This scrutiny may lead to slightly fewer deals than without it,” said Diederik Stadig, senior healthcare economist at ING Research. Despite the growing regulatory hurdles, Stadig said the broader trend of.

To lead in global education, Hong Kong must go beyond narrow metrics

Hong Kong’s universities are often celebrated for their global rankings, research output and international reputation. Yet behind these achievements lies a quieter, more fundamental question: how do we define academic excellence and are we measuring the right things? Academic life is driven by intrinsic motivations. Scholars are guided by curiosity, a pursuit of excellence and a commitment to professionalism: integrity, responsibility and accountability. Many see their work as part of a larger..

Concerns raised as Hong Kong stops compiling voter turnout data by age and sex

Hong Kong election authorities have stopped compiling voter turnout data by age and sex, citing a lack of operational need, in a move that has raised concerns about undermining the transparency of polls. Analysts and politicians said such statistics were valuable for election hopefuls in understanding voter demographics and formulating policy suggestions, while authorities could use the data to improve governance. The South China Morning Post asked the Registration and Electoral Office last...

‘Only death can stop me’: terminally ill Chinese tycoon works 12 hours daily to cure ALS

A former Chinese e-commerce executive in the final stages of a rare disease is still working 12-hour days, devoting what time he has left to accelerating the search for a cure. Cai Lei, 48, a former vice-president of JD.com, one of China’s largest e-commerce companies, has spent seven years battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable disease that progressively attacks motor neurons. His condition has recently deteriorated to an advanced stage. Unable to move or speak, Cai can now.

+++ Ukraine War +++: Zelensky warns of massive Russian attacks

Dead and injured after Russian attack on Kharkiv +++ Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant without power supply for the 20th time +++ Zelenskyj calls for withdrawal of Russian military technology from Belarus +++ The news blog.

Pension: Recommendations of the Pension Commission: Self-employed people should pay in, civil servants are left out

The Pension Commission has presented its recommendations for pension reform. In it she takes a position on some controversial topics. They also affect board members and mini-jobbers.

Pension: Commission recommends: pension insurance without civil servants - but with self-employed people and board members

Pension insurance should also be extended to members of parliament. At the same time, the commission recommends exceptions – and the end of most mini-jobs.

Old Age Security Commission: No pension for civil servants - but for the self-employed and members of parliament

Pension insurance is to be extended to members of parliament, self-employed people and board members. At the same time, the commission recommends exceptions – and the end of most mini-jobs.

Comment: Pension Commission – now it’s Merz’s turn

The committee's reform package appears to be all of a piece. But every single point will trigger political conflicts. In the end, Friedrich Merz will have to set the direction.

Exploring the island where nearly half of Japan's lead is produced

New museum brings Thai artist Tang Chang back into focus

I'm new to the whole topic

Am I driving well with it? Do you have any better suggestions? I also have daily money with the 2% on TR and some crypto on the Trezor submitted by /u/cannasmokeking [link] [comments]