Finance news

Philippines’ UN defeat: a result of domestic ‘political circus’, close ties with US?

The Philippines’ landslide defeat to Kyrgyzstan for a UN Security Council seat has dealt a blow to Manila’s long-running campaign to raise its international diplomatic profile through the prestigious body, prompting questions about President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s foreign policy legacy. Analysts said the loss reflected the appeal of having under-represented Central Asia play a role in the council, Kyrgyzstan’s perceived neutrality and the geopolitical baggage attached to the Philippines as a...

US fast food restaurant chain: Taco Bell is coming to Germany

“Tex Mex” cuisine is popular in the US fast food industry, not least thanks to Taco Bell. In Germany, the chain is currently only present on US military bases. That should change shortly.

Australian fined, given suspended jail term for dining and dashing in Hong Kong

An Australian man, who claimed to be a lawyer, has been fined HK$2,000 (US$255) and given a suspended sentence by a Hong Kong court for repeatedly leaving restaurants without paying. Samuel Anthony Monkivitch, 50, was also ordered to pay HK$2,039 in compensation to two Shangri-La hotels in Admiralty and Tsim Sha Tsui, as well as a Japanese restaurant, after skipping out on bills on four occasions between April 24 and May 5. Eastern Court heard on Friday that Monkivitch used various excuses to...

USA: US Senate approves billions in funding for immigration authorities

Because of the narrow majorities, the Republicans are having difficulty holding their group together. In the end, a fund remains possible that could pay out money to Trump supporters.

Ukraine Support Act: US House of Representatives votes for further Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions

With votes from Republican dissidents, the “Ukraine Support Act” passed the US House of Representatives. The project includes, among other things, more than a billion dollars in aid for Kiev. Further hurdles await in the Senate and White House.

Career of Trump supporter: Convicted Capitol stormer now works for the Pentagon

Elias Irizarry, who once helped storm the Capitol with a metal bar and was convicted for it, now works at the Pentagon. The US government under Trump appreciates such a “patriotic professional”.

Xi heads to North Korea, tech transfer clampdown, inflation pickup

Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to North Korea next week, his first overseas trip this year and his first to the hermit nation since 2019. The trip will take place on Monday and Tuesday, Xinhua said without elaboration. Xi’s last official overseas excursion was to South Korea in October, when he met US President Donald Trump and attended a regional summit. Xi’s visit underscores a rebound in relations with China’s only formal ally following relative isolation during the...

‘Another empty promise’: Quad’s proposed Fiji port project raises doubts

A proposal by Quad to build a port in Fiji, seen by analysts as a move to counter China’s rising economic clout in the Pacific region, has fuelled doubts about whether the four-member security bloc is committed to completing the project amid different policy priorities. At a meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, in New Delhi last week, the foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the United States – Penny Wong, S. Jaishankar, Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State

Dax current: Dax at the previous day’s level – US labor market in focus

At the end of the week, investors look at the current developments in the Ukraine war. The latest report on the situation on the US labor market is particularly crucial for the Fed.

Greenland is part of Denmark 'for now,' Marco Rubio says

SS: While testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, he was asked by congresswoman Sarah McBride whether he was "aware that Greenland is indeed part of Denmark". "For now," Rubio replied. Greenland has been a hot topic since US President Donald Trump's return to the White House, with the president repeatedly arguing that Washington needs to acquire the Danish territory to bolster national defence. submitted by /u/JKKIDD231 [link] [comments]

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Markets: Profit-taking depresses Dax – waiting for US job data

The German leading index starts the last trading day of the week weaker. Investors lack a clear point of reference between geopolitics and interest rate issues.

AI hyperscaler effect vaults China’s Zhongji Innolight to top of CSI 300 benchmark

The artificial intelligence frenzy has made Zhongji Innolight, a supplier of optical modules to US hyperscalers, the biggest constituent of China’s stock benchmark, highlighting AI’s profound impact on the world’s second-largest equity market. The northern Shandong province-based company had a 5 per cent weighting on the CSI 300 Index on Friday, making it the largest of the 300 most valuable stocks on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges. The index’s weighting is based on the market...

Anthropic: NSA is said to have used AI model Mythos for cyber attacks

According to a report, the US secret service is using the Mythos model for offensive operations. The company is in an ongoing legal dispute with the Pentagon.

US startup bets on Japan with AI agents that tap live web data

Car manufacturer: US car companies are experiencing a comeback - Germans are weakening

The auto industry is selling more cars, but profits are falling. Manufacturers in Japan and Germany are having problems, but US manufacturers such as GM and Tesla are recovering strongly.

Is US wielding new tariff threat to secure big bargain in India trade talks?

The threat by the US to impose additional tariffs on imports from India over forced labour supply-chain concerns is a “pressure” tactic deployed by Washington to drive a harder bargain in its trade talks with New Delhi, according to analysts. Following a Section 301 unfair trade practices investigation, the Trump administration proposed that products from India, China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Switzerland would be subject to a 12.5 per cent levy, while a 10 per cent rate would apply to...

Trump urged Xi to help end Ukraine war; China’s tech sanctions list: SCMP’s 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump ‘personally called for China’s help’ to end Ukraine war in summit with Xi US President Donald Trump personally urged President Xi Jinping to help end the Ukraine war, seeking to leverage Beijing’s influence over Moscow to...

Trump wants to change Cuba: “Perversion”: Cuba’s president condemns US sanctions

Tensions between the USA and Cuba continue to escalate. Now Cuba's head of state is also on a US sanctions list. President Trump wants to force changes on the Caribbean island.

Nikkei, Kospi, Topix: Tech weakness pushes Asian stock markets into significant losses

Ongoing geopolitical tensions have investors in Asia nervous. The disappointing figures from US chip manufacturer Broadcom are weighing on the stock markets for the second day in a row.

Quarantine in Texas: US races to contain deadly flesh-eating parasite

Following the ⁠first confirmation of screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, on a US farm in decades, federal and state officials have fanned out in South Texas, where a calf was found infested this week. US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Thursday no other infestations of cattle or other animals have been detected around the confirmed case. The case in La Pryor, Texas, was a blow to US cattle ranchers who have been bracing for a domestic outbreak of New World screwworm as the fly...

Wars: US House of Representatives commits to Ukraine aid and NATO

Donald Trump railed against Germany and other NATO countries for not helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Now the US Parliament is siding with the allies.

South Koreans sweat over US$779,000 air conditioning plan for prisons

South Korea’s Ministry of Justice on Tuesday sought to defuse criticism over a 1.2 billion won (US$779,162) plan to install air conditioning in prisons, clarifying the equipment will cool corridors, not inmates’ cells. The ministry framed the installation as a minimal measure to protect vulnerable inmates and correctional officers from extreme heat, while online critics condemned the taxpayer-funded project as an unfair convenience for criminals. The ministry said the equipment will be installed

China pancake seller in US plans to run for mayor, generating buzz despite thorny past

A Chinese pancake seller in the US has announced plans to run for mayor within three years, despite past controversy over an arrest. Tang, 31, was born to a rural family in Sichuan, southwestern China, and left school after secondary education. He is the son of a security guard and a cleaner. After working in sales and the car industry, he moved to the US in 2022, with little English, first taking a job at a used-car showroom. Two years later, he settled in Los Angeles and began selling savoury.

US citizen and journalist charged with acting as Chinese agent

A US citizen who lived and worked for state media in China for several years pleaded guilty on Thursday to acting as a foreign agent for Beijing after allegedly collecting US$100,000 in return for collecting intelligence in the US on “American targets” and American politicians. According to court documents, Thomas Weir Pauken II worked at the “direction and control” of Chinese officials linked to China’s Ministry of State Security from at least 2019 until February 2026, with someone using the...

Trump says he won’t nominate Pulte as permanent US spy chief after backlash

US President ⁠Donald Trump on Thursday indicated ⁠that he would not nominate mortgage regulator ⁠Bill Pulte to be the nation’s intelligence chief once his temporary appointment expires early next year. His comments follow a backlash against Pulte’s appointment as acting director of national intelligence from Democrats and some key senators of his Republican Party over the ‌Trump loyalist’s lack of national security experience. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump indicated he would...

Tensions between states: USA imposes sanctions against Cuba's president

Tensions between the USA and Cuba continue to escalate. Now Cuba's president is on a US sanctions list.

Trump unveils plan to add ‘Trump promenade’ to Lincoln Memorial

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced plans to add a potential “Trump promenade” to the iconic Lincoln Memorial, in his latest grandiose bid to leave his mark on the US capital. Trump said the walkway would link the huge marble monument, built to commemorate Civil War-era president Abraham Lincoln, to the nearby Potomac River. “They want to call it the Trump Promenade,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he unveiled the project for the first time. “I don’t know if I want to do...

Chinese satellite company releases images of Nvidia, Apple HQs

After it was sanctioned by the US government for allegedly helping Iran, a Chinese satellite company has released high-definition images of the Nvidia and Apple headquarters in California’s Silicon Valley. They were among photos posted on social media on Monday by Changguang Satellite based in Changchun, in northeast China. The satellite images – captured by the company’s Jilin-1 constellation – offer a detailed bird’s-eye view of the region. They include the futuristic Endeavour and Voyager...

China says US ‘invented’ terrorism charges to justify Cuba blockade

China accused the United States of using “invented allegations” to justify its terrorism case against Cuba, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio told senators he needed no new evidence to tie the island to violent leftist groups across the western hemisphere. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that Washington could not justify its blockade and sanctions against the island, adding that the decades-old embargo had wrecked Cuba’s economy. “China firmly supports Cuba in...