China’s narrowing trade slump boosts recovery prospects, but challenges persist
CNN
23-10-13 06:53
China's exports and imports fell at a slower pace in September for the second consecutive month, according to customs data. Outbound shipments declined 6.2% YoY, beating a forecast for a 7.6% fall, while imports fell 6.2%, compared with a forecast 6% decline. The data suggests the world's second-largest economy may be gradually stabilising. However, the economy faces deflationary pressure, a long-running property crisis, slowing global growth and geopolitical tensions.
UPDATE 1-Hungary to ban rallies supporting 'terrorist organisations' -PM Orban
Yahoo US
23-10-13 06:33
Hungary will not allow any rallies supporting “terrorist organisations,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said. Orban added that all Hungarian citizens should feel safe regardless of their faith or origin. The announcement comes following a call by former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal for protests across the Muslim world in support of the Palestinians. There has been a rally called for 2pm GMT today outside the Hungarian Foreign Ministry in Budapest.
China's Didi plans 2024 Hong Kong listing - Bloomberg News
Reuters
23-10-13 05:55
China's ride-hailing giant, Didi Global, is reportedly planning to list its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange next year. This comes after the company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in December 2021 following an investigation by Chinese regulators. Didi's listing in the US had raised concerns about national security and public interest.
Map maker TomTom's Q3 loss narrows boosted by car branch growth
Reuters
23-10-13 05:52
TomTom, the digital mapping specialist, has reported a smaller than expected operating loss for Q3 2016. The company's quarterly operating loss narrowed to €8.7m ($9.2m) from a loss of €17.8m a year earlier, beating analyst expectations of a loss of €11m. TomTom's automotive branch, which it relies on for growth, performed strongly, growing faster than global car production.
Sino-Ocean seeks deadline extension on onshore bond interest payment
South China Morning Post
23-10-13 05:29
Chinese property developer Sino-Ocean Group Holding has said it plans to seek approval from creditors to extend interest payment on an onshore bond due on 19 October. The company will also service interest on an offshore bond due on 26 October. Sino-Ocean had CNY91.9bn ($13.9bn) of borrowings as of 30 June. The firm said it plans to pay interest on a green note due on 26 April.
Homemade rockets and modified AK-47s: An annotated look at Hamas’ deadly arsenal
CNN
23-10-13 10:58
Weapons used by Hamas in their recent attack on Israel included homemade rockets, modified AK-47's and decades-old Soviet machine guns, according to a CNN analysis of videos and photos. Many of the guns appeared to be altered Russian or Chinese firearms, left behind on the battlefield and eventually making their way into the hands of Hamas terrorists. Some experts believe the firearms were likely supplied by Iran, which the US State Department has previously said equips Hamas with money, military equipment and training. The group operates out of Gaza, a strip of Mediterranean coastal land bordered by Israel and Egypt and has been cut off from the rest of the world since 2007 when Hamas took control, prompting Israel and Egypt to impose a blockade.
The weapons used by Hamas are far less sophisticated than the standards of Israel’s military. However, their impact has led to an unprecedented level of devastation. One expert describes the weapons as “weapons of mass destruction” and adds that “they just need to create terror.” Homemade rockets are Hamas’ preferred weapon, with the group claiming to have fired 5,000 rockets on Israel in one day alone. The sheer number of rockets has overwhelmed Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system. Hamas reportedly produces the majority of Qassam rockets itself, with the group able to make rockets from old water pipes.
Hamas’ group of weapons also included grenades, drones and paragliders, which are not commonly used in warfare. CNN’s analysis suggests that Hamas was trained in the use of the paragliders and was supplied with the equipment. The group also used bulldozers to tear down fences separating Gaza from Israel, showing the ad hoc nature of the attack.
Insight: Job or baby? Italian women's struggle to have both holds back growth
Reuters
23-10-13 10:56
The Bank of Italy has warned that the country's low female employment rate is impeding long-term economic growth and threatens to make the country's €2.8tn ($3tn) debt pile unsustainable. The country's female employment rate is the lowest in the European Union, while Italy also has one of the lowest birth rates. Five economists, including former chief statistician Gian Carlo Blangiardo, argued that reducing gender inequality could help ease the country's demographic crisis and support its pension system. Blangiardo said that current trends suggest Italy's working-age population will decline by seven million by 2042, leading to a GDP loss of €339bn. The government has said that it will spend EU Covid-19 recovery funds to boost the availability of nursery and pre-school places. However, Italy currently provides 26.6 nursery places for every 100 children under three, below the EU's target of 33. The country spends 0.1% of GDP on care services for children aged 0-2, compared to France's 0.6% and Denmark's 0.8%.
JPMorgan Chase has reported a rise in profit for the third quarter, boosted by higher interest rates and its acquisition of First Republic Bank. Profit for the three months ending 30 September reached $13.15bn, or $4.33 per share, compared with $9.74bn, or $3.12 per share, for the same period in 2017. JPMorgan's net interest income rose 30% to $22.9bn.
The pound has slightly recovered after experiencing its largest daily drop against the dollar since March, following higher than expected US inflation data. The pound was up 0.1% to $1.2178, having fallen by 1.1% on Thursday. However, the currency fell 0.3% against the euro on Thursday, marking its biggest one-day fall in three weeks. The Bank of England will be meeting in November to set interest rates, when it will also consider data releases from next week.
Afghan earthquakes death toll revised to 'over 1,000' from over 2,400 by Taliban-run ministry
Yahoo US
23-10-13 14:34
Afghanistan's disaster management ministry has revised down the death toll from multiple earthquakes that hit the country last week, but the tragedy is still set to escalate an existing humanitarian crisis. The ministry now estimates that around 1,000 people died in the earthquakes, rather than the 2,400 that was previously reported. However, the impact of the earthquakes is still huge, with entire villages destroyed and 100% of homes in one district levelled. Afghanistan's healthcare system, which relies heavily on foreign aid, has been crippled by a lack of international assistance since the Taliban took power.
U.S. agency removes coverage curb on PET scans for Alzheimer's patients
Yahoo US
23-10-13 14:33
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has removed a national policy that restricted coverage for a type of brain scan called positron emission tomography (PET) needed by doctors to determine if patients are eligible for newly developed Alzheimer's drugs. The change removes the once-per-lifetime limit on beta amyloid PET scans that restricted their use to clinical trials. The move will benefit patients who may benefit from new drugs that remove a protein called beta amyloid from the brain.
Lloyd Austin says Hamas are ‘worse than Isis’ as he meets Netanyahu
The Independent
23-10-13 14:32
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Israel and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show the Biden administration's support in its conflict with Hamas. Austin described Hamas as "worse than ISIS" and compared the group's actions to the atrocities committed by the Islamic State. He condemned the attacks on Israeli civilians and reaffirmed the US's commitment to Israel's defense. Austin confirmed that the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier is in the region and another carrier is en route to provide additional support if necessary. He also stated that the US is working closely with Israel to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, including several Americans. Austin emphasized that the US is capable of supporting both Israel and Ukraine simultaneously. He visited the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv to discuss Israel's security assistance needs. Austin is the second-highest-ranking US official to visit Israel since the conflict began. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also visited and expressed the US's firm support for Israel.
NASA has launched a new mission to explore the Psyche asteroid, which is located in the solar system's main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The six-year mission aims to investigate the asteroid, which scientists believe could be the metallic core of an ancient protoplanet. If the metals on the asteroid were on Earth, they would be worth more than the entire world economy. While asteroid mining is still largely science fiction, some futurists and companies are hopeful that it could become a reality in the future, with metallic asteroids like Psyche being of particular interest.
Israel-Hamas war live updates: Gaza Strip residents panic as 1.1 million told to evacuate by Israeli military
Yahoo US
23-10-13 14:26
The Israeli military has ordered 1.1 million people in Gaza to evacuate, indicating that Israel is preparing for a ground operation against Hamas. However, the UN has said that it is impossible to evacuate civilians without devastating humanitarian consequences and is calling for the order to be rescinded. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed or injured in the conflict. Meanwhile, the US has said that at least 27 Americans have been killed in Israel since the assault began last weekend, with another 14 US citizens missing.
Reuters journalist killed after Israeli air strike at Lebanon border
The Independent
23-10-13 19:17
A Reuters videographer has been killed and six other journalists injured after an Israeli shell landed in a gathering of journalists covering clashes on the border in south Lebanon. Issam Abdallah was killed on Friday while working in southern Lebanon. Two journalists from Reuters and two from Qatar’s Al-Jazeera TV were among the injured. The incident occurred during an exchange of fire along the Lebanon-Israel border between Israeli troops and Hezbollah members. The border region has been witnessing sporadic acts of violence since an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on southern Israel last Saturday.
BBC journalist ‘stopped and assaulted’ by Israeli police
The Independent
23-10-13 19:09
A BBC journalist and his team have been stopped and assaulted by Israeli police whilst on their way to a hotel in Tel Aviv. Muhannad Tutunji, Haitham Abudiab and the BBC Arabic team were dragged from their car and their press identification cards were ignored. Mr Tutunji had his phone taken from him and thrown to the floor, and claims to have been hit on the neck. The BBC has called for journalists to be able to report on the conflict in Israel-Gaza freely.
First charter flight for US citizens fleeing Israel lands in Athens
The Independent
23-10-13 18:59
The first State Department charter flight carrying Americans out of Israel landed in Athens, Greece. More flights between Tel Aviv and Athens are scheduled, and the US is exploring other options to expand the capacity for Americans to leave, including by land and sea. As of Thursday, 27 Americans have died in Israel since the war began, and 14 remain unaccounted for, some of whom may have been kidnapped by Hamas. The US is also working to bring back at-risk Americans who are living in Israel or the Palestinian territories.
Inside the White House as the Israel-Gaza war started
The Independent
23-10-13 18:33
President Joe Biden has shown unwavering support for Israel in the wake of a surprise attack by Hamas militants. Biden was notified of the attack early on the morning of 7 October and immediately began working with advisers to assess the situation. The attack involved a barrage of rockets, militants attacking by land and sea, and the taking of hostages. The US president has been in regular contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer support and assistance. Biden has also pledged to help Israel deal with the unprecedented number of civilians taken hostage by Hamas.
Israeli shelling kills Reuters videographer in Lebanon, 6 other journalists injured
CBC
23-10-13 18:24
A Reuters videographer was killed and six other journalists were injured after an Israeli shell landed among them while they were covering clashes on the border in south Lebanon. The incident occurred during an exchange of fire between Israeli troops and members of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group. Reuters said it was "deeply saddened" by the death of its videographer and is seeking more information on the incident. The UN has called for an investigation into what happened, while Israel's UN ambassador said the government will investigate the incident.
