Asian stocks advance, trading near three-week high |
- Asian stocks advance, trading near three-week high
- Japan’s factory output falls 1pc in November, official data shows
- Germany recruits 8,500 teachers for child refugees
- Sensible resolutions for a beautiful New Year
- Actor Baron Cohen and wife give US$1m for Syrian refugees
- Sri Lanka president wants ‘sexy’ Iglesias show organisers to be whipped
| Asian stocks advance, trading near three-week high Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:54 PM PST
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 0.1 per cent to 131.37 as of 9.28am in Tokyo. Markets in Australia and New Zealand are shut for holidays. The Asian gauge is poised to drop 4.7 per cent this year for its first back-to-back losses since 2002 amid decelerating Chinese growth and a rout in commodities. "For 2016, the outlook should become less hazy and investors should enjoy greater clarity with regards to the pace of Fed rate hikes and hopefully the Chinese economy will also show signs of stability which will benefit commodity prices and emerging economies," Vasu Menon, vice president of wealth management at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp in Singapore, said by email. "Equity markets are likely to remain volatile, at least into the first half of 2016, as markets come to terms with the direction of US monetary policy and the economic outlook for China." Crude oil futures jumped 9.7 per cent last week, the most in four months, as US inventories declined and and drillers idled rigs. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index is set for an 0.3 per cent drop in December, and is up 6.1 per cent this quarter. The Federal Reserve raised US interest rates this month for the first time in almost a decade and signaled a gradual pace for future increases. Japan's Topix index added 0.3 per cent today. The nation's industrial output fell 1 per cent in November from a month earlier, according to a report published before the market opened. The drop was twice as big as economists had predicted. Retail sales declined 2.5 per cent month-on-month. South Korea's Kospi index slipped 0.2 per cent, opening after Friday's holiday. Markets in China and Hong Kong have yet to start trading. China's stocks capped a second week of gains last week, led by real estate and consumer companies, amid speculation the government will take more measures to stem an economic slowdown. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.4 per cent on the week. ― Bloomberg  |
| Japan’s factory output falls 1pc in November, official data shows Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:48 PM PST
The decline was mainly due to stagnant production of general machinery, chemical engineering and metal industry, according to the ministry of economy, trade and industry. The figure was worse than market expectations of a 0.4 per cent fall. Looking ahead, the ministry expected production in December to rise 0.9 per cent, and further gain 6.0 per cent in January. Japan's production overall is making "one step forward and one step back," the ministry said in a statement. The latest announcement came days after the world's number three economy said its inflation rate ticked up in November, offering a glimmer of hope for Tokyo's bid to conquer years of deflation. But the latest inflation number remains way below the Bank of Japan's 2.0 per cent target, as officials struggle to convince cautious firms to usher in big wage hikes to stir spending. A falling price spiral in Japan for years put consumers off buying in the hope of getting goods cheaper down the road, denting firms' expansion and hiring plans. That has weighed on growth in the wider economy. A lacklustre global economy, marked by the slowdown in China and weakness in emerging markets, is also posing challenges to the recovery. Tokyo has approved an extra spending budget to stimulate the still-weak economy. ― AFP |
| Germany recruits 8,500 teachers for child refugees Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:46 PM PST
With some 196,000 children fleeing war and poverty entering the German school system this year, 8,264 "special classes" have been created to help the new arrivals catch up with their peers, Die Welt said, citing a survey carried out in 16 German federal states. "Some 8,500 additional teachers have been recruited nationwide," the daily said. According to Germany's education authority, 325,000 school-age children reached the EU country in 2015, amid Europe's worst migration crisis since World War II. Germany expects over a million asylum seekers this year, which is five times more than in 2014 and has put a strain on its ability to provide services to all the newcomers. "Schools and education administrations have never been confronted with such a challenge," Brunhild Kurth, who heads the education authority, told Die Welt. "We must accept that this exceptional situation will become the norm for a long time to come." Heinz-Peter Meidinger, head of the DPhV teachers' union, said Germany will in fact need up to 20,000 additional teachers in order to cater for the new numbers. "By next summer, at the latest, we will feel that gap," he said. — AFP |
| Sensible resolutions for a beautiful New Year Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:39 PM PST
Remove makeup It may sound obvious, but going to sleep with a face full of makeup is an easy mistake to make, particularly during party season. Cosmetics can clog the pores and slow down the repair process, leading to overnight breakouts and dull skin. Use a simple cleanser before going to bed for happy morning skin. Exfoliate The benefits of dry brushing are widely known — it sloughs off dead skin cells and boosts circulation for brighter skin. Brush your body in the direction of the heart for a few minutes before showering every day and you could see a real difference. Wash makeup brushes regularly Brushes can harbour all sorts of bacteria, so it's important to cleanse them regularly. Rinsing them in warm soapy water around once a fortnight and leaving them to dry naturally will keep them free of germs, as well as keeping them more effective in the long term. Moisturise with SPF UVA rays can damage the skin regardless of the weather, so it's important to protect it if you want to ward off the aging process. An easy way to incorporate this into your routine is by using a daily moisturizer containing SPF 15 or higher. Go natural The "Slow Cosmetics" movement has been gathering pace over the course of the last year, so there's no better time to try out a more natural approach to your beauty regime. Cutting out synthetic ingredients, silicones and chemical preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and focusing on organic ingredients could do wonders for both you and the environment. — AFP-Relaxnews |
| Actor Baron Cohen and wife give US$1m for Syrian refugees Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:37 PM PST
The "Borat" star and actress wife Isla Fisher are giving US$500,000 to Save the Children to pay for measles vaccinations for children in northern Syria. They are also donating the same amount to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to help refugees in Syria and neighbouring countries, particularly women and children, with health care, shelter and sanitation. More than four million refugees have fled conflict in Syria for the relative safety of the neighbouring countries, according to the United Nations. Millions more have been forced to leave their homes for other parts of the country. Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children, said the money would "save many thousands of lives and protect some of the most vulnerable children". "By allowing us to make their generous donation to Syrian children public, Sacha and Isla are helping highlight the tragedy of the issue today," he added. David Miliband, the ex-British foreign secretary who is president of the IRC, called their gift a "great expression of humanity." — AFP |
| Sri Lanka president wants ‘sexy’ Iglesias show organisers to be whipped Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:33 PM PST
The December 20 concert in capital Colombo saw ecstatic local women running on stage to hug and kiss the "Hero" singer while others threw their underwear at him, Sirisena told a public meeting in the eastern district of Ampara. "This is most uncivilised behaviour that goes against our culture," the president said. "I don't advocate that these uncivilised women who removed their brassieres should be beaten with toxic stingray tails, but those who organised such an event should be," he added. Whipping with the tails of stingrays was reserved for hardened criminals in medieval Sri Lanka and is used as a popular idiom for extreme punishment of wrongdoing. There was no immediate comment from the local organiser, Live Events, a company co-owned by Sri Lankan cricket stars Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. In conservative Sri Lankan society, public displays of affection, even among married couples, is frowned upon. Police are known to have arrested courting couples for kissing in public parks or sea-front promenades. Enrique fans had paid prices ranging from 5,000 rupees to 50,000 rupees (RM1.502) to get to the live one-hour performance by the Latin pop star at a rugby stadium in Colombo which was part his world tour, "Love and Sex". — AFP |
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