Asian stocks poised for biggest weekly decline in a month |
- Asian stocks poised for biggest weekly decline in a month
- Gold drops as Fed’s Williams says he’s for increasing rates soon
- Singapore wants to be Asia’s Sweden in push for cashless payment
- 无奖牌不丢脸！玛丽娜：多少人能征奥运？
- Malaysia deserves better — Abdul Hasib
- USOC apologises for behaviour of swimmers who claimed they were robbed (VIDEO)
| Asian stocks poised for biggest weekly decline in a month Posted: 18 Aug 2016 09:26 PM PDT
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped 0.2 per cent to 139.06 as of 11:53am in Hong Kong, reversing gains of as much as 0.4 per cent. The gauge is heading for 0.7 per cent decline this week, the biggest weekly loss since July 8. Japan's Topix index rose 0.3 per cent as the yen halted a five-day rally, trading at 100.33 against the dollar. The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.3 per cent, retreating from a nine-month high, as casino shares slumped. "The market lacks momentum," Margaret Yang, an analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore, said by phone. "The market has been driven by liquidity arising from loose monetary policies by central banks around the world, rather than improving economic fundamentals. "Besides the rally in oil, there's nothing that could push share prices higher." Oil entered a bull market, gaining for a seventh straight day, on speculation major oil producers may act to curb output. OPEC is on course to agree to an output-freeze because its biggest members are pumping flat-out, said Chakib Khelil, the group's former president. US crude supplies fell the most in five weeks through August 12, while fuel stockpiles slid a third week, Energy Information Administration data show. Asian stocks have rallied 23 per cent from a February low through yesterday, with the regional benchmark index touching a one-year high last week, as lackluster data from the world's biggest economies fueled speculation central banks will continue to support them with stimulus and loose monetary policy. The Fed minutes released Wednesday showed officials saw little risk of a sharp uptick in inflation, helping drive the odds of a rate increase this year back below 50 per cent. Japanese shares are down 2.1 per cent for the week as the yen reached the strongest level since November 2013. Authorities are closely watching for speculative moves in the exchange rate because it's been volatile, Vice Finance Minister Masatsugu Asakawa said yesterday. "The BOJ is really in a tough spot," James Woods, a strategist at Rivkin Securities in Sydney, said by phone. "They're fighting an uphill battle against the market given the strengthening yen. That's creating a lot of headwinds for Japanese exporters." China's Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.5 per cent. Taiwan's Taiex index fell 0.6 per cent. South Korea's Kospi index lost 0.1 per cent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 0.2 per cent. New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 Index added 0.1 per cent, heading for an all-time high. Futures on the S&P 500 Index were little changed. The US equity benchmark index gained 0.2 per cent yesterday. — Bloomberg  |
| Gold drops as Fed’s Williams says he’s for increasing rates soon Posted: 18 Aug 2016 09:17 PM PDT
Bullion for immediate delivery fell as much as 0.5 per cent to US$1,345.80 (RM5,368.12) an ounce and traded at US$1,347.71 at 11:29am in Singapore, according to Bloomberg generic pricing, as a gauge of the greenback climbed 0.4 per cent. The metal remains 0.9 per cent higher this week. While the Fed's hesitation in raising rates this year has helped boost gold 27 per cent, recent comments have left open the possibility of a move before year-end. Fed Bank of San Francisco president John Williams said yesterday it makes sense to get back to a pace of gradual increases, preferably sooner rather than later. Investors will look for further clues as Chair Janet Yellen speaks Aug. 26 at an annual gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. "With the market looking forward to Jackson Hole, we wouldn't be surprised to see the metal to remain range-bound," said Jordan Eliseo, Sydney-based chief economist at trader Australian Bullion Co. Whilst gold has no lack of supportive factors, a rally in risk assets, greater chances of another hike from the Fed, a drop in net longs in four of the last five weeks, and minor outflows from gold-backed funds have limited the upside, according to Eliseo. The net-long position in gold futures and options fell 4.3 per cent to 255,773 contracts in the week ended Aug. 9, according to Commodity Futures Trading Commission data released three days later. Exchange-traded fund holdings fell for a second day as of Thursday, data compiled by Bloomberg show. While the probability of a hike ticked up earlier this week after New York Fed president William Dudley flagged the possibility of tightening as soon as next month, minutes of the central bank's last meeting released Wednesday struck a more dovish tone, pushing odds back below 50 per cent. Societe Generale SA isn't expecting any increases in US borrowing costs this year. "The delay in the Fed rate hike profile has been a significant factor in our positive outlook for gold in the near term, as much of the weakness throughout 2014 and 2015 has been a function of policy normalization and a stronger dollar," said Mark Keenan, head of commodities research for Asia at SocGen. Prices may rise to US$1,400, he said. In China, bullion of 99.99 per cent purity fell 0.2 per cent to 288.40 yuan a gram on the Shanghai Gold Exchange. On the Shanghai Futures Exchange, gold for December delivery lost 0.1 per cent to 288.95 yuan a gram, while silver dropped 0.5 per cent to 4,360 yuan a kilogram. Silver declined 0.6 per cent, platinum retreated 0.8 per cent and palladium fell 0.7 per cent. — Bloomberg |
| Singapore wants to be Asia’s Sweden in push for cashless payment Posted: 18 Aug 2016 09:13 PM PDT
"For consumers, the use of cash for daily payments is high," Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, said at a financial technology conference today. "For businesses, the use of checks is relatively high too." Menon said cash in circulation in Singapore is the equivalent of 8.8 per cent of gross domestic product, compared to just over 2 per cent in Sweden. An average of 12.7 checks were written per person in Singapore in 2014, compared with practically none in Sweden, he added. This costs Singapore about S$2 billion (RM5.949 billion) per year, mostly for storage and processing, which Menon described as a "non-trivial" amount. Singapore is aiming to be a hub for the financial technology industry in Asia, in an attempt to bolster its economy, create jobs and cement its position as a regional banking center. Menon said the MAS is asking the country's banks to pass on to their customers the full cost of paper-intensive services, such as the processing of checks, to encourage them to switch to digital payments. The MAS also wants to see a majority of those transactions made using cellphones, or national ID or other secure numbers, rather than bank account numbers, over the next year, Menon said. Singapore, along with Finland, the US, Sweden and the UK, are the economies that are most ready to use digital payments, based on the high use of mobile phones and banking services, according to a Citigroup Inc report published in June. Apple Inc introduced its mobile payment service Apple Pay in Singapore in April. Samsung Electronics Co followed with its own service two months later. — Bloomberg |
| Posted: 18 Aug 2016 09:09 PM PDT
她今日转载小潘和诺塔比达止步跳水的奥运新闻时说，"这不是丢脸的事，（跳水）是竞争力非常强的领域，潘德莉拉和诺塔比达，你俩已做得很好了。我们有多少人能可像这两人一样成为奥林匹克选手？我们仍感到光荣。" 潘德莉拉和诺塔比达，在里约奥运会跳水女子10米台单人决赛分别获得第11名和第9名。 潘德莉拉在决赛时表现欠缺稳定，以330.45分，在12人排在第11位，反之17岁的小将诺塔比达让现场评审惊艳，以338.00分获得第9名，完成自己的奥运前秀。 潘德莉拉在上周和队友张俊虹，摘下女子双人10米跳水银牌，是大马在本届奥运首面奖牌。 小潘和诺塔比达两人也获得不少网友的祝福。而人在巴西的青体部长凯里也发推文说，"向两位女孩敬礼！我们的奥运决赛选手。你让我们感到光荣，每一天。" 小潘本人则在赛后于其脸书专页留言向广大民众致谢，充满正能量，"谢谢所有没休息而看我跳水的朋友。我对这次里约奥运会的所有赛事都非常感恩。我一定会以更强的姿态回来，永不放弃。" 大马羽球男女混双陈炳顺和吴柳萤也在里约奥运创造历史闯入决赛，虽然不敌印尼队而得银牌，但遭两家马来报章以刻薄标题揶揄，《每日新闻》指称"只获银牌"，而《kosmo！》则写两人辜负了全民，引起全民挞伐，最后凯里也开腔吁各造别再闹，并分享柳萤在伤后复出征战奥运的励志故事。 |
| Malaysia deserves better — Abdul Hasib Posted: 18 Aug 2016 09:08 PM PDT
Each distinct group has its own issues. Malaysians are so focused on the micro-aspect that the bigger picture is often time neglected. Going into 60 years of independence, and our education system is still one big joke. You have one group who refuses to embrace English and you would have another group supposedly defending an identity. Moving forward, you have Malaysians who are unable to even string simple sentences of Malay despite it being the national language. Things are fast becoming unhealthy. Each group is waging its wars but there is no uniformity between the groups due to the different wars and skirmishes. Malaysia is left unattended. There exist common enemies but its citizens are too preoccupied with nonsense to smell and spot the truth. This Malaysia that we are living in today is only borrowed from the eventual owners that will be our children. We are giving them one big mess and is it this legacy that we want to leave behind? The wedge between the people is worrying. The people should come together. This, however, is easier said than done. It is easier said than done simply because you have one group who feels they are being discriminated while another group feels slighted that there are monopolies by a certain group on the economy. But is this all true? Education is the way forward but the education system is in shambles. The main objective for education should be unity. It should be unity first and foremost instead of the usual rates like literacy and mathematics. What good is a Malaysian who can read and count but is racist and to top it off, is racist to fellow Malaysians? People keep saying that Malaysia in the past was a totally different place. I wouldn't know a thing being that I was born in 1987 but if what is said was true, why did those that lived during the good times produced offspring nothing like them? A friend who still plays music says that the scene is different but outside the scene it is status quo as usual. Different individuals from different groups have no problems as their war is music. They are more preoccupied on bending techniques, stomp box pedals and what amps has the best gains instead of the usual rhetoric. Malaysia. It's a nice place with nice people. The food is abundant and fabulous. I am not a huge fan of the weather though but that's bearable. We need a common enemy. The enemy is there but why are we fighting each other? Malaysia is made up of many different people. This is our strength and we should play to it. But this isn't the case. Happy 60th birthday Malaysia. You deserve better. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online. |
| USOC apologises for behaviour of swimmers who claimed they were robbed (VIDEO) Posted: 18 Aug 2016 08:58 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 19 — The United States Olympic Committee apologised yesterday to the people of Brazil for the behaviour of four American swimmers who were found to have lied about a gunpoint robbery, prompting enormous criticism of the Games host city. America's official Olympic body acknowledged that one of its athletes had committed an act of vandalism in a gas station restroom and the swimmers had handed over money to security staff after they'd demanded payment for the damage in the early hours of Sunday. "The behaviour of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA," USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun said in a statement released yesterday night.
The USOC's final account differed wildly from an interview given by gold medallist Ryan Lochte, 32, on NBC, in which he said he and swimmers Jack Conger, 21, Gunnar Bentz, 20, and Jimmy Feigen, 26, had been robbed by men posing as police and that he'd had a gun put to his head. Bentz and Conger flew out of Brazil Yesterday night after visiting a police station earlier in the day to revise their statements. The USOC also said yesterday that Feigen, the only one of the swimmers left in Brazil, had also revised his statement to Brazilian authorities. "Feigen provided a revised statement this evening with the hope of securing the release of his passport as soon as possible," the USOC said. "On behalf of the United States Olympic Committee, we apologise to our hosts in Rio and the people of Brazil for this distracting ordeal in the midst of what should rightly be a celebration of excellence," it said. — AFP |
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