Stocks in Asia looked poised to follow their American counterparts lower as geopolitical developments and the prospect of higher Federal Reserve interest rates fueled a return of risk aversion. The dollar rallied and Treasury yields climbed to levels not seen since 2011.Equity futures in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong were lower after U.S. stocks halted a four-day rally with the steepest slide in almost two weeks. Yields on 10-year Treasury notes rose to 3.07 percent after upbeat U.S. retail sales data fueled bets the Fed may raise rates three more times this year. Bloomberg’s dollar index advanced to its 2018 high. In emerging-markets, equities dropped the most since March and currencies slumped the most in a year.Risk aversion spread across asset classes as investors -- already uncomfortable with rising yields and a strong dollar -- grappled with trade, growth, and geopolitical worries. Fresh uncertainty about the U.S.-North Korea summit, violence in the Middle East, the … [Read more...] about Stock Selloff to Hit Asia as Treasuries Slump: Markets Wrap
Asia
China May Grab Hold of All Asia-Pacific With Its ‘DebtBook Diplomacy’
The report identifies a total of 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific region that are targeted by China’s tactic of first granting loans, which are beyond their capacity to pay off, and subsequently freeing them from debts, The Guardian reported. The budding academics have dwelt upon the countries that can be of great concern to the US – these are primarily Pakistan and Sri Lanka, states where China’s method can be traced most easily amid worsening debt and where the government has already noticeably given in to China. With regard to Sri Lanka, the authors of the report have voiced concerns that the port of Hambantota, which was to a great extent financed by China and is feared to be part of a “debt trap,” might become in the near future a Chinese naval base as part of a swap deal. © Wikipedia / Voice of AmericaMind the Gap: US Clothes Firm … [Read more...] about China May Grab Hold of All Asia-Pacific With Its ‘DebtBook Diplomacy’
Competition open for 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards
By Laman Ismayilova Narimanfilm film studio together with Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) and International Federation of Film Producers Associations ( FIAPF ) announced the 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards open for submissions for 2018. APSA covers the territory of more than 70 countries, consisting of more than four and a half billion people. Films can be submitted for participation in nominations in four categories: Full-length feature film (60 min +) Full-length youth film (60 min +) Full-length animated film (40 min +) Full-length documentary (40 min +) The deadline for submission of films and materials is July 1. The nominees for the 2018 Asia Pacific Screen Awards will be selected by an independent nominations council, which consists of filmmaking experts, festival directors and composers, film critics and academics from the Asian and Pacific region. Nominations for all categories will be announced at the official conference on … [Read more...] about Competition open for 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards
California coastline stripped of plants prized in Asia
The tip came from a woman standing in line at a post office in a small town in northern California. A customer was shipping dozens of boxes to China, and the caller suspected they were filled with abalone, a highly-prized shellfish listed as an endangered species. But fish and wildlife officers who responded to the call instead uncovered an international smuggling ring that has been stripping the bluffs along the northern California coastline of Dudleya succulent plants and shipping them to countries in Asia where they are used for decoration. "The poachers literally fly into the US just to get these plants so they can ship them to Korea, China or Japan," said Captain Patrick Foy, of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. "They are ripping them out of the ground and selling them between $40 and $50 dollars a piece." The plant, which grows in bud-like circles and resembles an artichoke, is called Dudleya farinosa and is native to the rugged coastlines of Oregon and northern … [Read more...] about California coastline stripped of plants prized in Asia
Amphibian Species Disappearing in Asia Likely Due to Korean War
The dangerous fungus responsible for killing frogs, toads and newts is known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) also known as chytrid fungus. It spreads quickly in the wild, resulting in catastrophic mortality and declines in some species, while others are less affected, according to the journal Science. © Photo: YouTube/ZME Science'He's Green. He's Sexy': Bolivian Frog Searching For Spouse Via Social Network (VIDEO)Scientists have recently made some findings that led them to believe that the fungus originated in the Korean peninsula sometime in the 1950s. According to them, human activities inadvertently spread it across the globe, leading to amphibian fatalities across the Americas, Africa, Europe and Australia. The fungus can infect at least 695 different species, and has devastated populations around the world. It has caused the near extinction of midwife toad populations in the … [Read more...] about Amphibian Species Disappearing in Asia Likely Due to Korean War