The greenback notched a fresh six-month high of 140.91 yen in early Asia trade and was headed for a monthly gain of more than 3% against the Japanese currency. The yen's renewed decline has come on the back of rising U.S. Treasury yields, as bets grow that interest rates in the United States would stay higher for longer. Data released on Friday showed that U.S. consumer spending increased more than expected in April and inflation picked up, adding to signs of a still-resilient economy. Yields on U.S. Treasuries jumped on the back of the data, with the two-year yield , which typically reflects near-term interest rate expectations, rising more than 10 basis points to an over two-month high of 4.639% on Friday. Cash U.S. Treasuries were untraded in Asia on Monday, owing to the Memorial Day holiday in the United States, while futures were broadly steady. Ten-year futures' implied yield was 3.84%. The UK market is similarly closed on Monday for a holiday. Against the dollar, … [Read more...] about Dollar elevated as sticky inflation cements Fed hike bets, debt ceiling deal lifts optimism
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An expert’s view on interest rate movements
Senior economist Le Xuan Nghia What global factors currently suggest a move towards lower interest rates in the coming months? In my view, the key factor is the US dollar continues to weaken. Even though the US Federal Reserve (Fed) raised the base interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point in early May, meeting the target range of 5.0-5.25, it is likely there will be an interest rate cut later in the year. A number of factors support this stance, such as inflation in the US slowing, and the possibility of the labour market worsening in the next few months with increased lay-offs in several finance and technology fields. Next is the possibility of widespread bankruptcies in the banking system, as seen in the recent cases of PacWest and Western Alliance. Meanwhile, the US and EU economies face going into recession as the Russia-Ukraine conflict sees no signs of ending in the foreseeable future. This is also the very factor leading to a deep depreciation of the US … [Read more...] about An expert’s view on interest rate movements
VIETMAP: The path to a leading digital maps brand
Vietmap Application Joint Stock Company (VIETMAP JSC) has dedicated significant resources, personnel, and cutting-edge technology to gathering comprehensive and real-time traffic data across all 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam. The business places consistent emphasis on ensuring the quality and precision of the data. Significant investment for intricate traffic data Vietmap experts dedicate their investments toward researching and implementing advanced technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, and various others to enhance their capabilities of traffic data collection and processing. Furthermore, the company utilizes various specialized facilities to collect data, ensuring more comprehensive, precise, and consecutive information. The brand consistently endeavors to utilize advanced technology and stay up to date with the latest trends, resulting in the acquisition of highly accurate and reliable traffic information. … [Read more...] about VIETMAP: The path to a leading digital maps brand
MND’s Social Insurance Agency honored with second-class Fatherland Protection Order
Chief of the General Department of Political Affairs (GDP) General Luong Cuong attended and spoke at the event. The military social insurance agency was established on May 29, 2008 under the Defense Minister’s decision to concretize social and medical insurance policies for subjects under the defense ministry in line with the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and law. In realizing the strategy on building an elite, compact, strong, and modernized military, on October 26, 2022, the Defense Minister signed a decision on putting the military social insurance agency under the complete management of the GDP. It is tasked to give advice on social and medical insurance work in the military to higher levels. Speaking at the ceremony, Gen. Luong Cuong lauded and congratulated the MND’s Social Insurance Agency on its excellent achievements over the past 15 years. He said that the agency’s personnel have stayed united; actively, pro-actively, and creatively overcome difficulties; … [Read more...] about MND’s Social Insurance Agency honored with second-class Fatherland Protection Order
Uganda enacts harsh anti-LGBTQ law including death penalty
KAMPALA - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni signed one of the world's toughest anti-LGBTQ laws, including the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality", drawing Western condemnation and risking sanctions from aid donors. Same-sex relations were already illegal in Uganda, as in more than 30 African countries, but the new law goes further. It stipulates capital punishment for "serial offenders" against the law and transmission of a terminal illness like HIV/AIDS through gay sex. It also decrees a 20-year sentence for "promoting" homosexuality. "The Ugandan president has today legalised state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia," said Clare Byarugaba, a Ugandan rights activist. United States President Joe Biden called the move "a tragic violation" of human rights and said Washington would evaluate the implications of the law "on all aspects of U.S. engagement with Uganda." "We are considering additional steps, including the application of sanctions and restriction of entry … [Read more...] about Uganda enacts harsh anti-LGBTQ law including death penalty
Inside South Korea’s race to become one of the world’s biggest arms dealers
South Korea's arms sales jumped to more than $17 billion in 2022 from $7.25 billion the year before, according to its defence ministry, as Western countries scrambled to arm Ukraine and tensions rose in other hot spots such as North Korea and the South China Sea. The arms deal with Poland, a key NATO member, last year included hundreds of Chunmoo rocket launchers, K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, and FA-50 fighter aircraft. The deal's value and the number of weapons involved made it stand out even among the world's biggest defence players. South Korean and Polish officials say their partnership will help them conquer the European arms market even beyond the Ukraine war, with Seoul providing high-quality weapons faster than other countries and Poland offering manufacturing capacity and a sales pipeline into Europe. Reuters spoke to 13 company executives and government officials, including those directly involved in the deal, who said the arrangement provides a blueprint for … [Read more...] about Inside South Korea’s race to become one of the world’s biggest arms dealers
AI poses ‘extinction’ risk, say experts
Global leaders should be working to reduce "the risk of extinction" from artificial intelligence technology, a group of industry chiefs and experts warned on Tuesday. A one-line statement signed by dozens of specialists, including Sam Altman whose firm OpenAI created the ChatGPT bot, said tackling the risks from AI should be "a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war". ChatGPT burst into the spotlight late last year, demonstrating an ability to generate essays, poems and conversations from the briefest of prompts. The program's wild success sparked a gold rush with billions of dollars of investment into the field, but critics and insiders have raised the alarm. Common worries include the possibility that chatbots could flood the web with disinformation, that biased algorithms will churn out racist material, or that AI-powered automation could lay waste to entire industries. Superintelligent machines The latest statement, … [Read more...] about AI poses ‘extinction’ risk, say experts
T&T Group and DB Group form strategic partnership to fuel investment opportunities
A delegation from Vietnam’s T&T Group, led by chairman of the board Do Quang Hien, embarked on a visit to the headquarters of DB Group, a prominent economic powerhouse in South Korea, on May 25. Under this comprehensive accord, T&T Group and DB Group will support each other's endeavours with the shared goal of becoming leaders in Vietnam's thriving insurance sector. Additionally, the two groups have committed to jointly exploring and executing ventures across multiple other industries. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Do Vinh Quang, vice chairman of the Board of Directors and Deputy CEO of T&T Group, highlighted the shared vision of both companies to excel in Vietnam's insurance sector. Recognising the potential in other areas such as finance, asset management, IT, and real estate, Quang emphasised the importance of leveraging these strengths to achieve sustainable growth for both conglomerates. He expressed confidence, stating, “This strategic collaboration will … [Read more...] about T&T Group and DB Group form strategic partnership to fuel investment opportunities
Viet Nam posts trade surplus of US$9.8 billion in five months
In the first five months of the year, Viet Nam exported about $136.17 billion worth of goods, a year-on-year drop of 11.6 per cent, while imports totalled $126.37 billion, down 17.9 per cent year on year. — VNA/VNS Photo Viet Nam’s import-export value in the first five months of this year was estimated at US$262.54 billion, down 14.7 per cent year-on-year, with a trade surplus of $9.8 billion, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced on Monday. In the period, Viet Nam exported about $136.17 billion worth of goods, a year-on-year drop of 11.6 per cent, while imports totalled $126.37 billion, down 17.9 per cent year on year. As many as 23 export items joined the more than one-billion-US dollar club, making up 87.4 per cent of the total export turnover. Regarding the structure of exports, processed commodities earned $120.24 billion (88.3 per cent); agro-forestry products, $10.79 billion; aquatic products, $3.37 billion; and fuel and minerals, about $1.77 billion. As for … [Read more...] about Viet Nam posts trade surplus of US$9.8 billion in five months