11 h. ago China's forex reserve rises by $29.9 billion in August, while the central bank continues to increase gold holdings

China's forex reserve rises by $29.9 billion in August, while the central bank continues to increase gold holdings  Global Times

Economics

14 h. ago China's central bank buys gold in August for 10th consecutive month

China's central bank buys gold in August for 10th consecutive month  Business Standard

Economics

6 d. ago China sellers use AI to clone dive queen Quan Hongchan, top athletes to push products

Egg sellers in China have used artificial intelligence (AI) to clone the country’s diving queen, Quan Hongchan, and other top athletes to sell their wares. Chinese state media China Central Television reported on August 18 that 47,000 people fell for the AI scam. The eggs were sold using an account with 14,000 followers. It posted deepfake videos of 18-year-old Quan promoting free-range eggs produced on her family’s farm. The video included a clip of “Quan” speaking to the camera, wearing a face...

Politics

9 d. ago Markets can see who’s calling shots on US rates, and it’s not the Fed

Central bankers are sometimes known as the high priests of finance. That is because they control high-powered money, commonly known as the monetary base, or the sum of currency in circulation plus commercial bank deposits with them. By buying government bonds from banks or the market, which expands central bank balance sheets, the commercial banks’ reserves rise, improving market liquidity and therefore reducing short-term interest rates. In effect, central banks affect market sentiment by...

Politics

1 week ago ‘Proud’ Chinese dad walks 800km in 31 days with his young children to toughen them

A man in southern China who took his 10-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son on an 800km walk to toughen them up has been praised on social media. The father, surnamed Wu, and his two children started their month-long trek from the Baoan District in Shenzhen, southern China, on July 17 and ended it on August 17 in Changsha in the country’s central Hunan province, according to a report in Jimu News. “I had not expected they would carry it through to the end. I feel relieved and proud of...

Politics

2 w. ago Facing Trump pressure, US Fed chair hints at rate cut, but offers no timeline

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday opened the door ever so slightly to lowering a key interest rate in the coming months but gave no hint on the timing of a move and suggested the central bank will proceed cautiously as it continues to evaluate the impact of tariffs and other policies on the economy. In a high-profile speech that will be closely watched at the White House and on Wall Street, Powell said that there are risks of both rising unemployment and stubbornly higher inflation....

Politics

2 w. ago In Indonesia, property tax protests test Prabowo’s austerity drive

A wave of protests throughout Indonesia has become one of the most visible tests of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, with residents railing against steep property tax increases that analysts have linked to budget cuts in Jakarta and heavy-handed local officials. The largest of these protests involved thousands of residents of Pati, a town in Central Java, who took to the streets on August 13 to protest against a decision by Sudewo, their regent, that increased the urban and rural...

Events

4 w. ago Trump says he will meet Putin in Alaska on August 15 for Ukraine talks

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska, after signalling that he would support an agreement on Moscow’s war against Ukraine that would involve “some swapping of territories”. “The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,” Trump wrote on Truth Social,...

Politics

last month Mega speakers for festivities in Indonesia trigger uproar, religious edict

The practice of blasting towering speakers stacked on trucks and boats in Indonesia to celebrate events ranging from weddings to national holidays is increasingly drawing a chorus of public disapproval, even from religious leaders. “Sound horeg” – from the Javanese word for “vibrate” – is a type of street entertainment involving very loud music systems that has taken off in East and Central Java in recent years. Ahead of Indonesia’s August 17 Independence Day, officials and police are weighing...

Politics

last month Indonesia’s culture of mega speakers sparks uproar – and it’s getting louder

The practice of blasting towering speakers stacked on trucks and boats in Indonesia to celebrate events ranging from weddings to national holidays is increasingly drawing a chorus of public disapproval, even from religious leaders. “Sound horeg” – from the Javanese word for “vibrate” – is a type of street entertainment involving very loud music systems that has taken off in East and Central Java in recent years. Ahead of Indonesia’s August 17 Independence Day, officials and police are weighing...

Politics