financializer news A weblog highlighting financial topics making news in the international media.

china: Charles Kayonga, Rwanda Ambassador to China Photo Courtesy of Embassy of Rwanda in China Illustration Luo Xuan/GT Editor's Note The trade between China and Rwanda has shown a strong uptrend throughout 2018, with the two countries' trade surging by more than 40 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months last year, according to Global Times China. One of the stimuli behind the trade boost is the online cooperation between the two countries, with Rwanda signing an Electronic World Trade Platform eWTP agreement with Alibaba and selling some of its coffee products on Tmall platform to Chinese customers. Gen. A Rwanda government delegation also visited the headquarters of Alibaba recently to learn about how China established its own digital mechanism from scratch. Gen. The Global Times reporter Xie Jun GT recently interviewed Lt. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

derivatives strategy: Read The government shutdown has become the longest on record History shows past shutdowns have had a negligible impact on stocks, according to Market Watch. So far, that's been the case with the partial shutdown that began on Dec. 21 and entered its 26th day on Wednesday with no end in sight with congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump at an impasse over his demand for funding for a 5.3 billion border wall. Two key risks that we highlighted in the past Fed's monetary policy and trade war have subsided, but new risks have emerged U.S. government shutdown and signs of additional slowdown outside the U.S., wrote Marko Kolanovic, global head of quantitative and derivatives strategy at JPMorgan, in a Wednesday note. The closure has far exceeded the prior record, a 21-day shutdown during the Clinton administration that began in December 1995. The rebound has been attributed in part to a softer tone from the Federal Reserve when it comes to future rate increases, efforts by China to stimulate its economy, and a relative lack of negative news surrounding the U.S.-China trade spat. Read Trump on conference call with supporters We'll be out on shutdown for a long time' Since Dec. 21, the S&P 500 SPX, 1.32% rallied 8% through Tuesday's close as stocks bounced back from a December selloff that took the index below 2,400 on Christmas Eve before giving way to a rebound that saw the large-cap index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, 1.38% exit correction territory. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

european union: Disturbingly, this step, which appears to have taken place late last year, occurred without congressional consultation or apparent notification to the European Union, the lawmakers wrote in a letter published this week, according to Deutsche Welle. Led by the new chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Representative Eliot Engel, the group slammed the unannounced demotion. In a strongly worded letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, 27 congressional Democrats denounced the diplomatic downgrade. Both the substance of this decision and the undiplomatic way in which it was carried out needlessly denigrate trans-Atlantic relations. We ought to support and strengthen our allies, not turn them into foes, the letter concludes. Excerpt of letter by Democratic lawmakers to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Strengthen allies' In the four-page letter, US lawmakers demand answers by January 30 to four specific questions about the downgrade, among them why the decision was made, why Congress was not informed, and how it was reviewed and approved within the Trump administration. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

air base: Artillery and assault helicopters fired at targets off the west coast city of Taichung, while French-made Mirage fighter jets took off amid rainy conditions from the air base at Hsinchu to the north, according to Nine News Australia. The drills are Taiwan's first since Chinese President Xi Jinping reasserted Beijing's willingness to use military force to bring self-ruling Taiwan under Chinese control on January 2. To improve your experience update it here News World Taiwan holds live fire military exercises in response to China threat By Associated Press6 03pm Jan 17, held live-fire exercises along its east coast on Thursday amid renewed threats from China to bring the island under its control by force if deemed necessary. The drills are Taiwan's first since Chinese President Xi Jinping reasserted Beijing's willingness to use military force to bring self-ruling Taiwan under Chinese control. AAP The drills also follow a new Pentagon report laying out US concerns about China's growing military might, underscoring worries about a possible attack against Taiwan. AAP The drills also follow a new Pentagon report laying out US concerns about China's growing military might, underscoring worries about a possible attack against Taiwan. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

australia: The prime minister says Australia's emissions reduction targets will remain the same, but money will be spent to help Pacific nations tackle the effects of climate change, according to Nine News Australia. Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama urged Australia to move to clean power sources. To improve your experience update it here News National Climate plan stays despite Fiji Morrison By AAP2 35pm Jan 18, Morrison is sticking with Australia's climate change targets despite strong criticism from Fiji about the urgent need to move to cleaner energy. From where we are sitting, we cannot imagine how the interests of any single industry can be placed above the welfare of Pacific peoples and vulnerable people in the world over, he said in a speech on Thursday night. While at the same time respecting the need to address the real impacts of climate change, both here in the Pacific and elsewhere around the world, Mr Morrison said in response on Friday. Mr Morrison said Australia has sensible, achievable commitments that will ensure the economy continues to prosper. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

market gauge: On Wednesday, the key market gauge dropped 112.54 points. ; Meanwhile, the Topix index of all first-section issues closed up 5.43 points, or 0.35 percent, at 1,543.20, according to The Japan Times. It retreated 4.95 points the previous day. The Nikkei 225 sagged 40.48 points, or 0.20 percent, to end at 20,402.27. The market got off to a higher start following a continued rise on Wall Street and maintained strength for a while. In afternoon trading, the key yardstick fluctuated narrowly around the previous day's closing level amid a dearth of fresh incentives, while the Topix remained in positive territory, brokers said. But hit by selling on a rally, the Nikkei sank into negative territory around midmorning. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

gr ie: But within a couple of years, travellers could simply walk through a short corridor, with coats on and car keys and phones in pockets, being screened by ultra-low temperature sensors, according to The Independent. ISOCountry Groups euro at be cy ee fi fr de gr ie it lv lt lu mc mt nl pt sk si sm es va uk gb us us variants 1 33.4, 2 33.3, 3 33.3 Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Meanwhile their bags will go through the usual X-ray machine but the staff watching the screens will have been taught not what to look for, but what to ignore. Only when passengers have divested their outer layers of clothing, separated laptops and liquids from their cabin baggage and possibly been ordered to remove their shoes are they allowed to proceed to their flights. The technology for walk-through security scanning developed by Cardiff University is derived from astronomy detection. Watch more No-deal Brexit what are the implications for British travellers In an airport context, hidden cameras using one-millimetre wavelength technology are installed to examine passengers from a range of angles. It uses infra-red cameras that are so sensitive they could see a 100-watt lightbulb from half-a-million miles away. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

investment: Advocate and provocateur Bogle passed away on Wednesday at age 89, according to Market Watch. He was one of nine investing luminaries profiled in my 2001 book, Investment Titans Investment Insights from the Minds That Move Wall Street, and a consistent source of wisdom and insight about investors and the investment business. Bogle was an outspoken, iconoclastic, in-your-face champion for low-cost, buy-and-hold investing a populist in a business suit who spent six decades criticizing, cajoling and challenging his fund-industry colleagues to give small investors what he called a fair shake. This article is adapted from the chapter of that book featuring Bogle, titled The Average Outperforms. He certainly looked the part tall and lanky with a sonorous voice, a Princeton-educated everyman hammering out liberty and justice for small investors. Bogle relished his role as an advocate and provocateur. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

leverage moscow: Vucic is looking to leverage Moscow's backing in striking a deal to normalize ties with Kosovo, one of the biggest hurdles to both countries' EU membership aspirations. ; Vucic said he didn't believe that an agreement with Kosovo was close, and Russia would have to sign off on any deal, sending a signal that he doesn't accept EU opposition to a proposal for the neighbors to redraw their borders, according to The Japan Times. European leaders fear new demarcations could incite similar demands across the region and trigger the kind of ethnic strife that killed more than 100,000 people during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia. President Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party, which is itself facing anti-government protests, mobilized thousands of its members in the capital Thursday to show support for the Russian leader. Putin, who has drawn criticism for stoking strife in Ukraine and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, said authorities in Kosovo had made a series of provocative steps that have seriously aggravated the situation. Russia fully shares the concern of the Serbian leadership, Putin said at a news conference with Vucic. In particular, Kosovo's plans to form an army would violate a United Nations resolution that allows only international forces on its territory, he said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

minds subscription: But not all inclusions on the list are material as some adults think being comfortable with money simply means having the ability to make wise decisions when it comes to spending, according to The Independent. ISOCountry Groups euro at be cy ee fi fr de gr ie it lv lt lu mc mt nl pt sk si sm es va uk gb us us variants 1 33.4, 2 33.3, 3 33.3 Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Others think it is having a good knowledge of financial services on the market, such as pensions, ISA's and investments. Researchers who polled 2,000 adults have revealed the top 30 signs you are in a good place financially, including having 500 worth of disposable income to spend every single month. However, the study revealed less than half of those polled would say they are financially comfortable and of these, 56 per cent are over the age of 55. Having a good credit score, knowing how to budget and owning more than one property also feature in the top 30. Read more Teenager wins top finance job after door-knocking wealthy for adviceUK economy lost out on 4.5 trillion because of 'too much finance'How can we tackle this Brexit mess Give more money to the north Other signs of being financially comfortable include getting through the average month without having to dip into savings, and not having to countdown the days until payday. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

baseline: Unfortunately, it doesn't work when the font is bolder than 500 weight, according to MSNBC. So, we check for bold rendering support to avoid invisible emoji in Chrome. / context.text Baseline 'top'; context.font '600 32px Arial'; switch type case 'flag' / Test for UN flag compatibility. Flag emoji are a single glyph made of two characters, so some browsers notably, Firefox OS X don't support them. since 4.2.0 param type String Whether to test for support of flag or emoji . return Boolean True if the browser can render emoji, false if it cannot. / function browser Supports Emoji type var is Identical; if ! context ! context.fill Text return false; / Chrome on OS X added native emoji rendering in M41. This is the least supported of the letter locale flags, so gives us an easy test for full support. England is a country in the United Kingdom, it does not have a two letter locale code but rather an five letter sub-division code. To test for support, we try to render it, and compare the rendering to how it would look if the browser doesn't render it correctly U N . / is Identical 55356, 56826, 55356, 56819 55356, 56826, 8203, 55356, 56819 ; if is Identical return false; / Test for English flag compatibility. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

cash shortages: The protests were triggered by price rises and cash shortages, but have quickly developed into demonstrations against Bashir, according to The Guardian. Change in people's hearts' anti-Bashir protests put Sudan at a crossroads Read more In the day's most violent clashes police in Khartoum's Burri neighbourhood fired rubber bullets and teargas, and chased demonstrators with batons, witnesses said. Thursday's protests marked some of the most widespread disturbances since unrest began on 19 December. Several people were overcome with teargas, while some were bruised by rubber bullets and others beaten. Many chanted down, that's it to send the message that their only demand is Bashir's fall. Hundreds of young men and women blocked streets and alleyways with burning tyres, and some hurled stones at security forces, witnesses said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

var: Click here to learn how. ; ; ; function document Init OneSignal var one Signal elements var function event event.prevent Default ; ; for var i 0; i i false ; if document.ready State 'complete' document Init OneSignal ; else function event document Init OneSignal ; ; body.custom-background background-image background-position left top; background-size cover; background-repeat no-repeat; background-attachment fixed; logo margin 0 0 0px; padding-top 10px; footer background-color fff; text-align center; footer .widget-area padding 0 0 0px; margin 0 0px; border-bottom 0px solid ececec; .widget h3.title, sidebar .tabberlive, articles .head title, h3.archive title, ul.dropdown li ul text-align center; padding-bottom 10px; padding-top 0px; border-top 0px; margin-bottom 0px; The Stock News Market News Stock News Spears Abacus Advisors Trimmed Its Ball BLL Position by 528,513 as Stock Price Rose; High Pointe Capital Management Has Increased Its Comcast CMCSA Holding by 482,300Posted by Arturo Altman on January 17, 2019 at 6 54 pm adsbygoogle window.adsbygoogle .push ; Spears Abacus Advisors Llc decreased its stake in Ball Corp BLL by 1.4% based on its latest 2018Q3 regulatory filing with the SEC. Spears Abacus Advisors Llc sold 12,291 shares as the company's stock rose 11.86% while stock markets declined, according to MSNBC. The institutional investor held 866,413 shares of the containers and packaging company at the end of 2018Q3, valued at 38.11M, down from 878,704 at the end of the previous reported quarter. OneSignal ; One Signal.push function scope '/' ; var one Signal options ; one Signal options; true; true; ; Join Wall Street's Brightest Minds. ; Receive research in your inbox from top analysts, before the market opens. Spears Abacus Advisors Llc who had been investing in Ball Corp for a number of months, seems to be less bullish one the 16.66B market cap company. About 1.09M shares traded. The stock increased 1.42% or 0.69 during the last trading session, reaching 49.13. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

investment properties: The corporate watchdog says Richard Anthony Gardner and his Advanced Wealth Financial Services was providing financial services with no licence or authorisation, according to Nine News Australia. The Australian Investments and Securities Commission says in a statement he set up self-managed superannuation funds to build or purchase new investment properties using specific developers. To improve your experience update it here News National Watchdog guns for Qld mortgage broker By AAP6 05pm Jan 17, 2019Facebook Tweet MailA Queensland mortgage broker is accused of acting as an unlicensed financial adviser when he channelled superannuation clients into property development investments for a fee. The property developers and builders then paid Mr Gardner a fee for the business referral. Mr Gardner and Advanced Wealth Financial Services are not licensed nor authorised to provide financial services, only credit services, ASIC says. The watchdog has begun court proceedings against Mr Gardner and his Brisbane firm. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

options: OneSignal ; One Signal.push function scope '/' ; var one Signal options ; one Signal options; true; true; ; Join Wall Street's Brightest Minds. ; Receive research in your inbox from top analysts, before the market opens, according to MSNBC. Click here to learn how. ; ; ; function document Init OneSignal var one Signal elements var function event event.prevent Default ; ; for var i 0; i i false ; if document.ready State 'complete' document Init OneSignal ; else function event document Init OneSignal ; ; header search float right; logo margin 0 0 0px; padding-top 10px; padding-bottom 10px; .post h1.title text-align center; columns margin 0px 0 0px; .widget h3.title, sidebar .tabberlive, articles .head title, h3.archive title, ul.dropdown li ul text-align center; border-top 0px; .hr border-top 0px solid EEE; footer .widget-area padding 0 0 0px; margin 0 0px; border-bottom 0px solid ececec; ul.dropdown .current page item a, ul.dropdown .current-cat a, ul.dropdown .current-menu-parent a, ul.dropdown .current page item a, ul.dropdown .current-cat a, ul.dropdown .current-menu-item a color 154A7F; footer background-color fff; text-align center; The USOur Team Contact River Road Asset Management Has Lifted Stake in World Fuel Services Corporatio INT by 3.71 Million; Miles Capital Holding in Apple AAPL Lowered by 384,300 as Valuation Declined Posted by Michael Young on January 17, 2019 at 11 22 am Miles Capital Inc decreased its stake in Apple Inc AAPL by 12.84% based on its latest 2018Q3 regulatory filing with the SEC. Miles Capital Inc sold 1,708 shares as the company's stock declined 22.32% with the market. OneSignal window. The institutional investor held 11,597 shares of the computer manufacturing company at the end of 2018Q3, valued at 2.62M, down from 13,305 at the end of the previous reported quarter. The stock increased 1.22% or 1.87 during the last trading session, reaching 154.94. Miles Capital Inc who had been investing in Apple Inc for a number of months, seems to be less bullish one the 732.84 billion market cap company. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

payment traffic: SWIFT has also signed a letter of intent to cooperate with the China International Payment Service Corp for further deepening of cooperation in cross-border payment businesses, according to Global Times China. In June 2018, SWIFT announced in a press release that 10 Chinese banks had gone live on SWIFT's global payments innovation initiative, and these banks represented more than 85 percent of the cross-border payment traffic conducted by domestic Chinese banks. The wholly owned subsidiary will also join the Payment and Clearing Association of China and will be supervised by the PBC, according to the PBC statement, which also said that SWIFT will provide localization services to Chinese customers. It also said that SWIFT is seen as a key player in China's Belt and Road initiative BRI . According to Beijing-based research company Analysys, China's cross-border payment industry has developed rapidly in the past several years with policy support such as the increase of cross-border payment licenses, the rising trend of outbound tourism and the tax cut on cross-border e-commerce platforms. The market for cross-border payments is sure to grow strongly in the next few years with China's increasing economic interaction with overseas countries, including trade and capital flows, Xi Junyang, a finance professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Thursday. China's cross-border yuan settlement business reached 5.11 trillion yuan 755 billion in 2018, up from 4.36 trillion yuan in 2017, the PBC figures showed. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

profit outlook: We've reached limits in further investing in the British nuclear project Hitachi President Toshiaki Higashihara said at a news conference, noting that the Japanese conglomerate will focus on domestic business over nuclear power operations in the years ahead, according to The Japan Times. Higashihara said he cannot rule out restarting the project but that the prospects of doing so are unclear. The freezing of the project in Anglesey in Wales would mean that all major overseas nuclear projects involving Japanese companies have seen setbacks amid the government's efforts to promote exports of nuclear technology. ; Hitachi said it will book a special loss of 300 billion in the year ending in March, and cut its net profit outlook for the year to 100 billion from its previous forecast of 400 billion. He denied that the political turmoil regarding the Brexit deal affected the decision-making. Hitachi's Japanese rivals are facing more or less the same situation. The project, which Hitachi joined in 2012, was part of the conglomerate's strategy to expand its nuclear power business abroad, amid dimming prospects for new reactor demand in Japan in the wake of the Fukushima meltdowns that was triggered by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

trade secrets: But this has not deterred aggressively hostile attitude from the West, according to Global Times China. The Shenzhen-based company has been facing growing pressure from Western countries, particularly the US, as local politicians consider it an arm of the Chinese government. Photo Courtesy of Huawei Technologies Ren Zhengfei, founder of China's Huawei Technologies, who usually keeps a low profile, appeared before journalists Thursday and stressed that his company does not steal trade secrets. The few US politicians who make noise do not represent US society. Commenting on his military background and being a Party member, Ren said don't confuse business model with ideology. I believe US industries, enterprises and technology sectors firmly support us and seek greater cooperation with us, Ren noted. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

treasury spokesman: The blue-chip gauge was up 267 points at its session high, according to Market Watch. The S&P 500 index SPX, 1.32% added 19.86 points, or 0.8%, to 2,635.96 and the Nasdaq Composite Index NQH9, 1.27% gained 49.77 points, or 0.7%, to finish at 7,084.46. How did the benchmarks fare The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, 1.38% erased an earlier loss to rise 162.94 points, or 0.7%, to 24,370.10 in choppy trade. What drove the market U.S. officials are considering lifting some tariffs on Chinese products in an effort to elicit more concessions from China for a bilateral trade deal and to stabilize the financial markets, the Journal reported. A Treasury spokesman said that neither Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin nor Lighthizer have made any recommendations to anyone with respect to tariffs or other parts of the negotiation with China. However, the plan faces resistance from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer who doesn't want the U.S. to come across as weak, the report said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

york-based organisation: Kenneth Roth, the New York-based organisation's executive director, wrote in his letter prefacing the report that China had increased the severity of human rights repression to the worst since the violent suppression of the Tiananmen Square democracy movement of 1989 . ISOCountry Groups euro at be cy ee fi fr de gr ie it lv lt lu mc mt nl pt sk si sm es va uk gb us us variants 1 33.4, 2 33.3, 3 33.3 Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Elsewhere, the report found that In Pakistan, authorities have muzzled dissenting voices of activists and journalists while failing to protect the country's religious minorities, instead pandering to extremist groups, according to The Independent. In Afghanistan, civilians are bearing the brunt of widening armed conflict, with more than 10,000 non-combatants killed or injured during the past year one third of them children. In its World Report 2019, HRW singled out the actions of President Xi Jinping's government as among the biggest setbacks of the past year, though it concluded that globally there were signs of hope in movements against autocratic rule. In central Asian nations such as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, dissenting voices faced extreme levels of repression even as countries tried to open up to new international economic investment. Read more We can't keep ignoring human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims Why aren't Muslim leaders standing up for Uighurs Hundreds surround Chinese embassy over detention of Uighur Muslims Chinese re-education camps run like concentration camps'China refuses human rights visit to Uighur Muslim re-education' camps China has rejected all accusations of systematic abuse towards Muslims, saying its campaign is necessary to root out extremism. On China, Mr Roth drew attention to the rollout of mass surveillance techniques such as face recognition software, the ending of presidential term limits by Xi Jinping and, most critically, the persecution of more than a million Uighur Muslims in re-education camps in the country's northwest Xinjiang region. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

proposals: The proposals will come into force if backed by EU member states and could lead to a fierce battle between national governments when they discuss the bloc's 1tn post-Brexit budget later this year, according to The Guardian. Respecting the rule of law is a fundamental prerequisite for democracy, stability, prosperity and mutual trust, said Petri Sarvamaa, a Finnish centre-right MEP, who co-authored the parliament's proposals. MEPs voted 397 to 158 for a draft law to freeze EU cash if a government was found to be eroding democratic values. Without the rule of law, the European Union loses its credibility in the eyes of the citizens and in the eyes of the world. We never know in which member state the rule of law will be questioned next. He added Taxpayers' money has to be respected and spent according to the same rules and principles in all member states. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

road congestion: The province is proposing changes to Golden Greater Horseshoe Growth Plan that would see lower density targets in many areas, including the Niagara region, which planning experts fear could lead to sprawl and the road congestion that comes with it, according to The Toronto Star. Mike Dibattista / Niagara Falls Review The document is intended govern development in the rapidly growing part of southern Ontario that is expected to absorb 85 per cent of the province's population increase over the next 20 years, reaching 13.5 million residents by 2041. The Ontario Progressive Conservative government introduced amendments to the Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan on Tuesday, arguing the revisions would reduce red tape and make it easier to build quickly next to transit stops, a goal seen as key to boosting transit use and reducing gridlock in the region. Local communities need more flexibility over how and where they grow, but they still have to plan for it. But the proposed changes would lower density targets in some communities, which critics say will create new car-dependent neighbourhoods. We will work with municipalities to make the most of our major transit investments by encouraging development, such as housing, nearby, said Julie O'Driscoll, director of communications for Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

supply: Overall, supply is in abundance and demand is dropping, says Michael Brodrick, Chair of the REALTORS Association of Edmonton, according to The Toronto Star. We are expecting 2019 to be similar to 2018, with high inventory and lower sales continuing the downward pressure on average prices. A high level of inventory of homes for sale combined with continued weakness and uncertainty in the economy will continue to weigh heavily on the market this year as will higher interest rates and tough mortgage regulations. Inventory was very high in 2018 and we anticipate some continued high inventory levels throughout 2019. High inventory, of course, creates lower prices, fewer sales and more days on the market. Inventory will continue to be the thing that drives everything else. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

toronto: Spring is mortgage season, and if the banks aren't competitive in the rates they charge they can lose market share, according to The Toronto Star. Randy Risling / Toronto Star File Photo There's likely more to come, according to mortgage broker Jaimes Laird, co-founder of rate-monitoring site Ratehub.ca. Earlier this week, RBC lowered the posted rate for its flagship 5-year fixed mortgage to 3.74 per cent, from 3.89. I think we could see 5-year fixed at 3.5 per cent by the end of February, said Laird.RBC's move comes on the heels of a decision from the Bank of Canada on Jan. 9 to hold its key overnight lending rate at 1.75 per cent. Article Continued Below The overnight lending rate is the rate banks charge each other for short-term loans, and it heavily influences the prime rate that banks charge to their best customers. In its decision, the Bank of Canada cited concerns the Canadian economy is slowing down, particularly due to low oil prices and weakness in the housing market. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

town centre: That a shopping centre could change hands for less than the cost of a short stay in its rooftop car park underlines the current high street crisis, according to The Guardian. While locals may worry about the growing number of empty stores in their town centre, the other side of the coin is the devastating impact on retail property values. The Postings mall in Kirkcaldy, in which 14 of the 21 shops currently lie empty, is being auctioned by its City pension fund owner next month, according to the auctioneer's website. When it opened in 1981 the Postings, which cost 4.25m to build, promised to be a magnet for shoppers. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Generation Game presenter Isla St Clair opened the William Low store in the Postings. Each store opening prompted local news, with 1980s TV celebrity and Generation Game presenter Isla St Clair even dropping in to cut the ribbon at the William Low store a supermarket chain bought by Tesco in 1994 when it opened. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

american witnesses: Later that night, at a dinner, Mr Trump pulled up a seat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk without any American witnesses at all, according to The Independent. Their third encounter was in Vietnam, when Mr Trump seemed to take Mr Putin's word that he had not interfered in U.S. elections. President Donald Trump took his interpreter's notes afterwards and ordered him not to disclose what he heard to anyone. A formal summit followed in Helsinki, where the two leaders kicked out everyone but the interpreters. ISOCountry Groups euro at be cy ee fi fr de gr ie it lv lt lu mc mt nl pt sk si sm es va uk gb us us variants 1 33.4, 2 33.3, 3 33.3 Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Mr Trump has adamantly insisted there was no collusion with Russia during his 2016 presidential campaign. Most recently, they chatted in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after Mr Trump said they would not meet because of Russian aggression. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.