China shopper costs fall first time in 2 years, deflation fears develop

Customers at a fresh food market in Shanghai, China, on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING — China reported inflation data for July that pointed to a modest improvement from June. The consumer price index fell by 0.3% in July from a year ago, but was up by 0.2% when …

What Qin Gang’s disappearance means for U.S.-China relations

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Qin Gang in Beijing, China on June 19, 2023. Foreign Ministry of China | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images BEIJING — The flurry over Qin Gang’s disappearance and removal from the position of foreign minister has little impact on …

“We wish oil costs to go down,” says the US Secretary of Power

Volatility is still weighing on oil markets, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Saturday, reiterating calls for additional supplies. When asked to comment on the state of oil markets, she told CNBC’s Sri Jegarajah that “there is no doubt that there is a volatile environment” — a situation the White House is monitoring. “There …

US troopers arrested after crossing border into North Korea

A South Korean soldier guards the border with North Korea in Panmunjom on December 3, 2019. Stephan Schulz Image Alliance via Getty Images WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said Tuesday it was aware that a US serviceman “deliberately” and “without authorization” crossed the inter-Korean border and is currently in North Korean custody. US authorities are working …

IEA cuts demand forecast amid ongoing financial issues

Two large oil tankers unload at the 300,000-ton crude oil terminal in Yantai port, east China’s Shandong province, 9 July 2023. Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images The International Energy Agency on Thursday lowered its forecast for global oil demand growth for the first time this year, citing a deteriorating economic outlook that …

Fed Chair Goolsbee sees the “golden street” to bringing down inflation with no recession

Chicago Federal Reserve Chairman Austan Goolsbee said Friday he’s confident inflation can be contained without a recession, even if more rate hikes are likely. Speaking to CNBC after the release of June’s nonfarm payrolls report, he said continued job growth is part of the Fed’s “golden road” to restoring price stability without hurting the economy. …

Why it is nearly unattainable to discover a automobile for lower than $30,000

Car buyers like luxury Well before the Covid-19 pandemic, consumer tastes increasingly began to shift from sedans to more expensive SUVs and trucks. Then car buyers piled on options like high-tech touchscreens, ambient lighting, 360-degree cameras, and heated and cooled seats. “There’s a feature war going on,” said Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds. …

Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund seeks better portfolio resilience in risky markets

Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional is rebalancing its investment portfolio to make it more resilient to market volatility, according to its chief executive. Khazanah’s net asset value fell 5% year-on-year to 81 billion ringgit ($17.4 billion) in 2022, reflecting downtrends in the global market, the fund said in March. The Kuala Lumpur-based fund invests …

FTC sues Amazon over ‘fraudulent’ Prime signup and cancellation course of

The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit Wednesday Amazonwith allegations that the country’s leading online retailer deliberately tricked millions of consumers into signing up for its flagship Prime program and “sabotaged” their attempts to unsubscribe. The agency alleges that Amazon violated the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act by using so-called dark …