Articles by admin

Oil prices edged lower on the final day of the year on Tuesday, but were on track for their biggest annual rise since 2016, supported by a thaw in U.S.-China trade dispute and ongoing supply cuts. Brent crude futures for March delivery, the new front month contract, were down 11 cents, or 0.2%, to 66.56 a barrel by 0158 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for February was down 11 cents, or 0.2%, at $61.57 per barrel. Brent has gained about 24% in 2019 and WTI has risen roughly 36% for the year. …read more […]

Asian shares slipped on the last trading day of the decade, echoing falls on Wall Street, as investors locked in gains made since the United States and China reached a preliminary trade deal earlier this month. Early in the Asian trading session, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.39%, its weakest performance since Dec. 4. The White House’s trade adviser on Monday said the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal would likely be signed in the next week, but said confirmation would come from President Donald Trump or the U.S. Trade Representative. …read more […]

(Bloomberg) — Thousands of people in southeast Australia sheltered on beaches or took to the water to escape wildfires threatening coastal towns as the weeks-long crisis gripping the nation escalated Tuesday.About 4,000 holiday-makers and locals gathered on the foreshore in the town of Mallacoota in Victoria state as an out-of-control bushfire bore down on the remote community. Rural towns further north in New South Wales state are ablaze or under attack from embers, as strong winds fan the flames.“We are surrounded by red sky, choking dust and choking smoke, and embers falling on the town,” resident Francesca Winterson said in …read more […]

(Bloomberg) — The White House’s leading China hawk, trade adviser Peter Navarro, said Monday that a preliminary trade deal with Beijing is completed.“That’s a done deal, put that one in the bag,” Navarro said on Fox News. He declined to confirm a report by the South China Morning Post that Chinese emissaries led by Vice Premier Liu He will travel to Washington this weekend to sign the accord.Navarro’s affirmation for what the White House has called a “phase-one” trade deal indicates President Donald Trump doesn’t face pressure from his right to negotiate more favorable terms for the U.S. Navarro’s hostility …read more […]

(Bloomberg) — Uber Technologies Inc. and Postmates Inc. sued the state of California, alleging that a labor rights law set to go into effect this week is unconstitutional.The lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles federal court is a preemptive strike against the state’s landmark measure designed to ensure gig workers receive employment protections. Uber and Postmates argue the legislative process around California’s Assembly Bill 5 unfairly targeted gig economy companies while favoring other industries and that the law will threaten workers’ flexibility.The passage of A.B. 5, which takes effect Wednesday, has set in motion a bitter dispute about the rights …read more […]

Thallium is believed to be operating from North Korea, Microsoft said in a blog post, and the hackers targeted government employees, think tanks, university staff members and individuals working on nuclear proliferation issues, among others. Most of the targets were based in the United States, as well as Japan and South Korea, the company said. Thallium tricked victims through a technique known as “spear phishing”, using credible-looking emails that appear legitimate at first glance. …read more […]

Andrew Bary breaks down Barron’s list of the best stocks in 2020. …read more […]

(Bloomberg) — With just a day to spare, Russia and Ukraine signed all agreements necessary to continue gas flows to Europe for the next five years, averting a winter supply crisis.“After five days of non-stop bilateral talks in Vienna, final decisions have been taken and final agreements reached,” Gazprom PJSC Chief Executive Officer Alexey Miller said in an emailed statement, adding that the package of agreements ensures that Russia ships its natural gas via Ukraine beyond Dec. 31. The current gas-transit deal between the two nations expires on Jan. 1.Natural gas flows are a key feature in the fraught relationship …read more […]