Asian shares are mixed as reports show improved factory outlook for ChinaNew Foto - Asian shares are mixed as reports show improved factory outlook for China

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Monday, with markets in China gaining after surveys showed a slight improvement in Chinese factory data, suggesting manufacturing is holding up despite higher U.S. tariffs. Investors were awaiting further developments after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuitruled FridaythatTrumpwent too far when he declared national emergencies to justify imposing sweepingimport taxeson almost every country on earth. Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 2% to 25,573.58, while the Shanghai Composite index added 0.3% to 3,869.96. A government survey showedChina's factory activityimproved marginally in August, with a measure known as the purchasing managers index rising to 49.4 from 49.3 in July. The survey is on a scale of 0 to 100 where 50 marks the cutoff for expansion. That survey and another, private sector one that showed the general PMI at 49.9 last month, up from 49.4 in July, still show manufacturing contracting. But both suggest resilience despite U.S. President Donald Trump's higher tariffs. China and the U.S. are still negotiating over a broad trade agreement that will influence how much import duty companies and consumers will pay on goods shipped to the U.S. "The PMIs suggest that China's economy accelerated last month, thanks to faster growth across manufacturing and services. But we don't see much upside over the rest of the year," Zichun Huang of Capital Economics said in a commentary. Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 2% to 41,849.82, while the Kospi in South Korea shed 0.8% to 3,161.31. Shares also fell in Australia, with the S&P/ASX 200 losing 0.7% to 8,913.10. Taiwan's benchmark lost 1.1% while New Zealand's gained 0.5%. U.S. markets will be closed on Monday for the Labor Day holiday. On Friday, Wall Street closed out another winning month though benchmarks ended below their latest all-time highs. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% a day after climbing to a record high, ending the week at 6,460.26. The benchmark index ended August with a 1.9% gain, its fourth straight month of gains. It's now up 9.8% so far this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also came off its own record high, slipping 0.2% to 45,544.88. The Nasdaq composite closed 1.2% lower at 21,455.55. Losses in technology weighed on the market, offsetting gains in health care and other sectors. Dell Technologies slid 8.9% for the biggest decline among S&P 500 stocks a day after the company reported second-quarter revenue that exceeded analysts' expectations, but noted that margin pressures and weakness in PC revenue. Among other tech companies that ended the day in the red: Tech giantNvidiafell 3.3%, Broadcom dropped 3.6% and Oracle slid 5.9%. Mixed economic data gave traders an excuse to sell and pocket some profits following the market's milestone-setting week. The Commerce Department said prices rose 2.6% in July compared with a year earlier,as measured by the personal consumption expenditures index. That's the same annual increase as in June and in line with what economists expected. Still, excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices rose 2.9% last month from a year earlier, up from 2.8% in June and the highest since February. The most recent government data suggests hiring hasslowed sharplysince this spring, raising alarm over the direction of the broader economy. Meanwhile, the latest reading in a survey of U.S. consumers by the University of Michigan showed sentiment soured in August, hitting its lowest level since May due to concerns about prices and the economy. Not all stocks lost ground. Petco Health & Wellness and Autodesk bucked the broader market slide after reporting better-than-expected quarterly results. Petco jumped 23.5% and Autodesk climbed 9.1%. In other dealings early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil shed 23 cents to $63.78 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 28 cents to $67.20 per barrel. The U.S. dollar slipped to 146.93 Japanese yen from 147.00 yen. The euro rose to $1.1770 from $1.1682.

Asian shares are mixed as reports show improved factory outlook for China

Asian shares are mixed as reports show improved factory outlook for China BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Monday, with markets i...
What is Labor Day, why is it celebrated? Here's the holiday's historyNew Foto - What is Labor Day, why is it celebrated? Here's the holiday's history

With students back in school andpumpkin-flavored treatsreturning to menus, the end of summer, unofficially marked byLabor Day, is here. During the three-day Labor Day weekend, many Americans will travel,shop for deals online and in-storeand maybe sneak in one final visit to the beach or neighborhood pool. However, the federal holiday is much more than just the summer's last hurrah. Observed each year on the first Monday of September, Labor Day is a celebration of the hard-won achievements ofAmerica's labor movement and a recognition of the contributions workers have madeto the nation's prosperity. This year, hundreds of thousands of Americans are expected to skip the barbecue andspend their Labor Day protestingPresident Donald Trumpand the billionaires who support him. More than a thousand "Workers Over Billionaires" events are planned nationwide onLabor Day and the surrounding days,USA TODAY reported. Organizers are expecting "a big show of force on Monday that we're not going to take it sitting down, that working class people across the country are ready to fight back and to make sure that we don't just let billionaires run roughshod over our communities," Saqib Bhatti, executive director of Action Center on Race and the Economy, told USA TODAY. Here's what you need to know about the Labor Day holiday, including when it falls in 2025 and its origins. What to expect on Labor Day:More protests against Trump are planned nationwide. In 2025, Labor Day falls onMonday, Sept. 1. Rooted in the labor movement of the 19th century, Labor Day originated during a dismal time for America's workforce, which faced long hours, low wages and unsafe working conditions. As labor unions and activists advocated and fought for better treatment for workers, at the height of the Industrial Revolution, the idea arose to establish a day dedicated to celebrating the members of trade and labor unions,according to History.com. Two workers can make a solid claim to the title of Labor Day's official founder, according to theU.S. Department of Labor. Some records indicate Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was the first to suggest the idea for the holiday in 1882. However, recent research supports the contention that machinist Matthew Maguire proposed the holiday in 1882, while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Regardless of who proposed the holiday, Labor Day soon became recognized by labor activists and individual states long before becoming a federal holiday. Organized by the Central Labor Union, the Labor Day holiday was first celebrated in New York City in 1882, according to the Department of Labor. On that day, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square, according to History.com. New York was also the first state to introduce a bill recognizing Labor Day, but Oregon was the first to pass such a law in 1887, according to the Department of Labor. By 1894, 32 states had adopted the holiday. Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894 when President Grover Cleveland signed a law passed by Congress designating the first Monday in September a holiday for workers. The federal recognition was hard-won, having come after a wave of unrest among workers and labor activists put the issue of workers' rights into public view. In May that year, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives, according to History.com. A month later, the government dispatched troops to Chicago to break up a boycott of the Pullman railway cars initiated by labor activist Eugene V. Debs, unleashing a wave of fatal riots. Congress quickly passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. By June 28, Cleveland signed it into law. Contributing: Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X@GabeHauarior email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What is Labor Day? What to know about the holiday, its history

What is Labor Day, why is it celebrated? Here's the holiday's history

What is Labor Day, why is it celebrated? Here's the holiday's history With students back in school andpumpkin-flavored treatsreturni...
Back to school: markets brace for September risksNew Foto - Back to school: markets brace for September risks

By Paolo Laudani, Alessandro Parodi and Canan Sevgili (Reuters) -A summer trading lull looks set to come to a halt with September risks stacking up hard and fast. U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and French political turmoil provide a glimpse of what's to come in a month that historically brings notable market swings as investors reassess portfolios. "My big concern is that when liquidity comes back after the summer, we see some big market moves," said St. James's Place CIO Justin Onuekwusi. 1/ TROUBLE AT THE FED U.S. jobs numbers have become contentious after July data prompted Trump to fire the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief. So, August's reading, due on September 5, and the Fed's September 16–17 meeting come at a time when investors are already concerned about tension between Trump and the central bank. Fed chief Jerome Powell, whom Trump has pressured to cut rates, signalled a September move in his Jackson Hole speech, but also warned about sticky inflation. Markets price in a roughly 85% chance of a rate cut this month, but questions about the Fed's independence have heightened uncertainty over the rate outlook and its ability to control inflation. "This latest political drama reignites concerns about the independence of the Fed, and by extension undermines confidence in the U.S. as the global benchmark for transparent and rules-based capital markets," said Swissquote Bank senior analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya. 2/ NO CONFIDENCE French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is expected to lose a September 8 confidence vote over government budget-cut plans, highlighting risks to European shares, French banks and long-term French bonds, yields of which are near their highest since 2011. If the minority government falls, President Emmanuel Macron could install a new premier or dissolve parliament and hold new legislative elections, leaving budget issues unresolved for longer and raising French ratings downgrade risks. Fitch Ratings updates its view on France on September 12, followed by DBRS on the 19th, and Scope on the 26th. "If France fails, there will be a domino effect, and we will have to question the sustainability of the performance of European markets," said Stephane Ekolo, global equity strategist at broker Tradition. 3/ DON'T FORGET GEOPOLITICS After last month's Alaska summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, investors are assessing efforts to end the war in Ukraine. In a sign of fading peace hopes, Ukraine's bonds have given back nearly half of the price gains made ahead of the August meeting. Supercharged European defence stocks remain popular as Europe commits to higher defence spending. Also watch Brent crude oil prices, sensitive to headlines and supply disruptions as Russia and Ukraine step up attacks on each other's energy infrastructure. A punitive 25% tariff, imposed by Trump on imports from India due to its purchases of Russian oil, has been added to a prior 25% tariff on many goods. But positive developments could benefit energy-sensitive stocks and firms that could play a role in Ukraine's reconstruction such as materials group Holcim. 4/ TARIFF ANGST Tariff-driven headline risk has fallen since April's "Liberation Day" market turmoil. The U.S. has agreed preliminary trade deals with Britain, the European Union, among others, but Trump has increased the heat on other big economies such as India, meaning tariff risks could still cause pain. Traders are also watching to see if a recent U.S./China temporary tariff extension will become permanent or if Trump will again upend global supply chains with a fresh wave of prohibitively high duties on Chinese imports. 5/ BEWARE Investors warn record high stock markets reflect complacency and are a reason for caution. September is a historically weak month for shares. The MSCI World Index has dropped by nearly 4% on average each September since 2020. While August has historically been strong for U.S. equities, September is the only month with negative average returns. 6/ UNEASE IN BOND LAND Finally, pay attention to bond markets given rising government borrowing and the sustainability of public finances. The United States, Japan and Germany all sell long-dated bonds in the first half of September in the next test of investor appetite. Japan's 30-year bond yields, up almost 100 basis points so far this year, are at record highs, while those in Europe are near multi-year peaks. (Reporting by Paolo Laudani, Mirac Dereli, Vera Dvorakova, Alessandro Parodi and Canan Sevgili in Gdansk and Joice Alves in London, additional reporting by Marc Jones in London; Editing by Dhara Ranasinghe and Kirsten Donovan)

Back to school: markets brace for September risks

Back to school: markets brace for September risks By Paolo Laudani, Alessandro Parodi and Canan Sevgili (Reuters) -A summer trading lull loo...
North Korean leader inspects new missile factory ahead of visit to ChinaNew Foto - North Korean leader inspects new missile factory ahead of visit to China

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Monday leader Kim Jong Un inspected a new weapons factory that's key to his plan to accelerate mass production of missiles in a weekend visit before hedeparts for a major military parade in China. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency did not disclose the location of the factory Kim visited Sunday, but it may be in Jagang province, a hub of the country's munitions industry that borders China. Both China and North Korea confirmed last week that Kim will make his first visit to China in six years to attend a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, which marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and China's resistance against Japanese wartime aggression. The 26 foreign leaders invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping also include Russia's Vladimir Putin, who has received major wartime support from Kim in his invasion of Ukraine, making the Beijing event a show of three-way alignment against U.S. efforts to strengthen security cooperation with South Korea and Japan. South Korean media speculated Kim could depart for China bytrainsometime Monday, pointing to heightened security measures at the Chinese border town of Dandong, where rail traffic was reportedly halted and hotels stopped receiving foreign guests. KCNA said the factory had assembly lines to speed missile production and reported that Kim praised scientists and workers and ratified plans for improvement. South Korean officials say Kim has pushed to accelerate munitions production as he supplies Russia with large quantities of military equipment, including artillery and ballistic missiles. Kim has also sent thousands of troops since last fall to fight alongside Russian forces against Ukraine, as heprioritizes Moscowas part of a foreign policy aimed at expanding ties with nations confronting the United States. Since aligning with Russia, North Korea has become more vocal in international affairs beyond the Korean Peninsula, issuing diplomatic statements on conflicts in the Middle East and in the Taiwan Strait, while portraying itself as a part of a united front against Washington. Some experts say Kim's presence at the multilateral event in Beijing is part of efforts to develop partnerships with other nations close to China and Russia. China remains North Korea's largest trade partner and economic lifeline, and Kim's attendance at the Beijing military parade is also seen as an attempt to showcase ties with a major ally and boost leverage ahead of a possible resumption of negotiations with Washington. Kim met U.S.President Donald Trumpthree times during Trump's first term, but their diplomacy never recovered from their collapsed second summit in 2019 in Vietnam, where the U.S. rejected North Korea's demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for partial steps toward denuclearization.

North Korean leader inspects new missile factory ahead of visit to China

North Korean leader inspects new missile factory ahead of visit to China SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Monday leader Kim Jong U...
Judge blocks deportation of Guatemalan migrant children as flights were ready to takeNew Foto - Judge blocks deportation of Guatemalan migrant children as flights were ready to take

A federal judge on Sunday blocked the Trump administration from sending any unaccompanied migrant child toGuatemalaunless they have a deportation order, just hours after lawyers alerted her of what they described as a hurried government effort to deport hundreds of children. U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued her order as the deportation effort was fully underway, with planes with migrant children on board ready to take off from Texas. Earlier Sunday, in the overnight hours, Sooknanan issued a temporary restraining order barring officials from sending a group of 10migrant childrenbetween the ages of 10 and 17 to Guatemala, granting a request from attorneys who alleged the effort would skirt legal protections Congress established for these minors. She also scheduled a hearing in the afternoon to weigh the case's next steps. But Sooknanan abruptly moved up the hearing earlier on Sunday, saying she had been alerted that some migrant children were already in the process of being deported. As that hearing got underway, Sooknanan announced she had just issued a broader temporary restraining order blocking any deportations of unaccompanied children from Guatemala and in U.S. custody who did not have a deportation order. She instructed Drew Ensign, the Justice Department lawyer representing the Trump administration, to quickly inform officials they had to halt their deportation plans. Ensign acknowledged deportation planes had been prepared to take off on Sunday, but said they were all "on the ground" and still on U.S. soil. He said he believed one plane had taken off earlier but had come back. At the request of Sooknanan, Ensign said he confirmed that the children on the planes would be deplaned and returned to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for caring for migrant minors who enter the U.S. without authorization and without their parents or legal guardians. The Justice Department said 76 unaccompanied children were slated to be sent to Guatemala on Sunday before the effort was blocked. Of those, 16 had been returned to HHS custody as of Sunday evening and the rest were expected to be in HHS care by 10:30 p.m. HHS houses unaccompanied children in shelters or foster homes until they turn 18 or until they can be placed with a suitable sponsor in the U.S., who are often family members. Sooknanan conceded her temporary restraining order, which is set to last 14 days, is "extraordinary" but justified it on the grounds that the government had decided to "execute a plan to remove these children" in the "wee hours" of a holiday weekend. In their lawsuit, lawyers for the group of Guatemalan children said the Trump administration had launched an effort to deport more than 600 migrant minors to Guatemala without allowing them to request humanitarian protection, even though U.S. law protects them from speedy deportations. They alleged the children could face abuse, neglect or persecution if returned to Guatemala. Ensign, the Justice Department attorney, said the Trump administration was not trying to formally deport the Guatemalan children under U.S. immigration law, but instead repatriate them to Guatemala so they could reunite with relatives there. He said the Guatemalan government and the children's relatives had requested the reunifications. But lawyers for the children disputed the government's claims, citing one case in which they say a child's parents did not request any repatriation. They also said a law known as the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act says unaccompanied migrant children who are not from Mexico must be allowed to see an immigration judge and apply for legal protections before any deportation effort.  Some of the children facing return to Guatemala still have pending immigration cases, the attorneys said. Ensign said the government's legal position is that it can "repatriate" these children, based on authority given to HHS to reunite "unaccompanied alien children with a parent abroad in appropriate cases." Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the deportation plans. Neha Desai, an attorney at the California-based National Center for Youth Law who works with migrant minors, said the U.S. government was attempting to deport children with "already filed claims for legal relief based on the abuse and persecution that they experienced in their home country." "This is both unlawful and profoundly inhumane," Desai added. Most of the unaccompanied children who cross the U.S. southern border without legal permission hail from Central America and tend to be teenagers. Once in the U.S., many file applications for asylum or other immigration benefits to try to stay in the country legally, such as a visa for abused, abandoned or neglected youth. As part of its larger crackdown on illegal immigration, the Trump administration has sought to make drastic changes to how the U.S. processes unaccompanied children. It has made it harder for some relatives, including those in the country illegally, to sponsor unaccompanied children out of government custody and offered some teenagers the option to voluntary return to their native countries. The Trump administration has also directed agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies to conduct "welfare checks" on children released from HHS custody, a move it has said is in response to disputed claims that the Biden administration "lost" hundreds of thousands of migrant minors. There are currently roughly 2,000 migrant children in HHS care. "Portrait of a person who's not there": Documenting the bedrooms of school shooting victims The Long Island home renovation that uncovered a hidden story Passage: In memoriam

Judge blocks deportation of Guatemalan migrant children as flights were ready to take

Judge blocks deportation of Guatemalan migrant children as flights were ready to take A federal judge on Sunday blocked the Trump administra...

 

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