Beijing said on Wednesday it is in close touch with Washington on a trade deal signing ceremony, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have a ceremony to sign the recently struck trade deal. But this week China has announced cuts in its tariffs while Trump also talked about a ceremony for the deal. So it feels more likely that the deal will come through,” said Ei Kaku, currency strategist at Nomura Securities. Against the yen, the dollar rose

Wall Street points toward a higher open following Christmas break1 Hour AgoU.S. stock index futures were higher Thursday morning following the Christmas trading break. CNBC’s Rahel Solomon reports.

2020 Playbook: Trump AgendaCNBC’s Eamon Javers reports on what to expect from President Trump heading into the new year and the 2020 election.

The legislation is part of a years-long effort to combat what many in Taiwan see as Chinese efforts to influence politics and the democratic process on the island. China claims Taiwan as its territory, to be brought under Beijing’s control by force if necessary. “Compared to these countries, Taiwan is more directly confronted with various threats and infiltration from China,” said Tsai. The bill was drafted by the DPP and aims to prohibit political activities and funding from “foreign hostile fo

Seven people died and 64 were rescued when a boat carrying migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan sank on Thursday in eastern Turkey’s Lake Van, the governor’s office in Bitlis province said. The boat sank after capsizing as it approached Adilcevaz district in Bitlis, which is on the northern shores of Lake Van, the office said in a statement. The lake is near the border with Iran, from where migrants regularly cross into Turkey, heading west towards Europe. It was not clear why the

Mortgage rates moved just a tiny bit higher, but apparently it was enough to dampen interest in refinances. That caused overall mortgage application volume to fall 5.3% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 62.6 % of total applications from 62.2% the previous week. Mortgage applications to purchase a home fell 5% for the week but were 5% higher compared with the s

The legislation is part of a years-long effort to combat what many in Taiwan see as Chinese efforts to influence politics and the democratic process on the island. China claims Taiwan as its territory, to be brought under Beijing’s control by force if necessary. “Compared to these countries, Taiwan is more directly confronted with various threats and infiltration from China,” said Tsai. The bill was drafted by the DPP and aims to prohibit political activities and funding from “foreign hostile fo

Seven people died and 64 were rescued when a boat carrying migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan sank on Thursday in eastern Turkey’s Lake Van, the governor’s office in Bitlis province said. The boat sank after capsizing as it approached Adilcevaz district in Bitlis, which is on the northern shores of Lake Van, the office said in a statement. The lake is near the border with Iran, from where migrants regularly cross into Turkey, heading west towards Europe. It was not clear why the

Stocks in Asia edged higher in lackluster trade on Thursday a day after Christmas, as markets in Australia and Hong Kong remained closed for the holiday. Mainland Chinese stocks rose on the day, with the Shanghai composite up 0.85% to around 3,007.35 and the Shenzhen component adding 0.72% to 10,303.72. The Nikkei 225 in Japan was closed 0.6% higher at 23,924.92 while the Topix index added 0.57% to finish the trading day at 1,731.20. South Korea’s Kospi also gained, ending 0.36% higher at 2,197.

Having to remember a complicated string of characters is a problem acknowledged by associations such as Fido Alliance, which aims to help reduce the world’s reliance on passwords. Committing multiple complex passwords to memory is a “massive usability challenge,” Andrew Shikiar, executive director of Fido Alliance said. “This usability challenge makes people revert to the easiest password to remember and reuse, which then exacerbates password risks,” he added. Speaking from a user experience per

Protesters occupy the arrival hall of the Hong Kong International Airport during a demonstration on August 12, 2019 in Hong Kong, China. Widespread protests in Hong Kong have lasted for more than six months — with little signs of abating anytime soon. Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, is a global financial and business center that connects China and the world. Protests in the city were initially sparked by proposed changes to a law that would have allowed

A view of electric cars owned by a local car-sharing company in Wuhan, China. Now, Chinese auto sales are in a slump, consumer subsidies for new energy vehicles are phasing out next year and economic growth is slowing. How it all startedWan Gang was an engineer for Audi in Germany before he returned to China in the early 2000s. Wan convinced the central government to roll out a national strategy for developing new energy vehicles and battery technology. But he noted there is little impact on pro

Protesters occupy the arrival hall of the Hong Kong International Airport during a demonstration on August 12, 2019 in Hong Kong, China. Widespread protests in Hong Kong have lasted for more than six months — with little signs of abating anytime soon. Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, is a global financial and business center that connects China and the world. Protests in the city were initially sparked by proposed changes to a law that would have allowed

A view of electric cars owned by a local car-sharing company in Wuhan, China. Now, Chinese auto sales are in a slump, consumer subsidies for new energy vehicles are phasing out next year and economic growth is slowing. How it all startedWan Gang was an engineer for Audi in Germany before he returned to China in the early 2000s. Wan convinced the central government to roll out a national strategy for developing new energy vehicles and battery technology. But he noted there is little impact on pro

It’s not just post-vacation blues – having to remember a complicated string of characters — is a problem acknowledged by associations such as Fido Alliance, which aims to help reduce the world’s reliance on passwords. Committing multiple complex passwords to memory is a “massive usability challenge,” Andrew Shikiar, executive director of Fido Alliance said. “This usability challenge makes people revert to the easiest password to remember and reuse, which then exacerbates password risks,” he adde

The Man burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Burning Man organizers sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to recover millions of dollars they say the government has overcharged them in fees over the past seven years at the counter-culture celebration in the Nevada desert. Black Rock City, the nonprofit that produces the annual Burning Man event, filed the lawsuit Dec. 13 in U.S. District Court in Washington. “This case is our attempt to break

Stocks in Asia were set to trade lower on Thursday following Christmas Day, with markets in Australia and Hong Kong closed for holidays. Futures pointed to a lower open for Japanese stocks. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 23,765 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 23,690. That compared against the Nikkei 225’s last close at 23,782.87. Major markets across the region were closed on Wednesday for Christmas, including Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia.

If you’re a small business owner looking to simplify expenses, opening a business credit card can provide numerous benefits. How to choose a business credit cardUnderstand how business credit cards work Review your business’s expenditures Consider added benefits1. Understand how business credit cards workBefore you apply for a business credit card, familiarize yourself with they work. Charge card vs. credit card: Just like personal credit cards, there are two types of business cards — charge car

U.S. shoppers spent more online during this year’s holiday shopping season, a report by Mastercard showed on Wednesday, with e-commerce sales hitting a record high. The holiday shopping season is a crucial period for retailers and can account for up to 40% of annual sales. “E-commerce sales hit a record high this year with more people doing their holiday shopping online,” said Steve Sadove, senior adviser for Mastercard. The data showed sales at department stores fell 1.8% and online sales growt

US dollar and Chinese yuan arranged for a photograph on September 7, 2017. China will improve the mechanism to deal with bond defaults, as the number of corporate delinquencies rise, the official Shanghai Securities News reported on Wednesday. China’s central bank, securities watchdog and the state planning commission will soon publish rules that will regulate the disposal of corporate bond defaults, the newspaper said. Authorities will also publish guidelines for trustee business and creditor m