TAIPEI, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Thursday that at present the Chinese military threat has not decreased and while Taiwan will not escalate conflicts or provoke disputes, it will firmly defend its sovereignty and national security.

BERLIN/LONDON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Zurich Insurance Group (ZURN.S) reported a better-than-expected 25% rise in operating profit in the first half on strong performance across the board and announced a bumper 1.8 billion Swiss francs ($1.91 billion) share buyback on Thursday, sending its shares higher.

Europe's fifth largest insurer said it was on track to beat all its 2022 targets.

Zurich's ability to exceed its three-year financial goals despite the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine "gives us great confidence that we can handle unexpected, unprecedented things and still deliver", CEO Mario Greco told Reuters.

The idea that dealers and investors should be forced to clear all trades in US Treasury bonds has “very little support” from the industry, according to a survey conducted by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.

“Our survey shows there’s currently very little consensus on the impact of increased clearing in the US Treasury market, suggesting further research on the costs and benefits is necessary,” noted Isda chief executive Scott O’Malia. “We support the aims of US policymakers

TOKYO, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus agreed to establish a new Japan-based affiliate of the WHO, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported on Thursday.

They are hoping to have the new organisation set up in time for the G7 Hiroshima summit scheduled for May 2023, the report added, citing multiple unnamed foreign ministry sources.

The new organisation would aim to achieve universal health coverage, as well as work to strengthen the medical systems of developing countries and create an international framework to help prevent the spread of infections, Kyodo said.

SYDNEY, Aug 11 (Reuters) - At an indoor pool in a western Sydney suburb, about 20 Afghan women who recently reached Australia as refugees listen to former asylum seeker Maryam Zahid as she offers them swimming classes and talks about the country's beach culture.

Zahid, who arrived in Australia from Afghanistan 22 years ago, said her sessions help the women develop "an identity for themselves" and deal with the trauma of the war that ravaged their home country.

"That is something that will impact psychological and emotional aspects of their life ... to have an identity for themselves as a human being first," Zahid told Reuters at the Ruth Everuss aquatic centre in the suburb of Auburn.

SEOUL, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) unveiled its latest high-end foldable smartphones on Wednesday, keeping prices at the same level as last year's in a bid to cement its leadership in an expanding niche market.

The smartphone maker priced its clamshell Galaxy Z Flip4 at $999.99, and the 5G-enabled top-line Galaxy Z Fold4 with a 7.6-inch main screen to start at $1,799.99 in the United States, the same as the launch prices of last year's models.

"We've successfully transformed this category from a radical project to a mainstream device lineup enjoyed by millions worldwide," said TM Roh, president and head of mobile experience at Samsung Electronics.

The average price for a gallon of gasoline has fallen below $4, according to a leading tracker of prices.

AAA reported that the current national average for regular gasoline has fallen to $3.99. That’s well below the peak of $5.02 in mid-June, though still up considerably from the $3.19 average one year ago.

The German government respects the European Central Bank's (ECB) independence and will continue to defend it, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday, as reported by Reuters.

"The European Union must handle these difficult times in solidarity, this is something I explicitly commit to," Scholz told journalists. "I believe that, as the biggest country with the greatest economy and the largest population at the centre of Europe, we have a special task."

“Malaysia recorded further foreign outflows of MYR3.4bn in Jul albeit narrower compared to MYR5.4bn in the previous month. This has reversed year-to-date cumulative flows to an outflow of MYR0.6bn in Jan-Jul (vs inflows of MYR2.9bn in 1H22). Jul’s net foreign outflows were concentrated in MYR debt securities (-MYR3.5bn) against a small net inflow into equities (+MYR0.1bn).”

“Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)’s foreign reserves increased by USD0.2bn m/m to USD109.2bn as at end-Jul after dropping the most in nearly seven years by USD3.8bn m/m to USD109.0bn in the preceding month. The latest reserves position is sufficient to finance 5.8 months of imports of goods & services and is 1.1 times total short-term external debt.”

“Foreign capital flows are likely to remain volatile in 2H22 and into 2023 as investors weigh global recession risk, geopolitics and inflation against the Fed’s aggressive monetary tightening. Tighter global financial conditions, negative real...

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Coca-Cola HBC AG (CCH.L) said on Thursday it took a one-time hit of 190 million euros ($195.4 million) in the first half from costs related to its Russian business after it stopped selling Coke and other Coca-Cola Co (KO.N) products in the country.

The soft drinks bottler also reinstated its forecast for the year, expecting annual comparable operating profit between 740 million and 820 million euros, above market expectations.

Its shares rose 6% to 2,100 pence.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised citizens more financial assistance, with his government working on another relief package, as Germany scrambles to deal with surging energy prices brought on by Russia’s move to cut natural gas supplies. 

“We are facing serious times, I think everyone in this country knows that,” Scholz said in Berlin on Thursday at his first summer press conference -- an open forum for questions from the media -- since taking power in December. “We will do everything we can to ensure that citizens get safely through this period,” he said, adding that “it will get difficult.” 

Email has become the bane of the 21st century workers’ existence, but by making a few changes to how we process e-mail, we can take back time in our workday. For starters, move every email out of your inbox the first time you read it, so you don’t run the risk of re-reading it later, thus wasting time. Turn off distracting notifications and instead check your email hourly, setting aside 5 to 8 minutes per hour to do so. Instead of filing e-mails you want to keep in multiple folders, use just two:  One for e-mails that are just “reading” and don’t require a response, and one for e-mails that require a response. Set up automated filtering for newsletters you actually use, unsubscribe from those you don’t, and block spam and other emails that keep coming after you’ve tried to unsubscribe. Implementing these practices can help make e-mail a much more effective tool for getting work done.

After a slower start to the week, the crypto markets burst into life yesterday following the announcement of lower-than-expected US inflation figures. 

The Consumer Price Index rose 8.5 per cent in the year through July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday – a significant drop in the headline inflation rate following the 9.1 per cent gain in the year through June.

The price of Bitcoin jumped two per cent to about $23,500 in the minutes after the inflation data for July was released, and sat at around $24,600 this morning – up more than six per cent since this time yesterday and the highest it’s been since early June. 

The price of Ether (ETH) also rose four per cent to $1,780 after the data was released and is currently up 11 per cent over the past 24 hours to just below $1,890. Other major cryptocurrencies have also seen price rises this morning, as have traditional stock markets, with the tech-focused Nasdaq rallying more than...

On 13 July 2022, Regulation Asia hosted the online day of Fraud & Financial Crime Asia 2022, to provide fraud and financial crime practitioners a comprehensive view of the regulatory landscape, the latest tactics used by illicit actors, and how the industry is addressing financial crime risk.

HOUSE prices will soon start to “flatline” following years of double digit rises, a leading property association claims this morning.

Property values have continued to soar over the past two years in most regions of the UK – often defying predictions by economists who are convinced a crash is on the horizon.

The National Association of Property Buyers told City A.M. this morning that after months of looking “immune” to falling rates, house prices will soon start to reduce. 

Spokesman Jonathan Rolande said: “It won’t be long before we see house price growth slowing to perhaps 5 per cent in most areas.”

He added: “This is still high, but compared to retail inflation,  it is less than half. As the price of everything else rises, property will therefore gradually begin to look like better value than it does right now.”

Commenting on the way the market has performed in recent months, Rolande, the founder of House Buy Fast,...