Forecasts for heavy rains in southern China over the next week are raising the risk of flash floods, potentially inundating crops and damaging rice fields. A rain belt will cover the south of the country in the next 10 days, with some areas getting over 400 millimeters (16 inches) of total precipitation over that period, according to the China Meteorological Administration . Rains will be especial...
Forecasts for heavy rains in southern China over the next week are raising the risk of flash floods, potentially inundating crops and damaging rice fields. A rain belt will cover the south of the country in the next 10 days, with some areas getting over 400 millimeters (16 inches) of total precipitation over that period, according to the China Meteorological Administration . Rains will be especially heavy from Wednesday through Sunday, the forecaster said. China’s weather bureau and agriculture ministry have already issued a joint warning for risks of waterlogged farmland in the south. Torrential downpours could inundate early-season rice crops, washing away seedlings and reducing overall yields, the agencies said. They urged farmers to ready drainage equipment, prepare to apply pesticides and fertilizers to aid in crop recovery, and to step up monitoring of crop diseases and pests. Significantly above-average precipitation in the south this month “increases the risk of rice paddy rot and waterlogging in low-lying farmland,” as well as the likelihood of pests and diseases spreading, the Chinese weather agency said . China is the one of the world’s biggest rice producers and the challenges for its crop comes as other key growers in Asia are also contending with adverse weather, as well as rising fuel and fertilizer costs due to the war in the Middle East. Global production of the grain is expected to fall for the first time in a decade, the US Department of Agriculture has forecast. Read More: Global Rice Production Set to Fall for First Time in Decade The upcoming round of rains follows a relatively dry period for southern China, with much of the region having recorded below-normal precipitation over the past month, according to data from the US National Weather Service’s Joint Agricultural Weather Facility. However, ample rains since the end of May have increased moisture, and large portions of China’s south now have overly-wet soils, according to the Chinese weath...
Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn/iStock via Getty Images At a glance Performance The Portfolio returned -6.47% (gro S s) and the Russell Midcap® Growth Index returned -6.35%. Contributors/detractors Stock selection in the industrials sector detracted from relative performance while stock selection in the financials sector contributed. Outlook We remain committed to a disciplined, bottom-up investment approac...
Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn/iStock via Getty Images At a glance Performance The Portfolio returned -6.47% (gro S s) and the Russell Midcap® Growth Index returned -6.35%. Contributors/detractors Stock selection in the industrials sector detracted from relative performance while stock selection in the financials sector contributed. Outlook We remain committed to a disciplined, bottom-up investment approach that pursues growth opportunities while seeking to manage downside risk. Investment environment • The equity market started out the year with modest gains, supported by resilient economic growth. • Volatility increased in March, after war in the Middle East drove the price of oil over $100 per barrel. Inflation fears pushed long-term bond yields higher while dampening hopes for Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts. • Artificial intelligence remained an investment theme, despite mixed performance by AI-related names. Fears of AI-related competitive disruptions pressured stocks in software and other industries. Portfolio review Relative detractors included AppLovin ( APP ), a software company that has developed an AI-powered marketing platform that matches developers with advertisers seeking placement on apps and mobile games. The stock was a strong performer in 2025, due in part to high expectations around the company's plans to expand into e-commerce marketing. However, this opportunity is taking longer than expected to materialize, and investors have grown more cautious about AppLovin's competitive position, especially after Meta ( META ) indicated it may expand into mobile game advertising. Given a range of outcomes for the company, we have reduced our position in AppLovin as we continue to monitor developments affecting the company. DoorDash ( DASH ) was another relative detractor. The meal delivery company has a track record of delivering strong operating leverage and free-cash-flow growth. Third-quarter results were weaker than expected, however, due in part to the compan...
In this article 9984.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Sinology | Moment | Getty Images Asian tech stocks extended their sell-off Monday, as investors sour on global AI-linked plays with the U.S. tech-heavy Nasdaq declining more than 4.5% last week. Memory chip behemoths and heavyweights on South Korea's Kospi Index Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell 5% and 2%, respectively. ...
In this article 9984.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Sinology | Moment | Getty Images Asian tech stocks extended their sell-off Monday, as investors sour on global AI-linked plays with the U.S. tech-heavy Nasdaq declining more than 4.5% last week. Memory chip behemoths and heavyweights on South Korea's Kospi Index Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell 5% and 2%, respectively. The Kospi plunged as much as 8% as the two companies make up over 40% of the index. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co , or TSMC, was down 2.1%, while Hon Hai Precision, also known as Foxconn, fell 5.1%. Japanese tech investor Softbank Group plunged 7.5%, while Tokyo Electron and Advantest were down 6.7% and 5%, respectively. The share price declines follow a recent rally in Asia tech stocks that was supported by investor optimism on AI demand. Last month, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each crossed a $1 trillion market valuation, while SoftBank recently became the most valuable company in Japan. The sell-off in tech names was triggered after Broadcom 's revenue for fiscal second quarter missed market estimates last week, plunging its shares and causing a cascading impact on the tech sector. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) lost over 9% Friday; Softbank's British chip firm Arm Holdings had dropped nearly 13%, while Micron Technology declined more than 13%. "The tech-led rout erased approximately $1.8 trillion in S&P 500 market cap," according to a UOB note on June 8. UOB, however, said that tech and software companies will remain in focus with "the debut of a space exploration/AI/tech company on the Nasdaq on Fri (12 Jun), in what may be the largest IPO ever." Broader Asia markets were also lower Monday, as a fresh escalation in Iran war signals that the conflict is far from over. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
You'd have a hard time finding three initial public offerings (IPOs) as anticipated as those from SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic. With the artificial intelligence (AI) boom in full force, these companies have become some of the world's most talked-about, and they're getting ready to take their talents to public markets. SpaceX is aiming for the largest IPO in history with a planned date of June 12;...
You'd have a hard time finding three initial public offerings (IPOs) as anticipated as those from SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic. With the artificial intelligence (AI) boom in full force, these companies have become some of the world's most talked-about, and they're getting ready to take their talents to public markets. SpaceX is aiming for the largest IPO in history with a planned date of June 12; OpenAI's IPO will likely be later this year or in early 2027; and Anthropic recently filed for an IPO after raising $65 billion in its latest round. While the prospect of owning these stocks may sound appealing, there's no need for investors to try to jump in on Day 1 or even to buy the stocks individually. Arguably the best way to get in on all three is through an index-tracking exchange-traded fund such as the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) or a broad market ETF like the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI) . Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Pentagon Officially Removes 180 Faiths From Military Religion List Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times , The Department of War has formally removed 180 faiths from its official list of religious affiliation codes, leaving 31 remaining, according to a memo posted by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on June 5. The Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on May 25, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times ...
Pentagon Officially Removes 180 Faiths From Military Religion List Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times , The Department of War has formally removed 180 faiths from its official list of religious affiliation codes, leaving 31 remaining, according to a memo posted by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on June 5. The Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on May 25, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times The military had initially listed 211 faith and belief codes, but that number has been sharply reduced under the direction of War Secretary Pete Hegseth , according to a memo signed by Anthony Tata, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, dated May 20. The memo states that the change was intended to "streamline the DoW [Department of War] collection of religious preferences selection for Service members to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy." "The new 'Religious Affiliation Codes' list will provide chaplains with clear, readily available information that will better enable them to anticipate the religious support needs of Service members and to provide religious support activities that align with Service members' personal faith and practices," the memo reads. The updated list includes agnosticism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and a range of Christian denominations such as Baptist, Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, and Seventh Day Adventist. Options of "no religion" or "other religion" are listed as well. Parnell said that the cut in religious affiliation codes was not meant to make any judgment about the legitimacy of any faith or belief system, nor to serve as a list of "'officially approved' religions." "Rather, it is designed to allow chaplains to quickly look at the religious composition of their units and determine how they structure resources to best provide for warfighters of all faith groups," he said in a post on X. Parnell emphasized that the Pentagon remains committed to upholding service ...