Latest news with #MIST
Qatar Tribune
02-08-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
What to expect from the Chinese consumer?
Chinese consumer spending slowed significantly in Q2 this year, after a strong start in early 2025. In recent months, growth in real terms dropped to the lowest rate since the start of the year. Importantly, despite new incentive measures to stimulate consumption, household savings rate has been stable, pointing to the difficulty of changing entrenched household habits. In fact, Chinese households have long been viewed as the missing piece in the country's economic puzzle and something that goes beyond cyclical patterns. Despite government stated efforts to enact a transition from investment-led growth into services and consumption, analysts and policymakers have pointed to persistently low consumption as a drag on growth – especially in a country of 1.4 billion people with rising income levels. This perceived underperformance is not fully without cause, as Chinese consumers have remained cautious amid waves of economic disruption: the pandemic, a prolonged property market correction, and increased policy unpredictability. However, despite those facts, we do believe there is a general misunderstanding about the overall magnitude and importance of Chinese private consumption. While the ratio of Chinese consumption over headline GDP cannot be compared to those found in affluent, highly consumerist, private sector driven economies, such as the US, it does not deviate significantly from the ratio from other advanced economies. This is particularly the case for advanced manufacturing, export-oriented economies from Asia, such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore – countries that adopt an economic model that China emulates. Moreover, in terms of growth dynamics, Chinese consumers have comfortably outperformed their peers even in the most growth-prone large emerging economies of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and MIST (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, and Türkiye) over the last decade. In addition to those more constructive facts on Chinese household consumption, we believe that the next phase of the country's growth story could see consumers playing a much more central role. Not only are there strong structural reasons for this shift, but recent policy direction and macro data also support an even more positive outlook. In particular, we highlight three main arguments. First, according to the People's Bank of China (PBoC), the local central bank, personal deposits in the Chinese banking system increased from USD 11.8 trillion pre-pandemic to USD 22.3 trillion in May 2025. This impressive build-up of private savings can be quickly mobilized for more consumption or investments over the medium-term, if confidence in the future is further restored. This would contribute for continued consumer growth and an increase in the overall share of private consumption on GDP. However, the bar is high for a significant increase of consumer spending in China. Households in China tend to be conservative with their finances and prefer to save more on the back of limited social support system from the government. Despite this, only a small change in the savings rate would be enough to create a significant impact on consumption and investment. This is expected to take place as plans to broaden the incipient welfare system are gradually executed. Second, China is actively aiming to further rebalance its growth model away from the need for large infrastructure investments. While much of the recent focus has been on accelerating advanced manufacturing – particularly in sectors such as electric vehicles, batteries, and semiconductors –, policymakers are equally explicit about the need to boost household demand. Beijing has outlined plans to raise the share of consumption in GDP from the current 40% to 50% by 2035. This ambition is being supported by social policy reforms, housing support programmes, lower-tier city revitalization, and support for household credit, particularly in consumer finance. Third, structural reforms are likely to gradually reshape household risk perceptions in China. The country's targeted real estate reforms – mortgage controls and developer deleveraging – are healing distortions in the market. While this process has temporarily dampened activity, it is gradually restoring balance to household finances. At the same time, social safety nets are expanding: pensions are being scaled up, healthcare access broadened, and unemployment insurance slowly strengthened. Taken together, these reforms reduce the perceived need for excessive precautionary savings, thereby loosening household consumption behaviour. All in all, the Chinese consumer is a much bigger driver for growth than the consensus narrative implies. Moreover, private consumption is expected to continue to grow further on the back of a large pool of accumulated savings, an explicit policy shift toward consumption, and underlying reforms that reduce household economic uncertainty. — By QNB Economics
Business Insider
12-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Why Is Milestone Pharmaceuticals Stock (MIST) Down 30% Today?
Milestone Pharmaceuticals (MIST) stock sank on Friday after the biopharmaceutical company announced plans for a proposed public offering. The company said this offering will include shares of its common stock, coupled with Series A and Series B warrants that holders will be able to exercise for additional shares. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. Milestone Pharmaceuticals hasn't nailed down the specifics of the public offering. That means traders don't know how many shares and warrants it will include, or what they will be priced at. Even so, news of a public offering weighed on the shares, as it will likely be priced below the stock's current value, and newly issued shares will dilute the stakes of current investors. Milestone Pharmaceuticals noted that the funds gained from the public offering will be used to continue its clinical development and commercial launch of etripamil, as working capital, and for other general corporate purposes. Milestone Pharmaceuticals Stock Movement Today Milestone Pharmaceuticals stock was down 32.03% during pre-market trading on Friday, following a 6.67% rally yesterday. The stock has risen 8.47% year-to-date and 64.1% over the past 12 months. Today's news triggered a sell-off of MIST shares, with over 1.2 million units traded, compared to a three-month daily average of about 688,000 shares. Is Milestone Pharmaceuticals Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Turning to Wall Street, the analysts' consensus rating for Milestone Pharmaceuticals is Moderate Buy, based on one Buy and one Hold rating over the past three months. With that comes an average MIST stock price target of $5, representing a potential 96.31% upside for the shares.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Queer Spaces Offer Hope To Community, But Pune's Streets Still Bite
Pune: The city's queer community thrives in a paradox. There is a vibrant nightlife with drag shows and queer art, yet harassment and danger lurk on the streets, especially for trans people and queer women, exposing the city's ongoing struggle to become truly inclusive. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Stories Café, which recently shifted to Wagholi after unaffordable rent hikes in Koregaon Park, thrives on the rare kindness of its landlady who allows queer baristas to serve coffee and snacks there. "We are more than just a café. Our survival is challenging because it's not just a business, it's a safe space for the queer community to train, socialise and even host events. After losing US funding, our landlady showed kindness by reducing rent for three months to help us stay afloat," Shyam Konnur, founder of MIST, the NGO that runs the cafe, told TOI. At a bigger level, Divya Aggarwal is leading the charge at hospitality chain SOCIAL, embedding inclusivity into everyday operations to create a welcoming experience for all. "For us, inclusivity goes beyond symbols. We have partnered with queer talent to create empowering experiences, hosting events like drag nights and panel discussions that showcase queer voices," Aggarwal, the chief growth officer at Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd, said. "We prioritise training our teams to use correct pronouns and recognise micro-aggressions," she said. "Our goal is to create a safe space where queer patrons feel respected and valued. When they return with their friends and choose our space to express themselves, that's the ultimate win. We listen closely to feedback, work with community voices and aim to reflect that inclusivity in who's on our stage and who's on our team," Aggarwal added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to The Pune Qrew co-founder Avichal Singh, the city has become more queer-friendly over the last five years, especially in areas like Koregaon Park and Kalyaninagar. Singh highlighted the organisation's efforts to promote queer visibility, saying, "From highlighting queer-friendly messaging on promos to showcasing queer artists and vendors, everything we do is about creating safe, welcoming environments." The success of these initiatives, according to Singh, is measured by the community's response. "Events like Glam Jam at High Spirits play a crucial role in this endeavour, providing a platform for the queer community to come together and celebrate. For us, success is simple: the more queer folk and allies attend, the more we normalize and celebrate the community," he added. Beyond cafes, Pune's LGBTQIA+ community is creating its own spaces, like the Pune Queer Sports Club, which brings together over 180 members for sports like cricket and badminton every weekend. However, challenges persist in bars and nightclubs, where gay couples often face discriminatory "stag entry" policies, being turned away unless accompanied by women. An IT professional, who identifies as a gay man, shared his experiences with nightlife discrimination, saying, "At many nightclubs still, when I go with my boyfriend, we are denied entry. Other times, we have been asked to pay extra... People act weird if we hold hands, which is very normal for a hetero couple." While upscale venues in Pune show progress, danger lurks on the streets. Recent two men brutally attacked a trans woman near Pune Station, leaving her with head injuries that required stitches. Sania Shah, a trans woman, recounted yet another harrowing experience: "I was waiting for a rickshaw when suddenly I noticed two men leering at me... They pulled my hair, hit me on the head and kept attacking me till some people rushed towards us to break this up." The incident left her shaken, triggering severe anxiety and a constant need for reassurance from her mother when she's out. Pune: The city's queer community thrives in a paradox. There is a vibrant nightlife with drag shows and queer art, yet harassment and danger lurk on the streets, especially for trans people and queer women, exposing the city's ongoing struggle to become truly inclusive. Stories Café, which recently shifted to Wagholi after unaffordable rent hikes in Koregaon Park, thrives on the rare kindness of its landlady who allows queer baristas to serve coffee and snacks there. "We are more than just a café. Our survival is challenging because it's not just a business, it's a safe space for the queer community to train, socialise and even host events. After losing US funding, our landlady showed kindness by reducing rent for three months to help us stay afloat," Shyam Konnur, founder of MIST, the NGO that runs the cafe, told TOI. At a bigger level, Divya Aggarwal is leading the charge at hospitality chain SOCIAL, embedding inclusivity into everyday operations to create a welcoming experience for all. "For us, inclusivity goes beyond symbols. We have partnered with queer talent to create empowering experiences, hosting events like drag nights and panel discussions that showcase queer voices," Aggarwal, the chief growth officer at Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd, said. "We prioritise training our teams to use correct pronouns and recognise micro-aggressions," she said. "Our goal is to create a safe space where queer patrons feel respected and valued. When they return with their friends and choose our space to express themselves, that's the ultimate win. We listen closely to feedback, work with community voices and aim to reflect that inclusivity in who's on our stage and who's on our team," Aggarwal added. According to The Pune Qrew co-founder Avichal Singh, the city has become more queer-friendly over the last five years, especially in areas like Koregaon Park and Kalyaninagar. Singh highlighted the organisation's efforts to promote queer visibility, saying, "From highlighting queer-friendly messaging on promos to showcasing queer artists and vendors, everything we do is about creating safe, welcoming environments." The success of these initiatives, according to Singh, is measured by the community's response. "Events like Glam Jam at High Spirits play a crucial role in this endeavour, providing a platform for the queer community to come together and celebrate. For us, success is simple: the more queer folk and allies attend, the more we normalize and celebrate the community," he added. Beyond cafes, Pune's LGBTQIA+ community is creating its own spaces, like the Pune Queer Sports Club, which brings together over 180 members for sports like cricket and badminton every weekend. However, challenges persist in bars and nightclubs, where gay couples often face discriminatory "stag entry" policies, being turned away unless accompanied by women. An IT professional, who identifies as a gay man, shared his experiences with nightlife discrimination, saying, "At many nightclubs still, when I go with my boyfriend, we are denied entry. Other times, we have been asked to pay extra... People act weird if we hold hands, which is very normal for a hetero couple." While upscale venues in Pune show progress, danger lurks on the streets. Recent two men brutally attacked a trans woman near Pune Station, leaving her with head injuries that required stitches. Sania Shah, a trans woman, recounted yet another harrowing experience: "I was waiting for a rickshaw when suddenly I noticed two men leering at me... They pulled my hair, hit me on the head and kept attacking me till some people rushed towards us to break this up." The incident left her shaken, triggering severe anxiety and a constant need for reassurance from her mother when she's out.
Scoop
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Moriori Challenge Crown Over 'Tino Rangatiratanga'
Wellington, 12 June 2025 – The Moriori Imi Settlement Trust (MIST), supported by the Hokotehi Moriori Trust (HMT), has filed proceedings in the High Court at Wellington challenging the Crown's proposal to recognise Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri's (NMOW) tino rangatiratanga over Rēkohu (the Chatham Islands). In 1870, the Native Land Court and colonial government gave 97.3% of all land on the Chatham Islands to NMOW (who arrived on an English sailing ship in only 1835), completely disregarding Moriori custom and the ancient, peaceful occupation of the islands. Instead, they applied the New Zealand Māori custom of take raupatu (claim by conquest). The Waitangi Tribunal found in 2001 that Moriori should have received 'at least 50% of the land' on Rēkohu and that 'redress by far was due to Moriori' (Tribunal recommends compensation for Moriori). Despite this, NMOW have continued to claim exclusive mana whenua and tino rangatiratanga over Rēkohu. Now, the Crown appears ready to repeat these past injustices. When Moriori settled their historic Treaty claims with the Crown in 2020, the Crown gave clear and repeated assurances that it would remain strictly neutral between imi and iwi on matters of mana whenua and tino rangatiratanga over Rēkohu. For this reason, those terms do not appear in the Moriori Deed of Settlement. Moriori Claims Settlement Act 2021: However, in 2022, MIST was formally advised that the Crown intended to include in the NMOW Deed of Settlement an explicit acknowledgement of NMOW's tino rangatiratanga over Rēkohu. This contradicts prior commitments made to Moriori and represents a serious breach of trust and the terms of our own Deed. The Crown maintains this does not amount to recognition of mana whenua —a position strongly rejected by MIST and supported by respected Māori legal and tikanga experts. In their view, tino rangatiratanga clearly implies exclusive chiefly authority over land. Moriori (MIST & HMT) consider the Crown's position not only disingenuous—but outrageous. Tino rangatiratanga is not a term the Crown has the right to define, limit, or politically reinterpret to suit its convenience. The implications of this recognition are profound. It would undermine the integrity and intent of the Moriori Treaty settlement—an outcome Moriori worked toward for generations. It would also risk legitimising the 1835 invasion, where two mainland tribes used violence to kill, enslave, and displace the peaceful Moriori. Under tikane Moriori, land was never taken through warfare. Even under tikanga Māori, NMOW's claims to take raupatu were not found valid by the Waitangi Tribunal. This situation raises an unsettling question: Why is this happening at all? Why would the Crown give such clear assurances to Moriori, only to reverse course and grant the very recognition it swore it would withhold? This contradiction cuts to the core of the Crown's integrity and the trust that should underpin the Treaty settlement process. This legal challenge is not intended to delay or block NMOW's redress. Moriori supports their right to a settlement— provided it does not impinge upon or undermine Moriori rights. We offered a solution: remove the offending phrase from NMOW's Deed. The Crown refused. Moriori are now calling on the Crown to honour its promise of neutrality and refrain from taking any steps that would undermine the Treaty settlement signed with us just five years ago. Anything less risks eroding trust in the Crown's commitments. With all other avenues exhausted, Moriori will now seek to be heard in the court of law. We do so reluctantly, but with a firm commitment to uphold the dignity of our karapuna (ancestors) and protect the legacy we leave for future generations of our imi (people). Me rongo (In peace)
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tata Communications announces TGN-IA2 subsea cable linking Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan to enhance connectivity
Tata Communications , on Tuesday, announced the TGN-IA2 subsea cable system to enhance connectivity for businesses across Asia. The cable connects Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan and complements the existing TGN-IA cable system by offering interconnections to other regions. The system is constructed by the Asia Direct Cable (ADC) consortium, of which, half-a-fibre pair is fully operated and managed by Tata Communications. This allows the company to independently manage capacity upgrades and make faster provisioning for customers. The ADC is a global consortium of leading communications and technology companies, including NT (Thailand), China Telecom, China Unicom, PLDT Inc., Singtel, SoftBank Corp., Tata Communications and Viettel. The multi-terabits capacity TGN-IA2 cable is expected to significantly enhance data transfer capabilities and offer diverse, scalable bandwidth solutions to hyperscalers, multinational corporations, and telecom operators. Tata Communications operates multiple terabytes of capacities across its 500,000+ km round-the-globe subsea optical fibre network. This includes TGN-TIC, TGN-EA (Eurasia), TGN-Gulf, TGN-P (Pacific), TGN-A (Atlantic) and others. Live Events The Asia-Pacific region, particularly Southeast Asia, is now a global data transmission hub, with growing subsea investments from companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. The region is witnessing a rapid build-out of hyperscale data centres , and submarine cables are critical to ensuring low-latency, high-throughput links between these facilities. According to Telegeography, the global demand for international bandwidth is growing at over 30% annually, and Asia accounts for a significant share of this surge. Countries like India, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines are now key landing points for such cables, facilitating digital trade and cloud infrastructure deployment. India has recently seen large commitments in this space. For instance, Google is set to commission its Blue-Raman submarine cable system in Mumbai this year. Last month, Meta announced the 'Waterworth' project—the world's longest subsea cable connecting five continents with landings in India. Japan's NTT Data is also set to commission MIST - its first submarine cable system connecting Malaysia, India, Singapore and Thailand, entailing a total investment of $400 million. Meanwhile, telecom operator Bharti Airtel has landed SEA-ME-WE-6 and 2Africa Pearls cables on Indian shores this year. Reliance Jio is also set to commission the India-Asia-Express (IAX) and India-Europe-Express (IEX) submarine cable systems, expanding the country's existing capacity significantly.
