President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” campaign will make a trade deal between the two countries more difficult, the former Indian ambassador to the U.S. said Friday. Still, a trade agreement when Trump visits Modi in India next week is not insurmountable, Meera Shankar told CNBC’s “Street Signs.” She was referring to rules currently under consideration that would require internet companies to store information on Indian users within th

Tesla CEO Elon Musk poses on the red carpet as he arrives for the 43rd “Golden Steering Wheel” awards on November 12, 2019 in Berlin. Tesla has been given the go-ahead from a German court to cut down trees for its new European factory. Though it doesn’t yet have planning permission to build the so-called Gigafactory in Brandenburg, the local government agency overseeing its intended site gave it permission to clear 91 hectares of forest land. Environmental campaigners opposed to the chopping dow

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks to participants at a climate change protest on January 17, 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Climate activist Greta Thunberg has used the 1 million Swedish Krona ($102,062) prize money she won in a recent award to launch a non-profit foundation. Thunberg received the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the “alternative Nobel prize,” in December and the organization behind the prize announced Thursday that she used her winnings to establish The Greta

Many see Iran’s conservatives winning Friday’s election, but that’s more to do with reformists losing favor than hard-liners gaining popularity, a research associate said this week. “The reformists aren’t particularly popular right now, but the conservatives definitely aren’t very popular,” said Tan Feng Qin of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore. Voter turnout is expected to be low as young people say they’re refusing to go to the polls. Iran’s 2016 parliamentary e

Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys and Jho Low (right) at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014. Social media users weighed in on Abdul Hamid’s comments. “Jho Low and Covid-19! Another Twitter user, whose handle is @leonhartxtreme said: “Jho Low spread the virus to hide in the place no one dare to enter. Some social media users, however, were skeptical that Low might have been in Wuhan.

A demonstrator throws a stone towards a police van during a protest against the arrival of a plane carrying evacuees from coronavirus-hit China’s Hubei province in the village of Novi Sanzhary in Poltava region, Ukraine February 20, 2020. A combination of online misinformation and intensifying fears about the coronavirus has triggered violent demonstrations in Ukraine, where protesters threw stones at buses carrying evacuees from China. On Thursday, six buses carrying 45 Ukrainians and 27 foreig

Hard to say whether Singapore will enter a recession amid virus outbreak, says ministerIn addition to managing the economic hit from the COVID-19 outbreak, the latest Singapore budget is focused on helping businesses grow in long term, says Indranee Rajah, Singapore’s minister in the prime minister’s office, who’s also second minister for finance and education.

China must help its smaller businesses tide over ‘massive disruption’ to economy: StrategistChina’s small and medium enterprises will be hit hardest by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and will need the government to provide some cash flow relief, says Andy Rothman of Matthews Asia.

Retail sales of passenger cars in China crumbled 92% on an annual basis in the first 16 days of February, according to China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), as the coronavirus outbreak slammed the brakes on businesses across the country. “Very few dealerships opened in the first weeks of February and they have had very little customer traffic,” it said. Mainland China recorded 889 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection on Thursday. The death toll also rose by 118 to 2,236, mostly in the

On a friend’s recommendation, I headed into Utah, to the Red Mountain Resort near St. George, about a two-hour drive northeast of Sin City. Red Mountain Resort near St. George, Utah. Courtesy of Red Mountain ResortMy room, a luxury villa, had a king-sized bed, terrace and a view over an outdoor pool to the mountains beyond. Wellness, rest and relaxation is also big business for Utah resorts. The labyrinth at Red Mountain Resort.

STEFAN WERMUTH | AFP | Getty ImagesPlans by the United States to create a 5G rival to Huawei could be a “challenge,” one of the Chinese firm’s top executives told CNBC, amid growing calls from American lawmakers to find alternatives for its next-generation networks. 5G refers to next-generation mobile infrastructure that promises super-fast data speeds and the ability to underpin some future critical infrastructure. Beyond just relying on Ericsson and Nokia, the U.S. has also looked to finding a

Singapore still has some financial buffer to support the economy if any more measures are needed to help businesses and households tide through the current coronavirus outbreak, one minister told CNBC on Friday. “And we do still have some buffer in case any additional measures are needed,” she told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.” The Singapore government has set aside 5.6 billion Singapore dollars ($4.02 billion) in its latest budget to help businesses, workers and households weather the economic hit

China reported some 512 coronavirus cases from four prisons, two of which are located in Hubei province, the center of the outbreak. In Hubei, there are 230 COVID-19 cases at the Wuhan Women’s prison and 41 cases at the Shayang Hanjin prison, according to a report from the province’s state-run newspaper on Friday. Up north, Shandong province’s Rencheng prison reported 207 confirmed cases of the virus, according to state news agency Xinhua on Friday. The Shilifeng prison in Zhejiang province also

The spread of a new strain of coronavirus was the main focus for investors, as the number of cases and deaths grew. China’s National Health Commission said another 889 cases had been confirmed in the mainland, while the death toll rose by 118 to 2,337. South Korea led the losses with the Kospi down about 0.9%, as the country reported 52 new coronavirus cases. Back in Europe, leaders of the 27 EU member states failed to make any headway in budget talks on Thursday. The U.K.’s departure from the b

U.S. government debt prices were higher Friday morning, amid intensifying concern about the coronavirus outbreak. ET, the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to price, was lower at around 1.4915%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was lower at around 1.9352%. Market focus is largely attuned to the potential economic fallout of China’s fast-spreading coronavirus. China’s National Health Commission reported Friday that 75,465 cases of the coronavirus had been confirme

U.S. stock index futures are pointing to a sharply lower open on Friday morning after the number of new coronavirus cases escalated. ET, Dow futures were down 146 points and indicated an implied negative open of more than 176 points. Futures on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were also lower. South Korea reported 52 new cases on Thursday to take its total to 150. Traders will also monitor February flash manufacturing and services PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) readings due at 9:45 a.m.

Ping An Insurance, also known as Ping An of China, logo seen on a skyscraper in Shanghai. (Photo by Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)A top executive at Chinese conglomerate Ping An Insurance says the coronavirus outbreak in China has in some ways been “helpful” for the business. Speaking to CNBC on Friday, Tan said: “What we see about the impact in virus, particularly in the first half, will definitely impact the economy. In a separate interview with Reuters, Tan appeared less u

A medical staff takes temperature of a patient at a temporary hospital converted from “Wuhan Livingroom” in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 10, 2020. 7:23 am: Hubei reports 115 new deaths, most of them in WuhanChina’s Hubei province said there were 115 additional deaths as of Feb. 20, which brought the total number of fatalities in the region to 2,144. They will no longer be counted as “confirmed” cases like they were in the previous diagnosis protocol. That makes South Korea one of

Stocks in Asia were mixed in Friday morning trade following a decline in stocks overnight stateside amid fears over the economic impact of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Stocks in South Korea led losses in the region as the Kospi fell 1.02% as shares of SK Hynix dropped more than 1%. The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea also jumped sharply by 22 to a total of 104 cases. Over in Japan, however, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.17% as shares of index heavyweight and conglomerate SoftBank Group

But airport lounges are available to make your stay more comfortable. Capital One announced it won a bid to open the company’s first-ever airport lounge at Dulles Airport (IAD) in Washington D.C. next year. It’s unclear which Capital One cardholders will have access to the lounge or if non-cardholders can pay to get in. In comparison, The Platinum Card® from American Express has a $550 annual fee and offers complimentary Centurion Lounge access (see rates and fees). Stay tuned for more details o