Vietnam renews rate-cut push as more than 10% lending costs challenge growth financing

The Business Times - Oct 19, 2026

Higher funding costs have pushed some floating mortgage rates to as high as 19%

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Oct 19, 2026

Macron condemns those who 'sought to bring down Republic' after rioting mars nationwide protests

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday voiced the public’s “anger” and “shame” over rioting and looting during nationwide protests against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools . At least 2,400 people were arrested. Macron echoed other government officials in blaming much of the violence on far-left activists, accusing them of attacking police and public buildings to foment chaos. “Those who looted will have to pay for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable,” Macron said in a televised address to the nation. He denounced “unrestrained violence” by “insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals.” Macron earlier held an emergency meeting with senior government officials, a day after masked groups set fires and attacked city halls in several cities. He said he had instructed prefects to work with mayors to protect public buildings and businesses in the coming weeks, including by banning protests when necessary. Flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall in the

Oct 19, 2026

4 dead, 39 injured at Canadian military base in grass fire fanned by high winds, officials say

CALGARY — A fire that killed at least four soldiers and left 19 people in critical condition began with a smoldering grass fire that ignited in an Alberta military base's training area where personnel were drilling, Canadian officials said Sunday. Officials said 39 people were in hospitals as a result of the fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, which began around 4 p.m. MDT (2200 GMT) on Saturday. Winds up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) fed the flames. Major General Wade Rutland described the fire as an "uncommon, rapid" event. “I’ve certainly never seen anything like it," said Rutland, commander of 1st Canadian Division, which is based in Edmonton, about 210 km (130 miles) west of the military site. Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier Sunday that the fire was one of the worst peacetime tragedies ever for Canada's armed forces on home soil. "The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our Armed Forces whom we have lost," Carney said Sunday, adding that he had ordered flags on federal buildings across the country to be lowered to half-staff to honor th

Oct 19, 2026

Oil tanker on fire after hitting mine in Hormuz: Iran's Guards

TEHRAN — Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday an oil tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting a mine, the latest such incident since Tehran tightened its grip of the waterway. Iran seized control of the strait after war broke out against the United States and Israel late February, choking off the vital shipping route which normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil. The Islamic republic has demanded that all ships seek its authorisation before transiting. "An oil tanker, which was in violation, struck a naval mine south of the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in an explosion and a fire in its engine room," Iranian state media quoted the Guards as saying. The tanker was travelling in the strait's "unauthorized southern route" and had disabled its positioning and navigation systems, the statement said. It came a day after the Guards said two oil tankers caught fire in the strait, both after hitting mines. The Guards' naval commander Admiral Ali Ozmaei warned this week that any vessel that deactivated its navigation systems would be considered "hostile." The United State

Oct 19, 2026

China's embassy issues fresh Thailand travel alert over kidnappings, job scams

China's embassy in Thailand has warned citizens to carefully plan their trips and pay extra attention to transport security following a string of high-profile kidnappings targeting Chinese nationals. Online influencers and artists were also advised to remain vigilant against high-paying job scams operating in Thailand in the latest such warning issued on Friday. There have been a number of high-profile incidents in recent months in which online celebrities and travellers were kidnapped in Thailand and trafficked to scam syndicates in Myanmar. The Bangkok embassy urged travellers to "pay attention to transport arranged by others" and "plan their itinerary and choose licensed transport and legal operators", while being "careful not to take any free rides from acquaintances or strangers" alike. Individuals should also refuse sudden changes to venues or travel routes and keep their families informed of their whereabouts, Friday's notice posted to the embassy website said. While the embassy issued a similar warning in April, its latest advisory highlighted particular concern over the growing n

Oct 19, 2026

China's economy picks up pace in Q3 as exports power uneven recovery

BEIJING — China's economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter as a surge in exports and strong factory activity offset persistent weakness in domestic demand, easing pressure on policymakers to roll out more forceful stimulus measures. The 4.5% growth rate, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday, beat the forecast for 4.4% growth in a Reuters poll, and improved from the more-than-three-year low of 4.3% in the April-to-June period. The stronger headline growth was underpinned by a surge in exports, with China's trade surplus widening more than expected in September and keeping the country on track to surpass last year's record $1.2 trillion surplus. September activity data also showed signs of improvement. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 1.1% from a year earlier, accelerating from August's 0.4% increase and marking the fastest growth since March. Consumer spending remained subdued overall, however, highlighting the uneven nature of the recovery. Industrial output grew 5.5% in September, up from 5.2% in August and marking the strongest pace in si

Oct 19, 2026

Macron notes 'failures' after France unrest

PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron, under pressure after violent protests in France, acknowledged on Monday "failures in anticipation and intelligence", but refused the resignation of his interior minister, the presidential palace said. Some opposition politicians had called for the sacking of Nunez after demonstrations over the cost of living descended into some of the worst urban violence in France in years. Nearly 2,400 people were arrested on Saturday, with almost 1,000 police and gendarmes injured, according to the interior ministry, as clashes between police and protesters, mass looting and fires erupted nationwide. "The interior minister submitted his resignation to the president on Sunday," the Elysee palace said in a statement. "Given the necessity for continued leadership of law enforcement at this time, the president refused." Macron had asked Nunez to "take all necessary steps to ensure transparency over the failures in planning and intelligence that led to the violence", the statement said. The president had also instructed him to "put in place new operational methods for sec

Oct 19, 2026

Putin proposes summit with Trump and Xi to discuss Ukraine deal, WSJ says

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit next month with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the four-year-old Ukraine conflict that would favour Moscow, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the discussions. The proposed summit comes amid warming ties between Trump and Putin especially after the US President announced a deal to buy Russian diesel and signed an order on Friday waiving key sanctions on Moscow. Citing a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter, the paper said that Putin's suggestion came in an October 9 telephone call with Trump that also yielded the diesel deal between the two countries. The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while the Kremlin could not be immediately reached outside regular business hours. The Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington did not immediately reply to requests for comment. The Kremlin has suggested holding the trilateral dialogue on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Oct 19, 2026

Trump explains why he put Russia sanctions on hold

Trump explains why he put Russia sanctions on hold President Donald Trump defended his move of suspending Russia sanctions two days before the law would take into effect on Sunday. On Friday, Trump signed an executive order to exempt Russia from the US-related sanctions and tariffs, citing...

Oct 19, 2026

‘Stop’: How 53-Year-Old Mayor Became ‘Spiderman In Grey Suit’ & The Face Of French Protests

A viral video showed Bally Bagayoko, 53-year-old mayor of the Paris suburb Saint-Denis, in a sharp grey suit and lavender tie, shielding student demonstrators from police

Oct 19, 2026

Russia pounds Kyiv as Rubio urges Ukraine's Zelensky to 'focus' on ending the war

Russia on Monday said it carried out a "massive strike" on targets in Kyiv and its region as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that Washington had paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine and urged its president Volodymyr Zelensky to focus on ending the war.

Oct 19, 2026

Senate weighs resolution censuring Chinese envoy

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate is weighing a possible resolution condemning Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s “very rude, very hostile and very undiplomatic” remarks about China’s ability to defeat the Philippines by force, with senators signaling possible formal action when Congress resumes session amid escalating tensions between Manila and Beijing. The move followed a Chinese Embassy

Oct 19, 2026

Macron notes 'failures' after France unrest; declines interior minister's offer to resign

French President Emmanuel Macron has instructed Interior Minister Laurent Nunez to "put in place new operational methods for security forces" to handle the crisis.

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