The Japanese services sector sentiment index increased during the month of July, which showed some improvement in business confidence despite the continuing concerns about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Japanese Cabinet’s Labor Survey of taxi drivers, hotel workers and restaurant employees – dubbed “economy watchers” for their proximity …

Car sales in China jumped 16.4% in July compared to last year, the fourth consecutive month of gains as the world’s largest auto market retreated from its lowest levels during the country’s lockdown due to the Coronavirus. Data from the wholesale sales released by the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers …

While flashing another red signal concerning the US-China trade relations, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) quotes US government notice while saying that goods made in Hong Kong for export to the United States will have to be labeled “Made in China” after September 25. It said that 45 days …

Japan’s current account surplus narrowed to the lowest level in five years in June as exports took a hit due to the Covid-19 on global demand. The current account surplus was JPY 167.5 billion ($1.58 billion), the smallest monthly surplus since January 2015, a finance ministry official said on Tuesday, according …

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has set the yuan reference rate at 6.9711 versus Monday’s fix at 6.9649.

White House (WH) National Security Adviser O’Brien said in a statement early Tuesday, the US is ‘deeply troubled’ by the arrest of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai. His comments come after the geopolitical tensions intensified between the US and China after the police in Hong Kong arrested Jimmy Lai, …

The UK has reported mixed labor figures. The unemployment rate remained depressed at 3.9% in June, a result of the government’s furlough schemes. Wages dropped by 1.2% when including bonuses and -0.2% when excluding them.  The Claimant Count Change for July disappointed by leaping by 94,400, far worse than 10,000 …

Data showed unemployment in Turkey rose slightly between April and June to 12.9%, compared to 12.8% in the previous month, thanks to a ban on layoffs amid the Corona pandemic. Employment fell by 2.4 million year-on-year in the same period to 25.9 million, in conjunction with the almost complete halt …

Eurozone Sentix Investor Confidence rose to -13.4 in August, up from -18.3, above the expectation of -15.2. It’s also the fourth increase in a row and highest since February. The current Situation index rose to -41.3, up from -49.5, highest since March. Expectations, however, dropped slightly to 19.3, down from …

French economic activity in July declined by 7% from its pre-pandemic level, which reflects a slight improvement compared to June, which recorded a decrease of 9%. The construction sector approaches pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest report issued by the French Central Bank. In its monthly business conditions report, the …