Filmart: Chinese Actors Say Farewell to Hollywood

No longer content to play underdeveloped roles in overstuffed tentpoles, China’s screen talents are turning down L.A. offers in search of bigger paydays, greater exposure and meatier roles at home. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Hong Kong’s A-list talent weren’t considered true superstars until they had made their mark in Hollywood.

The Latest: Ousted S.Korea leader leaves presidential palace

In this Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, file photo, a South Korean national flag with a picture of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye is seen during a rally opposing her impeachment in Seoul, South Korea. Hundreds of police officers, reporters and supporters of the ousted president have gathered near her Seoul home in anticipation of her return from the presidential palace.

North Korean Banks Barred From Swift Global Messaging System

North Korean banks subject to international sanctions have recently been banned by Swift from using its global financial messaging service, according to a statement from the Belgium-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. Swift said it had recently been informed by Belgian authorities that they would no longer provide the “necessary authorizations” for it to continue offering services to North Korean banks covered by United Nations sanctions.

LinkedIn Barred from Public Access in Russia

Russia blocked access last year after a court found LinkedIn guilty of violating a law requiring companies holding Russian’s citizen’s data to store it on servers located in the country. Microsoft’s LinkedIn failed to reach an agreement with Russian authorities to allow public access to the employment networking site, the company and Russia’s communications regulator said on Tuesday.

Alibaba’s Jack Ma Wants Serious Jail Time for Counterfeiters

Billionaire Alibaba-founder Jack Ma wants China’s top lawmakers to come down harder on fake goods — the very same plea voiced by global brands who’ve accused the e-commerce service of harboring knock-offs. The Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. chairman appealed to the National People’s Congress convening in Beijing this week to penalize counterfeiters as harshly as drunk drivers.

Nikkei Closes Lower, Small Caps Buck Trend

Japan’s Nikkei share average edged down on Tuesday, following Wall Street’s lead, with investors deterred by geopolitical tensions after the North Korean missile tests, while buying continued to fuel in into small cap stocks.

Asia Stocks Rise as Markets Await U.S. Jobs Data

Markets in Asia largely recovered from a Deutsche Bank-led decline in financial stocks in the morning, as attention moved to Friday’s release of U.S. jobs data. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 reversed early declines to trade up 0.3%, though mining stocks continue to be weighed down by softer commodity prices.

Equity Futures Drop as Risk Appetites Hit

U.S. stock futures dropped but Asian shares were resilient on Monday as investors weighed the near-certain prospect of an interest rate hike in the United States this month against news of China’s slower 2017 growth target. Risk appetites also took a hit on rising geopolitical tensions in East Asia, as North Korea fired four ballistic missiles early in the day, while a spat between China and South Korea over missile defense deepened.

Yen Gains, Topix Falls on Korean Missile Report: Markets Wrap

U.S. stock futures were also lower as Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government will hold a National Security Council meeting today after North Korea fired four ballistic missiles. The move comes as South Korea and the U.S. undertake annual military drills that Pyongyang has called a prelude to an invasion. Tensions have been rising over North Korea, which also conducted a missile test during Abe’s state visit to the U.S. last month and is suspected of being behind the assassination of its leader’s half brother in Malaysia.

Yen Gains, Topix Falls on Korean Missile Report: Markets Wrap

U.S. stock futures were also lower as Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government will hold a National Security Council meeting today after North Korea fired four ballistic missiles. The move comes as South Korea and the U.S. undertake annual military drills that Pyongyang has called a prelude to an invasion. Tensions have been rising over North Korea, which also conducted a missile test during Abe’s state visit to the U.S. last month and is suspected of being behind the assassination of its leader’s half brother in Malaysia.

China Roils South Korean Stocks With News of Travel Curbs

South Korean stock trading offered a case in point Friday, with a selloff in hotels, cosmetic makers and other tourism-related companies that made the country’s benchmark the worst performer among Asian equity markets. The slide followed a Yonhap news agency report on China ordering travel agents to halt sales of holiday packages to South Korea.

Where South Korea’s Teetering, Debt-Laden Companies Go to Bank

South Korea’s state-owned lender, the nation’s largest policy bank, and other creditors turned down a bailout request from Hanjin, then one of the world’s biggest shipping lines. That in turn led to a bankruptcy filing in Seoul and a major disruption in global shipping as more than 90 Hanjin ships were marooned offshore and ports in the U.S., Asia and Europe turned the company’s ships away.

China’s Didi Said to Weigh Raising Billions in Fresh Capital

Didi Chuxing, the ride-hailing service that acquired Uber Technologies Inc.’s China business last year, has held informal talks with investors about raising billions of dollars to buy more time to build a profitable business model, according to people familiar with the matter. Didi’s investors, numbering more than 100, are divided over whether more capital is needed now, said the people, asking not to be named because the matter is private.

Korean Prosecutors to Indict Samsung Heir on Graft Charges

South Korea’s special prosecutor plans to indict Jay Y. Lee, the de facto head of Samsung Group, on bribery charges in the latest blow to the country’s largest conglomerate amid a generational handover. Lee will stand trial over accusations he participated in bribes made in exchange for government favors, with formal changes to be filed Tuesday against him and four other executives.

Korean Prosecutors to Indict Samsung Heir on Graft Charges

South Korea’s special prosecutor plans to indict Jay Y. Lee, the de facto head of Samsung Group, on bribery charges along with four other executives, dealing a blow to the country’s largest conglomerate as it prepares for a generational handover. Formal charges would mean Lee stands trial over accusations of involvement in bribes for government favors.

China says it has received its largest foreign drone order: Xinhua

An undisclosed buyer has placed the largest overseas order for China’s home-developed military drones, the Xinhua news agency has reported, in a boost for the Chinese arms industry’s efforts to increase export volumes. The order for the Wing Loong II was placed before the next-generation unmanned aerial vehicle successfully completed its maiden flight, Xinhua said late on Monday, citing the system’s developer Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute.

Key developments in Kim’s assassination investigation

A Malaysian police officer guards the gate of the National Forensic Institute at Kuala Lumpur Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017. Malaysian police ordered a sweep of Kuala Lumpur airport for toxic chemicals and other hazardous substances following the killing of Kim Jong Nam.

Malaysia Warns North Korea to Cooperate With Investigation

Malaysia said Saturday that it would issue an arrest warrant for a North Korean diplomat if he refuses to cooperate with the investigation into the deadly attack on North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un’s exiled half brother. The investigation has unleashed a serious diplomatic fight between Malaysia and North Korea, a prime suspect in the Feb. 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur’s airport.

China Shares Up For 3rd Week

China stocks were largely unchanged on Friday, reversing earlier losses, as reform hopes underpinned the market, with the main indexes up for the third straight week thanks to improving risk appetite. The blue-chip CSI300 index was unchanged at 3,473.85 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.1 percent to 3,253.43 points.

China Shares Fall; Property Tax in Focus

China’s main stock indexes snapped a three-session winning streak to end lower on Thursday, as expectations of new asset management rules and property taxes weighed on the market. The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 0.5 percent, to 3,473.32 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.3 percent to 3,251.38 points.

US Treasury Yields Rise; All Eyes On Fed Minutes

To read Chairman Yellen’s remarks, visit Before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. on February 14, 2017, and Chair Yellen submitted identical remarks to the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, on February 15, 2017 . The Fed minutes due to be released later on Wednesday could either reinforce or undermine recent hawkish comments from central bank policy makers.

The Latest: North Korea says women suspects should be freed

Journalists wait outside North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. The women suspected of fatally poisoning a scion of North Korea’s ruling family were trained to coat their hands with toxic chemicals then wipe them on his face, police said Wednesday, announcing they were now seeking a North Korean diplomat in connection with the attack.

Sequoia-Backed China Robot Startup Said to Be Raising New Funds

Makeblock Co., a Chinese maker of DIY robotics parts, is seeking to raise funding at a $200 million valuation as the Sequoia Capital-backed startup expands into classrooms and hobbyist’s workshops globally, people familiar with the matter said. The Shenzhen-based company us seeking to raise about 200 million yuan in a series B round, the people said, requesting not to be named discussing a private matter.

Sequoia-Backed China Robot Startup Said to Be Raising New Funds

Makeblock Co., a Chinese maker of DIY robotics parts, is seeking to raise funding at a $200 million valuation as the Sequoia Capital-backed startup expands into classrooms and hobbyist’s workshops globally, people familiar with the matter said. The Shenzhen-based company us seeking to raise about 200 million yuan in a series B round, the people said, requesting not to be named discussing a private matter.

China Blue Chips Post Best Day in 6 Months

China’s blue-chip index posted its biggest daily gain in six months on Monday after media reports said pension funds may begin flowing into the country’s stock markets as early as this week. Investor sentiment was also supposed by new rules unveiled by regulators late on Friday to restrict “excessive” and “frequent” fundraising by some listed companies.

China Blue Chips Post Best Day in 6 Months

China’s blue-chip index posted its biggest daily gain in six months on Monday after media reports said pension funds may begin flowing into the country’s stock markets as early as this week. Investor sentiment was also supposed by new rules unveiled by regulators late on Friday to restrict “excessive” and “frequent” fundraising by some listed companies.

Samsung Heir Lee Arrives Shackled at Special Prosecutors Office

South Korean police on Saturday led Jay Y. Lee, hands bound with rope, into a special prosecutors office after arresting the de facto head of the country’s largest industrial conglomerate in a corruption probe that includes allegations of bribery. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., was shown on a YTN television broadcast being led into the office in Seoul around 2:20 p.m. local time after spending his first night in police custody.

How the Trump Trade Survived a North Korean Missile, Russian Sub and the NYT

On the darkest day yet for the Trump Administration, Wednesday, with national media and intelligence officials swarming, the second of the President’s proposed advisers out in two days, a new North Korean threat in play, and a Russian sub off the coast of Connecticut, the markets… rose? Not only rose but surged to another record, the longest run in 25 years, since the first President Bush. Nasdaq , Russell , Dow , FANG, financials, retails, transports; the worse the drama out of Washington, the bigger the tear.

Samsung Heir Jay Y. Lee Is Arrested on Bribery Allegations

Samsung Group’s Jay Y. Lee was formally arrested on allegations of bribery, perjury and embezzlement, an extraordinary step that jeopardizes the executive’s ascent to the top role at the world’s biggest smartphone maker. The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant for Lee’s arrest early Friday.

Samsung’s Lee Again Faces Arrest Warrant in Graft Probe

South Korean prosecutors are again seeking to arrest Samsung Group’s Jay Y. Lee, citing new allegations of bribery and dealing another blow to a business empire mired in a nationwide corruption scandal. Investigators want Lee taken into custody, after a first attempt in January was rejected by a court due to a lack of evidence, said Hong Jung-seok, a spokesman for the special prosecutor’s team overseeing the probe.

UN Ambassador : It’s time to hold North Korea accountable…

In addition to all 15 council members condemning North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch, UN ambassador Nikki Haley also delivered a decisive statement. “We call on all members of the Security Council to use every available resource to make it clear to the North Korean regime – and its enablers – that these launches are unacceptable,” her statement read.

Hyundai may source car batteries from China amid political tension

Hyundai Motor said on Wednesday it may procure electric vehicle batteries from Chinese companies for a planned China model after South Korean battery makers failed to make a list of approved vendors last year. The decision comes at a time of growing concern in South Korea that Beijing may be retaliating over Seoul’s decision to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system.