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By Kalyani Shankar In India, festivals are more than just celebrations; they are significant traditions. Families often spend a considerable amount on new clothes, sweets, decorations, and gifts during these times. However, rising prices and inflation are forcing consumers to adjust their budgets and shopping habits. Many families are choosing to celebrate on a smaller […]

The article Rising Prices Of Essential Commodities Restrict Family Budgets In Festival Season appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Nine exchange-traded funds widely associated with the country’s so-called national team recorded combined net inflows of 128.7 billion yuan ($19 billion) during the week ending 23 October. The total was the highest since nearly 140 billion yuan entered the same closely watched group during the tariff-driven market turmoil 18 months earlier.

The surge followed a punishing decline in mainland shares that pushed the CSI 300 benchmark into bear-market territory, conventionally defined as a fall of at least 20% from a previous peak. Investors have been monitoring large purchases of index-tracking funds for indications that state-backed institutions are seeking to contain further losses.

The figures measure money entering funds favoured by official investors rather than confirmed purchases by government-controlled entities. No public announcement has established how much of last week’s inflows came directly from the state, making the scale of official intervention difficult to determine precisely.

Central Huijin Investment, a unit of sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corporation, is among the principal institutions associated with market stabilisation. Its investment activity has become an important signal for traders attempting to assess Beijing’s willingness to support share prices during periods of intense volatility.

The latest inflows were concentrated in exchange-traded products offering exposure to broad mainland equity benchmarks. Such vehicles enable institutions to acquire diversified holdings quickly, directing demand towards major listed companies without having to purchase individual shares separately.

Thursday’s trading illustrated the pressure facing authorities. The CSI 300 fell into a bear market as persistent selling overwhelmed earlier signs of institutional support. Funds favoured by state investors attracted approximately 46 billion yuan that day, highlighting the contrast between substantial new subscriptions and continuing weakness in underlying shares.

Friday brought a partial reversal. The CSI 300 finished 1.7% higher at 4,105.33 after falling by as much as 2% during the session. The recovery coincided with unusually active trading in several large index funds, although trading patterns alone cannot identify the buyers responsible.

One CSI 300 exchange-traded fund managed by E Fund Management registered turnover of about 19.5 billion yuan on Friday, its busiest session since October 2024. Heavy turnover can reflect purchases and sales by multiple participants and does not, by itself, establish the size of net state investment.

The rebound provided relief after a prolonged retreat that had already tested confidence in official market-support measures. The benchmark had endured a record sequence of weekly declines, leaving investors focused on whether additional institutional demand could interrupt the selling pressure.

Analysts at China Securities, including Yao Ziwei, had previously identified large subscriptions to leading broad-market funds and heavier activity towards the close of trading as characteristics consistent with institutional buying against the prevailing market trend. Their observations did not amount to confirmation of individual investors’ identities.

The scale of potential support has also attracted attention. Analysts including Rebecca Sin estimated that Central Huijin raised approximately $231 billion through exchange-traded fund sales during the first half of 2026 and redeployed about $43 billion after purchases resumed in July. Their calculations suggested considerable remaining capacity, although available resources do not guarantee further buying.

Those estimates underscore the distinction between market intervention and a sustained recovery. Purchases can provide immediate demand for shares, but their effect depends partly on whether other investors become willing to hold equities without continued institutional assistance.

The comparison with April 2025 is significant because that episode followed sweeping American tariff announcements that triggered sharp market losses. Authorities subsequently introduced measures intended to stabilise trading and confidence. Last week’s inflows approached the scale seen during that earlier emergency, despite the different circumstances surrounding the latest decline.

The nine-fund basket represents only part of China’s exchange-traded fund market. Subscription figures can vary depending on the funds selected, the valuation method and the period measured, while changes in units outstanding cannot establish the identity of the ultimate purchaser.

Mainland exchange-traded funds are listed securities whose prices fluctuate throughout the trading day. Their creation and redemption mechanisms allow authorised institutions to adjust the number of units outstanding as investor demand changes. These mechanisms can produce substantial changes in reported fund flows even when trading activity involves different categories of institutional and individual market participants.

Overnight AI challenge saw 60 participants tackle a series of challenges using OpenAI Codex, with Kay Hng Quek taking the top prize

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 October 2026 – Coupang, a Seattle-based technology company that serves customers in 190 countries and territories, co-hosted an overnight AI hackathon, AI Grand Prix Singapore 2026 (“AI Grand Prix“) with OpenAI. It was presented by Elev8, with Carousell Group as venue partner.

Held from 24 to 25 October 2026 at Carousell Campus, the overnight AI Grand Prix brought together 60 participants, selected from a pool of 150 applicants, to tackle a series of challenges that tested their technical skills, creativity and ability to solve problems under pressure. All participants competed in individual challenges and formed 14 teams for the group challenge. Engagement remained strong through the night, with participants continuing to work on their solutions into the early hours.

From Challenge to Working Solution

Unlike a traditional hackathon centred on a single problem statement, the AI Grand Prix was a multi-challenge competition, requiring them to adapt their approach as the competition progressed. Using OpenAI Codex, participants were tasked with three distinct challenges: Game Hack, which focused on developing creative AI-powered games; Spot the Mismatch, a technical challenge to identify discrepancies in AI-generated product descriptions, images and prices; and Group Hack, in which 14 teams developed AI-powered shopping experiences and solutions. Performance across the challenges was assessed collectively to determine the overall rankings.

Taking the top spot was Kay Hng Quek, who demonstrated strong, consistent problem-solving skills across different technical challenges. He received the Champion’s Builder Kit, a special first-place award comprising a Mac mini, DJI Mic 3 and Elgato Stream Deck Plus, designed to support continued experimentation and creation as an AI builder.

A total of US$13,000 in OpenAI API credits was shared among the winners and OpenAI subscription benefits were also provided to all participants, alongside unlimited Codex usage resets during the event to encourage experimentation with different ideas and approaches. The top 10 participants are scheduled to attend an exclusive networking dinner on 26 October with leadership and technical representatives from Coupang and OpenAI, offering an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences in building with AI.

“AI Grand Prix was an incredible opportunity to push myself beyond my comfort zone and explore what’s possible with AI. The variety of challenges encouraged us to think creatively, adapt quickly and approach problems from different perspectives. What made the experience even more rewarding was being surrounded by talented, passionate builders who shared ideas and inspired one another. I’m grateful to have been part of such an exciting community, and especially for Jerel, my cofounder, who brings out the best in me,” said Kay Hng Quek, overall champion of AI Grand Prix Singapore 2026.

“Technology and innovation are at the heart of how we create better experiences for our customers, and we see tremendous potential for AI to further transform the future of commerce. Singapore is home to an exciting community of engineers and researchers, and we are thrilled to co-host this event with OpenAI to provide a platform for them to come together, experiment and innovate with AI,” said Xin Fu, VP of Engineering at Coupang.

Derrick Choi, Head of Applied AI, Codex (APAC) at OpenAI, said, “AI is changing how software is built, giving developers new ways to accelerate the journey from concept to product. The AI Grand Prix highlighted the breadth of Singapore’s developer community. It was a great opportunity to give builders a chance to try different approaches with Codex and explore how they could use it to tackle real-world problems.”

The AI Grand Prix marks Coupang’s first event with OpenAI and underscores its continued investment in building the future of commerce with AI, while leveraging Singapore’s position at the heart of Southeast Asia’s technology ecosystem.

Hashtag: #Coupang

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Coupang

Coupang is a technology and Fortune 150 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CPNG) that provides retail, restaurant delivery, video streaming and fintech services to customers around the world under brands that include Coupang, Eats, Play, Rocket Now and Farfetch. It operates in over 190 countries and territories around the world.

For more information, visit aboutcoupang.com.

By K Raveendran Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran are threatening to push global oil markets into another period of turbulence, but India has found an unexpected measure of protection in President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian energy. The policy reversal, driven partly by Washington’s own need for Russian diesel, […]

The article India Gains Crucial Oil Lifeline Amid Iran Tensions And Crude Oil Spikes appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

By T N Ashok NEW YORK: The latest diplomatic signals from Washington and New Delhi suggest that a prolonged India–US trade confrontation may finally be approaching a settlement. US President Donald Trump says a deal is close. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after meeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Mumbai on October 20, has […]

The article India-U.S. Trade Deal Draft Is Ready, But Still There Are Few Gaps appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

QashierGM works from each merchant’s own sales, payouts and menu, and gets routine work done with the owner’s approval. With Crew, Qashier’s new team chat, anyone on the team can tag @GM to get things done, and QashierGM acts only within each person’s role.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 October 2026 – Qashier, the unified merchant operating system serving more than 25,000 businesses across Southeast Asia, today launched QashierGM, an AI general manager that works with a merchant’s whole team. Available at no additional cost to all Qashier merchants in Singapore, QashierGM lives in QashierHQ, the web and mobile app (Android and iOS) merchants use to manage their sales, payouts, products and staff. Owners can ask it about sales, payouts and products in plain language. Merchants on the Qashier plan also get Crew, a new team chat where staff can bring QashierGM into any conversation by tagging @GM. Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines follow in November.

Because QashierGM works directly from each merchant’s own transactions and settlements, it can do what a general-purpose chatbot cannot: explain, line by line, why a payout is lower than the day’s sales, or show which outlet is underperforming this week. Owners get answers grounded in their actual operations, without piecing together reports.

“Most small business owners can’t afford a general manager, so they become one after closing, going through reports at midnight,” said Christopher Choo, Co-Founder and CEO of Qashier. “QashierGM is the manager they never had. It already knows the business, takes on the routine work and never makes a change without asking. With Crew, it now works alongside the whole team, not just the owner.”

The launch follows an open beta that began in September with merchants ranging from single-outlet cafés and shops to multi-outlet chains, with F&B operators the most active. Their most common questions were about sales trends, best sellers and payouts, and with the year-end festive season approaching, many are asking QashierGM to suggest festive promotions built around their most popular items.

Jun Rong, Operations Manager of Coexist Coffee Co., likens using QashierGM to talking to his store managers, only faster. “Running a café means wearing every hat, and the numbers usually wait until after closing. QashierGM already knows our sales, payouts and menu, so I just ask. When we plan a promotion, it suggests ideas based on what our customers actually buy, and nothing changes until I confirm. It feels like having a general manager who’s been with us from day one.”

QashierGM also takes routine admin off the owner’s plate. An owner can ask it to update a price, mark an item as sold out or add a new product, and QashierGM shows a card with exactly what will change and where. Nothing goes live until the owner taps confirm. Multi-outlet operators can compare stores, spot the one underperforming and push a change to every store in one request. Store managers see and change only their own store. Owners can also set alerts in their own words, such as “alert me on any unusual refunds” or “tell me when the first staff clocks in”, and QashierGM tells them when it matters.

Crew: the whole team, with QashierGM in the conversation

Crew, included in the Qashier plan and Enterprise plans, gives a merchant’s team a work chat of its own, separate from personal messaging groups where messages get lost and former staff keep the history. Owners, managers, kitchen and floor staff get private direct messages, group chats by team or department, and announcements with read receipts. Anyone can tag @GM to check a number, update an item or send a customer an invoice with a payment link. QashierGM acts only with the permissions of the person who tagged it, sends bigger changes to whoever can approve them right in the chat, and posts an update when an invoice is paid. It only sees the conversations it is tagged into.

On a typical day, a floor staff member can mark a dish sold out, a manager can approve a price change from her phone, and an owner can send an event deposit invoice and see it paid, all in the same app. Crew and QashierGM work in all major languages used across the region, including English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Thai.

Connectors to third party apps such as Gmail and Google Business Profile arrive in November, extending QashierGM beyond Qashier to supplier emails, customer enquiries and Google reviews. “A good general manager handles the work wherever it lands, not just inside one system,” added Choo. “This is the first step.”

Qashier processes more than US$1 billion in annualised payment volume for over 25,000 merchants across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. The company has been profitable since December 2025 and raised US$6.125 million in Series A+ financing in June 2026. QashierGM is available now to all Qashier merchants in Singapore through QashierHQ on web, Android and iOS, at no additional cost. Crew is included in the Qashier plan and Enterprise plans. Both launch in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines in November. To learn more, visit https://qashier.com/sg/.

Hashtag: #Qashier #QashierGM

https://qashier.com/sg/
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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Qashier Pte. Ltd.

Qashier is a unified merchant operating system that brings together payments, business software, embedded financial services and customer engagement tools on one platform. Operating across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, Qashier supports more than 25,000 SMEs with an integrated ecosystem built for Southeast Asia’s digital economy. Qashier is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore as a Major Payment Institution. Founded in Singapore in 2019, Qashier gives merchants an AI general manager, QashierGM, and a team chat, Crew, through QashierHQ.

The investment strategy comes as Japan’s government bond market shows signs of recovering demand after months of volatility driven by inflation, fiscal uncertainty and expectations of further monetary tightening by the Bank of Japan.

Ryutaro Kimura, senior bond strategist at BNP Paribas Asset Management, has identified improving demand from domestic investors, particularly life insurance companies, as an important development supporting longer-maturity government securities.

The strongest indication emerged at Japan’s 20-year government bond auction on Tuesday, when demand reached a record level. The bid-to-cover ratio climbed to 5.84, compared with 4.01 at the previous auction and a 12-month average of 3.73.

The exceptionally strong bidding reflected renewed appetite for securities offering higher returns than those available during Japan’s prolonged period of exceptionally low interest rates.

Kimura attributed the favourable auction outcome to recovering domestic demand, supported by elevated interest rates and easing concerns about the government’s fiscal position.

Japanese life insurers have increased their net purchases of super-long government bonds since June, providing additional evidence that institutions with long-term liabilities are rebuilding their holdings of domestic fixed-income assets.

The auction results also showed an improvement in pricing conditions. The difference between the average accepted price and the lowest accepted price narrowed to 0.07 from 0.15 at September’s sale, indicating stronger bidding competition.

The yield on 20-year government bonds subsequently declined by as much as six basis points to 3.710%, reflecting the immediate market response to the auction.

Japan’s yield curve remains unusually steep, offering investors considerably higher returns on securities with longer maturities. That difference has encouraged asset managers to reassess the balance between income opportunities and the risks associated with holding longer-duration bonds.

Official yield data showed the benchmark 10-year government bond yielding approximately 2.93% on October 20, compared with 3.99% for the 30-year maturity. The difference exceeded one percentage point, highlighting the additional compensation available to investors extending their investment horizons.

Longer-duration bonds also carry greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Their prices can fall sharply when yields rise, making portfolio positioning particularly important while monetary policy expectations remain unsettled.

Japan’s central bank is expected to remain a significant influence on market conditions. Investors are awaiting its next policy meeting for indications about the pace of further interest rate increases and the outlook for inflation.

The Bank of Japan’s policy rate stood at 1.25% in October, following successive adjustments intended to address persistent inflationary pressures. Further tightening could influence borrowing costs across the maturity spectrum, although movements in longer-term yields also depend on government borrowing requirements and investor demand.

BNP Paribas Wealth Management’s October fixed-income outlook anticipates additional monetary tightening by the Japanese central bank, with approximately quarterly increases and a terminal policy rate around 2.5% in 2028. That projection represents the institution’s assessment rather than an announced central bank policy path.

Government financing requirements remain another consideration for investors. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration faces scrutiny over fiscal proposals and their implications for future bond issuance, particularly as higher yields increase the cost of financing public debt.

Nevertheless, improved auction demand suggests that higher interest rates are attracting buyers who previously found Japanese government securities insufficiently rewarding.

The potential return of domestic capital is particularly significant because Japanese banks and insurers have substantial overseas bond investments. Rising domestic yields can encourage these institutions to reconsider foreign allocations, especially where currency hedging reduces the returns available from overseas securities.

Japanese investors sold foreign bonds for a fifth consecutive week through October 17, with cumulative net disposals reaching approximately ¥3.43 trillion over that period. The withdrawals provide further evidence of changing investment preferences as domestic fixed-income yields become more competitive.

The Ministry of Finance has also adjusted issuance arrangements for longer-maturity securities, an important consideration for investors assessing the relationship between government bond supply and institutional demand.

Market participants will continue examining auction results alongside investment plans from major insurers to assess the composition of demand. Japan’s Ministry of Finance conducted another liquidity-enhancement auction on October 22, following its 20-year government bond sale earlier in the week.