Stocks surge in rebound after volatile week

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U.S. equities rebounded from Fridays selloff as investors took comfort in reports that cases of the omicron variant have been relatively mild.

The S&P 500 rose 1.6%, erasing last week’s losses, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 gained 1.1%.

The mood across markets was calmer on Monday as investors pointed to good news from South Africa that showed hospitals haven’t been overwhelmed by the latest wave of Covid cases. However, the Cboe volatility index remains elevated.

“Although we do expect this volatility to continue, it very well could be a buying opportunity,” said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at LPL Financial, in a note. “We’ve been living with Covid-19 for more than 20 months now. We’ve seen several variants and managed to move forward, and we expect a similar playbook to work once again.”

Oil rose after Saudi Arabia boosted crude prices, signaling confidence in the demand outlook. U.S. natural gas fell on forecasts for warmer weather, easing some previous inflationary pressures. And the 10-year Treasury yield advanced to 1.43%.

Initial data from South Africa are “a bit encouraging regarding the severity,” Anthony Fauci, U.S. President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said on Sunday. Though, at the same time, he cautioned that it’s too early to be definitive.

“Admittedly, we don’t know how effective current vaccines are against omicron, or how transmissible it is, but we do know that the appetite for another nationwide shutdown is quite low and that these questions should be answered over the coming weeks,” Detrick said.

The VIX, or so-called fear gauge, fell roughly four points to 27 on Monday after it failed to initially match a high corresponding to when the S&P 500 dropped below its Sept. 20 low last week.

“That marked the beginning of what turned out to be the strongest October rally since 2015,” said Chris Larkin, managing director of trading at E*Trade Financial. “While past is rarely prologue, it should give seasoned traders out there something to think about. This suggests reduced volatility concerns even though the market had fallen to fresh lows.”

The Stoxx Europe 600 index gained 1.3% while shares in Japan, China and Hong Kong fell. Evergrande’s dollar bonds fell sharply and shares plunged 20% to a record low after the firm moved closer to a debt restructuring. China also cut the amount of cash most banks must hold in reserve, acting to counter the economic slowdown in a move that puts its central bank on a different policy path than many of its peers.

Later this week, attention will turn to U.S. consumer price index, which is expected to show the largest annual advance in decades, keeping pressure on the Federal Reserve to deliver swifter policy tightening.

“As it stands, the Fed are increasingly likely to accelerate their taper next week with a market that is worried that it’s a policy error,” said Jim Reid, head of thematic research at Deutsche Bank. “I don’t think it is as I think the Fed is way behind the curve.”

– – –

Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

–The S&P 500 rose 1.6% as of 2:05 p.m. New York time

–The Nasdaq 100 rose 1.1%

–The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.1%

–The MSCI World index rose 1%

Currencies

–The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed

–The euro fell 0.3% to $1.1282

–The British pound rose 0.2% to $1.3263

–The Japanese yen fell 0.6% to 113.53 per dollar

Bonds

–The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced nine basis points to 1.44%

–Germany’s 10-year yield was little changed at -0.39%

–Britain’s 10-year yield declined one basis point to 0.74%

Commodities

–West Texas Intermediate crude rose 4.3% to $69.14 a barrel

–Gold futures fell 0.2% to $1,779.80 an ounce

Published : December 07, 2021

By : Bloomberg

Thailand recorded 3,618 Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths on Wednesday.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40009735


Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday (December 8) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 3,618 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 40 of whom have been found in prisons.

Death toll increased by 38, while 5,775 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country are at 2,152,384 with 21,035 total deaths.
 

Published : December 08, 2021

By : THE NATION

Thailand waits for its iconic Nora dance art to get Unesco recognition

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If it wins the listing, Nora will join Khon (traditional masked dance-drama) and traditional Thai massage as Thailand’s cultural heritage.

The status of the performing art will be considered at the 16th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to be held at Unesco headquarters in Paris from December 13-18.

Thailand waits for its iconic Nora dance art to get Unesco recognition

The official registration of Nora will be announced in a press conference at the Thailand Cultural Centre on December 16 along with a live broadcast of Unesco’s announcement from Paris.

Nora, a dance routine that has been passed down generations, is essentially a ritual to worship ancestors and is seen as a tool to strengthen communities.

The dance drama, which can last as long as three days and nights, usually retells the mythological story of a local prince who goes off to rescue Manohra (Nora), a woman-bird princess. The dance is generally composed of 12 positions and 17 movements that are marked by extremely expressive finger movements specified by long fake nails.

The Department of Cultural Promotion is broadcasting the “Nora, the Kingdom’s Wisdom” documentary on the Thai PBS channel from December 13 to 17 at around 8.30pm after the royal news segment.

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Published : December 08, 2021

By : THE NATION

Cool to cold morning with light fog in upper Thailand, isolated light rains in the South

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The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Wednesday (December 8) that the high-pressure system covers upper Thailand, resulting in cool to cold weather with light fog in the morning. Mountaintops in the North and the Northeast will be cold to very cold with frost in some areas. People should take care of their health due to variable weather and be careful of poor visibility.

Meanwhile, the weak northeast monsoon across the Gulf and the South leads to isolated rains in some areas of the lower South. 

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:

North: Cool to cold weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 12-16 degrees and highs of 27-33 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 4-11 degrees Celsius with frost in some areas.

Northeast: Cool to cold weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 10-17 degrees and highs of 27-30 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 5-11 degrees Celsius with frost in some areas.

Central: Cool weather and light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 18-20 degrees, highs of 30-32 degrees Celsius.

East: Cool weather and light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 18-23 degrees, highs of 31-32 degrees Celsius; waves a meter high and 1-2 meters offshore.

South (east coast): Cool weather in the morning with isolated light rains; temperature lows of 18-24 degrees, highs of 30-32 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 meters high.

South (west coast): Partly cloudy; temperature lows of 21-24 degrees, highs of 32-33 degrees Celsius; waves a meter high and 1-2 meters offshore.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather and light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 19-22 degrees, highs of 31-32 degrees Celsius.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : December 08, 2021

By : THE NATION

No lockdown for Thailand despite Omicron arrival, says Anutin

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No lockdown will be imposed in Thailand despite the arrival of the Omicron variant, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared on Tuesday.

Aforeigner who had travelled from Spain on November 30 tested positive for the variant last Friday, making him Thailand’s first Omicron case.

Anutin said the Department of Medical Science is testing the patient’s sample even more closely to ensure it is actually the Omicron variant, and results should be ready in about three to four days.

He also said that Thailand’s travel measures were still effective as all arrivals are required to show a negative RT-PCR test result and vaccine certificate and spend the first night in quarantine to wait for another RT-PCR test result.

“These measures allow officials to check for all Covid-19 variants and provide treatment if they test positive,” he said.

Anutin said the only way of preventing the spread of Omicron is maintaining good preventive measures and getting double-jabbed.

“We will not impose a lockdown as the country has only just reopened and many businesses have started to recover. We want people to lead their lives normally instead of panicking, especially since the New Year festival is almost upon us,” he said.

Related stories:

Published : December 07, 2021

By : THE NATION

1 killed, three injured as construction crane collapses on row of rented rooms

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A construction crane fell on a row of rented rooms in Samut Prakan’s Bang Bo district at about 11.15am on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring three others, including the crane operator.

Officials found the corpse of the victim stuck to the bottom of the crane and were reportedly waiting for heavy machinery to remove it.

Witnesses say the victim was walking past the area when the crane collapsed. The gender of the victim was not known as of press time.

Two of the injured were inside their rented room at the time of the incident and have been taken to hospital.

An investigation will be launched once the crane is removed.

The incident took place at the construction site of a five-storey condominium on Rattanarat Road in Bang Bo.

1 killed, three injured as construction crane collapses on row of rented rooms

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Samut Prakan paper factor estimates 100 million baht damages from Thursday inferno

Bangkok, Samut Prakan hit by high-tide floods

51 containers being salvaged from cargo ship crash site in Samut Prakan

1 killed, three injured as construction crane collapses on row of rented rooms
1 killed, three injured as construction crane collapses on row of rented rooms

Published : December 07, 2021

By : THE NATION

Bangkok police deny using violence against Chana protesters

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The Chana Rakthin protesters rallying outside Government House on Monday evening were handled gently by Bangkok police, deputy Metropolitan Police chief Maj-General Jirasan Kaewsaengaek said on Tuesday.

Some 50 members of the Chana Rakthin group travelled all the way from Songkhla province to protest against the establishment of the Chana Industrial Estate in Chana district. They claim the project was approved without conducting any public hearings or strategic environmental assessment.

Police arrested 37 protesters – 31 women and six men – after dissolving the rally at about 9.30pm. The detainees have been charged with violating the emergency decree, blocking traffic and breaking the Communicable Disease Control Act during Covid-19 situation.

Bangkok police deny using violence against Chana protesters

“The protesters had blocked the entrance of Government House, completely obstructing traffic in and out of the buildings. Police tried to persuade them to move, but they refused,” Jirasan said.

“Police officers then handled the protesters based on international standards. Female officers escorted cooperative women and elderly protesters out of the area before crowd-control police swooped in to arrest the violators.”

Bangkok police deny using violence against Chana protesters

Jirasan said the gathering had to be broken up as soon as possible because he feared that protesters from other groups would join and cause a commotion.

“The women and elderly protesters were safely transferred to the Police Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, though some teenage protesters continued lobbing firecrackers at the club’s entrance, he said.

As of press time, there were no reports of injuries on either side.

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Deputy ministers meet Songkhla locals opposed to huge industrial estate

Songkhla network wants industrial estate plan scrapped

Some Bangkok roads to be blocked to traffic on Sunday

Published : December 07, 2021

By : THE NATION

Thailand may have second Omicron case

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A waiter from the hotel where Thailand’s first Omicron patient had been staying has tested positive for Covid-19, though it is still not clear if the variant is present.

Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha told reporters that 17 individuals had come in contact with the US businessman who tested positive for Omicron last Friday.

Of the 17, the waiter tested positive and has been sent to Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute for treatment. The patient’s sample is being tested for the Omicron variant and results can be expected by Saturday.

Officials are also checking the patient’s timeline to see if the infection was picked up from the tourists or during a trip to Ubon Ratchathani.

Related news:

Published : December 07, 2021

By : THE NATION

Covid-19 can hit animals, but they can’t spread it to humans

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40009708


Animals can develop Covid-19 as evidenced by the two hippos in Belgium who tested positive for the virus but had no symptoms other than runny noses, Department of Livestock Development’s director-general Sorawit Thaneeto said on Monday.

This is the first time that hippos have been infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which was previously found in great apes and the feline species.

Also, there is no proof that coronavirus found in dogs and cats can spread to humans. However, evidence shows that Covid-19 can be passed on by humans to cats, dogs, lions, tigers, gorillas, minks and other mammals.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OiE) said on Friday that it is monitoring white-tailed deer after many in the US were found carrying the Covid-19 virus.

This is the first time that the virus has been detected so widely among wildlife. Further research is required to determine if the white-tailed deer can become a reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 and to assess public health implications.

Despite the broad circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the white-tailed deer population, the virus does not appear to have significantly mutated.

Covid-19 can hit animals, but they can’t spread it to humans

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BMA schools urged to strictly observe prevention measures as they reopen for second semester

Prayut urges people to ‘be aware’ but not panic over Thailand’s first Omicron case

OiE said it is planning to encourage many countries to raise awareness among hunters or those living or working with wildlife to avoid interacting with animals and to avoid leaving human waste or objects in the wilderness.

Thailand is cooperating with OiE to report instances of Covid-19 infections among animals in the country. So far, all pets that tested positive had been infected by their owners.

Thailand is also monitoring at-risk animals, such as those that have developed respiratory symptoms or those that have travelled from foreign countries. So far, none of these animals has tested positive for Covid-19.

Sorawit added that animals’ immunity may drop during the cool weather and called on farmers to ensure their livestock is healthy.

Farmers can call their nearest livestock office or call the Department of Livestock Department at (063) 225 6888 or download the DLD 4.0 application if any of their animals are infected.

Covid-19 can hit animals, but they can’t spread it to humans

Published : December 07, 2021

By : THE NATION

No photocopies of ID cards, house registration needed for govt transactions

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Thais can now conduct transactions at government agencies without providing copies of their ID card and house registration, the Department of Provincial Administration announced on the Royal Gazette website on Tuesday.

The notice, signed by the department’s director-general Thanakom Chongchira on September 30, aims to support the transition to a digital government and to ease procedures for people.

However, if someone is using a power of attorney to conduct the transaction, then they should produce a copy of the main person’s national ID.

If government officials require copies of ID cards or house registration, then they must photocopy these items themselves without charging users.

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Published : December 07, 2021

By : THE NATION