Day: 28 October 2024

Posted on

“Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke”

Bully

Benjamin Disraeli, 1804 – 1881

Benjamin Disraeli was a British statesman, Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

One of the most resonant inspirational quotes on bullying, attributed to Benjamin Disraeli: “Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.”

This quote succinctly captures the essential attitude for those confronting bullying, highlighting that real strength lies in courage, whereas bullying is merely a facade of power.

Putting it another way, this quote encapsulates an important mindset to remember for those who face bullying, which is that there is true strength in being courageous, while bullying is simply the illusion of strength.

Posted on

Apple smartphones return to top 5 rank in China following iPhone 16 release

Apple smartphones

Apple has returned to the top five smartphone vendors in China’s market during the third quarter, lifted by the release of the iPhone 16, according to data.

Apple’s shipment growth remained steady year-on-year in the Q2, securing the company a second-place rank by market share in Q3.

Following Apple, Huawei held the third position with a 15.3% market share, as per reported data. Despite this, Huawei’s smartphone shipments in China saw a significant increase of 42% year-on-year.

Posted on

China’s industrial profits have plummeted at the sharpest rate since the pandemic

Factory workers

In September 2024, China’s industrial profits fell at the fastest rate since the pandemic of 2020 began, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics

Following a 17.8% decrease in August 2024, profits in September 2024 plummeted by 27.1% from the previous year, reportedly the most significant drop since the 34.9% decline in March 2020, according to analysis.

In response, Chinese officials have intensified efforts to stimulate growth.

Posted on

Russia’s central bank raises key rate to 21% to tackle high inflation

Russia bank rate

On Friday 25th October 2024, Russia’s central bank increased its key interest rate by 2% (200 basis points) to 21%, attributing the decision to consumer price increases significantly exceeding its projections and cautioning about persistent high inflation risks in the medium term

This rate hike surpasses the 1% (100 basis-point) rise anticipated by analysts and sets the bank’s benchmark rate at its highest level since February 2003, as reported by analysts.

Previously, the key rate had been raised by 1% (100 basis points) to 19% in September 2024.

It was reported that the annual seasonally adjusted inflation hit an average of 9.8% in September 2024, up from 7.5% in August 2024.

It is now anticipated the rate will stick at around the 8.0% – 8.5% range for the remainder of 2024. This is running above a July 2024 forecast of around 6.5% – 7.0%.

See more central bank interest rate moves here