China charms Berlin tourism dealers with Silk Road destinations www.chinadaily.com

BERLIN - Chinese travel agencies on Wednesday charmed tourism dealers at a key travel trade show in Berlin, featuring the Silk Road destinations.

Trump may stop spouses of H-1B visa holders from working www.cnn.com

Trump may stop spouses of H-1B visa holders from working

cnn.com 2017 03 09

It's not an easy time to be an immigrant working on an H-1B visa in the U.S. It could be about to get a lot worse.
The visa program used by several industries to bring skilled foreign workers -- many of them Indian citizens -- to the U.S. is facing potential curbs under President Trump. Their partners and children could be next in the line of fire.
Since 2015, spouses of H-1B visa holders waiting for green cards have been eligible to work in the U.S. on H-4 dependent visas, thanks to a rule introduced by President Obama.

But a group called Save Jobs USA is challenging that rule in court, and the Trump administration has asked for 60 days to think about it.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a petition last month asking to be given until April 2 "to allow incoming leadership personnel adequate time to consider the issues."
Related: Indian tech graduates fear the US may shut them out
Immigrant support groups worry the delay means Trump will eventually overturn Obama's ruling.
"The recent statements from the government present an unacceptable risk... that [the] DOJ might decide after 60 days to adopt the position of Save Jobs USA," said Aman Kapoor, the co-founder of the Immigration Voice advocacy group.
In a statement, Kapoor pointed out that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has previously said the H-4 ruling "hurts American workers."
Immigration Voice filed a motion this week to intervene in the case on behalf of thousands of its members currently working in the U.S. on H-4 visas.

"Immigration Voice decided that intervention in the Save Jobs lawsuit was the only option to protect the rights of our members and their families, including children who are U.S. citizens," the organization said.
In its petition, it cites two examples of members who stand to lose out if the legal challenge is successful: Sudarshana Sengupta, who plans to launch a startup for developing cancer strategies, and Anujkumar Dhamija, who recently invested about $55,000 to start a business remodeling luxury homes.

Both say their companies will create jobs for Americans, but not if Trump decides to stop them from working. Sengupta has a nine-year-old son while Dhamija has a two-year-old daughter. Both children are U.S. citizens.
"If this program ceases to exist, I will lose all my investment in the new business," Dhamija said in the statement released by Immigration Voice. "I will face significant financial hardships and won't be able to provide for my growing family."
In India, which accounts for 70% of all H-1B workers, there are signs that the uncertainty may be scaring away prospective spouses.
Shaadi.com, one of the country's most popular matchmaking websites, told CNNMoney on Wednesday that the number of women seeking eligible bachelors in the U.S. fell by about 15% between November and February.
"That may be due to the political developments in the U.S.," a representative said.
-- Rob McLean and Sara O'Brien contributed to this report

Cool Japan Fund to support textile industry www.nhk.or.jp

The Cool Japan Fund will set up a joint venture with a Japanese apparel maker to promote the products overseas.

Exchange of a foreign driving licence for a Mongolian licence (for your information) www.gogo.mn

 All foreigners will need to get an International Driver’s Permit or a Mongolian driver’s license before driving in Mongolia. Please note that you must take a written exam before you can obtain a Mongolian driver’s license. The written exam is provided only in Mongolia; therefore one must provide their own translator.
Also, if your drivier's licence is registered other foreign countries that are member to Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic, then you can apply to exchange it for a Mongolian driver's license. 
You must submit your driving licence permit application to a License Center of General Police Department of Mongolia in person. Remember to bring:
Foreign passport or temporary residence card and its notarized copy 
A foreign driving licence accompanied by an official translation into Mongolian and its notarised copy
Driver`s white page (you can take it from the service hall)
Health examination paper
3x4 sized one photograph 
Payment receipt for MNT 12,500 /Bank account: 900012408, Central State Fund Bank, Receiver organization: Police Office/
For more info on issues related to the driving license, please contact at +976-70006996.

Surging China iron ore imports can't stem price decline www.mining.com

RBS awards nearly £16m of bonuses in shares to nine top executives www.theguardian.com

Trump trademarks approved by China www.bbc.com

Crude crashes 5% to hover above $50, tests 2016 lows www.rt.com

Centerra Gold, Evolution Mining were lowest-cost gold producers in Q4 www.mining.com

One of the effects of the hit the gold price took after soaring to $1,900 an ounce in September 2011, was a concentrated effort on the part of producers to cut costs.

For years big gold mining companies kept on spending, on exploration, salaries, and big acquisitions, confident that the good times would keep rolling with the ever-advancing gold price. Those companies were in for a rude awakening when shareholders dumped them in droves following the gold price retracement of 2012-15. Suddenly acquisitions were put on hold, exploration spending dried up, and the mantra became: find ways to cut costs.

S&P Global Market Intelligence took a look at 19 publicly-listed, major gold companies in the last quarter of 2016, and found that for most of them, austerity continues to be key, especially with the gold price trending lower in Q4. Recall that gold bears were predicting that Donald Trump's plans for fiscal stimulus, including a $500 billion infrastructure spending program, would lead to strong U.S. economic expansion, ergo, higher interest rates – the nemesis of gold.

According to SNL Metals & Mining database, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, the top 19 public gold companies produced gold at a weighted-average cost of US$868/oz, which is slightly lower than US$889/oz reported in the third quarter.

The lowest-cost producer, Centerra Gold (TSX:CG), mines gold at $586 an ounce, while the second-lowest in the group, ASX-listed Evolution Mining (ASX-EVN), produces at $674/oz. Barrick Gold (TSX, NYSE:ABX), the world's most valuable producer of the precious metal, was third on the list at $732 an ounce. Barrick's costs have dropped 12% in 2016, compared to 2015.

Topping the higher-cost end of the spectrum was Harmony Gold Mining (NYSE:HMY), which weighed in at $1,129/oz, followed by Detour Gold (TSX:DGF) and AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU), which had AISCs of $1,124/oz and US$1,047/oz, respectively.

According to Scott Perry, Centerra's CEO, the company's favorable cost performance during 2016 can be attributed to the higher mill production and lower unit costs at the company's flagship Kumtor mine, compared with the previous year.

The acquisition of an economic interest in the Ernest Henry copper-gold mine in Queensland in November 2016 improved [Evolution Mining's] quarterly production by adding 14,257 oz of gold at AISC of A$114/oz. The acquisition is expected to further revamp the group's asset portfolio and improve its cost profile.

[Barrick] continued to strengthen its balance sheet, cutting debt and executing business development initiatives throughout the year. Continuing the trend, the company recently announced that it was consolidating its main assets in Nevada and expects to reduce gold production costs at its operations by US$100/oz.

According to Harmony's CEO, Peter Steenkamp, the 14% increase in all-in-sustaining costs (AISC) can be attributed to the labor cost increase under a three-year wage deal and to the winter tariffs during the period.

Mongolia denies running secret casino in Moscow www.news.mn

Under headers, such as "Mongolian Consulate transformed into Casino", the Russian media reported Monday that a secret casino has been discovered in offices belonging to the Mongolian Embassy in the Arbat region of Moscow. D.Davaasuren, State Secretariat of Foreign Ministry has informed that Mongolian diplomatic representatives were no longer working in the building where the secret casino was being run. The articles noted, however, that the building was still the property of the Mongolian government. The illegal casino evidently advertised itself as a yoga centre; in reality, it attracted a wealthy predominately male clientele and was fully equipped with gaming tables and gambling machines. The embassy building was established in 1965. The Mongolian diplomatic representatives moved out of the building in 2007 after the Moscow City authorities warned of structural damage and the risk of collapse. However, a company called "Moscow Centre Region Style" LLC rented the building for 10 years in 2007. The rent agreement will end in September, 2017. The renters deny any secret casino and Mongolian officials are examining the issue.