Merrill Lynch may keep commission-based retirement accounts: source www.reuters.com

Gold price dips below $1,200 www.mining.com

In another day of above average trading volumes, gold dropped through the psychologically important $1,200 an ounce level on Thursday as the metal comes under pressure from a strong US dollar and a looming interest rate hike in the US.

AirBnB raises $1bn of investment funding www.bbc.com

Home rental company AirBnB has raised $1bn (£821m) of investment funding in a deal that values the firm at $31bn.
The San Francisco-based firm disclosed the investment in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
AirBnB did not comment on how it would use the funding, but is expected to expand its operations globally.
It has grown rapidly since its launch in 2008, and currently operates in 65,000 cities worldwide.
The firm, which does not publish its sales figures, makes its money by enabling homeowners to rent out their homes.
It takes a 3% cut of each booking and a 6% to 12% service charge from guests.
'No IPO plans'
It made its first profit in the second half of 2016, and will continue to be profitable this year on an underlying basis, according to media stories.
They also reported that the firm had no plans to list its shares on the stock market in the near future.

Mongolia`s population reaches 3.1 million www.gogo.mn

National Statistics Office reported that population of Mongolia reaches 3 million 119 thousand as of Mar, 2017. 
Population by gender:
1 million 585 thousand are males,
1 million 533 thousand are females. 
In addition to the above, Mongolia had a population of 2.9 million at the end of 2014 while it was increased to 3.57 million at the end of 2015. 
Interestingly, on January 24th, 2015, Mongolia welcomed its 3 millionth citizen.

Police and health services are the most corrupt in Mongolia www.gogo.mn

Transparency International, the global coalition against corruption released the latest Asia Pacific edition of the Global Corruption Barometer, covered 22,000 people across 16 countries and territories on Mar 7, 2017. 
In Mongolia, police and health services have the highest levels of corruption, out of 6 public services that were asked about. Across the region, 30 percent of respondent who had come into contact with a police officer in the last 12 months had paid a bribe. 
"1500 people were attended the survey from Mongolia, of which 33 percent of them were representatives of 21 aimags and 67 percent of them were residents of Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia", said E.Munkhjargal, CEO of Transparency International Mongolia. 
Over 61 percent of people in Mongolia rated their government badly at addressing corruption.
When looking at the overall regional results, 38 per cent of the poorest people have paid a bribe, which was the highest of any income group. This may be because they have fewer alternative options available to them, or because they have less power or influence to avoid paying bribes
The best ways people thought they could tackle corruption in their own countries are reporting corruption (22 per cent) and refusing to pay bribes (21 per cent) were most effective. 
Based on the findings in this report, Transparency International makes the following recommendations to the Governments:
Make good on promises 
Heads of states must speak out and act immediately and publicly, to assert their specific and time-bound commitment under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to substantially reduce bribery and corruption by 2030.
Governments must deliver on their anti-corruption commitments made globally and regionally by implementing legislation and practice at the national level. For example, the social accountability (article 13) and anti-corruption agencies (articles 6 and 36) aspects of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
Stopping bribery in public services
Governments should address systemic problems that allow corruption in public sector delivery: Prevent corruption by promoting transparency through effective implementation of access to information legislation and open government practices, enhancing a healthy and free environment for civil society to operate, and enacting codes of conduct for public servants.
Punish the corrupt by immediately adopting a zero-tolerance policy for corruption in public services, pursuing prosecutions and applying appropriate sanctions.
The police must lead by example and urgently address corruption within their ranks and act to gain public confidence because of their key role in fighting corruption.
Governments must integrate anti-corruption targets into all SDGs including hunger, poverty, education, health, gender equality and climate action, and develop mechanisms to reduce corruption risks in these areas.
Encouraging more people to report corruption 
Legislatures must adopt and enforce comprehensive legislation to protect whistleblowers based on prevailing international standards, including those developed by Transparency International. Meanwhile, governments and the private sector must support whistleblowers and reporters of corruption and ensure appropriate follow-up to their disclosures.
Anti-corruption agencies should engage with the large numbers of citizens willing to refuse paying bribes and those willing to report bribes. At the same time, anti-corruption agencies should implement outreach programmes to encourage people to report corruption and ensure user-friendly reporting mechanisms to empower citizens to effectively take action against corruption.

Snap perks up after initial rush of short sellers www.reuters.com

Private sector leaders call for long-term and stable law and policy www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Mongolia hosted its March monthly Meeting with some of the most prominent business leaders in Mongolia on March 7 to discuss “Perspectives of Business Leaders on the Economic Situation of Mongolia and Forecasts for 2017”.

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.