China’s Private Sector Expands Most In 21 Months

China’s private sector expanded at the steepest pace in 21 months in November driven by the upturn in manufacturing and services, survey results from IHS Markit showed Wednesday.

The Caixin composite output index rose to 53.2 in November from 52.0 in October. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

The services Purchasing Managers’ Index advanced to a seven-month high of 53.5 from 51.1 in October. Companies widely commented on planned company expansions, new projects and an improvement in overall demand conditions.

At the composite level, new orders expanded at the fastest rate since February 2018. The amount of new work received from abroad continued to improve across China.

Employment at the composite level increased slightly midway through the fourth quarter, offsetting a fractional decline in October.

Input prices increased at a moderate pace in November. Output charges also rose only slightly for the third consecutive month.

Meanwhile, business confidence regarding output over the next year remained subdued in November, with the overall level of positive sentiment edging down since October.

The trade dispute is the major reason behind the slowing economic growth this year, and will become a key factor affecting the stabilization and recovery of China’s economy next year, Zhengsheng Zhong, director of macroeconomic analysis at CEBM Group, said.

Free-Tuition Experiment Exposes Risks for Low-Income Students

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Elizabeth Lindamood’s Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are for Food City, the supermarket in Oak Ridge, Tenn., where she manages cashiers and baggers and assists customers. The rest of the week is for classes at a campus of Roane State Community College 2 miles away, where the 18-year-old is studying to become an elementary school teacher—plus a couple more Food City shifts.

Lindamood’s tuition is paid by the state’s Tennessee Promise program, but constant pressure and late nights have made her consider quitting more than once. “There’s been quite a few times where I’ve just been sitting there with my boyfriend and I just break out in tears,” she says. “I’m just so stressed. I don’t know what to do.”

Student Aid: A summary of the education proposals of Democratic front-runners

Oil Prices Rally Before OPEC+ Meet

Oil prices rose sharply on Wednesday amid expectations that OPEC and its partners, including Russia, will extend their current production agreement by three months when they meet later this week. Bullish inventory data also helped to lift prices.

Benchmark Brent crude climbed nearly 2 percent to $62.01 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 1.7 percent at $57.05.

The OPEC countries and its allies are preparing to approve deeper crude output cuts this week, when they meet in Vienna, according to Iraq, the group’s second-biggest producer.

Iraq oil minister Thamer Ghadhban told reporters on Tuesday that a deeper cut is being preferred by a number of key members when they meet on Thursday and then on Friday.

Meanwhile, according to the industry group American Petroleum Institute (API), crude oil inventories in the U.S. fell by more than expected last week.

Stockpiles of crude oil fell by 3.7 million barrels, more than double expectations of a decline of 1.7 million barrels.

Cabinet clears personal data protection bill

The government on Wednesday approved the Personal Data Protection Bill that will spell out a framework for handling of personal data including its processing by public and private entities. 

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Bill will be introduced in Parliament during the current Winter Session. 

The Bill is likely to contain broad guidelines on collection, storage and processing of personal data, consent of individuals, penalties and compensation, code of conduct and an enforcement model. 

Last week, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government will soon introduce a robust and balanced Personal Data Protection Bill in Parliament, adding that India will never compromise on data sovereignty.

‘His team’s jaws dropped to the floor’ — NATO leaders appear to gossip about Trump in unguarded chat

LONDON (AP) — While NATO leaders are professing unity as they gather for a summit near London, several seem to have been caught in an unguarded exchange on camera apparently gossiping about U.S. President Donald Trump’s behavior.

In footage recorded during a reception at Buckingham Palace Tuesday evening, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was seen standing in a huddle with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Britain’s Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II.

After Johnson asked Macron, “is that why you were late?” Trudeau could be heard saying “he was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference off the top.” That appeared to be a reference to Trump’s long and unscheduled question-and-answer session with journalists earlier Tuesday.

Trudeau also said: “You just watched his team’s jaws drop to the floor.”

Trump wasn’t mentioned by name during the exchange.

Footage of the palace reception was recorded by a pool camera. It was posted online by Canadian broadcaster CBC and has been viewed more than 4 million times.

NATO leaders are meeting Wednesday in Watford, outside London, to mark the 70th anniversary of the military alliance — and to try to patch up differences over defense spending, the alliance’s strategic direction and member nation Turkey’s military action in northern Syria.