Authored by Jeffrey Snider via Alhambra Investment Partners, Back on March 10, the New York Fed’s attempt at real-time GDP forecasting predicted that the Q1 2017 estimate would be 3.2%. That would have qualified as another decent quarter, the second out of the past three and somewhat in keeping with “reflation.” As we know today, the advance figure calculated by the Commerce Department amounted to just 0.69% […]
(Image: Genesis Robotics) Despite major advancements in robotics and the huge potential it has to make our lives easier, robots are still mostly stuck in industrial settings. We have seen a few robots enter homes, healthcare, and other work settings, but for the most part, they are still a novelty. In order for robots to become as ubiquitous as the other technology that consumers have recently embraced, […]
By Giselda Vagnoni and Agnieszka Flak | ROME/MILAN ROME/MILAN Italians are watching their flag carrier Alitalia go into yet another financial tailspin, and a growing number of them believe it would be better for the country if it crashed. Outraged at repeated state bailouts that have cost taxpayers more than 7 billion euros ($7.62 billion) over a decade, many Italians are taking to social media to urge […]
This story was originally published on Medium and is being republished here with the permission of its author. Two years ago in Hong Kong, I sat around a conference table with some of the finest journalists to have worked in the Chinese media in the past two decades. Left and right of me were reporters who had broken major stories of corruption, malfeasance and cruelty, and who […]
DUBAI // A Dh800 million roads project to improve traffic flow in an area of Dubai has been endorsed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of the emirate. Sheikh Mohammed directed the authority to immediately start road construction projects he endorsed “to cope with the upswing and demographic expansion of Dubai”, said Mattar Al Tayer, RTA director general. The first phase of the project […]
Etihad Airways plans to stand by Air Berlin even after its German partner reported soaring operating losses as a strategic overhaul struggled to gain traction. Germany’s second-largest carrier is shedding tourism and point-to-point operations, shrinking its fleet by half to transform itself into a network airline. The process contributed to pushing the operating loss to 667 million euros ($739 million) last year, more than twice the 2015 […]
It has a granite fountain and a bosque of shade trees. And to some rightwing Americans, the new headquarters of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a monument to all that went wrong under eight years of Barack Obama’s presidency. The budget for the refurbishment of the Washington DC building, at about $363 a square foot, makes it more expensive than the Venetian hotel in Macau or […]
The third Dubai Week in China, an event to promote and catalyse economic development and cultural exchange, will take place in Shenzhen, located in Southern China, later this year. The announcement was made by Falcon and Associates, a strategic advisory company that works for the Dubai leadership and initiated Dubai Week in China. Following the success of Dubai Week in China in Beijing (2015) and Shanghai (2016), […]
By Matthias Blamont and Simon Carraud | PARIS PARIS French far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen on Saturday chose defeated first-round candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan as her prime minister, a bid to attract his voters and help her to victory over centrist favourite Emmanuel Macron. Dupont-Aignan is a nationalist whose protectionist economic policies are close to those of the National Front’s Le Pen and who, like her, wants […]
BERLIN Online fashion retailer Zalando (ZALG.DE) is pondering opening stores in major cities such as London, Paris or Berlin, the company’s co-chief executive told Germany’s Manager Magazin. “We have proper fans in the metropolises who spend much time with us and order a lot,” co-Chief Executive Rubin Ritter said in an interview published on Saturday. “It could be interesting for them to also experience the brand offline,” […]
President Donald Trump’s populist views, reality television stardom, and penchant for Twitter insults all but guaranteed an out-of-the-ordinary first 100 days for the billionaire political neophyte. A look at the data reveals how Mr Trump compares with previous Oval Office occupants. Bills signed into law Enacted legislation for last seven presidents in first 100 days Source: govtrack.us The White House touts that Mr Trump has accomplished more […]
Of 35 bridge collapses analyzed, floods caused 13, erosion of sediments around bridge foundations — scour — caused 16, a hurricane caused 1 and other influences (such as waterborne or hydraulic debris) caused 5. Superimposed H denotes sites where a hurricane or tropical storm occurred and may have influenced bridge collapse. Area of circles is proportional to drainage area of bridge sites. Credit: Flint, et al. The […]
BEIRUT Fighting between rebel groups in the biggest insurgent stronghold near the Syrian capital Damascus entered a second day on Saturday, while government forces pressed an offensive against the besieged enclave, a war monitor said. The clashes broke out in part of the densely-populated rural area east of Damascus known as the Eastern Ghouta which has been besieged by Syrian government forces since 2013. The Syrian Observatory […]
Cloudera CEO Tom Reilly ringing the bell at the NYSE Friday. Cloudera closed out its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange with its share price up 20 percent to $18.10. The Apache Hadoop-based software and services distributor started trading Friday morning at $17.80 a share under the ticker symbol CLDR. On Thursday evening, Cloudera priced its shares at $15, raising around $225 million […]
Dubai’s transport authority has announced that it will start diversions on a section of Ibn Battuta Street to carry out work related to its Route 2020 project. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said one lane will be closed between Intersection 2 and 6. The diversion will remain in place until the vital project is completed. Route 2020 extends about 15 kilometres from Nakheel Harbour and Tower […]
SYDNEY Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google said it will challenge amended tax assessments issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), which is trying to claw back billions of dollars from multinational corporations citing unpaid taxes. The ATO has increased scrutiny over how much tax multinationals operating in Australia pay. In December, it said it was pursuing seven global businesses over A$2 billion ($1.50 billion) in unpaid tax. While […]
Emerging from an Hermès store in Shanghai with a shiny new watch costing “tens of thousands” of renminbi, Zhao Feifei is emblematic of a younger generation of Chinese consumers driving a rebound in sales of European luxury brands. “I’m earning more than before so I’m more willing to spend,” says Ms Zhao, who works in an internet finance company. The 30-year-old is one of the many customers […]
By Michelle Nichols and Lesley Wroughton | UNITED NATIONS UNITED NATIONS U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned on Friday that failure to curb North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs could lead to ‘catastrophic consequences,’ while China and Russia rebuked Washington’s threat of military force. The showdown in a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on North Korea highlighted the diplomatic challenges of resolving tensions over […]
Hotels in Saudi Arabia suffered during the first quarter of 2017 with occupancy, rates and revenues all showing double-digit decreases, according to new figures. Data released by hospitality analysts STR revealed that hotel occupancy across the Gulf kingdom averaged 58.3 percent in Q1, down 10.4 percent on the year-earlier period. STR also said that average daily rates (ADR) in Saudi Arabia slumped by 12 percent to SR578.09 […]
By John Irish | CHATELLERAULT, France CHATELLERAULT, France French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron launched a scathing attack on Friday against politicians who have failed to endorse him against far-right rival Marine Le Pen, saying they were making France “morally weak” and pandering to extremists. Having been caught on the hop by Le Pen since the start of the second round campaign this week, and with just over […]
Satellite communications service provider SpeedCast has said that as military spending increases under governments throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia, it sees an opportunity to grow. While Australia has not been a big area of growth for the company over the past few years, due to the industries of mining, oil, and gas being depressed, growth across the government has been accelerating and […]
By Jeffrey Dastin | SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO Amazon.com Inc’s ventures far beyond online retail, from cloud computing to movie making, are raising questions among corporate strategy experts about its focus. The Seattle-based company wowed Wall Street again this week with a 23 percent jump in sales, pushing its shares to an all-time high. But there are concerns that if blockbuster growth stops, investors may come to […]
Donald Trump plans to end or renegotiate any trade deal that does not increase US economic growth, reduce the US trade deficit or contribute to higher US wages, according to a leaked draft of an executive order obtained by the Financial Times. The draft of the order Mr Trump had been planning to sign on Saturday before his high-profile U-turn this week calls for US officials to […]
Ras Al Khaimah has reaffirmed its position as the region’s fastest growing tourism destination for international travellers following increased year-on-year visitor numbers during the first quarter of 2017. New figures reported by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) revealed that overall visitor arrivals to the emirate in Q1 grew by 8.3 percent year-on-year. With domestic tourism still the single largest contributor to Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism […]
