Donald Trump is expected to tap a longtime advocate of greater protectionism as his US trade representative in yet another signal that his administration is poised to enact the aggressive trade policies he advocated during the campaign into government. Robert Lighthizer, whose impending nomination was reported by US media on Monday, has been seen as the favourite for the trade role for weeks and has been leading […]
While 2016 was the year the unlikely became real, currency investors enter 2017 no better equipped to tell the difference between reality and illusion. Brexit and Trump made a mockery of assumptions, shredded investors’ best-laid plans and turned political risk analysts into the most in-demand advisers of the year. The two big themes of 2016 will feel palpable during the first quarter of 2017. Donald Trump takes […]
BEIJING China has tightened security regulations in Tibet’s border region to battle the risks of terrorism and ‘separatism’, the state-owned Global Times said. The move follows a call by China early in December for southwestern neighbour India to avoid complicating a simmering dispute over a visit by a senior exiled Tibetan religious leader to a border region. The two countries fought a brief border war in 1962. […]
JAKARTA Indonesia has penalized JPMorgan Chase & Co after the investment bank’s research arm recommended a smaller exposure to the country’s sovereign bonds, a senior finance ministry official said on Tuesday. “After we did a comprehensive review, we said no need to use JPMorgan’s services as a primary (bond) dealer and a perception bank,” Suahasil Nazara, the head of the ministry’s fiscal policy office, told Reuters. A […]
Funding activity for advertising technology start-ups has crashed to its lowest point in five years, underlining the struggle faced by the ad sector as Google and Facebookbecome dominant. Adtech, an umbrella term for companies that automate and facilitate the buying and selling of digital advertising, rose to prominence over the past five years, but appears now to be on the decline. The number of global adtech venture […]
“I pity every person who has not been to Aleppo,” says Marlene Matar, a Lebanese author and cooking instructor whose magnificent recipe book, The Aleppo Cookbook, has just been published in English. Mater compares the city’s rich tradition of culinary excellence to that of Paris – “in Aleppo, wherever you eat, you eat well” – and writes with wonder of the 13 kilometre-long Souq Al Madina, where she […]
Venezuela has issued $5bn in new bonds to state-run Banco de Venezuela in a private placement, as it seeks cash for imports of food and medicine as the country struggles with critical shortages of basic goods. France-based Global Emerging Markets Group said it advised on structuring and executing the deal. The operation was underwritten by China’s Haitong Securities, according to two bond traders who had seen preliminary […]
By James Pearson | SEOUL SEOUL North Korea has been working through 2016 on developing components for an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), making the isolated nation’s claim that it was close to a test-launch plausible, international weapons experts said on Monday. North Korea has been testing rocket engines and heat-shields for an ICBM while developing the technology to guide a missile after re-entry into the atmosphere following […]
LONDON Euro zone stocks opened 2017 by climbing to their highest in more than a year on Monday after data showed manufacturers in the currency bloc ramped up activity at the fastest pace in more than five years. With all of Asia’s major markets closed for the New Year holiday – along with Britain and Switzerland in Europe – trade was thin, which could cause some volatility. […]
Some analysts believe the rise in Bitcoin is due to some investors treating it as a safe-haven, like gold, at a time of global uncertainty The value of Bitcoin surged above $1,000 on Monday as the digital unit continues a dizzying rise that made it the best-performing currency of 2016. Its value has more than doubled in the last year and it was trading at around $1,024 […]
Stock photo New York City could operate with no more than a few thousand taxis or rides if we took carpooling more seriously, researchers have suggested. When commuters share their rides through carpooling, the cost of individual transport lowers and there are potentially fewer cars on the road which can cause increased congestion and pollution. Modern ride-hailing services including Uber and Lyft, in which passengers can hail […]
Dubai-based port operator DP World is reportedly mulling plans to set up a dry port near Cairo in Egypt. DP World is also considering the establishment of other ports around Egypt, according to a report by the Daily News Egypt which quoted the country’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Tarek Kabil. According to the report, a DP World delegation will visit Egypt soon to hold talks about […]
The first wedding season of the new year is under way, running from now until March. The bridal gowns, floral decorations and catering for impending winter weddings will be influenced by the flora and fauna of the season. The same will be true of 2017’s second major wedding period, between July and the end of September. Last month in Dubai, concierge company Quintessentially launched a one-stop-shop wedding […]
MANAMA, BAHRAIN – 02 January 2017 Ithmaar Bank B.S.C., a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, announced today (ed note: 020117) that it has obtained final approval from the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), the Kingdom’s banking and financial services regulator on the completion of all requirements with respect to the reorganisation plan. This aims to further develop the growth achieved in Ithmaar Bank’s core retail banking business, the […]
Welcome to a new year and the pressing market issues facing investors as they look to put money to work and navigate 2017. Geopolitical surprises upended expectations last year and few predicted that 2016 would end with a global bull market in equities, while bond yields remain relatively low. Will strategists be any better at forecasting this time around? Here are the big questions that will preoccupy […]
The mega-extravaganza of the tech world in Las Vegas is showcasing an array of new devices that get smarts from computer chips, sensors and artificial intelligence, but go further by opening doors to augmented or virtual realities. The Consumer Electronics Show, which begins with a series of media events Tuesday will offer trade professionals a look at new robotics, connected cars and a dizzying assortment of gizmos […]
Chinese companies invested a record $45.6bn in the US in 2016 despite a US presidential campaign heavy on China bashing, but Donald Trump’s imminent arrival in Washington is among factors making the feat unlikely to be matched this year, according to a new report. The surge in Chinese foreign direct investment into the US documented by Rhodium Group, a research firm, led the annual flow of corporate […]
CES 2017 is the 50th anniversary of the annual consumer electronics trade show. There have actually been well over 70 CESes since there used to be a summer version in the 1980s and 90s; this will be my 60th. And while interest in the show waned a bit in the 90s due to competition from Comdex, it’s been full steam ahead since Comdex bit the […]
Submitted by Federico Pieraccini via Strategic-Culture.org, The two previous articles have focused on the various geopolitical theories, their translations into modern concepts, and practical actions that the United States has taken in recent decades to aspire to global dominance. This segment will describe how Iran, China and Russia have over the years adopted a variety of economic and military actions to repel the continual assault on their sovereignty by the […]
Chinese residents hoping to cash out of the renminbi will face a great wall of paperwork on Tuesday in a key test of confidence for the currency as the annual quota for individuals’ foreign exchange purchases resets. With individuals in China allowed to purchase up to $50,000 worth of foreign exchange each calendar year, observers will be watching closely for any signs of a rush to use […]
IHG receives Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) approval for IPO: Doha, January 1st, 2017 Investment Holding Group (IHG), one of the leading contracting and trading firms in the Qatari construction sector, today announced that it has received approval from the Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) to list 60% of the Group’s paid-up share capital through an Initial Public Offering (IP0), making it the first Qatari family business […]
JERUSALEM Israel said on Sunday it will withhold the bodies of Palestinian militants killed in attacks against its citizens as it seeks to pressure the Islamist movement Hamas to return the remains of soldiers and hand back missing Israeli civilians. Hamas says it is holding two Israeli soldiers whom the army declared dead after they were lost in action in the 2014 Gaza war. The group also […]
By Hyunjoo Jin and Se Young Lee | SEOUL SEOUL Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and affiliate Kia Motors (000270.KS) said on Monday they aim to increase their combined sales to 8.25 million vehicles globally in 2017, despite rising competition. The 2017 target is slightly higher than their 2016 goal of 8.13 million vehicles. The South Korean automakers’ final sales figures for 2016 are due out later on […]
Telling voters what they wanted to hear worked out well for Donald Trump. As Mexico shifts into election gear in 2017, another populist, anti-establishment figure will be hoping to follow in the US president-elect’s footsteps. Like Mr Trump, Andrés Manuel López Obrador is a love-him or loathe-him figure with a message that resonates with the underprivileged and the angry. In the case of Amlo, as the maverick […]
