Bloomberg Kenya’s top court will hear a petition on Wednesday filed by three Kenyans that seeks the cancellation of a presidential-election rerun scheduled for the following day, according to the Judiciary. The petitioners want the Supreme Court to compel the Independent Electoral & Boundaries Commission to cancel the vote, Judiciary spokeswoman Lilian Mueni said by phone on Tuesday from the ...
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A budget primer for the weary Americans
It’s that time of year again when Congress debates the federal budget. For most Americans, it’s a turnoff. The dollar amounts are monstrous — trillions, not billions. The vocabulary of government finances (budget-speak) is baffling. Little wonder people tune out. For the weary and confused, I offer a brief budget primer below. Here’s what I think is important and why. ...
Read More »Malls in Singapore are primed for Amazon’s click de grace
Singapore’s malls are one click away from irrelevance, though the investment trusts that own them are carrying on as if nothing has changed. The first hint of trouble showed up in January when department store John Little shut down after a 174-year run. Then, in July, Amazon.com Inc. introduced its two-hour Prime Now delivery service, choosing the city-state of 5.6 ...
Read More »Kenya’s election won’t be free or credible
If Kenya goes ahead with its presidential vote this week, it will be making a historic mistake — one that threatens unrest and undermines a landmark court decision affirming the importance of transparent, free and fair elections. Thursday’s scheduled vote is a redo of one held on August 8, which Kenya’s Supreme Court annulled on September 1. In making its ...
Read More »Trump ‘undermines’ background checks
From 2008 to 2014, according to the US Department of Justice, background checks prevented 556,496 gun purchases. In the last six months, about that many people have been removed from the national database and are newly eligible to buy a gun. The FBI’s national instant criminal background check system, which screens such transactions, is not quite perfect: It has an ...
Read More »Next China central bank chief will have an unenviable job
Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People’s Bank of China, has guided his country’s monetary policy for most of the 21st century. He was appointed in 2002, shortly after China joined the World Trade Organization, and helped steer its economy through the global financial crisis. In the process, he gained widespread respect at home and a reputation for prudent liberalism abroad. ...
Read More »Russian billionaires spot an opening in Brexit
The past decade has been a testing time for the Russian tycoon’s love affair with London. The worst relations with the West since the Cold War, economic sanctions on Russia’s biggest companies and an oil-price rout that sank the rouble to record depths forced Russian companies and investors to migrate elsewhere. An index of London-listed Russian stocks has fallen 42 ...
Read More »Apple losing its supply chain mojo is a major threat
While consumers remember the iPhone for its cool design, closed-wall operating system and hefty price tag, industry insiders in Asia turn to the US giant as an example of incredible manufacturing discipline. First under Tim Cook, and now Jeff Williams, the current chief operating officer, Apple has shone as a beacon of how to discover and develop unique materials, coerce ...
Read More »Dow hits record high after strong earnings reports
Bloomberg Solid earnings reports from US blue-chip companies sparked optimism in the world’s largest economy, lifting equities, the dollar and Treasury yields. The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record high Tuesday after Caterpillar Inc. and 3M Co. delivered results that topped estimates, while General Motors Co. and Fiat Chrysler NV also rallied on earnings. Benchmark Treasury yields punched through ...
Read More »Saudi Arabia flat, Emaar lifts Dubai market
Reuters Saudi Arabia’s stock market ignored a huge investment conference in Riyadh and remained flat while Emaar Properties and contractor Drake & Scull helped Dubai to rebound on Tuesday. The market barely reacted to bullish news from a major investment conference in the kingdom, which attracted hundreds of bankers, businessmen and government officials from around the world. Crown Prince Mohammed ...
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