Bloomberg North Korea faces a sharp cut in coal exports under a United Nations Security Council resolution that’s aimed at punishing Kim Jong Un’s regime for a September nuclear test by cutting off his government’s few sources of hard currency. The resolution, a copy of which was obtained by Bloomberg News, would deny Pyongyang at least $700 million a ...
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EU unveils plans to boost joint defence spending
Brussels / AFP The EU unveiled ambitious plans on Wednesday to boost joint defence spending including on shared assets like drones and helicopters, as concerns grow that President-elect Donald Trump may downgrade the US security commitment. Trump shocked longtime NATO allies in Europe when he suggested on the campaign trail be would think twice about coming to their aid ...
Read More »US fast-food workers lead day of protest for $15 per hour
New York / AFP Workers from fast-food chains, airports and other service industries rallied in US cities as part of a nationwide day of disruption to demand union rights and a minimum wage of $15 an hour. In New York, a group of 500 that included airport and taxi workers joined a union-backed “Fight For 15†march in front ...
Read More »Canada OKs two new crude pipelines
Ottawa / AFP Canada approved two new pipelines including one to the Pacific coast that will allow producers to sell into new Asian markets, while rejecting a third project. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a press conference his government has agreed to tripling the capacity of Kinder Morgan’s half-century-old Trans Mountain pipeline to move crude from the Alberta oil ...
Read More »London to phase out diesel buses from 2018
Bloomberg London Mayor Sadiq Khan pledged to stop buying double-decker buses that run purely on diesel from 2018, as part of his drive to clean up the capital’s toxic air. In addition, all new single-deck buses will be zero-emission, Khan’s office said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday. The mayor also unveiled the world’s first double-deck hydrogen-fueled bus, manufactured by ...
Read More »US consumer spending rises at more moderate pace
Bloomberg Personal spending increased at a more moderate pace in October after the biggest gain in five months, while faster income growth signaled demand will be sustained. Purchases rose 0.3 percent after a 0.7 percent September advance that was stronger than first estimated, Commerce Department figures showed on Wednesday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for a ...
Read More »Samsung Electronics mulls a split
Bloomberg Samsung Electronics Co. didn’t quite come out and actually say it, but South Korea’s most valuable company is probably going to split as soon as next year. Samsung said on Tuesday it’s looking at a plan to turn itself into a holding company, and would have more to say on the issue at a later date. The idea ...
Read More »Tiffany’s profit tops estimates in sign of luxury recovery
Bloomberg Tiffany & Co. reported third-quarter profit that exceeded analysts’ estimates as demand improved in China and Japan, a sign that the worst of the global luxury market’s downturn may be over. Earnings were 76 cents a share in the period ended Oct. 31, the New York-based company said in a statement on Tuesday. Analysts projected 68 cents, on ...
Read More »Tata brawl forces India Inc. to pick sides
Bloomberg The brawl atop India’s largest conglomerate isn’t just splitting the $100-billion Tata Group, it’s also forcing the nation’s business community to pick sides. That’s because many of India’s industry captains are board members at Tata’s dozens of units. They include the heads of the nation’s oldest conglomerate — the Wadia Group — top mortgage provider Housing Development Finance ...
Read More »China to step up mortgage controls
Bloomberg China’s government is stepping up efforts to contain runaway property prices, with the central bank clamping down further on mortgage lending in areas deemed overheated, people with knowledge of the matter said. Some lenders in those cities have been asked to suspend distributing new home loans, said the people, who asked not to be named as the change ...
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