April, 2021

• 7 April

  Hong Kong is giving itself another identity crisis

  

  The Hong Kong government’s proposal to let directors obscure their identities on the companies register is a retrograde step that will facilitate fraud and corruption. Don’t take a journalist’s word for it. Don’t listen to the legal profession, which said in 2009 that ID numbers should be fully disclosed. Don’t pay heed to the accountants and corporate governance experts who ...

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• 7 April

  Google’s court win is pro-consumer

  

  The Supreme Court has ruled that Google did not violate Oracle’s copyright when it copied 11,500 lines of JAVA code for its Android operating system. The 6-2 decision followed a long-term trend by reversing a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a specialised body that tends to protect intellectual property more aggressively than does the ...

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• 7 April

  Why UK PM can’t throw caution to the wind

  Opposition to Boris Johnson’s go-slow plan for reopening the economy and his too-vague plan for domestic vaccine passports has been growing in his Conservative Party. There are many arguments raised, but what really bothers some conservatives (small and big C) is the suspicion that his policies reflect a sizable shift in the role of the state in people’s lives. Some ...

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• 7 April

  Walmart’s Flipkart aims for IPO in fourth quarter: Sources

  

  Bloomberg Flipkart, the Indian e-commerce giant controlled by Walmart Inc, is making progress toward an initial public offering as soon as the fourth quarter of this year, according to people familiar with the matter. The US retail giant has set up an internal IPO team for Flipkart and is leaning towards a traditional debut in the US, said the people, ...

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• 7 April

  Who’s afraid of the big bad economic boom?

  The global recovery needs to call its agent. An economic rebound as brawny as the one projected this year ought to be a cause for celebration. It’s a relief that gross domestic product will enjoy its biggest spurt in years — perhaps even decades — following the biggest drop since the 1930s. Instead, the almost daily upgrades to growth forecasts ...

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• 7 April

  Ryanair set to take bigger Max after EASA’s signoff

  

  Bloomberg Ryanair Holdings Plc can begin taking delivery of the Boeing Co 737 Max jet after European regulators signed off on a version of the single-aisle model that can squeeze in almost 200 passengers. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a type certificate for the so-called Max 200 model, according to a notification on its website. The action ...

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• 7 April

  Russia stages mass military drills as Ukraine tensions climb

  

  Bloomberg Russia announced the start of mass military drills, ratcheting up tensions with neighbouring Ukraine amid Western concerns about the risk of renewed fighting. More than 4,000 training exercises will be held in military districts across Russia in April, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, in comments posted on the ministry’s website. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated his country’s desire to ...

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• 7 April

  Euro-area firms return to broad growth on vaccine optimism

  

  Bloomberg Euro-zone companies have returned to broad-based growth for only the second time since the pandemic started, with factories booming and confidence high that vaccinations will soon end the coronavirus crisis. Germany, Italy, Spain and Ireland all saw business activity rise last month and France halted its contraction, according to IHS Markit’s latest survey of purchasing managers. Those nations, the ...

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• 7 April

  US job openings rise to two-year high in February

  

  Bloomberg US job openings rise to a two-year high in February, led by gains in some of the industries hardest hit during the pandemic and indicating employers are poised to ramp up hiring in the coming months. The number of available positions increased to 7.37 million during the month from an upwardly revised 7.1 million in January, the Labour Department’s ...

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• 7 April

  Brazil’s budget impasse to leave economy chief in tougher spot

  

  Bloomberg An impasse between Brazil’s economic team and congress over this year’s budget will likely end up with President Jair Bolsonaro accepting only part of his economy chief’s austerity pleas as lawmakers push to ramp up spending ahead of next year’s elections. Bolsonaro has agreed to reject part of the budget proposal to make room for mandatory spending that was ...

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