December, 2019

• 7 December

  Johnson is heading for a clear victory: Labour, Tory officials

  

  Bloomberg Boris Johnson is heading for a clear victory in next week’s UK general election, according to senior officials in both his ruling Conservatives and the main opposition Labour Party. Speaking on condition of anonymity, five senior figures drawn from the two biggest parties said Johnson’s campaign promise to “get Brexit done” is winning ground in Labour heartlands in northern ...

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• 7 December

  Biden ‘to give’ ambassadorships to donors

  

  Bloomberg Joe Biden said he would not rule out appointing donors as ambassadors, but wouldn’t make decisions about those roles based on someone’s financial contributions. “Nobody in fact will be appointed by me based on anything they contributed,” he told a group of reporters aboard his “No Malarkey” bus in Decorah, Iowa. “But, for example, you have some of the ...

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• 7 December

  Iran frees US scholar in prisoner exchange

  Bloomberg Iran released the Chinese-American graduate student Xiyue Wang on Saturday as part of a prisoner swap, US officials said. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif confirmed that the US freed Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani. Soleimani was “delivered to Iranian officials in Switzerland,” Iran’s foreign ministry said on its Telegram channel. Zarif later tweeted photos of himself with his countryman. ...

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• 7 December

  Indian economy sputters, but its stocks power ahead

  

  Bloomberg India’s economy may be faltering, but its $2.1 trillion stock market has been powering to new highs as foreign investors pile into country’s shares, betting the worst may have already passed. Economic growth is at the lowest since before prime minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. The economy expanded 4.5% in July-September, slowing for a sixth straight ...

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• 7 December

  Indian tycoon taps banks for share sale

  

  Bloomberg Bank of America Corp and Kotak Mahindra Capital Co are among banks Indian billionaire Radhakishan Damani picked for another planned stake sale in Avenue Supermarts Ltd, owner of the DMart brand, said people with knowledge of the matter. Damani selected the banks as he prepares to pare his stake in India’s largest listed retail chain by selling about 5.2% ...

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• 7 December

  Soybeans advance as US-China trade talks move forward

  

  Bloomberg Soybean futures climbed for the fourth straight day as officials signalled optimism that the US and China will reach a trade deal. China was processing applications for tariff waivers on imports of US soy, a procedural step that could set the stage for a broader agreement. The Asian nation is the top consumer of each commodity, and US shipments ...

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• 7 December

  Japan mulls raising defence budget to record $49 billion

  Bloomberg Japan is looking to raise defence spending to a record 5.3 trillion yen ($49 billion) for the year starting on April 1, partly to develop a next-generation fighter jet, the Nikkei reported, without saying where it obtained the information. The amount compares with 5.26 trillion yen earmarked for defence for this fiscal year and includes more than 10 billion ...

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• 7 December

  SoftBank to have ‘last laugh’ on WeWork deal: Bernstein

  

  Bloomberg SoftBank Group Corp’s massive investment in WeWork triggered a multi-billion-dollar writedown and a rare apology from founder Masayoshi Son. But one analyst argues the deal is likely to work in the end and SoftBank will have the “last laugh.” Chris Lane of Sanford C Bernstein says WeWork can have a bright future if SoftBank overhauls the business plan and ...

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• 7 December

  India’s construction, property industries in trouble: Rajan

  Bloomberg India’s real estate, construction and infrastructure industries are in “deep trouble,” and non-bank finance companies which lend to these sectors should have their asset quality reviewed, former central bank Governor Raghuram Rajan said. There is also “significant distress in rural areas,” Rajan wrote in an opinion piece in India Today magazine. He said India is in a growth recession, ...

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• 7 December

  China set to launch new oil, gas pipelines firm

  

  Bloomberg China will announce the creation of its long-planned national oil and gas pipeline company on December 9, according to people familiar with the matter, as it seals one of its biggest reforms aimed at helping energy supply keep pace with swelling demand. A ceremony to launch the company has been set for 10 am on Monday in Beijing, said ...

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