April, 2019

• 28 April

  Indonesian president’s rival extends olive branch after disputed election

  

  Bloomberg One of Joko Widodo’s top political opponents said he’s open to working with the Indonesia president following a disputed election this month, raising hopes for a peaceful outcome. Prabowo has refused to accept unofficial quick counts that show Widodo, known as Jokowi, has won a second term in office. Election authorities have until May 22 to release official results. ...

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• 28 April

  China fugitive flees again as Hong Kong eyes extradition law

  

  Bloomberg Fugitive Lam Wing-kee has been protected by rules dating back to the time of the former British colony’s handover to China that prevent extradition of Hong Kong citizens to the mainland. Now, that protection could be lifted by a proposed amendment to the law, and Lam is not the only one who is worried. “The impact would be huge” ...

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• 28 April

  Biden is best candidate to beat Donald Trump

  

  Joe Biden’s limitations as a presidential candidate are so obvious that they’re almost a litany: He’s too old, too white, too male, too touchy-feely, too loquacious. But he has one huge plus: He may be the person who could move Donald Trump out of the White House. Biden rightly put the obligation of replacing Trump at the center of his ...

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• 28 April

  Why Abe should postpone tax hike

  

  With Japan’s economy softening, its central bank needs to at least consider further steps to support growth. There’s one major hurdle, however, and only Prime Minister Shinzo Abe can remove it. A 2 percent hike in consumption tax, scheduled for October, would shore up Japan’s fiscal position and thus its ability to pay for an aging population. Yet this plan ...

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• 28 April

  5G struggles of Huawei make Nokia’s life harder

  You’d think all the pressure on Huawei Technologies Co. would make life easier for archrivals Nokia Oyj and Ericsson AB. In some senses, things have got harder. The US has intensified criticism of Huawei over the past year, saying its network equipment is vulnerable to exploitation by Chinese state-sponsored actors. That’s led to various bans in Australia, New Zealand and ...

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• 28 April

  Brexit’s financial turf war is entering a new phase

  Rarely have policymakers seemed so keen to snap the links that connect global markets, even at the risk of economic self-harm. Theresa May’s dogged pursuit of a Brexit that takes Britain out of the European Union’s (EU) single market and customs union is an obvious own goal, considering the City of London’s global position. The UK’s intransigence has already sent an ...

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• 28 April

  India’s secret stimulus should be a warning sign

  

  India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an election to fight. So naturally, his government is touting statistics that show 7 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the fiscal year that ended last month, despite skepticism from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) among others. As for jobs, the official version is that since there’s such high growth in output, they ...

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• 28 April

  Why central banks in Asia region can’t pull the trigger

  

  Asia’s central bankers should consider themselves lucky: Unlike their counterparts in the West – with a few exceptions – they have the scope to combat an economic downturn and low inflation through traditional tools. What they may lack, though, is the will to use those assets en masse rather than the ad hoc efforts to date. India made a surprise ...

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• 28 April

  London’s road-blocking protesters will not stop

  

  Measured by attention received, or noise made, London’s climate change protests have been a rousing success over the past week. As ever, there are doubts about whether the campaign of civil disobedience will make any real difference; but it does pose questions about the limits of democratic politics in the age of legislative gridlock. With their banners, their graffiti, their ...

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• 28 April

  Investors brace for big week of insights into world economy

  

  Bloomberg The world economy’s ability to rebound from its recent soft patch will be tested anew as data is released from Washington to Beijing. Federal Reserve officials conclude a meeting on Wednesday amid expectations they won’t change their monetary policy settings as counterparts elsewhere follow its dovish turn. A press conference by Chairman Jerome Powell will be eyed for insights ...

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