December, 2018

• 15 December

  Ending Greece’s banking nightmare

  

  If a country has a problem with its banks, the thing to do is to come up with a strategy and execute it swiftly. The trouble with Greece is that it has too many plans – and is taking too long to choose between them. The Greek banking system is saddled with a very large number of non-performing loans, a ...

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• 15 December

  India’s central bank woes won’t end with new leader

  India can burn through as many central bankers as it wishes, but unless politicians let the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) do its job, the economic setup will fall short of the nation’s aspirations. It’s commendable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi moved swiftly to replace Urjit Patel, who quit this week as RBI governor. It’s never good to have a vacuum ...

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• 15 December

  Trade war is too broad to turn on quick fixes

  Count the straws in the wind, and it looks like the trade tensions between the US and China could be moving closer to a resolution. Don’t relax just yet, though. Beijing will delay by a decade some of the targets in its Made in China 2025 program to move into high-technology industries, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News ...

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• 15 December

  For India, cost of a Modi victory may be too high

  

  Many of us have long argued that, whatever its problems, India is one of the best long-term bets in the world for one simple reason: It has the sort of world-class institutions that can help build and sustain a genuine market economy. Sadly, many of those same institutions are being undermined by the country’s own leaders — most recently the ...

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• 15 December

  China’s auto tariff retaliatory move looks like a lemon

  

  China has capitulated on cars. Or so it may seem to trade-war watchers. A premature President Donald Trump tweet, a phone call between trade negotiators and then days later, China may be backing down on a key bone of contention: An elimination of retaliatory tariffs on US automobiles has been submitted to the State Council, people familiar with the matter ...

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• 15 December

  London’s $22 billion supertrain is worth the wait

  

  When they’re not busy bemoaning a shambolic Brexit, Brits now have another embarrassment to lament. London’s 17.6 billion pound ($22 billion) Crossrail project was meant to open this month, but it won’t. On December 10, London’s authorities confirmed that the railway connecting Heathrow Airport in the west with Canary Wharf in the east will need up to 2 billion pounds ...

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• 15 December

  Everyone involved in facial recognition sees problems

  

  Bloomberg An unusual consensus emerged recently between artificial intelligence researchers, activists, lawmakers and many of the largest technology companies: Facial recognition software breeds bias, risks fuelling mass surveillance and should be regulated. Deciding on effective controls and acting on them will be a lot harder. The Algorithmic Justice League and the Center of Privacy & Technology at Georgetown University Law ...

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• 15 December

  Pokémon Go’s maker to go after $3.9 billion valuation

  

  Bloomberg Niantic Inc., the company behind the popular game Pokémon Go, is looking to catch a $3.9 billion valuation, according to a person familiar with the matter. The San Francisco-based company is planning to raise at least $200 million in a round led by venture capital firm IVP, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions ...

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• 15 December

  Ride-hailing firm raises $150mn from Yamaha

  

  Bloomberg Grab is attracting more global backers after the ride-hailing service defeated Uber Technologies Inc. in Southeast Asia. A motorcycle maker has become the latest investor. Yamaha Motor Co. agreed to invest $150 million in Grab and the two will collaborate on motorcycle-ride services in Southeast Asia with a focus on Indonesia, the Japanese manufacturer said in a statement. Singapore-based ...

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• 15 December

  Play video games with K-Swiss ‘sneakers’

  

  Bloomberg K-Swiss Inc. is introducing a line of sneakers designed for video-game competitions, another attempt by athletic brands to capitalise on the burgeoning esports market. The new shoes sell for $110 and bear the logo of Immortals, an esports organisation that fields teams for the games Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. K-Swiss is now readying a “performance” version of the ...

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