January, 2018

• 8 January

  Novo Nordisk goes public with $3.1bn bid to pressure Ablynx

  

  Bloomberg Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk A/S made its largest takeover offer ever, an unsolicited 2.6 billion-euro ($3.1 billion) bid for Belgium’s Ablynx NV, to beef up its lesser known blood-disorder unit and rekindle growth. The offer for Ablynx signals a higher appetite for deals at the world’s biggest maker of diabetes medicines. After taking the reins, CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen ...

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• 8 January

  British income squeeze shows in spending, house-price decline

  

  Bloomberg The latest signs are in that British households are coming under increasing pressure from surging inflation. Consumers curbed their spending for the first time in five years in 2017, according to a survey from Visa, while a squeeze on incomes was flagged by Halifax as a contributing factor to a decline in house prices in December 2017. The reports ...

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• 8 January

  German factory orders slump in 2017 but economy continues upward trend

  

  Bloomberg German factory orders fell in November 2017 as demand for investment goods dropped, though the Economy Ministry said the trend remains upward. Orders, adjusted for seasonal swings and inflation, slid 0.4 percent after a revised 0.7 percent gain in October, the ministry said on Monday. While the decrease snapped three month of gains, the number is typically volatile and ...

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• 8 January

  Uber’s rivals muscle in to lure passengers, regulators in Europe

  

  Bloomberg Uber Technologies Inc.’s rivals are stepping up the battle for ride-sharing dominance in Europe, with local startups raising funds and global adversaries increasing contact with local regulators as they seek to gain a toehold in the region. Taxify OU is looking to raise $50 million in the first quarter to fund expansion plans, according to a person familiar with ...

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• 8 January

  Macron calls for China-EU ties to ‘enter 21st century’

  

  Bloomberg French President Emmanuel Macron called for an overhaul to relations between China and the European Union, pushing for more balanced trade ties while embracing President Xi Jinping’s signature infrastructure push. Speaking on Monday in the ancient imperial capital of Xian, the eastern departure point of the Silk Road trade route, Macron repeated a call for “reciprocity” in trade ties ...

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• 8 January

  South Korea’s Olympic goal: Engaging Kim without irking Trump

  

  Bloomberg South Korean officials will face a challenge as tough as any Olympic feat this week: Drawing the North Koreans back to talks without undermining the US’s hard line against Kim Jong Un. The neighbours are slated to hold their first high-level meeting in more than two years at 10 am on Tuesday at Panmunjom, a border village where the ...

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• 8 January

  May begins UK Cabinet reshuffle

  

  Bloomberg Prime Minister Theresa May began an overhaul of senior ministers on Monday, stamping her authority on the UK government at the start of high-pressure year for Brexit. Boris Johnson stays on as Foreign Secretary, as widely predicted. Johnson, who led the official campaign to take Britain out of the EU in the 2016 referendum, is seen as May’s biggest ...

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• 8 January

  Rescue crews wrestle to tame Iran tanker fire; body of mariner found

  BEIJING / Reuters Rescue crews wrestled to bring a blaze on an Iranian oil tanker off China’s east coast under control on Monday as fire raged for a second day following a collision with a grain ship, while the body of one of the 32 missing crew members was found on aboard. Concerns were growing that the tanker, which hit ...

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• 8 January

  Republicans, Democrats far apart on govt spending bill

  

  Bloomberg Republicans and Democrats in Congress are once again far apart on a government spending bill with just days to go before a partial shutdown. The next deadline is January 19, and after Republican leaders met with President Donald Trump and cabinet officials over the weekend at Camp David there was no indication either side had budged on some of ...

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• 8 January

  Israel bans entry of NGO representatives supporting boycott

  Bloomberg Israel has blacklisted 20 groups from around the world that support the Palestinian-led boycott campaign against it, barring their members from entering the country. The organisations identified include the Association France Palestine Solidarite, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and US-based Jewish Voice for Peace. It follows up on a law passed last year that bars visits by non-citizens and non-residents ...

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