June, 2017

• 10 June

  London property market faces more headwinds after polls

  Bloomberg The UK election result will create more uncertainty for the London property market, affecting values and sales volumes, real estate brokers say. London homebuilders that develop high-end homes dropped after the hung parliament. Crest Nicholson Holdings Plc fell 6.7 percent, the most in 11 months, and was down 5 percent at 580 pence at 1:16 p.m., making it the ...

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• 10 June

  Britain’s fragile new coalition further muddies outlook for economy

  

  Bloomberg Of all the things the UK economy needs, more uncertainty isn’t one of them. Prime Minister Theresa May’s loss of her majority in Parliament after an election gamble has muddied the outlook for oncoming Brexit negotiations and the economy. After a campaign largely devoid of economic arguments, the new government faces a slew of policy challenges and threats to ...

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• 10 June

  The Russia probe, as seen through Moscow’s lens

  

  At a cafe a few blocks from the old KGB headquarters at Lubyanka Square, investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov tries to explain the murky world of Russian intelligence that’s now the focus of a US criminal investigation into the hacking of the 2016 campaign. Big events in today’s Russia often aren’t the product of broad strategy, argues Soldatov, but rather are ...

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• 10 June

  RBI taking the spice out of masala debt is short-sighted

  There was a flicker of anticipation last year when an Indian borrower issued the first masala bond, a local-currency note sold outside the country. Gadfly expressed the hope that, once a thorny tax issue was sorted, the securities would go on to become the Indian version of dim sum debt, which has played a large role in internationalizing the Chinese ...

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• 10 June

  Stand against terrorism, even in Tehran

  

  There is only one acceptable response to Wednesday’s deadly terrorist attacks in Iran: swift and unequivocal condemnation of the perpetrators, and condolences to the victims. By joining the other world leaders who have offered their sympathy, US President Donald Trump can reaffirm both America’s standing in the community of nations and its determination to defeat terrorism, whatever and wherever its ...

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• 10 June

  With leaders like this, Britain should panic

  At a time when the UK’s most pressing need is for competent leadership, it’s saddled with two of the most bungling party leaders in living memory. Even a well-run government would struggle to control the short-term damage likely to be inflicted by Brexit. Whatever happens in Thursday’s vote, there’s no prospect of a well-run government by Friday. On this evidence, ...

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• 10 June

  Will India meet its Paris climate deal goals?

  

  As soon as Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change, eyes turned eastward. Even as the US reneges on its promises, the argument now goes, China and India will show leadership instead; they at least are committed to low-carbon growth. I wouldn’t be so sure, at least where India is concerned. It is true that ...

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• 10 June

  Don’t expect tech to care about your problems

  

  The entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley are undoubtedly finding many ways to make the world a better place — with tunnels, flying cars, interplanetary travel. Yet I can’t help noticing a growing divide between the problems people have and the problems tech companies are willing or able to solve. This divide has two sources. The first is related to inequality: When ...

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• 10 June

  It’s not just the retail that’s changing. It’s us

  

  Despite record highs in the markets, bad news about consumers has been relentless: malls are closing; consumers have accumulated too much debt; incomes are stagnant. None of this bodes well for future consumer spending and economic growth. This is the established narrative — fairly straightforward, based on well-understood data. I suspect it is also wrong. What if something else entirely ...

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• 10 June

  SoftBank doubles down on bots with new acquisition

  

  Bloomberg SoftBank Group Corp. is taking over Google parent Alphabet Inc.’s robot dreams, buying Boston Dynamics to pursue a future when more machines intermingle with humans. As part of the transaction with Alphabet, SoftBank also agreed to buy Japanese bipedal robotics company Schaft. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Boston Dynamics, bought by Google in 2013 as part of a ...

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