December, 2016

• 13 December

  Abu Dhabi to get marine life-themed park on Yas Island

  

    Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Miral and SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:SEAS) (“SeaWorld”) on Tuesday announced their partnership to develop SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, a first-of-its-kind marine life themed park on Yas Island. This next generation SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will also include the UAE first dedicated marine life research, rescue, rehabilitation and return center with world-class facilities and resources for the ...

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• 13 December

  Counterterrorism agencies tangle over turf

  

    Given the turf wars and interagency rivalries that have long surrounded US special operations forces, President Obama probably didn’t do the commandoes any favor when he delivered his last big military speech at the base in Tampa where they’re headquartered. Obama’s recent visit to MacDill Air Force Base, home of US Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, was in many ...

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• 13 December

  Why China can’t lure tech talent

    Donald Trump’s campaign promise to crack down on visas for skilled foreign technology workers has a cheerleader in China. Robin Li, the head of Baidu, recently told a conference that he hopes talented workers who are no longer welcome in the US will “migrate to China and help China play a more important role on the stage of global ...

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• 13 December

  Asia’s gambling binge

    Amid much protest, Japan’s lawmakers are considering a bill this week that would open their doors to opulent gambling houses. Analysts have dubbed it “manna from heaven” and the “holy grail.” Yet as any gambler will tell you, appeals to the divine are a sure sign of a weak hand. Japan’s casino project, like Asia’s gambling binge in general, ...

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• 13 December

  Oil pact could stem crude glut

  Oil surged after a landmark deal by Russia and other non-OPEC producers to join the cartel in capping output. They agreed to reduce their production by more than half a million barrels per day. This is a much desired step to stem the global glut that has hammered prices. The agreements, if implemented, would hasten the market’s return to balance ...

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• 13 December

  Romania’s war on graft got old

  

    Nobody likes corruption, but when fighting it becomes the focus of politics and policy, voters can quickly tire of this. The Romanian Social Democrats proved it on Sunday by winning a landslide election victory a year after its leaders were seemingly disgraced in a string of corruption scandals. The Social Democratic Party, led by Liviu Dragnea, won some 45 ...

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• 13 December

  Middle-Class angst depressing Swiss watch sales

  

    Stagnant wage growth for the global middle class has been cited for everything from the rise of Donald Trump, the UK vote to leave the European Union and the referendum that prompted the resignation of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. I’d like to add a business victim to the list: Switzerland’s luxury watch industry. The most basic Rolex Oyster ...

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• 13 December

  How to make this stock-market rally last

  

    The outcome of the Italian referendum last week added to the political, economic and financial uncertainty facing Europe, the world’s largest economic region. Nonetheless, global equity markets shrugged off the turbulence even more quickly than they overcame the shock of the Brexit vote in June. As a result, US indexes have surged to new highs, adding to an impressive ...

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• 13 December

  Qatar Airways in talks to change $7.8bn Airbus order

  

    Bloomberg Qatar Airways said it’s seeking to renegotiate a $7.8 billion order for Airbus Group SE narrow-body jets and could switch to bigger planes powered by alternative engines as part of a revised agreement. The Gulf carrier wants to keep the deal for 80 A320neos after refusing to take the first four aircraft because of glitches with their Pratt ...

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• 13 December

  Walmart plans $1.3bn investment in Mexico

  

    Mexico City / AFP US retail giant Walmart said it plans a fresh $1.3 billion investment in Mexico, where it was hailed amid US President-elect Donald Trump’s tough line on foreign trade and keeping jobs in America. The American company plans to build new distribution centers and expand existing ones “which will create more than 10,000 new jobs,” said ...

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