Bloomberg India, the world’s top palm oil consumer, is shunning purchases from Malaysia, the No 2. producer, after the southeast Asian nation’s prime minister criticised its policy in Kashmir, sparking the latest trade spat in the region. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad last month told the United Nations that India “invaded and occupied†Kashmir. Since then, many Indian buyers of ...
Read More »GM, UAW hammer out details as signs show agreement near
Bloomberg Labour talks between General Motors (GM) Co and United Auto Workers (UAW) leaders are pushing into Wednesday, inching toward a tentative agreement that could end a strike now in its fifth week. Negotiators are showing signs of progress: GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra made a personal appearance at the main bargaining table, and UAW bosses have summoned their ...
Read More »Businesses aren’t ready for no-deal Brexit: UK watchdog
Bloomberg The UK will introduce mandatory checks on trucks to ensure they’re ready to cross the border in the event of a no-deal Brexit as a majority of businesses remain unprepared, the public spending watchdog said. The border will be “less than optimal†under a no-deal exit, meaning delays for businesses and the public, the National Audit Office (NAO) said ...
Read More »EU’s Vestager defends her dual role as antitrust and tech chief
Bloomberg Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s incoming technology chief, defended her dual role as a rulemaker and enforcer of antitrust law, saying her investigations face intense scrutiny and can aid new regulation. Vestager faced some criticism from the European Parliament’s biggest party, which argued that it’s not possible to “strengthen antitrust efforts and fine tech giants and, at the same ...
Read More »Surging SUV demand is spooking German workers building sedans
Bloomberg Germany’s car industry built its world-class reputation on sedans like the Audi A4, the BMW 5-Series and the Volkswagen Passat, reliable models that look good in the family driveway or company lot. But a shift in consumer taste to more hulking vehicles is coming at the worst possible time. Demand for sport utility vehicles that initially took hold in ...
Read More »Trump opened door for an IS resurgence in Syria
By acquiescing to Turkey’s invasion of northeastern Syria, President Trump has opened the door to what could become a genuine nightmare for the United States and its allies: the revival of the deadly terrorist organisation that called itself the IS. The danger lies not simply in the group’s sleeper cells that are still active — and that detonated three suicide ...
Read More »A test of Walmart’s momentum
And now for a major test of the well-oiled retailing machine that is Walmart Inc. The big-box giant announced that Greg Foran, the CEO of its US division — which makes up the bulk of its sales and operating income — is leaving to become CEO at Air New Zealand Ltd. He will be replaced by John Furner, who has ...
Read More »UK’s Libor refuses to die
The finance community in the UK has a conflicted relationship with Libor, the reference interest rates for everything from mortgages to car loans to corporate debt. This makes it likely that the benchmarks will survive beyond their planned termination date. The current plan is for Libor to wink out of existence by the end of 2021. Changes in the wholesale ...
Read More »Deutsche Bank is only part of Germany’s misery
Attempts to accelerate the shakeup of German banking haven’t had much success in the past year. First, talks to combine two state-owned regional lenders fell apart; then Deutsche Bank AG and Commerzbank AG tried but (for good reason) were unable to find a way to make a merger work. Now a third combination is on the table. This time too, ...
Read More »Greece and Italy join party with successful bond sales
If you want a snapshot of how far the euro zone has come, look no further than Greece and Italy. Until recently, the two Mediterranean countries have been considered the sick men of Europe, as investors demanded hefty premiums to hold their sovereign bonds. These extra charges were all the more striking given the steep fall in the yields of ...
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