Singapore startup takes bitcoin into real world with Visa

Bloomberg A recurring challenge for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is how to make them work in the real world. A Singapore-based startup says the answer is its Visa card. TenX is pitching its debit card as an instant converter of multiple digital currencies into fiat money: the dollars, yen and euros that power most everyday commerce. The company said it ...

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Jury out on Japan’s work-from-home drive

Bloomberg Tokyo’s commuters offered mixed reviews on Monday as the government launched a campaign to get more of them to work from home. July 24 marks the first dry run of a “Telework Day” encouraging people to work remotely as the city gears up to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Authorities are seeking ways to make room for 920,000 spectators ...

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WeWork in talks to rent in Hong Kong’s nightlife district

Bloomberg WeWork Cos., the co-working space company that’s among the world’s most valuable startups, is in advanced talks to rent a building in Hong Kong’s popular nightlife district near the city’s business centre, according to people familiar with the matter. The New York-based firm is seeking to rent Hotel LKF by Rhombus on Wyndham Street, said the people, who asked ...

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US, UK fading as global growth engines: IMF

Bloomberg The world is leaning less on its biggest economy to sustain the global recovery, according to the International Monetary Fund. The fund left its forecast for global growth unchanged in the latest quarterly update to its World Economic Outlook, released on Monday in Kuala Lumpur. The world economy will expand 3.5 percent this year, up from 3.2 percent in ...

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BMW denies emissions cheating allegations

Bloomberg BMW AG sought to defuse concerns about possible collusion with other German automakers by rejecting allegations of cheating on diesel emissions and downplaying talks with rivals as being focused on promoting exhaust-treatment technology in Europe. With uncertainty clouding the German auto industry, BMW said it has gone farther than competitors to ensure its diesel cars meet regulatory guidelines while ...

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Trump’s steel curbs pose trade war risks

Bloomberg There’s a risk of a global trade war should President Donald Trump decide to restrict imports of steel, according to Japan’s leading mills group, which warns any new US curbs on the metal may provoke a tit-for-tat response that could drag in other products. Concern would deepen about the potential spread of protectionism if Trump acts, Kosei Shindo, chairman ...

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Anglo Platinum sees weak demand for metals this year on auto shift

Bloomberg Anglo American Platinum Ltd. sees a surplus of platinum-group metals this year as demand from makers of jewelry and car catalytic converters drops, weighing on prices and adding to pressure on miners. Lower demand follows falling sales of diesel vehicles in Europe, which use platinum to cut pollution, and a slowing Chinese jewelry market, the Johannesburg-based company said in ...

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Euro region grows at slowest pace in 6 months as manufacturing cools

Bloomberg Growth in the euro-region economy started the third quarter at the weakest pace in six months as manufacturing cooled. A composite Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 55.8 in July from 56.3 in June, IHS Markit said on Monday. The figures indicate that gross domestic product is expanding at a 0.6 percent quarterly pace, compared with 0.7 percent in the ...

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The wild blue yonder ain’t what it used to be

The aircraft arrayed around the spacious lawn of Maxwell Air Force Base, home of the Air University, mostly represent long-retired types. The largest, however, is a glistening B-52 bomber, which represents a still-employed component of the Air Force’s aging fleet: The youngest B-52 entered service in 1962. Sons have flown the same plane their fathers and grandfathers flew. But, then, ...

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Why RIL bonus issue syncs with its effectively free JioPhone!

Reliance Industries Ltd’s (RIL’s) unexpected 1-for-1 bonus issue, which chairman Mukesh Ambani unveiled at the company’s 40th annual general meeting (AGM) on Friday, gave a further boost to shares that are already the second-best performing this year on India’s benchmark index. What’s interesting about the announcement, however, is the timing. The last time India’s most-valuable company gave one free share ...

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