AFP Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s shock decision to scrap most of India’s curr- ency was hailed by some as a masterstroke against endemic corruption, but signs are emerging that it may hit the economy hard. The sweeping overnight abolition of all high-value notes was supposed to bring billions in so-called “blackâ€, or undeclared, money back into the formal system. ...
Read More »India’s cash chaos to ease in 50 days: Modi
Bloomberg Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a radio address on Sunday to assure the country that the cash crisis caused by his plan to remove large-denomination bills from circulation will ease within his proposed 50-day period. Modi said in the monthly radio address that the difficulties India has encountered since he announced a ban on the use of ...
Read More »Brexit campaigners reject Carney’s plan for EU ‘buffer’
Bloomberg Leaders of the campaign for Britain to quit the European Union rejected a plan reportedly being devised by Bank of England Governor Mark Carney to negotiate a “buffer†to allow companies to adjust to the UK leaving the bloc. Former Justice Secretary Michael Gove, who failed in a bid to lead the Conservative Party after David Cameron quit ...
Read More »Germany’s KfW to agree on €1.2bn Iran rail loan
Bloomberg Germany agreed to provide Iran with a 1.2 billion euro ($1.27 billion) credit line to help finance a rail project , according to an official at the Central Bank of Iran. The facility — through state-run lender KfW IPEX — will help fund the development of the Tehran to Mashhad railway, the official said, asking not to be ...
Read More »Swiss reject plan to speed up exit from N-energy
BERLIN / AP Swiss voters rejected a plan to force their government to accelerate the country’s exit from nuclear energy in a referendum Sunday, turning down an initiative that would have seen the last plant shut in 2029. A majority of cantons (states) voted against the plan. Under Switzerland’s direct democracy system, proposals need a majority of both cantons ...
Read More »Dialing up deals: Black Friday online sales hit new high
AP Holiday shoppers eager to snag big discounts turned to the internet in record fashion this week, one tracking company said, driving online sales on Black Friday to a new high. Consumers spent $3.34 billion shopping online on Friday, a 21.6 percent increase from the same day last year, according to Adobe, which tracks online retail transactions. More than ...
Read More »Pipeline protesters vow to stay on federal land
LONDON / AP Dakota Access oil pipeline protesters will not follow a government directive to leave the federal land where hundreds have camped for months, organizers said Saturday, despite state officials encouraging them to do so. Standing Rock Sioux tribal leader Dave Archambault and other protest organizers confidently explained that they’ll stay at Oceti Sakowin camp and continue with ...
Read More »Gulf stocks rise as investors await OPEC meet outcome
Bloomberg Most Gulf stocks rose as investors weighed the prospect of a deal between oil producers to cut supply, potentially shoring up prices of the region’s biggest export. Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index was among the biggest gainers, climbing a fourth day. Dubai’s DFM General Index, Kuwait’s SE Price Index and Abu Dhabi’s ADX General Index also advanced. ...
Read More »World’s biggest pension fund finds best friend in Trump
Bloomberg One of the world’s most conservative investors has found an unlikely new ally in one of its most flamboyant politicians: Donald Trump. The unconventional president-elect’s victory is helping Japan’s giant pension fund in two important ways. First, it’s sending stock markets surging, both at home and overseas, which is good news for the largely passive equity investor. Second, ...
Read More »Now, catch burglars the tech way
Bloomberg It’s burglar catnip: a large, unoccupied home late at night, with iPads and laptops strewn temptingly around. Sure enough, one man did break in—exactly as the police had planned. Arrested, he protested his innocence, at least until law enforcement shined a black light in his direction and he glowed like a neon-yellow beacon. The bait he’d lifted was ...
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