Westminster, Alabama, Sri Lanka, Hollywood, New York City
Caracal Business Insider | Daily
December 13, 2017
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross
Caracal Business Insider = Global Business News at the Intersection of Politics + Policy + Profits.
Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia
Happy Hanukkah!
What @caracalglobal is watching today:
✔️ The future of Tory leader Ruth Davidson
✔️ Moon in China
✔️ Sri Lanka + Debt + Major Port to China
✔️ Google opens AI lab in China
✔️ Disney + Streaming + the future of Hollywood
GEOECONOMICS
Tory leader Ruth Davidson hints future may lie at Westminster: The Times reports, Ruth Davidson has suggested that she could make the switch from Holyrood to Westminster. The Tory leader suggested “conversations” could take place after the next Scottish parliament elections, although she insisted that she would only run for a Scottish seat and not a safe Conservative seat south of the border. But her comments come amid speculation that she could be a future leader of the UK Conservatives after her success in transforming the party’s fortunes in Scotland.
UK Chancellor Philip Hammond to unveil series of UK-China deals: Sky News reports, the chief executive of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) will join Philip Hammond on a trade mission to China this week aimed at demonstrating post-Brexit trade opportunities for Britain's financial services sector, as well as delivering a boost to the embattled company.
EU prepares to discuss a long-delayed trade deal with Britain: WSJ reports, following a Brexit divorce accord, European leaders may finally authorize negotiations on the outlines of a future trade deal
US prepares to open doors on billion-dollar London embassy: Reuters reports, the United States’ diplomatic team in London, custodians of one of the most significant bilateral relationships of the last 100 years, will next month move into a new home: a billion-dollar, 12-story glass cube overlooking the River Thames. Britain’s closest ally will leave behind an imposing 1960 stone and the concrete embassy in London’s upmarket Grosvenor Square - an area known as ‘Little America’ during World War Two when the square also housed the military headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
EU, Japan, and US to ramp up trade pressure on China: FT reports, the three economies will target ‘severe excess capacity’ in sectors like steel.
The Times: Turnbull government in peril over claims of Chinese influence
Moon's China trip tests his leadership amid North Korean crisis: Nikkei reports, South Korean business community hopes for withdrawal of Chinese sanctions sparked by THAAD.
Bloomberg: China reaps reward of softer diplomatic approach with Moon’s visit
CNN: Tillerson says US won't set preconditions for North Korea talks
Sri Lanka, struggling with debt, hands a major port to China: NYT reports, struggling to pay its debt to Chinese firms, the nation of Sri Lanka formally handed over the strategic port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease last week, in a deal that government critics have said threatens the country’s sovereignty. In recent years, China has shored up its presence in the Indian Ocean, investing billions of dollars to build port facilities and plan maritime trade routes as part of its “One Belt, One Road” initiative to help increase its market reach.
Europeans issue warning to Trump on tax overhaul: FT reports, the UK, France, and Germany lead accusations bill would flout global agreements.
AMERICAN POLITICS
WSJ: Democrat Jones captures Alabama seat, weakening Republicans’ hold on Senate
NYT: Democrat pulls off an upset in Alabama
FT: Trump suffers setback in Alabama Senate election
From Politico Influence: SPOTTED: Lunching at Bullfeathers today, according to a PI tipster: Steve Bannon, Sean Spicer and Matt Keelen of the Keelen Group.
BTW - I was Steve Bannon - More and more people think I look like Steve Bannon daily and the real Steve Bannon wasn't in the restaurant for lunch yesterday - trust me.
ENTERPRISE
Kellogg is doubling down on cereal cafes: Bloomberg reports, the food giant is opening a cavernous new café in Manhattan’s Union Square that will be five times larger than the concept it started in Times Square last year. The cafe will be fitted out with an Instagram station equipped with props and professional lighting to lure social media-obsessed millennials.
Verizon has agreed to a multi-year streaming partnership with the National Football League, with various reports indicating Verizon will pay between $2.25 billion and $2.5 billion over five years.
Disney’s deal for 21st Century Fox is said to be close: NYT reports, Disney is poised to complete a once-unthinkable bid to buy most of Rupert Murdoch’s movie and television empire. The $60 billion-plus acquisition that would supercharge Disney’s global streaming-service ambitions, threaten to undercut Silicon Valley’s entertainment aspirations, and most likely prompt further consolidation in Hollywood.
@CNBCTopStories: Cryptocurrency market now worth $500 billion, more than Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway http://cnb.cx/2z7GsCK
Twitter rolled out a new feature that will allow users of the social media platform to more easily create "tweetstorms."
Google launching artificial intelligence research center in China: Reuters reports, Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it is opening an artificial intelligence (AI) research center in China to target the country's local talent, even as the U.S. search firm's products remain blocked in the country.
@verge: Google opens Chinese AI lab, says 'science has no borders’
FT Person of the Year: Susan Fowler: The software engineer who lifted the lid on sexual harassment at Uber and inspired women to speak out. https://goo.gl/wzMF8W
Caixin: Honda invests in Chinese car-sharing platform
@WSJ: Toyota sees half of sales coming from hybrids, EVs by 2020
In spending spree, European mall operator bets on Westfield: DealBook reports, In recent years, the news has been nothing but bad for malls. But now, a megadeal is signaling that there may still be life after all in the American mall — especially the luxury version. On Tuesday, the European property company Unibail-Rodamco said it had agreed to acquire the Westfield Corporation for $15.7 billion.
CULTURE
Homeland season 7 trailer: The president must be stopped https://goo.gl/DTzvav
Star Wars returns to the big screen this weekend with its latest installment: “The Last Jedi.”
A drone’s-eye view of NYC https://goo.gl/PNsmLD
SPORT
This Premier League player’s position? Left out. Fans think Stuart Taylor has it made: a Premier League salary and a job he is rarely asked to perform. But his career isn’t the one he saw for himself. https://goo.gl/LAKhhT