Section: Business Insider (USA)
PRESENTING: The Worst Performing Currencies of 2014
2014 has been a terrible year for a few economies and currencies. Latin American currencies have suffered from rampant inflation while Eastern Europe currencies have been slammed by geopolitical turmoil-induced economic slowdown. Meanwhile, falling oil prices have been miserable for oil currencies like Russia’s ruble and Norway’s...
5 Fringe Politicians That Could Throw Europe Into Chaos In 2015
Europe is in a bad place right now. Deflation is looming and growth is nowhere to be seen. There’s conflict in Ukraine, unemployment is still eye-wateringly high, and it doesn’t seem like much of that is going to change any time soon. So insurgent opposition parties are popping up all over the continent, promising an end to crisis or...
Malaysia Airlines shares suspended as part of rescue plan
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Malaysia Airlines suspended its shares from the country’s stock exchange Monday under a government rescue plan for the flag carrier which is fighting for survival after losing two planes this year.The airline, whose already loss-making operations took a further beating after the two tragedies, said in a notice to...
Russian arms sales soar on domestic spending
Stockholm (AFP) – Sales by Russian arms manufacturers continue to expand thanks to Moscow’s investments despite a downturn in global defence spending, a Stockholm-based think-tank said Monday.”The remarkable increases in Russian companies’ arms sales in both 2012 and 2013 are in large part due to uninterrupted investments...
Putin’s Popularity Could Change Faster Than Many Expect
A GOVERNMENT television channel dubbed Vladimir Putin’s latest state of the nation address “A Message from Above”. Dmitry Kiselev, Mr Putin’s chief propagandist, even likened it to speeches by Roosevelt, Churchill and De Gaulle. Mr Putin’s sermon had both messianic and defensive overtones. He called Crimea a sacred...
The Modern Luxury Industry Rests On A Paradox
AT THE TRANG TIEN PLAZA shopping mall in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, on some evenings a curious spectacle unfolds. Couples in wedding finery pose for photographs in front of illuminated shop windows, with Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton and Gucci offering the sort of backdrop for romance more usually provided by the sea or the mountains....
Kerry heads to talks on Palestinian statehood bid
Washington (AFP) – US Secretary of State John Kerry left early Sunday for a series of meetings in Europe seeking to head off an end-of-year UN showdown over a Palestinian bid for statehood.His first stop was to be Rome where he will meet separately with both Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin...
Kerry, Lavrov to meet as tensions soar over Ukraine
Moscow (AFP) – Top US diplomat John Kerry is set to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Rome on Sunday, amid anger in Moscow over the prospect of new US sanctions and possible supply of lethal military aid to Ukraine.The meeting in Rome will take place with tensions soaring after US lawmakers passed a bill — dubbed the...
IMF deputy ‘impressed’ by Ukraine’s move toward reform
Washington (AFP) – The International Monetary Fund’s number two said Saturday he was “impressed” by Kiev’s plans for economic reform, following a visit to the country.The IMF, which this year granted Kiev $17 billion in financial aid over two years, as part of a $27 billion global rescue package set up by Western...
When I Asked Jeff Bezos The Tough Questions — No Profits, The Book Controversies, The Phone Flop — He Proved Why He’s A Genius CEO
Jeff Bezos and I have a long history, dating from my days on Wall Street. Today, he’s an investor in Business Insider, and I remain an Amazon shareholder. I tried not to let any of that be a factor when I interviewed him recently at our annual conference in New York City. Jeff rarely gives in-depth interviews, so I didn’t hold back on...
