Caracal Business Insider | December 13, 2017

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

COTD: Major League Soccer salaries are climbing.

Caracal Business Insider | December 12, 2017

Sam Dastyari, Roy Moore, Rex Tillerson, Bruce Brown, Felicity Aston

Caracal Business Insider | Daily
December 12, 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

GEOECONOMICS

US, Japan, and South Korea host joint missile tracking drills: DW reports, the US, South Korea, and Japan have started joint exercises to track missiles from North Korea, Seoul's military has said. The two-day drills come just weeks after Pyongyang launched its most advanced missile to date.

China goes on logistics buying spree to support ‘new Silk Road’: FT reports, the acquisitions across Eurasia to enhance trade flows double to $32.2 billion.

China, Taiwan spar over Chinese diplomat's invasion threat: Reuters reports, a threat by a senior Chinese diplomat to invade Taiwan the instant any U.S. warship visits the self-ruled island has sparked a war of words, with Taipei accusing Beijing of failing to understand what democracy means.

China's top paper says Australian media reports are racist: Reuters reports, Australian media reports on Chinese interference in Australia are racist and paranoid, China’s top newspaper said on Monday, stepping up a war of words over concerns in Australia about Chinese influence in the country.

China influence fears cost a rising political star his job: WSJ reports, the downfall of a prominent lawmaker is fueling a growing sense of unease in Australia about Chinese influence in the country’s domestic affairs and raising tensions with its most important trading partner.

The Times: Australian senator Sam Dastyari to quit over China business links

The West faces up to reality: China won’t become ‘more like us’: The make-believe that Beijing would eventually embrace Western values is over.
WSJ - Andrew Browne

About 40 percent of all Bitcoins are held by about 1,000 users. 

Trump approves new Russia sanctions for violating Cold War arms pact: Reuters reports, the Trump administration is levying new sanctions on Russia it hopes will force it to comply with a Cold War-era nuclear arms treaty it has violated by deploying a banned cruise missile, according to a senior administration official.

Erdogan calls Israel 'terrorist state': AFP reports, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday described Israel as a "terrorist state" and vowed to use "all means to fight" against the US recognition of Jerusalem as the country's capital. 

Global weapons sales: Sales by the world's 100 biggest arms producers increased 1.9% from the previous year to reach $374.8 billion.

Sales by South Korean firms increased by over 20% in 2016, to $8.4 billion.

EU prepares to discuss a long-delayed trade deal with Britain: WSJ reports, following a Brexit divorce accord, European leaders may finally authorize negotiations at a summit this week on the outlines of a future trade deal with Britain.

French schools to have choirs, but no mobile phones: AFP reports, the French government has announced that mobile phones will be banned in French schools by September 2018 and that choirs will be introduced over the next two years.

By September 2018, all of France’s 7,000 collèges will have choirs, where children will have the choice to sing two hours a week. 

AMERICAN POLITICS

Today: Alabama voters go to the polls in a race between Republican nominee Roy Moore and his Democratic challenger Doug Jones. All indications suggest the race will depend on turnout.

#ALSEN: From Ellis Insight: The preponderance of closing polling suggests that Roy Moore will win a tight election, but the possibility of a Doug Jones upset remains a realistic one. Because the Alabama Democrats are so badly outnumbered, however, Mr. Jones will need a maximum turnout of his supporters in addition to a below average Republican participation rate in order to claim this Senate seat. 

@politicoalex: NEWS: Nebraska RNC committeewoman Joyce Simmons has RESIGNED over committee's support for Roy Moore

NBC News: Focus on Flynn, Trump timeline suggests obstruction is on Mueller’s mind

Ex-spy chief: Russia’s election hacking was an ‘intelligence failure’: Politico reports, the former acting CIA director Michael Morell says the agency missed the meddling until it was too late.

Rex Tillerson could leave as secretary of state in February.

FT: Energy stocks climb as Brent tops $65 a barrel

ENTERPRISE

VW chief breaks ranks on diesel, suggesting end to subsidies: NYT reports, the chief executive of Volkswagen said on Sunday that the German government should consider phasing out the subsidies that encourage Europeans to buy diesel cars, a startling change of position by the company largely responsible for diesel’s popularity in Europe. Müller is the first German auto boss to publicly suggest that the government should stop subsidizing diesel, a step that would certainly hasten the technology’s demise. Though cautiously formulated, his comments represented a major turnaround.

Chinese auto giant to end petrol vehicle sales by 2025: AFP reports, Beijing Automotive Group Co (BAIC) chairman Xu Heyi said over the weekend the company will phase out sales of conventional cars in Beijing by 2020 and nationwide by 2025, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

CNBC: Renault just showed a demo car whose headlights change color when it's self-driving

Apple is nearing a deal to acquire the music identification app Shazam.

AOTY: Apple names meditation app Calm its 2017 App of the Year.

Google Maps is preparing to launch a new feature that will give public transit users real-time updates as they travel.

QOTD: “If you don’t buy the culture of the brand, you’re not going to buy the product.” —Ian Rogers

Westfield, an operator of marquee malls, agreed to a $15.7 billion takeover offer from shopping-center giant Unibail-Rodamco.

Westfield sells to France’s Unibail to create $72 billion shopping mall group: FT reports, Unibail-Rodamco’s $25bn deal for Australia’s Westfield to forge 104-property company.

PepsiCo has reserved 100 of Tesla's new electric Semi trucks.

TRENDS

What’s the military’s role in fighting fake news? C4ISRNET reports, the US military has numerous teams and major funding directed toward fighting cyber adversaries, with serious resources dedicated to protecting networks and delivering effects in the cyber domain. But what’s the military’s role when it comes to combating information warfare and the “fake news” that continues to evolve as a battlefront? https://goo.gl/XMBDEP

AFP: Tokyo airport to be 'scattered' with robots for 2020 Olympics

CULTURE

LAT: Bruce Brown, who turned surfing into a cultural phenomenon with 'The Endless Summer,' dies at 80

@wsl: Bruce Brown, the legendary filmmaker of The Endless Summer, inspired many to surf and follow their dreams

Golden Globes 2018: The complete list of nomineeshttps://goo.gl/L2Z9k9

Who will win Best Picture: “Call Me By Your Name,” “Dunkirk,” “The Post,” “The Shape of Water” or “Three Billboards”?

WSJ: ‘The Shape of Water’ leads Golden Globes

The most-read New York Times stories of 2017https://goo.gl/VkhjLP

SPORT

LAT: LiAngelo Ball, LaMelo Ball sign with Lithuanian basketball team

The making of The University of Adidas at Louisville: ESPN reports, how former Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich leveraged big deals and big-time basketball to build the university into a sports powerhouse, only to watch it burn amid charges of excess, exploitation, and corruption. https://goo.gl/47nGWC

The first woman to ski across Antartica alone: A profile of polar explorer Felicity Aston. https://goo.gl/1k1dvW