USA -Florida: Inside Florida's 'Little Moscow,' Where Russian Money Flows - by Hillary Hoffower

Like its namesake city, it's home to many Russian elites. Unlike it's namesake city, it's located on a small strip of land near Miami: Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.

"They love to be here, and they like to spend their money and enjoy their life," Lana Bell, a real-estate agent, recently told the News Nation correspondent Brian Entin, referring to her wealthy Russian clientele.

Russian money has brought a real-estate boom to the region over the years, but now these power players are afraid they might not be able to enjoy the Miami sunshine much longer. As Entin reported, they're worried the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict will blacklist them from buying American.

However, existing sanctions from past political events already slowed their buying efforts in recent years, and Biden has said the US will seize luxury apartments from Russian oligarchs with wealth parked in the country. But not all of Little Moscow's residents are wealthy, and not all of them support the war.

Read mre at: Inside Florida's 'Little Moscow,' Where Russian Money Flows

EU Back on Track: 5 reasons for the EU to be hopeful in 2022 – by Paul Taylor

The dark cloud of the Omicron coronavirus variant may be plunging your plans for the New Year into uncertainty, but there are still reasons to hope that Europe can make significant progress on a range of thorny issues in 2022.

While it is clear we will have to live with COVID-19 for another while, new political constellations have been emerging since Germany’s change of government in December. These will offer the prospect of innovative solutions for long-standing problems in the European Union.

To be sure, there are several things that could go wrong: an uncontrollable surge of more deadly coronavirus variants that set back the economic recovery; a Russian military offensive against Ukraine; a Polish blockade of EU institutions in the battle over the rule of law and EU funds.

However, none of those worst-case scenarios is certain — or even likely. And there are undeniable grounds to be more optimistic about the coming year. After years of sterile battles over the EU’s much abused fiscal rules — which were suspended at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — a consensus is emerging that in order to avoid strangling the recovery, budget discipline regulations must be changed before they return to force in 2023.

From the frugal north to the more spendthrift south, there is widespread recognition that public investment will be key to the success of the green and digital transformations of the European economy, and that outdated debt and deficit limits must not prevent this. Along this line, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have jointly called for reform to perpetuate collective EU borrowing beyond the temporary recovery fund created in 2020.

Read more at: 5 reasons for the EU to be hopeful in 2022 – POLITICO

China-Pakistan relations: How Chinese investments are capturing Pakistan′s economy

The multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),announced in 2015, was aimed at overhauling Pakistan's crumbling infrastructure and linking the nation's southern port of Gwadar to western China.

The ambitious project, part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature Belt and Road Initiative, was originally estimated to bring in $46 billion (€38.7 billion) of investment into Pakistan. But it's now estimated to have increased to about $65 billion.

Read more at: How Chinese investments are capturing Pakistan′s economy | Asia | An in-depth look at news from across the continent | DW | 02.08.2021

China: Investor Baillie Gifford bets on China in a post-coronavirus world

 Just this week, Edinburgh-based investment partnership and early Tesla backer Baillie Gifford announced it is increasing investments in China with the expansion of its presence in Shanghai, its first overseas office with the ability to conduct local research.

• Plant-based food and meat producer Green Monday announced Tuesday it raised $70 million, which it claims is the largest to date for the industry in Asia.
• Also this week, Shanghai-based electric vehicle start-up WM Motor also announced 10 billion yuan ($1.47 billion) in funding, which the company claims is the largest to date in the country’s EV industry.

 Read more at: 
Investor Baillie Gifford bets on China in a post-coronavirus world

China-US relations: What investors need to know about a potential White House effort to block U.S. investment in China

What investors need to know about a potential White House effort to block U.S. investment in China -

Read more at:
https://on.mktw.net/2lHA5Cd

NORWAY: To cut oil and gas investments Norway will sell some stock from their $1 trillion fund

Norway's $1 trillion fund to cut oil and gas investments

Read more at: 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47494239

European New technology - Auto Industry: EU invests €20m in AI software for self-driving cars

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €20m loan to Hungarian company AImotive, the European Commission announced Friday. The money will be spent on research and development of artificial intelligence software for self-driving vehicles. The commission believes the EU should prepare for self-driving cars. "I'm glad we are doing this in Central Europe, where the automotive industry has a long history of success," said EIB vice-president Vazil Hudak.

Read more: EU invests €20m in AI software for self-driving cars

Internet High Speed Communications: 5G: how EU is helping to turn it into an engine for growth

The European Commission has prepared an action plan to facilitate the deployment of 5G across the EU. MEPs voted in favour of supporting the plan on 1 June, but stressed that coordination between EU countries would be crucial to avoid delays that were experienced when 4G was introduced as not enough spectrum was available.

Polish EPP member Michał Boni, the MEP responsible for steering the plan through Parliament, warned: "The member states have to understand that we have to avoid the fragmentation of decisions and solutions if we want to achieve the 5G objectives.”

He also stressed the importance of making it easier to invest in this: “Investments are the key for achieving 5G goals. The simplification of legal framework, flexible models for co-investments and long-term certainty and predictability are required.”

To watch the plenary debate in the EU Parliament click here: Video: watch the plenary debate on 5G

Read more: 5G: how EU is helping to turn it into an engine for growth | News | European Parliament

USA: : Is Donald Trump really making America great again ?

A lot of people are getting disgusted about this non-stop "bla-bla" and rehashing of the Florida school shooting, with no one saying, what seems to be a poisonous word to the NRA, US politicians, from the President down, and apparently, also for the majority of US voters, that GUN CONTROL is the only workable solution to solve the problem.

Yes folks, GUN CONTROL, which has worked in every civilized country around the world, not more guns.

If the US wants foreign investments in new businesses to grow, sell Real Estate to foreigners, or improve the rapidly decreasing number of foreign tourists visiting the US, America better wake up to the fact that there now is a perception around the world that America is an unsafe place to invest in or to go to.

So dear Mr. Trump, put your money  where your mouth is.

EU-Digest

Canadian-China Relations: A winning formula? China invests in Canadian dairy to help feed its baby boom - by Janyce McGregor

US President Donald Trump called Canada's supply-managed dairy sector a "disgrace."

Indeed, Canada's strict system of production quotas, import restrictions and price and quality controls is a perennial target for free traders.

But guess who likes it? The biggest market Canada is wooing right now: China.

Supply management is a big reason why a Chinese corporation is investing an unprecedented $225 million in eastern Ontario.

Feihe International, Inc. wants cows. Goats, too. Lots of them.
That's because as China's one-child policy phases out, it's going to need a lot of baby formula.

Read more: A winning formula? China invests in Canadian dairy to help feed its baby boom - Politics - CBC News

Britain: EU referendum fears weighing on company orders and investment

Orders among UK firms have fallen to their lowest level for almost three years as growing worries over this month’s EU referendum hit the British economy.

Accountancy firm BDO reports that company investment is flatlining, forcing them to rein in their hiring plans. It fears that economic growth could fall sharply unless firms bolster their investment plans later this year.

Peter Hemington, a partner at BDO, says Brexit uncertainty has cast a long shadow over the economy and that growth expectations among UK companies have now fallen for the 10th month in a row.

“Private sector capital investment has been sluggish throughout this recovery, and recent official figures show sharp falls – no doubt related to Brexit fears. This fall has no doubt contributed to UK businesses’ expectation that economic growth will fall behind its long term trend for the first time in nearly three years,” said Hemington./

The BDO’s output index – a measure of orders that firms have on hand – slumped to 99.7 last month, from 100.6 in April.

This is the first time since September 2013 that it has fallen below 100, a level consistent with UK long-term trend growth at around 2%.

Read more: EU referendum fears weighing on company orders and investment | Business | The Guardian

Cuba-USA: A new chapter in Cuba-US relations: History happening again right before our eyes - by RM

Viva Cuba - Viva USA

History is  happening right before our eyes - Cuba-USA: March 21, 2016 . The first day of Spring and also signalling a new beginning in a long-rime historic and often turbulent relationship between the USA and Cuba,

For me personally it brings back many memories, going back to when I was a kid visiting Havana, Cuba in 1957, with my parents ( two years before the Castro Revolution) - on the way from La Guaira, Venezuela to Le Havre, France.

Cuba-USA  -A new Chapter -Raoul Castro and Barack Obama - SA

Cuba at that time was a US backed "Republic" ruled by Fulgenca Batista, a ruthless dictator with close links to the US Mafia. He ruled Cuba with an iron hand, while the mob controlled all the night-life, prostitution and other criminal activities. 

The "real economy" of Cuba at that time was mainly in the hands of US multi- nationals, as was over 50 % of the sugar industry, 

The US multi-national communications giant of that time, ITT,, controlled all the communication systems on the Island. 

Fast Forward to 1980 - working for a multi-national aluminum corporation based in Pittsburgh, I was assigned to organize a "strategy planning" meeting for our Caribbean External Relations Managers. We chose the beautiful Florida Island of Key-West to hold the meeting.

Again history happened right before our eyes, when we literally saw from the hotel we were staying in Key West how droves of Cuban refugees started arriving on Key West shores - this eventually became known as the Mariel Boat Lift. 

And here today we are again in Florida, April 21,2016, watching live scenes form Cuba, with Raoul Castro and Barack Obama starting a new chapter in the Cuban US relationship - we can only hope that Cuba and the US will have learned from their past mistakes, and that greed will not, once again, become the driving force of this relationship.  

Viva Cuba, Viva USA !

 
EU-Digeswt

European Business: Big Investors Are Finding Ripe Start-Up Targets in Europe - by Mark Scott

Klaus Hommels has invested in some of Europe’s most successful start-ups. That includes Spotify, the music-streaming service, and Klarna, a Swedish online payments company valued at more than $2 billion.

He has also backed several American tech giants like Facebook and Airbnb, the vacation-rental site.

Now, the German venture capitalist is doubling-down on Europe’s tech sector.

On Monday, Mr. Hommels’s venture capital firm, Lakestar, will announce a new fund worth 350 million euros, or $398 million, one of the largest European fund-raisings so far this year. It is more than double his previous fund, raised in 2013, whose portfolio of start-ups includes Harry’s, the American online shaving company, and Algomi, a London-based social network for bond trading.

Mr. Hommels, 48, who lives in Zurich, plans to spend most of the new money on European start-ups, but also a few American fledging tech companies looking to fast-track their global ambitions. He said that as more industries like automotive and energy embrace new tech trends, he would look at early-stage companies transforming the way people — and traditional companies — lead their daily lives.

“Technology has become integral to how we live,” said Mr. Hommels, who also invested in King Digital, the maker of Candy Crush, but sold his stake before the company went public, missing out on roughly $1 billion. “We won’t be afraid to back start-ups with high valuations if we can accelerate their growth.”

The fund-raising by Mr. Hommels is perhaps the strongest evidence yet that investors have rekindled their interest in European venture capital. Just like in Silicon Valley, where companies like Uber, the ride-booking service, have attracted eye-popping valuations, venture capitalists, private equity firms and other investors are now flooding into Europe.

Read more: Big Investors Are Finding Ripe Start-Up Targets in Europe - The New York Tim

EU brainstorm ways of bringing billions of euro into its ailing economy

he European Union tried to find ways on Saturday to bring billions of euro into its slow economy without falling deeper into debt. Possible options include the creation of a pan-European capital market and a joint EU fund worth €700 billion.

The EU’s economy is still struggling to recover from the worst financial crisis in a generation. The EU economy grew by just 0.1% last year and around 25 million EU citizens are unemployed, almost double as many as in the United States.

EU finance ministers have asked the European Commission, the EU executive, and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to come up with a range of projects that would create growth.

“We have given a mandate to the Commission and the EIB to swiftly present an initial report on practical measures that can be taken, on profitable investment projects,” Italian Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said.

European ministers are expected to discuss the projects and possible ways of financing them during a meeting in Luxembourg in October.

There are as yet no details on the actual projects. However, finance ministers discussed four proposals as to how to finance them.

Italy proposed a ‘pan-European market’ which will allow smaller companies to raise capital. This would be part of a new EU capital-marking union, expanding on the eurozone banking union.

Poland proposed creating a joint EU fund worth €700 billion that would be able to finance through leveraging its own capital. The fund would be under the umbrella of the European Investment Bank, the bank owned by European governments.

A French-German paper proposed boosting private investments, while incoming European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called for a  €300 billion investment program.

Read more: EU brainstorm ways of bringing billions of euro into its ailing economy - MaltaToday.com.mt

Denmark falling behind in public investment

Compared to other EU nations, Denmark struggles when it comes to investing in the construction and maintenance of schools, roads, railways and other public facilities.

Denmark ranked 22 out of the 27 EU member states plus Norway in a comparison of public investment as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) between 2009 and 2012, according to an analysis by Momentum magazine, published by the local government organiszation, KL.

“One can’t say that Denmark is impressing on the list and it surprises me that we are competing with Greece and Slovakia when we have such a huge public sector,” Martin Damm (V), the head of KL and mayor of Kalundborg, told Politiken newspaper.
 
The Ministry of Finance put the level of public investment under the current government at 44 billion kroner annually, which the ministry argues was the highest amount in over 30 years.

Read more: Denmark falling behind in public investment - News - The Copenhagen Post

Ukraine: Russia, U.S. tied by technology investments - by Benny Evangelista

Growing up in the old Soviet Union, Dmitry Akhanov feared Americans. "Being a kid in the early '80s, it would have been both a challenging and frightening experience to talk to a U.S. person, because of the Cold War and all the history," he said.

Today, Akhanov is Russia's point man in Silicon Valley, a striking example of how investment, not ideology, governs the relationship between the two historic rivals. As president and CEO of Menlo Park's Rusnano USA, Akhanov oversees the U.S. unit of a Russian government-owned nanotechnology fund that has invested about $1.2 billion in the last three years in American companies.

"When you do business with someone, you tend to trust them, otherwise you will not be doing business with them," Akhanov said. In the post-Soviet era, younger generations have been weaned on the Internet and social media. "You know people personally," he said. "You meet them, and you see them from a different viewpoint."

However, Russia's decision to annex Crimea and mass troops on Ukraine's eastern border is testing those relationships.

"We know how to work when we're in different parts of the world," said Ukrainian entrepreneur Yaroslav Azhnyuk, the 25-year-old CEO of a San Francisco startup called Petcube. "Even if something horrible happens, we'll just move to Europe, or wherever, and continue working from there."

Petcube, which is developing a device that lets people watch their pets through a mobile phone app, operates a development office in Kiev.

In some ways, the growing economic ties between America and Russia could make a potential conflict even messier. Silicon Valley depends a good deal on Russian money and Ukrainian engineers to power its startups, while tech giants Cisco Systems and Google have made major investments in the former Soviet Union.

Russia is already pulling money out of Ukraine. Russian investment in Ukrainian startups has nearly stopped because of government propaganda, said Vitaly Golomb, a Bay Area entrepreneur and investor.

One problem is the lack of leadership in Ukraine, a situation that may not be cleared up with elections at the end of May.

Some companies aren't waiting. Some businesses have already developed contingency plans to move staff to a neighboring country.

"I have a few friends who run those companies, and they started doing preventive things like opening an office in Moldova, which is like 70 miles away from Odessa, because they have deadlines and they have budgets to meet," said Denys Zhadanov, marketing director for Readdle in Ukraine, which makes popular business productivity apps like Scanner Pro for the iPhone and iPad.

Read more: Russia, U.S. tied by technology investments - SFGate

India’s elections could be bad news for Walmart - by Heather Timmons

As voting kicks off in India, the reported front-runner Bharatiya Janata Party has released its policy “manifesto,” laying out how the BJP would try to reboot India’s stalled economy and help the country to recover what the party calls its “innate vitality.”

 While scant on specifics and long on content-free declarations like “We have to encourage our industry to innovate and collaborate internationally,” the 52-page document did provide some clues into which companies and industries might benefit if the BJP, as expected, gains the most seats in this election. 

There is one named exception to the BJP’s pro-foreign direct investment stance: “the multi-brand retail sector,” or stores that sell many different brands under one roof. That would reverse a decision by the current Congress Party-led government to allow multi-brand foreign retailers into the country. Walmart is reportedly investing 13 billion rupees ($214 million) in its India business, much of that for online sales. The BJP manifesto doesn’t specifically mention how it will handle e-commerce, and India’s growing online sales are sure to draw attention.

Seed makers like Monsanto and DuPont: “Genetically Modified (GM) foods will not be allowed without full scientific evaluation on its long-term effects on soil, production and biological impact on consumers,” the BJP states.

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Nuclear experts like GE: The US-India nuclear pact, a hallmark of the outgoing Manmohan Singh-led government, failed to create a massive new market for power plant companies in India, and the BJP promises even less bilateral cooperation. “We will follow a two-pronged independent nuclear programme, unencumbered by foreign pressure and influence, for civilian and military purposes, especially as nuclear power is a major contributor to India’s energy sector,” the manifesto says.

Read more: India’s elections could be bad news for Walmart - Quartz

European Council - Successful EU-Africa Summit

The 4th EU-Africa Summit, April 2 - 3, 2014 brought together more than 60 EU and African leaders, and a total of 90 delegations, to discuss the future of EU-Africa relations and reinforce links between the two continents. In the summit declaration, leaders highlighted the close nature of EU-Africa relations and the shared values of democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law and good governance as well as the right to development.

Leaders recognised the importance of peace and security as essential prerequisites for development and prosperity. In particular, they confirmed their commitment to enhancing political dialogue on international criminal justice and universal jurisdiction. Leaders also gave their support to the African aspiration and commitment to ensuring peace and stability in Africa and agreed to support African capabilities in this area through any available means, with a particular focus on capacity-building. Both continents agreed to strengthen common effort to fight international terrorism and to combat the spread.

Leaders pledged to pursue policies to create jobs and stimulate long-term growth on both continents. In particular the two continents agreed to cooperate more closely in the field of maritime policy. The EU also underlined its commitment to continuing to support African countries in the preparation of climate-resilient and low-emission development strategies. Leaders on both sides highlighted the importance of ensuring prudent and transparent management of respective natural resources, and responsible mineral sourcing.

The summit declaration also underlines the importance of encouraging greater investment and economic development within and between countries in both continents, alongside developing transport, access to drinking water and to sustainable and affordable energy.  successful

Read more: European Council - EU-Africa summit 2014

EU Environmental Policies: Brussels Restricts Policy To Emission Reduction And Trading - by Sonja van Renssen

The European Commission’s 2030 climate and energy package unveiled on 22 January confines itself to two main proposals: a 40% binding greenhouse gas emission reduction target and legislative reform of the EU Emission Trading Scheme.

Significantly, it does not include post-2020 national renewable energy targets or new energy efficiency targets. It also drops the fuel quality directive which underpins the use of biofuels in the transport sector. The upshot of the proposals, if adopted by the EU Member States and the European Parliament, is that the EU’s climate policy will in future be carried out almost exclusively through the Emission Trading Scheme coupled with national  emission reduction targets.

The days of micromanagement from Brussels are over.

“A game-changer for investors in renewable energy” is how one analyst summed up the European Commission’s new climate and energy package, which aims to extend the EU’s climate policies beyond 2020 to 2030.

Read more: Brussels Restricts Policy To Emission Reduction And Trading | CleanTechnica

European Financial Markets: Europe tightens up financial market rules - but Britain once again "odd man out"

The Europe Union is to tighten regulation of financial markets under a deal to prevent any repetition of the rampant speculation which helped bring down banks and crash the global economy.

After two years of tough talks, the European Parliament and negotiators for the 28 member states agreed a deal in principle that sets new rules to regulate the market, known as MiFID II.

"These new rules will improve the way capital markets function to the benefit of the real economy," said the EU's Financial Markets Commissioner Michel Barnier.

"They are a key step towards establishing a safer, more open and more responsible financial system and restoring investor confidence in the wake of the financial crisis."

Barnier first pushed for the new rules in 2011 at the height of the eurozone debt crisis which was sparked by the 2008 global financial crash.

They aim to curb speculative trading in commodities and to regulate high-frequency trading so as better to protect investors and make the markets less crisis prone.

They will apply to investment firms, market operators and services providing post-trade transparency information in the European Union, a parliament statement said.

They will notably force market players to buy and sell financial instruments on regulated markets comparable to stock exchanges to ensure that all trading is tracked by MiFID.

International aid group Oxfam welcomed the deal but warned of the dangers of exemptions, especially for Britain which is home to one of the world's largest financial markets in London.

"Today's decision marks a good start in tackling 'gambling' on food prices which are a matter of life and death to millions," Oxfam said.

But "the deal is far from perfect," Oxfam said." Unjustified exemptions were granted to powerful lobbies and limits will be set nationally, rather than at the European level.

"There is a real risk, particularly in the UK, of ineffective sky high limits triggering a regulatory race to the bottom between European countries," it said in a statement.

Read more: Europe tightens up financial market rules - Yahoo News