Despite broad support from mainstream economists, the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal is losing political support in America.
President Barack Obama has doubled down on the deal, announcing his intentions to pass the legislation and his hopes that both the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives will support the deal. However, some 80% of Democrats in the Congress have announced they will not support the deal.
Arguably, the most famous astrophysicist in the world, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, has posited that the first private trillionaires in the world will make their money by exploiting the endless resources of space. These comments came during an interview with CNBC regarding his TV show called “Star Talk.”
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s US visit was, overall, a success. His meeting with President Obama and his Congressional speech created the impression of a leader who is capable of delivering. During his visit to the US two years ago, Abe somewhat surprised Japan–US watchers with his sudden statement that ‘Japan is back’. This time, whether you like him or not, few would doubt that Japan — and Abe — is back.
The beginning of a new month starts the usual cycle of economic data. Among these, only the US employment report is significant. A weak report would not only rule out a June hike by the Fed, but would call a September move into question as well. A strong report could mark the return of the dollar bulls after taking a six-week spring vacation.
John Bartle, Nigel Bogle and John Hegarty were the mad men of the 1980s. Their BBH ad agency was the marketing genius behind Levi’s jeans, Audi cars and Lynx male deodorants.
Since the mid-1990s, public criticism of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) government has expanded to involve thousands of citizens across the country. From this ferment of criticism numerous individuals, networks and organisations have emerged that oppose the present regime — which many call authoritarian or dictatorial — and advocate democracy.
Taiwan has unsurprisingly been rejected as a founding member of the China-proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Standing outside the AIIB tent may not be a bad thing for Taiwan. It offers the Taiwanese government a chance to observe the still-opaque intents and terms of the AIIB and to buy time to address concerns about how and why Taiwan should join the Chinese initiative.
A number of economic indicators suggest a surprise slowdown throughout Europe, while American spending doubles but remains pressured by moribund wage growth.
This week the UK announced that its economy had risen by only 0.3%, a decline from the previous quarter despite expectations that quantitative easing in the European Union, combined with Britain’s own economic growth trend and growth policies by the Conservative party. The growth rate was about half of analysts’ estimates.
The broad-based dollar sell-off this week has considerably narrowed. The dollar’s losses have become move concentrated in the post-FOMC sessions with just the euro sustaining the momentum and extending this week’s gains.
