FOR years the cost of rights to broadcast major sports in America and Europe has trended in one direction—up. This gravity-defying law shapes the economics of modern sport: as television operators bid ever more substantial sums, teams take in more revenue and star-player salaries (and transfer fees) climb higher. In 2017 that trajectory continued as […]
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FANNING out from the sodden delta of the Yangtze, and southward to the flanks of the Nanling mountains, over 6m hectares of emerald bamboo groves—one-fifth of the world’s reserves—flourish in China. Giant pandas nibble the softest shoots. Around 40bn pairs of disposable chopsticks are made from bamboo twigs annually in China, for use with everyday […]
Read moreIgnore the bad housing starts number. Some will blame the weather. Others will claim the figures are too volatile month to month. Bottom line, December’s steep drop in single-family housing starts is not indicative of what is really going on at construction sites across the nation. This winter’s chill was both brutal and early, and […]
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China’s spending in Central and Eastern European countries is helping clear a path towards more investment in Western Europe, one former economic adviser to the Serbian government told CNBC on Wednesday. Beijing’s interest in Central and Eastern Europe is “because they see big potential in their return regarding their path to the European Union,” Vladimir […]
Read moreDemocrats are holding a temporary funding bill “hostage” by insisting it includes protections for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, GOP Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling told CNBC on Thursday. Republican lawmakers are seeking votes this week for an extension of funding to prevent the federal government from shutting down on Saturday. Democrats want […]
Read moreU.S. homebuilding fell more than expected in December, recording its biggest drop in just over a year, amid a steep decline in the construction of single-family housing units following two months of hefty gains. Housing starts decreased 8.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.192 million units, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. […]
Read moreThe Trump administration is finalizing its long-awaited infrastructure plan, which would push most of the financing of projects to private investment and state and local taxpayers, according to sources familiar with the proposal taking shape. President Donald Trump, who spoke frequently of improving U.S. infrastructure during his 2016 campaign, may preview the plan in his […]
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Ledger, a French start-up that makes hardware wallets for cryptocurrencies, has raised $75 million in a huge funding round. The capital was raised through a Series B round, the second stage of financing for a company, and was led by European venture capital firm Draper Esprit. Ledger claims the investment to be one of the […]
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India successfully launched a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday. The nuclear-capable Agni-V ICBM was fired from Abdul Kalam island off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha at around 9:53 a.m. local time (11:23 p.m. ET on Wednesday). India’s Defense Ministry said the test was a “major boost” to the country’s defense […]
Read moreRepublican leaders in the U.S. Congress stepped up their efforts to pass a temporary extension in funding and prevent the federal government from shutting down, scheduling a vote on the measure for later on Thursday. For months, the Republican-controlled Congress has been struggling to fund the government, which is now operating on its third temporary […]
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