Alibaba partners with retail chain to gain edge in O2O market

Alibaba partners with retail chain to gain edge in O2O market

Staff Reporter

2014-03-01

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has teamed up with several retailers in the real world as they further explore business models that connect online and offline operations, the Shanghai-based China Business News reports. Read more of this post

Steep Discounts Prompt Fears Property Market Faces Dark Days; Developers have started selling apartments in two eastern cities for a bargain, raising concerns that prices will start to tumble

02.25.2014 17:40

Steep Discounts Prompt Fears Property Market Faces Dark Days

Developers have started selling apartments in two eastern cities for a bargain, raising concerns that prices will start to tumble Read more of this post

Electric Car Charging Stations Powering Down; Major obstacles, including battery-charging station woes, stand in the way of China’s push to put more electric cars on the road

02.27.2014 13:31

Electric Car Charging Stations Powering Down

Major obstacles, including battery-charging station woes, stand in the way of China’s push to put more electric cars on the road

By staff reporters Li Xuena and Wu Jing

(Beijing) — As China’s annual Spring Festival approached, travel madness seized the home-bound throngs rushing through terminals to airliners at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, one of the world’s busiest. Read more of this post

Louis Vuitton invests US$25m for 20% in Taiwan’s Dr Wu Skincare

Louis Vuitton invests US$25m in Taiwan’s Dr Wu Skincare

Staff Reporter

2014-03-01

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Dr Wu founder Wu Ying-jun, right, and his son CEO Wu Yi-jui. (File photo/China Times)

Louis Vuitton became a shareholder of Taiwan’s Dr Wu Skincare after the company spent US$25 million on 20% of the company’s shares, our sister paper Commercial Times reported on Feb. 27. Read more of this post

18-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Helped Research Her Own Rare Disease, Is Now Heading To Harvard

18-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Helped Research Her Own Rare Disease, Is Now Heading To Harvard

DINA SPECTOR SCIENCE  MAR. 1, 2014, 4:02 AM

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Rockefeller University

Elana Simon in the Rockefeller University lab where she conducted research on fibrolamellar cancer, the same type she was diagnosed with at age 12. Read more of this post

How Jordan Belfort’s Prison Bunkmate – Tommy Chong – Inspired Him To Write ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’

How Jordan Belfort’s Prison Bunkmate — Tommy Chong — Inspired Him To Write ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’

ALY WEISMAN ENTERTAINMENT  MAR. 1, 2014, 3:55 AM

Jordan Belfort wrote the first draft of “Wolf Of Wall Street” in prison as bunkmate Tommy Chong was also writing a book.

As most now know, Jordan Belfort is the real-life swindler on which Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf Of Wall Street” is based. Read more of this post

Sour Beer Is Suddenly All The Rage

Sour Beer Is Suddenly All The Rage

MELISSA STANGER THE LIFE  MAR. 1, 2014, 4:22 AM

Sour beers may have a long history, but they’re suddenly becoming a hot topic in the beer world.

The brews are often confused with Belgian lambics, which are a type of sour and have a similar flavor profile. But lambics, like champagne, are region-specific, says Alex Wallash, one of the co-founders of The Rare Barrel, a sour-only craft brewery in Berkeley, Calif. Read more of this post

Here Are All Of The People Warren Buffett Works With At Berkshire Hathaway’s HQ

Here Are All Of The People Warren Buffett Works With At Berkshire Hathaway’s HQ

SAM RO FINANCE  MAR. 1, 2014, 9:42 PM

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Not much is said about the folks who work at Berkshire Hathaway’s corporate offices.

But Warren Buffett is changing that.

At the closing of his annual letter to shareholders, he includes this message and photo:

For good reason, I regularly extol the accomplishments of our operating managers. They are truly All- Stars, who run their businesses as if they were the only asset owned by their families. I believe the mindset of our managers to be as shareholder-oriented as can be found in the universe of large publicly-owned companies. Most have no financial need to work; the joy of hitting business “home runs” means as much to them as their paycheck. Read more of this post

Warren Buffett’s 2013 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders is out. The ‘Mother Lode’ Of Investing Opportunities Is Right Here In America

WARREN BUFFETT: The ‘Mother Lode’ Of Investing Opportunities Is Right Here In America

SAM RO MARKETS  MAR. 1, 2014, 9:31 PM

In his just-released annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffett updates us on his merger and acquisition activity. Read more of this post

Fortress Loses Millions On Bitcoin Investment

Fortress Loses Millions On Bitcoin Investment

Tyler Durden on 02/28/2014 18:52 -0500

Readers will recall that back in October, when the only way for Bitcoin seemed up, none other than the head of sophisticated hedge fund/private equity megafund Fortress Group, Michael Novogratz, recommended buying Bitcoin:  “I have a nice little Bitcoin position,” Novogratz said. “Enough that I’m smiling that it doubled… Put a little money in Bitcoin…Come back in a few years and it’s going to be worth a lot.” Read more of this post

Howard Marks: “In The End, The Devil Always Wins”

Howard Marks: “In The End, The Devil Always Wins”

Tyler Durden on 02/28/2014 15:32 -0500

In the follwoing interview with Swiss Finanz und Wirtschaft, Howard Marks, chairman of the U.S. investment firm Oaktree Capital, sees more room to run for stocks. But at the same time he warns that from now on, a higher level of caution is appropriate. The bulk of the content should be largely well-known to those who follow the long-term distressed investor, but it does have such pearls as the following: Read more of this post

Foreigners can only buy Malaysian properties costing RM1m and above from March 1

Updated: Friday February 28, 2014 MYT 5:18:58 PM

Foreigners can only buy properties costing RM1m and above from March 1

KUALA LUMPUR: The Guideline on the Acquisition of Properties by foreigners at the minimum threshold of RM1mil, as proposed in the Budget 2014, will take effect from March 1. Read more of this post

The Dark Side of Retirement

The Dark Side of Retirement

by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries  |   1:00 PM February 26, 2014

A retired CEO, Jerry was a sad, aging man who reflected constantly on the emptiness of his life. Listening to him, it became clear to me that he had never had any interests outside work. And the prospect of spending time at home with a partner who seemed to have turned into a stranger made him all the more depressed. Read more of this post

To Get Honest Feedback, Leaders Need to Ask

To Get Honest Feedback, Leaders Need to Ask

by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner  |   8:00 AM February 27, 2014

“The only way to discover your strengths,” wrote Peter Drucker, “is through feedback analysis.” No senior leader would dispute this as a logical matter. But nor do they act on it. Most leaders don’t really want honest feedback, don’t ask for it, and don’t get much of it unless it’s forced on them. At least that’s what we’ve discovered in our research. Read more of this post

A “Bad Dream” Can Make for Great New Ideas

A “Bad Dream” Can Make for Great New Ideas

by Simone Ahuja, Ranjan Banerjee and Neil Bendle  |   9:00 AM February 28, 2014

The CEO of an autonomous region for a multinational called with a problem. “We’re too successful,” he said. “We’re number one in the country, not only within my company but across the entire industry. Take your pick of the metric — profit, market share and customer satisfaction — we win.” Read more of this post

In an Age of Self-Promotion, Celebrating the Invisibles

In an Age of Self-Promotion, Celebrating the Invisibles

by David Zweig  |   1:21 PM February 28, 2014

Among the films nominated for an Oscar this Sunday, I am rooting for one in particular. Morgan Neville’s“Twenty Feet From Stardom”, a contender in the Best Documentary Feature category, is an examination of pop music’s backup singers, and launches its subjects, at least briefly, into the limelight. These artists have made crucial contributions to the oeuvres of some of the biggest names in music – The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Luther Vandross – but to most fans are completely anonymous. Read more of this post

Crew, the American fashion retailer beloved by Michelle Obama and actress Katie Holmes, could be sold to the Japanese clothing giant behind Uniqlo for between $4.5bn and $5bn

Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing moves for J Crew

J Crew, the US fashion retailer beloved by Michelle Obama and actress Katie Holmes, could be sold for $5bn (£3bn)

By Katherine Rushton

11:37PM GMT 28 Feb 2014

J Crew, the American fashion retailer beloved by Michelle Obama and actress Katie Holmes, could be sold to the Japanese clothing giant behind Uniqlo for between $4.5bn and $5bn (£3bn). Read more of this post

“CEOs are a bit like uranium. They have a definite half-life and if they stay around too long they can decay into something quite toxic.” Grandson of Sir Winston Churchill adds £250m to Serco’s market value

Aggreko boss Rupert Soames asked for Serco job

Grandson of Sir Winston Churchill adds £250m to Serco’s market value after calling headhunters to put himself forward for new job

image001-3 Read more of this post

Myanmar spring: ‘Look, listen, learn and leave’; Nation undergoing financial transformation

Updated: Saturday March 1, 2014 MYT 12:35:09 PM

Myanmar spring: ‘Look, listen, learn and leave’

BY TAN SRI LIN SEE-YAN

Nation undergoing financial transformation

THESE are early days still in Myanmar, the “final frontier.”

In the 30 months since the new regime assumed power, Myanmar has undergone a remarkable transformation. Rich in oil and gas and minerals, investors are equally interested in what Myanmar does not have, which is pretty well everything else. So far, change has come largely to the centre – Yangon. Around the periphery, home to numerous ethnic groups that make up two-fifths of the population, little has changed. Read more of this post

Banking on lace proves the right move for businesswoman

Updated: Saturday March 1, 2014 MYT 10:04:57 AM

Banking on lace proves the right move for businesswoman

BY ZIEMAN

Lace was once thought of as a status symbol that only the wealthy, nobles and royalty could afford to wear.

However, the popularity of lace ruffs, cuffs, and soft furnishings trimmed with lace grew over the years and the material is a lot more accesible these days. Read more of this post

Former teacher finds her passion in children’s reading material

Updated: Saturday March 1, 2014 MYT 10:00:20 AM

Former teacher finds her passion in children’s reading material

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Pursuing a passion: Tan says she could easily earn more money teaching English, but chooses to focus on selling children’s books instead. Read more of this post

Do it like a software developer; Can other workplaces learn from technology company practices?

February 26, 2014 3:41 pm

Do it like a software developer

By Lisa Pollack

Software developers: probably our new overlords. Or at least it can feel that way in our increasingly digital lives. The past few years have brought a steady flow of initiatives – such as the “Hour of Code”, the “Year of Code” and “Code Year” – that seek to make us all a bit more “developer”. Read more of this post

Apple software to drive smart Ferrari

February 28, 2014 10:15 pm

Apple software to drive smart Ferrari

By Henry Foy and Daniel Thomas in London

First the mobile phone, now the car. Having revolutionised personal communication Apple now wants to change the way we drive. Read more of this post

Regulators are coming under pressure to improve pre-flotation disclosure of information to investors, following this week’s controversial listing of AO World, when shares in the online retailer jumped 33% on its first day of trading

Last updated: February 28, 2014 10:05 pm

Regulators under pressure over AO listing

By Andrew Bolger, Andrea Felsted and David Oakley

Regulators are coming under pressure to improve pre-flotation disclosure of information to investors, following this week’s controversial listing of AO World, when shares in the online retailer jumped 33 per cent on its first day of trading. Read more of this post

Norway’s $840bn sovereign wealth fund turns net seller of stocks

February 28, 2014 2:41 pm

Norway’s oil fund turns net seller of stocks

By Richard Milne in Oslo

Norway’s oil fund was a net seller of equities in the fourth quarter for the first time in its history even as surging share prices pushed the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund to its second best annual performance. Read more of this post

Pimco: The man who replaced Mohamed; Doug Hodge speaks on his new role as chief of the world’s largest bond house

February 28, 2014 1:30 pm

Pimco: The man who replaced Mohamed

By Chris Newlands

Doug Hodge, the newly appointed chief executive of Pimco, the world’s largest bond manager, has taken the reins of a company in turmoil. Read more of this post

Apple’s television division, long dubbed a “hobby” by its executives, is now a billion-dollar business

Last updated: February 28, 2014 11:40 pm

Apple chief turns up TV ambitions

By Tim Bradshaw in Cupertino

Apple’s television division, long dubbed a “hobby” by its executives, is now a billion-dollar business, Tim Cook told investors at an annual meeting on Friday. Read more of this post

Fund risk ratings may not be all they seem; The growing use of “risk-rated” funds by advisers and platforms could lead to investors being pushed into a product which does not match their risk appetite, experts have warned.

February 28, 2014 5:27 pm

Fund risk ratings may not be all they seem

By Emma Dunkley

The growing use of “risk-rated” funds by advisers and platforms could lead to investors being pushed into a product which does not match their risk appetite, experts have warned. Read more of this post

How to invest like Warren Buffett

February 28, 2014 1:02 pm

How to invest like Warren Buffett

By Jonathan Eley

This weekend, legendary investor Warren Buffett will dispatch his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, as he has every year since 1965. Between that year and the end of 2012, the net asset value of Berkshire shares rose by 568,817 per cent, a compounded annual rate of 19.7 per cent with only two down years (2008 and 2001). But how can investors in the UK hope to replicate the Sage of Omaha’s success? Read more of this post

New enthusiasm for biotech

February 28, 2014 6:40 pm

New enthusiasm for biotech

By Andrew Ward, Pharmaceuticals Correspondent

A cure for cat allergies might not sound like the most promising starting point for the next stock market boom.

Yet many in the UK biotech industry are hoping the planned flotation this month of Circassia – a specialist in anti-allergy drugs – will mark the return to favour of a sector long shunned by British investors. Read more of this post