China’s shadow banks at risk of a property crash; Capital outflows and falling property values could create cascading losses; “Everyone focuses on the government’s ability, not its willingness, for bailouts. We are all too complacent.”

China’s shadow banks at risk of a property crash

By Henny Sender

Capital outflows and falling property values could create cascading losses Read more of this post

Paradox awaits a Prime Minister Modi; Success with the economy demands a readiness to wield power

The paradox that awaits a Prime Minister Modi

By Arvind Subramanian

Success with the economy demands a readiness to wield power, writes Arvind Subramanian Read more of this post

Debt troubles within the Great Wall; Credit cannot outgrow GDP forever, even in China. The question is how it will stop

Last updated: April 1, 2014 6:58 pm

Debt troubles within the Great Wall

image001By Martin Wolf

Credit cannot outgrow GDP forever, even in China. The question is how it will stop Read more of this post

Factoring in China’s Machinery Maker Blues; Chinese heavy equipment maker Zoomlion is suffering as customers delay making good on what they’ve bought. Now the banks want a piece too

Factoring in China’s Machinery Maker Blues

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ABHEEK BHATTACHARYA

Updated April 1, 2014 5:40 a.m. ET

At the foundation of China’s investment-driven economy lies concrete. So it doesn’t bode well that the makers of concrete and other construction equipment continue to suffer. Read more of this post

Apple and Samsung are again squaring off in the legal ring. But this is a sideshow. The more pressing issue is that the days of easy money in the smartphone business are over

Apple, Samsung Prize the Fight

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DAN GALLAGHER

April 1, 2014 3:36 p.m. ET

Apple AAPL +0.91% and Samsung are again squaring off in the legal ring. It may be time to shake hands and call it a draw. Read more of this post

Dubai Rides Boom With an Eye on Bubble; Some Voice Concern About a Repeat of 2009

Dubai Rides Boom With an Eye on Bubble

Some Voice Concern About a Repeat of 2009

NICOLAS PARASIE

April 1, 2014 7:23 p.m. ET

Last year, when Emaar Properties put a new Dubai residential project on the market, demand was so intense that police eventually had to intervene to control the chaos outside the company’s offices. Read more of this post

U.S. regulators will resume a year long quest to get audit firms to tell investors more about the companies they examine

Improving Audit Reports Is Focus of Hearing

MICHAEL RAPOPORT

April 1, 2014 8:28 p.m. ET

U.S. regulators this week will resume a yearslong quest to get audit firms to tell investors more about the companies they examine. It won’t be easy. Read more of this post

Amazon Will Now Allow Returns Using Lockers

Amazon Will Now Allow Returns Using Lockers

GREG BENSINGER

Amazon.com has quietly rolled out a new service to let customers return unwanted merchandise using large metal lockers it has installed for deliveries in garages, convenience and grocery stores in major metropolitan areas. Read more of this post

The Hottest Corporate Fad: Pay CEOs to Find Successors; No one likes giving up the power, privileges and perks of the corner office. So, some boards have begun paying chief executives extra to replace themselves

The Hottest Corporate Fad: Pay CEOs to Find Successors

Intel, EMC, Avnet, Terex Reward Leaders for Preparing to Pass the Baton

JOANN S. LUBLIN

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No one likes giving up the power, privileges and perks of the corner office. So, some boards have begun paying chief executives extra to replace themselves. Read more of this post

Windows XP: Old Platforms Die Hard, Security Risks Live On; Utilities, Banks Have Been Slow to Upgrade Machines, ATMs

Windows XP: Old Platforms Die Hard, Security Risks Live On

Utilities, Banks Have Been Slow to Upgrade Machines, ATMs

RACHAEL KING and DANNY YADRON

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Some 300 million computers, including many that manage water, electric and sewage treatment plants and ATMs, will soon be left unprotected from new security threats. Read more of this post

Manufacturers Scale Back Australia Operations

29 MINS AGOBUSINESS

Manufacturers Scale Back Australia Operations

Just two months after Toyota Motor Corp.–the last major carmaker in Australia–announced plans to pack up, oil giant BP PLC and cigarette-maker Philip Morris International Inc. said they were also scaling back their Australian operations. Read more of this post

Kakao., maker of South Korea’s dominant mobile messaging service, said its earnings grew more than tenfold last year, offering a potential business model for social platforms like WhatsApp

Kakao Records Tenfold 2013 Profit Rise Amid IPO Preparations

JONATHAN CHENG and MIN-JEONG LEE

SEOUL—Kakao Corp., maker of South Korea’s dominant mobile messaging service, said its earnings grew more than tenfold last year, offering a potential business model for social platforms like WhatsApp Inc., as investors question whether such companies can turn their swelling user bases into profits. Read more of this post

New Spore: National serviceman’s suicide: Lapses by army unit more widespread than thought

NSF suicide: Lapses more widespread than thought

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Monday, April 14, 2014 – 07:00

Ronald Loh

The New Paper

SINGAPORE – A Coroner’s Inquiry into a full-time national serviceman’s suicide last July found that his army unit had lapses in managing his schizophrenia. Read more of this post

IMF Introduces ‘Spillbacks’ Into Lexicon of Global Finance Officials

Apr 12, 2014

IMF Introduces ‘Spillbacks’ Into Lexicon of Global Finance Officials

IAN TALLEY

The world’s premier financial counselor is trying to coin a new word for finance ministers and central bankers: “spillbacks.” Read more of this post

Vietnam’s FPT Aims to Fill IT Skills Gap; FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh Talks About the Demand for Outsourcing, Plan to Form Ties With Top Tech Firms

Vietnam’s FPT Aims to Fill IT Skills Gap

FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh Talks About the Demand for Outsourcing, Plan to Form Ties With Top Tech Firms

NGUYEN PHAM MUOI

April 13, 2014 2:36 p.m. ET

HANOI—As businesses across the world seek to reduce technology costs by outsourcing, FPT Corp. Chairman Truong Gia Binh believes his company, and Vietnam, are perfectly placed to meet demand for computer scientists. Read more of this post

Splintered Indonesia Election Results Could Block Economic Reform

Splintered Indonesia Election Results Could Block Economic Reform

National Democratic Party Pledges Support for Democratic Party of Struggle

I MADE SENTANABen Otto and

April 13, 2014 5:52 a.m. ET

JAKARTA, Indonesia—The splintered parliament and the coalition government likely to result from Indonesia’s legislative elections this week dim chances for quick and sweeping reforms of Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Read more of this post

Using Free Wi-Fi to Connect Africa’s Unconnected; Kenya’s Safaricom Outfits City Buses, Rural Markets to Get Consumers Hooked on Mobile Internet

Using Free Wi-Fi to Connect Africa’s Unconnected

Kenya’s Safaricom Outfits City Buses, Rural Markets to Get Consumers Hooked on Mobile Internet

HEIDI VOGT

Updated April 13, 2014 4:52 p.m. ET

NAIROBI, Kenya—As young pitchmen shout to potential passengers over blaring music, a graffiti-covered private minibus fills up more quickly than the other dozen in the scrum. It has free Wi-Fi. Read more of this post

Superannuation: Retirees poorly served by system, says Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research

Superannuation: Retirees poorly served by system, says Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research

April 13, 2014 – 11:57PM

Peter Martin

So poorly are retirees served by the super system that Australia’s leading longevity research organisation is suggesting the government step in and offer policies of its own through Australia Post. Read more of this post

Hong Kong’s Family-Owned Banks on Different Paths for Now

Hong Kong’s Family-Owned Banks on Different Paths for Now

ENDA CURRAN

April 1, 2014 7:12 a.m. ET

Two of Hong Kong’s three remaining family-owned banks are taking divergent paths. As one banking dynasty sells out, another is raising capital to grow its bank, signaling that it has no intention to sell for now. Read more of this post

India’s Supreme Court ordered Samsung Group’s chairman Lee Kun-hee to come to India to face criminal charges

India’s Top Court Orders Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee to Surrender

Mr. Lee Given Six Weeks to Appear Before Court in Uttar Pradesh

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R. JAI KRISHNA

April 2, 2014 5:04 a.m. ET Read more of this post

Huawei Founder: Company Is Like BMW

Apr 1, 2014

Huawei Founder: Company Is Like BMW

JURO OSAWA

When people hear about China’s Huawei Technologies, German car maker BMWBMW.XE +1.38% probably never comes to mind. Read more of this post

Southwest Airlines, Once a Brassy Upstart, Is Showing Its Age

Southwest Airlines, Once a Brassy Upstart, Is Showing Its Age

Carrier Copes With Labor Strife, High Costs; Some Pine for Days of Co-Founder Herb Kelleher

JACK NICAS and SUSAN CAREY

April 1, 2014 10:38 p.m. ET

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CHICAGO—At Midway Airport here on Jan. 2, Southwest Airlines Co. LUV +1.40%canceled a third of its flights, lost 7,500 bags and, at one point, had 66 aircraft on the ground—about twice as many as the carrier has gates. Passengers were stuck on the tarmac late into the night. Read more of this post

Chinese Investors Change Face of Dubai

Chinese Investors Change Face of Dubai

Investment by Individual Chinese Investors Nearly Tripled Last Year

RORY JONES

Updated April 1, 2014 7:06 p.m. ET

About 15 miles from the Burj Khalifa on the edge of the Arabian desert is a growing housing and retail community that would look more at home in Beijing than Dubai: Stores and restaurants have Chinese signs and a huge dragon sculpture adorns the Dragon Mart shopping mall. Read more of this post

Airline Industry Warms to Costly Real-Time Tracking After Flight 370

Airline Industry Warms to Costly Real-Time Tracking After Flight 370

ANDY PASZTOR and JON OSTROWER

Updated April 2, 2014 12:25 a.m. ET

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines 3786.KU 0.00% Flight 370 is prompting leaders of the global airline industry to warm up to a safety measure they long have resisted as too expensive: real-time satellite tracking of practically all airliners. Read more of this post

Scientists publish ‘navigation maps’ for human genome

Scientists publish ‘navigation maps’ for human genome

Wed, Mar 26 2014

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) – A large international team of scientists has built the clearest picture yet of how human genes are regulated in the vast array of cell types in the body – work that should help researchers target genes linked to disease. Read more of this post

Mining bosses doubt private equity investors can strike gold

Mining bosses doubt private equity investors can strike gold

2:03pm EDT

By Silvia Antonioli and Dmitry Zhdannikov

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) – Private equity firms, which have been showing an increased interest in investing in the mining industry, will have a hard time even if they are betting on recovery in the longer term, the bosses of Anglo American (AAL.L: QuoteProfileResearchStock Buzz) and Glencore Xstrata (GLEN.L:QuoteProfileResearchStock Buzz) said on Tuesday. Read more of this post

Home-grown nuts firm Tai Sun has an annual turnover of over $40m

Business built from nuts

Wednesday, Apr 02, 2014

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Rebecca Lynne Tan

The Straits Times

An unassuming woman with short salon-set hair, whose only accessories are a pair of simple but classic pearl earrings, greets you with a smile as you enter the office of nuts and snacks specialist Tai Sun (Lim Kee) Food Industries in Pandan Loop. Read more of this post

Singapore club Ku De Ta shareholders fight over sales proceeds in LVMH’s $100m takeove ; founder Chris Au allged to divert company’s resources to his other businesses, and alleged non-payment of at least $8.21 million in dividends

Ku De Ta shareholders fight over sales proceeds

Wednesday, Apr 02, 2014

Grace Leong

The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – The ink had barely dried on a $100 million-plus takeover of swish Singapore club Ku De Ta when its shareholders began waging a legal battle over the distribution of proceeds. Read more of this post

Paraplegic walks tall with bionic backpack; A state-of-the-art device called “ReWalk”, which can help those with paraplegia learn how to walk, may soon be available in Australia

Paraplegic walks tall with bionic backpack

April 1, 2014

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Kate Hagan

A state-of-the-art device called “ReWalk”, which can help those with paraplegia learn how to walk, may soon be available in Australia. Read more of this post

How to keep the flies from biting: dress as a zebra

How to keep the flies from biting: dress as a zebra

April 2, 2014 – 11:00AM

Miranda Prynne

Wearing striped clothing could help protect holidaymakers from insect bites, as this is the reason why zebras are black and white, scientists say. Read more of this post