1 Smartphones may be cause for low inflation
(Khaleej Times) Americans' love of their smartphones and apps may be
contributing to the sluggish pace of inflation that is worrying Wall Street and
the Federal Reserve, a top bond manager at BlackRock, the world's biggest asset
manager, said.
Consumers are relying less and less on devices such
as cameras, radios and televisions, and services such as taxis and stores,
replacing them with programs in their iPhones and other high-end phones,
according to Rick Rieder, BlackRock's chief investment officer of global fixed
income.
Companies like Amazon.com, Netflix and Uber
Technologies have enticed consumers with convenience and low prices through
their phones. As a result, they have upended traditional retailers,
entertainment outlets and transportation services, Rieder said in an article.
Some of the recent pullback in inflation also
stemmed from lower energy prices resulting from global oversupply, analysts
said. The recent softening of inflation has raised speculation on the timing on
the US central bank's next rate increase. A few policymakers including Evans
have said it may be worthwhile for the Fed to wait until year-end before
considering another rate hike.
2 Qatar Airways seeks 10% in American Airlines (Gulf
News) State-owned Qatar Airways is attempting to buy a 10 per cent stake in
American Airlines, triggering US antitrust oversight of deals that size.
American said in a regulatory filing that the bid
was unsolicited, but that the CEOs of both airlines have spoken. Qatar submitted
a filing under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, which is subject to review by the
Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
American and Qatar are already members of the
Oneworld marketing alliance, which allows passengers to earn and redeem points
on each other’s flights. An expanded partnership could make it easier for
American passengers to get to smaller cities in India, and developing countries
in Southeast Asia.
3 Divorce rate falls as couples wait (Johannesburg
Times/The Telegraph) Analysis suggests the plummeting divorce rate is partly
being driven by sensible couples who are now more likely to wait longer before
they marry.
New figures from the UK Office of National
Statistics show that in 2015 101,055 couples divorced, the lowest number since
1971. The number of opposite-sex couples divorcing fell by more than a third
between 2003 and 2015 and by 9.1% between 2014 and 2015, the biggest drop in
more than 40 years.
The report says: "Age at marriage is considered
to be linked to the risk of divorce with those marrying in their teens and
early 20s being at greater risk of divorce."
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