Holiday Season Links – 3rd Jan 2014

After a brief stint on Star trek Cumberbatch is Sherlock again.

And in other news..

Global/Macro/Markets

• Thousands of companies around the world reveal the state of the global economy – BI
• Gold Rebounds With Silver After Worst Annual Retreats Since 1981 – Bloomberg
• As 2014 Dawns, Fortunes Hinge on Central Bankers – WSJ
• Baselines still useless, a reminder – Mattbruenig
• A Few Brave Investors Scored Huge, Market-Beating Wins – WSJ
• Bond investors braced for new year shock – FT
• Surprises From 25 Years Covering the Economy for @WSJ – WSJ

Australia & New Zealand

• Blow for Woodside’s Browse LNG project as Japanese partners pull out – SMH , Ooopsie!!
  
• 4 Ways The Australian Gambling Industry Quietly Hit The Jackpot This Year – Global Mail
• Tax breaks accelerate cheap sports car sales – AFR
• Australia, ‘hostage to climate change madness’? To say so is madness indeed – Guardian
• Woodside pushes ahead with Browse sales – Sky News
• Westpac completes Lloyds acquisition – Sky News
• What’s the big deal? M&A that will excite boards (and banks) – AFR
• Super funds reap best return in 13 years – AFR
• Housing market’s best result in four years – TheOz

Europe

• Eurozone manufacturing on the rebound – Markit Economics
• Looking good for Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain. But not the French
• Optimism over rise in Dublin house prices – Irish Times
• UK manufacturing growth remains strong – BBC
• Greek wind power market picks up again – Ekathimerini
• Eurozone rate divergence disappoints ECB – FT
• There Goes The Turkish Lira Again – BI
• Restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian migrants lifted; German coalition partners in battle over proposals to restrict access to benefits – Open Europe

Asia

• Hyundai, Kia face fading growth as currency tides buoy Japan rivals – Reuters
• Singapore GDP disappoints at +4.4% – FT
• Japan risks threat to global peace by rekindling militaristic spirit of Second World War, senior Chinese official warns – Telegraph
• Indonesia PMI solid – Markit Economics
• China to open high speed rail link to North Korean border in 2015 – Reuters
• Economists React: China’s Manufacturing Sector Runs Into Trouble – WSJ
• Bhutan hoping for happiness with hydropower – FT
• Pollution Threatens China’s Food Security – The Diplomat
• China’s growth and manufacturing output decline as property prices soar – Guardian
• Billions Vanish in Kazakh Banking Scandal – WSJ
• Kazakhstan’s BTA Bank sues former chairman for embezzlement, sparking his flight from UK – WSJ

Americas

• Chicago Killings Cost $2.5 Billion as Murders Top N.Y.’s – Bloomberg
• Chinese iron trade fuels port clash with Mexican drug cartel – Reuters
• US refineries’ production hits a record; reasons for the increase misunderstood – Sober Look
• Fiat, in Deal With Union, Will Buy Rest of Chrysler – NYT
• Marijuana shops open in Colorado – France 24 , Reuters
• Scarred U.S. consumers a hard sell for traditional retail – Reuters
• Human Behavior Trove Lures Economists to U.S. Tech Titans – Bloomberg

Other/Interesting

• Here’s why Google is building a robot army – Io9
• 36 Signs The Media Is Lying To You About How Fukushima Radiation Is Affecting The West Coast – Freedom Outpost
• How to do social media, James Blunt style – Herald Sun
• Jaw-dropping photo of 160,000 Syrians forced to live in Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan – Twit pics
• Live heatwave tracker: Interactive animation shows temperatures around Australia – ABC
• Triathlons, exams and the allure of tough pursuits – FT
• What We Learned About Human Origins In 2013 Will Blow Your Mind – Huffington Post
• World’s climate warming faster than feared, scientists say – Telegraph
• The Madness of the Planets – Nautilus
• Edward Snowden, Whistle-Blower – NYT