WORLD NEWS
RECOGNITION “I have determined that it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. I am also directing the State Department to begin preparations to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.” — DONALD TRUMP, U.S. President U.S.
CHINA
Apple To Design Its Own Power Chips
Volkswagen, JAC Motors Teaming Up
German automaker Volkswagen AG is joining hands with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co Ltd (JAC Motors) to develop and sell commercial vehicles in China in an effort to grab a slice of the segment that is growing rapidly in the world’s largest car market. The two companies will build a 50:50 joint venture in Hefei, Anhui province, where JAC Motors is headquartered, according to a memorandum of understanding signed on Monday. Volkswagen said the partnership will involve a full range of cooperation covering research, development and sales of multifunctional vehiclesboth powered by internal combustion engines and new energy ones. As the best-selling carmaker in China, Volkswagen and its joint ventures delivered some 2.9 million cars in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in the first three quarters of this year, up 1.4 percent year-on-year.
Apple Inc is designing its own main power management chips for use in iPhones as early as in 2018, the Nikkei business daily reported. Apple’s move would reduce its dependence onDialogSemiconductorPlc,thatmakespowermanagement chips for smartphone makers.
VLADIMIR PUTIN and XI JINPING RUSSIA
Russia-China Trade May Reach $66bn In 2017 Russia-China Trade May Reach $66bn In 2017 The volume of trade between Russia and China is growing and has already reached $61.6 billion in the first nine months of 2017, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two countries have set a goal to boost trade to $80 billion by 2018 and $200 billion by 2020. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said preferential trade rules are being considered, which would increase the use of national currencies in settlements. In 2014, the Russian and Chinese central banks signed a threeyear ruble-yuan currency swap deal worth up to $25 billion, aimed at boosting trade and lessen dependence on the US dollar and euro. Russia’s largest lender, Sberbank became the first bank in the country to start issuing credit guarantees denominated in Chinese yuan. Moscow and Beijing plan to extend the swap deal and are looking to increase the use of domestic currencies in trade. In May, the countries established a Russian-Chinese investment fund worth 68 billion yuan (over $10 billion) to develop trade, economic investment, and scientific cooperation.
“Based on Apple’s current plan, they are set to replace partially, or around half of its power management chips to go into iPhones by itself starting next year,” a source said, according to the Nikkei report. Shares of the Anglo-German chipmaker fell 7.2 per cent, while Apple’s shares were up marginally in premarket trading. Source: Reuters
10 SOCIAL-MEDIA TRENDS TO PREPARE FOR IN 2018
BRAZIL
Entrusters Peer-To-Peer Shopping Platform Expands In Brazil Entrusters is a peer-to-peer shopping platform aimed at disrupting the global shopping and shipping model. American expatriate in Rio, Brandon Collier, has been the director of operations for the start-up since 2015 and is excited to see the business continue to grow in Brazil. Entrusters defines itself as a platform changing the way people shop and travel the world. Shoppers around the globe can use the platform to order BRANDON COLLIER everyday retail products, and the Entrusters community of users earns money buying and delivering those items as they travel. So far the Entrusters marketplace has taken millions of dollars in orders, according to Wesley McRae, co-founder and CEO. Describing how he got involved in Entrusters, Collier shares, “It’s funny, the business model for Entrusters was something I was engaged in long before even joining the startup at the end of 2015. If you are an expat or travel internationally to places where family or friends live, you undoubtedly have too!”
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Next year, social media is poised to create even more disruption as a number of new technological advancements go mainstream, and as social norms related to social media change. Here are the top 10 social media trends to prepare for as 2018 draws near.
1. Rise of augmented reality 2. Increasing popularity of Instagram Stories 3. Continued investment in influencer marketing 4. Focus on Generation Z (the oldest Gen Zers are 22 years old) 5. Increasing brand participation in messaging platforms 6. Expansion of live streaming 7. Rethinking Twitter 8. Digital hangouts go mainstream 9. Facebook Spaces goes mainstream 10. Social platforms embrace stronger governance policies