Saturday , 20 December 2025

News

Asian economies set to dominate 7% growth rate club during 2020s

Bloomberg The 2020s are set to be the Asian decade, with the continent dominating an exclusive list of economies expected to sustain growth rates of around 7%. India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar and the Philippines should all meet that benchmark, according to a research note on Sunday from Madhur Jha, Standard Chartered’s India-based head of thematic research, and Global Chief Economist …

Read More »

US gives China one month for trade deal as talks deadlocked

Bloomberg US President Donald Trump’s administration told China it has a month to seal a trade deal or face tariffs on all its exports to the US, even as both sides sought to avoid a public breakdown in negotiations despite a developing stalemate. The threat was made during talks in Washington, hours after Trump upped the ante by imposing a …

Read More »

Yemen’s Houthi rebels begin withdrawal from key ports

Bloomberg Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have started to withdraw from the Red Sea port city of Hodiedah, a key lifeline for food and supplies, months after the UN brokered a pact to spare it from a prolonged conflict. The rebels said they were also withdrawing from ports of Salif and Ras Eisa, in line with a UN announcement about their …

Read More »

Oil short-selling hits 8-month high as US-China talks darken outlook

Bloomberg Pessimism is back in vogue in the oil markets, as investors bet sputtering trade talks and swelling US output can kill crude’s rally. Hedge funds lifted bearish bets on West Texas Intermediate crude by 39%, the biggest short-selling surge in more than eight months. Meanwhile, bets on a rally retreated for the second straight week. Crude futures slipped to …

Read More »

Oil slips near 5-week low as trade fear offsets supply risk

Bloomberg Oil traded near a five-week low as concern over supply losses from Iran to Russia were offset by high American stockpiles and fears that if US-China trade talks fail it could dent global demand. Futures erased earlier gains to fall as much as 0.5 percent in New York after a 1.4 percent plunge. Russian tankers continue to hold Urals …

Read More »

UAE, Uzbekistan activate strategic partnership pact

DUBAI / WAM Joint task forces comprising representatives of the governments of the UAE and Uzbekistan held a four-day series of meetings and workshops to discuss 17 areas of cooperation in modernising government work. The workshops’ agenda falls within the framework of an official visit of a high-level Uzbek government delegation to the UAE, aimed at activating a strategic partnership …

Read More »

Bahrain plans first bond since $10 billion lifeline

Bloomberg Bahrain is planning to return to international bond markets this year for first time since the kingdom’s Gulf allies pledged a $10 billion package to help repair its finances and support its currency, according to people familiar with the matter. Government officials are in talks with banks for a possible issuance in the second half of the year and …

Read More »

Trade war wiped out $21bn for materials investors in two days

Bloomberg How bad is the trade war for materials investors? How about nearly $21 billion lost in two days. The S&P 500 Materials Index fell about 3.2 percent against the close after President Trump threatened to raise tariffs on billions of dollars of imports from China. The total value lost for the index totalled about $21 billion, according to Bloomberg …

Read More »

Investment banks TNI, Arqaam weigh merger

Bloomberg Dubai-based Arqaam Capital Ltd. and Abu Dhabi’s The National Investor are weighing a possible merger, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The investment banks are in talks about a combination that would create an entity with an equity value of about $250 million, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the …

Read More »

Saudi Aramco to supply extra crude to hungry Asian buyers

Bloomberg Saudi Arabia is set to supply more crude to oil-starved Asian refiners, and extract a heavy price for it. State-run producer Saudi Aramco will sell additional cargoes to customers in the world’s biggest oil-consuming region for June loading, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The shipments will be on top of those scheduled under long-term crude contracts, …

Read More »