AFP China could waste as much as half a trillion dollars on unnecessary new coal-fired power stations, a climate campaign group said on Monday, arguing the world’s top carbon polluter already has more than enough such facilities. The Asian giant’s rise to become the world’s second largest economy was largely powered by cheap, dirty coal. But as growth slows, ...
Read More »News
Uber, Ola services close to regulatory clearance in India
Bloomberg India is set to clear the ride-hailing services of Uber Technologies Inc. and Ola by issuing guidelines to make them legal, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The companies will need to get the software used to calculate fares validated while keeping their luxury car category outside tariff rules, the person said, asking to not ...
Read More »Export gains to boost Japan GDP growth
Bloomberg Japan’s economy will grow 1 percent next year before slowing to a 0.8 percent expansion in 2018, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said in a global economic outlook released on Monday. A rebound in international trade will help drive Japan’s export growth higher over the next two years, supporting business investment as fiscal stimulus fades, the ...
Read More »India’s tractor maker to help ryots amid note ban
Bloomberg India’s biggest tractor maker said it will extend assistance to farmers affected by the banknote crisis to tide them over the planting season. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. will help farmers with servicing for their tractors, buying of seeds and give some leeway on loans and advances, Managing Director Pawan Goenka said in an interview last week. “While loss ...
Read More »Australia strikes deal on ‘backpacker tax’
AFP Foreigners in Australia on working holidays face paying a 15 percent levy on every dollar they earn after the government on Monday compromised on a controversial “backpacker taxâ€, dumping plans for a higher rate. Canberra had initially sought a revenue-raising 32.5 percent tax for seasonal workers from January 1 under a proposal first flagged in the 2015 budget, ...
Read More »Brexit impact on economy to be less harsh than anticipated
Bloomberg Brexit is going to cause the British economy to slow less than originally thought, according to the OECD. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development revised up its UK growth forecasts to 2 percent from 1.8 percent this year, and to 1.2 percent from 1 percent in 2017, according to its November Economic Outlook. An inflation-induced pinch ...
Read More »Tata Steel inks deal for talks on UK asset sale
London / AFP India’s Tata Steel said on Monday that it has agreed to start exclusive talks for the sale of its speciality steel assets to metal processing firm Liberty House. The unit, which has activities mostly in Britain but also in China, employs 1,700 people and produces specialised steel for the aerospace and automotive industries, as well as ...
Read More »Deliveroo riders take legal action for workers’ rights
London / AFP Riders for the British food courier service Deliveroo are taking legal action on Monday to demand workers’ rights in a new challenge to the so-called gig economy. In a test case that follows a court victory by Uber cab drivers, the application is being made by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain on behalf of ...
Read More »Giant new dome to guard Chernobyl power plant
Chernobyl / AFP The world’s largest metal moveable structure will be unveiled on Tuesday over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s doomed fourth reactor in Ukraine to ensure the safety of future generations across Europe. The giant arch — nearly as long as two football pitches and taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty — will edge into place over ...
Read More »Volkswagen sketches new upper midsize car
FRANKFURT / AP Volkswagen is coming out with a new model that will add to its offerings of larger cars in the United States, where its market share has lagged the competition. The German company released a sketch on Monday of the Arteon, a four-door with a sloping roofline. It is to be unveiled at the Geneva auto show ...
Read More »