Bloomberg China will join a group including the US and the European Union in negotiating new rules to cover the $25 trillion e-commerce market. The EU and 47 other members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) launched the discussions, according to a statement. If successful, a digital trade accord hashed out through the Geneva-based trade body would establish a baseline ...
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Starbucks growth in China keeps investors happy
Bloomberg As China goes, so goes Starbucks. The chain, which helped introduce Americans to European coffee culture, is under pressure from Wall Street to do the same in China. It’s opening stores at a rate of nearly 600 a year, but an economic slowdown there, exacerbated by the trade war with the US, have curbed its previously breakneck sales growth. ...
Read More »Postponing Brexit may leave UK worse off than May’s deal
Bloomberg The prospect of a delayed Brexit may be pushing up the pound, but it’s not the best news for the UK economy. Sterling has rallied above $1.30 this week amid increasing signs of support from lawmakers across Parliament for extending the negotiating period set to expire on March 29. While that would remove the imminent possibility of a chaotic ...
Read More »US jobless claims fall to 49-year low
Bloomberg Filings for US unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level since 1969, signalling the labour market remains tight. Jobless claims declined 13,000 to 199,000 in the week ended January 19, bucking economist forecasts for an increase, Labor Department figures showed. The four-week average, a less-volatile measure, decreased to 215,000, the lowest since early November. The surprise drop ...
Read More »California utilities risk junk-debt status as PG&E unravels
Bloomberg California’s utilities could get closer to junk-bond status as PG&E Corp’s collapse highlights the hazards of wildfire liability in the state. Edison International’s Southern California Edison Co as well as Sempra Energy’s San Diego Gas & Electric Co were downgraded by S&P Global Ratings. The credit grader cited the continued risk of climate change crises and the absence of ...
Read More »UAE views sustainability as a ‘global priority’: Al Tayer
Dubai / WAM The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy released on Wednesday the fifth ‘State of Green Economy Report’ during a ceremony at the Etihad Museum in Dubai. The 2019 edition was compiled by the Council in collaboration with the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence, and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa). It highlights the key achievements of active institutions ...
Read More »Ahmed bin Saeed attends Sita regional 2019 launch
Dubai / WAM His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, on Wednesday attended the opening of Sita 2019 for the Middle East, India and Africa region (MEIA), at the JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai. Sheikh Ahmed witnessed Sita’s business objectives and outlook for ...
Read More »UAE, Canada sign deal to boost cooperation in clean energy
Abu Dhabi / WAM Khalifa University of Science and Technology, the Abu Dhabi Transmission and Dispatch company (Transco) and the Manitoba Hydro International (MHI) of Canada, on Wednesday signed a collaboration agreement for building an industrial-level software to monitor, predict, and interact with network operators in real time and enable renewable energy integration with the UAE power system. The agreement ...
Read More »Enec marks 50mn safe work hours at Barakah
Abu Dhabi / WAM The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec), held a special ceremony at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant to celebrate the achievement of 50 million safe work hours. The accomplishment reflects Enec’s commitment to the highest standards of safety and quality and is the result of its continuous workplace safety improvement programmes. Mohamed Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer ...
Read More »Ghosn arrest triggers a reckoning at Nissan
Bloomberg Carlos Ghosn’s arrest is triggering a reckoning at the Japanese carmaker he once saved from near bankruptcy, with Nissan Motor Co reviewing its global operations and relationships with key dealers as part of an expanding investigation into the auto titan’s alleged misdeeds, people familiar with the matter said. Hundreds of people — including regional and legal compliance teams as ...
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