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Bloomberg Euro-area economic confidence extended its worst losing streak in a decade at the start of 2019 as member states faced a variety of domestic frailties and trade uncertainties. The European Commission’s economic sentiment index dropped more than economists forecast in January, reaching the lowest in more than two years. Pessimism spread in industry, services and retail trade, while the ...

Bloomberg UK lenders approved the fewest home loans in eight months in December and demand for unsecured debt remained subdued, Bank of England figures show. The slowdown reflects fears that Britain risks leaving the European Union without a deal, a scenario that could rock the property market. Consumer credit grew at its slowest annual pace in four years. UK mortgage ...

Bloomberg A new privacy bill proposed by Senator Marco Rubio, which would override more restrictive state laws, is winning support from a Washington-based technology trade group that counts Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Facebook Inc. and eBay Inc. as members. The Florida Republican’s legislation would impose a national privacy standard and supersede tougher data-protection regulations that will take effect in California in ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC on Tuesday reported net profit of AED4.840 billion for the fiscal year 2018, up 13% on year. The robust performance is supported by record operating income, optimal management of cost of funds and lower impairment charges, ADCB said in a press release on Tuesday. As a result of the Bank’s strong ...

SHARJAH / WAM GE and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation have reached a public-private partnership milestone by signing a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa), to develop, build and operate a 1.8 gigawatt (GW), combined cycle power plant in Hamriyah. Equipped with GE’s HA technology, including the world’s largest and most efficient heavy-duty gas ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The United Arab Emirates Central Bank (UAECB) and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (Sama) on Tuesday announced in a joint statement the launch of the common digital currency project ‘Aber’, which will be used in financial settlements between the two countries through Blockchains and Distributed Ledgers technologies. This comes under the framework of ‘Proof-of-Concept’, which can ...

Dubai / WAM Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), affiliated with DP World UAE Region – participated at Arab Health 2019, where it highlighted prospects for global healthcare majors in the region. The free zone is home to more than 160 healthcare and pharmaceutical companies from over 38 countries and accounted for over 30 percent of Dubai’s total trade value for ...

Bloomberg Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro may wonder whether President Donald Trump is trying to rattle him. On Monday, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton entered a press briefing on new Venezuela sanctions with a yellow legal pad, accidentally — or not —turned to face gathered reporters and photographers. On the pad appeared a hand-written note: “Afghanistan —welcome the talks. ...

Bloomberg Apple Inc.’s main assemblers are shifting more output to India and Southeast Asia as trade tensions threaten to escalate costs in their longstanding production base of China. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, known also as Foxconn, said over the weekend it’s investing more than $200 million in India and Vietnam. Smaller rival Pegatron Corp. said it’s moved to Indonesia ...

Bloomberg Investors locked into holding newly-listed Hong Kong stocks could only watch as last year’s bear market ate away at their returns. The shackles will soon be off. Xiaomi Corp saw a wave of selling after its lockup period — when key investors are banned from selling stock — ended three weeks ago. Similar restriction terms are due to end ...