Bloomberg Indian equities closed mixed with traders cautious ahead of a public holiday and a US interest rate decision. Key stock indexes had gained in the previous seven days to more than six-month highs. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex swung at least twelve times between losses and gains before ending the day up 0.1 percent at 38,386.75 in Mumbai. The …

NEW YORK / WAM The UAE was ranked first in the Arab region in the World Happiness Report (WHR) for the fifth consecutive year. According to a statement issued by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), which produces the World Happiness Report, “In 2016, the United Arab Emirates committed to implementing a happiness and wellbeing policy agenda within …

Bloomberg Oil’s rally stuttered as uncertainty over the status of trade negotiations between the US and China stoked concerns over global economic growth. Futures for May fell as much as 1.2 percent in New York. China was said to be pushing back against American demands, raising speculation that trade tensions between the world’s biggest economies will persist. Still, the price …

Bloomberg German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it’s up to Deutsche Bank AG and Commerzbank AG executives to decide if their historic merger plans make sense, exposing divisions in the coalition. The plan to combine Germany’s two biggest lenders is a private business matter, Merkel said at the Global Solutions summit in Berlin, after the lenders announced talks on a deal …

Bloomberg Pakistan’s central bank sees inflation behaving well in the next financial year beginning July, but will stand ready to use monetary policy tools after the most aggressive interest rate tightening in Asia last year, its governor said. Consumer price growth will be anchored by low food inflation, State Bank of Pakistan Governor Tariq Bajwa said in an interview. While …

Bloomberg Norway’s central bank is leaving its closest peers behind. Policy makers in Scandinavia’s richest economy are this week expected to raise interest rates to their highest level in almost four years. The step will mark a second hike since September, helping to cap inflation in western Europe’s biggest oil exporter. Backed by oil income that pumps massive amounts of …

Bloomberg The Bank of Thailand left its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Wednesday, as expected, providing policy stability to investors days before the nation’s first election since a military coup five years ago. The Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to hold its policy rate at 1.75 percent, the Bank of Thailand said in a statement on Wednesday, in line with …

Bloomberg UBS Group AG was fined a record 28 million pounds ($37 million) by a UK regulator for failings related to 136 million transaction reports between 2007 and 2017. UBS didn’t provide complete and accurate information in connection with about 87 million reportable transactions, and filed reports on another 49 million that weren’t required, the Financial Conduct Authority said in …

Bloomberg The Bank of Italy’s second-highest official is said to have told staff that he won’t be available for a new term, according to two people familiar with the situation, a further development in the tense relations between the central bank and the populist government. Director General Salvatore Rossi told staff in a letter that he will leave as soon …

Bloomberg Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA’s reliance on the fuel-saving Boeing Co 737 Max to underpin its ultra low-cost trans-Atlantic strategy has exposed the loss-making carrier as the most vulnerable in Europe to the worldwide grounding of the plane. Norwegian was among the earliest adopters of the new narrow-body, using its extra range to launch services on Europe-US routes traditionally dominated …