Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co. is going after its rivals’ best customers by matching the elite-flyer status of some passengers on other US carriers. Members of Southwest’s Rapid Rewards loyalty program who prove upper-tier standing at other airlines will be upgraded to the carrier’s “A-List” for 90 days. Those who qualify can earn an additional 12 months on the list by …

Bloomberg The world’s biggest furniture retailer is figuring out how to pursue ambitious climate goals without losing out economically. Ikea, the Swedish company known for making smart, inexpensive furniture that stands little chance of becoming a family heirloom, wants people to hold on to its pieces for longer. To that end, the company intends to broaden the services it provides …

DUBAI / WAM DMCC welcomed Islamic Bank of Afghanistan as the newest member of its DMCC Tradeflow platform, a dedicated online platform for registering possession and ownership of commodities stored in UAE-based storage facilities. The collaboration will enable the bank to carry out Sharia-compliant Murabaha transactions using DMCC platform to take multi-currency trades from across the globe. DMCC Tradeflow has …

Bloomberg With financial backing from the US government, solar developer Gigawatt Global Cooperatief UA signed a deal with the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States to build $1 billion of renewable energy projects in the region. The US is supporting the project through its Power Africa initiative set up in 2013 under President Barack Obama’s administration, a program that …

Bloomberg Venezuela wrote to fellow OPEC members urging them to unite against US sanctions, echoing a similar letter from Iran, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The two countries requested that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) should discuss the impact of American sanctions at its upcoming meeting on June 22, the people said. Both nations asked …

Bloomberg Uber Technologies Inc. announced it would roll out its on-demand electric-bicycle service to Europe, as it seeks to expand its international offerings to include more environmentally-friendly forms of transportation. Uber said it aims to bring its Jump bike rental service to Berlin before the end of this summer, with other European cities to follow soon after. “When you get …

Bloomberg Kitty Hawk, the Mountain View, Calif.-based flying car company founded and backed by Larry Page, is offering a new glimpse of one its upcoming aircraft: a single-person recreational vehicle. The Kitty Hawk Flyer sports 10 battery-powered propellors and two control sticks, and looks like a human-sized drone, according to photos and videos of the final design posted to the …

Bloomberg Forget autonomous cars — your next taxi might whiz you across town through the air. Volocopter GmbH, a German startup backed by Intel Corp. and Daimler AG, has built a drone-like electric helicopter to ferry travelers across city skies. The company expects to offer its first commercial trips in the next three to five years, after completing test flights …

Bloomberg Daimler AG’s truck unit unveiled two battery-powered models for the US market, bolstering its bid to fend off Tesla Inc., Volvo AB and Volkswagen AG in the race to electrify big rigs. The German manufacturer’s Freightliner brand revealed the eCascadia, a highway hauler that can go as far as 400 kilometres between charges. The smaller eM2, with a range …

Bloomberg An effort by the nation’s largest banks to boost their lobbying clout in Washington is leaving three industry titans on the sidelines: Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Group AG. Though the three firms were initially slated to be included in a newly merged trade association, they were blocked after some executives argued that adding more …