Bloomberg IPhone users in the US are rushing to install messaging app WeChat days before President Donald Trump is set to ban downloads in the country. WeChat downloads surged to make it the 100th most-downloaded app in the US, according to mobile analytics firm SensorTower. It has typically ranked between 1,000th and 1,500th this year. This is the first time ...

Bloomberg Apple Inc. and the government of Singapore have partnered on a two-year health initiative dubbed LumiHealth, which is built around tracking and rewarding user behaviour through the Apple Watch gadget and an iPhone app. As part of the scheme, Singapore residents will be able to earn as much as S$380 ($280) in rewards and vouchers by completing goals and ...

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc.’s self-driving-car unit, Zoox Inc., is getting a green light from California to test autonomous vehicles on public roads without a safety driver, becoming the fourth company to receive the state’s blessing for truly driverless testing. The permit allows Zoox to operate two vehicles without a driver behind the wheel, a step up from approval it received four ...

Bloomberg Apple Inc. announced a revamp to the iPad Air that makes the tablet look like the pricer iPad Pro line by removing long-time features such as the Home Button and adding an edge-to-edge screen. The updated iPad Air has a 10.9-inch edge-to-edge screen similar to the iPad Pro. That’s up from 10.5-inches on last year’s models. Prices start at ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced the launch of the Third Generation e-Dirham cards (e-Dirham G3), in cooperation with new government entities and national banks across the UAE. According to the ministry, these new cards facilitate the collection of state fees and revenues, make transactions more convenient, and give customers easier and safer e-payment methods when ...

Bloomberg Oil extended gains to trade near $39 a barrel in New York, buoyed by an industry report of a surprise drop in US crude stockpiles and advances in other financial markets. The American Petroleum Institute reported crude stockpiles declined by 9.52 million barrels last week, according to people familiar with the numbers. That contrasts with an increase forecast in ...

Dubai / WAM Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa (Mena) region and Bank Leumi Le-Israel, one of Israel’s leading banks, signed an MoU. One of Israel’s longest-standing banks, Bank Leumi previously served as the central bank of Israel until 1954. It currently holds an approximate 30% market share in the Israeli banking system. The ...

DUBAI / WAM The Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (Dafza), has announced that it hosted a webinar to highlight the growth opportunities in the Islamic economy. The webinar took place after the launch of the second edition of the Halal Guidebook entitled ‘Dubai – A Global Gateway for Halal Industry: A Step-by-Step Guide’. The guidebook unveils key trends that will have ...

Bloomberg The European Union’s (EU) executive proposed toughening the bloc’s targets for fighting climate change in a move to cut industrial pollution and spur a green economic recovery. The 27-nation EU should tighten its emissions-cutting goal to at least 55% by 2030, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. The current objective, agreed just six years ago, ...

Sharjah / WAM In implementation of the directives of HH Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, Sharjah Charity International (SCI) launched its Sudan Relief campaign which includes distributing packages of food, tents, and medical aid, to affected families through the Khartoum branch of SCI. The humanitarian campaign entitled “From Sharjah to Sudan” ...