Bloomberg Hong Kong braced itself for its first typhoon this year, as Tropical Storm Merbok lashed the financial center with rain and wind. The Hong Kong Observatory hoisted Signal No. 8 at 5:20 p.m. local time. and said the warning would remain in force tonight. At 7 p.m., Tropical Storm Merbok was centered about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south-southeast of ...

Bloomberg An Iranian airline that signed a $3 billion contract at list prices with Boeing Co. is confident the deal won’t face a political backlash in Washington, days after the US Senate voted to advance a bill that could bring new sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Aseman Airlines, a private company whose largest owner is Iran’s National Pension Fund, signed ...

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced the appointment of Hassan Al Yousuf as its new General Manager for the Sultanate of Oman. Based at the airline’s offices in Muscat, Hassan is responsible for leading Etihad Airways’ commercial operations in Oman, as it continues to grow its presence and operations ...

Sharjah / Emirates Business Armenia is fast proving to be a popular destination for GCC families, especially Indian citizens living in the Gulf, thanks to the latest visa-on-arrival policy that the country implemented earlier this year. Armenia appeals to a wide spectrum of holiday-goers, from thrill seeking adventurers to those looking for more family-orientated trips, Yerevan is an exciting destination ...

Emirates Business The Philippines’ largest carrier celebrates Philippine Independence Day by giving all passengers the freedom to bring more gifts and ‘pasalubong’ for their loved-ones as Cebu Pacific offers a total baggage allowance that exceeds a typical ‘balikbayan box.’ CEB extends its promo granting its valued guests additional baggage allowance free-of-charge. Until November 30 this year all passengers originating from ...

Bloomberg A decades-long supermarket battle in Europe is moving to the US, adding to the competitive pressure in an industry embroiled in a deflation-fueled price war. Aldi, known for low prices on its private-label items, plans to spend $3.4 billion over the next five years to open 900 supermarkets, the company said on Monday. The investment comes as its European ...

Bloomberg Crude markets are taking oil optimists by surprise yet again. Hedge funds boosted bets on a rally just before West Texas Intermediate prices tanked from a report showing surging American stockpiles. Wagers rose 7.3 percent to the highest since April in the week through June 6, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission data show. The next day, futures fell the ...

Bloomberg Oil steadied after a third weekly loss on speculation that sustained drilling by US producers will blunt efforts by OPEC and Russia to re-balance an oversupplied crude market. Futures were little changed in New York after sliding 3.8 percent last week. Inventories are declining and reductions will accelerate in the next three to four months, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister ...

Bloomberg As Qatar grapples with deepening diplomatic isolation, Japanese liquefied natural gas buyers are pushing the world’s largest seller for cheaper supplies. Both Jera Co., one of the biggest LNG purchasers, and Tokyo Gas Co. haven’t decided if they’ll sign new deals with Qatar to replace current contracts that begin expiring in 2021, according to executives from both companies. The ...

SINGAPORE / Reuters The costs to ship fuel and crude oil from Qatar are expected to rise after the United Arab Emirates banned vessels that previously called at Qatar from docking at UAE ports, multiple sources from the oil and shipping sectors said on Monday. After Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and others last week severed diplomatic and transport links ...