August, 2018

• 13 August

  European nations get serious about buying LNG from US

  

  Bloomberg European nations are far behind Mexico and China when it comes to receiving liquefied natural gas from the US, but the region is making its biggest effort to date to change that. European Commission trade officials will travel to Washington on August 20 to follow up on an energy agreement last month between the Commission’s President Jean-Claude Juncker and …

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• 13 August

  Saudi fund PIF in talks to invest in Tesla buyout deal

  

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is in talks that could see it becoming a significant investor in Tesla as part of Elon Musk’s plan to take the electric car maker private, according to a person with direct knowledge of the fund’s plans. The Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has built up a stake just shy of 5 percent in …

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• 13 August

  The battery boom could end up burning some investors

  

  Bloomberg Some of the latest battery technologies may become obsolete before reaching the market because of the breakneck pace of advances in the industry. Teams of scientists from San Francisco to Shenzhen are experimenting with new chemical processes to improve the traditional lithium-ion cell and find new ways to bottle up electricity for use at another time. Investors in those …

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• 13 August

  California wildfire smoke dims solar power output

  Bloomberg The smoke billowing from California’s wildfires is dimming output from solar farms. First Solar Inc., which operates more than two gigawatts of solar farms in the state — that’s equivalent to about two nuclear reactors — has seen production dip at installations near fires, according to spokesman Steve Krum. The slumps in generation have been “very minimal,” he said, …

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• 13 August

  Air Arabia reports net profit of AED230mn in H1 2018

  

  Sharjah / Emirates Business Air Arabia (PJSC) announced strong financial results for the first half ending on June 30, 2018 as the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier continued to deliver solid and sustained financial performance. Air Arabia reported a net profit of AED 230 million for the first half ending on June 30, 2018; a …

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• 13 August

  Japan’s Don Quijote signals interest in Walmart chain Seiyu

  Bloomberg Don Quijote Holdings Co.’s chief is interested in buying the Seiyu retail chain if Walmart Inc. is selling its Japanese operations. The Japanese discount store operator would take a serious look at Seiyu if Walmart puts it up for sale, according to comments made by Chief Executive Officer Koji Ohara at a briefing in Tokyo. He added that real …

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• 13 August

  Virgin, BA criticise long wait times at Heathrow

  Bloomberg Virgin Atlantic has joined British Airways in criticising long waiting times at passport control at Heathrow Airport, releasing figures showing that the Border Force hit its target for processing passengers from outside the European Economic Area on just one day in July. Virgin says passengers are “frustrated” as waits of more than two hours are becoming the norm. The …

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• 13 August

  Aeroflot shares plunge as US sanctions raise flight-ban risk

  

  Bloomberg Aeroflot PJSC, Russia’s largest air carrier, plunged to an almost two-year low after the US threatened sanctions that could include flight restrictions. The State Department announced new sanctions against Russia to punish President Vladimir Putin’s government for allegedly using a chemical weapon against former double agent Sergei Skripal in the UK earlier this year. A second round of sanctions …

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• 13 August

  StanChart and Commerzbank targeted in suit over Steinhoff

  

  Bloomberg Standard Chartered Plc and Commerzbank AG are among companies targeted by investors suing Steinhoff International Holdings NV to recover as much as 12 billion euros ($13.8 billion) they claim they lost because of accounting irregularities at the retail giant. The suit was filed in Johannesburg and seeks class-action status to cover shareholders who bought Steinhoff stock from June 26, …

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• 13 August

  VF to spin off Wrangler, Lee Jeans to focus on active wear

  

  Bloomberg VF Corp. plans to spin off its Lee and Wrangler jeans business to focus on faster-growing outdoor products and active wear such as its North Face and Vans brands. The spinoff to shareholders should be completed in the first half of next year, Greensboro, North Carolina-based VF said in a statement. The jeans business, which has yet to be …

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