June, 2018

• 17 June

  UAE, Zimbabwe sign cooperation agreements

  HARARE / WAM The UAE and Zimbabwe signed in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, two agreements related to protecting and encouraging investment and avoiding double income taxation, as well as an MoU on the marketing and supply of energy. Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, sig-ned both agreements for the UAE while Dr Sultan bin …

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• 17 June

  European banks eyeing mergers face gridlock

  

  Bloomberg The European Central Bank (ECB) and the lenders it oversees are running out of time in their push for rules to foster cross-border mergers. European Union regulations need to change so consolidation makes financial sense, the ECB and firms say. But their shared urgency has been stymied by politicians from Germany and smaller states who want to make sure …

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• 17 June

  World energy chiefs see natural gas expansion aiding green push

  

  Bloomberg World energy ministers representing about two thirds of the global population tussled over how the world can achieve a cleaner energy future. The compromise answer: Natural gas, at least for now. A consensus statement from G20 energy ministers meeting in Argentina cited the potential of natural gas “to expand significantly over the coming decades.” Meanwhile, the group said that …

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• 17 June

  Aussie energy retailers may face government intervention on prices

  

  Bloomberg Australia’s energy retailers face further government intervention in the market if they don’t move to lower power prices for consumers after a drop in wholesale charges, according to Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg. Wholesale charges have fallen by about 30 percent from last year and that should start to flow to customers, Frydenberg said on Sky News. While the companies …

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• 17 June

  Rosneft says $70-80 oil ‘comfortable’ ahead of OPEC talks

  Bloomberg Rosneft PJSC’s said crude at $70 to 80 a barrel was a “comfortable level” and expressed satisfaction with the results of Russia’s joint supply cuts with OPEC, just a week before talks that could phase them out. The producers working together have “restored balance to the market by cutting oil production,” Russia’s biggest oil company said in a statement. …

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• 17 June

  Norway wants to be pioneer in electric jets

  

  Bloomberg Home to some of the busiest flight routes in Europe, whisking passengers across a rugged and mountainous landscape, Norway’s aviation industry now readies to go electric. Norway is one of Tesla’s biggest markets, with about 8,500 cars sold last year. Now, the country whose tourism sales pitch is “Powered by Nature” wants to be a pioneer in the market …

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• 17 June

  Russian driverless buses debut during World Cup

  

  Bloomberg World Cup soccer spectators got a chance to ride driverless buses to see France’s clash with Australia in Russia’s eastern city of Kazan, part of a state-backed push into autonomous vehicles. Local truck maker Kamaz PJSC is laying on the electric vehicles to show off its technological skills while the world’s eyes are on the remote city on the …

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• 17 June

  Driverless cars may cut traffic jams, not insurance premiums

  

  Bloomberg It turns out robots need insurance too. As driverless vehicles reduce car ownership in coming years, insurers may not face the Armageddon that had been predicted, new research shows. “We do not expect revenues for auto insurance companies to experience a sudden decline as a result of autonomous vehicles,” Alejandro Zamorano, an analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said. …

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• 17 June

  Drone swarms are new fireworks lighting up China’s skies

  

  Bloomberg Since China banned fireworks across more than 400 cities to reduce pollution, a new entertainment has emerged to fill the skies: drone swarms. Shows featuring more than a thousand drones forming 3-D animated figures and other images are being booked for celebrations across the country. Among those cashing in on the technology is EHang Inc., which has been contracted …

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• 17 June

  Japan holds tight to stimulus as peers dial back from crisis mode

  

  Bloomberg The gap between the Bank of Japan and its global peers widened. The BOJ maintained its aggressive asset-purchase and yield-curve targets less than 24 hours after the European Central Bank mapped out an exit from its crisis-era policies, and just days after the US Federal Reserve again raised interest rates. Underscoring the divide, the BOJ downgraded its assessment of …

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