April, 2018

• 28 April

  EU sounds trade-war alarm as Trump sticks to tariff plan

  

  Bloomberg The European Union warned about the costs of a trans-Atlantic trade war while bracing for one to erupt after the US signalled it will reject the bloc’s dem-and for an unconditional waiver from metals-import tariffs. “A trade war is a losing game for everybody,” Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt told reporters in Sofia. “We should stay cool when …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  Demand for second citizenship rises 73%

  

  Hassan Soukar Over the past few years there has been a remarkable surge in demand for second citizenships among high-net-worth expatriates living in the UAE. But the spike in interest for acquiring second passports has been all-time high in the first three months of 2018. The whole industry is coming of age. The second passports are not only seen just …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  Amazon delivers goods to GM, Volvo trunks in US

  

  Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc. has partnered with General Motors Co. and Volvo Cars to deliver packages to car trunks in 37 US cities, as the e-commerce giant seeks new delivery methods for customers who may be wary of leaving packages outside or allowing couriers into their homes. The app-based service, which lets car owners provide delivery agents with keyless access to …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  Alibaba gets its smart assistant into Chinese Mercedes, Audis

  

  Bloomberg Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is getting its digital assistant into Mercedes-Benzes, Audis and Volvos in China, enlisting a clutch of global automakers in an effort to popularise the year-old technology for everything from shopping to home security. Daimler AG, Volkswagen AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co.’s Volvo join some 100 brands Alibaba says it’s partnered with. The Chinese …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  IBM’s blockchain tech to track jewels from mine to retail stores

  

  Bloomberg International Business Machines Corp., a group of four gold and diamond industry companies and an independent laboratory are developing a blockchain network for tracing the provenance of finished pieces of jewelry from mine to store. The TrustChain Initiative, which will run on IBM’s technology, includes precious-metals refiner Asahi Refining, US jewellery retailer Helzberg Diamonds, precious-metals supplier LeachGarner, jewellery-maker the …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  BOE rate-hike forecasts dumped as growth shock proves last straw

  

  Bloomberg Economists abandoned predictions that the Bank of England (BoE) will increase interest rates next month after two weeks of disappointing data and the public doubts of Mark Carney. The shock near-stagnation of the economy proved the final straw after the BOE governor raised questions about such a move last week. Firms including NatWest Markets, SEB, Berenberg and ING have …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  Japan bank draws scrutiny for switch to Trump regulator

  

  Bloomberg Japan’s biggest bank has been accused by New York officials of dodging tough oversight by swapping its state license for a federal one, putting itself under a US agency on the front lines of President Donald Trump’s push to ease financial rules. The November move by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (MUFG) is now drawing scrutiny from a key …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  Central banks take it easy to give global growth second look

  

  Bloomberg Central banks from Frankfurt to Ottawa appear to be taking a lower gear on the road away from easy monetary policy amid signs some key economies are slowing. The European Central Bank avoided any discussion of its next steps toward ending bond buying and Sweden’s Riksbank pushed back a plan to raise interest rates for the first time in …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  Draghi: Eurozone economic outlook is solid

  

  Bloomberg Mario Draghi said European Central Bank policy makers refrained from discussing the end of asset purchases or even the stronger euro as they focussed on gauging the health of the region’s economy. The Governing Council spent its two-day meeting assessing a raft of weaker economic data, the ECB president said at a news conference in Frankfurt. While acknowledging that …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  Latvia wants clampdown on banks to reopen US dollar system

  

  Bloomberg Latvia’s prime minister says his nation is cracking down on shady dealings in the financial sector to help local banks regain access to directly transact in dollars. Doing so is vital for boosting trade and investment, according to Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis, whose government has sought to tighten banking supervision after the demise of the Baltic nation’s No. 3 …

  Read More »