August, 2018

• 8 August

  MOCCAE, Borouge join forces to protect the environment

  

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The Abu Dhabi based Borouge and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) sealed an MOU to enhance plastics innovation and increase their efforts to protect the UAE climate and environment. In the presence of Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, as well as Abdulaziz Alhajri, Chairman of Borouge and ...

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• 8 August

  Hackers ‘attacking’ midterm elections, raising US alarms

  

  Bloomberg The US midterm elections are at increasing risk of interference by foreign adversaries led by Russia, and cybersecurity experts warn the Trump administration isn’t adequately defending against the meddling. At stake is control of the US Congress. The risks range from social media campaigns intended to fool American voters to sophisticated computer hacking that could change the tabulation of ...

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• 8 August

  11 ‘hired assassins’ offered $50 million, says Maduro

  Bloomberg Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said 11 “hired assassins” trained in Colombia were offered $50 million to kill him as part of Saturday’s thwarted attack. The suspects were trained in a farm in Chinacota, Colombia, and were planning a July 5 attack that was postponed due to the delayed arrival of the two drones, Maduro said in a televised address ...

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• 8 August

  Zimbabwe opposition leader Biti held in Zambia, lawyer says

  Bloomberg Former Zimbabwean Finance Minister Tendai Biti, a leader of the country’s main opposition alliance, was arrested in neighbouring Zambia where he plans to seek asylum, his lawyer said. It’s unclear what Biti has been charged with, Nqobizitha Mlilo said by phone from the Chirundu border post in northern Zimbabwe. Biti fled the country because his life is in danger, ...

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• 8 August

  Najib charged with money laundering

  

  Bloomberg Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering linked to 1MDB as prosecutors alleged more wrongdoing by the ex-premier during his oversight of the state investment fund. Najib was charged with three counts of money laundering breaches related to SRC International Sdn, a former unit of state fund 1MDB. The charges carry a punishment ...

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• 8 August

  Pakistan military to add 60,000 troops to patrol Afghan border

  Bloomberg Pakistan will add 60,000 troops to boost its patrols along its disputed border with Afghanistan in an effort to curb the flow of insurgents passing between the two nations, according to military officials familiar with the matter. Forty percent of the troops have already been recruited in the exercise, which is expected to take two years, the officials said, ...

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• 8 August

  Pressure builds on UK Labour to back 2nd Brexit referendum

  

  Bloomberg Pressure is building on UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to switch course and back a referendum on whatever Brexit deal the government reaches with the European Union. Labour Party activists are trying to force a debate on the issue at its annual conference in Liverpool next month. If they succeed—and there are still some hurdles—a second plebiscite that could ...

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• 8 August

  US stocks mixed amid trade fears; oil drops, bonds steady

  

  Bloomberg US stocks erased early losses prompted by renewed trade fears as gains in megacap technology shares left major benchmarks little changed. Oil slumped and Treasuries rose. The S&P 500 Index was flat after a four-day advance as Washington and Beijing set dates for new levies on billions in goods. Trading was 20 percent below average. Tech and bank shares ...

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• 8 August

  Ruble heads towards 20-month slump as ‘US bill’ jolts Russia

  

  Bloomberg The ruble headed for its weakest closing level since November 2016 and Russian stocks and bonds plunged after local media published the full text of a US bill seeking “crushing sanctions” for election meddling. The currency slid 2.2 percent to 64.91 per dollar on Wednesday, sinking the most among major peers and breaking out of a range it’s traded ...

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• 8 August

  Starwood ready to acquire GE’s energy-finance unit for $2.6bn

  

  Bloomberg Barry Sternlicht’s Starwood Property Trust Inc. agreed to buy a General Electric Co. energy-finance business for $2.56 billion to expand beyond real estate holdings. The acquisition includes a roughly $2.1 billion portfolio of 51 loans backed by assets such as pipelines, power plants and wind farms, as well as $400 million of unfunded commitments, Starwood and GE said in ...

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