August, 2016

• 1 August

  Getting an answer to hardest question in economics

  

    Noah Smith Xavier Gabaix, a New York University economist who gets far less attention than he should, has written what might prove to be the most interesting macroeconomic theory paper in years. The title, “A Behavioral New Keynesian Model,” isn’t exactly exciting and the paper is still incomplete, but it might help resolve the most important and difficult macroeconomic ...

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• 1 August

  Kuwait development projects estimated at KD 4.7 billion

  

    WAM Projected value of the national development projects for 2017-2018 amounts to KD 4.7 billion, KD 1.5 billion of which covered by the State budget, said Dr. Khaled Al-Mahdi, General Secretary of the Supreme Planning and Development Council. Private sector’s contributions to funding the ventures, this year, are estimated at 16.9 percent, in addition to 33.8 percent by the ...

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• 1 August

  Libya’s NOC welcomes opening of ports

    TRIPOLI / Reuters Libya’s state oil company said it welcomed the “unconditional” reopening of blockaded oil ports following a deal between the U.N.-backed government and an armed force which controls key facilities, saying it would begin work to restart exports from the terminals. The agreement, signed on Thursday, could be a major step in reviving Libya’s crippled oil output. ...

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• 1 August

  Qatar Airways raises holding in IAG to 20%

  

    Bloomberg Qatar Airways Ltd. raised its stake in British Airways owner IAG SA to 20 percent, taking advantage of a drop in the company’s stock price since the Brexit vote last month. Qatar Airways, which increased the holding from 15.7 percent as of July 28, doesn’t plan to add to the stake, the company said Monday in a statement. ...

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• 1 August

  Oil market oversupplied, balance to be restored: Iran

  

    Reuters Iran’s Oil Minister said on Monday the oil market was oversupplied but predicted balance between demand and supply will be restored, Iranian state television reported on Monday. “The oil market is oversupplied now but there are expectations that there will be balance between demand and supply in the market,” Bijan Namdar Zanganeh was quoted as saying by Iran’s ...

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• 1 August

  Egypt to take new look if ergot fungus poses risk to wheat

    Bloomberg Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer, will take another look at the risks of the ergot fungus, less than a month after the government said it would accept it in purchases of grain from overseas. The Agriculture Ministry formed a committee to assess if the fungus in imported wheat poses a threat to the local crop, Minister Essam ...

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• 1 August

  Saudi cuts oil price to Asia as battle with Iran heats up

  

    Bloomberg Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil exporter, lowered the pricing terms for Arab Light crude sold to Asia by the most in 10 months, signaling Saudi Arabia has no plans to back down while OPEC rival Iran tries to regain market share amid a global oversupply. State-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co. said Sunday it will sell cargoes of ...

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• 1 August

  Iran’s oil pact to lure billions of investment

    Bloomberg Iran is expected to approve a new model for oil contracts on Wednesday, paving the way for billions of dollars of foreign investment to help rebuild its energy industry. “We are awaiting government approval due to be out on Wednesday,” Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said at an energy conference in Tehran on Monday. “Our priorities will be ...

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• 1 August

  Japan shares retreat after Yen surges as crude resumes losses

  

    Bloomberg Japan drove declines in Asian shares following Friday’s surge in the yen, while emerging-market currencies played catch-up as reduced bets on U.S. interest-rate increases weighed on the dollar. Oil swung to losses. Exporters led the Topix index down for the second time in three days as the yen, while pulling back somewhat, remained beyond 103 per dollar following ...

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• 1 August

  Didi’s Uber China takeover to end battle between startups

  

    AFP Didi Chuxing, the dominant ride-hailing service in China, said it will acquire Uber Technologies Inc.’s operations in the country, ending a battle that cost the two companies billions as they competed for customers and drivers. Didi will buy Uber’s brand, business and data in the country, the Chinese company said in a statement. Uber Technologies and Uber China’s ...

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