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ABU DHABi / WAM The Executive Committee of the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Cou-ncil held its first meeting in Abu Dhabi with the participation of all 16 members from both sides to follow up on the execution of the joint initiatives outlined in the ‘strategy of resolve’. The strategy includes areas of collaborations and sets forth the joint vision of economic, social …

GANDHINAGAR / WAM Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, met with Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Dr Ahmed Al Banna, UAE Ambassador to India. They explored prospects for further cooperation between the UAE and India, building on the strong existing ties between the two countries, and discussed ways to …

Bloomberg Oil prices climbed to a two-month high as China was said to offer a trillion-dollar buying spree to defuse trade tensions with the world’s biggest economy. Futures climbed 3.3 percent in New York to cap the third straight weekly increase. Bloomberg News reported China proposed a six-year shopping binge for American goods, diminishing concerns about a brake on economic …

Bloomberg The Japanese conglomerate Hitachi Ltd confirmed it will halt work on its nuclear power project in the UK, delivering a blow both to its ambitions to export more of its technology and Britain’s effort to revive its atomic industry. The company will book a loss of about 300 billion yen ($2.8 billion) after suspending indefinitely its plans to build …

Bloomberg The Trump administration’s decision to keep issuing oil drilling permits during the government shutdown is putting those authorisations in legal jeopardy, environmentalists argued in a filing. The Bureau of Land Management has already violated a federal spending law and legal requirements for public consultation by issuing at least 153 drilling permits since the shutdown began on December 22, WildEarth …

Bloomberg Five US refiners either significantly reduced or totally replaced purchases of Venezuelan crude in 2018, and more may follow suit as president Donald Trump mulls new sanctions against the South American nation. Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Phillips 66 haven’t processed Venezuelan crude in their US refineries since the US imposed financial sanctions against the country and its oil …

Bloomberg Satorp, the joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Total SA, hired Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) and Riyad Bank to help raise funds to develop a petrochemical facility in the kingdom, according to people with knowledge of matter. Financing for the $5 billion Amiral project is expected to be arranged from banks and export credit agencies, the people said, …

Bloomberg Microsoft Corp said it will spend $500 million to develop affordable housing and help alleviate homelessness in the Seattle area, responding to a growing regional housing crisis that has strained the finances of many lower- and middle-income residents. Half the money will be spent to support low-income housing across King County with a further $225 million invested at lower …

Bloomberg Lately, it seems, Infiniti can’t catch a break. Sales slumped last year to 149,280 vehicles in the US, down 2.7 percent from 2017. The automaker’s QX30—a small crossover that should be capitalising on the unfettered thirst Americans have for compact SUVs—hit just 8,101 units in the US, down nearly 43 percent from 2017. The larger QX50 was one the …

Bloomberg Apple Inc released re-chargeable battery cases for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR that add several hours of battery life to the smartphones. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant previously offered a similar case for its older iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 models. The new cases increase talk time from 20 hours to 33 hours on the iPhone XS, …