Clean crude? Oil firms use offsets to claim green barrels

In January, Occidental Petroleum announced it had accomplished something no oil company had done before: It sold a shipload of crude that it said was 100 per cent carbon-neutral.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

China’s GDP jumps record 18.3pc but post-Covid recovery seen losing steam

China’s economic recovery quickened sharply in the first quarter to record growth of 18.3 per cent from last year’s deep coronavirus slump, propelled by stronger demand at home and abroad and continued government support for smaller firms.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Potatoes produced by BADC’s contract growers going abroad

Potatoes produced by contract growers of the Bangladesh Agricultural Corporation (BADC) are now being exported to Malaysia, a development that is likely to encourage farmers to improve the quality of their produce in order to reap fair prices.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

More electrical problems found on some Boeing 737 MAX

An electrical problem that led to dozens of Boeing 737 MAX jets being suspended from service has widened after engineers found similar grounding flaws elsewhere in the cockpit, industry sources said on Friday.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

US housing starts near 15-year high; consumer sentiment rises moderately

US homebuilding surged to nearly a 15-year high in March, but soaring lumber prices amid supply constraints could limit builders’ capacity to boost production and ease a shortage of homes that is threatening to slow housing market momentum.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

In short supply: Suez snarl-up, virus hit UK gnome market

High demand during lockdown and supply problems following the Suez Canal blockage have caused a shortage of garden gnomes in Britain, the BBC reported on Thursday.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Brexit sparks $1.4tr UK assets switch to EU: study

UK banks and insurers have shifted more than $1.4 trillion to the European Union in response to Brexit, a study published Friday found.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Cheaper cellphone charges to weigh on BOJ’s inflation forecast

The Bank of Japan’s new price forecast due later this month will likely come under significant downward pressure due to cuts in cellphone charges, sources said, adding to doubts about when it will achieve its elusive 2 per cent inflation target.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Emerging central banks hike rates in March

Emerging market central banks delivered five net interest rate hikes in March, marking the end of an easing cycle which started in 2019 as central banks in the developing world grapple with rising inflation pressures.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Africa cashew nut farmers not reaping benefits

The three million African farmers who supply most of the world’s cashew nuts aren’t cashing in on the booming demand due to a lack of processing facilities, a UN body said on Friday.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Covid curbs put brakes on India buying

Physical gold demand in India stalled this week after local prices rebounded from a one-year trough and coronavirus restrictions were imposed, while buyers in other major Asian hubs were also put off by an uptick in prices.
11 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Spain trims 2021 GDP forecast as Covid, snow hit economy

The Spanish government lowered its growth forecast for 2021 on Friday after fresh pandemic restrictions led to a weaker-than-expected first quarter.
11 April 2021, 18:00 PM

S Korean battery makers agree $1.8b settlement, aiding Biden’s EV push

South Korean battery makers LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation Co agreed on Sunday to settle disputes over trade secrets dispute, avoiding a potential setback for US electric-vehicle (EV) ambitions.
11 April 2021, 18:00 PM

IMF sees Iran economy recovering this year but inflation still on the up

The International Monetary Fund expects inflation in Iran to rise further this year and called for reforms as the economy recovers from the coronavirus crisis.
11 April 2021, 18:00 PM

China is paying a high price for its ban on Australian coal

China is paying a high price for its unofficial ban on coal imports from Australia, with the cost of domestic and alternative foreign supplies rising for both thermal and coking grades of the fuel.
11 April 2021, 18:00 PM

EU proposes six-month tariff freeze with US

The European Union has suggested that it and the United States suspend tariffs imposed on billions of dollars of imports for six months, EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis was quoted as telling Germany’s Der Spiegel on Saturday.
11 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Bitcoin above $60,000 again on talk of reduced supply

Bitcoin rose above $60,000 to approach record highs on the weekend, breaking out of a two-week tight range and propelled by talk of constrained new supplies against evidence of wider adoption.
11 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Infrastructure wars: Competitive plays in US, Asia and what drives them

The big infrastructure plan unveiled by President Joe Biden last week is meant to do more than revive America’s decaying infrastructure and create jobs.
11 April 2021, 18:00 PM

China’s antitrust regulator bulking up as crackdown on behemoths widens

China’s competition watchdog is adding staff and other resources as it ramps up efforts to crack down on anti-competitive behaviour, especially among the country’s powerful companies, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
11 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Canada jobless rate falls to lowest level since pandemic start

Canada added 303,000 net jobs in March, blowing past forecasts as the unemployment rate fell 0.7 percentage points to 7.5 per cent -- its lowest level since February 2020, the national statistical agency said Friday.
10 April 2021, 18:00 PM