Bloomberg Russian forces closed in on Ukraine’s capital and its embattled leadership as President Vladimir Putin shrugged off a barrage of sanctions imposed by the US and Europe and pressed deeper with his invasion. With the war raging Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Putin in a call that he supported negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, according to China Central ...
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China’s dilemma is how to aid Russia when West matters more
Bloomberg Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses a difficult question for China: How can it support a key strategic partner when relations with the US and Europe are so much more important for its economy? An important energy supplier to China, Russia has strengthened trade ties with Beijing over the past decade. However, Russia’s economic weight pales in comparison to ...
Read More »UK takes aim at rich Russian owners of London property
Bloomberg From Chelsea penthouses to Highgate mansions, Russia’s long-standing infatuation with UK real estate is evident from a cursory glance at some of the country’s priciest property transactions. The past decade has seen that trend explode. The number of UK properties whose owners’ principal correspondence address is in Russia reached 1,127 in August 2021, according to data released by the ...
Read More »Pozsar says $300 billion Russia cash pile can roil money markets
Bloomberg Russia still has about $300 billion of foreign currency held offshore — enough to disrupt money markets if it’s frozen by sanctions or moved suddenly to avoid them. That’s according to Credit Suisse Group AG strategist Zoltan Pozsar, who parsed data from the Bank of Russia and financial markets to calculate that a much larger share is held ...
Read More »Italy could revive coal plants to break Russia energy dependence
Bloomberg Italy’s new plan to break its dependence on Russian gas may rely partly on an old source of energy: coal. Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Friday that the country could reopen some shuttered coal plants to help bridge its looming energy supply gap and cut its dependence on Russia, which currently accounts for 45% of Italian gas supplies. ...
Read More »US consumer spending tops forecasts even as inflation jumps
Bloomberg US inflation-adjusted consumer spending advanced by more than expected in January, highlighting the resilience of American demand despite a surge in Covid-19 cases and prices rising by triple the Federal Reserve’s target. Purchases of goods and services, adjusted for changes in prices, increased 1.5% from December, the most in 10 months, according to Commerce Department figures Friday. The personal ...
Read More »Borouge’s new polypropylene unit starts operations at Ruwais
ABU DHABI / WAM Borouge, a joint venture between Adnoc and Borealis that provides innovative, value-creating polyolefin solutions, has announced the successful start-up of its new fifth polypropylene unit (PP5) in Ruwais. The new unit will boost the UAE’s polypropylene production to meet the growing global demand for manufactured products in the recyclable advanced packaging, infrastructure, and other industrial ...
Read More »UAE, US sign judicial cooperation pact on criminal affairs
ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE and the US signed a judicial cooperation agreement covering mutual legal assistance in criminal affairs, which is the first agreement of its kind in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The agreement was signed by Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice, and Sean Murphy, Foreign Affairs Attaché at the ...
Read More »Thailand’s PTT opens new trading office at ADGM
ABU DHABI / WAM PTT’s new trading office was opened by the PTT Chairman, CEO and Board of Directors, who travelled to Abu Dhabi to mark the milestone, alongside representatives from Adnoc, IFAD and ADGM. PTT is Thailand’s largest corporation and the only Thai company listed in Fortune Global 500. PTT becomes part of the growing energy trading community ...
Read More »Australia’s NSW, UAE sign pact for agrifood innovation at Expo 2020
DUBAI / WAM The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has showcased its agrifood innovation and manufacturing capabilities to strengthen further its ties with the UAE at a dinner event held at the Australia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. The event was led by the newly appointed Vish Padmanabhan, NSW Senior Trade Commissioner to India and the Middle ...
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