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Davos shows ‘weakness of western leaders’

Bloomberg It’s been a decade since western bankers commanded the deference in Davos they enjoyed before the financial crisis. That blight appears to be spreading to politicians. The so-called masters of the universe headed to this year’s annual gathering of the global elite are looking less than magisterial. With the US in “America First” mode under Donald Trump, Britain consumed ...

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Irish border dispute fails to die down

Bloomberg For UK Prime Minister Theresa May, the Irish border issue may resurface sooner than she imagined. In a deal agreed last month to unlock divorce talks with the European Union, May guaranteed no hard border will re-emerge on the island of Ireland after Brexit. If all else fails, Northern Ireland will play by the same EU rules that apply ...

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US must play ‘preeminent’ role as peace broker: Pence

Bloomberg US Vice President Mike Pence said the US should retain its dominant role as mediator of the Israeli-Palestinian conf-lict, rebuffing Palestinian appeals to the European Union to take the reins. “The United States has played a historic role in this region to pursue and promote peace, and I think the United States should continue to play a preeminent role,” ...

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Infighting plagues S Africa opposition ahead of vote

Bloomberg South Africa’s main opposition party is proving to be its own worst enemy as it bids to topple the ruling African National Congress from power in next year’s elections. Instead of capitalising on voter antagonism towards the ANC and President Jacob Zuma over a succession of scandals, the Democratic Alliance has stumbled, with its mayors’ performance drawing criticism in ...

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US aid chief visits Raqqa amid stabilisation push

WASHINGTON / Reuters The US government’s aid chief, Mark Green, made an unannounced visit to Raqqa in Syria, the most senior US civilian official from the Trump administration to visit the war-struck northern city months after it was retaken from IS. Green was accompanied by head of the US Central Command General Joseph Votel as the United States ramps up ...

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Trump’s tariffs biggest blow to renewables yet

Bloomberg President Donald Trump dealt his biggest blow to the renewable energy industry yet. Trump approved duties of as much as 30 percent on solar equipment made outside the US, a move that threatens to handicap a $28 billion industry that relies on parts made abroad for 80 percent of its supply. The tariffs are the latest action by Trump ...

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China seeks to replenish gas supplies ahead of icy blast

BEIJING / Reuters China is pulling in ships from all over to avoid a natural gas supply squeeze ahead of another cold snap and as the world’s most populous nation prepares for Spring Festival celebrations. Fuel demand in January and February typically slows as temperatures improve compared with the busiest month, December, but data suggests this year could buck the ...

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Big oil projects start to get off the ground as prices surge

Bloomberg The global oil industry’s backlog of big drilling projects is starting to shrink as prices improve. From production vessels tapping Brazil’s deep-water reserves to pipes connecting rigs to underwater wells in China, the number of ventures delayed since the oil crash that finally got approval to get off the ground totaled 18 last year, according to a report by ...

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Ban on oil residue a billion-dollar headache for India’s largest refiner

Bloomberg Scraping the bottom of the oil barrel for cheap fuel may be turning into a multi-billion-dollar headache for India’s largest crude refiner. The South Asian nation’s battle against pollution has left Indian Oil Corp. searching for alternative markets to sell petroleum coke, the cheapest and dirtiest among the oil products. A host of new limits on the fuel’s use ...

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