Bloomberg China’s pipeline network behemoth inked a $6.3 billion asset purchase in the latest step to bolster the nation’s energy security and break down market barriers. Kunlun shares surged on the news. Kunlun Energy will sell a 60% stake in a Beijing natural gas pipeline and a 75% stake in its Dalian LNG company for 40.9 billion yuan to the …

Bloomberg Boeing Co extended its sales streak of 737 Max jets as Alaska Air Group Inc boosted an order agreement to 68 jets and announced plans to return to a mainline fleet with a single aircraft type. The airline will stop flying 20 of its Airbus SE A320-family planes immediately, prompting a one-time charge of as much as $250 million …

Bloomberg European planemaker Airbus SE believes it may lose more than $5 billion of aircraft orders under struggling airline AirAsia X Bhd’s restructuring plans, according to court documents filed in Malaysia last week. Airbus Asia Pacific President Anand Stanley said in the court filing there’s a “strong possibility that Airbus will suffer substantial losses and prejudice” under the proposed restructuring …

Bloomberg IndiGo, India’s biggest airline, could start slowly rehiring staff in three months as capacity rebuilds from “the background of carnage” caused by Covid-19, with domestic services likely to return to pre-pandemic levels by January or February, Chief Executive Officer Ronojoy Dutta said. “Doom and gloom is off the table and we are recovering pretty nicely, especially domestically,” Dutta said …

Bloomberg The Philippines suspended all flights from UK from December 24 to Decemebr 31 to prevent the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus, according to a resolution issued by the government’s task force handling the pandemic. The country will also bar travellers who have been in the UK in the 14 days prior to arrival in the Philippines, …

Bloomberg Amazon.com says it will delay raising fees it charges independent sellers to store and ship items until June, a gesture to merchants who have sometimes bristled at the rising costs of doing business with the company. In a blog post to sellers, Jeff Wilke, the outgoing chief executive officer of Amazon’s retail unit, noted that other logistics companies have …

Bloomberg Indian debt and rupee may lure overseas investors in 2021, just like the nation’s equities with one caveat: the central bank will face more challenges in curbing the local currency’s gains against the greenback. Stocks have already attracted the biggest yearly inflows since 2012, adding to the woes for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that has been buying …

Bloomberg European stocks rise after trade and transport links between the UK and its neighbours looked set to resume and Brexit negotiators made a final push for a deal. The Stoxx 600 Index rises as France agreed to end a suspension that crippled Britain’s busiest port after a new virus variant sparked more severe lockdowns. The pound advanced as the …

NEW YORK / WAM The United Nations General Assembly has adopted by consensus a resolution proclaiming February 4 as “International Day for Human Fraternity.” The initiative was introduced by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and as a result the international community will observe International Day for Human Fraternity annually beginning in 2021. Prior to the adoption …

Bloomberg Oil extended this week’s slump on fears that rising virus infections and a faster-spreading strain will inflict a new blow on fuel consumption. Futures are down more than 3% in New York. Many countries have suspended travel with the UK, where a new Covid-19 variant is forcing more than 16 million people to stay at home. A resurgence of …