July, 2021

• 29 July

  Now, don’t celebrate the Nord Stream 2 deal

  An agreement reached by US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will allow for the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, enabling Russia to transport natural gas directly to western Europe. The deal accomplishes Biden’s goal of improving relations with Germany, but little else. Nord Stream 2 remains a misguided project that will weaken German leadership and ...

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• 29 July

  US vaccine policies are a contradictory mess

  In response to the delta variant of Covid-19, the US is extending its travel ban on citizens from the European Union and China. Meanwhile, it is still possible to enter the US from Indonesia, which is arguably the current global centre of the pandemic. In contrast, life seems to be orderly in most parts of China, and some European countries ...

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• 29 July

  England to relax quarantine for vaccinated US, EU visitors

  

  Bloomberg The UK government is set to allow visitors from the US and the European Union to travel to England without needing to quarantine on arrival if they have been fully vaccinated. The plan will allow American visitors, along with travelers from most EU countries, to enter the UK on the same basis as Britons who have received two Covid ...

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• 29 July

  Indian investor plans 70 jets for new airline

  

  Bloomberg Billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala is planning on having 70 aircraft within four years for a new airline he wants to set up in India on optimism more people will travel by air. Jhunjhunwala, who is considering investing $35 million and would own 40% of the carrier, expects to get a no-objection certificate from India’s aviation ministry in the next ...

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• 29 July

  Demand for jet paint booms amid signs of airlines recovery

  

  Bloomberg A bumpy recovery among global airlines has given an unexpected early boost to one corner of the market: demand for aircraft paint. It’s come roaring back as production of new jets rises and pandemic-idled old ones change operators. At Akzo Nobel NV, the world’s biggest supplier of plane coatings, sales across the product range were back to pre-pandemic levels ...

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• 29 July

  Air Canada sells record loonie junk bond in debt deal

  

  Bloomberg Air Canada boosted the size of its refinancing after taking advantage of strong demand for the biggest high-yield corporate bond in Canadian dollars and upsizing the loan portion. The aggregate loan and bond transactions will likely total $5.7 billion, up from $5.35 billion initially planned last week, according to people familiar with the matter. Canada’s biggest airline increased the ...

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• 29 July

  Walmart pledges $1b to remove cost of employee tuition program

  Bloomberg Walmart Inc is investing $1 billion over the next five years to remove all costs related to its employee college tuition program, in an effort to boost enrollment. The nation’s biggest private employer said as of August 16 the so-called Live Better U program will remove the $1 a day cost for about 1.5 million employees, who are eligible ...

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• 29 July

  JetBlue to trim NYC-London flights

  Bloomberg JetBlue Airways Corp has yet to start New York-London service and already has been forced to trim the schedule as travel restrictions hobble demand. “We’ve all been very frustrated the corridor hasn’t opened,” Chief Executive Robin Hayes said. “There’s no reason not to open it. It’s not data driven.” The carrier will fly its once-daily route between New York’s ...

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• 29 July

  Blinken sets humble tone in Asia as US aims to boost ties

  

  Bloomberg The latest swing of senior US officials through Asia indicates the Biden administration is taking a humbler tone in the region than the former president, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noting that every democracy was a “work in progress.” On his first official visit to India, Blinken sought common ground with New Delhi in their disputes with ...

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• 29 July

  Human Rights Watch calls on Chile not to deport Venezuelans

  

  Bloomberg Human Rights Watch is calling on Chile to stop “summary deportations” of Venezuelan citizens, saying those measures violate due process and international law. In June, Chile expelled 53 Venezuelans, some of whom were separated from family, had appeals pending or were denied phone calls or access to lawyer, Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Wednesday. Citizens of ...

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