July, 2019

• 6 July

  Libya uncovers alleged Russian plot to meddle in African votes

  

  Bloomberg Libyan security forces have arrested two men accused of working for a Russian troll farm seeking to influence elections in the oil exporter and other African countries. A letter from the state prosecutor of the internationally-backed Tripoli government to a Libyan security chief said the men were involved in “securing a meeting” with Saif al-Islam al-Qaddafi, the fugitive son ...

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• 6 July

  Beijing dismisses US accusations of South China Sea missile tests

  

  Bloomberg China’s military said its recent “live-fire drill” in the South China Sea didn’t target any country and wasn’t held to achieve specific objectives, after the US denounced the missile tests as “coercive acts.” China fired at least one missile into the sea and was expected to continue testing until July 3, NBC News reported, citing anonymous US officials. The ...

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• 6 July

  Johnson set for crushing victory over Hunt, suggests poll

  

  Bloomberg Boris Johnson looks set for a landslide victory over rival Jeremy Hunt in the race to become Britain’s next PM. According to a YouGov poll published in the Times newspaper, Johnson is backed by 74 percent of Conservative Party members with Hunt languishing on 26 percent. The survey also suggests that the vast majority of the 160,000 grassroots party ...

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• 6 July

  Hong Kong’s demonstrator who defaced city emblem is still angry

  

  Bloomberg Of all the dramatic visuals to emerge from the protests that rocked Hong Kong in recent weeks, one stands out: the defaced city emblem left by demonstrators who stormed the legislature on July 1. The image of Hong Kong’s iconic bauhinia flower covered in black paint has become a symbol of the frustrations that sent hundreds of thousands of ...

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• 6 July

  Venezuela court frees jailed judge, journalist

  

  Bloomberg Venezuelan courts released judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni nine years after her arrest and journalist Braulio Jatar, the country’s top court said in separate posts on Twitter, without offering further details. Afiuni, writing on Twitter, confirmed her release, saying she would post a message when she had the official high court resolution. National Assembly leader Juan Guaido said on Twitter ...

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• 6 July

  India picks fiscal conservatism over growth boost in budget

  

  Bloomberg India’s new finance minister resisted calls for a fiscal boost to spur a weakening economy, sticking instead to a plan to narrow the budget deficit over time by keeping spending in check. The fiscal gap target for the year that began on April 1 was lowered to 3.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDp) from 3.4 percent set in ...

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• 6 July

  Iron ore sinks as China top steel group urges probe into rally

  

  Bloomberg The largest steel industry group in China has urged the government to maintain order in the global iron ore market after prices surged to a five-year high following a supply squeeze, saying that it’s requested authorities look into the gains. Futures slumped. The China Iron & Steel Association (CISA) “is reporting relevant problems in the industry to government ministries ...

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• 6 July

  Japan to brief South Korea on export restrictions: Nikkei

  

  Bloomberg Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to set up working-level briefings for their South Korean counterparts to explain export restrictions on some semiconductor and display materials that went into effect on July 4, according to the Nikkei. The goal of the talks is to show that the measures do not amount to an embargo and to preempt ...

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• 6 July

  Farmers may be asked to irrigate less in India

  

  Bloomberg India should provide incentives to farmers to adopt efficient water use to avert a looming crisis, according to the Economic Survey presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The South Asian nation should introduce improved irrigation methods, use technologies and change cropping patterns to reduce the use of ground water, of which 89 percent is extracted for irrigation purposes, the ...

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• 6 July

  Vodafone 5G opens new front in Britain’s wireless wars

  

  Bloomberg Vodafone Group Plc switched on the UK’s second 5G wireless network, kicking off a commercial battle with dominant rival EE that could shape a decade of sales. The technology’s faster download speeds and more reliable connections give the first movers an opportunity to snatch a bigger share of a saturated market. Back in 2012, EE — now owned by ...

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