January, 2019

• 14 January

  Trump says he ‘never worked for Russia’

  

  Bloomberg President Donald Trump said on Monday he “never worked for Russia,” after reports that the FBI grew so concerned by his actions towards Moscow that they quietly began a counterintelligence investigation into whether he was working on its behalf. Trump, speaking to reporters as he left the White House for an agriculture event in New Orleans, said the investigation ...

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• 14 January

  Russia’s Lavrov warns Japan on islands dispute

  Bloomberg Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Japan to avoid “one-sided rhetoric” as talks resumed on reaching a deal to end a territorial dispute over four islands that’s prevented the countries from signing a peace accord to end World War II. Negotiations should take place “professionally, without trying to distort agreements that are reached at a particular stage, without ...

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• 14 January

  Europe crisis of confidence opens door to Bannon-style chaos

  

  Bloomberg Steve Bannon had a front-row seat to see Belgium’s liberal-led government disintegrate last month after delivering a fiery, anti-migration speech to local lawmakers just hours earlier. President Donald Trump’s former adviser is now eying Spain as the next domino to fall in his drive to disrupt European integration. Belgium joins two other European Union members operating without a full ...

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• 14 January

  Regional states seek vote recount in DRC

  

  Bloomberg Regional heads of state backed a call by Martin Fayulu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) opposition leader, for a recount of last month’s presidential election, as the country’s Constitutional Court prepared to consider his challenge against the result. Opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi was declared the surprise winner of the December 30 poll. If the Constitutional Court validates the electoral ...

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• 14 January

  Nigeria oppn slams trial of top judge ahead of vote

  Bloomberg Nigeria’s chief justice is due to go on trial for alleged improprieties in declaring assets in what the opposition said is an attempt to intimidate the judiciary and spark a constitutional crisis a month before presidential elections. The Nigerian Bar Association described the decision by the West African nation’s Code of Conduct Tribunal to put Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen ...

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• 14 January

  Saudi, Canadian cuts leaving world hungry for heavy crude

  

  Bloomberg Output cuts in oil-rich Alberta and Saudi Arabia are combining to leave heavy-crude refiners from the Gulf of Mexico to Asia in a bind. While curtailments in the Canadian province have propelled local prices to their strongest level in almost a decade, other grades like Arab Heavy and Heavy Louisiana Sweet are also surging. The Saudis are expected to ...

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• 14 January

  Sinopec wins approval for retail unit IPO

  

  Bloomberg Sinopec, China’s top oil refiner, won approval from the country’s cabinet for a long-awaited initial public offering of the retail unit that runs its vast chain of gas stations and convenience stores, people with knowledge of the matter said. The green light from the State Council clears the final Chinese regulatory hurdle for the deal and means the IPO ...

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• 14 January

  Shell seeks Canada refinery sale to focus on LNG

  

  Bloomberg Royal Dutch Shell Plc is seeking buyers for an Ontario refinery and some sour gas facilities in Alberta as the company focuses on its $31 billion liquefied natural gas project in British Columbia. “These assets have been a cornerstone of Shell Canada for many years, however, they are no longer a fit with Shell’s evolving portfolio,” the company said ...

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• 14 January

  China’s slumping trade adds pressure for ‘US settlement’

  

  Bloomberg China’s exports slumped in December as a rush of orders to beat expected tariffs showed signs of fading and as domestic buyers succumbed to a worsening economic outlook. The worse than expected figures, with exports falling 4.4 percent in December from a year earlier, set a grim domestic backdrop for China’s negotiators as they seek a deal to end ...

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• 14 January

  Viacom in talks to sell stake in China business

  

  Bloomberg Viacom Inc is in talks to sell a majority stake in some of its China operations, according to a person familiar with the matter. The New York-based company has had talks about a sale with at least one Chinese entity, the person said. The discussions involved the potential sale of a majority share in Viacom’s channel brands, such as ...

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