July, 2017

• 26 July

  Russia, China’s top oil supplier for 4th straight month

  

  BEIJING / Reuters Russia was China’s biggest crude oil supplier for a fourth straight month in June, its longest streak ever in the top spot, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. China’s total crude oil imports reached 36.11 million tonnes in June, or 8.79 million barrels per day (bpd), making the country the world’s largest buyer for a ...

  Read More »
• 26 July

  America’s biggest oil import hub looks to catch export wave

  Bloomberg The biggest US oil import hub wants to grab a piece of surging North American crude exports. Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, the only terminal along the US Gulf Coast able to handle a fully laden supertanker, is gauging interest from shippers in sending crude overseas on the world’s biggest ships by early next year. Ports are competing to fill ...

  Read More »
• 26 July

  Nintendo’s profit, sales beat estimates on Switch demand

  

  Bloomberg Nintendo Co.’s Switch is showing signs of becoming a money earner. The Kyoto-based company reported profit and sales that topped estimates as more people bought the new gaming machine, lifting prospects for brisk shipments during the holiday season. Operating profit for April-June, the Switch’s first full quarter on store shelves, was 16.2 billion yen ($145 million), exceeding analysts’ average ...

  Read More »
• 26 July

  India probes if China solar imports hurt domestic industry

  

  Bloomberg India opened a probe into whether Chinese solar-equipment makers are hurting its domestic industry by dumping inventories and driving down prices to unfair levels. “A causal link between the said dumping and injury exists to justify an initiation of an anti-dumping investigation,” according to a notification published on the website of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties. ...

  Read More »
• 26 July

  China sees resilient economy

  Bloomberg Earliest indicators show that China’s economic engine is humming this summer. Confidence of small- and medium-sized companies rebounded in July, satellites are picking up increasing activity on the ground, sentiment of steel traders and producers has improved, while that of sales managers is at the highest level in more than two years. This buoyancy helps offset concern from wary ...

  Read More »
• 26 July

  Star-crossed history of CIA military action

  

  What did the CIA’s covert assistance program for Syrian rebels accomplish? Bizarrely, the biggest consequence may be that it helped trigger the Russian military intervention in 2015 that rescued President Bashar Al Assad – achieving the opposite of what the program intended. Syria adds another chapter to the star-crossed history of CIA paramilitary action. These efforts begin with the worthy ...

  Read More »
• 26 July

  Paytm tie-up gives chance for ailing Alibaba unit to lift its game

  

  An announcement by two of Asia’s most important Internet firms could be instrumental in propelling the take-up of mobile payments in India. It may also help turn around an ailing company. AGTech Holdings Ltd will form a joint venture with India’s Paytm group to develop mobile games and other entertainment products, the Hong Kong-based company said in an exchange filing. ...

  Read More »
• 26 July

  Polish president says enough is enough

  

  Polish President Andrzej Duda just surprised almost everybody by vetoing parts of new government legislation that assaults judicial independence. “As president, I don’t feel this law would strengthen a sense of justice,” he said. He’s right. Poland’s democratic institutions are under threat, and the new initiative is only the latest of many. The government should weigh this embarrassment carefully, and ...

  Read More »
• 26 July

  UK’s Brexit bill shouldn’t derail talks

  The first sticking point in Brexit negotiations is the size of the UK’s final bill with the European Union. It’s a silly dispute that both sides need to get past as quickly as possible so they can move on to more consequential matters. This needn’t be difficult. All it requires is a willingness to compromise — something neither party, as ...

  Read More »
• 26 July

  US special relationship with Britain needs a rest

  

  Many Americans still regard Britain as the US’s political and cultural parent. Despite the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, the US and the UK eventually developed a special relationship that endured throughout the 20th century. Together, the two defeated the Axis and communism, and established a global order based on free trade and (eventually) universal human rights. But ...

  Read More »