China suffered a rare diplomatic setback when 10 Pacific Island nations deflected its offer of a sweeping trade and security deal. However, the rebuff won’t end China’s efforts to exert influence over these tiny and far-flung countries. The US needs to respond with equal resolve — or risk losing ground in a strategically vital region. Though lightly populated, the ...
Read More »Europe is a vast idea. How does Ukraine fit in?
If the leaders of the European Union listened only to their hearts, they’d fully embrace Ukraine into the bloc at their summit in Brussels this month. As French President Emmanuel Macron put it, “We feel in our heart that Ukraine, through its fight and its courage, is already today a member of our Europe, of our family and of ...
Read More »Branson sees Brexit Britain in doldrums amid travel chaos
Bloomberg It’s not easy to wipe the trademark grin off Branson’s face, but one way is to ask the British billionaire about the challenges facing his home country. Speaking in Texas about Virgin Atlantic Airways’ bid to tap Austin’s tech boom with its first flights to the state, Branson’s ebullience fades when the conversation switches to the economic squeeze and ...
Read More »Ryanair’s Spanish cabin crew call for 6-day strike
Bloomberg Ryanair Holdings Plc’s Spanish cabin crew unions have announced a strike in late June and early July after pay talks fell apart. Workers are set to strike on June 24, 25, 26 and 30, as well as on July 1 and 2, officials for the main Spanish crew unions USO and SITCPLA said in a press conference in Madrid. ...
Read More »America’s inventory glut may look great for Overstock.com
Bloomberg Overstock.com Inc is poised to take advantage of the inventory glut plaguing retailers like Target Corp and Walmart Inc. The e-commerce company specialises in helping chains liquidate slow-moving merchandise, and now it will have more opportunities than usual. US retailers racked up excess goods to ensure shelves stayed full during the pandemic. But now shoppers have shifted spending ...
Read More »Changi Airport to reopen its terminals to meet demand
Bloomberg Singapore’s Changi Airport will reopen two of its terminals that were shuttered due to Covid-19 as travel springs back faster than expected. Terminal 4 will reopen in September and departure operations in the southern wing of Terminal 2 will restart from October, Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pte said in a statement. The added capacity will allow the airport ...
Read More »Revlon prepares to file for bankruptcy
Bloomberg Cosmetics giant Revlon Inc is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as soon as next week as it battles supply chain problems and a heavy debt load, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Talks around the potential filing aren’t final and could change, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private negotiations. ...
Read More »Fighting rages as Ukraine’s leader pleads for artillery
Bloomberg Russia continued its assault on Sievierodonetsk, pushing Ukrainian troops out of the center of Kyiv’s last major foothold in the Luhansk region. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the fighting “very fierce†and his top military commander pleaded for the US to send more artillery. Moscow’s use of cluster munitions and indiscriminate shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, constitutes a war ...
Read More »US makes Asia inroads by playing down need to oppose China
Bloomberg The US sought to bolster its support in Asia by reassuring nations they don’t need to join a coalition against China, drawing a stark contrast with Beijing’s threats to defend its interests with military force. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Asia’s biggest security forum that the US was taking “wise counsel†from smaller countries, saying they should be ...
Read More »China’s claims on Taiwan Strait may raise tensions with US
Bloomberg China’s assertions that the Taiwan Strait doesn’t qualify as international waters raises tensions over the nautical flash point, through which US warships transit in a symbolic challenge to Beijing’s territorial claims over the democratically governed island. While it’s unclear what Beijing means by “international waters,†the language may be intended to deter the US from sailing through the ...
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