Bloomberg Donald Trump hasn’t ordered the Pentagon to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, a White House spokesman said, contradicting reports last week that he’s directed the military to pull 7,000 soldiers out of a conflict he’s long criticised. “The president has not made a determination to drawdown US military presence in Afghanistan and he has not directed the Department of Defense ...
Read More »Egypt forces kill 40 militants after attack
Bloomberg Egyptian security forces killed 40 militants in two operations after four people died in a roadside bomb that struck a tour bus in Greater Cairo on December 28. The militants were planning attacks against churches, state institutions, economic interests, the armed forces and tourist sites, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Saturday. The operations took place ...
Read More »â€˜Congo oppn leader would win fair vote’
Bloomberg An opposition candidate in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the clear favourite to win Sunday’s presidential election if the long-awaited vote is free and fair, according to an opinion poll. Martin Fayulu, a former Exxon Mobil Corp. manager who heads an opposition alliance, had the support of 47 percent of those surveyed, according to results published by New ...
Read More »Trump visit angers Iraqi lawmakers, spurs ‘pullout call’
Bloomberg Iraqi lawmakers took offense at President Donald Trump’s surprise visit to US troops stationed there, with some of the most powerful groups in the Baghdad parliament urging a review of America’s military presence in the country. Trump made his first visit to troops in a combat zone as commander-in-chief on Wednesday, meeting with US soldiers at the Ain Al-Asad ...
Read More »Salvini rules out reshuffle post ‘Tria report’
Bloomberg Italian Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini dismissed media reports of a possible government reshuffle in which Finance Minister Giovanni Tria would resign in early January following a long tussle over the country’s budget. The idea of a cabinet revamp is “surreal and totally false,†Salvini, who leads the antimigration League, said in a statement sent by his office. “You don’t ...
Read More »French Yellow Vests protests continue
Bloomberg A seventh Saturday of protests by France’s “Yellow Vests†began slowly, continuing a downward trend since weekly demonstrations began in mid-November over the cost of living and a lack of household purchasing power. French television showed images of several hundred protesters gathering in southwest Paris, with small numbers in the touristic centre and on the Champs-Elysees avenue, the scene ...
Read More »US gas imports up despite export boom
Bloomberg The US may be exporting natural gas at a record clip, but that hasn’t stopped it from accepting new imports. A tanker with fuel from Nigeria has berthed at the Cove Point import terminal in Maryland, while a second ship with Russian gas is idling outside Boston Harbor. Pipeline constraints, depleted stockpiles and a 98-year-old law barring foreign ships ...
Read More »Green power is gold dust for utility investors
Bloomberg If you ever needed convincing there’s money to be made investing in renewable energy companies, just look at the best performer this year on Europe’s main utilities index. As a torrid year for global markets draws to a close, Verbund AG almost tripled in value in 2018 and is beating all of its 27 peers to the top spot ...
Read More »Chesapeake Energy shares surge most in two years
Bloomberg Chesapeake Energy Corp shares rose the most in two years after board member Archie Dunham, former chief executive of ConocoPhillips’ predecessor company, bought more than $4 million in additional stock. Dunham purchased 2.1 million shares December 21, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, nearly doubling his position this month to over 1 percent of ...
Read More »Indonesian volcano shrinks as collapse caused tsunami
Bloomberg The Mount Anak Krakatau volcano in Indonesia has shrunk to a third after a series of eruptions and a flank that collapsed triggered a tsunami a week ago that killed more than 400 people and injured several thousands. The height of the more than 90-year-old volcano has been reduced to about 110 metres from 338 metres after eruptions intensified ...
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