By Elena Fabrichnaya MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian ratings agency ACRA estimates that the country’s banks imported $5 billion worth of banknotes in foreign currencies in December, up from $2.65 billion a year before, in a pre-emptive step in case of sanctions creating increased demand. Dollars traditionally dominate such imports which, along with other currencies, many…
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — With all eyes on a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending his top security envoy to the Balkans where Moscow has been trying to maintain influence mainly through its ally Serbia, according to reports. Serbia’s pro-government media said Monday Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful secretary of the…
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s winter drought is getting worse, with the national weather agency reporting Monday that 91% of the country is enduring “severe” or “extreme” drought conditions. Average rainfall for Feb. 1-15 was just 7% of the average over a 30-year period, the IPMA said. It added that no significant rainfall is expected…
By Ron Bousso and David French LONDON (Reuters) – Chevron is looking to sell its stakes in three oil and gas fields in Equatorial Guinea, hoping a recent rally in energy prices will help attract buyers, three industry sources told Reuters. The U.S. company acquired the assets in the west African country as part of…
By Alexander Marrow MOSCOW (Reuters) – The rouble slid to a more than three-week low on Monday, erasing earlier gains in a volatile session, and Russian stocks plunged as Western fears of an imminent military action in Ukraine outweighed hopes that diplomatic efforts would yield results. The Kremlin said there were no concrete plans yet…
KUWAIT (Reuters) – Kuwait Airways has signed a $6 billion deal with Airbus, which includes the purchase of 31 new planes, Sky News Arabia said on Monday. Kuwait Airways has already paid for 40% of the deal’s value, Sky News Arabia added. (Reporting by Lina Najem; editing by Jason Neely)
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is ready to limit financial assistance and possibly impose sanctions in Bosnia to help prevent the possible breakup up of the ethnically divided Balkan country as the peace agreement brokered over 25 years ago unravels, the EU’s top diplomat vowed Monday. “There is no place in Europe for a…
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – State-run Life Insurance Corp. Of India (LIC), which is planning the country’s largest IPO next month, is well capitalised, the company’s chairman M.R Kumar said on Monday. Kumar said LIC’s potential investors should not worry about government control post the IPO as decisions in the country’s largest insurance company are taken…
By Noah Browning LONDON (Reuters) – Oil prices rose slightly on Monday as fresh diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis provided some relief from supply concerns that have kept oil prices near $100 a barrel. Brent crude futures rose 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $93.79 a barrel at 1000 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate…
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has placed U.S. companies Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Technologies Corp under sanctions over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The sanctions are countermeasures against the two companies over a $100 million Feb. 7 arms sale that “undermined China’s security interests, seriously undermined China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan…
