The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Russia

  • Russia accuses Japan of distorting prospects for peace deal

    Russia slapped down Japanese assertions that a deal was in the offing to resolve a decades-old dispute over a chain of islands, accusing Tokyo of distorting agreements struck with Moscow to break the deadlock.

    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is making a push towards a treaty with Russia over the islands and is due to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month.

    However, Moscow has shown no willingness to concede control over the islands.

    Russia and Japan have been in dispute for seven decades over island territories captured by Soviet troops in the last days of World War Two.

    They are known in Russia as the Southern Kuriles and in Japan as the Northern Territories.

    Russia’s foreign ministry said late on Wednesday it had summoned Japan’s ambassador in Moscow to complain about comments made by Tokyo that it said “crudely distort the essence of agreements between Russia and Japan’s leaders on accelerating the negotiation process.”

    Read Also: Environmentalist warns of looming hunger in Niger Delta

    “Such statements cannot be regarded except as an attempt to artificially aggravate the atmosphere around the problem of the peace treaty, to impose one’s own scenario for its resolution on the other side,” it said.

    The ministry also drew attention late on Wednesday to comments made by Japan about the need to reach an understanding with Russians living on the islands about their transfer to Japanese control.

    The ministry also protested comments it said that Tokyo had made about Moscow refusing to pay compensation to Japan for “occupying” the islands.

  • Why U.S. imports LNG from Nigeria, Russia

    More than a decade, the United States (U.S.) shale boom keeps breaking output records, with fields from Pennsylvania to Texas producing more natural gas than the country needs. That has triggered billions of dollars of investments to ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) overseas. Yet the U.S. is still importing LNG from countries such as Nigeria and Russia. There are two reasons for that: pipeline bottlenecks and the requirements of a 1920 law meant to support a robust U.S. shipping industry.

    Gas production jumped 12 per cent last year to a record 89.6 billion cubic feet a day while consumption was 81.7 billion cubic feet per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The problem is getting it to the right places at the right time because of insufficient pipeline capacity near big metropolitan centers. Pipelines historically have been designed to operate at a reduced rate for most of the year so that when a cold snap hits, there’s space for a surge in demand. But with the shale boom, many households, power plants and factories have switched from fuels such as heating oil and coal to take advantage of cheap gas. This added consumption means that some lines are close to full year-round and are thus unable to cope when demand peaks.

    Gas shortages occur mostly in the Northeast. The region was the destination of most of the 200 million cubic feet a day of LNG the U.S. imported in the first 10 months of 2018. In January 2018, frigid weather sent New York City spot gas to a whopping $175 per million British thermal units, compared with less than $3 elsewhere in the country, as gas distributors engaged in bidding wars for pipeline space.

    Surplus U.S. gas supply allowed America’s booming LNG industry to ship 2.8 billion cubic feet a day to overseas markets during the first 10 months of 2018, according to the EIA.

  • Scholarship: Nigerian students in Russia send SOS

    Nigerians studying in Russia under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) say that they are finding it increasingly difficult to continue with their scholarship in that country.

    Under the BEA scholarship, the Russian Government takes care of the students’ tuition, while the Nigerian government pays each of the students 500 dollars monthly for their upkeep.

    Mr Lawal Mustapha, President, Association of Nigerian Scholarship Students in Russia, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Samara, Russia, on Thursday that students were owed 20 months arrears.

    “We are appealing to the Nigerian government to pay 20 months stipend arrears owed to us; we also plead that they pay us the stipend as at when due.

    “The BEA award stipulates that the Nigerian government takes care of our living cost monthly with 500 dollars, while the host country pays the students’ tuition,” he said.

    He said the Russian government had faithfully held up their end of the agreements by paying BEA scholarship students’ tuition as at when due.

    “But unfortunately, the Nigerian government has not faithfully kept their own part of the agreement,” Mustapha said.

    He said the students needed the money to pay for their accommodation, Visa renewals, health insurance cover, feeding and other bills.

    Read also: Row over N11m scholarship fund at UNN

    According to him, the affected students have been living in hardship as many have been threatened with an eviction notice from their hostels and deportation.

    “We have resorted to looking for other means to fend for ourselves by working illegally for long hours in the cold winter for meagre pay. We are suffering,” he said.

    Reacting, Alhaja Asta Ndajiwo, Director, Federal Scholarship Board, said that efforts were being made to pay the students their outstanding arrears.

    She said the board had forwarded memos to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to start payment of both 2017 and 2018 arrears of the stipend.

    “The arrears will be paid to the scholars bank accounts,” she promised.

    NAN reports that the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, during a news conference in Abuja on Thursday also assured the students that their arrears will be paid.

    He said the Federal Government was committed to fulfilling its financial obligations to students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees both at home and abroad.

    “On our part, we will do our utmost best to meet our obligations arising from all bilateral agreement as much as circumstances will permit.

    “Nigeria under the Federal Government Scholarship, BEA and Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme, has 2,953 students studying abroad,” he said.

    Adamu said that the balance of the 2018 appropriation had been released with focus to offsetting the arrears owed to students.

    “It is important to note that since the inception of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the Federal Government has committed about N3 billion under the three schemes.

    “As I speak, the balance of the 2018 appropriation has been released and preparation is on to pay the scholars,” he said.

    No fewer than 753 Nigerian students under the BEA programme are currently pursuing various undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Russia; Algeria; China; Hungary; Morocco; Egypt; Cuba; Romania; Turkey; Ukraine, Tunisia and Serbia.

  • Nigeria, Russia sign treaty on criminal matters

    Nigeria and Russia has signed a treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

    The treaty would assist in the fight against corruption as it makes provision for the tracing, recovery, forfeiture or confiscation of stolen assets, as well as the proceeds and instruments of crime.

    The agreement was negotiated in 2009 to enhance collaboration and cooperation between the two countries in the administration of criminal justice was signed last Tuesday in Moscow Russia.

    According to a statement signed by Mr. George Ehidiamen  Edokpa, Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami signed on behalf of Nigeria, while the Acting Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, Mr. Oleg Anatoyevich Plokhoy signed on behalf of the Russian Federation.

    The treaty, Edokpa said aimed at providing the necessary mechanism for cooperation in the fight against crime and criminal related matters, including terrorism, as well as to counter every form of support to terrorism.

    The agreement he stressed, “As it stands would assist in the fight against corruption as it makes provision for the tracing, recovery, forfeiture or confiscation of stolen assets, as well as the proceeds and instruments of crime.

    “The signing of the Treaty is a major breakthrough in the Bilateral Relations between Nigeria and Russia and the beginning of greater cooperation and partnership in other sectors. According to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Nigeria would benefit from this agreement as it would not only afford the country the opportunity to request for the arrest, surrender, investigation and prosecution of all persons who may have committed crimes and escape to The Russian Federation, but will be assured of the Russian cooperation in the tracing, recovery and repatriation of the stolen assets.”

     

  • Oil rises for a fourth day, buoyed by OPEC supply plans

    Oil rose for a fourth session in a row on Monday buoyed by the prospect that top exporter Saudi Arabia will push OPEC and may be Russia to cut supply towards the end of this year.

    Brent crude futures were up 24 cents at $67.00 a barrel by 1000 GMT, while U.S. futures rose 38 cents to $56.84.

    “Oil prices continued to recover … (as) the market will be watching closely for the possible impact of a (supply) cut,” said Sukrit Vijayakar, director of Indian energy consultancy, Trifecta.

    The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, led by Saudi Arabia, is pushing for the group and its partners to reduce output by one million to 1.4 million barrels per day to prevent a build-up of unused fuel.

    “It appears that the market takes a production cut for granted. We’ll see if it is right after the next OPEC meeting on December 6.

    “It is not unreasonable to anticipate stable prices until then,” PVM Oil Associates strategist Tamas Varga said.

    Russian Energy Minister, Alexander Novak, said on Monday that Russia, which is not an OPEC member, planned to sign a partnership agreement with the group, and that details would be discussed at OPEC’s Dec. 6 meeting in Vienna.

    Read Also: OPEC output cuts likely next year

    Despite Monday’s gains, Brent is almost 25 per cent below early October’s 2018 peak of $86.74, as evidence of slowing demand has materialized and output from the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia hit historic highs.

    A U.S. decision to grant waivers to some of Iran’s oil customers, who faced the prospect of a drop-off in supply from sanctions that came into force in early November, has also helped soothe concern about availability of crude.

    A trade dispute between the United States and China is one reason investors are a lot warier about the outlook for oil demand growth next year.

    Fund managers cut their bullish exposure to crude futures and options to the lowest since around mid-2017 this month.

    Weekly exchange data shows money managers hold a combined net long position equivalent to around 364 million barrels of U.S. and Brent crude futures and options, down from over 800 million barrels two months ago.

    “The main trend remains bearish as investors no longer believe in a risk of supply tightness for crude,” ActivTrades chief analyst Carlo Alberto De Casa said.

  • China negotiates gas deals with Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, others

    Chinese state-owned energy giant, CNOOC been negotiating gas supply deals with Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) suppliers to ensure gas supply, including dealers from Nigeria, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar and Russia, according to an online platform, Oilprice.com.

    However, due to the ongoing trade war between the US and China, CNOOC spot purchases of LNG is coming to a halt amid Beijing’s retaliatory tariff on US-LNG imports.

    But with an eye on last winter’s natural gas supply debacle, Chinese state-owned energy giant CNOOC has pledged a 20 per cent rise in gas supply, the company has said.

    The company, one of three state-run oil majors, said it will supply 24.6 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas during the heating season that kicks off this week, up 20 per cent year-on-year, to meet rising natural gas demand in the country.

    China is in the process of replacing over reliance on coal usage for both industrial and residential end users to offset rampant air pollution, particularly in its larger urban centers. By government mandate, at least 10 per cent of the country’s energy mix needed for power generation by 2020 must be natural gas, with further earmarks set for 2030.

    CNOOC, the country’s largest oil and gas producer, said 6.1 bcm of natural gas will be supplied to seven northern provinces and municipalities, up 63.5 per cent from last year. The company added that most of the natural gas it’s supplying this year is from offshore fields, coal bed gas and imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).

    LNG tariffs will also come full circle, since other LNG producers will likely increase their spot prices in the mid-term to a point just under US LNG prices including a tariff, with Chinese firms being forced to pay the extra price. Yet, unlike last year when China relied more on spot purchases to fill supply gaps, the country’s oil companies have largely been filling up storage more than last year’s levels. Also, putting downward pressure on LNG spot prices in Asia are forecasts for a warmer winter in the Northern hemisphere.

    El Nino, the warming in Pacific Ocean sea-surface temperatures, has emerged and there’s an increased chance of it continuing through the Northern Hemisphere spring, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Friday. The weather pattern usually causes warmer temperatures during winters in Japan. “With warmer weather expected now, the demand pull from China would be even less,” Xizhou Zhou, an analyst at IHS Markit, told Bloomberg. “The kind of tightness in the market we had seen last year will unlikely repeat.”

    Na Min, a senior analyst for oil and gas at Bloomberg New Energy Finance said “the chance of a ‘cold winter’ is quite small this year.”

    LNG prices have tumbled for the past seven weeks amid weaker demand from North Asia while companies in Japan, China and South Korea (the world’s three largest LNG importers) already nearing full storage capacity. LNG prices in Asia, which are either linked directly to an oil price formulation or the global oil price trajectory, are extending its longest losing streak since January 2016, when Brent crude prices dipped below the $30 per barrel price point.

    Other Chinese oil companies are also gearing up for the winter season. Sinopec, the world’s largest refiner by volume, said on Monday it would supply 18.17 billion cubic meters of natural gas during the heating season, up 17.7 percent year-on-year, with supplies to seven northern province-level regions set to increase by 29.1 per cent. A report earlier this week in the China Daily said Sinopec has been speeding up the construction and operation of new pipelines in northern regions in addition to increasing its spot purchases of LNG. All of the company’s three LNG terminals are expected to run at full capacity.

  • Boateng dropped, Reus recalled for Germany’s matches

    Central defender Jerome Boateng was surprisingly left out of Germany coach Joachim Loew’s squad for this month’s international matches against Russia and Netherlands, but winger Marco Reus was included on Friday.

    Germany face Russia in a friendly on Thursday before taking on The Netherlands four days later as they battle to avoid relegation in the new UEFA Nations League competition.

    “I talked with Jerome. I am convinced he will benefit from a break.

    “I told him that we have a lot of alternatives for his position, especially with young players.

    “Obviously they still need to prove they can reach Jerome’s level.”,” Loew said on the German football association (DFB) website.

    Boateng’s surprise exclusion raised eyebrows at his club Bayern Munich, with coach Niko Kovac calling it a “novelty”.

    “That’s a novelty. But that does not mean that he will not be there again in the future. I do not see it as the end of Jerome’s national team career,” he said

    Read Also:Germany hosts Euro 2024

     

    The 30-year-old Boateng has played almost a decade for Germany, earning 76 caps and winning the 2014 World Cup.

    Injury-plagued Reus, the Borussia Dortmund captain, missed the October internationals through injury, but his current form with the Bundesliga leaders has earned him a recall.

    “Obviously I am delighted with Marco and that he has a strong phase with Dortmund.

    “He can really help us in this kind of form and that is what I hope for,” he said.

    Germany, who suffered a shock early exit at this year’s World Cup finals in Russia, are bottom of their League A Group 1 with one point from three games.

    France are on top with seven points from three games and the Dutch in second with three points from two matches.

  • Mid-term elections: U.S. warns Russia, China, Iran to stay off

    The U.S. has warned against foreign interference in its mid-term elections, particularly from Russia, China and Iran.

    All the 435 House of Representatives seats, representing the 50 states are up for grabs in the election, holding on Tuesday.

    Thirty five of the 100 senate seats are being contested and gubernatorial elections are to be held in 36 states.

    “The United States will not tolerate foreign interference in our elections from Russia, China, Iran or other nations,” U.S. law enforcement agencies warned.

    The agencies are the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – in coordination with federal, state, local and private sector partners nationwide.

    In a joint statement, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, DNI Director Dan Coats, and FBI Director Christopher Wray said they were continuing efforts to protect the elections.

    “Our agencies have been working in unprecedented ways to combat influence efforts and to support state and local officials in securing our elections, including efforts to harden election infrastructure against interference.

    “Our goal is clear: ensure every vote is counted and counted correctly.

    “At this time we have no indication of compromise of our nation’s election infrastructure that would prevent voting, change vote counts or disrupt the ability to tally votes.

    “But Americans should be aware that foreign actors – and Russia in particular – continue to try to influence public sentiment and voter perceptions through actions intended to sow discord.

    “They can do this by spreading false information about political processes and candidates, lying about their own interference activities, disseminating propaganda on social media and through other tactics,” the agencies said.

    They, however, said the American public could mitigate these efforts by remaining informed, reporting suspicious activity and being vigilant consumers of information.

    The agencies said actions that interfered in the elections were a threat to U.S. democracy and identifying and preventing this interference was one of our highest priorities.

    “On Sept. 12, President Trump signed an executive order that makes clear the U.S. government will not hesitate to defend our electoral processes or punish those who attempt to undermine them.”

    “Our agencies have been making preparations for nearly two years in advance of these elections and are closely engaged with officials on the ground to help them ensure the voting process is secure.

    “Americans can rest assured that we will continue to stay focused on this mission long after polls have closed,” the agencies said.

    NAN

     

  • ‘Lazy’ midfield, ‘suicidal’ defence, Spain stung by England loss

    Spain’s 3-2 defeat to England in the Nations League on Monday not only burst the bubble of optimism surrounding new coach Luis Enrique.

    It also dredged up unpleasant memories of their woeful World Cup campaign in Russia.

    England raced to a 3-0 lead and the hosts were booed off at the break in Seville.

    Spain fought back in the second half with two goals, but it was not enough to prevent Luis Enrique suffering his first defeat since taking over in July.

    The coach’s arrival had lifted the gloom after Spain’s disastrous showing at the World Cup, where they were knocked out by the unfancied hosts in the last 16.

    “The doubts that seemed buried after the horrors of Russia are back.

    “They took a whack from reality that sent them back three months,” said daily newspaper Marca on Tuesday.

    Read Also: Luis Enrique appointed Spain coach

    Newspaper AS said Spain should have had a penalty but delivered a harsh assessment of the side’s performance, saying “the midfield was lazy and the defence was too high up and suicidal”.

    Centre back Sergio Ramos scored Spain’s second goal in stoppage time but he was criticized by the media.

    “There’s a Madrid fan in the office who says he needs just one minute of a game to know which version of Sergio Ramos is playing.

    “When he plays in Seville (his birthplace) he practically always shows off … he subtracts more than he contributes.

    “It seems that in his brain he only hears one sentence. `You are the best Sergio, the best.’ It might be too late now but maybe people shouldn’t say it so much,” wrote Juan Carlos Diaz in Marca

    La Liga President Javier Tebas said Spain’s fans also let the country down after some of them booed the English national anthem.

    “National anthems represent the noblest and most profound feelings of many people. They must always be respected.

    “We have to apologise to the English and make that what happened yesterday doesn’t happen again,” he said on Twitter.

  • Russia, U.S trade blames over rising oil prices

    • Oil price close to $90

    Russian President, Vladimir Putin has accused his U.S counterpart, President Donald Trump of driving up the prices of oil.

    Putin said Trump was “right” to complain that global oil prices are too high, but added that the U.S was to blame for higher prices.

    “President Trump has said he thinks the oil price is too high. Well, probably to some extent he’s right, but we are absolutely okay with it at $65 to $75 per barrel to ensure the efficient operation of oil companies and ensure investment,” Putin said yesterday during an address to delegates at the Russia Energy Week forum in Moscow.

    “But let’s be frank, such oil prices are to some extent the result of the U.S. administration. I’m talking about sanctions against Iran, about political problems in Venezuela and just looking at what’s happening in Libya.

    “If we touched upon the topic we are discussing now with him (Trump), I would say, if you want to find the culprit of who’s guilty that prices are growing, then you should just have a look in the mirror,” he said.

    Putin’s comments came after Trump criticised Russia and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries   (OPEC) for a 2016 deal in which they agreed to curb oil output in a bid to support prices that had slumped in mid-2014 due to a glut in global supply.

    The deal has worked and oil prices rose. The deal, and subsequent price rise, has drawn criticism from Trump, who said OPEC, Saudi Arabia and Russia are keeping prices high and called on them to increase production and thereby bring down oil prices.

    Trump’s criticism of the major oil producers, ignores the fact that his own decision to implement sanctions on OPEC members, Iran and Venezuela has also put pressure on oil prices, with markets fearing a shortfall in global supply.

    Saudi Arabia and Russia have said they could fill any shortfall created by Iran when sanctions go into effect on November 4 (today). The group of OPEC and non-OPEC producers already agreed back in June to ease production limits in order to take some pressure off prices.

    Putin defended the deal with OPEC, saying the aim was to balance markets.

    “As for the reduction of production and keeping it quite low, this is just a tool, this is not our goal. Our goal is to balance the market, when we along with our colleagues from OPEC agreed to cut production this is what we talked about, cutting excessive stocks… This is not about the income of oil companies,.

    “If the market is not balanced, there is a situation which leads to reduced investment and finally this will create a deficit on the market and prices will leap,” Putin said.

    Meanwhile, oil traded above $85 a barrel yesterday, supported by expectations that U.S. sanctions on Iran will tighten supply and strain the ability of Saudi Arabia and other producers to pump more.

    Crude exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest producer, are already falling as the U.S. sanctions kicking in on November. 4 (today), deter buyers.

    The drop in exports is reducing the impact of an OPEC production increase agreed in June. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up 38 cents at $85.18  a barrel .U.S. crude was up 24 cents at $75.47.

    With Iranian exports expected to fall further, analysts said there may not be enough spare production capacity in the short term to meet demand, potentially requiring large withdrawals from storage.

    The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus allies, including Russia, have been limiting supply since 2017 to get rid of a glut.

    They partially relaxed the cut in June, under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to cool prices.

    OPEC has so far ruled out any further production increase, beyond delivering the boost agreed in June, in spite of prices rallying further and more pressure from Trump.

    Russia’s Energy Minister, Alexander Novak, said on yesterday that the market had more or less stabilised, but many uncertainties remain, including the sanctions on Iran and could push prices higher.

    U.S. crude inventories rose by 907,000 barrels in the week to September 28 to 400.9 million, the American Petroleum Institute said on Tuesday, ahead of yesterday’s official supply report