The asking price of natural gas ($400 per 1,000 cubic meters) supply by Russia to China is higher than our expectation

Said : Wang Ruiqi, senior analyst with Shanghai-based energy consultancy ICIS-C1 Energy, reported China Daily yesterday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow. (File Photo : Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)  

According to the report, China-Russia deal for natural gas delivery and cooperation on other projects is likely to be signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to Beijing next week when he visits China to attend a summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia from May 20 to 21 in Shanghai. It's his first trip to China since President Xi Jinping, took office.

Loading Gazprom's LNG carrier (Pic : Gazprom)

In view of the Western sanctions after the Crimean annexation from Ukraine, Russia is looking to Asian markets to sell it's natural gas to reduce dependency on Europe. Gazprom OAO - Russia's top natural gas producer - is reported to be supplying 38 billion cubic meters of gas annually starting from 2018 and increase it to 68 billion cubic meters later. The fuel will be supplied through China's western and eastern pipelines the construction of which will take two to three years.

In 2013 - with total consumption of 167.6 billion cubic meters - China became the third-largest natural gas user recording 13.9 percent year-on-year growth.

Russia's top natural gas producer, Gazprom OAO, plans to supply China with 38 billion cubic meters of gas annually starting from 2018 and increase it to 68 billion cubic meters. The fuel will be supplied through China's western and eastern pipelines. No timetable has been specified for the increased supply.

The China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), the nation's biggest natural gas importer, has also signed a deal with the Russian government to acquire a 20 percent stake in the Yamal liquefied natural gas project located in Northern Russia. It is a joint venture between Russia-based Novatek Inc, which owns 60 percent, France-based Total SA with 20 percent and CNPC, also with a 20 percent stake.

"Given Russia's hostile actions in Ukraine, business as usual is unacceptable"

Said : U.S. Senator Dan Coats.

U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced yesterday the Russian Weapons Embargo Act of 2014, bipartisan legislation that would sanction Russia’s Rosoboronexport – the sole state agency for export of Russian weapons systems and defense-related goods.

The proposal would forbid the direct or indirect use of American tax dollars to enter contracts or agreements with Rosoboronexport and immediately terminate existing contracts and agreements with the agency. The legislation also would prohibit contracts with any domestic or foreign company that cooperates with Rosoboronexport to design, manufacture or sell military equipment.

“The hostile situation in Ukraine is yet another recent example of why the United States should stop doing business with Russia and its arms dealer,” said Blumenthal. “This legislation sends a clear message to Russia and Rosoboronexport: America will not do business with countries that behave irresponsibly and companies that arm terrorist regimes.”

“Given Russia’s hostile actions in Ukraine, business as usual is unacceptable,” said Coats. “With American credibility and the future of the international order on the line, our actions should reflect that. This specific economic sanction will harm Russian interests in a serious way without damaging America’s economy.”

“It’s time to put an end to this hypocritical relationship and end all contracts with Rosoboronexport,” said Cornyn. “Considering Rosoboronexport’s close connection with Vladimir Putin and his cronies, and its ties to brutal dictators who’ve committed mass atrocities, there is no reason for our military to continue to rely on equipment from thugs masquerading as a legitimate business.”

Russian Mil Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters (Pic Courtesy : RIA Novosti) 

Rosoboronexport facilitates and funds Putin’s foreign policy objectives through the sale of military equipment and technology, handling more than 80 percent of Russia's weapons exports.

The agency is the chief supplier of arms to Bashar al-Assad, whose regime is using these weapons to murder innocent Syrian civilians. Rosoboronexport has committed to provide Syria with S–300 advanced anti-aircraft missiles, and under a $100 million contract from the Assad government, Rosoboronxport is delivering 36 Yakovlev Yak-130 jets, even as the Syrian Air Force continues to bomb civilian targets. (Source : Press release by Senator Blumenthal's office published on the Senate website)

The Gandhi family should hand over the leadership to others for India to have a credible opposition

Sonia and Rahul own up responsibility for defeat

Said : The New York Times Editorial Board on it's Opinion Pages column today. Andrew Rosenthal, the editorial page editor of The New York Times, is in charge of the paper's opinion pages. 

The editorial, titled "With Narendra Modi, a Change in India", has described Narendra Modi's victory as 'historical' whereas the Congress party' defeat as 'crushing and humiliating.' In a clear advice to the Gandhi family, the editorial board says : "The loss was so humiliating for the Indian National Congress party, which has governed for most of India’s independence, that it was unclear if it could rebuild its prominence. The Gandhi family, which dominates the party, should hand over the leadership to others. That is the only chance for India to have a credible opposition."

Narendra Modi at his victory speech

The editorial argues that "the victory gives Mr. Modi the chance to revitalize the economy and shape the way India engages with the world. How he moves forward will matter to Indians clamoring for jobs and development, but also to others, including the United States, which sees India as a vital economic and security partner in Asia." It goes on to say that "Mr. Modi needs to deliver on his vow to make progress, and he and Washington must confront differences on global trade issues," hinting that the new Indian government should open its economy up to greater trade and foreign investment. 

The editors have also suggested that "the two countries should pursue deeper cooperation beyond occasional military exercises and arms sales, like calming tensions between China and Vietnam over regional waterways, building peace between India and Pakistan and stabilizing Afghanistan."

The editorial noted that Mr. Modi had set very high expectations for economic revival and his government. It appreciated his promise to work for the good of all Indians in the victory speech in Vadodara and opined that to fulfill peoples' expectations, he will need to stick to that commitment.

About The New York Times Editorial Board


The editorial board is composed of 18 journalists with wide-ranging areas of expertise. Their primary responsibility is to write The Times’s editorials, which represent the voice of the board, its editor and the publisher. The board is part of The Times’s editorial department, which is operated separately from The Times’s newsroom, and includes the Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed sections. 

Don't Worry, Earth Will Survive Climate Change - We Won't

Said : Neil deGrasse Tyson - the world's most famous astrophysicist, and he is a HUGE Trekkie. 

Neil is the host of StarTalk Radio is a fan of science fiction and futuristic movies, and of Star Trek in particular. He talked about the climate change in his StarTalk Radio podcast, as per the Business Insider of May 1. 

The program was produced by Kamelia Angelova, William Wei, and Alana Kakoyiannis. 

Watch Neil deGrasse Tyson talk about the Climate Change by clicking here.

“The world is headed for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again kill”

Dr. Keiji Fukuda

said : Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Security, in WHO's recent press release.

A new report by WHO–its first to look at antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, globally–reveals that this serious threat is no longer a prediction for the future, it is happening right now in every region of the world and has the potential to affect anyone, of any age, in any country. Antibiotic resistance–when bacteria change so antibiotics no longer work in people who need them to treat infections–is now a major threat to public health.

“Without urgent, coordinated action by many stakeholders, the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again kill,” says Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Security. “Effective antibiotics have been one of the pillars allowing us to live longer, live healthier, and benefit from modern medicine. Unless we take significant actions to improve efforts to prevent infections and also change how we produce, prescribe and use antibiotics, the world will lose more and more of these global public health goods and the implications will be devastating.”

WHO HQ main building, Geneva

According to the WHO report, 

People can help tackle resistance by :

• using antibiotics only when prescribed by a doctor;
• completing the full prescription, even if they feel better;
• never sharing antibiotics with others or using leftover prescriptions.

Health workers and pharmacists can help tackle resistance by :

• enhancing infection prevention and control;
• only prescribing and dispensing antibiotics when they are truly needed;
• prescribing and dispensing the right antibiotic(s) to treat the illness.

Policymakers can help tackle resistance by :

• strengthening resistance tracking and laboratory capacity;
• regulating and promoting appropriate use of medicines.

Policymakers and industry can help tackle resistance by :

• fostering innovation and research and development of new tools;
• promoting cooperation and information sharing among all stakeholders.

The full report may be found here.

"Town-sponsored sectarian prayer violates the basic rule requiring the government to stay neutral on matters of faith."

Daniel Mach

said : Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. He was expressing his disappointed by the United States Supreme Court's decision to upheld today a New York town’s practice of starting town meetings with official sectarian prayer. "We are disappointed by today’s decision.  Official religious favoritism should be off-limits under the Constitution," he said.

The practice was challenged by residents of Greece, a town in Monroe County, New York who objected to hearing government prayers, the vast majority of which were expressly Christian invocations, as a condition of attending public meetings.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend of the court brief supporting the residents of Greece.

"The constitutional requirement that church and state must be separated rests, in part, on the understanding that when government supports one religion over others, people who are not members of the favored religion are made to feel like outsiders by their government," said Arthur Eisenberg, legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Background :

Thirty years ago, in Marsh v. Chambers, 463 U.S. 783 (1983), the Supreme Court upheld the Nebraska Legislature’s practice of opening its sessions with nonsectarian prayers delivered by a chaplain. The issue in this case is whether a town board in upstate New York may open its meeting with sectarian prayers that have been overwhelmingly Christian in practice. In its amicus brief, the ACLU urges the Court to overrule Marsh and hold that any official governmental prayer violates the separation of church and state. If the Court is unwilling to go that far, the ACLU argues that official sectarian prayers should be prohibited under the Establishment Clause to preserve the core constitutional principle that the government cannot favor one religion over another.

The Supreme Court held today that the town's prayer practice does not violate the Establishment Clause.

"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country," as per its website.

"In the history of economics monopolies do not survive long."

Dr. Mathias Döpfner

Said : European media tycoon Dr. Mathias Döpfner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Axel Springer in a letter addressed to Google boss as reported by the BBC a short while ago. His letter, published in Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, was in response to a column by Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt. In his letter, Döpfner questions : "whether Google intends to create a superstate where anti-trust and privacy laws don't apply."

Döpfner's Axel Springer publishes more than 200 newspapers and magazines including German papers Die Welt and Bild. It also has a significant online presence and television and radio interests.  Schmidt, in his column, had referred to the Google's advertising relationship with Axel Springer. He described how the relationship had been challenging at times but how now they had "walked down the aisle" and signed a multi-year deal.

Eric Schmidt

Döpfner, however, referring to the 'deal' said that his company had little choice but to engage with Google as "we know no search engine alternative to increase our online reach". Döpfner said the resulting agreement between the two parties was not a compromise but instead the European Commission had "sanctioned the introduction of a business model, which in less honourable circles is called extortion". 

Döpfner claimed that large technology companies like Google were far more powerful than people realised. Döpfner said that he was concerned about the role Google plays online.  Döpfner said: "Google founder Larry Page dreams of a place with no privacy laws and without democratic accountability."  Döpfner questioned "Is Google planning to operate in a legal vacuum, without the hassle of anti-trust and privacy? A kind of superstate?" Döpfner warned Google that in the history of economics monopolies never survived long.

Mark Zuckerberg

Döpfner was also critical of Mark Zuckerberg with regard to how Facebook stored data and protected users' privacy. Zuckerberg has brushed aside the question of privacy by saying that 'those who have nothing to hide, have nothing to fear.' Döpfner called this a mindset that was fostered in totalitarian regimes. "Such a sentence could also be said by the head of the Stasi or other intelligence service or a dictatorship," he added.