Ambiguous day.

Ambiguous day. The risks are great, but the results in the event of success will be significant. A bit puzzled to search for reliable allies. With them I can much easier to move forward into the new "territory". In terms of communicating the day is not the easiest: is not so much trying to find common ground with others, - they keep to impose. Than though, - cavalry is not coming. Even when I feel completely surrounded.

Reliance, Essar eye BP's Africa retail ops-sources. 1:21pm BST. DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - BP Plc is in talks with India's Reliance Industries and Essar Group to sell its African retail assets that could be worth as much as $500 million (320 million pounds), four sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. It was not immediately known whether BP was showing the African assets to other potential buyers. BP plans to sell $30 billion (19 billion pounds) of assets over the next 18 months to cover costs related to the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Reliance Industries, India's largest listed conglomerate, declined to comment, while a spokesman for steel-to-shipping conglomerate Essar said "We don't comment on speculations." BP intends to sell its marketing business in Namibia, Malawi, Tanzania and Botswana and focus on South Africa and Mozambique. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance, whose interests include petrochemicals, refining, oil and gas exploration, and retail, is expanding its presence overseas by investing in new areas such as shale gas. The Essar Group, controlled by billionaire brothers Shashi and Ravi Ruia, is also nursing ambitious expansion plans and recently raised $1.95 billion (1.25 billion pounds) through an initial public offering of its energy and power businesses in London. In September 2007, Reliance acquired Gulf Africa Petroleum Corp (GAPCO), an east African oil retailer, to gain access to the rapidly growing economies of the region and a growing demand for petroleum products. "Reliance is looking into this opportunity as it has a presence in the African continent through GAPCO," one of the sources said. All the sources declined to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media. BP's planned asset sales are aimed at helping it pay for its liabilities and create a leaner company with the potential for higher growth. The company agreed to a $7 billion (4 billion pounds) sale of oil and gas fields to Apache Corp last week. India's state-run explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp and state-backed Petrovietnam are expected to submit a joint formal offer within weeks to buy BP's stake in the Nam Con Son gas project in Vietnam, India's oil secretary, S. Sundareshan said on Tuesday.

Tiger on the loose in South Africa. Tuesday, July 27 06:39 pm. A tiger escaped from the back of a truck in South Africa on Tuesday and remained on the run as police used helicopters to hunt it down.
The 17-month-old tiger called Panjo escaped while it was being driven by its owner to a veterinary clinic in the town of Springs east of Johannesburg. The tiger's owner, Rose Fernandes, told local radio she did not know how the tiger had managed to escape. She said the tiger was used to humans but police urged local residents to be vigilant and report any sightings. Tigers, who are native to Asia, are only found in zoos in South Africa. The 140 kg (310 lb) tiger remained on the run and police used helicopters and microlight aircraft to locate it. "This is certainly the biggest tiger hunt that Africa has ever seen," said Andre Snyman, head of a private security network coordinating the search. Fernandes said anyone who came across the tiger should treat it "like a dog" by picking up a stick and saying "No" in a loud voice. She added that giving it meat, especially chicken, would also be likely to keep it happy.

ConocoPhillips to Sell Lukoil Stake After Posting Profit Gain. Jul 28, 2010 2:51 PM GMT
ConocoPhillips plans to sell its entire 20 percent stake in Russia’s OAO Lukoil, valued at about $9 billion, after gains in crude prices spurred a jump in second-quarter profit at the third-largest U.S. oil company.
Lukoil agreed to buy back 7.6 percent of its stock from ConocoPhillips for $3.44 billion, according to a statement today by the Houston-based seller. ConocoPhillips said it will sell its remaining Lukoil interest, about 12.4 percent of the Russian company’s stock, by the end of next year. The company, which is in the middle of a $10 billion asset- sale program, canceled plans to upgrade its Wilhelmshaven refinery in Germany and this year pulled out of a refining project in Saudi Arabia and an Abu Dhabi natural-gas venture. The Lukoil sale isn’t included in the $10 billion divestiture target. ConocoPhillips previously said it would sell half of its stake in Lukoil, Russia’s largest non-state oil producer.

OUTSTANDING DEBTS (CONTINUATION): German football star's estranged wife demands breast reduction. The former German football captain, Lothar Matthaeus, is fighting demands from his estranged wife that he pays for a breast enlargement reversal. Published: 5:02PM BST 28 Jul 2010. Ukrainian-born, Liliana, 22, claims Mr Matthaeus, 49, should foot the €2,800 (£2,300) bill for the reduction, which has already taken place, as he paid for the original operation as a school-leaving present for her in 2008. The collapse of the former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan star's fourth marriage has been given extensive coverage in Germany. Mrs Matthaeus' stylist, Samuel Sohebi, said the couple been separated for several weeks. Until recently, Matthaeus was coach of Israeli side Maccabi Netanya.

At least 5 died in China factory explosion. Published: July 28, 2010 at 8:03 AM. NANJING, China, July 28 (UPI) -- At least five people were killed Wednesday and more than 100 others injured following a factory explosion in eastern China, officials in Jiangsu province say. A spokesman for the city government of Nanjing said the blast at an abandoned plastics factory damaged buildings and vehicles within 300 feet of the factory, China's official news agency Xinhua reported.