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Executives at Valero US say that the license for Valero to import fuel from Mexico has been reinstated.
Gary Simmons, the Chief Operating Officer of Valero Energy Corp. told analysts during a conference call on its first-quarter earnings that Valero Energy Corp.'s license for fuel imports into Mexico had been reinstated after a suspension early in April. The Mexican tax authorities, who are the biggest buyers of U.S. fuels in Mexico, have suspended Valero’s import license since the beginning of this month, amid a crackdown on illegal motor fuel flows into the country. Simmons stated that Valero received the notice of suspension on April 9, as the Mexican customs had questions about Valero arising from an investigation Valero wasn't privy to. He added that Mexican authorities acknowledged the company's full compliance with import reporting and tax obligations after the company reviewed its records and data. Simmons stated that the suspension caused Valero to experience significant disruptions in their supply. The government was trying to curb illegal fuel imports and this action would have a positive impact on Valero’s business in the future, Simmons said. The Mexican government has intensified its efforts in combating illicit fuel trade by halting the importation of gasoline and diesel from This came after authorities in Mexico had seized several fuel trucks and a vessel in recent months, for what they claimed were illegal imports. (Reporting from Shariq Khan in New York and Nicole Jao; editing by Mark Porter.)
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German prosecutors launch homicide investigation after police shoot and kill a Black man
State prosecutors announced on Thursday that a German police officer had been suspended from his duties pending an investigation into homicide after shooting and killing a Black man aged 21. The case has raised questions about racism. The police said that the man started spraying tear-gas at the security staff in a nightclub in Oldenburg, located north of Berlin, early Sunday morning after being denied entry. He caused minor injuries. He then ran away, threatening people with a blade. Police said that a patrol car caught up to the man who sprayed tear-gas again while walking "menacingly", towards a 27 year-old officer, who then opened fire. Oldenburg's prosecutors announced on Wednesday that a coroner's report found that three bullets hit the back of a man's skull, his upper body, and his hip. The authorities have not identified the victim citing German privacy laws, but local media has identified him as Lorenz A. A spokesperson from the Oldenburg prosecutor's office said on Thursday that it is likely that the homicide probe will "take some time", with an emphasis on possible surveillance camera footage. Human rights groups have condemned the incident. Tahir Della is a spokesperson of the Initiative Black People in Germany. It is a systemic, institutional problem that must be addressed. Amnesty International Germany demanded that structural racism within the police be addressed, and independent investigation mechanisms uncontrolled by local authorities or police forces. The "Justice for Lorenz", initiative, has planned a rally in Oldenburg on Friday. It was launched on social media with over 10,000 followers. According to social media accounts, more than 1,000 people will attend. In Germany, fatal police shootings are rare. In 2020, racism in German police forces was brought to light when an investigation into officers suspected of sending racist messages on their mobile phone about Africans and Muslims migrants. (Reporting and editing by Kirstiknolle and Gareth Jones, with reporting by Miranda Murray and Ludwig Burger)
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100 Days of DOGE: Lots of chaos and not much efficiency
The Social Security Administration is sending lawyers, statisticians, and other senior agency officials from its Baltimore headquarters to the regional offices in order to replace veteran claim processors that have either been fired by the Trump administration or bought out. Two people who are familiar with the situation say that most of the new employees don't have the skills to perform the tasks, which will lead to longer waiting times for the disabled and elderly Americans, who depend on the benefits. In an email, a SSA official responded that reassigned staff "have vast knowledge of our programs and services." Since President Donald Trump sent remote workers to overcrowded offices, the Internal Revenue Service's internet is so patchy that employees are using personal hotspots to access the web, which crashes their computers during tax season. IRS officials did not respond when asked for a comment. The IRS did not respond to a request for comment. Jessica Riedl is a fellow of the Manhattan Institute. A fiscally conservative think-tank that advocates streamlining government, she said, "DOGE does not seem like a serious undertaking." She believes that DOGE is only saving $5 billion and will cost more in the end. These examples, which were previously unknown, span 14 government agencies. They were revealed in interviews conducted with 30 federal workers and experts on governance. These accounts don't provide a complete picture of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency's project to reduce the size and cost of the federal bureaucracy. However, they reveal the collateral damage caused by DOGE's attempts to make the sprawling bureaucracy of the federal government more efficient. Harrison Fields, White House spokesperson, responded to questions regarding the impact of DOGE cuts on government efficiency in a press release. Fields stated that Musk's group "has already modernized and improved government technology, prevented fraudulent activity, streamlined processes, identified billions in savings for American tax payers." Fields didn't give any examples of how the government's computer systems and workforce have improved. SAVE BILLIONS Musk confirmed Tuesday that he would step down from his position as DOGE's leader next month. The end of May was the deadline for his 130-day special government employee mandate. He said that he would continue to work with Trump on the overhaul of government but not full time. The future of DOGE is in doubt because of his reduced role, but experts say that cost-cutting measures will continue. Musk and his lieutenants are yet to provide any concrete evidence of how the government will operate more efficiently due to the massive layoffs and the termination of government contracts. Dozens of government officials told us that DOGE teams have buried themselves into government agencies, and their computers systems are operated in secrecy. DOGE's website, which provides regular updates about the $160 billion it claims to have saved U.S. tax payers so far, is riddled with mistakes and corrections. The White House gave examples of cost-savings, including the discovery of $630 million worth of fraudulent loans by the Small Business Administration made to applicants aged over 115 but under 11 years old in 2020-2021. $382 million was fraudulently paid out by the Labor Department in unemployment benefits since 2020. I was not able to independently verify these claims. DOGE has not responded to any requests for comments. Musk told Fox News' Bretbaier that his team was careful in making cuts, admitted and fixed errors, and had discovered "astonishing amounts" of fraud and waste. You can't buy dry ice DOGE has announced that it has cancelled almost 500,000 government-issued credit cards in its efforts to reduce costs. The agency has also imposed a limit of $1 on some cards and centralized decision-making within certain agencies. This means that managers at some regional offices cannot buy basic supplies. It took a scientist a whole month to obtain authorization from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to purchase $200 worth of dry ice for preserving urine samples. This is a purchase that would normally be made in a local grocery store. A colleague from another regional office, who had a government-issued credit card, paid for the dry air, but the cost was $100 more because the administration barred employees from purchasing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), which supervises NIOSH did not respond when asked for a comment. DOGE and White House also prohibited many agencies from contacting outside vendors, as they stopped thousands of federal contracts. A chemical analysis machine worth nearly half a million dollars at a CDC in Cincinnati has been sitting idle for months, because scientists cannot schedule training with the supplier to begin using the device, according to a source familiar with the situation. The CDC has not responded to a comment request. In the first week in March, the Social Security Administration's computer systems crashed ten times in four days. One IT worker said that because a quarter the agency's staff has quit or been terminated, it takes longer to bring the systems back online, which disrupts the processing of claims. Few would dispute that the SSA computer systems are outdated, frequently crash and in need of updating. Musk told Baier that the agency's computers are "failing" and "we're fix it." HUMANITARIAN AID CUT DOGE, since its creation on Trump's very first day as President, has largely closed down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides humanitarian aid to those in need around the globe, and canceled more than 80% of its programs. By September, almost all the employees of the agency will be terminated, and all its overseas offices will close. Some functions are being absorbed by the State Department. A tally shows that the overhaul of the government has led to the dismissal, resignation and early retirement of 260,000 civil service employees. In February, over 20,000 probationary employees (newly hired or recently reassigned workers) were terminated. After court rulings, they were reinstated. However, most were sent back home with full pay. After further court rulings, many are being fired once again. Trump and Musk both said that the U.S. Government is plagued by fraud and waste. Many civil servants, governance experts and others do not dispute that efficiencies could be made. However, they say that there are people within the federal bureaucracy who already try to save taxpayer dollars. DOGE has targeted some of these offices for cutbacks. Trump fired 17 inspectors in January. Their mission as government watchdogs included reducing fraud and waste. Christi Grimm was fired from her position as inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services. She said she expected $14.5 billion in "cold, hard cash" to be recovered over the next three years through audits and fraud investigation. The DOGE eliminated 18F, one of only a few government units tasked with streamlining technology throughout the federal government. Waldo Jaquith who worked at 18F from 2016 to 2020 said that the team saved the Pentagon $500,000,000 in just one project lasting three days after noticing two departments doing the same unknowingly work. I was not able independently to verify this figure. Musk and his team have a very specific idea of how they want the government to function. Jaquith stated that when Musk's team discovered it, it was destroyed. Thomas Shedd, an appointee of Trump at the General Services Administration (GSA), in an email sent to staff members last month, called 18F "noncritical". (Reporting and editing by Ross Colvin, Suzanne Goldenberg, and Julie Steenhuysen; additional reporting by Alexandra Alper, Leah Douglas and Julie Steenhuysen)
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Georgieva: IMF will continue to support countries in climate change and stability while focusing on the IMF.
Kristalina Georgeieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said that it will remain "laser-focused" on preventing balance-of payments crises. It will also incorporate concerns raised by President Trump into its policies. Georgieva said at a press conference held during the IMF and World Bank spring meetings that representatives of the Fund’s 190 member countries would discuss the directives issued by U.S. Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent. Bessent also expressed his support for the multilateral crisis lending institution. Bessent called on the IMF and World Bank on Wednesday to focus on their core missions, macroeconomic stability, and development. He said they had become distracted by issues like climate change, inclusion, and gender, which have decreased their effectiveness. Bessent's prescriptions are in line with Trump's efforts to reverse Biden's policies regarding climate change and gender equality. They also include a call to expand the World Bank energy lending program to include fossil fuels and nuclear power. The Treasury chief who controls the majority U.S. shares in both institutions said Georgieva, and World Bank president Ajay Banaga, needed to earn Trump's administration's confidence by implementing policies that were "back to basics". Georgieva stated that climate change can impact macroeconomic policies in certain cases. People think we have climate scientists. We don't. She said that the IMF's job was not hers. Our job is to ask, "If you're Dominica, and a storm can wipe out 200% of GDP, what reasonable policies are put in place?" When asked whether the IMF will now reconsider its Resilience and Sustainability Trust Georgieva, who is the head of the IMF’s financing facility, said that this financing was "really small", compared to IMF’s total funding. She added that the IMF is also a membership-based organization and its members will ultimately decide its policies. She agreed that the Bretton Woods institutions should be cost-efficient. In real terms, adjusted for inflation, the IMF budget has not changed in the past 20 years. "I like to run a tight ship." Reporting by David Lawder, Andrea Shalal and Andrea Ricci; editing by Chizu Nimiyama and Andrea Ricci
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Launch of 'Revive Our Oceans' initiative to protect coastal waters
On Thursday, a new initiative led by British naturalist David Attenborough launched to help local communities benefit from efforts to save at least 30% of oceans around the world by the end decade. The initiative titled Revive Our Ocean is led by Dynamic Planet in conjunction with the National Geographic Society’s Pristine Seas program and will support local communities to create "marine protected zones" in coastal waters. The first focus will be on the overfishing problem and its impact on ocean climate in Britain, Portugal Greece, Turkey, Mexico and Indonesia. Enric Sala is the executive director of National Geographic Pristine Seas. He said, "The biggest enemy of fishing today is overfishing." Organisers of the initiative stated that creating marine protected areas will also bring economic benefits. They cited a study that showed that these areas improved fishing yields as well as boosted tourism. Kristin Rechberger is the founder of Revive Our Ocean. She said that marine protected areas are good for business. The MPA creation process has also been criticized for being too slow. They noted that more than 190,00 protected areas will be needed to achieve the "30 by 30-" goal - to protect 30% of oceans by 2030. Reviving marine life revitalizes local economies and community. Rechberger stated that it's high time the world recognized MPAs as the foundation of the blue economic. This week, countries are meeting in New York to discuss the implementation and financing of a global agreement reached in 2023 for ocean biodiversity protection. Once 60 governments have ratified the treaty, it will come into force. Only 21 countries have ratified the treaty despite more than 100 signing parties. There are more ratifications expected before the June 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference. Rebecca Hubbard is the director of High Seas Alliance - a coalition of environmental organizations. Environmental groups claim that the agreement must come into force this year in order for the world to reach its target. Only about 8% of the world's land - 29 million square kilometers - are protected. The United States, which was instrumental in the creation of the treaty but has not been present at this week's talks, is expected to reject the treaty. (Reporting and editing by Alison Williams; Reporting by David Stanway)
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What next as China approaches peak aluminum production? Andy Home
China's aluminum production is approaching its capacity limit. From just four millions metric tons of production in 2004, China's primary metal smelting industry is expected to reach 43 million tons by 2024 or 60% global output. The West has increasingly resisted the growing dominance that China is gaining in the global aluminum supply chain, first through trade complaints and antidumping duties, and then more recently with U.S. Tariffs. China's semi-fabricated aluminum exports, which increased by 19% last year to a record of 6.2 million tonnes, were not affected. Things are about to get better. Beijing's "Action Plan" on aluminium for 2025-2027 confirms that the cap will remain in place, and outlines a plan for what comes next. TOUCHING the ceiling According to the International Aluminium Institute, China's primary aluminum production increased by 2.6% on an annual basis in the first quarter 2025. The average annualised production was 44 million tonnes between January and March, only a million tones short of the cap of 45 million tons set in 2017. According to consultancy AZ Global, it is technically possible that the country's production could exceed the cap. The capacity of a smelter is measured by the amperage designed for the electrolysis process. However, "one of first tasks of any plant manager would be to increase output above the rate," the article states. The smelter can produce more than its capacity by increasing the amperage. AZ China estimates China's capacity utilisation at 98.2%. This leaves little room for collective amperage to increase. China's average annual growth rate of 4.0% over the past five years is beginning to slow. Going Green Chinese operators continue to build new smelters. However, the new capacity will have to be offset by closing older capacity. Beijing's policies in this sector focus on eliminating older, less-efficient capacity and making sure that newer smelters use renewable energy sources. Aluminium production is moving from coal-rich regions to new energy hubs such as Yunnan, with its hydropower and Inner Mongolia which has a massive wind and solar power potential. The goal is to produce more metals with low carbon content. According to the plan, renewable energy will account for 30 percent of national smelter electricity demand by 2027. Beijing wants to boost production by recycling scrap to reach a target of 15 million tons annually in 2027. Exports are reduced Already, another offset has kicked in. In December, the government eliminated tax rebates of 13% for exports of aluminum products. This was done to keep more metal on the domestic market. Exports have slowed down sharply since then, with volumes outbound falling by 11% on an annual basis in January and Febraury. Analysts at Macquarie Bank predict that exports will fall by 8% between 2025 and 2030. A more dramatic collapse is unlikely, as the world outside China relies heavily on its products for around 15% of the total demand. Most Western buyers are likely to accept at least a part of the cost increase. It is possible that Chinese aluminum exports have reached their peak. REPRIEVE FOR WESTERN GENERALISERS? Combining a slowdown in Chinese production growth with reduced exports opens up a window for the rest the world's primary aluminum producers. Nearly a million tonnes of smelting capacity in the United States is idle. The 25% tariffs on aluminum imports imposed by President Donald Trump are meant to encourage restarts. After the surge in power prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 2022, around half of Europe's primary smelting capacities are out of operation. Although the structural changes implemented by the largest producer in the world may provide a reprieve for such plants, restarting idled capacities is also a matter of aluminium and electricity prices. After years of low investment, there is renewed interest in greenfield smelters being built in the West. The government has provided $500 million to U.S. aluminum producer Century Aluminum for the launch of the first new smelter built in the United States since 1945. Rio Tinto is examining low-carbon smelter project in India and Finland. But the Chinese dominance will remain Due to the lack domestic expansion potential, Chinese producers also go overseas. Beijing's aluminum action plan, for example, calls for closer cooperation with nations rich in resources, such as Guinea. Chinalco, a Chinese company, is involved in a project that converts Guinea's bauxite into alumina. Shandong Nanshan Aluminium, which produces alumina in Indonesia, plans to expand their refining capability and add a smelter that can produce 260,000 tons per year. China has stopped building its own capacity, but it appears that they have no plans to loosen their grip on a material classified by the United States as well as the European Union as a vital raw material. These are the opinions of a columnist who writes for.
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Chairman of India's NMDC says that the company is exploring coal assets in Indonesia and Australia.
Amitava Mukherjee, chairman of the Indian miner NMDC, said that it is looking for coking coal assets in Indonesia and Australia. Coking coal is a key ingredient used to make iron ore and styrene. India, which is the second largest producer of crude iron and steel in the world, imports 85% of coking coal. More than half of Australia's coking-coal imports are accounted for by the country. Mukherjee stated that the company views this as an opportunity for business. The negotiations (for explorations) are at different stages. Due to confidentiality, he did not reveal the specifics of these discussions. NMDC, a state-owned company, is India's biggest iron ore mining company with four mines in operation across the country. Jayant Acharya, CEO of JSW Steel, had said earlier that day that his company purchases coking coal in Australia and the United States. SAIL, the state-owned steel company, also sources coking coal in countries like Mongolia. According to the commodity consultancy BigMint, coking coal is a volatile product because it dominates exports and weather conditions are unpredictable. Weather conditions will affect Australia's coking coal supply in 2023. Reporting by Neha arora in Mumbai and Manvi pant in Bengaluru. Editing by Mrigank dhaniwala, Shilpa Majumdar
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UniCredit invests in Generali to support Caltagirone
Three sources claim that UniCredit threw their weight behind Generali rebel investor Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone on Thursday, a move which could soften the government's opposition to a bid for Banco BPM. While Caltagirone lost the shareholder vote on Thursday to select a new Generali Board, Andrea Orcel has positioned UniCredit as a front that is supported by the government and conducts multiple battles within Italian finance. Generali's vote gave a win to Mediobanca as the top shareholder. It secured 10 board positions and a second term for Philippe Donnet, CEO. Caltagirone won only three seats. Caltagirone’s most important ally is the investment company Delfin. Delfin invests in UniCredit. Together, they own 27% of Mediobanca and 17% of Generali. Delfin and Caltagirone acquired recently also nearly 20% state-backed lender Monte dei Paschi di Siena. MPS has announced an offer to take over Mediobanca. This bid came after UniCredit's takeover of BPM in November. This scuttled government plans to merge BPM and MPS. Last week, the conservative government of Prime Minster Giorgia Melons slowed down UniCredit’s bid to acquire BPM by imposing conditions that UniCredit believes could be detrimental. BPM's bid begins on Monday. UniCredit has been in contact with the government to discuss the conditions. Credit Agricole, BPM's principal investor, has secured Rome’s blessing for an increase in its stake of close to 20%. Orcel's relationship with the previous Italian government was strained when he pulled out of a deal in 2021 to purchase MPS. He has not been able to repair his relationship with Meloni’s executive. Orcel, whose BPM bid was struggling, has built up a stake of 6.7% in Generali over the last few months. UniCredit was expected to abstain from the vote on Thursday. The stake had been widely viewed as a means to increase Orcel's bargaining strength in Italy's rapidly-moving M&A market. According to three sources close to the situation, Orcel did not support Caltagirone after the Wednesday board meeting where the conditions of the government for BPM was discussed. UniCredit refused to comment. One person said that the bank saw Generali as a potentially positive change. Generali is Italy's largest insurer and its most prestigious asset.
The key facilities of Iran's nuclear program
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that this week if Iran didn't reach a deal with America over its nuclear program "there would be bombing", adding Israel's threat to attack Iran nuclear facilities.
Here are some of Iran’s most important nuclear facilities.
Where are Iran's nuclear facilities?
The Iranian nuclear programme is spread out over many different locations. While Israel's airstrikes have been a threat for decades, some sites are underground.
IRAN HAS A NUCLEAR WAR PROGRAM?
The United States, as well as the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, believe that Iran had a secret and coordinated nuclear weapons program which it stopped in 2003. The Islamic Republic has denied ever possessing or planning one.
Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities as part of a 2015 agreement with world powers. In exchange, the sanctions imposed by international governments would be lifted. The pact collapsed after Donald Trump, then president of the United States, pulled out in 2018. Iran began to abandon the restrictions within the year.
IS IRAN INCREASING ITS URANIUM ENRICHMENT?
Yes. Since the deal fell apart, Iran has expanded its uranium-enrichment programme. The time it takes to reach weapons-grade uranium to build a nuclear weapon is now days or a little over a week instead of a year as was the case under the 2015 agreement.
It would take more time to make a bomb using that material. The exact time frame is unclear and subject to debate. Iran enriches uranium up to 60% fissile purity, which is close to 90% weapons-grade. It has two sites where it does this. In theory, Iran could make six bombs if it enriched the material further.
NATANZ
Complex at the centre of Iran's nuclear enrichment program, located on a plain bordering mountains south of Tehran in the Shi'ite holy city of Qom. Natanz is home to two enrichment facilities: the massive, underground Fuel Enrichment plant (FEP) as well as the above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plan (PFEP).
In 2002, an exiled Iranian group revealed that Iran was building secretly Natanz. This sparked a diplomatic standoff with the West over Iran's nuclear intentions. The standoff continues to this day.
The FEP is a facility designed for commercial enrichment, with 50,000 centrifuges. There are approximately 16,000 centrifuges installed, of which 13,000 are operational, and they refine uranium up to 5% purity.
The FEP is described by diplomats who are familiar with Natanz as being three floors underground. It has been debated for years about the damage that Israeli airstrikes can do.
Other means of damage to the centrifuges have been used at FEP, including an explosion in April 2021 and a power cut that Iran claimed was an Israeli attack.
The PFEP above ground houses only hundreds centrifuges, but Iran enriches up to 60% purity here.
FORDOW
Fordow, on the other side of Qom is a site for enrichment dug into the mountain. It's probably better protected against potential bombardment as the FEP.
Iran was not allowed to enrich at Fordow under the 2015 agreement with major powers. The centrifuges are mainly advanced IR-6 machines. Up to 350 of these can enrich up to 60%.
In 2009, the United States announced that Iran has been building Fordow secretly for years without informing the IAEA. Then, U.S. president Barack Obama stated: "The size of the facility and its configuration are inconsistent with a peace programme."
ISFAHAN
Iran's second-largest city, Isfahan has a major nuclear technology center on its outskirts.
The facility includes the Fuel Plate Fabrication Plant and the Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF), which can convert uranium to uranium hexafluoride, which is then fed into centrifuges.
Diplomats claim that Iran stores uranium enriched at Isfahan.
There is equipment at Isfahan to make uranium metal, a process that is particularly proliferation-sensitive since it can be used to devise the core of a nuclear bomb.
Isfahan will be a new location for 2022, according to the IAEA. It has machines that can make centrifuge components.
KHONDAB
Iran has a heavy-water reactor that is partially constructed. It was originally named Arak, and it's now called Khondab. Heavy-water reactors are a risk for nuclear proliferation because they produce plutonium easily, which can be used, just like enriched Uranium, to create the core of atom bombs.
The 2015 agreement saw construction halted and the core of the reactor removed, then filled with concrete, rendering it useless. The reactor would be redesigned to "minimize the production of Plutonium and not produce weapon-grade Plutonium during normal operation". Iran informed the IAEA it planned to begin operating the reactor by 2026.
TEHRAN RESERVE CENTRE
The Iranian nuclear research facilities at Tehran include a reactor for research.
BUSHEHR
The only nuclear power plant in Iran, located on the Gulf Coast, uses Russian fuel, which Russia takes back after it has been used, reducing proliferation risks.
(source: Reuters)