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Michigan church shooting leaves 1 dead and 9 injured, police report
Local police reported that a man drove through the doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shot at least ten people and killed one of them. The gunman got out of the vehicle and fired an assault-style weapon. William Renye, Grand Blanc Police Chief said. He said that the car smashed into the church and set it on fire. Social media footage showed smoke billowing from the building while firefighters sprayed water on the fire. Fire trucks and emergency vehicles parked nearby. The chief of police said that authorities believe they will discover additional victims among the ruins. The police did not immediately reveal the name of the suspect who died on the scene after an exchange of gunfire. The chief said that there were no officers at the church. Renye said he was a 40-year old man from Burton in Michigan. No further details are available at this time. In a social media statement, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stated that her heart was breaking for the Grand Blanc Community. She said that violence, especially in places of worship is unacceptable. Officials from the United States, including U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi and U.S. president Donald Trump, announced that they were briefed about the shooting. Bondi wrote on X: "Such violent acts in a place for worship are heartbreaking and terrifying." In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said that this shooting "appears yet another targeted assault on Christians in the United States of America", and the FBI were on the scene. "THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!" Informally, the Mormons are known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Grand Blanc is a small town with 7,700 residents located about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Detroit. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien, in Chicago; Joseph Tanfani, in New York; and Rebecca Cook, in Grand Blanc. Editing by Will Dunham and Leslie Adler.
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Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of Ciner, according to state media.
In an investigation of media company Can Holding, which purchased TV channels from Ciner Group's mining-to energy conglomerate, Turkish prosecutors ordered Turgay Ciner to be detained and some of his companies seized. Prosecutors ordered Can Holding to be seized on September 11 as part of an investigation into money-laundering, tax evasion, and organised crime. Can Holding purchased major television channels Haberturk Show TV and Bloomberg HT, from Ciner Group in late 2018. In a report by the state-owned Anadolu News Agency, Istanbul's chief prosecutor said that Turgay Ciner was arrested on Sunday after a suspicion of money laundering was raised. In the statement of the prosecutor, it was also stated that state trustees were appointed to manage Ciner’s Park Holding Inc. and its affiliated companies AFC Import Export Tourism and Zeyfa Import Export. The statement also said that detention warrants had been issued to 10 executives from companies connected to the group in connection with the investigation. Turgay Ciner was not immediately available for comment. Reporting by Darryl Butler and Can Sezer, Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Peter Graff
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Nigeria's oil union stops gas supply to Dangote Refinery due to mass dismissals
The Nigerian oil workers' union ordered its members to stop gas supplies to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. This escalated a labour conflict after hundreds of workers had been dismissed, and threatened to disrupt fuel supplies in Africa's largest nation. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN), has directed major oil companies to immediately stop crude and natural gas deliveries to refineries. According to a letter from September 26, the union accused Dangote of "misinformation" and "propaganda" rather than addressing allegations of wrongfully disengaging unionised employees. Dangote Refinery announced on Friday that it had fired a few workers citing sabotage at various units. This sparked criticism by an oil workers union who claimed that over 800 Nigerians were fired and replaced with foreigners, mostly from India. DISPUTE ADDS FURTHER PRESSURE ON DANGOTE REFINERY PENGASSAN's General Secretary Lumumba OKugbawa said that crude oil valves should be closed and vessels heading there immediately stopped being loaded. Dangote Refinery stated that the dismissals are part of an organisational reorganization to improve safety, efficiency and productivity. It stated late Saturday that "absolutely, no law" gives PENGASSAN authority to order its branches to "cut off" gas and crude oil supply to Dangote Refinery at all or even to 'interfere' or disrupt their contracts with suppliers and vendors. This dispute puts pressure on the $20-billion refinery that announced it would stop selling petrol in naira as of September 28th due to a shortage of crude and mismatches with foreign exchange rates. This has led to concerns over fuel prices rising and further pressure on Nigeria's currency. PENGASSAN has said that chairs of union chapters in oil majors should "report immediately the progress of the Directive", signaling a coordinated shut down could disrupt the fuel supply of the country. Reporting by Tife owolabi, Isaac Anyaogu and Ben Ezeamalu. Editing by Toby Chopra, Bernadette Baum and Bernadette Chopra.
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Media reports: At least 29 people killed and 50 injured in Indian actor-politician Vijay’s rally
The Hindu newspaper, citing state Health Minister Ma, reported that at least 29 people died and 50 were injured during a protest held by Tamil actor-politician Vijay, in Tamil Nadu state, south of India. Subramanian. The report stated that large crowds attended the meeting as part of Vijay’s ongoing tour of the state for his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. Vijay is a single-named candidate who will be running in the state elections to be held at the beginning of next year. The report also stated that at least 44 doctors were sent from nearby districts Tiruchirappalli (Tirupati) and Salem (Salem). In a recent post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the incident at a Karur political rally is "deeply saddening". The health ministry of Tamil Nadu and the office of Chief Minister MK STALIN in Tamil Nadu did not respond to calls. The news from Karur was worrying, said Stalin in an X-post. He added that he directed ministers and other officials to provide immediate medical aid to those who had collapsed during the Karur rally. Additionally, he ordered Tiruchirappalli to send additional help. (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis in Bengaluru, with reporting by Devika Nirra from Bengaluru)
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Peru's Gen-Z protests pensions, corruption and President Boluarte
On Saturday, Peruvian youth will rally for a second round of protests to protest against President Dina Boluarte, one week after clashes between police and protesters in the capital left over a dozen officers, journalists, and protesters injured. Protests broke out on September 20, following changes to Peru's pension system, which required all Peruvians over 18 years of age to sign up with a pension provider. However, they were also fuelled by anger that had been building against Boluarte for a long time. "There has been a low level of simmering discontent in Peru for quite some time," said Jo-Marie Burt. She is a visiting professor in Princeton University's Latin American Studies program and has studied Peruvian politics over the past decade. Burt stated that the discontent was fueled by corruption, economic insecurity and rising crime. There is also anger about the lack of accountability for dozens of protesters killed by security force when Boluarte took power late in 2022, after former president Pedro Castillo had been removed from office. According to the July report of the Institute of Peruvian Studies, Boluarte has a 2.5% approval rating while Congress is at 3%. Apart from the unrest, protests in the mining industry have shaken the country. Hudbay Minerals announced on Tuesday that it had temporarily closed its mill in Peru due to the ongoing unrest. Peru is the third-largest copper producer in the world and also a major gold and silver producer. The Peruvian Youth Take to the Streets The Gen Z protests in Peru follow the youth demonstrations that took place in Nepal and Indonesia. The demonstrations have been marked by a skull wearing a straw cap, a symbol taken from the Japanese manga "One Piece", about pirates who are on the hunt for treasure. Leonardo Munoz, a protester in Lima who has adopted the symbol. Munoz explained that "the main character Luffy travels from one town to another, freeing people of tyrannical and corrupt rulers who rule over slave towns." It represents what is happening in different countries. "That's what's happening in Peru right now." According to the INE statistics agency in Peru, 27% percent of Peruvian population are between 18 and 29 years old. "We are tired of it being normalized. "Since when have normalized death? Since when have normalized corruption and extortion?" asked Santiago Zapata a student activist. "My generation is now coming out to protest because we are tired of being made to feel scared when the government that we elected should be afraid of us." DEMOCRATIC BACSLIDING IN PERU & ABROAD Burt says that the protests are part of a larger context where democracies around the world are under pressure. They also follow the efforts by the administration to weaken the courts, watchdogs, and prosecutors. She said: "It is very similar to what happened under Fujimori in the 1990s, when the justice was captured essentially for the consolidation of authoritarian controls." Burt pointed out that while the United States is less inclined to support democracy abroad and there are still concerns about the administration's erosion of electoral institutions in the run-up to the 2026 elections in Peru, previous protests helped to "hold the line" against institutions being taken over and even led to the removal of presidents. "Democratic forces can mobilize, and act in unexpected, positive ways, even if there is almost total control from these authoritarian system," Burt said. He added that the key will be whether or not protests are sustained over time. "The opera is still not over."
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Italy receives 10 bids on Ilva Steel as the major competitors withdraw
Acciaierie d'Italia, the national steelmaker, said that Italy received 10 bids to buy the former Ilva Steel Plant. However, only two bidders were interested in buying the entire company. The two groups who were originally frontrunners in the tender, Azerbaijan’s Baku Steel Company, working with Azerbaijan Investment Company, and India’s Jindal Steel International have now withdrawn. Bedrock Industries is a U.S.-based investment company that has a private ownership, and Steel Business Europe, a Slovak steel trader, are the two bidders who remain interested in buying all of Ilva. Eight other offers, including those from Renexia Group (Toto), Industrie Metalli Cardinale, and Marcegaglia, targeted individual assets held by Ilva. Ilva, a steel mill based in Taranto that was once Europe's biggest, has been plagued by poor management, and environmental concerns. Ilva has been in financial turmoil for years, and the state has repeatedly injected funds to keep it afloat citing its strategic value. Italian media reported that Baku Steel had abandoned its investment plans because local opposition prevented the deployment a regasification ship needed to power its project for more environmentally friendly electric kilns. Jindal Steel is now focusing on Thyssenkrupp of Germany, who are also in the market. The latest round of tenders closed on Friday at midnight. Acciaierie d'Italia stated that its commissioners will need "an appropriate period of time" in order to review all offers. They will focus on employment issues, decarbonisation and investment amounts, to ensure sustainable development of the facility. The Italian metalworkers union UILM issued a statement in which it said that the tender was "a complete failure" and added that the two funds competing for Ilva's entire assets lacked any industrial credibility. UILM stated that "to avoid the total shutdown of the former Ilva, and an unprecedented environment, employment, and economic disaster, the only way forward is nationalisation." (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis; Crispian Balmer is the reporter)
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Nigeria's oil union stops gas supply to Dangote Refinery due to mass dismissals
The Nigerian oil workers' union ordered its members on Monday to stop gas supplies to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. This escalated a labour dispute that had been sparked by the dismissal hundreds of Nigerian workers. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN), has directed all its branches in major oil companies to stop crude and natural gas deliveries at the refinery immediately. According to a letter from September 26, the union accused Dangote of "misinformation" and "propaganda" rather than addressing the alleged wrong disengagement of unionised workers. "The crude oil supply valves should be closed." In the directive, PENGASSAN's General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa stated that all loading operations for vessels heading there must be stopped immediately. The directive was issued just days after Dangote refinery fired Nigerian workers and replaced them, according to reports, with foreigners, mostly Indians. The company claimed that the dismissals were a part of a reorganisation to improve safety and operational efficiency. Dangote Refinery didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for a comment about the PENGASSAN Letter. This dispute has increased pressure on the $20-billion refinery that announced it would stop selling petrol in naira as of September 28 due to shortages in crude oil and mismatches with foreign exchange rates. This has led to concerns over rising fuel costs and a further strain on Nigeria’s currency. PENGASSAN has ordered oil company union chapter chairs to "report immediately the progress of the Directive", signaling a coordinated shut down that could disrupt fuel supply in Africa's largest country. (Reporting and Writing by Ben Ezeamalu, Editing by Toby Chopra).
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Nigeria's Dangote refining plant halts the sale of naira fuel due to crude supply shortages
According to a memo sent to customers by the company, Nigeria's Dangote Refinery has stopped selling petrol locally in naira, citing an unsustainable volume that exceeded its crude allotments. The suspension, which takes effect on September 28, could complicate attempts to reduce dollar demand in Africa’s largest economy where fuel imports are a long-standing strain on foreign reserves. The company stated in a memo that "Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals have been selling petroleum products over our Naira Crude allocations, and as a result, we will not be able to sustain PMS in Naira moving forward." The refinery was selling petrol on the domestic market in naira under an agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company to swap crude for naira. The government initially welcomed the initiative as a means to support the naira and reduce the dollar pressure. Dangote’s increasing exports, including fuel oil, naphtha and diesel to Europe and West Africa, as well as the United States, have raised concerns about domestic priorities. The memo advised customers with pending transactions in naira to request refunds in writing. The refinery didn't immediately respond to our request for comment. Sources familiar with the situation say that Dangote had just laid off a number of Nigerian employees. Nigeria struggles to reduce inflation, which is above 20%. It also tries to stabilize a currency that has been weakened by the dollar shortages as well as subsidy reforms. Analysts believe that the decision to stop naira sale could force more marketers to purchase petrol in dollars and further pressure the naira. The 650,000-barrels-per-day refinery, Africa's largest, was expected to transform Nigeria's fuel landscape. Its domestic obligations and its export ambitions have now been questioned. Ben Ezeamalu, Emelia Sithole Matarise and Ben Ezeamalu are responsible for reporting and writing.
Bousso: Saudi Arabia plays short-term and long-term with OPEC+ Production Gamble
OPEC+ will increase its output target by 2,5 million bpd from April to September
Saudi Arabia has large spare production, while other countries are producing at capacity
Riyadh’s share of the global oil production fell to 11% by 2024, from 13%
Ron Bousso
LONDON, 7th July - Saudi Arabia’s desire to increase OPEC+ output rapidly may place Riyadh at the forefront of regaining market share while also consolidating its dominance on the long-term.
Eight major oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United Arab Emirates as well as Kuwait, Oman, Iraq and Kazakhstan, decided on Saturday to boost their joint production in August by 548,000 barrels a day. This will accelerate the unwinding from a series of cuts that totaled 2,17 million bpd, which began in April.
By the end of September, OPEC+'s output will have likely increased by 2.5 million bpd. This is due to the combination of the accelerated schedule with the UAE's agreed increase of 300,000.
The new quotas won't actually result in a drastic change to the aggregate output of the group, since most members already produce at or above these levels.
Saudi Arabia has been irritated by Kazakhstan's failure to meet OPEC+ targets for several months. Central Asia produced 1,88 million barrels per day (bpd) in June, which was the same as its all-time record in March, and far exceeded its production target for August of 1,53 million bpd.
According to estimates, the eight OPEC+ countries produced a total of 32 million bpd compared to a quota set at 31.38 millions bpd. Unwinding production cuts means catching up to the reality of the situation on the ground.
Saudi Arabia is the de-facto leader in OPEC+, and also the top oil exporter in the world. By making this move, it will be able to reestablish the discipline within the group, and increase its share of the market.
SECURE CAPACITY
According to the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy, Saudi Arabia's share of the global oil production is expected to decline from 13% in the last three decades to just 11% by 2024.
According to Kpler, crude oil exports from the country will account for only 15% in 2024 of the global seaborne exports, down from 18% on average in the last decade.
According to the International Monetary Fund, oil and gas revenues will contribute 22.3% to the country's GDP in 2024.
Saudi Arabia is fortunate to have a large amount of oil production capacity that has not been tapped.
Keshav Lohiya of Oilytics, the founder of a consultancy, said that data from Petro-Logistics showed that the country produced 9.55 million barrels per day in June. The OPEC+ agreement allows for an additional 200,000 bpd in production through August.
According to estimates by the International Energy Agency, it also has a buffer of production that is nearly 3 million BPD. It can tap this within 90 days.
Saudi Arabia, and only the UAE, is the only OPEC+ member that has the potential to increase its production substantially in the next quarter.
Price War
The addition of additional production will put downward pressure on crude oil prices. They have already fallen 15% to less than $70 a barrel this year, largely because OPEC unwinded its initial supply cuts and due to concerns about demand resulting from President Donald Trump’s trade war.
Saudi Arabia could benefit from falling prices because both OPEC+ members and non-OPEC+ members are likely to cut back on spending when prices fall. This means that Riyadh, with its abundant spare capacity and low costs of production, will be in a better position than its competitors to meet the new demand.
Recent price drops have already made a significant impact on U.S. producers of shale oils. Energy Information Administration predicts that U.S. oil production will decline from a record high of 13.5 millions bpd during the second quarter this year, to 13.3 million in the fourth quarter 2026. This is the first decrease since the production surge at the end last decade.
Riyadh may decide to accelerate OPEC+ in the months ahead to increase its own production and put more pressure on its competitors.
LONG GAME
Saudi Arabia is ultimately a long-term gamble.
The impact of Riyadh’s move on the rest industry may not be felt for some time.
It will take many years for the slowdown in investment to be translated into lower production.
According to IEA estimates, the global supply is expected to increase by 1.6 millions bpd, to an average 104.6 million bpd, and 970,000 bpd more next year. This will outpace the anticipated growth in demand during this period. According to the IEA, the majority of supply growth will be driven by non OPEC+ producers, such as the United States and other countries like Brazil, Argentina, Guyana, Canada, and Guyana.
These forecasts were the exact reason why Saudi Arabia needed to act to maintain its market dominance on the long-term.
Riyadh's gamble could pay off, given the current market dynamics. Oil producers are reluctant to invest heavily in new production because of low prices and the uncertainty surrounding global demand for energy.
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(source: Reuters)