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Nippon Steel and US seek 8-day break in litigation to resolve concerns
Nippon Steel, the Trump Administration and a U.S. court of appeals on Thursday requested an extension to their eight-day pause to allow them to negotiate a deal that would allow the Japanese company to purchase U.S. Steel at $14.9 billion. The court will likely approve the extension of the pause granted by the U.S. president Donald Trump on April 7, when he ordered a second review of national security of the tie up. This pause was due to expire on Friday, June 5. In their filing, the companies and government stated that "a continued abeyance was warranted due to... the ongoing attempts to reach a solution that would fully settle petitioners' claims." Investors who have been following the bumpy road of the deal since its announcement in December 2023 will be pleased to hear that the companies and government are close to a deal. Last year, both former President Joe Biden, and Trump, asserted that U.S. Steel must remain American-owned. They were trying to woo Pennsylvania voters in advance of the presidential election 2024, where U.S. Steel is headquartered. Biden blocked this deal in January, citing national security concerns. This led to lawsuits from the companies who claimed that the review of their national security was biased. The Biden White House denied the claim. Steel companies saw an opportunity with the Trump administration. The Trump administration began on January 20, and they sought to pause the litigation in order to begin a 45-day review of national security in April. Trump's public remarks, which ranged from welcoming a "simple investment" by the Japanese company in U.S. Steel to floating a minority stake Nippon Steel created confusion. Trump praised an "agreement", between Nippon Steel & U.S. Steel, at a Friday political rally. However, he did not approve the merger of these two companies. (Reporting and editing by Stephen Coates; Alexandra Alper)
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UK bans bonuses for Thames Water and 5 other companies for pollution failures
In its latest attempt to improve the poor environmental record of the water industry, Britain has banned Thames Water from paying bonuses to five other companies because they failed to combat pollution. The government said that the water industry is in England and Wales broken. Thames Water has been at the center of a scandal following years of underinvestment that resulted sewage spills while they continued to make profit and pay executive bonuses. A new law that takes effect Friday will prevent Thames Water and Yorkshire Water from paying bonuses to their executives for the April-end year. Thames Water announced in May that it would stop a bonus program after ministers raised objections. Seven major pollution incidents are under investigation by the company, which is defined as a sewage leak that kills large numbers of fish, is long-lasting or widespread. The other companies, however, are only being investigated over one. Wessex Water was convicted for one. Thames, Britain's largest supplier, failed to meet the financial resilience standards. It is trying new investments to avoid collapse. In a Thursday statement, Environment Minister Steve Reed stated that "water company bosses should, like everyone else, only receive bonuses if their companies have performed well. They shouldn't get them if the water pollution is not addressed." The government reported that water companies paid 7.6 million pounds to executives in bonuses last year. It said that only Northumbrian Water and Severn Trent, as well as South West Water, are eligible to receive bonuses in this year. Ofwat, the regulator, will monitor companies to make sure they don't increase salaries as a response to the ban on bonuses. They will also be able fine and clawback companies who break the rules. The government is interested in a wholesale sector reform on a longer-term basis. A report released on Tuesday called for smarter and stronger regulation.
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Minister Carney of Canada says that Trump and Carney have direct contact regarding tariffs.
Melanie Joly, Canada's Minister of Industry, said that the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is in direct contact with U.S. president Donald Trump as Ottawa tries to convince Washington to lower tariffs. She told reporters, "We're in a trade conflict and it is normal that there are diplomatic negotiations going on at the same time as the trade war. That's why Prime Minister Carney, and President Trump, talk to eachother." The Globe and Mail reported that the U.S. ambassador to Canada had said earlier that the two leaders held secret direct talks in order to develop a framework of a security and trade deal. This week, Trump doubled tariffs for imports of aluminum and steel to 50%. This move could hurt Canada as it is the biggest seller of metals in the U.S. Carney stated on Wednesday that Canada is "preparing reprisals" if the negotiations fail. Pete Hoekstra is the U.S. Ambassador to Canada. He told The Globe that the two sides are "laying out the parameters" of a possible deal. This could include boosting U.S. auto content, improving U.S. accessibility to Canadian critical minerals, and ensuring Canada plays a larger role in the Arctic. He also said that the talks would include increased spending on defense, energy, border safety, steel, aluminum, and stopping the smuggling fentanyl. Carney's Office declined to comment. An official from the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa wrote an email saying that "both the Prime Minister and President, or members of both teams, have publicly acknowledged there are ongoing discussions". Unifor, Canada's largest private-sector union, called on Carney on Wednesday to take immediate action. (Reporting from David Ljunggren, Ottawa; Anusha Shah, Bengaluru. Editing by Leslie Adler & Sandra Maler.
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IAEA team in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia claims it heard repeated gunshots
The U.N. nuclear watchdog reported on Thursday that international monitors heard gunfire at the Russian-owned Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. It appeared to be directed at drones which were reportedly attacking the training centre at the plant. In the first weeks before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian forces captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest facility with six reactors. Since then, both sides have accused each other of attacking and threatening nuclear safety the Zaporizhzhia plant. IAEA monitors reported hearing five explosions, preceded each by gunfire between 11:15 a.m. to 13:45 pm local time. The statement did not mention the origins of the drones, and there was no damage reported to the center. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi stated that drones flying near nuclear power plants can threaten their safety and security with potential serious consequences. As I've said repeatedly throughout the war, these incidents must cease immediately. In the statement, it said that this was the fourth time in the past year that drones had reportedly targeted the training centre located outside the perimeter of the site. The Russian management of the plant had said earlier that Ukrainian drones landed on top of the training centre in a "yet again attack" against the facility. There were no injuries or damages reported. With all reactors shut down, the Zaporizhzhia plant produces no electricity. It produced one-fifth the electricity of Ukraine before the war. Grossi said last week that although Russia "never concealed the fact" it wanted to restart its plant, it could not do so soon due to a lack of water for cooling as well as a stable supply of electricity. Reporting by Urvi dugar Editing by Alexandra Hudson Ron Popeski Chizu Nomiyama
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US stocks are on a roller coaster ride as investors balance soft data against potential progress in US China trade talks
Wall Street and crude prices both advanced on Thursday, as investors weighed the new trade talks between U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping with a series of disappointing economic data in advance of Friday's important jobs report. The S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow were all modestly lower, and the Dow barely in positive territory. U.S. Treasury rates fluctuated, and gold was weaker. Trump and Xi spoke by phone Thursday to try to resolve the trade dispute between the two world's largest economies. They agreed to continue discussions, according the summaries from the U.S. Thomas Martin, Senior portfolio manager at GLOBALT, Atlanta, said: "The market appears to accept that if people are talking, they won't do anything dramatic, and if the don't, it's fine to buy stocks right now." People are guessing, and trying to figure out which direction the wind will blow. The wind shifts. Martin continued, "I believe investors want to buy stocks because they are afraid to miss out. But they don't want them if they will be a catastrophe." The economic data revealed that initial jobless claims reached the highest level since Oct., and a 16.3% decline in imports due to Trump's erratic policy resulted in the smallest U.S. Trade Gap since November 2023. The Labor Department's May employment report is expected to be released on Friday. However, weaker-than-expected data from the labor market, such as a 47% increase in Challenger layoffs year-on-year and a major surprise in ADP private payrolls have dampened expectations. Matthew Keator is the managing partner of the Keator Group, based in Lenox, Massachusetts. He believes that the Federal Reserve could implement more than one cut in interest rates before the year ends. Keator stated that "with some of the more benign numbers on inflation and the potential increase in jobless claims, the Fed might have more reason to (cut rates) more than once during this year." This could be a positive sign for certain sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 62.89, or 0.15 percent, to 42.491.60. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 dropped 3.56 points or 0.06% to 5,967.38. And the Nasdaq Composite declined 40.84, or 0.22 percent, to 19,419.88. ECB CUTS RATES As expected, the European Central Bank lowered their three key interest rate by 25 basis points. This decision was based on an updated economic outlook, now that the inflation rate is around the central banks' 2% target. But despite this, European stocks have retreated from their earlier gains and closed only marginally in the positive after ECB president Christine Lagarde seemed to float a possibility of a summer pause to its year-long easing cycles. The MSCI index of global stocks rose by 0.17 points or 0.02% to 889.10. The pan-European STOXX 600 Index rose by 0.16% while Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 Index rose by 4.07 points or 0.19%. Emerging market stocks gained 9.86 points or 0.84% to 1,182.31. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan closed up by 0.82% to 622.95 while Japan's Nikkei dropped 192.96 or 0.51% to 37,554.49. Dollar reverses earlier gains after soft U.S. indicators and Lagarde’s hints of an ECB interest rate pause. The dollar index (which measures the greenback in relation to a basket of currencies, including the yen, the euro and others) rose by 0.02%, reaching 98.81. Meanwhile, the euro gained 0.14%, hitting $1.1433. The dollar gained 0.67% against the Japanese yen to reach 143.73. The yields on U.S. Treasury bonds fluctuated in choppy trade following the unexpected rise in unemployment claims, the latest weak labor market data ahead of Friday's employment reports. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. notes increased 3 basis points from 4.365% at late Wednesday. The 30-year bond rate fell by 0.2 basis points, from 4.888% to 4.8856% late on Wednesday. The yield on the 2-year bond, which is usually in line with expectations of interest rates for the Federal Reserve (Fed), rose by 5.1 basis points, to 3.928% from 3.877%, late Wednesday. The price of crude oil rose following the Trump/Xi phone call. This helped investors ignore the U.S. buildup in stockpiles and Saudi Arabia’s July price reductions for Asia. Brent crude settled at $65.34 a barrel, an increase of 0.74%. U.S. crude was up 0.83% at $63.37 a barrel. The gold price reversed a previous gain after Trump and Xi's call suggested a thawing in the trade relations between Washington, DC and Beijing. Spot gold dropped 0.65% to $3.353.64 per ounce. U.S. Gold Futures dropped 0.72% to an ounce of $3,349.20.
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Chilean business magnate Ponce sells stakes in SQM lithium miner
In a Thursday statement, Chilean businessman Julio Ponce announced that he would be leaving several of his firms. The firms also announced a wider restructuring, which aims to consolidate units into fewer companies. These include companies that have significant stakes, for example in the Chilean lithium producer SQM. Ponce announced that he would pass on control of the company to his family. This included his daughter Francisca Ponce who will be advised by Eugenio Ponce. Ponce, the 79-year-old former son-in law of late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, said: "I've decided to announce that i will no longer play a major role in this story." Separately, on Thursday his companies announced their plans to streamline their organization by combining into fewer firms in filings with the South American nation’s stock exchange. Pampa Group is the collective name for Ponce's vast corporate empire. It is a top shareholder in SQM, along with China's Tianqi. According to the country’s market regulator, both hold just under a fifth each of shares. Ponce stated, "I will bequeath control and direction in the professional and patrimonial realms of what comes to my family." (Reporting and writing by Fabian Cambero, Daina Beth Solon; editing by Kyry Madry).
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Even after the EU labeled it strategic, Serbian farmers still oppose Rio Tinto Lithium project
Zlatko Kokoanovic, a Serbian farmer in the Jadar region of Serbia, is determined not to allow Rio Tinto to develop a lithium project. The European Commission has identified it as a strategic project this week, as its goal is to reduce dependency on China's mineral resources. Lithium is an important component of batteries used in electric vehicles and mobile phones. If the mine in Jadar valley is built, it would meet 90% of Europe’s lithium requirements. Kokanovic, like many protesters and farmers who have tried to stop the development of this project over the past few years, is concerned about pollution on farmland, in a place where agriculture is the main source of income for most people. Kokanovic is a father to five children and one of the biggest milk producers in Gornje Needeljice. He's also a prominent activist in the area. He added: "I would like to warn them (Rio Tinto), not to try and develop the mine, or there will unrest." Rio Tinto did not announce a date for the start of the project. The mine is expected to produce around 58,000 tons of lithium carbonate per year. Rio Tinto, however, has committed to developing the mine in a clean manner. Chad Blewitt is Rio Tinto’s managing director of the Jadar Project. He said, "The project will meet the highest standards of transparency, environmental protection, and human rights." "The European Union, and the European Commission, never compromise their high standards. Blewitt told Wednesday that his company was revising its project costs. Rio Tinto’s lithium project is contested by green group for years. In 2022, it sparked a massive protest in Serbia, an EU candidate. Serbian environmentalists collected over 30,000 signatures on a petition in 2021 and 2022 to demand that the parliament pass legislation to stop lithium exploration. Rio Tinto was revoked of all exploration licenses by the government in 2022. The Constitutional Court reversed the decision and reinstated the licences last year. Officials from the government say that the mine will boost Serbian economy. It is not clear how protesters could stop a project which has both domestic and international support. Recent student protests, in which hundreds of thousands of students took to the streets in Serbia and collapsed the government, demonstrate the strength of the civil society of the Balkan nation. Kokanovic remains determined. "My message is to not even attempt (to dig up lithium in Jadar), except they want to topple this government quickly."
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US stocks rise on hope of progress in US China trade talks
Wall Street shook and crude prices jumped Thursday, as investors juggled the new trade talks between U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping with a series of disappointing economic data in advance of Friday's important jobs report. In early trading, the three major U.S. indexes were unable to find a direction and ended up modestly higher. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury rates fluctuated and the dollar was weaker. Holding talks According to the summaries provided by the U.S. government and the Chinese government, they spoke with Xi on Thursday to try to resolve the trade dispute between the two world's largest economies. They agreed to continue discussions. Matthew Keator is the managing partner of the Keator Group in Lenox Massachusetts, a wealth-management firm. "I think the market will respond. It's going up and down, as we go through these negotiations. The market gets a clearer picture of how it will look at the end." The latest economic data shows that initial jobless claims have reached their highest level since October. A 16.3% decline in imports, a result of Trump's unpredictable tariff policy, has also led to the narrowest U.S. Trade Gap since November 2023. The Labor Department's May employment report is expected to be released on Friday. However, weaker-than-expected data from the labor market, such as a 47% increase in Challenger layoffs year-over-year and a major surprise in ADP private payrolls have dampened expectations. Keator, however, believes that the Federal Reserve could implement more than one cut in interest rates before the end the year. Keator said that the Fed might be more inclined to cut interest rates more than once in this year, given the recent inflation data and the potential increase in jobless claims. This could be a positive sign for certain sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 9.64 points or 0.02% to 42,437.38, while the S&P 500 gained 6.32 points or 0.11% to 5,977.13; and the Nasdaq Composite increased by 55.96 points or 0.29% to 19,516.24. ECB CUTS RATES As expected, the European Central Bank lowered three of its key interest rates, each by 25 basis points. This decision was based on the updated economic outlook, now that the inflation rate is around the 2% central bank target. European shares have retreated from their earlier gains, even though ECB president Christine Lagarde suggested that the easing cycle could be paused for a few months during the summer. The MSCI index of global stocks rose by 1.83 points or 0.21% to 890.76. The pan-European STOXX 600 Index rose by 0.1% while Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 Index rose by 2.28 points or 0.10%. Emerging market stocks gained 10.96 points or 0.93% to 1,183.41. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan closed up by 0.92% to 623.59 while Japan's Nikkei dropped 192.96 or 0.51% to 37,554.49. Dollar reverses earlier gains after soft U.S. economy indicators. The dollar index (which measures the greenback in relation to a basket of currencies, including the yen, and the euro) fell by 0.24%, while the euro rose by 0.43%, reaching $1.1466. The dollar gained 0.42% against the Japanese yen to reach 143.36. The U.S. Treasury yields sawsawed and fluctuated in the choppy market following an unexpected rise in unemployment claims. The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10 year notes increased 0.6 basis points from 4.365% at late Wednesday. The 30-year bond rate fell by 1.6 basis points, from 4.888% to 4.8725% late on Wednesday. The yield on the 2-year bond, which is usually in line with expectations of interest rates for the Federal Reserve (Federal Reserve), rose by 1.2 basis points, to 3.891% from 3.877% at late Wednesday. The price of crude oil soared after the Trump/Xi phone call. This helped investors ignore the U.S. buildup in stockpiles and Saudi Arabia’s July price reductions for Asia. U.S. crude climbed 1.48%, to $63.78 per barrel. Brent increased to $65.74 a barrel on the same day. Investors reacted to Friday's employment data by boosting gold prices against the dollar. Spot gold remained flat at $3,375.58 per ounce. U.S. Gold Futures increased 0.1% to $3.376.90 per ounce.
Chocolate costs to keep rising as West Africa's cocoa crisis deepens
Surveying the removed landscape of her farm dotted with pools of cyanidetainted, tea coloured waste water left by prohibited gold miners suffices to make Janet Gyamfi break down.
Only in 2015, the 27-hectare plot in western Ghana was covered with almost 6,000 cocoa trees. Today, less than a dozen stay.
This farm was my only methods of survival, the 52-year-old divorcee told , tears streaming down her cheeks. I. planned to pass it on to my children.
Long the world's undisputed cocoa powerhouses representing. over 60% of international supply, Ghana and its West African neighbour. Ivory Coast are both facing catastrophic harvests this season.
Expectations of scarcities of cocoa beans - the raw product. for chocolate - have actually seen New York cocoa futures more. than double this year alone. They have struck fresh record highs. nearly daily in an unmatched trend that shows little sign of. easing off.
More than 20 farmers, professionals and market experts informed. that a best storm of widespread unlawful gold mining,. environment change, sector mismanagement, and quickly spreading out. illness is to blame.
In its most sobering assessment to date, according to information. assembled since 2018 and gotten specifically , Ghana's. cocoa marketing board Cocobod estimates that 590,000 hectares of. plantations have actually been contaminated with inflamed shoot, an infection that. will ultimately kill them.
Ghana today has some 1.38 million hectares of land under. cocoa cultivation, a figure Cocobod stated includes contaminated trees. that are still producing cocoa.
Production is in long-lasting decline, said Steve Wateridge,. a cocoa professional with Tropical Research study Providers. We wouldn't get. the lowest crop for 20 years in Ghana and least expensive for eight years. in Ivory Coast if we had not reached a tipping point.
It's an imbroglio without any simple fixes that has actually surprised. markets and might spell the beginning of completion of West. Africa's cocoa supremacy, the experts informed . That may. open the door for ascendant producers, especially in Latin. America.
And while millions of cocoa farmers in West Africa are. dealing with an agonizing watershed minute, it's a shift that will likewise. be felt in rich consumer markets, perhaps for several years to come.
Buyers purchasing Easter confectionary in the United States. are discovering that chocolate on shop shelves is more than 10%. more pricey than a year earlier, according to data from research study. firm NielsenIQ.
Since chocolate makers tend to hedge cocoa purchases months. ahead of time, analysts say the devastating crops in West Africa. will just truly struck customers later this year.
The sort of chocolate bar that we're used to eating, that's. going to end up being a luxury, stated Tedd George, an Africa-focused. commodities expert with Kleos Advisory. It will be offered,. however it's going to be two times as expensive.
' TRAUMATISED'
The roots of this season's implosion are on complete screen in. Samreboi, the neighborhood in Ghana's western cocoa heartland where. Gyamfi lives.
Only 3 years ago, Samreboi boasted roughly 38,000. hectares of planted cocoa, according to Cocobod's regional office. there. Today, it's fallen to simply 15,400.
Illegal miners began appearing in the area a couple of years earlier,. Gyamfi stated. She 'd been withstanding their threatening needs to. offer them her plantation when, one day last June, she got here to. discover it cordoned off. Armed guards obstructed her entry.
Bulldozers removed her cocoa trees. Miners swarmed the. home. Within six months, the gold was finished and the website. was deserted, leaving Gyamfi with unusable land contaminated. with toxic chemicals, a loan she can no longer pay back, and. 4 kids to support.
I was traumatised, she stated.
She stated she pleaded with the authorities and Cocobod however states. she's seen no reaction.
An officer at the regional police station, who asked not to be. recognized, stated they had received a grievance but he might not. remember if they had actually sent out officers to the farm. He decreased to. speak with cops records.
Cocobod representative Fiifi Boafo, upon learning of her case,. stated the board's legal department would get included.
But we are not the authorities or the courts, he stated. It is. unlawful to destroy cocoa trees, however the charge isn't punitive. enough.
Throughout Ghana, cocoa plantations are delivering ground to gold. miners, known in your area as galamsey.
Cocobod told it had no as much as date data on the scale. of the destruction. And while a study it performed 4 years. back found that 20,000 hectares of cocoa had actually been lost to. galamsey, 5 professionals said mining has actually expanded rapidly in the. stepping in years.
It's now disastrous, said Godwin Kojo Ayenor, a. development financial expert specialising in cocoa. It's covering. practically every part of the cocoa belt.
While some plantation takeovers are certainly violent, five. farmers and neighborhood leaders told that more and more of. them are ending up being ready sellers.
To cocoa farmer Asiamah Yeboah, galamsey is simply a sign. of a more comprehensive malaise. Considering that striking peak production of over a. million tonnes in the 2020/21 season, Ghana has been moving. Output is forecast to plummet to just 580,000 tonnes this year.
Yeboah states he gathered 50 bags of cocoa in 2015, however. production from his 15-hectare plot fell to simply seven this. season. He doesn't make enough to reinvest and significantly. battles to discover workers.
Before God and guy, if they come requesting my farm to. mine, I will sell it, he said.
ILLNESS AND CLIMATE MODIFICATION
Yeboah and other Ghanaian farmers blame Cocobod.
The body, which has far-flung obligation for. controling and promoting the sector, faces installing debt and. this season struggled to protect the syndicated loan it utilizes to. financing operations and generate the crop.
It suspended distributions of fertiliser and pesticides. years ago. Strategies to rejuvenate ageing tree stocks have actually made. scant development. And it is losing the battle versus what numerous. think about an existential danger: swollen shoot.
The virus very first reduces yields before eventually killing. trees. When contaminated with inflamed shoot, plantations must be. ripped out and the soil treated before cocoa can be replanted.
Cocobod has undertaken to fix up affected cocoa. plantations, using a part of its $600 million in funding. from the African Advancement Bank and another $200 million from. the World Bank.
With aging and unhealthy crops, the difficulties look frightening,. Boafo, the Cocobod spokesperson, told . However we have actually critical. interventions continuous to resolve them.
The 67,000 hectares covered under Ghana's rehabilitation. program, however, come no place near keeping up with the. disease's spread, professionals state. Worse, Cocobod says unlawful. miners invade some fixed up farms.
And in Ivory Coast, the world's greatest cocoa producer,. things are barely much better, with Tropical Research study Service's. Wateridge approximating up to 30% of Ivorian cocoa plantations are. likely contaminated.
There's no fast fix, said Antonie Fountain, managing. director of VOICE Network, which promotes cocoa sector reform.
A dead tree is not simply dead for a season, he stated.
Even after rehabilitation, replanted trees take 2 to four. years to develop and produce beans. And a significant rebound in. cocoa production in the 2 countries faces other major headwinds.
Scientist anticipate climate change will make the crop harder. to produce in West Africa in coming decades with one research study. forecasting Ivory Coast's the majority of appropriate growing areas will. shrink by more than 50% by the 2050s.
Rain patterns are already moving, with more. focused periods of heavy rains and longer, hotter dry. spells, said Bakary Traoré, head of Ivorian forest preservation. group IDEF.
It's something we have actually currently been observing for the past. few years, he said.
With West Africa struggling, current sky-high worldwide rates. will be an attractive incentive for farmers to plant more cocoa. in other tropical areas, notably Latin America.
Both VOICE Network's Water fountain and cocoa specialist Wateridge are. forecasting that Ecuador will now surpass Ghana as the world's. number 2 cocoa by 2027. Brazil and Peru might also step up.
Filling the supply space will take some time, however, and in the. meantime chocolate fans should anticipate to feel the pinch.
But the genuine victims, say activists like Water fountain, are the. small-time growers in Ivory Coast and Ghana, who have few. choices as they watch their earnings vaporize.
The situation for farmers in West Africa is devastating,. said Fountain. It is simply definitely ravaging.
(source: Reuters)