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Severe weather strikes the Midwest and South of the US, killing two people in Oklahoma
Police said that at least two people including a child died after their vehicle became stranded on flood waters in Oklahoma, during the Easter weekend, when severe weather and flooding affected parts of the U.S. South, Midwest and Midwest. In a press release, police in Moore (Oklahoma), about 11 miles south-southeast of Oklahoma City, stated that the weather was "historic". "One (of the vehicles) was swept underneath the bridge. All but two of the occupants were saved at the time. "It is with deep sadness that we announce that two people, an adult male and a 12-year old boy, were found dead later," the statement said. The police in Moore, Oklahoma have urged residents to stay home. They responded late Saturday to more than a dozen calls by residents who were stuck in their vehicles because of high water. Oklahoma was covered by flood warnings that indicate a flood may be imminent or has already occurred. National Weather Service stated on Sunday that severe thunderstorms are expected to occur from east Texas through far southeast Iowa, Illinois and into central Arkansas. A strong tornado with damaging winds is also possible from central Arkansas and central Missouri. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for certain parts of Arkansas and Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma. A deadly spring storm that swept across the U.S. from Texas to Ohio caused tornadoes, heavy rains, and even a few deaths in the South and Midwest. (Reporting and editing by Mary Milliken, Chris Reese and Kanishka Singh from Washington)
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Russia-Ukraine War: US welcomes extension of ceasefire
The U.S. State Department announced on Sunday that it would be happy to see the one-day ceasefire declared by Russian president Vladimir Putin for Easter extended beyond Sunday, despite the Kremlin's earlier statement that there had been no extension order. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Putin declared a ceasefire for one day in Ukraine, until Sunday midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT). KEY QUOTES "We've seen that President Putin announced a temporary truce due to Easter. In an email statement sent on Sunday, a spokesperson for the State Department said that they remain committed to achieving full and comprehensive peace. As we evaluate their seriousness, we welcome the extension of this punishment beyond Sunday. Why it's important U.S. president Donald Trump Has repeatedly warned about the risk of escalation in the three-year old war that was started by Russia's full scale invasion of its neighbor, and has said he wants the war to end. The U.S. secretary of state has said that the war should be ended. Marco Rubio Washington said that it will abandon efforts to broker a deal for peace if there are no clear signs of progress in the near future. Trump announced that he would sign a mineral deal with Kyiv within a week after the U.S.A. and Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday. A failed attempt in February was the result of Zelenskiy and Trump's clash in the Oval Office. CONTEXT Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said that Russia pretended to respect the Easter ceasefire but in reality, it had continued hundreds of artillery assaults Saturday night and more on Sunday. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed that Ukraine violated the ceasefire and caused damage to civilians and infrastructure. Putin wants Ukraine to give up its NATO ambitions and permanently cede the four lost regions to Russia. He also wants to limit its army size. Kyiv claims that these demands amount to a demand for its capitulation.
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Congo suspends the former President Kabila's Political Party
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended the political party of former President Joseph Kabila and ordered the seizure of his assets over allegations that he supported rebels in eastern Congo backed by Rwanda. The 53-year old, who ruled the country from 2001 to 2019 and only stepped aside after violent protests against him, said that he wanted to return to Congo in order to find a resolution to the conflict. In a statement issued late Saturday, the interior ministry stated that his party had been suspended for assisting the M23 rebels. The justice ministry also said assets of his and other leaders would be confiscated after acts deemed high treason. In both statements, prosecutors were instructed to begin proceedings against him. However, no specific accusations were made. Kabila did not respond immediately. In a letter to the editor, Ferdinand Kambere (secretary of his Party for Reconstruction and Democracy) called the suspension of its members a flagrant breach of Congo's Constitution and Laws. Since the beginning of this year, the M23 has taken control of two major cities located in the mineral rich east. The conflict in this region dates back to the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the struggle over minerals. Kabila took power in the aftermath of his father's death and refused to leave when his term ended in 2016. Since then, he has lived in several African countries. (Writing Jessica Donati Editing Sofia Christensen, Andrew Cawthorne and Andrew Cawthorne).
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Shenghe, a Chinese rare earths processor, sees a minimal impact of the US feedstock ban
Shenghe Resources, a Chinese company, said that the suspension of shipments from its U.S. partners of rare earth raw concentrator will not have a significant impact on production because of the company's diverse supply chain. MP Materials, the owner of the U.S.'s only rare earths mine said that it has stopped shipping these vital minerals to China due to the 125% tariffs Beijing imposed on U.S. imports as a retaliation against U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese goods by President Donald Trump. Rare earths is a grouping of 17 metals which are used in the production of magnets for electric cars, mobile phones and other electronic devices. China, the dominant producer in the world, halted this month exports of rare earths that were added to an export control list as a form of retaliation. MP Materials, which is a major player in the rare earths industry, imports large quantities of concentrate from other countries to feed its processing plants. Shenghe stated in a press release that "we have created a diversified channel of supply for rare earth raw materials. We use monazite as an alternative to Sichuan, and we also supply other countries." "The supply agreement with MP remains valid." Shenghe did not provide details. In January 2024, the company and MP Materials renewed a offtake agreement through Shenghe’s subsidiary in Singapore. The agreement will remain in place for two years but can be extended by another year. Customs data show that China's imports from the U.S. of rare earth raw material have declined for the past two years. They fell by 13.7% last year and 16.9% in 2023.
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VEB, a Russian copper mining company, will invest $13.4 billion in the country's Far East
The Russian government announced on Saturday that the state-owned development bank VEB would invest over 1.1 trillion Russian roubles (about $13.40 billion) in order to develop a mine of copper in Chukotka, in the extreme east of the nation. A government press release stated that the development of Baimskaya, which was discovered in 1972, will create 6,000 jobs, and generate tax revenues in excess of three trillion roubles. Chukotka, the easternmost federal subject in Russia, is a mountainous area. Around half of the region is above the Arctic Circle. Once operational, the deposit will increase Russia's gold production by 4% and copper production by 25%. "We continue to build not just a mining and processing plant, but a powerful and technologically-advanced industrial complex that will strengthen Russia's position in the global market and become a new point of growth in the Arctic," said Georgy Fotin, general director of the Baimskaya Management Company LLC. Vladimir Putin named the Arctic region as one of Russia’s most important economic interests. He has also increased commerce through the Northern Sea Route, as Moscow has shifted trade away from Europe and towards Asia due to Western sanctions. The government announced on Saturday that the development of the Baimskaya deposit would increase the annual cargo traffic along NSR by two million metric tonnes. $1 = 82.1000 Russian Roubles (Reporting and editing by Kirby Donovan; Lucy Papachristou)
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At least 17 people killed in Nigeria by suspected herders
Police said that at least 17 people died when suspected cattle-herders attacked Benue State in central Nigeria on Thursday. This was amid an increase of violent clashes between farmers, herders and others. Food supplies in north-central Nigeria have been disrupted by years of conflict. This is a major agricultural area. Two days earlier, 11 people had been killed in Otukpo in Benue. A week before that, gunmen killed over 50 people when they attacked villages in Plateau State. According to SBM Intelligence, since 2019, more than 500 people have died in the region as a result of the clashes. 2.2 million others were forced to flee their homes. Police said that a separate group of suspected cattle herders killed five farmers early Friday morning in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue, near Gbagir. Police spokesperson Sewuese Aene stated that the attackers fired as police moved in to confront them. Police said that while officers were engaged in the attack at Ukum another 12 people died in an attack 70 km away in Logo local council. (Reporting and writing by Camillus Eboh, Ben Ezeamalu and Andrew Heavens; editing by Andrew Heavens).
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Toronto FC wins rare road game at Real Salt Lake
Toronto FC hasn't beaten Real Salt Lake in Utah for nearly 18 years. Real Salt Lake is 10-0-2 against Toronto FC at home since their first ever meeting. They will look to add to that record when they meet in Sandy, Utah on Saturday. Toronto defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 on July 4, 2007, in a match held on the University of Utah's campus in Salt Lake City. RSL has dominated home matches since then with an unbeaten streak, which includes a win in the 2010 CONCACAF Champions League. Toronto's first-year coach Robin Fraser stated, "It is a difficult place to play." They have played well there in the past. Toronto's results there haven’t been great over the years because it’s a difficult place. Toronto FC hasn't had a good season so far (0-4-4, four points). Toronto was 0-4-1 in its first five games before it played three consecutive draws. The club was held scoreless at Minnesota United last week. Deandre Kerr, a Toronto player, will miss his third consecutive game due to an injury to his ankle. Federico Bernardeschi and Deandre Kerr are tied with two goals each for the team's lead. Fraser believes Kerr will be out for at least another month. Real Salt Lake (3-5-0, 9 points), has lost three of its last four matches. The result last week was a painful one. Nashville's Sam Surridge scored in the first minute after the second half's stoppage time the decisive goal that sent visiting Salt Lake down 2-1. Diego Luna, who scored three of the team's best goals, sees a team in progress that is yet to find its full stride. "We're playing well," Luna said. The team is improving, we are growing, and the chemistry is developing, but there are still little things to fix to bring it all together. RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said: "We made some good progress in the past couple of weeks and played good stuff in our last game." We want to dial in some moments where we were a little naive. Salt Lake's Javain Brown has retired from the league after having surgery on Wednesday to repair an ACL tear and meniscus damage to his left knee. Brown injured his knee during a training session. Field Level Media
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Indonesian woman uses mangroves to fight rising tides
Pasijah is a 55-year old housewife from Indonesia's Central Java Province. She wakes every morning with the sound of waves. It's not as idyllic as it sounds. It is the last remaining house in this area of Rejosari Senik. This small village, located on Java's north coast, was once dry land and is now under water. Pasijah and her family are not planning to leave. She said in February that she had "every intention" to remain at the house and her feelings towards it remained. Pasijah, who has lived in her house for 35 years, is soaked by water when she steps out. The floor inside has been raised above the water level by using a power pole and bamboo arranged in haphazardly. Demak is 19 km away. The closest land is 2 km (1.24 miles). Only by boat can you get to the island. Indonesia is an archipelago made up of thousands of islands with a coastline of 81,000 km. This makes it vulnerable to erosion and rising sea levels. Kadarsah, an official with Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency, said that sea levels along the coasts of the country rose by 4.25 millimetres per year on average between 1992 and 2024. However, the rate increased in recent years. He said that rising sea levels were a sign of climate change, and added that small islands had vanished. Kadarsah pointed out that increased pumping has also exacerbated the land subsidence along Java’s northern coast. Jakarta, Indonesia's largest city, is especially affected by the problem. It is home to 10 million people. Indonesian authorities are turning to mega-projects for a solution. One of these is a 700-kilometre sea wall along the northern coastline between Banten province and East Java. Pasijah, her family and friends have also turned to the natural world. Over the last two decades, she has planted around 15,000 mangroves trees per year. She paddles in a boat that is made of a blue barrel every day to plant saplings and tend to bushes. Pasijah explained that the flood waters came in waves and not at once. "I realized that I had to plant mangroves after the water began rising. They would spread and protect my house from the wind and waves. Her family and she survive by selling fish that her sons have caught in the market closest to them. They said they would stay until the tide was held back. Pasijah explained, "I don't care about my feelings about being isolated here anymore since I've decided to stay. We'll just take one obstacle at a time." (Reporting and writing by Ajeng dinar Ulfiana; Budi Purwanto and Johan Purnomo. Additional reporting and writing by Stanley Widianto. Editing and editing by Gibran peshimam and Kate Mayberry.
Tesla Semi trucks in short supply for PepsiCo as its rivals utilize contending EV big rigs
Secret Tesla customer PepsiCo made initial payments for 100 Tesla Semis in 2017, intending to utilize the electrictruck fleet to transport its Cheetos, Lays potato chips and Pepsi soda water to retailers.
But according to the food-and-drinks maker and one of its executives with knowledge of the offer, PepsiCo was utilizing only 36 of Teslas guaranteed 100 electric trucks as of this month.
The shortfall, which hasn't been previously disclosed, lays bare the challenges for Tesla as it looks for to become a. high-volume gamer in the truck-manufacturing business. Other. prospective Tesla clients including food distributor Sysco. , UPS and Walmart Canada continue to wait. for Tesla Semi trucks and are turning to rival electric-truck. makers.
The battles of shipping enough Semis come at a bad. time for Tesla, which has seen development for its customer electric. automobiles sluggish, forcing it to cut costs and injure margins. In. addition, reported this month that Tesla had chosen to. cancel its long-promised inexpensive vehicle that financiers had. hoped would drive more growth.
Diesel-powered 18-wheelers are a major source of pollution. As business pledge to slash their greenhouse gas emissions, the. proposal for Tesla is clear.
People might wonder why develop a semi truck? Musk stated at. the carmaker's gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada, in late 2022, when. Tesla delivered the Semis to PepsiCo. It's 20% of U.S. vehicle. emissions.. Under the Biden administration, companies using electrical. trucks get approved for large subsidies to offset their purchases. PepsiCo protected over $20 million in government grants to cover. the expense of 32 of the Semis, plus federal aids of $40,000. per automobile.
Tesla, which will report quarterly results on Tuesday, did. not return a request for remark.
A PepsiCo spokesperson stated in a statement that the. business's plans for the Semis can shift when technology and the. require to develop facilities is involved.
The soda and treat producer was the first of Corporate. America to take delivery of any of Tesla's highly-anticipated. Semi trucks. The 100 (Tesla Semis) we have a deposit on, we'll. get those out in '23 for sure, Mike O'Connell, PepsiCo's vice. president of supply chain, informed at the time.
However, as of this month, PepsiCo was concentrated on finest. leveraging the 36 (Tesla Semi) vehicles that are presently in. our fleet, a spokesperson informed in early April. That's. the same number PepsiCo first began with when it started utilizing. the trucks to carry goods from its Modesto food. making plant and Sacramento bottling site, PepsiCo. executives stated.
Tesla has actually been looking to build a truck-making company for. years.
Tesla had actually said it would have the Semi in production by 2019. In October 2022, Musk told financiers that his objective was to make. 50,000 Semis in 2024. Tesla lastly revealed the Tesla Semi. truck in late 2022.
But in June 2023, Musk stated at an energy conference that. there just weren't enough batteries for Tesla to reach volume. production of the truck, without measuring how many Semis. that would be. He stated Tesla would reach volume production in. 2024 as the battery issue gets solved.
Svein Sollie, the transport director at ASKO Norway,. the logistical arm of Norway's largest food seller. NorgesGruppen, utilized his individual credit card to put down an. preliminary deposit on 10 of the Tesla Semis in 2017 however has not. gotten any.
We are not happy with the scenario at Tesla, Sollie stated. ( It's) practically seven years now, it's a long period of time to wait.
UPS scheduled 125 Tesla Semi embeds 2017, one of Tesla's. biggest orders at the time. A representative for the package. delivery company told on April 16 that it is working. carefully with Tesla to figure out a date for us to take delivery. of the trucks, but declined to provide extra information.
On the other hand, UPS, Walmart Canada, Sysco and Schneider National. , a transportation business that works for PepsiCo's. Frito-Lay, stated they are turning to Daimler Truck, maker of the. Freightliner eCascadia. All 4 companies stated they had started. to put dozens of eCascadia electric eighteen-wheelers on the roadway.
The eCascadia's variety is around 230 miles, while the Tesla. Semi can set about 500 miles. Schneider said it utilizes almost 100. eCascadia trucks to transport items including PepsiCo's Frito-Lay. products.
Daimler Truck North America stated the eCascadia is utilized in. more than 55 separate business' fleets.
To be sure, Tesla has its own fleet of near 100 Semi. trucks that are traveling between its factories in Fremont,. California and Stimulates, Tesla executive Lars Moravy stated on. truth show Jay Leno's Garage in December.
In addition, logistics service provider Martin Brower has said on. its site that it utilized two Tesla Semis to make deliveries to. its dining establishment customers previously this year, as part of a pilot. It did not react to extra ask for comment.
In Tesla's quarterly earnings call on Jan. 24 Andrew. Baglino, an executive who has actually because left the company, said Tesla. just recently started broadening its plant in Nevada to manufacture the. Semi. Musk said in March that it would make sense to also construct. the Semi in Europe at the company's factory outside of Berlin,. according to regional report.
Pepsi Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrew said in a. current interview with that PepsiCo was working on. building out the facilities to support an electric fleet,. including employees who can service the lorries and power grids. strong enough to charge them.
You're talking about a system, Andrew stated. All of those. things need to take place before we can amaze the fleet.
A PepsiCo representative said the company would be releasing. more electrical cars from a range of produces as they are. readily available.
PepsiCo investor Green Century Capital Management has. appointments about the business's time table for rolling out the. Semis.
The fact they're running behind schedule is concerning,. said Andrea Ranger, a shareholder advocate at Green Century. The. financial investment firm has actually followed PepsiCo's use of electrical cars. and is pressing the company to consider its influence on. biodiversity at its yearly conference in May.
In Europe, ASKO Norway is using electric semis from Scania. and Volvo while it awaits Tesla, according to Sollie. He said. Tesla told him that Tesla is focusing on Semi shipments to. Pepsi and other U.S. customers.
(source: Reuters)