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Iran official: 2,000 killed in unrest
Official blames 'terrorists' for deaths Protests are a result of a rotten economy The biggest challenge for authorities in recent years Elwely Elwelly DUBAI, January?13, - An?Iranian Official?said that about 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been 'killed during protests in Iran. This is the first time the authorities have admitted the high death toll following an intensive crackdown after two weeks of unrest across the country. Speaking to, the Iranian official said that what he referred to as 'terrorists' were responsible for both the deaths of protesters and security staff. The official didn't give any breakdown of the deaths. The?unrest, caused by dire economic conditions has been the greatest internal challenge for Iranian?authorities in at least three year and comes amid increasing international pressure following Israeli?and U.S. attacks last year. Iran's clerical authority, which has been in power since the 1979 Islamic Revolution began, has tried to adopt a dual-approach to the protests. They have called them legitimate, while also enforcing harsh security measures. They have accused the U.S., Israel and other countries of fomenting unrest. Unnamed individuals they label terrorists are also said to be behind the protests. A rights group previously claimed that thousands of people had been arrested and hundreds had been killed. Information flow has been hampered by recent restrictions in communications, including the internet blackout. Video footage of violent clashes between demonstrators, security forces, and vehicles and buildings in the last week, which includes several videos that have been verified, shows gunfire, and buildings and cars on fire.
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Russia responds to Trump's claim about oil in Venezuela
Moscow announced on Tuesday that the oil?assets? Russia develops in Venezuela are its property, and it will continue to work there. This follows Donald Trump's claim of control over Venezuela. TASS reported that Roszarubezhneft, a Russian company, said all of its assets in Venezuela belonged to Russia. It also stated it would honor its agreements with?international partners' there. Roszarubezhneft is owned by an entity of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development. It was founded in 2020, and shortly after acquired the Venezuelan assets of Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft. This happened following sanctions imposed at the time by Washington on two Rosneft subsidiaries for trading Venezuelan crude oil. According to TASS, all?Roszarubezhneft's assets in Venezuela are "the property of the Russian State" in accordance with the laws of Venezuela and international law, as well as agreements between the two nations. PUTIN HAS NOT PUBLICLY COMMENTED ABOUT MADURO CAPTURE Trump, who has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of being a drug-trafficking, dictator, working with Washington's enemies, has spoken openly about controlling Venezuela's vast, world's biggest oil reserves in partnership with U.S. companies. Maduro has denied all charges. After a week-long chase, the U.S. also seized an oil tanker with a Russian flag and a Venezuelan connection. The Russian Foreign Ministry has called on Trump to release Maduro and has encouraged dialogue. Moscow has supported Caracas in its diplomatic efforts for many years. This includes energy cooperation, military ties, and high-level contacts. In November, Venezuela's National Assembly extended for 15 years the joint ventures that PDVSA has with Roszarubezhneft to operate two oilfields located in Venezuela's western region. (Reporting and editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Bernadettebaum and Marina Bobrova)
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Pentagon invests $1 billion in L3Harris Rocket Motor Business
L3Harris spins off rocket motor unit to be listed on the IPO market in 2026 Pentagon's investment marks the first direct-to supplier partnership Conflicts of interest may cause scrutiny to be placed on transaction structure By Mike Stone Jan 13 - U.S. Government will invest $1 billion into L3Harris Technologies rocket motor business. This investment guarantees a constant supply of the much-needed motors that are used in missiles like Tomahawks, Patriot interceptors and other types of missiles. The deal represents the latest U.S. Government investment in Corporate America. This includes a 10% stake at chip maker Intel, and investments in key mineral producers. The deal comes only a few weeks after President Donald Trump criticised defense contractors for the slow production of weapons. L3Harris announced on Tuesday that it would spin off its rocket-motor business into a publicly traded?company, backed by an investment of $1 billion in government convertible securities. When the company goes public in 2026, these securities will convert automatically into common equity. It is not surprising that the Trump administration invested in a major defense contractor, Lockheed Martin. In August last year, U.S. Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said:?the Trump Administration was weighing equity stakes. Intel's investment has been a great boon to the company. Its?shares are up more than twice since the announcement. The government's equity stake in L3Harris may face blowback from L3Harris rivals, as it creates a conflict of interest that could be significant for the U.S. Government. The Pentagon will own a stake in a firm that frequently bids for major government contracts and defense contracts. This is the first direct-to supplier partnership of its kind. It's a result of the new Acquisition Transformation Strategy of the Department and the "Go Direct to Supplier" initiative. The department's strategy is to invest and negotiate directly with key suppliers in order to save money. L3Harris will separate its Missile Solutions division, which manufactures missile propulsion system for many missiles, including Patriot, THAAD Tomahawk and Standard Missile. L3Harris retains majority ownership and will control the new entity. This deal virtually guarantees that the new unit will have a steady stream of business. The U.S. signed a separate agreement with Lockheed Martin for a seven-year period to increase the production of the PAC-3, a type of missile launched by the 'Patriot System,' to 2,000 units per year from around 600. This transaction structure, which combines a government convertible preferred security with a planned IPO while maintaining control of the parent company, is highly unusual for the defense industry and could be scrutinized by regulators and legislators concerned about market competition and conflicts of interest. A planned IPO in 2026 could allow the U.S. Government to make a profit. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acts as financial advisor and Vinson & Elkins LLP as legal advisor for L3Harris in the proposed transaction. (Reporting and editing by Chris Sanders in Washington, Lincoln Feast and Mike Stone.)
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Livigno, Italy prepares for the Olympics with a snowmaking stockpile and a snowmaking facility
Organisers in Livigno, a town in northern Italy, said that the city is well-prepared to host Olympic snowboarding events and freestyle skiing next month due to its ability to produce and store snow. Livigno, located in the Alps near the Swiss border will require large amounts of snow to build the halfpipe and jumps for the spectacular events. Johan Eliasch, President of the International Ski Federation (FIS), expressed concern last month over the production of Livigno's snow. He accused the Italian government for being slow in releasing some funding. Davide Cerato is the local area manager of the Milano Cortina Games. He said that he could understand FIS's concerns, as there were some "delays" in the construction phase, but they had been rectified. He said, "Now we have completed 80% of snow production. According to the plan?which calls for the production to be complete by January 20th. We are ahead of schedule." Winter Olympics from 6-22 February, with Milan and Cortina in the Dolomites serving as two of the main bases and events taking place across northern Italy. NEW DAM HELPS WITH SNOWMAKING A test event will take place in late January to put Livigno through its paces. Locals report that the venue, located at 1,816 meters, still receives a lot of snowfall, but it has been able to increase its snow-generating capacity, thanks to snow cannons which are fed by a dam of a volume of over 200,000 cubic metres. Fabio Saldini said that the Livigno Snow Park, which is the largest project of the Games, was the most complicated because four disciplines share the same finish zone and are located near a parking lot. The initial feedback received from the visiting Italian team was very positive. Saldini said, "They're here right now preparing the slope. They told us the snow was spectacular." He added, "It's a beautiful slope, the grip is excellent, and in fact they said they hadn't seen anything like it in 10 years." STORED WINTER SNOW IS AN IMPORTANT PART Locals also developed methods?for storing the snow from year to year, some of which have been used to cover key areas of the Olympic courses. Luca Moretti is the head of Livigno's tourism promotion agency. He says that the snow stockpiles are covered in a special material during the summer to help reduce the effect of the sun's rays. Only 23% of it was lost last year. They dug this pile as compensation for the initial delay of artificial?snowmaking. "We began transporting it via lorry. "The lorries covered a distance of only 350 meters, and managed to collect about 10,000 cubic metres?of snow each day," Moretti stated. He added, "In only a few short days, we were able to create 100,000 cubic meters, which will serve as the landing area for Big Air." Moretti said that the weather patterns had changed, but he still sees Livigno's future as a venue for winter sports. He said that the snowiest months, November and December, have now shifted to February, January and March. The season is also getting longer. (Writing and editing by Hugh Lawson; Keith Weir)
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Gold drops below the record of $4,600/oz in advance of US inflation data
The gold price was largely stable near its peak on Tuesday. This was supported by?ongoing geopolitical conflicts, but investor caution before key inflation data limited the upside momentum. As of 0947 GMT spot gold was trading 0.1% lower, at $4,588.43 an ounce, after hitting a new record high of $4629.94 the previous session. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery fell 0.4% to $4597.50. "A modest'recovery' in the U.S. Dollar, driven by hawkish remarks from a Fed official,... and investors' focus on U.S. CPI later in the session, acts?as a?headwind (for Gold)," said ActivTrades Analyst Ricardo Evangelista. John Williams, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said on Monday that the central banks does not expect to be under any pressure in the near future to change its stance regarding monetary policy. Investors expect two rate cuts in 2019. Today's Consumer Price Index is expected to give further clues about monetary policy moving forward. The Russian military launched a wave of missiles against Ukraine that was the most intense in the past year, killing four people and wounding many others. Trump also said that any country doing business with Iran would be subject to a 25% tariff when it comes to trade with the United States. Non-yielding investments tend to perform well in a low interest rate environment, and when economic or geopolitical risks are high. Evangelista said that the $5,000'mark is increasingly within reach, and could be tested during the first half of this year, with gold prices consolidating over the $4,500 mark, and a 'bearish outlook on the dollar, and geopolitical uncertainties continuing. Spot silver, which had hit an all-time record of $86.22 per ounce on Monday, gained 0.7% to $85.57. After reaching a record high of $2,478.50 per ounce on December 29, spot platinum fell 0.5%, to $2,332.40. Palladium slid 1.1% to $1,822.37 per ounce. (Reporting and editing by Sharon Singleton in Bengaluru, with Pablo Sinha reporting from Bengaluru)
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Report: Power and building sectors are responsible for the rise in US greenhouse gases emissions
The U.S. greenhouse gases emissions increased for the first two years at a faster rate than the U.S. economy. They rose by 2.4% by 2025. This was largely due to the increase in power sector demand and the use of fuel for heating buildings. According to the research firm, the increase in emissions was primarily due to increased emissions from direct fuel used to heat buildings. These emissions rose 6.8% from 2025 to the previous year. The power sector also saw a 3.8% increase in emissions as a result of coal-fired generators being added to meet the demand for?data centres and bitcoin mining. Rhodium stated that the increase in emissions does not yet reflect the impact of the 'policy changes' implemented by the Trump Administration, which sought to rollback environmental regulations, stop data collection on greenhouse gas emissions, and end incentives for renewable energy, in favor of policies aimed at boosting fossil fuel production. The report stated that "that could change within the next year or two," particularly if the data center electricity demand continues to rise and the grid responds by increasing output from fossil generators rather than new, clean sources. The report said that the end of federal tax credit in 2025 would "stifle" the growth of electric cars, which had been a "controllable source of transportation emissions". The need for electricity in data centers in order to increase the artificial intelligence capability of the United States led to higher gas prices, which in turn drove a 13% rise in coal production. This is only the second time in the past 10 years that the use of this emissions-intensive fuel increased. Rhodium stated that this has changed the overall "downward trajectory" for coal generation which has decreased 64% since 2007. Rhodium stated that "Emissions grew faster than economic activity in?2025 with a projected real GDP expansion of 1.9%, reversing decoupling?of emissions from economic activity for the previous two years." Former President Joe Biden’s administration has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 61%-66% by the end of 2024. The Trump administration has abandoned this goal, and the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Climate pact along with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. (Reporting and editing by Jacqueline Wong; Valerie Volcovici)
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Brent crude's premium over Dubai reaches its highest level since July
Brent crude oil premium over Middle East benchmark Dubai grew on Tuesday, reaching its highest level since 'July. Brent's Exchange of Futures for Swaps to Dubai for the month of March, which had risen since parity was reached in early -December, settled on a premium of 1.97 dollars a barrel at 0830 GMT Tuesday. This is its highest level since July. The widening price spread for Brent-linked grades makes them more expensive for Asian buyers, prompting them to buy more Middle Eastern oil. Brent oil futures rose on Tuesday, as OPEC and Iran sparked fears of supply disruptions. Brent was near a 2-month high. The?Middle Eastern crude oil benchmarks have been weakened due to the adequate supply after OPEC+ increased output in 2025, and limited demand coming from?Asia. Dubai's cash-premium flipped to a discount at the beginning of the year for the first time since the 2023 due to the unsold cargoes that were loaded in February, and the lack of interest shown in taking bullish positions in this month.
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European shares fall from record highs ahead of US inflation data
Investors sifted corporate updates in anticipation of U.S. Inflation?data. By 0940 GMT, the?STOXX600 was flat. The?STOXX 600 was flat at 0940 GMT. Sika, the Swiss manufacturer of construction chemicals, reported on Tuesday a drop in sales for the full year of 4.8%. This dragged its shares down by 6.7% and to their lowest level since November. British homebuilder Persimmon has also outlined a cautious outlook 2026, after reporting that it sold more homes last year than expected. The updates will guide the sentiment as the?markets prepare for an important inflation report in the U.S. where the policy outlook is clouded by the?clash? between Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, and President Donald Trump. ORSTED JUMPS - UBS IN FOCUS Shares of Danish offshore developer Orsted rose?5.5%, reaching a new high in a month after a U.S. federal judge allowed it to resume work on the?Rhode Island Project that President Trump's Administration had halted last month along with four other project. In a note, Jefferies analysts stated that "the injunction represents a solid short-term win which offsets any near-term losses." They said, however, that this "doesn't alleviate the longer-term concern over whether or not the offshore wind farm can be completed and eventually put into service." The?UBS Group stock rose 0.7%. Financial Times reports that Sergio Ermotti who was CEO of the Swiss bank giant Credit Suisse and led it through its integration with former rival Credit Suisse is planning to retire in April 2027. The?DAX in Germany was flat a day after achieving its longest winning streak, dating back to 2024. Diageo's shares rose by 1% on their way to a?fourth consecutive day of gains. Bloomberg News reported the company is weighing its options for its China assets. This includes a possible sale. Airbus shares increased marginally after the largest planemaker in the world reported that deliveries were up 4% over last year. Analysts say that despite the STOXX 600's muted movements, the fundamentals of 2026 remain strong. Shaan Raithatha is a senior economist with Vanguard's Investment Strategy Group. He said that "value stocks will outperform the growth stocks in the medium-term." (Reporting and editing by Nivedita Battacharjee, Vijay Kishore and Niket Nishant from Bengaluru)
After water quality enhances, researchers discover sea turtles in Brazil get healthier
Sea turtles in the Guanabara Bay of Rio de Janeiro are getting much healthier after struggling for many years with a growth disease that hampers their motion, sight and feeding, and eventually leads to their death.
Scientists stated it came after authorities made an effort to clean up the water of the natural harbor that shapes the identity of the area.
Research study has actually linked fibropapillomatosis, a benign growth in sea turtles, to both an infection and environmental elements.
Kassia Coelho, a professor of veterinary pathological anatomy at the Federal Fluminense University, stated samples taken from the animals and the water pointed to a much healthier environment.
It's about examining health by collecting blood and growths from these turtles, and likewise biometrics of the animals, seeing their growth throughout the years and keeping an eye on these animals from one year to the next, she stated.
Much of these turtles are recaptured and we can examine whether they have actually grown, whether they're much heavier, whether they have actually. slimmed down, whether they have more tumors or fewer tumors.
Surrounded by a dense metropolitan population, Guanabara Bay was. as soon as a nursery for marine life but has more than the years suffered. from sewage and other garbage being discarded there.
In 2022, scientists discovered that three quarters of sea turtles. there were carrying the tumors.
While research study is still continuous, Gustavo Baila, an. oceanographer and teacher at the Federal University of Rio. Grande, stated sea turtles have been healthier since 2023.
These are extremely crucial types for marine preservation,. he stated. We had actually observed a high incidence of sea turtles with. tumors, with defects that wound up being really serious for. the development of these animals.
Brazil is home to five of the 7 species of sea turtles. that exist worldwide. However, their natural environment is. often significantly impacted by humans. Conservationists have. called for stricter measures to protect these animals.
Alexandre Bianchini, a vice president at Brazilian water and. sewage treatment company Aegea, said some 2 billion reais. ($ 356.42 million) had actually been invested into cleaning up the water. in the location. Now, nature responds, he stated.
(source: Reuters)