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Russian officials claim that a major drone attack on St Petersburg has been carried out by Ukraine.
St Petersburg, Russia's second largest city and the surrounding Leningrad area were hit by a major Ukrainian drone attack over night. A Baltic Sea port which handles oil exports was also reported to have been affected. Alexander Beglov, the governor of St Petersburg, said that the city's?6-million population had been subjected to a "large scale" drone attack. He did not give any details about specific targets but the local media outlet Bumaga reported that there was a fire in the oil terminal of St Petersburg. Alexander Drozdenko, Governor of the Leningrad region, said that drones struck the port of Vysotsk located about 170 kilometers (105 miles), northwest of St Petersburg in the Gulf of Finland. The port is used to handle oil, grain and coal. Drozdenko said 72 drones had been shot down in the Leningrad area. Ukraine has intensified its?strikes against Russian energy infrastructure in the past year, causing fuel shortages throughout Russia. St Petersburg is about 900km (560miles) from Ukrainian-held territory. Drones have occasionally attacked St Petersburg. The?city's?oil terminal and a moored?warship were among the targets during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum held in June. Reporting by Felix Light. Felix Light is the author. Mark Potter (editing by Felix Light)
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Officials say that a Russian bombing attack in Ukraine's Sumy killed at least four people, but other areas were also affected
According to Regional Governor Oleh Hryhorov, the massive Russian glide bomb strike in the middle of Sumy, northern Ukraine, killed at least four people on Friday, including a child. Six people were killed in other areas of the Sumy region, and southeastern Ukraine. Hryhorov, who was at the epicenter of the strike in Sumy, wrote on Telegram: "A high-rise apartment block, a store and a road." There were many people. Children." Hryhorov confirmed that the dead included both a five-year-old girl and her mother. He said that the injured, including a child aged 13 in a'serious condition, were being treated at hospitals. Volodymyr Zelenskiy shared pictures of the aftermath, showing medics treating the wounded, a blood-stained strip of pavement, two abandoned sandals, and a building that was reduced to rubble. He urged Ukraine's allies to intensify their pressure on Russia in order to stop the terror. The border with Russia is the Sumy region. This area, which is under constant attack by Russian forces, lies on that border. In recent months, Moscow has tried to extend what it calls a buffer zone within the region. One person was killed earlier in the day when Russian forces fired glide?bombs close to the city of Sumy. In the Dnipropetrovsk Region, over 50 strikes using drones, artillery, and bombs resulted in the deaths of three people. Two of these were near Nikopol, which is a town located on the other side Dnipro River to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Oleksandr Hanzha, regional governor, said via Telegram that 12 people were injured. Ivan Fedorov, regional governor, said that two people were killed during a recent attack in Zaporizhzhia. The city has been the target of many deadly attacks in recent years. Total of 21 people have been injured. Fedorov claimed that new attacks on the city were launched late at night. Could not independently verify the accounts. Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, observed a "day of mourning" a day after the Russian missile and drone strike that killed at least thirty people. This was the deadliest attack on the city in this year. (Reporting and editing by Philippa Fetcher, Rod Nickel; Oleksandr Kozoukhar)
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Sources: FIFA is considering changing the kickoff times for Mexico-England, Brazil-Norway and Mexico-England.
FIFA may change the kickoff time of two World Cup matches on Sunday due to severe weather in Mexico City, which includes a 'risk of flooding', that threatens to disrupt the schedule. One source stated that the weather forecast could cause the Estadio Azteca match between Mexico and England to be moved forward. Mexican media reported the match will start at noon local time, instead of its original 6 p.m. (0000 GMT) scheduled start. Another source stated that any change in the fixture would affect Brazil's match with Norway in New York. The match is currently scheduled to begin at?4 pm local time (2000 GMT). The Brazilian Football Confederation's (CBF) spokesperson said the match between the five-times champions of the world could be "delayed" by one hour. FIFA didn't confirm immediately the Mexican media reports after being contacted by. Rain delayed Mexico's match against Ecuador in the last 32 earlier this week. The conditions of the game could change if the proposed changes to the Mexico-England match are confirmed. The teams may not be able to enjoy the relative cooler temperatures of a night kick-off but instead face the hottest sun and hottest temperatures of the day. The forecast for Sunday is for temperatures between?23 and 25 degrees Celsius in the midday hours, with a high UV Index. This is despite the fact that the altitude of the capital keeps it cooler than other World Cup venues. A NEW PHYSICAL CHALLENGE A stadium at 2,200 meters in altitude would require a start earlier, which would increase the physical importance of energy management. The thinner air can reduce oxygen availability and accelerate fatigue, making it more difficult to perform high-intensity runs for athletes who have not been acclimatised. Mexico, which has played three of its four 2026 World Cup games at the Azteca?sofar, and is accustomed to training and living at altitude, may benefit from this switch. Thomas Tuchel, England's manager, has acknowledged that the hosts have "a huge edge" and said his team does not have time to adapt physically before the knockout match. When asked about reports of a time-change, England forward Marcus Rashford replied that the team will be prepared for whatever the circumstances. He told reporters in Kansas, "I think it's the exact same for us, you know how we prepare for games." It must remain the same. We have to remain focused and ready to face anything. I believe this is a strength of the team and all the staff, as well as the players. "We are ready to face any challenges that come our way, so... obviously, it is not ideal but also,?it does not matter." Morgan Rogers, England's midfielder, added: "I don't believe it affects us. I believe we'll be ready regardless of time. The earlier the better because you want to enjoy it. We'll be prepared for whatever time comes. (Writing and reporting by Ossian Shines; additional reporting by Mexico City Bureau; editing by Ken Ferris, Daina Beth Solon, and Ken Ferris)
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Officials say that six people have been killed in three different areas by Russian attacks
Regional officials reported that six people were killed in three different regions of Ukraine by Russian attacks on Friday. Three people were killed in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Region by more than 50 strikes, including bombings and artillery. Two of these attacks took place near Nikopol, which is a town located on the other side of the Dnipro River, opposite the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, held by Russia. Oleksandr Hanzha, regional governor of the region, said on Telegram that 12 people were injured. Ivan Fedorov, regional governor, said that two people were killed by a strike in the northeast, on the city Zaporizhzhia. This is a target of deadly attacks which has been frequented recently. Seventeen people were ?hurt. Oleh Hryhorov, regional governor, said that in Sumy, a city near the Russian border where Russian forces have launched glide bombs on the city, a person has been killed. Russian forces have been trying to create a buffer zone for a long time. Prosecutors said earlier that a Russian drone attack overnight on a home?in the northern part of Sumy Region killed four. Could not independently verify the accounts. Kyiv observed a national day of mourning a day after the Russian'missile and drone attacks? killed at least 30 people in the city. This was the deadliest attack on the capital this year. (Reporting and editing by PhilippaFletcher; OleksandrKozhukhar, Ron Popeski)
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Keiko Fujimori declared winner of Peru presidential race
The country's electoral office declared Keiko Fujimori the winner of the Peruvian presidential race on Friday, after weeks of contests, protests, and allegations of fraud. Fujimori, in her fourth attempt at the presidency, won the runoff on June 7, with 50.135%. This was just 50,000 votes ahead of Senator Roberto Sanchez, who received 49.865%. This narrow margin reverses the narrow defeat Fujimori experienced in 2021 when she was defeated by former leftist president Pedro Castillo. Castillo, who tried to dissolve Congress in the year 2022, was impeached by Congress and sent to jail. Sanchez, seen as Castillo’s political successor, has said that he won't recognize Fujimori’s government, despite claiming electoral fraud without evidence. Sanchez was boosted by rural voters in Peru and won the race by a small margin. He led protest marches and filed a complaint with the Inter-American commission on Human Rights challenging the election. Fujimori, on the other hand, was boosted by the voters of Lima's capital and she also won the overseas votes by a large margin. This helped her win. The long, tight race highlighted the deep polarization of the country and the political turmoil which has led to the oustings of several presidents in the past decade. The right-wing leaders have praised the victory of Fujimori. When she takes office on July 28th, Fujimori will be the 10th President to assume power since 2016. She will replace interim president Jose Balcazar who was appointed in February following a series dismissals of presidents over allegations of corruption and abuse of power. Fujimori's victory reaffirms Latin America’s shift to the right. Other conservative leaders from the region, including Argentina's Javier Milei and Chile's Jose Antonio Kast, as well as El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, have congratulated her. In a Tuesday statement, U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio congratulated Fujimori, saying the Trump administration is looking forward to enhancing cooperation in security, trade, and investment. The markets were also pleased with her victory, as they had been shaken by the prospect that Sanchez would win. Moody's released a report on Thursday stating that a Fujimori-led government would preserve policy continuity, boost investor confidence and help sustain the country's growth. This could be a way to unlock mining projects that have been delayed in Peru. Peru is the world's third largest copper producer. A DIVISIVE DYNASTY Fujimori is 51 years old and the daughter of the late President Alberto Fujimori. Alberto Fujimori ruled Peru with an iron hand from 1990 to 2000, and was credited for defeating Maoist rebels and taming hyperinflation. The Fujimoris remain a controversial family in Peru. Alberto spent 16 years behind bars for human rights violations?and Keiko was investigated over allegations of campaign financing, which were dropped in the last year. She spent nearly a year-and-a-half in prison during two pretrial detentions between 2018 and 2020. Fujimori will now have to unite a polarized nation with a Congress that is prone of removing presidents. The country is also faced with a 'vast economic divide' between Lima, the capital city, and rural areas where protests and clashes occurred after Castillo left office. Over 60 people died in these areas. These areas were also the bastion of Sanchez's support, and his party, Together for Peru holds the second largest bloc in Congress, with Fujimori party having the most seats.
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Fermi CEO Neugebauer suspends proxy campaign after judge's recusal
Toby Neugebauer is the co-founder of Fermi and the largest shareholder. He announced on Friday that he had'suspended' his proxy campaign to call a special general meeting. This was after a Texas Business Court Judge recused himself just before an upcoming hearing disrupted the schedule for a strategic review. Neugebauer stated that more than 70% of votes cast to date supported a special meeting. However, the judicial delays made it impossible for new directors to be seated in time to oversee "a true dual-track process" to meet the financial and leasing requirements of the company. Please see below for more details. Neugebauer has said that he will continue to press the court for a ruling on Fermi’s supermajority of 70% bylaw. He has criticised this measure as an entrenchment measure. He said that Glass Lewis and Egan Jones had both endorsed the?proxy campaign. * He said that he was confident Fermi - which supplies power to data centers amid a boom in artificial intelligence - could secure the tenant 'group', provided talks were held with the same parties as before he left. (Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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Portugal seeks support from the EU, Spain and Morocco as wildfire risks rise
Luis Montenegro, the Prime Minister of Portugal, said on Friday that Portugal had asked the EU and Morocco for extra firefighting aircraft in case wildfires grew during the current heatwave. He explained that the unusual decision was not prompted by a lack of resources but rather by an "exceptional" situation in the near future, when "the entire country faces a high risk of wildfires." He told a press conference that it was better to have support from our EU allies, and neighbours, than divert resources away from the parts of the country they were currently deployed in. This is why Lisbon activated EU Civil Protection Mechanism as well as bilateral agreements with Spain. IPMA has issued a red weather warning for parts of Portugal, where temperatures are exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. Portugal's mainland is in a state-of-alert until Monday evening. Authorities have restricted access to some forest areas and banned forestry work with machinery. Farmers are also prohibited from carrying out controlled burns. Civil protection authorities reported that more than 2,800 firefighters were fighting six wildfires in?Portugal, with 864 vehicles, 32 aircraft and other support. The?largest fire was burning in Viseu district, central Portugal. (Reporting and editing by William Maclean; Sergio Goncalves)
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Brent Oil Curve continues to decline as a glut of supply overwhelms the market
Brent crude for "prompt" delivery traded below contracts that were due to be delivered up to six months in the future this week, the latest indication that increased shipments through Strait of Hormuz has caused a glut near-term. On Friday, the first-month Brent futures contract for September traded below the five subsequent contract months. Last week it was trading at a discount to the second contract month. Brent Spreads for the Six-Month Period On Wednesday, oil prices slid to a discount. They dropped to minus 56 cents per barrel on Thursday and then recovered to a small premium on Friday. Investors may be concerned about the current state of demand, and believe that oil will remain plentiful as shipping through the Strait improves. This is why oil prices are trading at a lower price than oil to arrive later. This is known as contango. David Jorbenaze, ICIS' global oil markets leader, said that the newly released crude was chasing a demand that had already been met and reduced. STORAGE OR NON-STORAGE A contango market is a good way to encourage traders to keep barrels in storage and then sell them at higher prices later. Storage could offer some relief to sellers who are competing to sell their barrels on a weak physical market for oil, and also help replenish inventories after the heavy drawdowns that occurred during the supply crisis related to the Iran War. Nitesh Shah is a commodity strategist with WisdomTree. He said that Contango encourages storage and it doesn't require much incentive because the inventories were already depleted in the war years. According to a European crude oil trader, storage plays are profitable if contango is high enough to cover the associated financing and storage fees. These could be between 80 cents and $1 per barrel for companies without their tanks. Bjarne Shieldrop, SEB analyst, said that whether a?contango' deepens, or is merely a temporary phenomenon, depends on if demand in Asia begins to pick back up. He added that storage will be limited due to the mild contango.
No rate cuts if oil prices rise? No problem for US stocks
Investors say that the U.S. Stock Market is back where it was six weeks ago when the Iran War began. This is because they bet on a short-term conflict. What if this thinking is incorrect? The S&P 500 benchmark's round-trip comes despite a dramatically different investing environment compared to February?27. This was just before U.S. and Israeli military strikes started the Middle East?"conflict". Oil prices have risen by about 40%. The fear of inflation has driven up the benchmark yields on?Treasuries. These same concerns have led the markets to rule out interest rate cuts in this year.
If they continue, all of these factors can affect the performance of stocks.
There's a lot complacency about this. Brad Conger is the chief investment officer of Hirtle Callaghan. The company manages endowments and other foundation assets. "I don't think we are as well off as we were on February 27th. And we're paying the same price."
Investors seize on what they perceive as a solid economy, and in particular a positive outlook for corporate profit that has improved since the start of the war. Investors are aware of the stock market’s resilience in this three-year bull market, and they don't want to miss out on any rallies.
WAR RISKS VIEWED A FLEETING S&P 500 has recovered after initially dropping after the crisis started. In late March, the index had fallen over 9% since its all-time January high. This was close to a 10% drop that would indicate a correction. S&P 500 closed Monday up 0.1% from the start of the war, and only a little over 1% off its record high. The S&P 500 was up 1% for the day on Tuesday. The optimism about a possible resolution increased after a ceasefire agreement was reached last week. Investors were bracing themselves for the possibility of war-related developments that could cause asset volatility.
Peter Tuz of Chase Investment Counsel Corp. said that the market is looking at "temporary risk" which will be resolved in a short time, as opposed to a new regime of higher energy prices, interest rates, and inflation.
OIL HIGHER NOW OR LESS LATER?
Oil prices are a major factor in the performance of the stock market. Oil prices that continue to rise will increase costs for both businesses and consumers.
Angelo Kourkafas is a senior global investment analyst at Edward Jones. He said that the markets are showing that oil prices will be moderated by the end of the year. According to LSEG, the front-month contract of U.S. Crude is hovering around $95 a bar, and the December contract at $77.
Kourkafas stated that the markets now see energy disruptions as being near-term. "There's this idea that there are a lot near-term disruptions, but they're temporary," Kourkafas said. Once we get past this, we will return to the economic resilience we enjoyed before. Oil prices have already affected U.S. inflation. The Consumer Price Index rose in March at the highest rate in almost four years.
Investors have lowered expectations of Federal Reserve rate reductions due to inflationary concerns. This was a major source of optimism for U.S. stocks heading into the new year. According to LSEG data, as of Tuesday, Fed funds futures had priced in only 6 basis points of easing for December. This is less than a standard 25-basis point cut. Prior to the war, roughly two such quarter-percentage-point cuts had been expected by December.
The rise in Treasury yields is also due to oil-driven inflation. The benchmark 10-year Treasury rate was around 4.3% last, up from 3.96% in February.
The higher benchmark yields can have a negative impact on equity performance. This could be due to the fact that they translate into higher borrowing costs, both for consumers and companies.
BUY STOCKS FOR OUTLOOKED EARNINGS
Since the start of the war, estimates for U.S. company profits have increased. According to LSEG IBES, S&P 500 companies will increase their earnings by 19% between 2026 and 2015, compared to an estimated 15% increase before the war.
Stocks have become more attractive due to the increased earnings forecast. According to LSEG Datastream, the price-to earnings ratio for S&P '500 was?20.4, down from a high of over 23 at the end of October.
Chris Fasciano is the chief market strategist of Commonwealth Financial Network. He said that estimates are continuing to rise despite the increase in oil prices. "More appealing valuations and higher earning estimates make me feel okay about the background."
In the weeks to come, companies will report their first quarter results.
Tuz stated that people are expecting a huge increase in earnings from all companies this year. It's too early to tell if the number is accurate or not.
(source: Reuters)