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Israeli forces kill a Palestinian child and injure his parents on the West Bank
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces killed and injured a 7-month-old Palestinian child in the Tel Rumeida area south of Hebron, West Bank on Friday evening. The ministry identified the infant as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, and stated that he died on the scene. His parents were moderately injured by gunshots. The grandmother of the baby said that the family stopped the car when they saw Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in the distance. She claimed that shots were fired at them which they first thought were warning shots. She said that "one bullet hit my grandson and lodged in his mother's cheek, after traversing his face, crossing his head and striking his mother's cheek." The bullet also grazed her father's finger and the mother is currently hospitalized. Israeli military claimed that during Friday's operational activity, soldiers in the Hebron region perceived a vehicle speeding toward them. One soldier fired a single shot at the vehicle. It said that three Palestinians had been injured and taken to hospital for treatment. The military stated that an initial investigation found that those injured were "uninvolved civilians" and that the incident is 'under review'. Tel Rumeida is an area in Hebron where Israeli settlers are under heavy military protection among Palestinian residents. It has been a hotbed of violence for many years, especially when it comes to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. According to a report by the European Union in 2024, more than 3 million Palestinians live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, including over 700,000.
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Five killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine's Kherson region
The Kherson Governor said that three separate incidents occurred on Friday in which five people were killed by Russians in the southern Kherson region of Ukraine. Oleksandr Prokudin wrote in the 'Telegram' that a strike in a district in the main city of the region, also known as Kherson, had killed three elderly people. Their bodies were discovered in homes damaged by a bomb. Prokudin reported that an attack on a petrol station, north of the city, killed one person and injured seven others. A drone strike in the evening?killed an individual in a village, north of Kherson. Kherson was one of four regions annexed to Russia by Russia six months after the Russian invasion in 2022. Russian forces seized much of the area in the early stages of invasion. However, Ukrainian forces recaptured large stretches of territory including the city of Kherson. Russians are a frequent threat to Ukrainian-held territories. Local officials said that a Ukrainian drone, which is a common target for the Ukrainians, struck a car in the Belgorod region of western Russia, killing its driver. Could not independently verify the reports. Both Russia and Ukraine deny that they deliberately target civilians. (Reporting and editing by Ron Popeski)
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Trump promises to end the Iran war quickly while campaigning in Wisconsin for Republicans
U.S. president Donald 'Trump' on Friday pledged to end the Iran War quickly and remove an alleged source of high prices while campaigning in rural central Wisconsin. He was doing so in a bid for Republicans to keep control of Congress in midterm elections. The visit to Chippewa Falls highlighted the Republican strategy to retain control of the U.S.?House of Representatives. He said that progress could be made in the negotiations with Iran, but a deal to end this conflict is still elusive. He encouraged Wisconsin voters to be energized in preparation for the election. Trump stated at a roundtable in Chippewa Falls that "we're going out of Iran very soon and it's gonna be strong one way, or another." "Your fertilizer costs will go down dramatically, just as they did four months ago." Rain poured down on a line of people waiting outside to enter a smoky?farmbuilding. Some attendees were Trump fans while others viewed Trump's recent policy on Iran with more skepticism. Tom Paff, who is a data analyst from Boyd in Wisconsin, said he was "definitely a Trump fan" but added that he wasn't happy with the high gas prices. He said, "I don't believe we belong in the Middle East." Derrick Van Orden is the district's representative and closely aligns himself with President Trump. He touts the "Trump administration"s focus on rural America, as a "benefit". His narrow victory in the 2024 reelection has made him one of the top targets for national Democrats hoping to overturn the 217-212 Republican House Majority. Van Orden told the crowd at the rally, while standing in front of farm equipment, that Trump cares for farmers in America. If anyone disagrees with him, "you can look them in the eyes and tell them this is a pile manure." Rebecca Cooke, Van Orden’s Democratic opponent, said at the farm of her family in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that she believed?Republicans had brought Trump to her District because they saw her race as being tight. She also noted that Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was in the district last week. Cooke says that Trump's policies hurt farmers. She said: "I believe that if you look at the farmers who Republicans see as an important part of their base, then they are being squeezed by tariffs. They're also getting squeezed because they have to pay for healthcare and inputs due to the war in Iran." Trump promised to reduce inflation during his presidential campaign in 2024, but the prices have increased since Trump's tariffs were implemented last year. Energy prices have risen since the Iran War began. According to the American Automobile Association, Wisconsin's average gasoline price this week of $4.04 is $1.08 higher than it was a year earlier. Trump said that the political implications of rising energy prices do not increase pressure on Iran to reach a deal. Many of Trump's Republican allies, however, are eager to focus on other issues than Iran. They want to prevent a Democratic takeover of Congress which would likely stymie Trump. Trump's Wisconsin visit is the fourth top-level administration official to have visited this district in the past year. The others were Vice President JDVance's visits in August and in February and Kennedy's most recent stop. Steve Holland, Renee Hickman and Nandita Bose; Steve Holland, Cynthia Osterman, David Gregorio and Sergio Non edited the article.
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The US IPO of Sinda by billionaire Kaplan is a way to mine the market recovery
The mining firm Sinda filed for a U.S. IPO on Friday, marking billionaire Thomas Kaplan's'second attempt' to enter the public markets, following Sunshine Silver's listing a 'day earlier', as 'interest in IPOs' rebounded. The filing did not reveal the terms of?the?offering. The U.S. IPO Market exploded in 2026. A variety of sectors were eager to list and take advantage of the excitement among investors for new listings. Elon Musk’s SpaceX will?start trading in New York in what is expected to be the largest IPO ever. Anthropic, a leading AI company, also filed a confidential application to go public last week. CopperTech Metals, a mining company, filed for a New?York?listing on Tuesday. Sunshine Silver Mining listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Thursday. The Electrum Group is a natural resource-focused investment company. Thomas Kaplan is the founder and chairman of the company. He is a prominent investor who specializes in precious metals, natural resources and other assets. Sinda has exploration and exploitation rights over?five adjacent mining concessions located in Mexico's historic Guanajuato Silver Belt, according to its filing. The project is described by the company as a large-scale, high-grade silver-gold discovery that has the potential to be of global significance. The IPO proceeds will be used for underground exploration, for?other project costs and for ongoing exploration. As exploration costs increased, the mining company's net loss was $11.6 million for the three-month period ended March 31. This is compared to a $2.6 million loss in 2013. Morgan Stanley, Scotiabank, and BMO Capital Markets are joint book-running managers for Sinda's offering. The company plans to list its shares under the ticker "SIND" on the NYSE. Reporting by Pritam Biwas in Bengaluru
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Texas ranchers are on alert after a screwworm parasite is detected in a calf
La Pryor, a quiet Texas cattle town, has become the center of the screwworm battle after the first U.S. instance in decades was discovered there. This prompted a?quarantine on livestock and put ranchers and pet-owners on edge. On Wednesday, a calf in a ranch was found to have?the meat-eating?parasite. It had a large hole around its umbilical chord. Since more than a decade, ranchers in South Texas are preparing for the arrival screwworm. The flies have moved from Colombia, through Central America and closer to the U.S. Border. The parasite can decimate local wildlife and cattle herds. U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said that only one confirmed case had been reported, and the agency was working to prevent a spread of the parasite that threatens Texas' multi-billion dollar cattle industry. Rollins said that she would be traveling to Texas 'next week. She gave a speech at a rally on Friday with President Donald Trump, in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. This is an agricultural district where a race for the November midterm elections has become competitive. Rollins did not mention screwworm. USDA WORKERS LEADER CONTROL EFFORTS The USDA sent 28 workers to Zavala County in Mexico, near the border with Coahuila, on Friday. They set fly traps and released sterile flies?to stop their reproduction, as well as talking to ranchers. Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer said that four more workers would be arriving soon. The major roads leading out of La Pryor are marked with?blinking-orange signs that urge vehicles with livestock to pull up to a checkpoint with state and sheriff's personnel who will inspect the animals to look for signs of screwworm. Marcel?Valdez is a retired educator and Texas A&M University extension agent. He recalled when screwworm was last seen in South Texas in the 1960s, as a young boy. He recalled the screwworm infested calves kicking and licking at their open wounds. The smell of rotting meat as hundreds of larvae devoured the animals alive. And the sharp smell from the black, tarlike medicine he had used to treat them. He is now most concerned about the younger cattle ranchers, who do not have experience in treating this pest. Also, he is worried about the large number of wild animals which could be vectors of the disease and the limited production of sterile flys. He said that the screwworm can quickly get out of control. TEXAS DECLARES A STATE OF DISASTER Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, declared Friday a disaster and asked that the federal government speed up completion of an sterile flies production facility. The plant was supposed to be operational by November 2027, after breaking ground in April. Abbott proposed that Texas pay for additional costs to speed up construction. Abbott stated at a recent press conference that "we need to get the large volume of sterile fly as soon as possible." It's crucial that the new facility, which is currently being built in Texas, be completed even quicker. The sterile male flies mate wild female screwworms in order to produce unfertile eggs. Abbott stated that the facility must be finished before summer 2027, because pests are more likely to spread in summer than winter. He said, "We can't make it through another summer." Some Texas politicians and ranchers, including some in Trump's Republican Party of Texas, have lambasted USDA efforts. Brent Smith, an attorney from Kinney County (near Zavala County) wrote in X: "The USDA had plenty of time to prepare, but they failed." Rollins stated on Thursday that it was predicted that screwworm would cross the border into the U.S. last year. The Trump administration's actions prevented this, giving time for the USDA to launch a rapid response. Fears of more infestations continued on Friday to shake markets, and extended a rally in U.S. Cattle Futures.
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Prices of oil fall amid rising hopes for a de-escalation of the US-Iran War
Oil prices dropped on Friday, as traders grew more confident that a renewed conflict between the U.S.A. and Iran is less likely. Brent crude futures fell $2.08 or 2.18% to $92.95 per barrel at 11:37 CST . Brent closed the previous session 2.84% down. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was $89.93 per barrel, down $3.11 or 3.34% after a loss of 3.1% on Thursday. Phil Flynn is a senior analyst with Price Futures Group. He said that the market does not see an escalation of tensions between the parties. Even though we haven't reached a deal, the market seems to be de-escalating. Petroleum Development Oman confirmed that operations at Mina al Fahal were not affected after three sources reported that oil loading was suspended due to an explosion near the port's mooring berths. Oman exports between 800,000 and 900,000 barrels of crude oil per day from its terminal. Brent was up 1.25 % and WTI by around 3.1%. Contracts rose earlier this week as fighting flared up in the Middle East, while U.S. and Iran war peace talks continued to drag on, while the Strait of Hormuz remained restricted, through which a fifth of world oil flows. Commerzbank analysts stated on Friday that "as hopes for a deal between the U.S.A. and Iran have been dashed yet again, the prices of Brent crude oil and European natural gases rose this week." Commerzbank said that Brent's gains were capped due to oil inventories remaining longer than expected, rerouted imports, and a falling demand. Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem rejected a U.S. mediated agreement between Israel and Lebanon to stop the fighting on Thursday. Iran has demanded a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese government in Lebanon as a precondition for any deal with Washington. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that he thought progress was being made in the relationship between Israel and Lebanon. He also stated on Thursday that Lebanon deserved peace. Tony Sycamore, IG's market analyst, said in a?"note" that "any optimism is heavily clouded due to a tangled net of headlines and anti-headlines." Haitham al Ghais, the Secretary General of OPEC, said that despite the Middle East conflict, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the oil demand forecast for this year is 1.2 million barrels of oil per day. According to shipping data the U.S. naval blockade has largely been responsible for the decline in Iranian oil exports. However, weak demand from China has also contributed to the lower prices. Reporting by Erwin Seba, Robert Harvey, and Ahmad Ghaddar, in London; Florence Tan, and Sam Li, in Singapore. Editing by Sonali, Kim Coghill and Elaine Hardcastle.
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Sources: Cargill is in talks with Macquarie to sell its metals unit.
Five sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that 'Cargill' is in discussions to sell its metals division to Macquarie Group, as a global trading house wants to concentrate on its core operations of food and agriculture. The five sources all spoke under condition of anonymity as the sale had not yet been announced. They were also not authorized to speak to media. They didn't disclose any further details about the discussions, which may not result in a deal. Cargill did not respond to requests for comments via phone and email. Macquarie has declined to comment. Cargill's metals unit in Singapore trades between 60 and 70 million metric tonnes of iron ore each year, with 130 employees. The spin-off could occur at a time of uncertain outlook for iron ore due to the falling demand in China, the world's largest consumer. In addition, the state buyer China Mineral Resources Group reduces the volatility that traders can profit from. Cargill stopped physical steel trading in China by 2024, as the 'demand for the material slowed down in the top consumer and producer of the material in China due to the long-term slowdown in the property sector. In the same year,?the company streamlined its operations from five to three:?Food and Agriculture?,?Trading? and a specialized Portfolio. In a memo sent to employees in 2024, Brian Sikes, the chief executive officer of?Cargill, said: "At heart, we are a food and agriculture company." This would not be the first time Cargill has sold to Macquarie. Cargill sold the petroleum business in 2017, which included crude oil and oil products to an 'Australian investment bank.
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A study warns that biodiversity loss may trigger a wave of debt crises
Financial markets underestimate the economic risks associated with biodiversity loss. This could expose countries to debt crises and higher borrowing costs. The study, ?led ?by economists from the Universities of Sussex, Sheffield and Heriot-Watt, presented what they described as the world's first biodiversity-adjusted sovereign credit ratings model. The report said that existing rating frameworks do not take into account environmental degradation and leave $83 trillion worth of global assets susceptible to mispricing. Researchers estimated that a partial collapse in key ecosystems, such as marine fisheries, tropical forests, and wild pollinators, could result in an increase of $162 billion annually for global sovereign debt interest. Matthew Agarwala, from the University of Sussex, said that financial markets are blind to nature-related risks. As biodiversity loss undermines economies, it becomes more difficult for countries to service debt. The global economy is supported by ecosystem services such as crop pollination, and the production of seafood. These ecosystems could be disrupted in part, reducing global GDP by around $2 trillion per annum. Creditworthiness of vulnerable nations could suffer severe consequences. India's sovereign credit rating could be affected by four notches in such a scenario. China's could also drop more than five points on a scale of 20. Lower credit ratings force governments to pay higher interest rates on debt. This could result in India paying $50 billion and China $70 billion more annually. Overlooked Risks The study concluded that sovereign downgrades can have a ripple effect on the domestic economy, impacting businesses, financial institutions, and pension funds. Pati Klusak, from Edinburgh Business School, said that the findings echo previous financial crises. She said that the 2008 global financial crises showed what happens when emerging threats are ignored by markets. We risk making the same mistake again if we exclude ecological risks from credit assessment. According to the research, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Malaysia may also face ratings downgrades ranging from four to six notches. In 23 countries, with a combined population of 5.5 billion, the biodiversity-related downgrades may push some closer to sovereign default. The debt servicing costs represent nearly three-quarters the global?annual aid for overseas development and a significant portion of the UN Global Biodiversity Framework?s target of mobilizing $200 billion per year across 196 nations. The authors called on regulators, central bankers and rating agencies, to incorporate nature-related risk into financial models. They said that the cost of?protecting biodiversity' is much lower than its economic consequences. Moritz Kraemer is a former sovereign analyst for S&P Global, who was involved in the study. He said that rating agencies were particularly failing. Kraemer stated that by the time these bonds reach maturity in 30 or 50 years, they may be 3-4 notch lower. "That's a problem."
WTO conference in Abu Dhabi - what's at stake?
Ministers from across the world are assembling at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi from Feb. 2629 to attempt to. set new rules for international commerce, consisting of reforming its. disagreement system and cutting fishing subsidies. Expectations for the biennial meeting are modest in the middle of growing. neglect for trade guidelines as the nearly 30yearold body. comes to grips with international geopolitical tensions and the risk of world. trade separating.
The conference began with East Timor and the Comoros signing up with. the organisation - the very first nations to do so because 2016. Negotiations on Tuesday start with fisheries, although India's. trade minister, seen as the primary holdout in global trade. negotiations,
has actually not yet arrived
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Here is a summary of the crucial issues under the spotlight at. the conference:
REFORM
The WTO is attempting to settle a bundle of reforms to. address the way it adjudicates trade disagreements.
Its leading court has been mothballed for 4 years due to U.S. opposition to new judge consultations, leaving trade disputes. worth billions of dollars unresolved. A draft proposal is viewed as the last opportunity for the WTO to repair. the system but propositions up to this point have actually not discussed how. to reboot the court due to a lack of consensus and obstacles. abound.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala praised development. in talks but seemed to rule out the possibilities of a deal at the Abu. Dhabi conference. We are not there yet, she stated.
Currently, nations can still submit problems to a lower. body but if they do decline its findings, the case ends up in. legal limbo where some 30 unresolved appeals now sit.
FISHING
Environmentalists say knocking out billions of dollars in. aids that promote unsustainable fishing is the single most. important thing states can do to assist reverse decreasing stocks.
Countries clinched a deal at the last ministerial meeting in. Geneva in 2022 on banning some subsidies, consisting of for prohibited. fishing and high seas stocks. But negotiators perhaps left the most tough concerns on. aids - those that add to overcapacity and. overfishing - unsolved. It will hurt if you have to make cuts. but I think there's hope, Anna Holl, the World Wide Fund for. Nature's Worldwide Lead on the WTO talks, stated.
One outstanding challenge is to identify exactly who is. bound by the most difficult guidelines under a two-tier system.
Numerous, like India, are lobbying for carve-outs using WTO. guidelines that allow some exemptions for establishing members. Another. exceptional concern is whether China, the world's greatest. subsidiser, will seek this treatment.
More than 200
researchers have actually prompted
arbitrators to complete the talks which began in the early. 2000s. WTO authorities hope the first part of the agreement will quickly. gain the approval of 2 thirds of the WTO's 164 members and. come into result. Up until now, more than 70 members have registered.
E-COMMERCE. WTO members do not presently agree on whether to extend what is. effectively a ban on applying responsibilities to electronic. transmissions. The moratorium, in location given that 1998, will end. this year if no contract is made.
Analysts state this could see countries present customizeds. tasks on products such as film downloads in a relocation highly. opposed by service lobbies.
New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay who is assisting in. the discussions told reporters he was feeling positive that. opposition from a handful of nations, consisting of India and. Indonesia, could be surmounted.
There's a couple of locations that stay persistent and. challenging but we have a path forward to discuss them.
FARMING
No choices are anticipated on agriculture, according to. Edwini Kessie, Director of the WTO's Farming and Commodities. Division. Right now the positions are too far apart. I do not. think members are expecting definitive choices on the. settlements at this meeting, he said at a Feb. 26 rundown.
He added that WTO members wanted to settle on a work strategy. taking them to the next ministerial meeting.
The most heated exchanges have been around a push by India. and a coalition of developing nations for a stand-alone. permanent waiver to WTO rules that presently restrict domestic. farming aids on food products including rice.
Kessie included he did not think India had altered its. position in reaction to the current
farmers' protests
in the nation, just months before a general election.
Critics from industrialized countries including the United States. say that settlements on WTO rules on subsidies can not be dealt. with in seclusion. Related subjects include minimizing domestic. assistance to the farm sector and improving market access through. using peak tariffs or tariff rate quotas.
INVESTMENT AGREEMENT
An offer indicated to streamline bureaucracy, improve the investment. environment and encourage foreign direct financial investment has been. agreed by around 125 member states.
All members now need to agree to integrate the Financial investment. Facilitation for Advancement (IFD) Arrangement into the WTO's. legal architecture, an action needed to guarantee the organisation can. supply resources to monitor compliance.
However an agreement at the conference is not guaranteed and some. countries have voiced opposition to smaller negotiating groups. It might be rough, one trade delegate said.
(source: Reuters)