Latest News
-
In coordinated attacks against Nigerian villages, suspected Lakurawa militants killed 34 people
A security report released on Thursday said that at least 34 people died?on the day of Tuesday's coordinated attack by suspected Lakurawa Islamist terrorists in Nigeria's northwestern Kebbi State. Lakurawa is a new insurgent organization that operates in the northwestern Nigerian states of Kebbi, and Sokoto, where in December, the United States carried out airstrikes against militants linked to Islamic State. The report stated that the new attacks were similar to previous Lakurawa raids on Kebbi where armed group?hit small villagers with simultaneous strikes in order to overwhelm local defences and force residents flee. Gunmen opened fire on villages in a remote border area, in what survivors describe as highly-organised, 'indiscriminate' attacks. According to the report, 16 people were killed in Mamunu; five in Awashaka; three in Masama, and two in each of five other villages. Residents fled as gunmen attacked their homes. The report stated that security forces had moved into the area in order to protect the communities, assist survivors, and cut off the militants' escape routes.
-
Top US commander surprises Venezuela with surprise security talks
U.S. officials reported that General Francis Donovan and Joseph Humire, a senior Pentagon official, made a surprise visit to Venezuela for security discussions on Wednesday. This is the first trip by a U.S. Military delegation since U.S. Forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro last month in an audacious operation and whisked to New York for drug-trafficking accusations. First reported by. The Venezuelan government reported that the U.S. delegation met with interim President Delcy Rodriquez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. Both sides have agreed to collaborate to fight drug trafficking, terrorism, and migration. Padrino and?Cabello both face drug trafficking charges in the United States. The U.S. Military's visit comes after a trip to Caracas by U.S. Secretary for?Energy Chris Wright last week. The two trips together highlight President Donald Trump’s efforts to use his military might and energy policies to force Venezuela to implement sweeping?reforms. DIPLOMATHY IS THE PATH OF PREFERENCE Washington has stated that it will continue to manage Venezuela's business for oil indefinitely. It also maintains a strong naval presence in the Caribbean where the U.S. military is blowing up suspected drugs boats and working alongside the Coast Guard in order to seize Venezuelan-linked oil tanks. Venezuela's government has emphasized diplomacy in its preferred approach to Washington. Washington wants Caracas to cut off ties to U.S. enemies and to open up to U.S. business. Venezuela has the largest reserves of crude oil in the world. In a recent post on X, Venezuela's Minister of Communications Miguel Angel Perez stated that the meeting reaffirmed the importance of diplomacy as a means to resolve differences and address issues?of regional and bilateral interests. Laura Dogu was also present at the meeting, according to the U.S. Southern Command. She is the new U.S. ambassador in South America. Southern Command posted on X that "Discussions focused primarily on the security climate, steps to ensure 'the implementation of President Donald Trump’s three-phase Plan - especially the stabilization in Venezuela - and importance of shared security throughout the Western Hemisphere." In a separate posting by the U.S. Embassy, Dogu called it a "historic day" in the effort to "advance an objective of a Venezuela that is aligned with United States." For many years, high-ranking U.S. government officials rarely visited Caracas because the bilateral relationship between former President Hugo Chavez (and then Maduro) was strained. Donovan was on his first trip to Latin America since he became the Southern Command chief, a position he assumed in February. Prior to that, he led the U.S. Military's Special Operations around the globe as the No. Special Operations Command. Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Al-Ali; editing by Edmund Klamann, Edwina Gibbs
-
Lavrov warns Russia against any new US attack on Iran
In an interview published on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov?said any new U.S. attack on Iran would have serious consequences. He called for restraint in order to find a solution that will allow Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear programme. Lavrov's interview with Saudi Arabia's Al-Arabiya TV was broadcast a day after U.S. negotiators and Iranian negotiators met in Geneva for indirect talks to avert a new crisis between Washington, D.C. and Tehran. "The consequences of this are bad." Already, there have been attacks on Iran's nuclear sites under the control the International Atomic Energy Agency. Lavrov stated in an interview posted on the website of his ministry that "we can judge there were real risks" of a nuclear accident. "I carefully watch reactions in the area from Arab countries and Gulf monarchies. Nobody wants tensions to increase. "This is playing with fire." He said that a rise in tensions could reverse 'the positive steps taken over the past few years, such as improved relations between Iran, and neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, a senior U.S. Official said that Iran would be expected to present a written proposal regarding how it will resolve its standoff against the United States following the Geneva talks. The official stated that U.S. national security advisers met at the White House Wednesday, and were informed by the administration that all U.S. forces in the region must be "in place" by mid-March. The United States has asked Iran to 'give up' its nuclear program, but Iran has refused and denied that it is developing an atomic bomb. Lavrov said that Arab countries sent signals to Washington, "clearly calling on'restraint' and the search for an accord that won't infringe Iran’s legal rights and... guaranteeing that Iran has a purely pacifist nuclear enrichment program". He said that Russia remained in regular, close contact with Iran's leadership "and we do not have any reason to doubt the sincerity of Iran to solve this problem by observing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty". Reporting by Christian Schmollinger; Editing by Christian Schmollinger
-
US states sue Trump Administration to unlock funding for Clean Energy Projects
California, along with a dozen other states, is suing the federal gov't to force it to pay out grants approved by Congress for clean energy projects. The California Attorney General's Office announced this on Wednesday. The Trump administration has terminated funding under environmental laws including the Inflation Reduction Act. This is part of a broader effort to limit support for wind, solar, and other fossil-free energy sources, while prioritizing an increase in U.S. oil production. California is one of the states that have launched dozens suits to oppose various Trump?administration policy. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Tuesday that he would'sue' over the changes to vaccine policy, and also a plan to rescind a key Environmental Protection Agency conclusion, the "endangerment" finding, which was crucial to the regulation of climate change. Bonta explained that the new lawsuit is in response to California's $1.2 billion federal funding loss for the Alliance for Clean and Renewable Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES). The hydrogen plan was designed to replace fossil fuels for?utilities and public transit, trucks, ports, and trucking. California said that federal agencies must implement laws. Bonta told a?interviewer on Tuesday that it was as simple as Congress having the power to appropriate the funding, and not the executive branch. The filing shows that 13 states are involved in the lawsuit, including Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey and New York. One of the named defendants in this case, the U.S. Department of Energy did not respond immediately to a comment request.
-
Australian shares rise on the back of banks and miners
Australian shares rose Thursday, after the top business lender, National Australia Bank led banks to record high levels after recording a higher profit a day earlier. Meanwhile, miners boosted overall gains as commodity prices trended upward. S&P/ASX 200?index?rose 0.8% at 2333 GMT and is now a little closer to its record high of 9,115.20. The benchmark index rose by 0.5% on Tuesday. After posting better quarterly profits, National Australia Bank extended its gains and reached?its highest level ever. The "Big Four" lenders were followed by the rest, who gained between 1.4% to 2.3%. The top lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia reached its highest level in August 2025. The mining sub-index grew?1.4% as copper prices rose on dip buying, and technology stocks recovered. The shares of BHP, the top copper producer in the world, rose 1.2%. Rio Tinto, a rival Anglo-Australian company, rose 2% ahead of the release of its annual results later that day. The sub-index was boosted by gold stocks as the price of bullion surged due to geopolitical concerns. Northern Star Resources, Evolution?Mining and other companies saw their shares rise by 1.1% and 1.5 % respectively. Whitehaven Coal's 6.3% drop in the first half of this year was a shock to Australia's largest independent coal miner, as low prices weighed. Wesfarmers shares, Australia's largest non-food retailer fell the most in three months, after a weaker than expected?start to second-half, as consumers struggled with high living costs. The discretionary index fell by 2.4%. Telstra shares soared by 3.2% after it beat its half-year profit expectations and increased its share buyback program. New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 benchmark index rose 0.7% to 13,337.09, just a day after central bank kept its benchmark rate the same.
-
Whitehaven Coal in Australia posts a surprise loss for the first half on lower prices and falling shares
Whitehaven?Coal?of Australia posted a surprising first-half loss Thursday. Pressured by lower realised prices, which offset robust production in its major operations. This sent its shares down over 6% at the start of trading. Whitehaven is the top independent coal miner in Australia. It achieved an average coal price per ton of A$189, which was 19% less than last year's levels. This resulted in a 28% drop in revenue to A$2.48 billion. billion. The company stated that "cyclical price weakness in the metallurgical coal and thermal markets continued into the first half FY26 due to ongoing global uncertainty surrounding U.S. Tariffs and related trade dynamics." The Queensland operations of the company, which account over half of the group's earnings, and includes the Blackwater coal mines and the?Daunia coking coal mines that it acquired from BHP 2024, have reported a 58% decline in first-half operating earnings. The?New South Wales operation also reported a drop of 46% in earnings. Whitehaven Coal reported a net loss of A$19.38 million (13.38 millions) for the six months ended December 31. This is a significant change from the Visible Alpha consensus estimate of A$16.38 million and the A$350.38 million profit that was recorded a previous year. Net profit after taxes fell by 31% on a statutory basis to A$69 millions. Whitehaven remains confident about the future of metallurgical prices. They cite supply constraints after Cyclone Koji in Queensland, which was a Category 1 storm. The miner also pointed out early 'indications' that the oversupply of seaborne thermal coal could ease, after Indonesia, which is the world’s largest thermal exporter, indicated plans to reduce its output. Curb production Whitehaven's fiscal 2026 outlook was maintained. The company said that run-of mine (ROM) coal production and coal sales are trending upwards, while unit cost is expected to be at the lower end. The miner announced a?interim dividend of 4 Australian cents per share, and plans to spend another A$32million on share buybacks in the next six-months.
-
EBay predicts strong revenue and buys Depop for fashion presence
On Wednesday, EBay Inc. forecast first-quarter revenues above Wall Street estimates and announced that it had acquired fashion'marketplace Depop' from Etsy for nearly $1.2 billion. This prompted a 7% increase in its shares during extended trading. In a difficult market, the company is trying to differentiate itself through "recommerce", and its role within the circular economy. It emphasizes pre-owned, authenticated and refurbished goods. LSEG data shows that EBay expects its first-quarter revenues to be between $3 billion and $3.05 billion. This compares to the average analyst estimate of $2.80billion. The company said that Depop has a "strong traction in the pre-loved clothing category" and plans to expand in one of the most dynamic areas for resale. In an interview, CEO Jamie Ianonne said: In an interview, CEO Jamie Ianonne said: The Depop deal will close in eBay's 2nd quarter. It is estimated that it would contribute between one and two percentage points of growth in total gross merchandise volume (GMV) in 2026. Ebay's GMV (a key metric that shows the total value sold on its platform) is in the range of $21.5 billion to 21.9 billion dollars for the first three months, surpassing an estimated $20.10 billion. The company's?revenue for the fourth quarter ending December 31?was $2.97 billion, exceeding an estimate of $2.88. GMV increased 10% to $21.24 Billion in the third quarter.
-
Extinction Rebellion, an environmental group, says that it is being investigated by the US federal government
Extinction Rebellion, an environmental group, said that it was under investigation by the U.S. federal government and that FBI agents had visited some of its members, including those from the task force on extremism. When asked for comment, the FBI stated that it could not confirm or deny specific investigations, citing Justice Department policies. The environmental group released a statement saying that two FBI agents from the Joint Terrorism Task Force visited a former member (Extinction Rebellion NYC), 200 miles away from New York City, at their home. The statement stated that the agents asked the ex-member about their involvement in the environmental group’s New York City Chapter. It also said the former member directed questions to their attorney. The group said that, in March 2025 agents, identifying themselves as a part of the FBI, attempted to speak with six activists associated with Extinction Rebellion Boston. However there was no further communication. The FBI declined to comment on its nature or scope. Rights advocates have raised concerns about free speech under the administration of President Donald Trump, citing Trump's crackdown on pro Palestinian protests against U.S.-allied Israel's 'assault' on Gaza and his threats to liberal nonprofits and other groups that are opposed to his agenda, such as his immigration and climate policy. Trump's administration has accused many groups of funding or organising political violence, without providing any evidence. Climate activists have criticised Trump's reductions to domestic climate regulations and U.S. withdrawals from global environmental agreements. According to the global website of this environmental group, it is a "decentralised international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience and direct action to convince governments to act fairly" in response to climate emergencies. Greta Thurnberg, an activist from Sweden, has attended previous actions organized by this group.
EU nations back duties for Chinese titanium dioxide
European Union members cleared the way on Wednesday for the bloc to impose definitive antidumping tasks on imports of titanium dioxide (TiO2) from China, according to sources with understanding of the EU investigation.
Some 15 EU nations elected and 8 against duties, with 4 abstentions, the sources stated. The tasks on the product primarily used as a white pigment in paints must be imposed by Jan. 11 and look for 5 years.
The European Commission's proposed tasks of 0.25 euro per kilogramme for Anhui Gold Star Group and 0.74 euro for pound Group, with rates of 0.64 euro for business considered to have actually complied with the examination and 0.74 euro for all other business.
In July, the EU imposed provisionary tasks of 14.4% to 39.7%. These will be replaced by the conclusive responsibilities, which in portion terms are slightly lower.
The Commission, which collaborates EU trade policy, released its investigation a year ago after a problem by a coalition of EU manufacturers, which did not identify themselves.
They argued unfairly inexpensive Chinese imports had risen dramatically to a 22% market share, pushing success of EU manufacturers to unsustainable levels. They also argued the EU market might fulfil 90% of EU demand, with imports from other nations, such as Britain, Mexico and the United States.
Chinese TiO2 imports in 2023 deserved simply over half a. billion euros, Eurostat information showed.
Producers in the European Union include Cinkarna, Kronos,. Tronox and Venator.
European paints and printing ink association CEPE urged EU. members last week to turn down the duties, stating TiO2 accounted. for about 20% of the last cost of completed products and. threatened the practicality of the 33 billion euro each year EU. paints sector.
An exemption has been approved for TiO2 imports used to. produce white graphic inks for printing.
(source: Reuters)