Latest News
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Foreign Minister: Iran will not expand conflict with Israel but will defend itself
Abbas Araqchi, the Foreign Minister of Iran, said that Iran did not want to see its conflict with Israel spread to its neighbouring countries, unless it was forced. He added that its response to Israel had been in self-defence. Araqchi stated that Tehran was responding to an aggression from abroad, and if the aggression stopped, Iranian responses would cease. The Foreign Minister said that the Israeli attacks on the South Pars offshore gas field Iran and Qatar share were "a blatant act of aggression" He said that dragging the conflict into the Persian Gulf was a strategic error, with the aim of dragging the war outside Iranian territory. Israel, according to the foreign minister, was trying to sabotage Iran-U.S. Nuclear Talks. He said that this could have led to an agreement. Tehran was scheduled to make a proposal on Sunday, during the sixth round of negotiations that were cancelled due to recent tensions. Araqchi stated that Tehran did not believe American claims that Washington was not involved in recent attacks. It is important for the United States not to support Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, if they wish to demonstrate their good will." (Reporting and editing by Dubai Newsroom)
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Yemen's Houthis launch ballistic missiles at Israel in coordination with Iran
Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis announced on Sunday that they were targeting Israel in coordination and coordination with Iran. This is the first time a group with an Iran alignment has publicly announced a joint attack with Tehran. In a recent televised speech, Yehya Saarea, the military spokesperson said that the Yemeni group had targeted central Israel's Jaffa in the past 24 hours with a number of ballistic missiles. He added: "This operation was coordinated along with the Iranian army's operations against the criminal Israeli enemies." Earlier, the Israeli military said that sirens had been activated in various areas of the country in response to missile launches from Iran or Yemen. Israel and Iran have continued to trade missiles since Israel's biggest ever military strike on its long-standing enemy, Iran, was launched last Friday. Israel attacked Iran on the same day. Israel A missile launched by Yemen in the direction of Israel landed in Hebron, in the West Bank occupied. However, the Yemeni group did not claim responsibility. Since Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023, the Houthis have launched attacks against Israel. Most of these have been intercepted. They claim to be supporting Palestinians in Gaza in the war between Israel and Hamas. Israel has conducted a number of Retaliatory strikes In 2018, the U.S. launched intensified attacks against the Houthis, but President Donald Trump stopped the offensive when the Houthis agreed not to attack American ships. (Reporting and editing by William Mallard, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Jaidaa Taka)
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Amnesty International reports that gunmen have killed at least 100 people across Nigeria's Benue State.
Amnesty International Nigeria reported Saturday that at least 100 people were killed by gunmen in an attack on a village located in central Benue, Nigeria. In a social media post, the group said that the attack occurred from late Friday night into early Saturday morning in the village Yelewata. The post added: "Many are still missing...dozen injured and without adequate medical treatment." The post said that "many families were burned in their bedrooms." Benue lies in Nigeria's Middle Belt. This is a region that connects the predominantly Muslim North with the largely Christian South. Land use is a major issue in the region. There are conflicts between farmers and herders who compete for arable land to cultivate. The tensions between ethnic groups and religions can often exacerbate them. In a series weekend attacks in the Gwer West district of central Benue, Nigeria, last month at least 42 people died after being shot by suspected herders. According to SBM Intelligence, since 2019, more than 500 people have died in the conflict and 2.2 million others were forced to flee their homes. (Reporting and editing by Franklin Paul in Bengaluru. Reporting by Surbhi Misra from Bengaluru)
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Macron visits Greenland as a sign of European resolve following Trump's annexation threat
French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Greenland this Sunday in a show to Denmark of solidarity, and to send a message of European resolve following the threat by Donald Trump to seize control of the island. Greenland is an autonomous part of Denmark, with the right to declare its independence. Greenland's and Denmark's governments both say that it is not up for sale, and only Greenlanders have the right to decide their own future. Donald Trump said that he wanted the United States take over the strategically located, mineral-rich Arctic island. He hasn't ruled out using force. In March, JDVance, his vice president, visited an American military base on the island. Macron was invited to Greenland by the Prime Ministers of Greenland, and Denmark. He is the first foreign leader since Trump's explicit threat to "get" Greenland. He said that his visit was to stop any "preying" of the territory. France has been with us ever since the first comments about taking our land were made. The support from France is both needed and appreciated," Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen wrote days before Macron's arrival on Facebook. A Macron adviser told reporters that the trip was a message in and of itself, without mentioning Trump. A poll conducted by IFOP for NYC.eu on Saturday found that 77% of French people and 56% Americans oppose an annexation of Greenland to the U.S., while 43% of French people would support using French military force to stop an invasion. Macron will also visit Nuuk's capital, a hydropower plant funded by the EU, and a glacier. He will also discuss Arctic security with his hosts and the climate change. Greenland, though Denmark is a member of the EU, is not. The French advisor said that the visit would be an opportunity to discuss ways to give Greenland’s association partnership with EU a “new dimension". Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, made several trips to Paris following Trump's threats of seeking French and European support. She has also placed orders for French surface-to air missiles in an effort to shift focus to Copenhagen. Florian Vidal, a think tank in Paris called IFRI, said that Denmark's decision to enlist the EU's sole nuclear power was a way of projecting a hard power against a suddenly aggressive United States. He said that the Trump administration's aggressiveness is a shock, which makes the French vision of Europe more autonomous and reasonable to Denmark. From a Nordic perspective, France is an important military power. Reporting by Michel Rose and Stine Jacobsen, both in Paris; with additional reporting from Andreas Rinke, in Berlin.
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Putin calls Trump and condemns Israel's attacks on Iran.
The Kremlin reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin spent 50 minutes Saturday with U.S. Donald Trump, in which he condemned the Israeli military action against Iran, and expressed concern over the risk of an escalation. "Vladimir Putin has condemned Israel's military action against Iran, and expressed grave concern over a possible escalation in conflict that could have unpredictable consequences on the Middle East as a whole," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said to reporters. Ushakov said that Trump described the events in the Middle East, as "very alarming". Ushakov reported that the two leaders did not rule out returning to the negotiation track over Iran's nuclear program. Ushakov stated that U.S. negotiators are ready to continue talks with Iranian officials, with Oman acting as a mediator. The latest round scheduled for Sunday, Oman has been cancelled. According to the Kremlin's aide, Putin told Trump Russia was committed to the proposals made by Trump for easing tensions and resolving issues related Iran's nuclear program. Ushakov stated that "the Russian president reminded that before the current increase in tension, our side had proposed tangible steps intended to reach mutually acceptable agreements when talks took place between U.S. representatives and Iranian representatives regarding the Iranian nuclear program." "Russia's approach to a solution and its interest in it remain unchanged, and as Vladimir Putin said, we will act on the basis of this." According to the state news agency RIA, Putin informed the U.S. president that Russia is ready to continue its negotiations with Ukraine after June 22. The Kremlin's aide stated that Trump expressed his desire to "end the Russia-Ukraine crisis as quickly as possible." Ushakov said the presidents also expressed satisfaction at their "personal relations, which allowed them to speak with a businesslike manner and seek solutions to bilateral or international issues, no matter how complex these issues may be." Putin congratulated Trump for his 79th birthday. (Reporting and writing by Lucy Papachristou, Ron Popeski and Nick Zieminski; editing and reviewing by Diane Craft and Nick Zieminski).
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Tennis-Battling mertens saves eleven match points to reach Den Bosch Final
Elise Mertens, the third seeded Belgian, saved 11 match points to beat Ekaterina Alexova (2-6 7-6(7) 6-1), a two-time champion. She will now face Elena-Gabriela Ruse in Saturday's Libema Open Final at Den Bosch. Mertens lost the first set and fell behind 5-3 in the second. She fought back to force the tiebreak, before beating the Russian second seed. Alexandrova was aiming for her third title after winning in 2022 & 2023. Mertens: "I lost track after the first one, I didn't know there were 11. "I was focused on the game and I liked that. I just kept going." "It was difficult, she started well and won 6-2, 5-3." I stayed focused on the game, and I gave it my all. Alexandrova has won the only previous match in Den Bosch in 2019. She has also reached the quarter-finals in the last five editions. Mertens has the opportunity to win her second title in this year after winning in Singapore in February. Mertens will face Romanian qualifier Ruse, who won the second set after losing the first one. She defeated Italian Elisabetta cocciaretto by 2-6 6-4. Mertens won the three previous encounters with Ruse. Trevor Stynes reported the story, Pritha Sakar edited it.
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Russia and Ukraine swap prisoners of war but Moscow receives no war dead.
The Russian Defence Ministry announced that Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war (POWs), and Russia delivered the bodies 1200 Ukrainian soldiers who died to Kyiv. The exchanges are part and parcel of the agreements that were reached between the warring parties during their talks in Istanbul earlier this year. Ukraine confirmed earlier this Saturday that it had received the remains of its soldiers who were killed in action. The Russian state media, citing unnamed sources, reported that Moscow has not received any of the war dead it sent to Kyiv. This echoes a statement Russia issued on Friday. It had returned 1,200 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed and received none of their own. The Russian Defence Ministry did not specify how many prisoners were exchanged with Ukraine in Saturday's swap, but posted a video of its soldiers cheering and holding Russian flags before boarding a vehicle. Defence Ministry: The Russian soldiers are currently receiving medical treatment in Belarus before being transferred back to Russia.
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Two Australians killed in Bali, Indonesia
Local police reported that an Australian man was killed and another Australian injured in a shooting accident on the Indonesian Island of Bali shortly after midnight Saturday. According to the news website Detik.com, Bali police spokesperson Ariasandy stated that they are searching for two individuals believed to have been involved in a shooting at a villa located in Badung Regency, on the southern part of the island. Detik reported that Zivan R., 32, and Sanar G., 35, were identified only by their first name. Zivan died on the spot, while Sanar was severely injured. He has been transferred to intensive care in a hospital. Ariasandy stated that witnesses had described two people who fled the scene on two motorbikes. He claimed that the two men were heard to speak English with an Australian accent. (Reporting and editing by Raju Gopikrishnan; Gayatri Sroyo)
Andy Home: Beer, not tariffs will boost US aluminum capacity
If in doubt, double down.
Seven years ago, President Donald Trump imposed 10% tariffs on U.S. aluminium imports with the stated goal of increasing domestic primary metals production.
They haven't worked.
The tariff will be 25 % this time, with no "exceptions or exclusions", effective on March 4. The tariff will be 25% without "exceptions or exemptions" effective March 4.
The sharp rise in the price for aluminum delivered to the U.S. Midwest is bad news for U.S. customers.
The effectiveness of higher tariffs in revitalizing the country's aged fleet of aluminum smelters is also uncertain.
The humble beer can is a great way to achieve greater self-sufficiency in aluminium.
Import Dependency
Aluminium and steel have been lumped together again in Trump's tariff battles, despite the fact that they are very different markets.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, while U.S. imports of steel account for only 23%, aluminium accounts for 47%.
The U.S. relies heavily on the importation of primary aluminum from Canada. Canada supplies over two million tons each year.
Markets are already adapting to potential changes in trade flows and pricing.
In a matter of a few days, the CME Midwest U.S. Premium contract, which captures delivered metal costs on top of the underlying aluminum price, has risen $100, to $629 per metric tonne.
The implied tariff cost has not been fully priced because the London Metal Exchange is currently trading for $2,645 per tonne.
Tariffs for 2018 on the aluminium market were highly negotiable. Canada was included at first, then excluded, included again, and exempted once again. This happened twice in a single month.
It seems that the same carve-outs will occur this time.
The European premiums for Canadian metal have fallen sharply. This is a sign that Canadian shipments are being diverted away from the American market, which has higher tariffs.
Tariffs for POWER TRUMPS
Aluminium production has not been affected by steel tariffs.
From 20 in the early 2000s, the number of primary aluminum smelters operating in the United States has dropped to four. New Madrid, Missouri's only plant that reopened after the tariffs of 2018, closed again in 2024.
The U.S. produced 670,000 tons of primary metals last year, down from 740,000 tons the previous year. This was before import tariffs had been implemented. Century Aluminum's Green Aluminum Smelter Project, which was awarded $500 million by the Department of Energy under the Bilateral Infrastructure Act and Inflation reduction Act of the previous administration, is the only hope. Century Aluminum has just received the first $10m tranche for further studies. This tells us that a new smelter will not be coming online anytime soon.
The project is still in need of a source of renewable energy that will allow it to be classified as green.
Electrolysis is the process that produces aluminium, and it consumes a lot of energy to turn alumina into metal.
High power costs are the main reason for the demise of U.S. Smelter Sector. They remain the biggest hurdle to any greenfield smelter projects.
Data centres are increasingly competing for renewable energy.
Don't Litter
It is easier for the United States than ever to reduce its import dependence.
It is easy to find the solution, but it is often thrown out.
With 106,7 billion aluminium cans sold in 2021 (over a quarter of global consumption), the country is the largest consumer of aluminum beverage cans.
According to the Container Recycling Institute, recycling rates were only 43% in 2023. This is down from 57% in 2014.
Under half of cans are thrown out to be landfilled or trashed. The improper sorting of metal at recycling plants results in a loss of about one-third.
CRI estimates that the total waste in 2021 will be over 1 million tons of aluminum with a nominal value of $1.6 Billion.
This is a significant amount of aluminum that's wasted every year, and it's more than the domestic production of primary metallic. Remelting an aluminum beverage can uses 5% less energy than making virgin metal.
All countries with high recycling rates have some sort of deposit return system.
According to the CRI, states that have deposit schemes in place achieved a rate of recycling of 74% compared to 26% for states without such schemes.
If you introduce more deposit return schemes, some of the one million tonnes landfill waste could be returned back to the supply chain.
The energy shortages in the United States mean that increasing recycling will be a more effective way to increase its domestic aluminum supply than tariffs.
Tariffs will be imposed on the aluminum market and on the U.S. consumer.
These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for.
(source: Reuters)