Latest News
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Trump announces that Venezuela will accept illegal migrants captured by the US
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that Venezuela had agreed to accept all Venezuelan illegal immigrants captured in the United States. Venezuela will also pay for their transportation. Trump stated in a Truth Social post that Venezuela had agreed to accept all Venezuelan illegal aliens encamped at the U.S. border, including members of Tren de Aragua gang. He also said that Venezuela had agreed to provide transport. The Venezuelan government didn't immediately respond to a comment request. Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, met Nicolas Maduro on Friday in South America. Six American hostages were freed and returned from Venezuela to the United States within hours of their meeting. One week after Trump's announcement, Venezuela has announced that it will accept the return of illegally-residing Venezuelan citizens. Tariffs are threatened Sanctions after Colombia refused military flights transporting deportees. Colombia reversed course and accepted migrants after the threats. Trump said that he was "in the process" of removing a record number of illegal aliens in all countries. He had vowed in his presidential campaign of 2024 to crackdown on illegal immigration. Trump is a Republican Executive orders are issued in a variety of forms After taking office on January 20, the Trump administration will crackdown on illegal immigration, including deporting record numbers migrants without legal status in the U.S.
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Mali gold mining accident kills over a dozen people, including women and kids
The national union of gold counters, refineries and artisanal gold miners (UCROM) announced on Saturday that thirteen artisanal gold miners, among them women and children, died in southwest Mali after a tunnel they were digging to find gold flooded. Taoule Camara, UCROM's Secretary General Taoule Camara, confirmed the incident via telephone. It occurred near the village Danga within the Kangaba Cercle of Mali's southwest Koulikoro Region. The sluice gate of a muddy reservoir burst and poured into a tunnel where women and children were digging up earth in search of leftover gold particles. It is serious. Many women were present. Camara had said, earlier in the week when the death toll wasn't yet known: "We spent the whole day yesterday removing the water and looking for bodies." In West Africa, artisanal mining has become increasingly profitable in recent years as a result of the growing demand for metals. As artisanal miners often use digging methods that are not regulated, accidents can be fatal. In January of last year, more than 70 people died after a shaft at a gold-mining site collapsed in the Kangaba Cercle. (Reporting and writing by Tiemoko Dillo, Editing by Jan Harvey).
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India's Budget: Corporate winners and losers
Nirmala Sitharaman, India's finance minister, unveiled her annual budget on Sunday. The budget focused on increasing the purchasing power of the middle class, encouraging inclusive growth and private investment in order to boost the country's economic growth. Stock markets in general, however, reacted differently to the policies proposed under the budget 2025-26. Here are some key stock movements from the session. CONSUMER GOODS The fast-moving goods index rose 3%, its best day since eight months. The Indian government has raised the threshold for tax-free income to 1,28 million rupees (14,791.53), up from 700,000. This move, according to executives from consumer and automobile firms, will increase the amount of disposable income available for the citizens and encourage them to spend more. Nestle, Dabur and Hindustan Unilever gained between 1.5% and 2%. As there was no increase in taxes on tobacco products, shares of ITC and Godfrey Phillips India rose by 3.4% and respectively 10.3%. AUTOMAKERS Analysts attribute the rise to the budgetary measures that lower taxes will allow consumers to have more disposable income. Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India and other major automakers also increased their sales by 5% and 4,4% respectively. REALTY Phoenix Mills, the top gainer at 7.5%, posted a 3.4% increase in the real estate index. This is its best day since 6th June 2024. Footwear, Fishing Stocks The leather industry is being supported by policy measures that have led to a 6.2% and 7.3% increase in the footwear makers Bata India (Bata India) and Liberty Shoes (Liberty Shoes). The stocks of fisheries-related stocks have also increased after the Finance Minister said that the government would focus on sustainable harnessing, particularly in the Andaman Islands and Nicobar Islands as well as Lakshwadeep. Apex Frozen, Zeal Aqua and other major stocks each jumped 5%. INFRASTRUCTURE Infrastructure-related stocks slumped, with the index down 1.1%, following 'modest' hike in capital spending announced in the budget. L&T shares led the losses on the index with a drop of 3.4%, their biggest one-day decline since October 25, 2024. UltraTech, by capacity the largest cement producer in the country, closed 2% lower after falling as much as 6%. Ircon International, which fell 9.3%, was the worst-hit stock on the Nifty 500 Index. Insurers HDFC Life, SBI Life, and ICICI Prudential Life all fell between 1 to 3% due to the increase in tax slabs that tends reduce incentives for tax-saving products. $1 = 86.53 Indian Rupees
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INDIA BUDGET - India proposes to open the guarded Nuclear Sector to Private Firms
India proposed on Saturday to amend its Nuclear Liability Law to increase foreign and private investment in this highly-guarded industry, ahead of the visit by Prime Minister Narendra modi to the United States. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Indian Finance Minister, announced it as part of her budget presentation on Saturday. The strict liability under India's Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010, has hampered the implementation of India-U.S. Nuclear Deal that envisaged the participation of U.S. Power Plant Makers such as General Electric or Westinghouse. Last week, the White House said that Modi had discussed his U.S. trip with U.S. president Donald Trump. In her budget speech, Sitharaman did not provide any further details. "To achieve this goal, we will amend the Atomic Energy Act, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act," she said. The Atomic Energy Act of 1963 prohibits private investment in India's nuclear plants. "This is definitely positive for meeting our climate goals," said Vikram V. Vice President and Co-Group Leader - Corporate Ratings at ICRA Ltd. He said that "clarity would be needed on the timelines of amending the Atomic Energy Act, including the civil liability issue as well as the tariff and policy framework to award these projects to private sector." Minister Sitharaman stated that India's efforts to transition its energy system must include the development of 100 gigawatts or more of nuclear power by 2047. Arun Kumar is an energy expert at the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee. He said that adding 100 GW of new nuclear capacity within the next 20 year period was "doable" and not "very ambitious". He said that unlike conventional nuclear plants, smaller reactors could be installed in factories and plants to which they could draw power. India's nuclear power capacity is currently 8 gigawatts, but it aims to reach 20 GW in 2032. Sitharaman proposed also to establish a Nuclear Energy Mission, with a budget of 200 billion rupees (2.31 billion dollars), and operate five small modules nuclear reactors developed in-house by 2033. India, which pledged to reach a carbon-free target by 2070 in all its states, asked last year that those without coal resources consider building nuclear power plants. In February last year, India proposed to work with private companies to develop small reactors that would boost electricity production without carbon dioxide emissions. $1 = 86.65360 Indian Rupees
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INDIA BUDGET - India to provide $647 Million to support strategic reserves oil purchases in 2025 and 26
The budget document released on Saturday revealed that India will spend $646.88 million to purchase oil for its Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs). Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd. (ISPRL), the company that manages federal oil stocks, operates three SPRs with a combined production capacity of approximately 5 million tons in southern India. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) and other companies use a portion of this capacity for commercial operations. Budget proposals include allocations of about 1.8 billion rupies for the operation and maintenance SPRs, and approximately 3.35 billion rupies for land purchase and construction of caverns. India, which is the third largest oil consumer and importer in the world, imports more than 80% of its oil requirements and is increasing its SPR capability to protect itself against any disruptions in global oil supply. ISPRL is seeking private interest in building and operating a 2.5 million ton storage facility for petroleum reserves near Padur, Karnataka. India also plans to build a SPR of 4 million tons at Chandikhol, in the eastern state Odisha.
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Stocks of Indian infrastructure fall after a'modest increase' in capital expenditure in the budget
Indian infrastructure stocks fell in a special session on Saturday. Sector leader Larsen & Toubro led the losses, as investors were disappointed with the'modest" increase in capital expenditure announced in the budget. Infrastructure index reversed its gains after the budget presentation and was down by 1.1% at last. L&T shares dropped nearly 5% in one day, their biggest drop in over 3 months. The Indian government announced that it would spend a record 11,21 trillion rupees (129.54 billion dollars) on infrastructure during the next financial year, which begins April 1. Amit Anwani is a research analyst with Prabhudas. IRB Infrastructure Developers (which builds highways) fell by as much as 4%. "With corporate balance sheet fairly strong, the government wants private sector (to) step up on capital expenditure," said Chairman Virendra Mhaiskar of the company. The shares of cement companies, which are a major beneficiary of government expenditures, fell as well on concerns about a slow recovery in demand. UltraTech shares, the largest cement producer in the country by capacity, dropped as much as 6 percent before recovering some of their losses. They were last down 2 percent. Ambuja Cements, owned by Adani Group, fell 2%. ACC recovered nearly all of its losses and ended up with a 0.5% decline. Shree Cement, Dalmia Bharat and other companies declined by about 2%. Cement executives have recently stated that government spending is not up significantly since the 2024 elections. Volumes grew slowly in the third quarter almost everywhere. Data from the ratings agency Crisil revealed that India was the second largest cement producer in the world. The domestic industry will grow at a slower rate in fiscal 2025 than in the years 2022 and 2023. (Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Yagnoseni Das; Editing by Varun H K)
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Cadeler Takes Delivery of Its Sixth Wind Turbine Installation Vessel
Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has taken delivery its new wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Wind Maker, the first of the two planned M-class vessels to join its growing fleet.Wind Maker was officially named at a naming ceremony at the Hanwha Ocean Shipyard in Korea, where the vessel was built.The ceremony, attended by Cadeler executives and key stakeholders, honored the collaborative efforts behind the making of the great vessel. The Godmother of Wind Maker is Sharon Ainslie – the wife of Seajacks’ founder, Blair Ainslie, which merged with Cadeler.Wind Maker will be the first of two M-class wind installation vessels in the Cadeler fleet.Its sister vessel, Wind Mover, is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2025."Today marks a significant achievement in our strategic fleet expansion and the successful culmination of years of planning and innovative engineering. Wind Maker is already contracted for deployment immediately after its delivery and she and her sister vessel have secured a pipeline of exciting wind farm projects," said Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Cadeler.The vessel was ordered in 2021 by Eneti, which was acquired by Cadeler in 2023, under the purchase price of $330 million.Wind Maker will operate with the capacity 2600 t main crane which will revolve around the SB aft leg, allowing the installation and maintenance of heavy foundations and the components relating to offshore wind turbines.Wind Maker has been designed to operate in water depths of up to 65 meters and at significant wave heights of 2 meters whilst the vessel itself will be above sea level installing and maintaining offshore structures.The self-propelled jack-up vessel will be equipped with DP2 capability which will cost-efficient transit and positioning between locations, facilitating efficient installation and maintenance of offshore wind farms.
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Islanders win seventh consecutive game vs. Lightning
The New York Islanders are the best NHL team right now. They will be looking to win their seventh consecutive game when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning this Saturday. New York has the longest winning streak in the league and is now atop the Eastern Conference after a 9-3-0 finish to January. The Islanders were three spots and four points back of Columbus in the race for the last wild-card position on Friday. The Rangers have climbed past Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Montreal on their way up from the bottom of the East standings. Ilya Sorokin, the New York goalkeeper, recorded his third shutout in Philadelphia on Thursday night. He made 23 saves to help his team earn two points with a 3-0 win. Kyle Palmieri's third Islanders goal was scored with about 10 minutes left to seal the victory. The right-winger of the second line scored his first goal in over 15 games, dating back to Dec. 23, when he lost 7-1 at home to the Buffalo Sabres. New York was also able to enjoy a goal by Marc Gatcomb. He scored for the first-time in his seventh NHL match on Thursday. Palmieri stated during the broadcast on Thursday that "we've got an excellent thing going right now." "Guys believe (in) one another, and we will try to keep the thing going." "We've been on an uphill climb for the past two years." The Islanders and Florida Panthers will finish their two-game back-to-back series on Sunday, in Sunrise, Fla. The Lightning blanked Los Angeles Kings, the visitors on Thursday 3-0 to end a two-game losing streak and win their second game in six (2-4-0) games. The victory on Thursday was crucial, given the future of Tampa Bay. The Lightning will play two games against the Ottawa Senators after Saturday. Ottawa recently surpassed Tampa Bay to take third place in Atlantic Division. The victory also saved the team of coach Jon Cooper from a second poor month in this season. The Lightning finished January 8-1-1 after going 5-6-2 in November. Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded his 37th career shutout on Thursday. It was his third this season. The star goaltender, who was a questionable player due to illness, needed to be protected by keeping the puck away from the defensive zone. Cooper stated that the concern was that he had not skated for four days. "I just wanted to be sure that we weren't stuck at our end the whole night." ... You can win by defending yourself. "I've been giving the same press conference the last few weeks: I really like the way our team is playing." The Lightning called up Matt Tomkins to replace Jonas Johansson, who was ill and had a lower body injury. Tomkins is 6-5-1 in net with a 3.24 goal-against-average and a.892 saving percentage. Nikita Kucherov, who assisted Tampa Bay's goal on Thursday, now has 75 points in the NHL season. He is third behind Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon (88) and Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl (76) Field Level Media
Gas infrastructure and 11 dead in Russian air strike on Ukraine
Officials in Ukraine said that Russia had launched a barrage on Ukraine with drones and missiles, which killed 11 people, damaged dozens of homes, and destroyed energy infrastructure throughout the country.
The Interior Ministry reported that a Russian rocket struck a residential structure in Poltava's central city, killing 7 people and wounding 14 others including 3 children.
On Telegram, the ministry shared pictures of the building showing several upper floors that were smashed. Thick columns of smoke rose into the air. The rubble was being searched by firefighters and rescuers.
The mayor of Kharkiv, in the northeast, said that a drone strike in the city killed one person and injured four others.
Regional officials reported that three police officers were killed in the attack as they patrolled the streets of a village located in the northeastern Sumy region.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, President of Ukraine, said that Russia used a variety of weapons to attack our cities, including missiles, drones and aerial bombs. He added that damage had been caused in six different regions.
"Each terrorist attack shows that we need to be more supported in our defense against Russian terror." "Every air defence system and every anti-missile device saves lives," said he on the Telegram application.
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russian forces fired 123 drones as well as more than 40 missiles. The Ukrainian air force said its air defence units had shot down 56 drones and redirected another 61. The air force did not provide any figures as to how many missiles it intercepted.
INFRASTRUCTURE TAGED
Authorities in Poltava said that 18 apartment blocks, a kindergarten and the energy infrastructure had been damaged.
Ukrainian officials confirmed that damages were also reported in Zaporizhzhia, in the southeast; Kharkiv, in the north-east; and Khmelnytskyi, in the west.
Oleh Syniehubov, the Kharkiv governor, said that Russian forces had used six missiles as well as 17 Shahed drones in order to target gas infrastructures and other facilities.
Russian news agencies reported that the Russian Defence Ministry stated that its forces have launched attacks against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, including gas pipelines and other facilities. They also said they had shot down 108 Ukrainian UAVs in the past 24 hours.
Since March 2024 Russia has launched numerous missile and drone strikes on Ukraine's energy sector and other infrastructure. This has knocked out approximately half of the available generating power in the country and forced rolling blackouts.
Both sides use drones to target infrastructure and disrupt supply lines as the war nears its third anniversary this month. Russian forces are making small but steady advances in eastern Ukraine and moving closer to Pokrovsk's strategic logistic hub.
The early Saturday morning strikes by Moscow followed an evening missile attack that damaged the historic center of Odesa, a Black Sea port. (Reporting and editing by Emelia Matarise and Jason Neely; Olena Harmasch)
(source: Reuters)