Latest News
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A blast in a village in Myanmar has reportedly killed 55 people and injured dozens of others
A rebel army claimed that at least 55 people died in an explosion in Kaung Tat, Myanmar. The blast was caused by a?accidental explosive of material to be used in mining. The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (Ta'ang NLA), which controls the village close to the Chinese border and is currently in a truce with the Myanmar military, has confirmed that there have been fatalities without specifying how many. BBC and Shwe?Phee Myay News Agency, a local news outlet, reported that at least 55 people, including 30 women and 25 men, had been killed, and dozens of others were injured. The group expressed its condolences in a telegram post to the families of those killed, injured and damaged by the explosion. The explosion, which occurred at 12 noon local time (0530 GMT), is being investigated. Anyone found responsible will be held accountable. The statement said that the affected families would receive immediate relief, rehabilitation and healthcare. Reporting by Chandni Ghoshal and Devjyot Abraham Writing by Rhea Rosa Abraham Editing and Barbara Lewis by David Goodman
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All bodies found in Washington State chemical accident: 11 confirmed dead
The death toll in the United States from a ruptured?chemical tank has risen to 11. The death toll from a?chemical tank rupture in the United States has risen to 11 as crews have recovered all nine bodies, according authorities. The tank that contained "white liquor", a chemical mixture of sodium hydroxide and sulfide, used to make 'paper pulp, imploded on Tuesday at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant. Kurt Stitch, Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue deputy chief, stated that the search for missing persons continued throughout the week as crews cleared debris from indoor?areas, and drones were flown over the perimeter. Officials have confirmed that the ruptured tank held about 900,000.000 gallons of white liquor. Tests also showed contamination of the nearby Columbia River. However, no negative health effects were detected in the air or drinking water of the city of Longview. Nippon Dynawave Packaging, Japan's wholly-owned subsidiary, was established in 2016 by Nippon Paper Industries, Japan's second largest paper manufacturer. The company acquired the Longview plant from Seattle-based Weyerhaeuser Timber for $225m. (Reporting and editing by William Mallard in Bengaluru)
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PSG wins the Champions League with a shoot-out victory over Arsenal
Paris St Germain reclaimed their Champions League 'title' with a penalty-shootout victory? over Arsenal, after a 1-1 stalemate in a tense final at the Puskas arena on Saturday. Gabriel, of Arsenal, blasted his penalty over the?crossbar to give PSG a?4-3 victory? on spot-kicks. The French champions had the worst start possible after Kai Havertz scored an Arsenal goal?in just the sixth minute. He whipped a?rising shot?past PSG's goalkeeper Matvey Safonov. The PSG defence looked to be the most formidable in Europe, but Ousmane dembele equalized from the spot after a foul was committed by Cristhian Moquera against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the 65th minutes. PSG won the Champions League trophy for the second consecutive year after a scrappy extra-time period that could not separate both sides. (Reporting and editing by Christian Radnedge.)
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Russia's Rosatom says Ukrainian drone struck Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company, said that a Ukrainian drone 'hit' the Zaporizhzhia nuclear 'plant', Europe's biggest, on Saturday. The drone did not damage any key equipment but left a hole in a wall of the turbine hall. The building housing the turbine hall of Power Unit No. 6 was struck by a Ukrainian combat drone kamikaze this afternoon. The explosion was caused by the subsequent detonation of 6. The explosion did not cause any damage to the primary equipment, but it tore through a wall in the turbine hall. Ukraine has not yet commented. Likhachev described the incident as "deliberate". The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant was captured by Russia on March 20, 2022. It remains close to the frontline of the Zaporizhzhia area in the south-east Ukrainian region. It has?come in for some fire at times during the four-year war, raising?fears about a nuclear incident. Likhachev stated, "We are a step closer to an incident which?will affect those who live beyond the borders of 'Russia and Ukraine but still think they are totally safe." (Reporting by Anastasia Lyrchikova. Felix Light wrote the article. Mark Potter (editing by Felix Light)
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Authorities claim that Ukrainian drones have struck a port and oil depot in southern Russia.
Authorities in the southern regions Rostov-Krasnodar reported that Ukrainian drones had struck a tanker overnight at Taganrog, a Russian port. They also reportedly hit an oil depot?in?Armavir. Yury Slyusar, Governor of the Rostov Region, said via Telegram that the fires in Taganrog's port and on the tanker had been put out. No oil spillage was reported. He said that two people were injured. Svetlana kambulova, the mayor of the?city, announced that a local emergency state, which was introduced on May 27th, had been prolonged. The Russian Defence Ministry announced that its forces?had?downed 127 drones over night. Authorities in Armavir in Krasnodar, which has 185,000 residents, reported that the fire in an oil depot located in the industrial zone of the city had been put out and there were no injuries. Slyusar, governor of Rostov, said that nearly 50 drones had been brought down in the region. Attacks were reported "across" the province, which borders Ukraine’s Donbas and is the focal point of the fighting between Russia & Ukraine. He said that only minor damage had been reported outside Taganrog. The commander of Ukraine’s drone forces claimed that they had hit Taganrog as well as an oil depot in Feodosiya, in Russian-controlled Crimea. He did not mention a strike against Armavir. Reporting by Felix Light, Writing by Ros Russell, and Kevin Liffey.
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Authorities claim that Ukrainian drones have struck a port and oil depot in southern Russia.
Authorities in the southern regions Rostov and Krasnodar reported on Saturday that Ukrainian drones had struck a tanker overnight at the port of Taganrog in Russia and also hit an oil depot in Armavir. Yury Slyusar, Governor of Rostov Region, said via Telegram that the fires in Taganrog (a city with a population of 240,000) and on the tanker had been put out. No oil spillage was reported. He said that two people were injured. Svetlana kambulova, the mayor of the?city, confirmed that a local state of emergency introduced on May 27 had been extended. Authorities in Armavir in Krasnodar, a city with a population 185,000 people, reported that a fire at an oil depot located in the industrial zone of the city had been brought under control. Slyusar, Rostov's governor, said that nearly 50 drones were downed by the region. Attacks have been reported in the entire province which borders Ukraine’s Donbass, the focal point of the fighting between Russia and Ukraine. Only minor damage had been reported outside Taganrog. Reporting by Felix Light, Writing by Ros Russell; Editing by Ros Russel
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Concerns about consumer demand lower LIVESTOCK CME cattle futures
Chicago Mercantile Exchange?cattle futures and feeder cattle?ticked down on Friday due to a technical setback.?As a result, 'Americans' concerns about their ability to afford beef grew. Gas prices are high and consumer sentiment is gloomy, raising fears that Americans will reduce their beef purchases. Beef is the most expensive protein in grocery stores. Dan Basse is the president of 'AgResource' Company. He said that they are 'looking at consumers' disposable income and wondering if they will 'pay higher beef prices'. Oil futures dropped more than 2% Friday, marking their steepest weekly decline since early April. Traders awaited news that the U.S.?Israel and Iran reached an agreement on a truce. Live cattle for August fell by 1.95 cents, to 239,05 cents a pound. August feeder cattle futures dropped 4.60 cents at 348.425 per pound. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday that the value of 'boxed beef' had dropped by 26 cents, to $392.06 a hundredweight. Select?cuts, however, fell by $2.26, to $382.32 a hundredweight. According to HedgersEdge.com, the Packers lost about $266.90 per head of cattle they slaughtered last Thursday. This is an improvement from the previous week. CME's lean-hog market saw a drop of 2.625 cents to 99.50 cents for each pound. According to USDA, the wholesale price of pork cutout has risen 91 cents per cwt to $100.02. Reporting by Heather Schlitz, Editing by Daniel Wallis
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IMF, World Bank and others warn that Middle East war strains energy supplies
The heads of the International Energy Agency, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization warned on Friday that the war in the Middle East is straining the global energy supply and affecting vulnerable economies the most. The U.S. and Israel war against Iran has disrupted the trade, rattled the financial markets, and raised 'concerns about global energy supply, especially through Strait of Hormuz. This is a major route for oil and natural gas shipments. Global?institutions stated that the world's economy was resilient. However, the conflict disproportionately affected poorer countries by increasing fuel and fertilizer prices, increasing uncertainty, and creating job risks. In a joint press release, the heads of these groups met Thursday to discuss the economic impact of war. U.S. president Donald Trump said that he will decide on Friday whether to extend the ceasefire with Iran. This would include?opening up the waterway? and dismantling Tehran’s nuclear weapons capability. The institutions warned that if shipping 'flows' do not return to normal, the rapid depletion in global oil stocks ahead of the peak summer 'oil demand - in the Northern Hemisphere - would pose a heightened risk for fuel security and market conditions.
RPT-Ukraine Bets on US LNG as Gas Import Needs Rise
The state gas company of Ukraine said that it may import large quantities of U.S. natural gas via terminals located in Germany, Greece and Poland this year, as Kyiv continues to struggle with the effects of Russian attacks against its infrastructure.
The White House is leading the talks to end more than three long years of war following Russia's invasion in Ukraine. Kyiv announced on Tuesday that it would accept a ceasefire offer, but Moscow is yet to accept one.
The importation of U.S. natural gas to Ukraine could strengthen the economic relationship between Washington and Ukraine, while the presence of U.S.-produced gas in Ukraine’s storage facilities may deter Russian aggression.
Dmytro Lyppa told an interview that Ukraine could import as much as 4 billion cubic meters of gas from April to October.
Calculations based on average gas prices find that the total import bill would be at minimum $1 billion.
Lyppa stated that up to 50% of the LNG imported through Europe would come from LNG terminals in Europe rather than pipeline gas.
In an interview published on Wednesday, Lyppa stated that "if we look at the political aspect of it, it's better for us to get as much (U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas) to Poland as possible and bring it gradually to us."
Lyppa stated that the geopolitical environment meant U.S. LNG would be preferable to rival Qatari LNG if only the price difference wasn't significant.
RUSSIAN TRANSIT IS NOW OVER
The Ukraine was the main transit route for Russian Gas until the start of this year when the transit agreement between the two countries expired. This deprived Russia of revenue from transit fees.
Ukraine has also large underground storage facilities for gas. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that Kyiv, the White House and other countries have discussed the possibility of using these sites to store U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) which could be used in place of some western European gas upon which Ukraine is dependent.
In recent weeks, Russian forces intensified their attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure (production and underground storage facilities), reducing Ukraine’s gas production. They also limited its ability to remove fuel stored in storage.
Ukraine produced 52-53 millions cubic metres of natural gas per day prior to the recent attacks. However, a senior source in the industry said that the attacks had reduced production by as much as 40%, forcing Kyiv into increasing imports. Officials have refused to provide updated numbers, but some output has been restored.
As temperatures begin to rise and gas consumption starts to decrease, Ukraine will typically start pumping gas in storage for winter 2025-26 when the current peak heating season ends. This is usually around April.
According to energy officials, Ukraine must have 13 bcm in reserves by mid-October to ensure a smooth winter.
Lyppa stated that LNG can be delivered to Ukraine via terminals located in Germany, Greece and Lithuania.
Although the Polish and Lithuanian routes are the cheapest, Lyppa says Ukraine will also need to use other pipes as the Polish interconnector only allows imports of up to 7 millions cubic metres per day compared to a demand of 20-25. The exchange rate is $1 = 0.9158 euro. (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis.
(source: Reuters)