Latest News
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Orlen Unipetrol is forced to seek help from the state to meet diesel demands due to a Czech refinery shutdown
A breakdown at the largest refinery in the Czech Republic forced Orlen Unipetrol to borrow 50,000 cubic meters from its state reserves to meet demand. It said that "despite all the measures taken including the stopping of fuel exports and increasing imports, at this time it is not possible to cover the demand for Diesel fuel on the Czech Market in full." The company has been granted permission to use state diesel reserves. The Czech unit of Polish refiner Orlen reported on X that a power failure at Orlen Unipetrol’s refinery in Litvinov in the northwest of Czech Republic in July damaged the ethylene units and severely limited the operations of the site. After repairs, the refinery resumed its operations. However, during the transition from partial power to full power Unipetrol discovered a second failure in the main ethylene compressor and was forced to shut down the Steam Cracker, and again reduce fuel and petrochemical production. Unipetrol said that its second largest refinery, located in Kralupy in the middle of the Czech Republic, is still in operation. It also stated that the company's other fuel production was sufficient. (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis; Marek Strzelecki)
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CNBC-TV18 reports that the government is against Vedanta's demerger.
CNBC-TV18, an Indian news channel, reported Wednesday that the Indian government had objected to Vedanta’s proposed split into four new firms, claiming the demerger would make it more difficult to collect dues. CNBC reported that the Indian government claimed at a hearing held by the National Company Law Tribunal that Vedanta had modified its demerger plan after receiving a certificate of no objection from the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The NCLT is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that decides on matters relating to companies. Could not verify the court proceedings immediately. Vedanta said in a press release that it filed a detailed reply to the government, but declined to share any specifics. The Ministry of Mining, Petroleum and Natural Gas did not reply to a comment request. They have not specified the amount claimed. Vedanta has told the tribunal it will provide a corporate guarantee in favor of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in order to recover the debts. Oils-to-metals, a conglomerate that combines metals and oils, announced in December it would be split into four separate companies while still remaining as the main company. This plan was scrapped earlier to divide into six businesses. CNBC-TV18 reported that the government, via its legal representative alleged that key information regarding demerger was concealed and not disclosed. The report also stated that key information was not disclosed, including "inflated revenue" and "concealed liability." Vedanta said earlier in the month that it SEBI sent a letter warning them of certain non-compliances. However, the government did not respond to their allegations. News channel: NCLT postpones next hearing until September 17 Vedanta's shares dropped as much as 2.8% following the report. However, they recovered some of their losses and closed 1% lower than before at 445.50 Rupees. Reporting by Sethuraman NR, Manvi Pant and Niveditarjee; editing by Sonia Cheema & Niveditarjee
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Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical's first-half profit falls
Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co reported a net loss for the first six months of 2025 due to lower demand in refining products and chemical products. According to the report, Sinopec posted a net loss between January and June of 462.1 millions yuan (64.40million dollars). This compares to a profit of 27.9 millions yuan the previous year. Net sales fell 10.66%, to 33.498 billion Yuan, while sales of chemicals and refining products were down 16.14% and 3.21 %, respectively. The company stated that the market is still challenging with a strong supply and a weak demand. New-energy vehicles are increasing in penetration, which squeezes fuel demand. And the chemical sector remains at cyclical low. A weaker market demand led to a 6.92 percent drop in the volume of refining products sold. The company reported that as crude prices fell, average selling prices for all segments were also lower than a year ago. The refinery's throughput in the first six months was 6.33 million tons, a decrease of 4.93% on an annual basis. The production of diesel and aviation fuel fell by 13.56%, respectively, and gasoline rose by 0.14%. In the first half, output of ethylene (a building block in petrochemicals) increased by 24.34%, reaching 273,300 tonnes. In the first half 2025, capital expenditures totaled 408 million Yuan. This was primarily allocated to the construction of the Shanghai Petrochemical Cogeneration Unit Clean-Efficiency Upgrade. Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical shares listed in Shanghai closed at 2,90 yuan, up 1.75 percent on the day. The stock has fallen 4.3% in the past year, but the SSE Composite Index is up 12.37%. $1 = 7.1757 Chinese Yuan Renminbi (Reporting and editing by Elaine Hardcastle in Beijing)
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Saudi Arabia's crude exports in June fell to their lowest level since March
According to the Joint Organizations Data Initiative's (JODI), released on Wednesday, Saudi Arabian crude oil exports fell in June to their lowest levels in three months. The world's biggest oil exporter saw its crude exports fall to 6,141 million barrels per daily, down from 6.191 millions bpd in the month of May. Saudi Arabian crude production for June increased from 9.184 millions bpd recorded in May to 9.752million bpd. The data revealed that the crude throughput of Saudi refineries was 2.703 mbpd. This is down by 18,000 bpd compared to May's figure of 2.721 mbpd. Direct crude burning, however, increased by 185,000bpd bringing it up to 674,000bpd. JODI publishes the monthly export figures of Saudi Arabia, and other OPEC members. OPEC+ - a grouping of OPEC members and their allies, including Russia - agreed this month to increase oil production by 547,000 bpd in September. This is the latest in a string of accelerated output increases to regain market shares as concerns grow over possible supply disruptions related to Russia. Eight OPEC+ member countries began increasing their output in April, with a 138,000 bpd increase. This was followed by higher-than-planned increases in May, July and June, and then 548,000 bpd during August, and now 547,000 bpd throughout September. Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iraq are the eight members. Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman round out the list. Last week, the International Energy Agency stated that oil supplies would increase more quickly than expected in this year and next due to OPEC+ member countries increasing their output and as supply from outside of the group increases. Sherin Elizabeth Varighese reports from Bengaluru. Mark Potter edited the article.
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Copper falls to two-week lowest, with Powell's speech in focus
Metal traders reported that copper prices fell on Wednesday, to their lowest level in almost two weeks, as funds sold. Consumers and producers were also sidelined, awaiting the speech of U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, scheduled for later this week. The dollar could be undermined by Powell's Friday speech, as the markets are looking for hints as to whether U.S. rates will be cut 25 basis points at the Fed meeting on September 16-17. A weaker dollar could boost the demand for metals priced in dollars. Funds use this relationship to trade on a daily basis using numerical models for buy and sell signals. The benchmark copper price on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.1% to $9,676 per metric tonne at 1023 GMT after hitting $9,673.50 earlier, its lowest level since August 7. Alastair Mudro, Marex's senior base metals analyst, said: "Systematic flows dominate our space due to lack of wider participation." The outlook is still unclear, and the markets are struggling to make meaningful moves in either direction. Concerns about the demand for cash copper, especially in the top consumer China have led to a discount on the contract three months forward. The price of a ton is heading towards $100, the highest level since February. Yangshan copper premium also indicates a sluggish market. The price of copper in China has dropped to $47 per ton, down from $100 per ton at the end of May. Technically, the upside resistance lies around $9,475 per ton where the 21-day and 50-day moving averages are converging. Traders reported that funds also sold aluminium which briefly fell below the 200-day average. The current price of a ton is $2,565 The price of three-month aluminum had earlier fallen to a new low for two weeks, at $2 558 per tonne. Last seen at $2,569. It rose 0.2%. Other metals saw a 0.2% gain in zinc to $2,773, a 0.3% decline in lead to $1,967 and tin fell by 0.2% at $33,780. Nickel also dropped 0.5%, to $14,935 per ton. Reporting by Pratima Deai, Amy Lv, and Lewis Jackson. Harikrnan Nair, Mark Potter and Harikrnan Nair edited the article.
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Scientists in Serbia experiment with mealworms for the degradation of polystyrene
Scientists in Serbia have been using mealworms to break down polystyrene. Larisa Ilizin, principal researcher at the Institute for Biology in Belgrade, told reporters that scientists discovered mealworms could digest plastics including polystyrene which is used for packaging, insulation, and food containers. The project, endorsed by both the UNDP and the United Nations agency for international Development, the Government, included polystyrene as a regular ingredient in the food that the larvae of yellow mealworm beetles, or Tenebrio Molitor, eat. They eat anything and everything, but they need to be trained on how to eat plastic. Ilijin said, "We have developed larvae which have been optimized to degrade plastic as efficiently as possible." She said that the bacteria in their guts breaks down the plastic into water and carbon dioxide, and there was no evidence left in their faeces or innards of microplastic residue. This work is based on similar research in the U.S.A. and Africa. Serbia, which is hoping to join the EU in the near future, recycles less than 2% household waste and only 15% of its municipal waste. This is far below the EU target of 55%. About 3,000 landfills are home to over 84% of all waste. These sites are often unregulated, and they contain plastic, cardboard and paper, as well as organic waste. It is seeking ways to meet EU standards for waste treatment. Ilijin stated that "styrofoam decomposes in nature over 500 years... it would be a good way to solve the problem of plastic waste." Belinda Animals, based in Belgrade, received several containers of mealworms from the institute. The institute is breeding the mealworms and hopes to attract other farms. When breaking down one kilogram of Styrofoam larvae emit between 1 and 2 grams of CO2. Boris Vasiljev, owner of the company, said that if we incinerate (Styrofoam), it emits more than 4,000 times as much carbon dioxide. If the commercial production of larvae reaches a large scale, he also envisions them being used for animal feed. Ilijin stated that the use of mealworms for animal feed is in its infancy. Serbia has yet to adopt regulations allowing the sale and use of insect products. (Reporting and editing by Alison Williams; Aleksandar Vasovic)
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Kenmare, a titanium miner from Mozambique, urges a decision on the renewal of Mozambique's rights
Kenmare Resources, a titanium miner in Mozambique, said Wednesday that it may seek arbitration for delays in extending its mining rights. Moma Titanium Minerals, with its headquarters in Dublin, is a mine located on the north-east coastline of Mozambique that produces ilmenite. This mineral is used to produce titanium dioxide, which is mainly used in paints, coatings, electronic equipment, packaging and cosmetics. Kenmare has said that it has held inconclusive discussions with the Mozambican government since 2022 about renewing a 20-year agreement on mining and exports which expired in December 2024. Tom Hickey, Kenmare's managing director, said that he was concerned about the extension of this procedure. If an agreement is not reached, "we remain hopeful that negotiations will be successful, but we reserve the rights to protect Kenmare's contract entitlements up to and including arbitrage," he said. Hickey said in an interview that the rate of royalty was a major obstacle in agreeing to new terms. Hickey stated that the main sticking point was the royalty when the agreement was presented to the Council of Ministers in March. He added, "We've made a proposal we hope will be viewed as satisfactory in order to address this issue. But we just want a resolution." The Mozambican Government was not available for immediate comment. Kenmare’s proposals include an increase in royalty rates from 2.5% to 3.5% by 2025, as well as a withholding on payments made to non-Mozambican vendors. They also propose additional capital investments and contributions towards community development. Kenmare announced Wednesday that it had sold minerals worth $160 million in the six-month period ending June 30. This is a 3% rise on the same time last year. A weak market and oversupply slashed the company's half-year profits by 71%, to $6.1million. Reporting by Nelson Banya. Mark Potter (Editing)
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Gold edged up, but hovered near three-week lowests before Jackson Hole Summit
Investors are looking for clues about future rate cuts in the Federal Reserve meeting minutes from July and the Jackson Hole symposium of central banks this week. As of 0832 GMT on August 1, spot gold rose 0.2% to $3,321.33 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for December Delivery rose by 0.2% to $3364.20. The U.S. Dollar Index was stable after reaching a high of more than a week earlier in the session. This made gold more expensive for holders of other currencies. Han Tan, Chief Market Analyst at Nemo.Money, said that spot gold will likely remain in its sideways range, until the Fed resumes its rate-cutting cycles. The dollar's resilience month-to date also makes it difficult for it to move higher. The minutes of the Fed's meeting in July, which were due later that day, would provide further insight into the central bank’s economic outlook. The markets will be watching for any further clues regarding the dissenting views from the previous FOMC meeting. If the FOMC minutes reveal that the dissenting voice at the last Fed policy meeting was louder than expected, gold could see a small lift before Jackson Hole," Nemo.Money’s Tan said. Jerome Powell, the Fed chairman, will be speaking at Jackson Hole Symposium of Kansas City Federal Reserve on Friday. Gold usually performs well when interest rates are low and there is economic and geopolitical unrest. On Tuesday, U.S. president Donald Trump said that he would not send ground troops to Ukraine but suggested that air support might be included in a deal to stop Russia's war. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the White House discussions as a major step towards ending the conflict, and establishing a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The price of palladium fell 0.8% to $1,105.98. Meanwhile, the spot price of silver dropped 1% to $36.98 an ounce. Platinum rose 0.4% to $1311.05, while platinum was up 0.4% at $1,311.05. (Reporting by Ishaan Arora in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
The Supreme Court is currently hearing the following cases:
In the current term of the U.S. Supreme Court, there are cases that involve guns, gender affirming medical care for minors who identify as transgender, online pornography and religious rights, TikTok and preventive healthcare. There are also cases involving funding Planned Parenthood, job discrimination and federal regulatory powers over nuclear waste storage, vape products and voting rights.
Take a look at the recent and upcoming cases that the justices will be deciding.
TRANSGENDER RIGHTS During arguments on 4 December, the court's conservative judges indicated that they were willing to uphold Tennessee's Republican-backed ban on gender affirming medical care for minors who are transgender. This case could have a significant impact on other state laws affecting transgender individuals. Biden's Administration appealed the decision of a lower court upholding Tennessee’s ban on medical treatment, including hormones and surgery for minors suffering from gender dysphoria. This refers to the distress caused by the incongruity of a person’s gender identity with the sex assigned at birth. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
'GHOST GUN' On October 8, the court heard arguments over the legality a federal regulation enacted by former president Joe Biden to crackdown on "ghost gun" - largely untraceable guns whose use in crimes has increased. The lower court found the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had exceeded its authority by issuing a rule that targeted parts and kits of ghost guns, which could be assembled in minutes at home. The justices indicated during the argument that they were willing to support the regulation. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
MEXICO GUN LAWSUIT On March 4, the justices showed sympathy for a request by two American firearms companies to dismiss the Mexican government’s lawsuit accusing the companies of assisting illegal gun trafficking to the drug cartels, and fueling violence in Mexico's southern neighbor. The justices heard arguments from Smith & Wesson, a firearms manufacturer and distributor of Interstate Arms in their appeal against a lower-court ruling allowing the lawsuit on the basis that Mexico had plausibly alleged the companies aided illegal gun sales and harmed its government. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
U.S. TIKTOK BAN On January 17, the justices upheld a federal law that would ban TikTok from the United States if the Chinese parent company ByteDance failed to sell the short video app within a time limit set by Congress. The Justices ruled, 9-0, that the law passed by Congress and signed by Biden last year did not violate First Amendment protections against government abridgment. The justices upheld a lower court decision that had supported the measure. Biden's replacement, Republican President Donald Trump chose not to enforce it and instead gave both parties time to work out a compromise.
Online Pornography The Justices heard arguments about whether the First Amendment protects against government interference in speech when a Texas law requires that pornographic sites verify users' ages to limit access by minors. The justices voiced concerns over the availability and accessibility of online pornography, but also expressed concern about burdens placed on adults who wish to view constitutionally-protected material. A trade group representing the adult entertainment industry has appealed the decision of a lower court that upheld the Republican-led State's age verification mandate. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION On February 26, the court heard arguments in a case where a woman claimed that she was denied a job promotion and demoted because of her heterosexuality by an Ohio government agency. The justices seemed to favor making it easier for those from "majority backgrounds" to bring workplace discrimination cases, such as straight or white people. Marlean Amees, the plaintiff, said that she worked with a homosexual supervisor when, in 2019, she was demoted and passed over for promotion to a woman gay. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL The court will hear a case that tests the separation between church and state. Two Catholic dioceses are attempting to establish the first taxpayer-funded charter school in Oklahoma. St. Isidore Catholic Virtual School was shut down by a lower court, which ruled that the funding arrangement for the school violated First Amendment restrictions on government endorsements of religion. Arguments will be held on April 30.
RELIGIOUS TASKS EXEMPTION In a case that could have constitutional implications, a Wisconsin Catholic diocese's arm is seeking a religious exemption to the state unemployment insurance tax. The Catholic Charities Bureau of the Catholic Diocese of Superior appealed the lower court's rejection of its exemption request. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the bureau, it could force Wisconsin and other states that have similar tax programs in place to expand their exemptions to conform to the First Amendment protections of the U.S. Constitution. The arguments are scheduled for 31 March.
LGBT SCHOOL BIBLES The court accepted a request from religious parents who wanted to prevent their children from attending classes in a Maryland district public school when LGBT stories are read. This is yet another case that involves the intersection of religion and LGBT rights. Parents of children attending Montgomery County Public Schools filed an appeal after lower courts refused a plaintiff's request for a preliminary order ordering the district not to read these books. Arguments will be held on April 22.
OBAMACARE'S PREVENTIVE CARE MANDATES The court will determine the legality of an important component of the Affordable Health Care Act, which gives a taskforce established under the Obamacare healthcare law the power to demand that insurers provide preventive medical services without charge to patients. The court heard an appeal from the Biden administration against a lower-court ruling which sided with a Christian group of businesses that objected to the fact that their employee health plans covered HIV-prevention medication. They also argued that task force structure was in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Arguments will be held on April 21.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD FINANCE The court will examine South Carolina's attempt to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood. This case could support conservative states in the U.S. who want to deny Planned Parenthood government money for reproductive healthcare. A lower court barred the Republican state from cutting off funding to Planned Parenthood South Atlantic under the Medicaid insurance program. Arguments will be held on April 2.
NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE On March 5, the justices heard arguments over whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission had the authority to issue licenses for certain nuclear waste facilities, amid objections raised by the state Texas and oil industry interests. The U.S. Government and a company awarded a license to operate an operation in western Texas by the NRC appealed the ruling of a lower court declaring that the storage arrangement was illegal. The NRC regulates nuclear energy in the United States. The NRC is expected to make a decision by the end June.
FLAVORED VAPOR PRODUCTS On December 2, the court heard arguments in defense of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its refusal to allow two ecigarette companies to sell flavored products, which regulators believe to be a risk to health. The lower court ruled that the FDA failed to follow the proper legal procedures in federal law when they rejected the applications for the sale of these nicotine-containing products. The end of June is the expected date for a ruling.
EPA AUTHORITY On March 4, the court handed a major blow to the Environmental Protection Agency with a ruling of 5-4. The case involved a wastewater treatment plant owned by San Francisco. This could make it more difficult for regulators and water quality inspectors to monitor pollution. The court ruled that the EPA had exceeded its authority in a law against pollution by including vague restrictions on a permit for the facility which empties into Pacific Ocean. In recent years, the court has limited EPA's power as part of a number of rulings that have curbed the federal regulatory agencies' powers.
TAILPIPE Emissions A major case that tests the power of the Democratic-governed California to combat greenhouse gases is a challenge by fuel producers against California's standards on vehicle emissions and electric vehicles under a federal law on air pollution. Valero Energy, along with fuel industry groups, appealed the lower court's decision to reject their challenge against a Biden administration decision to let California set its own regulation. Arguments will be held on April 23.
The Supreme Court is hearing a dispute regarding the legality and operation of the TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERIES FUND, a fund that Congress authorized to be operated by the Federal Communications Commission in order to increase access to telecommunications. The conservative Consumers' Research group and others accused Congress of illegally delegating authority to an independent federal organization. The FCC, along with a coalition including interest groups and telecoms companies, appealed an earlier court decision which found that Congress had violated the Constitution when it gave the FCC the authority to manage the fund. Arguments will be held on March 26.
LOUISIANA ELECTORAL MAP
Justices will rule on a challenge brought by voters who identified themselves as "non African American" to a Louisiana electoral map which increased the number of Black majority congressional districts. Three federal judges determined that the map of Louisiana's six U.S. House of Representatives district - which now has two Black-majority areas, instead of one - violated the Constitutional promise of equal treatment. Arguments will be held on March 24.
Death Penalty Case On February 25, the court threw away Richard Glossip’s conviction in Oklahoma for a murder-for hire plot that took place in 1997 and gave him a fresh trial. In a 5-3 decision, the justices concluded that prosecutors had violated their constitutional obligation to correct false testimony from their star witness. The justices reversed the lower court decision which had upheld Glossip’s conviction. They also allowed his planned execution move forward, despite Glossip’s claim that prosecutors had wrongly withheld information that could have helped his defense.
(source: Reuters)