Latest News
-
Myanmar holds elections amid civil war, humanitarian crisis and other crises
Myanmar will vote on Sunday, as it fights a civil conflict that has devastated parts of the nation and one of Asia's most severe humanitarian crises. Myanmar, already one of Southeast Asia's poorest nations, has been devastated by conflict that was sparked by the coup in 2021. The military overthrew a civilian government headed by Nobel Peace Prize-winner?Aung San Suu Kyi. WHAT IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION? Myanmar's humanitarian crises is one of Asia's most serious, and it is largely due to the intensifying civil conflict, as well as the repeated natural disasters including the massive earthquake that occurred in March. Reports have stated that the ruling junta suppressed previous information about the severe food crisis affecting the country, by urging researchers to not collect data on hunger and aid workers to not publish it. Myanmar has one of the most underfunded aid operations in the world, according to United Nations. Only 12% of funds required have been received. The U.S. cuts in humanitarian aid have a devastating impact on the people, according to the U.N. Special Reporter on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar. UN estimates that around 20 million people in Myanmar need help due to soaring inflation, a plummeting currency and about half of the population living below 'the poverty line. UN estimates claim that more than 3.6 millions people have been forced to leave their homes and over 6,800 civilians were killed in the conflict caused by the coup. According to the UN World Food Programme, as violence escalates, more than 12 millions people in Myanmar will be at risk of acute hunger next, including 1,000,000 who will require lifesaving assistance. WFP estimates that more than 16,000,000 people in Myanmar suffer from acute food insecurity, which means their lack of food is a threat to lives and livelihoods. The agency stated that Myanmar is "a hotspot of hunger" and should be taken very seriously. WFP reported that this year more than 540,000 children will suffer from acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition which can have serious and lifelong consequences. This is a 26% rise from last year. According to WFP, one in three children aged under five already suffers from stunted development. How has the economy fared? Myanmar's economy, once considered one of the most promising in the region, has suffered from civil wars, natural disasters, and poor management. The World Bank reported this month that despite these challenges, Myanmar’s economy has shown some signs of improvement. Its GDP growth will?rebound to 3% during the next fiscal period. The projected growth will be driven by the post-earthquake recovery and targeted assistance to?the most affected areas. However, inflation is expected remain at or above 20%. Solar energy is becoming more popular as a reliable source of power for households and businesses. In June, Russia, which is building up ties with the military junta in Myanmar, signed a deal with Myanmar that could provide new opportunities for Russian companies to invest in the country. (Reporting and editing by Raju Gopikrishnan).
-
Petrobras' proposal to end the strike is rejected by a large Brazilian union
The Brazilian union Sindipetro-NF (one of the largest in Brazil) has rejected the latest proposal from the state-run oil company to end the 12-day strike. It said this in a Friday statement. Sindipetro NF represents?about 25,000 oil industry workers, including those in Petrobras?offshore oil platform in the Campos Basin, which is the second highest oil production area in Brazil. Petrobras stated in a press release that the strike so far has not had an impact on production as they are using contingency crews to continue operations. Sindipetro-NF is the largest union within FUP, a umbrella organization of oil workers. The FUP board accepted Petrobras' proposal but it was still up to the workers. Sindipetro-NF, a union that is not part of the?FUP, has rejected the call to end the strike. FUP does not include all Petrobras unions. FNP's board voted to continue the protest, and advised unions that were under its umbrella to do the same. Sources said that the dispute may last for a long time, because it involves complex issues, such as deductions from pensioner payments and pension fund funds of state-run firms. Reporting by Fabio Téixeira in Rio de Janeiro and Rodrigo Viga Gaier; editing by Nick Zieminski & Alistair Bell
-
Wall St. closes the holiday session with a near-record high in terms of light.
Wall Street closed a low-volume session after Christmas on Friday with little to no change. The three major U.S. indexes ended essentially flat but posted weekly gains. Ryan Detrick is the chief market strategist for Carson Group, based in Omaha. He said, "We're simply catching up today after a five-day rally." This is just day two of Santa Claus rally, so there's still time. We think that the market will be more optimistic going forward. Market participants were looking for signs of a seasonal phenomenon known as the "Santa Claus Rally," where the S&P 500 makes gains in the last five days of the current year, and the first two days in the next. This period began on Wednesday and runs through January 5. This rally could be a good sign for the stock market in 2026. Three trading days are left in an 'unpredictable year,' in which investors have been thrown for a loop by tariff jitters and simmering geopolitical conflicts. The Nasdaq is leading the way with its tech-heavy indexes. Detrick added: "It is a reminder to investors that volatility was the price we paid to achieve the solid gains in the past three years." "It's likely that 2026 will not be the first time in history where there is no volatility or bad headlines. "So you need to prepare yourself." The S&P 500 lost 2.05 points or 0.03% to finish at 6,930.00, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 20.21 points or 0.09% to 23,593.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 19.70 points or 0.04% to 48,7111.46. Communication services, technology, and industrials outperformed the overall market in terms of performance. The only sector to lose ground by 2025 is real estate. Nvidia's stock rose after the AI chipmaker agreed with startup Groq to license its chip technology and hire its CEO. Target shares rose after The Financial Times reported that hedge fund Toms Capital Investment Management has invested a large amount in the retailer. Silver and gold prices reached new record highs, boosting the value of U.S. listed shares.
-
Petrobras' proposal to end the strike is rejected by a large Brazilian union
The Brazilian union Sindipetro-NF - one of the largest representing Petrobras workers - has rejected 'the latest proposal from 'the state-run oil firm to end a 12 day-long strike. It said this in a Friday statement. Sindipetro-NF represents around 25,000 oil industry workers, including those on Petrobras offshore oil platforms, in the 'Campos basin. This is the second highest oil production area in Brazil. Petrobras?did not immediately respond to a comment request. The company has said that the strike had no effect on production because it was using contingency crews. Sindipetro-NF, a union umbrella for oil workers, is the largest under 'FUP. The board of the FUP had accepted Petrobras' proposal, but it was still up to the workers to vote on the issue. Sindipetro-NF, however, has voted against ending the strike. This means that the protest will continue at least in some sites. FUP does not include all Petrobras workers' unions. The board of another umbrella organization, FNP voted to continue the protest, and advised unions to do the same. Sources said that the dispute may last for a long time, because it involves complex issues, such as deductions from pensioner payments and pension fund funds of state-run firms. (Reporting by Fabio Teixeira and Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
-
Two dead in Palestinian attack in Israel, Israeli authorities say
Israeli emergency services reported that a Palestinian attacker ran over a man, stabbed a woman in the neck and killed both of them on Friday. Israeli police released a statement saying that the assailant was wounded and shot by a civilian on the spot. He was then taken to hospital. The police added, "This was a?rolling?terrorist attack." Israeli Defence Minister 'Israel Katz' said that he had ordered the military to respond with force in the West Bank city of Qabaitya where the attacker allegedly hailed from to prevent any further attacks. The Israeli military has said that it is "preparing an operation" for the area. The Israeli ambulance service reported that the woman and man were both pronounced dead on the scene, after medics failed to revive them. (Reporting and editing by Alexandra Hudson, Hugh Lawson and Maayan Libell)
-
Silver trading, from shares and coins to bars and stocks
Silver has surpassed $75 per ounce for first time, fueled by strong industrial demand and investment, persistent shortages of supply, recent designation as an U.S. "critical mineral", and a wave momentum-driven purchasing. Spot silver is up over 150% in the past year, outpacing gold by more than 70%. How does silver trade? Over?THE Counter London is the largest marketplace for physical gold and silver, where banks and brokers take orders from customers around the globe to buy and sell. The trading is done over the counter bilaterally between financial institutions. An investor must be in a relationship to one of them to gain access to the market. Bars of bullion are stored in vaults at large banks like JPMorgan and HSBC. London vaults will hold 27,187 tons of silver by the end of 2025. Tons of silver. Futures Silver is also traded on futures markets. Shanghai Futures Exchange and CME Group COMEX are the two largest exchanges. Futures contracts are agreements where the seller promises to deliver silver at a future date. They are usually traded via a broker. The majority of futures are swapped for later-dated contracts. Both the buyer and the seller can speculate on the price of silver without having to move and store metal. Futures also offer the advantage that you don't have to pay the entire amount of silver. Instead, you only need to pay a fraction, called a margin. ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) ETFs are traded on stock exchanges like the NYSE and LSE along with shares of publicly traded companies. Each share of the fund represents a certain amount of silver in a vault. Robinhood, for example, allows small investors to trade ETFs with ease. Silver is added to the vault when the demand for an ETF exceeds the price of the underlying metal. This allows new shares to become available, bringing the prices back in line. The iShares Silver Trust, managed by BlackRock, contains?around 530 million ounces silver, worth $39 billion today. BARS AND COINS Silver bars and coins are also available to smaller investors from retailers all over the world. SILVER MINERS Investors can buy shares of companies that mine for silver. These are also easily traded on platforms such as Robinhood. The value of these shares is affected by many factors, including the management, debt, and performance of the companies. Reporting by Anmol Chaubey from Bengaluru
-
LG Energy Solution cancels battery order worth 3.9 trillion won with Freudenberg
In a Friday regulatory filing, LG Energy Solution, a South Korean battery manufacturer (LGES), announced that it had canceled a contract worth 3.9 trillion won ($2.7 billion). LG Energy Solution announced that it had mutually agreed to terminate its contract with Freudenberg Battery Power Systems after Freudenberg scrapped its plans for its battery business. This announcement comes just a week after Ford Motor terminated a battery supply deal worth 9.6 trillion won. Ford announced that it would "take a $19.5-billion write-down" and scrap several electric vehicle models. This is a dramatic example how the auto industry has retreated from battery-powered vehicles in response to Trump's administration policies and the weakening demand for EVs. Ford alone will cause LGES to lose more than half its revenue of 25.62 trillion won last year, or 13.5 trillion won, in just 10 days. LGES announced on Wednesday that it is selling a factory and assets in Ohio, U.S. to Honda Development and Manufacturing of America. The sale will improve the joint venture's operational efficiency.
-
Sources say that Russia has almost doubled its LPG exports this year to Central Asia and Afghanistan.
Industry sources have told? Industry sources told?Einen on Friday that Russia had almost doubled its exports of liquefied petroleum gas to ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia and Afghanistan from January to November. The total was 1.016 million metric tons. Moscow had to divert LPG supplies from Europe. Europe imposed restrictions on LPG imports from Russia after the war in Ukraine. LPG is used primarily as a fuel for cars and heating, but also to produce other petrochemicals. According to traders, the total LPG exports of Russia to Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia, including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, will increase to 36% by 2024, from 19%. Afghanistan is Russia's biggest buyer of LPG in that region. In July, Russia recognized the Afghan Taliban government for the first time by accepting the credentials of the new ambassador. Sources claim that the supply of Russian LPG into the country has risen 1.5 times in the first eleven months of this year, to 418 tons. This includes the joint venture between Kazrosgaz and Kazakhstan. The traders said that the increase in Russia's LPG supply to Afghanistan was partly due to the decline of Iranian LPG, which is sanctioned by the United States. (Reporting and Editing by Saad sayeed)
Musk's win on India satellite spectrum raises possibility of rate war with Ambani
Having simply lost a battle with Elon Musk over how India's satellite spectrum is granted, Asia's wealthiest guy Mukesh Ambani could deal with a bigger obstacle if Musk's Starlink launches services in India and the two go headtohead on rate.
India's government stated on Tuesday it will assign spectrum for satellite broadband administratively and not through auction, hours after Musk criticized the auction route being looked for by rival billionaire Ambani as extraordinary.
Musk's Starlink, a system of SpaceX which has 6,400 active satellites orbiting earth to offer low-latency broadband to 4 million customers, has publicly revealed interest in introducing in India, but its strategies faced duplicated regulative roadblocks.
Ambani, who runs India's biggest telecom company, Dependence Jio, had actually tried because last year to seek a well balanced competitive landscape and wanted to keep Musk at bay, as experts say a. spectrum auction would have required far more financial investment and. deterred foreign gamers.
Dependence, which has dominated India's telecom sector for. years, is now worried that after spending $19 billion in. airwave auctions it runs the risk of losing broadband customers to Musk,. and potentially even data and voice clients later as innovation. advances, a person with direct understanding stated on Thursday.
The Indian federal government states its choice to allocate spectrum. administratively to whoever requests it remains in line with. international trends.
It has not set a timeframe for when the process will start. but Musk's Starlink has currently gotten needed licenses. Starlink's entry into the Indian market would produce a brand-new. battlefield between the 2 billionaires: rates.
Musk has thousands of functional satellites, while. Dependence has actually partnered with Luxembourg-based SES Astra, which. non-profit CelesTrak states has 38 satellites that Reliance plans. to use.
Starlink can price aggressively since it doesn't need to. add more satellites, said Tim Farrar, a satellite market. expert at U.S.-based TMF Associates.
Ambani once gave information for free on his mobile plans, but Musk. is no complete stranger to such techniques which can agitate regional players.
In Kenya, Musk priced Starlink at $10 per month, versus $120. in United States, with rental plans available for greater. hardware expense. Kenya's Safaricom in July grumbled to. local regulators, calling for gamers like Starlink to be. needed to partner with mobile networks, and not operate. separately.
INDIA POTENTIAL
In India, a Reliance Jio fibre-based, high-speed broadband. plan costs $10 monthly, with router free on long-lasting plans. It has a 30% market share in the wired broadband market.
Starlink has plans to offer a limitless internet information strategy. in India at first and target business clients, stated a 2nd. industry source knowledgeable about the matter.
Reliance and Starlink did not react to Reuters questions.
With 42 million wired broadband internet users and 904. million telecom users on networks like 4G and 5G, India is the. world's second-biggest telecom market after China.
Web penetration in India stood at 52.4% as of early. 2024, according to DataReportal and there are still 25,000. towns without web. And even in cities, lots of locations. don't have fibre-based quick web offerings.
Musk stated in 2015 Starlink can be exceptionally valuable in. remote Indian villages or locations that lack high-speed services,. and his former India head in 2022 said Starlink at the time. targeted 200,000 consumers within 8 months of launch.
Starlink has likewise announced strategies to introduce globally a. constellation of numerous satellites to make it possible for direct to. cell voice and data services in coming years.
Gareth Owen, associate director at research study firm. Counterpoint, however, said some of the worries about Musk might. be overstated, as terrestrial networks will always be less. costly (and) businesses will never switch completely to. satellite.
For now, even before the genuine battle starts on the ground,. the Musk-Ambani rivalry is increasingly on display screen.
A Reuters report this week that Ambani was once again lobbying. New Delhi to auction satellite spectrum for a level playing. field caught Musk's attention, after a social networks user asked. if Ambani was frightened of Musk interfering with the Indian billionaire's. telecom empire.
I will call
(source: Reuters)