Latest News
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Bloomberg reports that Raizen offers creditors alternative terms for debt restructuring
Bloomberg News reported that Brazilian sugar and fuel company Raizen has sent a 'alternative proposal' to its creditors in order to hammer out the terms of a debt restructuring worth 65 billion reals ($13.05 billion). Reports citing sources familiar with the matter said that the company has told its creditors that it is in discussions to raise as much as 5 billion reais of new capital. Bloomberg reported that the proposed capital raising would be an addition to the 4 billion reais already pledged as funding by Shell and Rubens ometto, Cosan founder and controlling shareholder. The source of additional funds is unclear. According to a report, the Brazilian?conglomerate Cosan that controls Raizen jointly with Shell does not inject cash into the company. Raizen has refused to comply with creditor demands to give up majority board seats, or to hold executives responsible for future liabilities. However, it has agreed to establish a "creditors committee" to improve governance oversight. Could not verify the report immediately. Cosan and Raizen did not respond immediately to an?outside of business hours?request for comment. Shell refused to comment. After a period of heavy capital spending, unfavorable climate and wildfires which reduced harvests and cane crushing volumes, Raizen has struggled to manage its debts. It is not clear how long the current discussions will last. (Reporting and editing by Bill Berkrot in Bengaluru)
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Rangers' Josh Jung aims for series victory vs. Athletics
Josh Jung has had a memorable April for the Texas Rangers. They will play the Athletics on Sunday in Arlington, Texas, in the final match of a three-game set. Jung's hot streak continued with a two-run homer that gave him the lead in the sixth inning, a 4-3 win on Saturday. Texas moved one game above.500 with this win and tied the Athletics for first in the 'American -League-West. Jung has batted.371 in April after going 0-for-17 during March. He also has four home runs and 14 RBIs. After Saturday's game, he said that he is still focused on improving his plate approach. Jung said, "I believe I could improve every night." "There are a few at-bats that I would like to have back." The homer was a good one. In this short stretch, I have been able execute. It's a daily battle to be in the game and perform. You have four or five at-bats. How many of them can you win? The Rangers' Kumar Rocker (1-0, 3.48 ERA), will face?J.T. Ginn (0-0, 3.74). Rocker allowed just one run in six innings and retired 13 consecutive batters at one stage during a 5-1 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skip Schumaker, the manager of Texas, said that the five zeros he scored in the first inning was one of the highlights. "To keep us?in the game and then provide the innings afterwards, and just sort of shut down the momentum on their side was a big step for him." In four starts covering 20 2/3 inning, Rocker has a ratio of 19 to 8. Shea Langeliers has a 3-for-6 record against Rocker. Rocker is 0-2 in his career with an 8.18 ERA. Ginn gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings of a Monday no-decision game against the Seattle Mariners. The A's beat the Mariners 6-4. Mark Kotsay, Athletics manager, said: "It was an excellent outing by J.T." "Anytime a young man goes out and gives some (early contact), it's very easy for things to unwind. I was impressed with his finish. "His sinker was very active." Jung has hit two home runs in?eight hits against Ginn. Ginn is?1-1 with a 4.62 ERA over five career starts vs. Texas. The Athletics will be looking to rebound after Saturday's loss despite beating the Rangers by 7-5. Kotsay stated, "We had some fantastic at-bats." Sometimes you have to give credit to the other starter who kept us to three runs and gave them five great innings. We didn't give ourselves any margin for error and we couldn't increase our lead offensively. Athletics first-baseman Nick Kurtz matched a franchise record after drawing a?walk in his 15th consecutive game. Kotsay monitors the condition of designated hitter Brent Rooker. He hasn't played since April 9, due to a right oblique injury, and is close to returning to the lineup. Kotsay stated that Rooker may not require a rehab and could return to the team within the next few weeks. Field Level Media
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Mali's Defence Minister reported dead in major assault
?Mali Defense?Minister Sadio?Camara?was killed by an attack on his residence in the Kati Military Base outside Bamako, France's RFI Radio reported on Sunday. A witness reported that the attacks continued a day later, a few days after a joint attack by an al Qaeda affiliate with Tuareg'rebels', which was one of the most coordinated attacks to have occurred in the country in recent times. Gunfire erupted in a garrison village near Mali’s capital, a source said. Following Saturday's massive attacks, the United Nations has called for an international response to violence and terrorism. The Secretary-General was deeply concerned about reports of attacks across Mali. A U.N. spokeswoman posted on X that he strongly condemned these acts of violence. Al Qaeda and Tuareg rebels claim responsibility for the 'coordinated attacks' around Bamako and in gold-producing lands and?elsewhere in Mali. This is one of the most daring operations the insurgents in their campaign to topple the military-led Government have undertaken. On Sunday, the final tally of deaths and injuries, as well as the fate of the contested city Kidal, that the insurgents claimed to have recaptured in their assault, remained unknown.
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Medical reports say that Israeli strikes have killed at least four Palestinians, including children, in Gaza
Health officials in Gaza Strip said that Israeli military attacks on Gaza Strip killed at least 4?Palestinians on Sunday. According to medics, a?airstrike by Israel's forces near the village of Al-Mughraqa killed one person. Meanwhile, Israeli gunfire and tanks shelling killed another two people near Gaza City. Health officials reported that Israeli forces shot and killed 40-year old woman in Khan Younis?in the southern part of the territory. Israeli'military officials said they were unaware of any attack on their troops in the area at the time the incident was reported on Sunday. Israel's military said it would investigate the other reported attacks. Separately it claimed that it had killed and struck down several Hamas militants since Friday. Israel has continued to attack Palestinians almost every day, despite a ceasefire in October 2025. Local medics claim that at least 800 Palestinians were killed since the ceasefire agreement took effect. Israel, on the other hand, claims militants killed four soldiers during this time. Israel and Hamas have blamed each for ceasefire violations. Gaza's health authorities report that more than 72,500 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza War since it began on?October 20, 2023. Most of them were civilians. According to Israeli figures, Hamas' attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 killed 1,200 people. (Reporting and editing by Helen Popper; Nidal al Mughrabi)
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Medical reports say that Israeli strikes have killed at least four Palestinians, including children, in Gaza
Health officials in the Gaza Strip said that Israeli military strikes killed at least four Palestinians on Sunday. Medical personnel?said that an 'airstrike' carried out by Israel killed a person near Al-Mughraqa village in the center of Gaza City, and Israeli gunfire killed two more near Gaza City. Health officials reported that in a?another incident?Israeli forces shot and killed 40-year-old woman?in Khan Younis?, located south of the territori? The Israeli military confirmed that it is investigating the reported strikes. Separately, the Israeli military said that it had "struck and killed" a number of Hamas militants since Friday. Israel has continued to attack Palestinians almost every day, despite a ceasefire in October 2025. Local medics claim that at least 800 Palestinians were killed since the ceasefire agreement came into effect. Israel, on the other hand, claims militants killed four of their soldiers during this time period. Israel and Hamas blame each other for violations of the ceasefire. Gaza's health authorities report that more than 72,500 Palestinians were killed since the Gaza War began in October 2023. Most of them were civilians. According to Israeli figures, Hamas' attacks on Israel in October 2023 killed 1,200 people. Reporting by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Editing by Helen Popper
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Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick record 57 to take a four-shot lead in Zurich
The English brothers Matt Fitzpatrick, and Alex Fitzpatrick could not have asked for a better Christmas gift. The two golfers began to separate themselves from the rest of the pack by shooting a 15-under-57 tournament record during the third round of 'Zurich Classic of New Orleans' on Saturday in Avondale. Matt Fitzpatrick: "I can only think of one shot that we both made, and it was mine." "Yeah. It was a great?day." The Fitzpatricks' momentum was sparked by Matt Fitzpatrick's eagle at the par-5 7th hole. They maintained this momentum in the four-ball format and carried a four stroke lead into the final day of the TPC Louisiana. The PGA Tour only hosts a team event. Fitzpatrick is 30 under. Davis Thompson/Austin Eckroat (61), and the second-round leaders Alex Smalley/Hayden Springer (62), are at 26 under. At 25 under, the team of Doug Ghim/Jeffrey Kang (61), is next. Fitzpatrick Brothers could be heading for special territory, given that the winning score last year was 28 below from the team of Ben Griffin/Andrew Novak. Matt said about his brother, "He played brilliantly golf both of the last two days." Matt said that his brother's game had really improved in the last few months. I have faith in him to keep up this trend. The Fitzpatricks birdied eight of nine holes in the backside. The Fitzpatricks were without a single bogey, and they had four pars. Each of them scored the highest seven times. Matt Fitzpatrick is the elder brother and has had a great run recently. He won the RBC Heritage last week. Alex: "Playing with my brother, who is also one of the world's best players, is pretty fun." When he plays well, it is pretty cool to see. Fitzpatricks finished 11th at the Zurich Classic 2024, but missed out on the top 10 last year. For the final round, foursomes will be used. Thompson explained that "your mindset has changed from day to day, so Sunday will be different." "Hopefully, we can start off well and put pressure on them." Smalley stated that there will not be a change in strategy. He said, "I think that if we stick to what are doing and just try to give ourselves as much attention as possible," we will be able to do well. "I think it will work out pretty well." The teams that are chasing the?Fitzpatricks' don't want the chase to consume them. Kang stated that at the end of the game, "you have to hit your best shots and try to pick up your partner when you need to." By midday Saturday, seven teams had the lead. Davis Chatfield of the United States and Belgian Adrien Dumont De Chassart were both in contention. After?Dumont de Chassart's eagle at No. The pair's 11th day hole was No. 2, the second of the course. They played the remainder of the round at 1 over par without making another birdie. A.J. from Canada had the day's highest score, which was 61. Ewart and South Africa's Casey Jarvis. This brought them up to 22 below and tied for 10th. Ewart stated that "some would say, it's a bit like ham-and egging." "Kinda working in shifts, not birdieing same holes but making sure that we are setting up our partners to free will it and go for it," Ewart said. Field Level Media
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Macron reiterates his efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as TotalEnergies warns of an energy shortage
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, reiterated his commitment to reopening the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. This comes a day after TotalEnergies's head warned of a global energy shortfall if the Iran swar continued for several months. Speaking at a press conference with Greek Prime Minister KyriakosMitsotakis in Athens, Macron said that geopolitical uncertainties can lead to panic, which in turn could cause shortages. "Our aim is to achieve full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in the next days and weeks in accordance with the international law. This will guarantee freedom of navigation, without tolls, on the Strait of Hormuz. Macron stated that things will gradually return to normal. TotalEnergies' CEO Patrick Pouyanne called for the reopening of the Strait on Friday, which is normally the route through which a fifth (or more) of the world's oil supply flows. The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has slowed down the movement of goods through the strait. Fertilisers and pharmaceuticals are among the items that have been affected. Iran has seized containers and the United States has imposed a blockade in Iranian ports. Pouyanne said at the World Policy Conference outside Paris that if it continues for two or three more months, "we will enter a world where energy is scarce." Asian countries have already experienced this. "You can't have 20% of oil and gas on the planet stranded, and not available without major consequences." More than a dozen countries have said that they would be willing to join a mission led by France to protect shipping along the strait if conditions permitted, even though U.S. president Donald Trump said he did not need help from allies. "We are all in the same boat and I would say that it is not a boat that we chose. Macron said that we are victims of geopolitics, and victims of a war that began several months ago. (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; Additional reporting by Claude Chendjou, Paris)
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US lets Venezuela pay Maduro’s lawyer in drug-trafficking case
Maduro is captured by US forces in Caracas raid in January The charges against him and his spouse include narcoterrorism conspiracies Defense attorneys call restrictions on payment unconstitutional By Luc Cohen A court filing on Friday showed that the United States has agreed to change its sanctions against Venezuela so that the South American nation's government can pay Nicolas Maduro’s defense lawyer. This is a reversal of a restriction which had 'threatened' to derail the drug-trafficking case brought against the former Venezuelan President. Maduro and Cilia Flores were arrested by U.S. Special Forces on 3 January from their Caracas home and brought to New York, where they will face criminal charges, including narcoterrorism conspiracies. The two have pleaded innocent and are being held in Brooklyn jail pending trial. Barry Pollack, Maduro’s lawyer, asked Manhattan’s U.S. district judge Alvin Hellerstein in February to dismiss the case because U.S. sanctions prevented the Venezuelan Government from paying his legal costs. Pollack stated that the prohibition amounted a violation of Maduro’s rights under U.S. Constitution, to choose the counsel he wants. Their lawyers said that neither Maduro nor Flores could afford to hire lawyers on their own and the Venezuelan government was willing to pay for their legal fees. All criminal defendants in America have constitutional rights, regardless of their citizenship. Hellerstein stated in a court hearing on March 26, that he had no intention of dismissing the case but appeared sceptical that the government's decision to block the payments was justified. Kyle Wirshba, the prosecutor, said that the U.S. sanction blocking the payments was based on legitimate foreign policy and national security interests. Wirshba said Hellerstein couldn't order the Treasury Department to modify sanctions, because it is the executive branch that has the responsibility for foreign policy, and not the judiciary. Hellerstein pointed out that since Maduro was ousted, the U.S. has relaxed its sanctions against Venezuela. Since Maduro’s former Vice President Delcy Rodrguez took over Venezuela as interim leader, the relations between Caracas, Venezuela and Washington have improved. "The defendant is present, Flores' is also present. Hellerstein, an appointee by Democratic President Bill Clinton to the judiciary, said that they do not pose a threat to national security. "The right at stake, and paramount to other rights, is that of constitutional counsel." Donald Trump, during his first term as president of the United States, increased sanctions against Venezuela because he believed that Maduro was corrupt and undermining democratic institutions. Washington called Maduro’s 2018'reelection fraudulent. Maduro dismissed these accusations as well as allegations of 'his involvement in drug trafficking', which he said were pretextual justifications of what he described as a U.S. wish to seize the vast oil reserves of South American OPEC country. (Reporting from Luc Cohen in New York, with additional reporting by Rhea Rosa Abraham in Bengaluru. Editing by Nia William)
The closure of Hormuz has divided the fortunes between Middle Eastern oil states
A study found that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent?surge of global oil prices has brought financial windfalls for Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. Other states, however, who lack alternate shipping routes, have suffered?billions of dollar losses. Iran closed the Strait, a route that accounts for a fifth or more of the global oil and gas flows. This was after U.S. airstrikes and Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered a wider conflict. Later, it said that vessels with no U.S. and Israeli connections would be allowed to transit the Strait. Some tankers have managed to cross the narrow waterway. However, energy markets are still experiencing unprecedented disruption. Brent crude international rose 60% in March. This is a record increase for a single month. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has threatened to "rain hell" on Tehran until it agrees to a deal that will allow traffic through the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday's end.
GEOGRAPHY INDICATES OIL FORTUNES
The Middle East oil producers have experienced a different impact on the rise in energy prices.
Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are able to bypass the Strait via ports and pipelines, despite the fact that Iran controls the Strait.
Oil from Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar, on the other hand, has been trapped because these countries do not have alternative routes to international market.
A senior Iranian official responded to Trump's threat by saying that Iran would not open the Strait in a temporary ceasefire. The Iranian government has refused to accept Trump's earlier ultimatums and said it would not be humiliated. Some analysts claim that the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has in some way strengthened Tehran.
Neil Quilliam is an associate fellow with the think tank Chatham House. He said: "Now that Hormuz was closed, it could be closed again.?And that poses a serious threat to global economic growth." "The genie has escaped the bottle." "The genie is out of the bottle."
According to the analysis of export data for March, Iraq's and Kuwait's notional oil export revenue both fell by around three quarters in comparison with last year. Iran's revenue grew by 37%, and Oman's revenue by 26%. Saudi Arabia's revenues from oil increased by 4.3% while those of the UAE decreased by 2.6% due to the lower volumes.
Estimates are based on export data from Kpler, a ship tracking firm, and JODI, where they are available. They then multiply the average Brent price by these volumes and compare them to a year ago. Brent was chosen for its simplicity, despite the fact that many of these crudes were priced using other benchmarks which are currently trading at significant premiums.
SAUDI ARABIA GETS HIGER ROYALTIES & TAXES
Saudi Arabia will see higher oil prices translate into increased taxes and royalties from the state-owned Aramco. Aramco is owned by both the government and sovereign wealth fund. This is especially good news for Saudi Arabia, which has been spending heavily on projects to diversify incomes away from oil. These had led to a budget gap.
Aramco refused to comment on the 'calculations. Reps from the other countries' oil companies or representatives did not immediately respond when asked for comments.
SAUDI PIPELINE BUILT DURING IRAN IRAQ WAR
The 1,200 kilometre (746 mile) East-West pipeline, which was built during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s to bypass Hormuz, is the largest pipeline of the Kingdom.
The new 7 million barrels a day capacity allows it to connect the eastern oilfields with the Red Sea Port of Yanbu.
Aramco exports approximately 5 million bpd, while using about 2 million for domestic use. Shipping data show that Yanbu loadings were near capacity at 4.6 million barrels per day in the week beginning March 23. This was despite the attacks on the hub.
Kpler data and JODI showed that overall Saudi crude exports in March fell by 26% on an annual basis to 4,39 million bpd. Even so, the higher prices boosted the value of these exports by approximately $558 million compared to a year ago. Riyadh preemptively increased exports to their highest level since April 2023 in February, in the event of an attack by the United States on Iran.
Quilliam said that despite the East-West connection, Saudi Arabia was vulnerable to any further attacks by Iran, its allies, or the Houthis against the energy infrastructure of the country in the west, and ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into the Red Sea.
IRAQ HAS 'SUFFICIENTED THE LARGEST DROP
The UAE is shielded to a certain extent by the 1.5-1.8 million barrels per day Habshan-Fujairah Pipeline, which bypasses Strait. In March, its estimated oil exports fell more than $174m year-on-year. Fujairah was the target of a series attacks which led to the suspension of loading.
Iraq had the biggest drop in revenue among Gulf producers - 76%, to $1.73billion. Kuwait was next, with a 73% drop to $864 millions. Iraq's SOMO, the state oil marketing company in Iraq, said on April 2, that oil revenues for March were close to estimates of $2 billion.
Both countries will likely suffer greater declines in April, as cargoes which managed to sail during the early days were a major contributor to their March revenues. Last week, a tanker carrying Iraqi crude oil sailed across the Strait after Iran announced that Iraq would not be subject to restrictions.
Adriana Alvarado is the VP for sovereign ratings at Morningstar DBRS. She said Gulf governments have options to'stabilize their finances. They can either use fiscal savings to do so or issue debt on financial markets.
She added that "apart from Bahrain, Gulf states have sufficient fiscal room to handle the shock with government debt moderately below 45% GDP".
The impact on the long term is not clear. Some Western politicians and oil companies have called for more investment in fossil fuels in order to combat supply shocks. However, some analysts believe that renewable energy is the best way to guard against these supply shocks. Last week, France's TotalEnergies announced a $2.2billion joint venture with Masdar, a UAE-based renewable energy company. This is an early indication of how the oil crisis could accelerate the shift away from oil.
(source: Reuters)