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Brazil's robusta coffee producers push for quality despite rising prices and climate concerns
In the midst of the bustle and noise in a posh coffee shop located on Sao Paulo’s Oscar Freire Avenue a barista prepares an unusual espresso. The shot is extra creamy with a cocoa nib aroma, but lacks the acidity that distinguishes coffees made from arabica beans. This premium espresso is 100% robusta, a bean that has been criticized in the coffee industry as a cheap filler more suited to instant coffee. Marco Kerkmeester said that the coffee has a lot more chocolatey notes and makes a great crema. He also noted the appeal of a variety cheekily labelled "0% Arabica." Changes on the Farm Brazilian robusta producers are investing in the harvesting and drying of robusta beans to meet the demands of the most demanding customers. Brazil is the second largest robusta producer in the world after Vietnam, and also top arabica grower. A 2022 study revealed that due to drought and higher temperatures, more than three-quarters of Brazil’s best land suitable for growing arabica could be unsuitable for coffee by 2050. Premium robusta beans are a great way to reduce the cost of espresso blends by using arabica, which is more expensive. Lucas Venturim is a coffee grower from Espirito Santo, some 500 miles away, who grew the beans that went into the espresso at Oscar Freire. "He never accepted the notion that robusta is bad because it's robusta." The Specialty Coffee Association, which is responsible for setting global standards in specialty coffee, has revised its course this year to make it more appealing to those who would like to grade arabica or robusta beans. Anyone trained to evaluate top-notch coffee can now accurately describe and award deserving brews regardless of species or bean type. Kim Ionescu is the chief strategy officer at SCA. She cited the growing demand for robusta coffee in Southeast Asia as an example. It seems that species should not be used to determine whether a coffee is a specialty or not. SCA plans to update the vocabulary of descriptors for coffee flavor in 2026 to include characteristics associated with robusta such as aromatic spices. Coffee shops in London and Berlin showcase the finer qualities of robusta. Brands such as Nguyen Coffee Supply have already made a name for themselves in the U.S. Fires out, dryers in Espirito Santo is home to the majority of Brazil's robusta, and has begun a transformation that puts quality above all else. According to a presentation from the state agriculture secretary, which was seen by us, the state wants to produce 1.5 millions 60-kg bags each year of robusta specialty by 2032. This is up from just 10,000 today. According to Jose Roberto Goncalves of Brazil's largest robusta cooperative, Cooabriel, this is about a 10th of the current state output. To achieve that, the best post-harvest techniques, now used by arabica producers in Brazil, must be adopted more widely. Cooabriel participated in trade shows for specialty coffee around the globe. Goncalves explained that Cooabriel teaches farmers how to use modern dryers, and sort the beans carefully, instead of drying them with fire. Experts from the state-funded research agency Incaper, and the federal university IFES have reported a rise in farmers who want to certify their robusta beans as a higher-priced special grade. Douglas Gonzaga de Sousa is the coordinator of the Center for Specialty Coffees of Espirita Santo. More arabica farmers are now experimenting with robusta due to its growing popularity in Brazil and historically high yields when compared to arabica. Michel Tesch is Espirito Santo’s Undersecretary for Rural Development. He said that the traffic was largely in one direction. He said, "We do not have people who leave robusta to make arabica." Cooabriel will expand its robusta nursery to Espirito Santo, increasing production from the current 2 million saplings annually to around 10 millions. Prices are rising. Marcio Ferreira is the director of national coffee exporter Cecafe. He said that the rising quality of Brazilian Robusta has led to higher prices and a stronger demand. Cecafe's data shows that the average price of Brazilian specialty robusta per bag has risen to $295 for a 60-kilogram bag, which is more than twice the price in 2021. The price of Brazilian robusta has risen by more than 80% to $4,370 per ton since 2021, according to Cecafe data. Ferreira added that as roasters reduce the arabica content in espresso blends, they are openly highlighting the robusta characteristics. Jordan Hooper is the head of green coffee trade at Sucafina. He said that the original idea behind specialty robusta was "to compete with specialty Arabicica." "Now, it's more like: robusta is interesting by itself." Natalia Ramos Braga said that Brazil was a hotbed of these tastes. She said that people, particularly in Brazil, prefer coffees with a richer mouthfeel, and a bitterer finish. If someone wants more bitterness or a bigger body, robusta is the coffee for them. Reporting by Oliver Griffin, Alexandre Meneghini and Rod Nickel.
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Australian authorities urge thousands of people to flee bushfires in New South Wales
Wildfires in Australia’s New South Wales burned through thousands of acres of bushland Saturday, prompting authorities to urge the evacuation of thousands of residents. The alert was issued for the Phegans Bay/Woy Woy region in the central coast of the state, which has a population exceeding 350,000. This area is located about 45 km (about 30 miles) north-east of Sydney, the capital of the state and Australia's biggest city. The Australian Broadcasting Corp reports that 16 homes have been destroyed by bushfires in the region. On its website, the Rural Fire Service of the State said: "Leave if you can safely proceed to Woy Woy." The Bureau of Meteorology reported that a heatwave in New South Wales on Saturday, with temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius, increased the fire risk. In a recent statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged people to "take care of each other" and heed the advice of authorities. Authorities reported that more than 50 bushfires had been burning in the state as of late Saturday night. This included a fire in the Upper Hunter region, which was also rated at the highest level of emergency, and had burned through nearly 10,000 hectares. After several seasons of relative calm, authorities have warned that this summer in Australia will be a season with heightened bushfire risk. The "Black Summer" of 2019-2020 fires destroyed an area as large as Turkey and killed over 33 people. (Reporting and editing by William Mallard in Sydney, Sam McKeith from Sydney)
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San Diego pays $30 million to the family of a teenager killed by police
According to U.S. news reports, the city of San Diego agreed to pay $30m to the family a 16 year old boy who was shot dead by a police officer while he was fleeing from another teenager who opened fire on him. San Diego Union-Tribune, New York Times and other media outlets reported that the settlement reached by the Californian city is one of the biggest in a civil case for wrongful death arising from an act of US law enforcement. The amount received by the family for Konoa, who was killed in the early hours of the morning of 28th January, is more than the $27 million paid out in 2021 to the family for George Floyd, whose death in the hands of Minneapolis policemen in the summer of 2020 sparked nationwide protests in support of racial equality. The Floyd settlement at that time was thought to be one of the largest in its type. According to the Union-Tribune, Nicholas Rowley is an attorney representing Wilson's family. "It is really noble. ... There was an officer trying to keep the public safe. It was an error." Rowley and the San Diego City Attorney's Office did not respond to requests for comment. According to reports, the payment will be made by the city as well as Officer Daniel Gold II who shot Wilson. The city stated that the settlement was not an admission of responsibility by anyone and was only a business decision. The Union-Tribune reported that Gold, who was on the force for only two years when the shooting occurred, has continued to work in the department as an administrator. According to The Times, Rowley warned in his legal brief that he would seek $100 million damages if this case went to court. As seen on video, the incident in January began when a teenager pulled out a gun to fire at Wilson as he ran from a train platform. The body camera worn by Gold as he ran toward the gunshots captured the moment he met Wilson, the fleeing teen, when he emerged from the corridor. Wilson is seen screaming in pain as he runs past the officer. Gold then shoots him without warning, from behind. After the shooting, officers tending to Wilson are seen discovering a concealed handgun in his clothing. A short time later, the youth passed away at a local hospital. The Times and Union-Tribune reported that the City Council, who tentatively approved this settlement in September was expected to vote Tuesday to authorize the payment. Reporting by Steve Gorman, Los Angeles; Editing and proofreading by William Mallard
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US court rules that Trump can remove Democrats on two federal labor boards
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled on Friday that President Donald Trump has the authority to dismiss Democratic members from two federal labor boards. This is a significant victory in the Republican president’s attempt to rein in agencies intended to be independent. In a 2-1 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that federal laws allowing removal of members of the National Labor Relations Board or Merit Systems Protection Board only on grounds of misconduct violated the U.S. Constitution. Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas wrote in a court opinion that because these agencies have significant executive powers, they should answer to the president. Another Trump appointee was Circuit Judge Justin Walker. In a dissenting view, Circuit Judge Florence Pan said that Congress wanted to protect the boards from political interference by making them independent of the White House. This was done for about 30 other agencies. Pan, a former Democratic President Joe Biden appointee, wrote: "Under the reasoning of my colleagues, it would appear that no independent agencies can exist legally in this country." The D.C. The D.C. In May, the Supreme Court temporarily suspended lower court rulings. Requests for comments were not immediately responded to by the White House or Wilcox and Harris' lawyers. The NLRB is responsible for hearing private-sector labor issues, while the merit board hears appeals from federal employees who were disciplined or terminated. The merit board, which is often the only legal remedy for federal employees, could play a crucial role in Trump's purge of the federal workforce. Both agencies have members appointed by the President, but federal law allows them to be dismissed only for cause, such as inefficiency, negligence of duty, or malfeasance. Trump removed Harris and Wilcox from both agencies in January without any cause, marking the first time that a president has fired a member. He removed other officials, who normally would keep their jobs under a new administration. These include members of other boards as well as inspectors general that monitor individual agencies to check for corruption and waste. On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether Trump has the authority to fire a Federal Trade Commission member. Its decision could establish an important precedent for the president's power to remove members of a variety of federal agencies. In a 1935 decision, the Supreme Court upheld protections against removal for FTC employees. Harris and Wilcox argued that this ruling also applied to their case. The D.C. Circuit disagreed on Friday, saying that the labor boards were structured differently and had more power than the trade commission. Both labor boards were paralyzed by the removal of Harris and Wilcox, who had already vacated their seats. They lacked enough members to make individual decisions. In October, the U.S. Senate confirmed a Trump nominee for the merit board. This restored a quorum to two members. Two nominees are awaiting votes on NLRB seats. Legal experts are closely watching the issue, as removing protections could allow Trump to have more direct control of regulation in areas such as trade, energy and antitrust enforcement. Reporting by Daniel Wiessner, Albany, New York. Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi. Matthew Lewis. Peter Graff.
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Bolsonaro’s son, a senator, touts his father's support for 2026 Brazil Presidential run
Flavio Bolsonaro announced on Friday that former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has backed his bid for the presidency next year. This angered markets who had placed bets on a more experienced candidate who would consolidate support among the right. The senator posted on social media about his father choosing him to "carry on our project for nation." Valdemar Costa neto, the leader of Bolsonaro’s right-wing Liberal Party (PLR), confirmed in a press release that Bolsonaro’s eldest child, currently serving time for an unsuccessful coup plot, was the party’s presidential candidate. Brazilian markets were shaken by the news on Friday. The country's currency fell as much as 3 percent against the U.S. Dollar, and the benchmark index Bovespa was down as much as 4 percent. DIVIDIONS TO THE RIGHT Investors had bet that Bolsonaro would back a name more market-friendly with executive experience such as former Sao Paulo Minister Tarcisio de Freitas to take on Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, the leftist president, next year. Andre Perfeito is an economist with Garantia Capital. He said that if the former president's decision were confirmed, it could "implode", ties between his right-wing political movement and other more centrist parties. In a client note, he said that the market had bet on Tarcisio's ability to create these alliances and pave a path to victory for the right in the year 2026. "Now, we must evaluate whether Flavio will be able to reunite this broad political support." The Bolsonaro family has the most well-established politician in Brasilia thanks to the ex-president’s Friday endorsement. Flavio Bolsonaro (44), was elected to Senate during the 2018 general elections, in which his father rode the right-wing groundswell and anti-establishment feeling to the presidency. The senator was previously a state legislator in Rio de Janeiro. In 2016, he ran unsuccessfully for Rio Mayor, attracting 14% votes in the first-round. 'FULL SUPPORT' Carlos Bolsonaro (42), a Rio City Councilman for more than two decades, played an important role in his father’s life. digital media strategy But hasn't run for a higher office. The younger brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro (41), a federal legislator, is On trial for Courting Interference After moving to the United States, he filed a Supreme Court case on behalf of his father. "Flavio is a leader who unites the base and engages in a good political dialogue. I fully support him." "He has all the qualifications for this race," said the Brazilian congressman. Michelle Bolsonaro (43), the third wife of the former president, has so far The speculation has been tamed She could run for her first public office in the next year. Former President has been banned from running for office in Brazil since June 2023 after the Brazilian federal electoral court condemned conduct of his during 2022 elections. He was sentenced in September to 27 years, three months of prison for plotting to stage a coup following Lula's victory at the presidential elections 2022. CNN Brasil reported first, citing anonymous sources, that the leader of the right-wing party offered his son's support during a trip to the federal police office in Brasilia, where he was serving his sentence. Reporting by Lisandra paraguassu, in Brasilia, and Luciana magalhaes, in Sao Paulo. Additional reporting by Fernando Cardoso in Sao Paulo, Fabricio De Castro, and Andre Romani, in Sao Paulo. Editing by Brad Haynes and Diane Craft.
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Constellation signs agreement with US Department of Justice to acquire Calpine
Constellation Energy, a U.S.-based power company, announced on Friday that it had reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the conditions necessary to complete the previously disclosed $16.4 billion purchase of Calpine Corporation. Calpine must also divest four of its generating assets located in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the deal. The deal announced in January is one of the largest acquisitions in the U.S. Power Industry. It comes at a period of increasing electricity demand driven by the proliferation and energy-hungry AI Data Centers and the electrification and transportation of buildings and vehicles. Constellation received regulatory approval in July from FERC, following approvals earlier by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the New York Public Service Commission for the acquisition. Constellation has agreed to divest its three natural gas-fired plants, including the York 2 plant near Philadelphia, the Jack Fusco Energy Center in Houston, Texas and a minority interest in the Gregory Power Plant in Corpus Christi. In a statement, the DOJ stated that the divestitures were made to address concerns about the acquisition harming competition and increasing prices for consumers on the Electric Reliability of Texas grid and PJM interconnection grid. (Reporting and editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri in Bengaluru. Pranav Mathur is based in Bengaluru.
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Silver reaches record highs on Fed rate cuts optimism
The gold price rose on Friday, as expectations of a rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve next week boosted sentiment. Silver also reached a new record high. At 1:36 pm, spot gold was up by 1% at $4,212.16 an ounce. ET (1836 GMT), however, was on course for a weekly loss of 0.4%. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery settled unchanged at $4.243 per ounce. Bart Melek is the global head of commodity strategies at TD Securities. He said that "the market is increasingly confident the central bank will cut (rates)." In response, the U.S. currency has weakened a bit, which is a positive for gold. The U.S. Economic data revealed that the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCEPI) rose by 0.3% in September. This is a slowdown from the 2.9% annual increase in August. Last month, private payroll data revealed the largest decline in more than two and a half years. The Fed's dovish comments have further fuelled expectations of monetary ease. CME's FedWatch indicates that there is an 87.2% chance of a rate cut of 25 basis points at the Fed meeting on December 9-10. Alex Ebkarian said that gold is expected to trade between $4200 and $4500 this year and between $4500 and $5,000 in the future, depending on Fed decisions. In India and China, the physical gold demand has slowed this week while buyers await a correction of spot prices. Silver increased 2.6%, to $58.59 per ounce. This is up 4% on the week after reaching a record high of $59.32. Melek stated that "silver is following the path of gold, and many investors believe that silver is still quite cheap relative to gold," citing structural deficits as well as a rising demand for electricty. The white metal is up 98% this year due to supply shortages and its inclusion on the U.S. Critical Minerals List. Palladium rose 0.3%, to $1,453.39. Platinum remained at $1,646.10. Anmol Choubey in Bengaluru and Anushree Mukerjee reporting. Leroy Leo and Mark Potter edited by Vijay Kishore.
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Six EU member states press EU to relax 2035 ban on cars with internal combustion engines
Six European Union nations have asked the European Commission on Friday to soften an effective ban on sales of internal combustion engines cars scheduled for 2035, ahead of the release next week of a new package of auto legislation. A joint letter, seen by on Friday, showed that the countries had asked the EU Commission for permission to sell hybrid cars and vehicles powered by existing or future technologies, "that could help to reduce emissions" after 2035. The letter was signed the Prime Ministers of Bulgaria (the Czech Republic), Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Slovakia. The plan should also include low-carbon and sustainable fuels in order to reduce carbon emissions from transport. The European Commission will present a package to support European automakers. This includes a relaxation of the ban on internal combustion engine use from 2035. The package was due to be released on December 10, but it could be postponed. EU countries have been working to adopt a rule that will require all new cars manufactured after 2035 to emit zero emissions by March 2023. Now having Second Thoughts . The outlook for battery-electric vehicles was initially positive. However, carmakers have since been confronted by a reality of lower than expected demand and fierce competition coming from China. In their letter, the Prime Ministers stated that "We must and can pursue our climate goals in a way that is effective while not destroying our competitiveness. There is nothing green about an industrial desert." (Reporting and writing by Inti Lauro; editing by Philip Blenkinsop, Louise Rasmussen)
Constellium CEO: EU faces slow demise of aluminum industry if carbon taxes are not abolished
Constellium's CEO said that the European Union should abandon a carbon border tax, which could push its aluminium industry into a long-term decline. The tax would increase costs and favor more polluting foreign suppliers. Carbon Border Adjustment, a mechanism that will begin imposing a tax on imports for a few commodities in January, was designed to protect European producers from cheaper competitors in countries with laxer climate laws.
Industry representatives, however, see the system as flawed and are hopeful that the final EU adjustments to the Mechanism, which will be announced this month, address their concerns. Jean-Marc Germain is the CEO of Constellium in Paris, one of the largest suppliers of aluminum products to the aviation, automotive and packaging industries.
The competitiveness of Europe is at the core of this issue. "We are shooting ourselves in our own foot," he said. In November, the manufacturing sector in the Eurozone slipped into contraction.
Constellium mainly buys European Aluminium, which is exempt from the CBAM tax, to process in its factories. The upcoming tax, coupled with worries about supply from Iceland and Mozambique, has nevertheless pushed European premiums on physical metals to a 10-month-high.
Germain warned that cost inflation will be "death in a thousand cuts" to Constellium industrial customers across Europe.
The scheme has loopholes that allow overseas suppliers to avoid CBAM through the shipment of scrap or by sending low-carbon aluminum to Europe while continuing production of high-carbon metal in other regions. "It does nothing for the environment," Germain said.
He said that the impact of CBAM will not be immediately felt, but it could lead to companies investing elsewhere and closing European capacity. It's not something that you can turn off the lights all at once. It will be a slow decline.
(source: Reuters)