Latest News
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Oil prices rise after renewed US-Iran strikes in Middle East
Oil prices increased on Monday following days of titt-for-tat attacks?by the United States and Iran?in the Middle East, which highlighted the fragility of the interim peace agreement and once again slowed down energy shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures rose 52 cents or 0.672% to $72.51 per barrel at 2313 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate was up 71 cents or 1.03%, trading at $69.94. Brent crude dropped 10.6% last weekend, its third consecutive weekly decline. Crude shipments through the Strait increased last week to the highest level since February, when the U.S. - Israel conflict with Iran began. Traffic has slowed since Thursday after renewed attacks against ships in the Strait, including an oil tanker linked to Qatar, which triggered strikes by the U.S. ANZ analysts wrote in a report that "the?market will likely re-evaluate their assumption of a rapid recovery of oil supplies from the Persian Gulf." Axios reported that Iran and the United States had agreed to stop recent hostilities and resume talks about their dispute over Strait of Hormuz in Qatar, in order to cap oil price gains. ? Could not confirm immediately the report. Aramco, the Saudi oil giant, resumed crude oil loadings at its Ras Tanura Terminal, west of Strait of Hormuz on Friday after they had been halted for almost four months. They joined a rush to move cargoes following a flurry of activity by Middle East producers who increased oil and gas production and exports in anticipation of an interim agreement. ANZ analysts stated that despite the U.S. Iran deal being a 'turning point' for oil markets, physical flow is constrained by damaged infrastructure, tanker backlogs and production shutdowns. It could be another year before the supply reaches pre-conflict level. Even after the crash of a company helicopter on Sunday on the east coast of the Gulf in Ras Tanura, 14 people were killed, loadings at Aramco's Ras Tanura Terminal continued. State news agency reported that the cause of the accident was unknown.
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Russia's Putin acknowledges fuel supply shortages and sets up a task force to ensure supplies
On Sunday, President Vladimir Putin admitted that fuel supply issues had caused shortages in Russian regions. A task force is working to ensure sufficient quantities are provided across the country. Putin said that Russia must minimize the impact of Ukrainian drone attacks on oil installations related to shortages. He was speaking to a group of senior officials who were discussing fuel supply and distribution. He said that a ban on exports of diesel was being considered as a way to guarantee supplies for the agricultural sector. According to Russian news agencies, Putin told the group: "You know that there are still problems for both drivers and businesses." "Unfortunately, the queues at gas stations are still there." He said: "We must reduce to the minimum impact of terrorist attacks against?our infrastructure and civilian targets." Ukraine has intensified its medium- and long-range attacks against industrial targets in Russia and Russian controlled territories within Ukraine, focusing on the oil industry. Putin stated that gasoline reserves are being used, and currently stand at 1.7 millions metric tons. He also said that production in July should be higher than June's. He confirmed that a ban on exporting diesel, which has been under discussion for some time, is being considered. He told the participants that a total ban on diesel fuel exports was being considered. Interfax reported that Alexander Novak, the deputy prime minister of Russia, had said earlier that there was no need to ban diesel exports. Putin stated that a task force was working around the clock to ensure fuel supply. He added that the situation required "systemic actions" that matched the current challenges in order to maintain a reasonable price and increase the supply. He said that supplying agriculture was of particular importance. Putin stated that "we must make every effort to maintain all seasonal fuel schedules for agroindustrial enterprises because the harvest is dependent on this."
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France records 1,000 excess deaths during record-breaking heatwave
The public health agency announced on Sunday that France had recorded 1,000 "excess" deaths due to the heatwave sweeping Europe. It warned, however, that the true number was likely higher. Sante Publique, which has compiled a preliminary list of deaths, said that the majority of deaths involved elderly people. It also predicted that the mortality rate would rise as more information becomes available on deaths in residential care and homes. Europeans are suffering through a scorching heatwave, which has been linked to at least dozens of deaths. The heatwave has also caused power disruptions and damaged infrastructure. Scientists said that the heatwave which began on?June 20 was the?worst recorded in Europe where climate change is faster than global average. FRANCE EXTREME HEAT EASES Heatwaves are moving east. While France's weather agency reported that the extreme heat had decreased in most areas of the country some areas in northeast still had a heatwave warning. Stephanie Rist, Health Minister, told La 'Tribune that the effects of the heatwave may linger as long as 10 days after it has subsided. She told BFM that the episode was not over. Sante Publique reported that the majority of deaths were among people 65 and older. However, the heat's effects affected the entire population. (Reporting and editing by Helen Popper; Makini Brice)
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Thai family grieves for teen girl who was found dead in a suitcase by an Australian
A 17-year old Thai girl's?body? was found in an unlocked suitcase in Pattaya. Her family said that they were devastated. An?Australian? man has since been arrested and charged with murder. Thai police said they arrested a 40-year-old Australian at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport early Saturday morning in connection with the murder in Pattaya. Pattaya is located about 150km (93miles) east of Bangkok. Simon Peter Carman is the suspect. He faces charges for murder, concealment of a corpse, moving or destroying one, and stealing a minor to use sexually. Thai police reviewed CCTV footage showing Carman entering the condominium with a?girl and then leaving hours later alone carrying a suitcase. Police posted a message on their official Facebook page saying that he had loaded the suitcase onto his motorcycle and ridden to a grassy area near an old railway line. Carman was arrested at the airport by police after they issued an arrest warrant. Carman sent a message to his victim's family in the investigation room of the police station before being transferred to Pattaya Provincial Court. I?feel sorry for what happened to her. He said, "It was beyond my control." Thongchai Dohomla, 46, the victim's father said that he is struggling to accept his loss. "I'm deeply saddened. "My daughter was raised by a single mother. She would always find a solution for herself and she helped me as well," he said. Her stepmother, 'Oradee Bussarakum', said that she wanted to see the suspect punished harshly. "I told police that I wanted him executed. "I don't know what else to say as a (step-)mother... I just want him face the full consequence," she said. The police have not stated when Carman is scheduled to appear in court for the first time.
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Ukraine strikes two Russian oil refineries in the early hours
Ukraine has hit two Russian oil refineries overnight in the regions of Krasnodar & Yaroslavl, said President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 'on Sunday. Kyiv is increasing pressure on Russia fuel supply by using its drone fleet. Fuel shortages have been caused by Kyiv's increasing frequency of drone attacks in Russia, which is one of the world's largest oil producers. Queues and rationing are seen at petrol stations. Zelenskiy posted on social media that "we continue our operations to weaken Russia's?ability to wage this war", adding that the refineries are?about 300km and 700km (190 miles and 430miles) from Ukrainian territory. Veniamin Kodratiev, the Krasnodar Region Governor, said in a Telegram statement that an fire broke out at a refinery in Slavyansk na Kubani. One person was killed and another was injured in a village nearby. Unverified social media footage showed a large fire at the refinery. Slavyansk is a private refinery with a daily capacity of approximately 100,000 barrels. It provides fuel for both domestic use and export. The governor of Yaroslavl, east of Moscow, said that the area had been?drone attacked and that there had been?temporary restrictions on movement along some roads leading to the Russian capital. Max Hunder in Moscow and Andrew Heavens, Editors.
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Heatwave Watch: Smart tech keeps Rome's elderly safe
Dina Gazzella is an 85-year old Roman widow who has no company in her home after losing her husband and cat. She is not alone, thanks to the smart technology. A team of social workers keeps tabs on her remotely through an electronic wristband that monitors heart rate and sleep patterns, as well as allowing her to call for assistance in an emergency. The device is part a EUR400 million ($456 millions) scheme of support for the elderly that was introduced by Rome's municipal with EU post COVID funding last year, and currently covers around 700 people. Local authorities hail the device as an important health prevention tool. This is especially true in the middle of a deadly heatwave that has been raging in Europe. Rome's temperatures have reached the upper 30s. Piera Pomente, clinical psychologist, said that the bracelet was crucial for older people in hot weather, because their blood pressure falls, and their heart rate is lower than normal. They really suffer. The black plastic bracelet is worn as a watch and has motion sensors to detect falls. It also tracks Gazzella’s movements inside and outside of her home in the eastern suburbs of the Italian capital. Gazzella said, "If I'm feeling unwell, it is a lifesaver." PEACE OF MIND The octogenarian was a sprightly old lady as she pottered around her apartment, preparing coffee, showing photos of her grandchildren and talking about the visit to an World War Two bunker that a community group had made with her on the previous day. She said that the bracelet brought her peace of mind. They convinced me to get it because they said it was essential, because if anything happens, or if I fell, no one would pick me up. Instead, this one beeps and someone will come. The psychologist Pomente runs a support desk at the local pharmacy where she and her colleagues process the applications for joining the bracelet scheme and monitor the subscribers' data on a computer. Some people are concerned about privacy and have a reservation regarding the bracelet. Pomente stated that only 45 of the 70 people who originally?joined in at the pharmacy have remained, and she hopes to?win them back. She said, "It is not as if we are spying on them with cameras inside their homes." Her team is available from Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 7 pm, and on weekends and nights, notifications are sent to family members via an app. Pomente has experienced two emergency situations in the last year. One man fell on the street, and the other slipped from his wheelchair. Both were solved by alerting family members who came to help. On normal days, it is mainly about chitchat. Social workers from the municipality call every day to check on people, whether they have taken their medicine, if the heat is too much, or if they just want a friendly listen if they're bored or lonely. Pomente explained that the goal was to help people share their feelings, their day and their excessive heat.
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On both sides of the Russia-Ukraine Border, drone and artillery strikes kill civilians
Local officials reported that drones and artillery killed civilians on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine frontier Saturday. Yegor Kvalchuk, acting governor of the region, said that a Ukrainian drone struck killed two people who were in a car near the border in the Russian border area of Bryansk. Russian news agencies reported that the Russian Defence Ministry said that 124 Ukrainian drones were 'downed' over Russian regions between 8 am and 8 pm (0500-17:00 GMT). Sergei Sobyanin, the Moscow mayor, made a 'long series' of statements regarding Ukrainian drones headed for the capital. The informal count kept by Russian media agencies puts the number of drones at 24 for the day. Oleksandr Gánsha, governor of Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Region said that a total of over 40 drone attacks and?artillery fired had killed and injured a person?near Nikopol. The town, located on the other side of the Dnipro River, from the Russian-held nuclear power plant in?Zaporizhzhia, is a?frequent Russian target. Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-appointed leader of Russian-held regions in Ukraine's Donetsk Region, announced on Telegram that two people had been?killed by Ukrainian drone attacks in the major towns Horlivka and Makiivka. Reporting by Ron Popeski, Editing by Rod Nickel and Alistair Bell
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On both sides of the Russia-Ukraine Border, drone and artillery strikes kill civilians
Local officials reported that drones and artillery?killed civilians on both sides of the russia-ukraine border?on Saturday. According to the acting governor of the 'Russian border region' of Bryansk, two Ukrainians were killed in their car by a drone strike in a nearby village, according to a Telegram post from the region. According to a report by Russian news agencies, the Russian Defence Ministry said that 124 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian regions between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm (0500-17:00 GMT). Sergei Sobyanin, the Moscow mayor, made a series of long-winded statements regarding Ukrainian drones intercepted on their way to the capital. A Russian news agency's informal count put the number of drones intercepted at 21 for the day. Oleksandr?Ganzha, the Governor of the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Region in Ukraine, stated that a combined total of more 40 drone strikes and artillery fire had killed and injured a person near Nikopol. This town is often a Russian target. It lies on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is held by Russia. (Reporting and editing by Rod Nickel.)
Local officials confirm that five people were killed in Ukraine by Russians.
Officials in the region said that Russian attacks on Sunday killed at least four people.
Ivan Fedorov, Regional Governor of the region, said that two people were killed and 16 injured in strikes?on Zaporizhzhia's south-eastern city. The governor posted pictures online showing a burning building and a neighborhood in ruins.
Oleh Sniehubov, regional governor of Kharkiv's northeastern border region, said that a missile attack?on Zmiiv killed one person and injured eight others, including two young children.
In the Kharkiv Region, police also reported that an officer was killed while he was trying organize?the evacuation residents of another community further north. The'regional governor' of the Sumy region - also near the Russian border - said that an elderly woman had been killed in the area close to the border during the day.
I was unable to independently verify the accounts of either side. Both Russia and Ukraine deny that they deliberately targeted civilians during the conflict, which has lasted for more than four years. (Reporting and editing by Chris Reese, Sanjeev Miglani and Bogdan Kochubey)
(source: Reuters)