Latest News
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Comoros suspends fuel price hikes after deadly protests
By Abdou Moustoifa MORONI, 16 MAY - Comoros has announced the suspension of the new fuel prices that were introduced as a response to the Iran War. The reversal comes after the price hikes led to protests and deadly clashes in the East African Archipelago. An announcement was made after protesters and security forces clashed on Anjouan island, resulting in the death of one person and the injury of five others. "The Comorian people's cries were heard by the government and Azali Assoumani (Assoumani). Listening to them was the only solution. At a press conference, Energy Minister Aboubacar?Said Anli stated that the goal was to maintain peace. Azali said that he suspended the decrees relating to the fuel price increase, which he said were "introduced" on May 9 to allow for discussions on the matter. On?Friday, clashes broke out following a meeting held between the mayor of Mirontsy on the island of Anjoua and the association of fishermen who have been on strike against the rising fuel price since Wednesday. In Mutsamudu - the capital of Anjouan - roads were also blocked by stones. The circumstances surrounding the death of the victim, who occurred near Mpage, are now being investigated by a judicial investigation. The unrest was a result of a wider strike that began Monday, after the government increased 'diesel prices' by 46% and gasoline by 35%. It cited the global oil prices surge caused by 'the war in the Middle East. According to the National Human Rights Commission, 39 people were detained after transport workers and shopkeepers paralyzed public transportation in Moroni's capital. The head of the merchants union and the?president? of the transport workers?union announced that the strike ended on Saturday.
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Tunisians protest Saied's arrests over economic strain
On Saturday, hundreds of Tunisians demonstrated in the capital Tunis against President Kais Saied. They accused him of undermining freedoms and preside over an escalating 'economic & social crisis. The protest was under the slogan "People are hungry and jails are full". Demonstrators demanded an end to the one-man rule, and displayed banners that denounced?arrests made of journalists, politicians and civil society figures amid fears?of a wider crackdown on dissent. The protesters used the police and the judiciary to silence their critics. They also said that Saied had failed to address the economic crisis. Tunisia faces a'severe economic strain', with a sluggish economy, high prices, shortages in food and medicine, financial pressures and deteriorating services. Saied, the man who disbanded parliament and started ruling by decree in the year 2022, is facing mounting criticism from rights groups for what they claim to be the destruction of the post-2011 democratic system. Saied denies these accusations and says that his "measures" are necessary to save the country from chaos. The bar association is calling for strikes over the erosion of judicial autonomy in the coming days, and the journalists' union will protest against restrictions on press freedom as well as journalists being jailed. Authorities claim they enforce the law, and deny accusations of political repression. Reporting by Tarek Amara. Mark Potter edited the story.
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China claims that the Trump visit is a 'preliminary deal'
China's 'commerce ministry' described the tariff, aircraft and agricultural deals as "preliminary". This was in response to Donald Trump's visit this week. Trump left Beijing Friday, after two days of talks between President Xi Jinping and Trump that were filled with pageantry and warm words but with limited details on tangible outcomes in trade and investment. The ministry announced on its website that the two parties had agreed to create an investment board and?a trade panel to negotiate reciprocal tariff reductions on specific products, as well as larger cuts on unspecified goods, including agricultural products. Beijing also said that both sides will work together to resolve issues of non-tariff tariff barriers and market access. "FINALISED?AS SOON as possible" The ministry stated that the U.S. will "actively promote" the resolution of China's longstanding concerns about?the automatic removal of aquatic products from China, the export of bonsai plants in growing media to America, and the recognition of Shandong Province as a region free of avian flu. The Chinese side also pledged to actively resolve U.S. concerns about the registration of beef plants and poultry meat exports from certain U.S. States to China. The ministry didn't identify any companies, or give details about volumes, values or timelines. China released its first public statement on Saturday, describing the results of trade talks held this week in Beijing & Seoul. This comes amid concerns about what Trump's 'first state visit' to China has achieved. Trump said that China had?agreed' to buy 200 Boeing planes, but analysts questioned this lack of timeline. The Commerce Ministry confirmed "arrangements" on "Chinese aircraft purchases from the United States" and U.S. assurances regarding the'supply of aircraft parts and engines to China", but did not elaborate. The statement said that discussions were ongoing and the agreement would "finalised as quickly as possible". Reporting by Eduardo Baptista. Mark Potter (Editing by Mark Potter).
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In Thailand, a freight train collision with a bus has resulted in at least eight deaths and 32 injuries
Rescue officials and the deputy transport minister reported that at least eight people died and 32 others were injured after a train struck a bus in Bangkok and ignited a fire. Officials said that firefighters and rescue crews responded to the incident as fires consumed the bus and vehicles nearby near the Airport Rail Link station in Makkasan. They added that the crash involved motorcycles and cars. According to preliminary reports, the bus was stopped "on the tracks" at a red signal, which prevented the crossing barriers from closing. Deputy Transport Minister,?Siripong, Angkasakulkiat, told reporters that the preliminary reports indicated the bus had been parked?on the track?, and therefore, prevented the crossing barriers from being closed. He added that the train, which was carrying containers, could not stop in time to prevent colliding with?the bus. Eight people died and 32 were injured. The wounded are being treated at various hospitals. "All eight of the dead were on that bus," he stated. Social media videos showed the train dragging several vehicles and the bus along the tracks. The bus was stuck in a red-light situation, and so couldn't move. Wanthong Kokpho said that cars were also "blocked" and could not move forward. The fire broke out immediately. The damage would have been worse if this was a normal workday. Officials said that rescue teams pulled injured victims out of the wreckage while fire crews battled with water hoses. They said that the fire had been brought under control and that crews were cooling down the area and venting gas while continuing to search for survivors. Authorities are investigating what caused the incident. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Thailand's roads are among the deadliest in the world due to a lack of enforcement of safety standards. Reporting by Orathai Shriring, Panarat Thepgumpanat, and Tananchai K. Keawsowattana. Editing by Louise Heavens & Joe Bavier
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One dead in Comoros as clashes erupt over rising fuel prices
By Abdou Moustoifa MORONI, 16 May - Five people were injured and one person killed in clashes between protesters on the comorian island of Anjouan and security forces, as unrest over fuel price increases spreads throughout the archipelago. The prosecutor stated in a Saturday statement that the Public Prosecutor's Office of Mutsamudu informed the public about a tragic incident which occurred in Anjouan in the Mpage region, and resulted in the death of a person, as well as five other injuries. After a meeting with the mayor of Mirontsy, and the 'fishermen association' which had been on strike since Wednesday in protest at rising fuel prices, there were clashes. In Mutsamudu (the capital of Anjouan), roads were blocked by stones. A judicial investigation was opened to determine what caused the death. The unrest is a result of a wider strike that began on Monday, after the government increased gasoline and diesel prices by 46% each. Citing the "Middle East" conflict as the reason for the increase. The strike by transport workers and shopkeepers has paralysed the public transportation system in Moroni. According to the National Human?Rights?Commission,?39 people were detained since the beginning of the strike. In an effort to reduce tensions, the government announced "cuts" to official travel and a reduction of 40% in customs fees. (Reporting and editing by Abdou Moostifa)
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The rising cost of diesel fuel from the Iran war is straining US school budgets
The rising cost of diesel since the onset of 'the Iran war' is draining budgets already stretched by U.S. schools districts. It makes it expensive to transport students and run generators. Schools from Yakima Washington to Waco Texas are using emergency funds reserves to keep buses running. Interviews reveal that officials in remote Alaska are scrambling to secure enough fuel to run the lights. Trevor Greene, Superintendent of Yakima said: "It is more than a straw on a camel's...back. It's like a big haystack." The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has had many knock-on effects, including the disruption of around one-fifth of world oil supplies. Fuel prices have risen at the fastest rate ever since the beginning of the war in late February. This spike has impacted economies all over the world. The spike has been so painful in the U.S. that it is a liability for Donald Trump in November's midterm elections, when the Republican Party is trying to hold onto a slim majority in the U.S. Congress. According to the American School Bus Council, U.S. bus operators consume more than 800 millions gallons of diesel per year. According to a new analysis by Samsara, a fleet management software provider, the cost to operate school buses in the United States has increased 67% since December. This is equivalent to an annual increase of $1.8 billion. James Rowan is the executive director of Association of School Business Officials International. He said that while districts can budget for higher costs in advance, the rapid swings in price make it difficult to do so accurately. "Even districts who have been able absorb costs through temporary measures or reserves this year may not have the same flexibility in the future." A survey of 188 U.S. School Districts, commissioned by AASA, and conducted in the week of May 4, revealed that close to a third are taking money from other funds to pay for their higher fuel costs. According to the survey results, school officials are looking for ways to cut costs. They consolidate bus routes, enforce anti-idling, change fuel buying practices, delay maintenance, and reduce administrative expenditure and staffing. "TREMENDOUSLY UNDERFUNDED" Yakima School district executives in Washington State said that the price of diesel they pay has recently increased by 64% on an annual basis to $6.30 per gallon. Greene said that at this price, the district's 60 buses would require an additional $213,000 in fuel costs per year. This is roughly equivalent to the salaries of two teachers. That is a big burden in an agriculture-dominated school district that has a poverty rate of 86%, and which is already "tremendously underfunded," he said. Jacob Kuper, district CFO, said that the district will instead buy its 30,000 gallon diesel tank in small quantities on days of low prices, rather than filling it. This is because it's "limping through the end" of the year. Christopher Mills of Thief River Falls Public Schools, in northwestern Minnesota said that diesel costs associated with transporting up to 800 students have increased around 30% since Iran's war began. Mills stated that the district was working to minimize direct impact on classrooms. "But if prices continue to rise, we may be forced to reduce support services for students." Even oil-rich Texas schools have not been spared. Waco Independent Schools District, which has over 80 buses, and average round-trip routes of 60 miles per day on average, reported an increase in diesel prices by 84% in early April. PRESSURE-PACKED Yupiit school district in Southwestern Alaska uses diesel generators to power the community and classrooms, not buses. Scott Ballard, Superintendent of the Yupiit District School Board in Akiachak, said during a phone interview that if they couldn't produce electricity then we wouldn't be able to run our school. The district, which has 550 students in it, is icebound most of the time, leaving a small window for fuel purchases. Ballard explained that leaders are now faced with a tough choice: Do they lock-in a price nearly 66% higher than the previous year, or do they gamble on prices falling? We're under a lot of pressure. Some of the biggest school districts in the United States are partially protected from fuel price fluctuations. Paul Quinn Mori is the president of the New York School Bus Contractors Association. He said that the district in New York City, which has the largest population in the country, outsources approximately 60%?of pupil transport. This arrangement often transfers fuel price changes from the district to the contractors. Los Angeles Unified, the second largest school district in the country, has been moving towards diesel-powered vehicles for many years. A district spokesperson revealed that 70% of its 1,300 bus fleet runs on batteries or alternative fuels. A spokesperson stated that "rising diesel prices continue impacting Los Angeles Unified’s transportation budget. However, the district has taken active steps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels by investing in clean transportation." (Reporting and editing by David Gregorio; Lisa Baertlein)
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In April, Iraq exported 10,000,000 barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
Basim Mohammed, Iraq's new Oil Minister, told a?press?conference on Saturday that the country exported 10 million barrels?of?oil via the Strait?of Hormuz?in?April. This is down?from 93 million barrels per month before the Iran War. Oil prices have risen sharply since the Iran war closed the 'Strait of Hormuz. Iraqi crude oil exports via the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline resumed in march, after Baghdad agreed to restart the flow. Mohammed said: "We currently export 200,000 barrels via Ceyhan, but we plan to increase that to 500,000 barrels". Iraq 'plans to engage OPEC in order to boost its production - and export capacity. 'The minister stated that Baghdad aims at a?production capacity of 5 million _barrels a day.
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New York's Long Island rail strikes halt the busiest commuter route in US
A union statement said that about 3,500 workers from the New York Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), who failed to reach an agreement on wages, went on strike Saturday. This halted the busiest commuter train system in the United States. The Long Island Rail Road is operated and owned by the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). It serves nearly 300,000 passengers per day. In a press release, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union stated that a group of five unions had launched a strike. This was 'the first strike in 32 years. The union said that the workers went three years without receiving raises in the course of the bargaining. Mark Wallace, President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, said: "This strike wouldn't have happened if MTA and LIRR had offered our members the terms that the government repeatedly recommended." We hope LIRR takes action soon to prevent further?disruptions of hundreds of thousands New Yorkers. When they are ready, they know where to find us: on the street. After the unions requested that he intervene, President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January to appoint another emergency?board for mediation to avoid a stoppage of work at the Long Island Rail Road. Trump had initially named a board to end the labor dispute in September of last year. (Reporting and editing by Tom Hogue in Bengaluru, Mihika Sharma, Shubham Kalya)
Projects and agreements on sustainable aviation fuel in Asia
Neste announced on Thursday that South Korea's GS Caltex and Japanese trading house Itochu, along with major sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), producer Neste, have delivered their first batch of fuel to Japan.
Fuel is seen as essential for aviation to achieve its goal of zero net carbon emissions by the year 2050. However, its adoption is still in its early stages.
The following is an overview of the most recent SAF projects in Asia-Pacific.
SOUTH KOREAN
South Korea wants to use about 1% of SAF on all international flights departing by 2027.
Six South Korean Airlines, including the flag carrier Korean Air have started, or plan to start, mixing 1% SAF into fuel for one international route every week, starting this year.
SK Energy completed its SAF production unit in September, and will supply fuel to Korean Air passenger aircraft.
In partnership with trading house Itochu, GS Caltex delivered its first SAF cargo to Japan, blending neat SAF from Neste with GS Caltex, on September 19.
TAIWAN
Taiwan's civil aviation administration encourages its airlines to use a maximum of 5% SAF as part of their fuel program starting in 2030. However, there is currently no mandate.
Taiwan's civil aircraft administration has said that Refiner CPC will import SAF during the first half next year.
INDONESIA
Indonesia has mandated that 3% of jet fuel be blended with biofuel by 2020, but the implementation has been delayed.
Pertamina, the state-owned Indonesian company, issued in June its first tender for SAF to be delivered by August.
In October 2023, Indonesia made its first commercial jet fuel flight using palm oil blended fuel after a test flight on an aircraft that flew from West Java (Java) to Jakarta.
SINGAPORE
Singapore announced its SAF goal in February. It will aim to achieve a 1% target by 2026, and then increase it to 3% to 5% in 2030. This is subject to the global development and wider adoption of SAF.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore intends to introduce a SAF levied for the purchase of fuel. This levy will be based on a fixed amount based upon the SAF target at the time and the projected SAF price.
Singapore Airlines Group ordered 1,000 metric tonnes of SAF in May from Neste, marking the first time that the refiner has supplied this fuel to the Changi Airport.
As of September 2024 there is no SAF mandate for China. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of China has launched in July the first SAF technical centre in the country that focuses on product research and standard setting.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand has no SAF mandate as of September 2024.
Air New Zealand delivered a 500,000-litre shipment of SAF produced by EcoCeres, based in China, to Wellington in June. This was the first time that SAF had been delivered to Wellington.
MALAYSIA
Malaysia's National Energy Transition Roadmap 2023 stated plans to implement a 1% SAF blend mandate, but did not provide a timeframe. The target will increase to 47% by the year 2050.
The Malaysian state-owned oil company Petronas, and Japan's Idemitsu Kosan Co. signed a preliminary deal to work together on the development and distribution SAF by October 2023.
India targets a 1% SAF content in aviation fuel in 2027. This will double to 2% by 2028. SAF targets initially will apply to international flights.
Indian Oil Corp announced in June 2023 that it would build a SAF plant in Haryana with LanzaJet. The plant will produce 80,000 metric tons of SAF per year. The company has a partnership with LanzaTech to convert waste gas into ethanol and jet fuel.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry announced that Japan will mandate that 10% of the aviation fuel used for international flights using Japanese Airports must be sustainable by 2030.
Fuji Oil and Itochu Corp. have begun planning the production of bio-SAF in Sodegaura Refinery by May 2023.
All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have increased their SAF purchase by adding products from U.S. manufacturer Raven SR and trading house Itochu.
Mitsubishi, Boeing and TotalEnergies are also exploring SAF production.
PHILIPPINES
Cebu Pacific will fly a plane powered by Neste's 35% SAF blend in September 2022. Shell Eastern Petroleum signed a strategic partnership to increase the availability of SAF for its fleet. However, there is no mandate from the government yet.
AUSTRALIA
Qantas Group will launch the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition in November 2022 in collaboration with Australia Post and Woodside Energy, as well as KPMG Australia, Macquarie Group the local arm Boston Consulting Group, and KPMG Australia.
Qantas said that in March 2023, they would invest A$2,000,000 ($1.34,000,000) jointly in a biofuel refining plant being built in Queensland State in Australia to convert agricultural waste products into SAF.
Australia has not yet been given a mandate. Reporting by Cassandra Yap; editing by Kevin Liffey & Jamie Freed
(source: Reuters)