Latest News
-
Germany deports criminals to Syria amid pressure on migration
Germany deported to Syria a criminal convicted of a crime for the first time since the beginning of the 14-year civil war in Syria. The government?in?Berlin is trying to show its voters that it's addressing their concerns about migration. Migration is now the top concern of German voters, and the support for Alternative -for- Germany (AfD), a far-right party, has risen. Friedrich Merz, the conservative Chancellor, has responded by taking a more aggressive stance on border security, migration and pledging a faster?deportation. Since the end of the civil war in Syria last year, Syria has been a major focus. Interior ministry says the criminal was handed over to Damascus authorities on Tuesday morning. Another criminal was deported to Afghanistan as the second time in a week. Alexander Dobrindt, Minister of Interior, said that deportations to Syria or Afghanistan should be possible. He said, "Our society has a legitimate interest to ensure that criminals leave our country." Deporting migrants to these two countries would put them in danger, according to critics. The man sent to Syria was a former prisoner in Germany's north-west for aggravated robbery and bodily harm. The Afghan criminal had served a prison sentence in southern Bavaria, for, amongst other things, intentionally bodily harm. (Reporting and editing by Ludwig Burger. Madeline Chambers)
-
Kaztransoil and Polish oil pipeline operator Kaztransoil will collaborate on oil shipments from Germany
The Polish company announced on Tuesday that Poland's oil pipe operator PERN had signed an agreement with Kaztransoil regarding technical cooperation in relation to shipments of Kazakh oil? to Germany. PERN stated in a press release that the agreement includes delivery scheduling, information exchange, inspections, and certification of meters used during the handling process. Since the suspension of Russian shipments?after Moscow invaded Ukraine, PERN has been supplying?oil from Kazakhstan to Germany's PCK Schwedt Refinery. The refinery also relies on seaborne supplies via Gdansk. The state-controlled Russian energy firm Rosneft holds a majority stake of PCK which supplies much of Berlin's energy. However, Germany took control of the company after Russia invaded Ukraine. In the first nine-month period of this year, 1.91 million tons of Kazakh oil was shipped to Germany. Kaztransoil will open its first representative office in the European Union on a Polish site, to help ensure stable supplies for Germany. (Reporting by Marek Strzelecki Editing by David Goodman)
-
Two CMA CGM ships navigate the Suez Canal as a sign of eased tension
The authority that manages the Suez Canal announced on Tuesday that two vessels of CMA CGM, world's third largest container shipping line, had travelled through it. This could be an indication the?disruptions? linked to the Gaza War are easing. The Suez Canal is the fastest way to connect Asia with Europe. However, shipping companies will have to travel much further routes since November 2023 because Houthi militants, who are Iran-aligned, attacked commercial vessels in Yemen, saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza War. CMA CGM has only made a few trips through the Suez Canal when the security conditions permitted. CMA CGM didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Companies are cautious. However, since the fragile ceasefire that took place in Gaza on October 10th, there have not been any Houthi attacks on ships. This has led shipping companies to reconsider their use of the Suez Canal. Egypt relies on this canal as a source of major foreign currency. The Canal's Authority said that on Tuesday, the CMA CGM Jacques Saade, a vessel traveling from Morocco to Malaysia via the canal, crossed from the north while the CMA CGM Adonis came from the south. The schedule on the CMA CGM website shows that the French company plans to use the passageway for its India-U.S. service INDAMEX from January. Maersk announced on Friday that one of their vessels navigated the Red 'Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Yemen?to the Horn of Africa between Maersk vessel for the first time since nearly two years. The Danish company stated that it had no plans to reopen the entire route but would "take a step-by-step approach" in order to gradually resume navigation. Reporting by Yusri Mohammed in Cairo. Additional reporting by Gus Trompiz. Writing by Ahmed Elimam, Nayera Abdallah and David Goodman. Editing by David Goodman, Barbara Lewis.
-
Maguire: Wind energy to be blown off track in 2025 and redirected for 2026.
Wind energy, like any other industry, has seen its ups and downs. But 2025 could be the worst year yet: a toxic mix of policy reversals and corporate upheaval, as well as sub-par production in key markets. The U-turn by President Donald Trump on renewable energy is likely to be the most damaging. This prompted a freeze in offshore project work on the Atlantic, and was a major blow for both power developers and wind companies. The disappointing auctions of new wind capacity in Europe, some with no bids at all (in Germany and Denmark), highlight that wind's problems extend far beyond the U.S. Add mass layoffs and project withdrawals by prominent developers to months of below-normal production in key markets and 2025 will be a year that the industry will never forget. There are some reasons to believe that wind energy will continue to grow in the coming years, as new auction incentives, changes to supply chains, and a growing demand for all forms of power, including wind, will spur its adoption around the globe. Here is a list of major factors that affected the wind sector between 2025 and 2026. Slowest Growth in Decades The performance of wind farms in the current state did not help to improve the reputation of the wind sector as a reliable source of power. In fact, the global electricity generated by wind farms is expected to grow at its slowest rate in over 20 years this year, largely due to "sustained periods of sub-par production in Europe and North America". Data from the think tank Ember revealed that global wind-powered electric production in the first ten months of 2025 was 2,158 terawatts hours (TWh). This is a record but only 7% more than the same period in 2024. The average annual growth rate from 2015 to 2024 was 14%. The decline in wind power generation in Europe, the second largest wind producing region in the world after Asia, was a major factor in stifling global wind output growth at the beginning of 2025. The mid-year drop in wind generation in North America, the world's third largest wind producing region, then added to the global wind output, as the region saw output decreases in April, may, June, august and September compared to the previous year. Even Asia, which accounts for about 45% of the global wind power production, registered rare drops in generation year-over-year in September and in October. This further stunted global output growth. POLICY AND COMPANY TUBULENCE As existing wind farms struggled to meet expectations, future planned projects were being impacted by sudden and major changes to policies. In the U.S., the Trump administration's scrapping of federal support for wind power accelerated the phase-out of tax credits, tightened start-of-construction rules and imposed tougher limits on foreign-made components. These changes are expected to have a long-term impact on the growth of both onshore projects and offshore ones. The string of disappointing wind auctions in Europe prompted key developers such as Denmark's Orsted, and Vestas to push for quicker permitting and better auction conditions to boost investment. Some of these proposed changes will likely take effect by 2026 and could spark a greater interest in building out new wind capacity in the region. Mitsubishi pulled out of three planned offshore projects in Japan due to rising costs estimates. The projects were scheduled to begin operations by 2030. The Japanese government has made some changes to its wind project policies to give developers more flexibility, to provide greater financial support, and to expand the area that is eligible for offshore wind energy projects. These changes, like those in Europe, are likely to revive interest in expanding Japan’s wind power footprint beyond 2025, despite its?tough start in 2025. CHINA-LED As wind developers suffered setbacks in other countries, China's wind power production - the world's largest deployer and manufacturer of wind power components - continues to grow at a rate greater than 10% for the 25th consecutive year. China's share in global wind energy output will rise from just below 40% in 2024 to an all-time high of 41% by 2025. China's massive wind farm expansion will continue to drive global wind production in the future, even if the U.S. economy slows down and Europe remains weak. According to Ember data, China's constant flow of exports of wind components - up by?more than 20 percent so far in 2020 to more than $4 billion - means that supplies of wind parts in nearly every region are also increasing. Wind power is expected to continue growing globally in 2026 despite the turbulent 2025. These are the opinions of a columnist at. You like this article? Check it out Open Interest The new global financial commentary source (ROI) is your go-to for all the latest news and information. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis on everything from soybeans to swap rates. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on You can find us on LinkedIn.
-
Maguire: Wind energy to be blown off track in 2025 and redirected for 2026.
Wind energy, like any other industry, has seen its ups and downs. But 2025 could be the worst year yet: a toxic mix of policy reversals and corporate upheaval, as well as sub-par production in key markets. The U-turn by Donald Trump on renewable energy is likely to be the most damaging. The U-turn by Donald Trump on renewable energy policy was the most damaging development. The disappointing auctions of new wind capacity in Europe, some with no bids whatsoever - including Germany and Denmark - show that the wind industry's problems extend beyond U.S. borders. Add mass layoffs and project withdrawals by prominent developers to months of below-normal production in key markets and 2025 will be a year that the industry will never forget. There are some reasons to believe that wind energy will continue to grow in the coming years, as new auction incentives, changes to supply chains, and a growing demand for all forms of power, including wind, will spur its adoption around the globe. Here is a list of major factors that affected the wind sector between 2025 and 2026. Slowest Growth in Decades The performance of wind farms in the past did not help to improve the reputation of the sector as a reliable source of power. In fact, the global electricity production from wind farms is expected to grow at its slowest rate in over 20 years this year, largely due to subpar generation for long stretches in Europe and North America. Data from the think tank Ember revealed that global wind-powered electric production in the first 10 month of 2025 was 2,158 Terawatt Hours (TWh). This is a record but only 7% higher than the same time period in 2024. The average annual growth rate from 2015 to 2024 was 14%. Four consecutive months of declines in Europe's wind production - Europe is the second largest wind producing region after Asia. This was a major factor in stifling global wind output growth at the start of 2025. The mid-year wind generation declines in North America, the world's third largest wind producing region, then further impacted on the global wind output. In April, May?June?, August and September, the region saw output decreases from the previous year. Even Asia, which accounts for around 45% of the global wind power output, registered rare drops in wind production in September and in October. This further dampened global output growth. POLICY AND COMPANY TUBULENCE As existing wind farms struggled to meet expectations, future planned projects were impacted by sudden and major changes to policies. In the U.S., the Trump administration's scrapping of federal support for wind power accelerated the phase-out of tax credits, tightened start-of-construction rules and imposed tougher limits on foreign-made components. These changes are expected to have a long-term impact on the growth of both onshore projects and offshore ones. The string of disappointing wind auctions in Europe prompted key developers such as Denmark's Orsted, and Vestas to push for quicker permitting and better auction conditions to boost investment. Some of these proposed changes will likely take effect in 2026 and could spark a broader interest in building new wind capacity in the region. Mitsubishi pulled out of three planned offshore projects in Japan due to rising costs estimates. The projects were scheduled to begin operations by 2030. The Japanese government has made some changes to its wind project policies to provide greater flexibility to developers, more financial assistance and to expand the area that is eligible for offshore wind. These changes, like those in Europe, are likely to revive interest in increasing Japan's wind energy footprint in 2026, and beyond. CHINA-LED Even though wind developers elsewhere have suffered setbacks, China's wind power production - the world's largest deployer and manufacturer of wind power and components - will continue to grow by more than 10% for the 25th consecutive year. China's share in global wind energy output will rise from just below 40% in?2024 to a record of over 41% by 2025. China's massive wind farm expansion will continue to drive global wind production upwards, even if the U.S. economy slows down and Europe remains weak. China's constant flow of exports of wind components - up more than 20% in 2025 to $4 billion, according to Ember data – also means that supplies of wind parts in nearly every region are increasing. Wind power is expected to continue growing globally in 2026 despite the turbulent 2025. These are the opinions of a columnist at. You like this article? Check it out Open Interest The new global financial commentary source (ROI) is your go-to for all the latest news and information. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis on everything from soybeans to swap rates. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on You can find us on LinkedIn.
-
Traders say that China's teapots are driving Russian ESPO purchases amid record discounts.
Three traders reported a record discount of $7 to $8 per barrel for Russian ESPO blend crude delivered in Chinese ports in January compared to?ICE Brent, due to the pressure from Western sanctions on this?grade. The deeper discounts have revived interest in buying, especially among China's independent private refiners known as "teapots". Earlier in December, ESPO discount prices at Chinese ports ranged from $5 to $6 per barrel as refiners stayed out of the market following harsh Western sanctions against Russian oil majors Rosneft, and Lukoil. Beijing has issued new import quotas and cheaper barrels to lure private refiners back to the market. China's state-owned refineries, however, continue to avoid buying Russian crude at the spot market. This puts pressure on ESPO blend oil prices. ?And abundant supplies of Iranian crude sold at greater discounts have also increased competition with ESPO. ESPO Blend is a light sweet oil exported through Russian Far East ports. Its short shipping distance, combined with its high quality, makes it a vital feedstock for Chinese refiners. Discounts are now higher than they were earlier in the year. This is due to a combination of softer demand, sanctions and restrictions on Russian oil flow. Western sanctions also weigh on the value of Urals, Russia's flagship oil. Due to the weaker Indian demand, traders said that a number of Urals cargoes loaded from?Russian port this month were diverted to China. Chinese port discounts for Urals crude cargoes have been over $10 per barrel compared to ICE Brent - this is for December loadings of Russian ports. The traders stated that although Western sanctions may have made it difficult for some buyers to pay and ship, ESPO and Urals are still attractive to smaller refiners who need quick shipments. China is Russia's biggest oil customer. Wider discounts could support Russian oil exports until early 2026, even though sanctions restrict Moscow's ability sell oil. Reporting by Siyi Liu and reporters in Moscow, with editing by Joe Bavier.
-
Oil prices steady as the market balances geopolitical risk against fundamentals that are bearish
The oil prices were relatively unchanged on Tuesday, as the United States' fears of a supply disruption following Ukrainian attacks on Russian vessels were offset by potential sales?of?Venezuelan?crude. Brent crude futures were up 7 cents at $62.14 per barrel as of 0959 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), up 4 cents, was at $58.05. Brent prices rose by more than 2% Monday. WTI prices climbed the most since November 14, while Brent's daily gains were their highest in two months. After Monday's sharp increase in oil price, heavy oversupply has stifled any further rise. The upside is?limited', according to IG analyst Axel Rudolph, with floating storage at its most recent high since 2020. U.S. president?Donald Trump stated on Monday that the U.S. may keep or sell oil it has seized in recent weeks off the coasts of Venezuela as part of U.S. sanctions, which include a 'blockade' of oil tankers entering and exiting the South American nation. Barclays stated in a Monday note that oil markets will remain well-supplied during the first half 2026. However, the bank also noted that the surplus of oil would 'diminishe to 700,000 barrels a day by the fourth quarter 2026. A prolonged disruption of the market could further tighten it. Russian forces attacked Ukraine's Black Sea Port of Odesa on Monday night - damaging port facilities and a vessel. This was the second attack in less than 24 hour. Ukrainian drones also damaged two vessels, a pier, and started a fire. Ukraine has also targeted Russia’s maritime logistics by focusing on the shadow fleet oil tankers which attempt to bypass sanctions against Russia. Reporting by Seher D. Dareen, Anjana Anil and Emily Chow from Singapore. Editing by David Goodman.
-
Gulf Markets ease up on oil prices
The Gulf's major stock exchanges eased early on Tuesday as lower crude prices and concerns about oversupply and sluggish demand dominated the geopolitical tensions following the U.S. announcement that it would sell Venezuelan oil. Oil prices, a key factor in the Gulf financial markets, fell as traders weighed geopolitical risk against fundamentals that were bearish. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index dipped 0.1%, mainly due to a 0.6% drop in oil giant Saudi Aramco as well as a 0.1% decline in Al Rajhi Bank. Dubai's main stock index fell 0.3%. Toll operator Salik?Co lost 0.6%, and top lender?Emirates NBD saw a 0.5% drop. The Abu Dhabi Index bucked trend and rose 0.2%. Reports indicate that Donald Trump, the U.S. president, may announce his choice for the new Federal Reserve Chair as early as this January. Trump said last week that the Fed chair will be someone who is strongly in favor of "significantly lower interest rate". The markets are pricing in two interest rate cuts for the U.S. in the next year, based on the expectation of a shift to dovish monetary policy. The U.S. monetary policy changes have a major impact on the Gulf markets where the majority of currencies are pegged with the dollar. The Qatari Index fell 0.2% and the Qatar Islamic Bank dropped 0.5%. (Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)
How Biden's Gaza pier project unwinded
The first time President Joe Biden's administration considered buying the U.S. armed force to build a drifting pier off Gaza to deliver help in late 2023, it was put on the backburner.
The United States was under pressure to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn Palestinian enclave, which had been worsened by Israel's closure of many land border crossings, and sea deliveries were viewed as a possible service.
U.S. Admiral Christopher Grady, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Personnel and a career Navy surface area warfare officer, told a conference that he was very worried that the sea could end up being too rough for a pier to provide humanitarian help and laid out weather-related risks, a former U.S. authorities and an existing U.S. official said.
It wasn't until early 2024 that the idea showed up again as the scenario in Gaza grew more desperate and aid organizations alerted that mass starvation among Palestinian civilians was looming.
We sort of reached a point where it appeared proper to take more risk due to the fact that the need was so excellent, a former senior Biden administration official said.
The resulting pier objective did not work out.
It included 1,000 U.S. soldiers, provided only a portion of the promised aid at an expense of nearly $230 million, and was from the start beleaguered by bad luck and mistakes, including fire, bad weather condition and dangers on coast from the fighting in between Israel and Hamas.
Biden, after assuring a massive increase in help, acknowledged that the pier had disappointed his goals. I was enthusiastic that would be more successful, he told reporters on July 11.
The internal discussions about the Gaza pier, consisting of discarded alternatives to briefly deploy soldiers to the enclave, have not been previously reported.
The pier objective, which was officially ended recently, was the most controversial of the U.S. military's attempts to help include the fallout from the Israel-Hamas war that appeared on Oct. 7, 2023, and has actually drawn criticism from Biden's Republican critics and numerous present and former help employees.
The effort also underscores the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's battles to bring the conflict to a close, both of which are in focus during his see to Washington today.
The Pentagon referred questions about the pier to remarks made at a July 17 rundown with Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the deputy leader of U.S. Central Command. In it, Cooper said the mission was a success, delivering the largest quantity of help ever into the Middle East.
Mike Rogers, the Republican who leads the Pentagon's. oversight committee in your house of Representatives, called the. pier a humiliation.
The pier was an ill-conceived political computation by the. Biden administration, Rogers told .
NO BOOTS ON THE GROUND
With alarm rising over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in. 2023, Curtis Reid, chief of staff at the White Home National. Security Council, was tasked with creating a working group with. various government firms to take a look at ways to increase help. into Gaza.
( It) was an ask for firms to put whatever you got. on the table, the previous senior official said. The Pentagon. then started taking a look at alternatives.
Requested comment, the NSC acknowledged inter-agency. conversations on possible policy choices.
Due to the fact that of this work, we had the ability to advance the delivery. of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, making use of every tool. possible, stated Adrienne Watson, an NSC representative.
When the head of the armed force's Central Command, General. Michael Erik Kurilla, at first briefed Defense Secretary. Lloyd Austin about the pier objective, his very first proposition included. a minimal variety of U.S. soldiers on the ground, briefly, to. attach the pier to the shore, the previous authorities stated.
Austin knew that the White Home was opposed to. releasing U.S. forces to Gaza and asked Kurilla to go back and. rework it, a current U.S. official and the previous authorities said.
Kurilla produced a plan to train Israeli forces to do the. setup of the pier on the shore, the former authorities. added. Israeli forces later carried out the plan. The Israeli. prime minister's workplace and defense ministry referred '. concerns about the pier to the U.S. military.
Kurilla's Central Command declined to discuss the record. A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of privacy,. rejected the account and said boots on the ground was never a. factor to consider.
Present and former officials explained Central Command as. incredibly positive the pier task would succeed.
CENTCOM and General Kurilla, from Day 1, they were. consistent in stating: 'We can do this,' the previous U.S. official stated.
The first turn of misfortune began April 11, when a fire. broke out in the engine room of the USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo, a. Navy ship transferring part of the pier system to the. Mediterranean.
The team put out the fire but the ship had to reverse to. the United States.
THREE FOOT WAVES
Weather condition was an even larger issue.
An early warning of the difficulties from rough seas came last. summertime, when U.S. troops attempted to set up the pier on an. Australian shore during a military workout.
The sea was too rough, a military officer who straight. dealt with the pier workout told .
In the end, the soldiers could not connect the pier to the. beach itself, and rather brought products ashore utilizing boats to. bridge the gap in between completion of the drifting pier and the. beach.
U.S. officials acknowledge that the Mediterranean weather. was a worry. However they were unprepared for how bad the sea. conditions turned out to be.
The forecast that they had (was) essentially that the sea. state was going to be three or less up till around September,. said one senior U.S. defense official, referring to sea state. three, when waves do not go beyond three feet.
Instead, waves broke the pier simply 9 days after it became. operational on May 16. The damage was so bad that it had to be. relocated to the Israeli port of Ashdod for repair work.
The occurrence would be show the norm, with bad weather condition. keeping the pier inoperative for all but 20 days-- half as long. as it required to bring the system across the sea to Gaza.
While there were no deaths or understood direct attacks on the. pier, three U.S. soldiers suffered non-combat injuries in assistance. of the pier in May, with one medically left in crucial. condition.
OVER-ESTIMATING DISTRIBUTION
Providing the food, shelter and medical care that was. brought onshore through the pier likewise proved more difficult than. expected.
The U.S. military aimed to increase to as many as 150 trucks. a day of help coming off the pier.
However since the pier was just operational for a total of 20. days, the military says it moved an overall of only 19.4 million. pounds of help into Gaza. That would have to do with 480 trucks of help. provided in total from the pier, based upon estimates by the. World Food Programme from earlier this year of weight brought by. a truck.
The United Nations states about 500 truckloads of aid are. needed everyday to deal with the needs of Palestinians in Gaza.
Simply days after the very first deliveries of aid rolled off the. pier in Gaza, crowds overwhelmed trucks and took a few of it.
Israel's killings of 7 World Central Cooking area employees in. April and its usage of an area near the pier as it staged a. hostage rescue healing objective in June also dented the. self-confidence of help companies, on whom the U.S. was relying to. bring the supplies from the coast and distribute to citizens.
A senior U.S. defense authorities acknowledged that aid. delivery showed to be possibly more difficult than the. organizers anticipated.
One previous authorities said Kurilla had actually raised distribution as. an issue early on.
General Kurilla was also really clear about that: 'I can do. my piece of this, and I can do circulation if you task me to do. it,' the former authorities stated.
However that was clearly scoped out of what the job was. Therefore we were reliant on these global companies.
Present and former U.S. officials informed that the. United Nations and help companies themselves were always cool. to the pier.
At a closed-door conference of U.S. officials and aid. companies in Cyprus in March, Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, offered. tacit support for Biden's pier project.
But Kaag worried the UN preference was for land, land,. land, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
The United Nations decreased to talk about the meeting. It. referred to a rundown on Monday where a spokesperson for the. company said that the U.N. appreciated every way of getting. help into Gaza, consisting of the pier, but more gain access to through land. routes is needed.
The hidden concern for aid companies was that Biden,. under pressure from fellow Democrats over Israel's killing of. civilians in Gaza, was pushing a service that would at finest be. a short-term fix and at worst would take pressure off Netanyahu's. federal government to open land routes into Gaza.
Dave Harden, a previous USAID objective director to the West. Bank and Gaza, explained the pier project as humanitarian. theater.
It did ease the pressure, sadly, on having the.
(source: Reuters)