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Ivory Coast cocoa imports are below exporter expectations, says regulator
Yves Brahima Kone said that cocoa arrivals in ports of Ivory Coast, the top producer, reached 1,540 million metric tonnes at the end May. This compares to exporters' estimated 1.624 millions tons for the same time period. Exporters reported that last month the quality of cocoa was low and buyers refused to buy more beans, resulting in low volume. Six exporters said that although some trucks carrying poor-quality cocoa were returned by exporters, their beans were still recorded in the records. This explains the 5% discrepancy between the figures supplied by the regulator and those of exporters. This is a normal situation in the industry. "The same truck can be counted at different exporters in different times of the day. Four independent buyers of cocoa said that between March and may, the rejection rate rose significantly due to high levels of acidity in beans. This caused trucks to move from one supplier to another. Malamine Kante explained that he may have to go to three different exporters before he finds one who is willing accept his cocoa. He gets the beans from Soubre, a region in the west of the country. The cocoa industry is concerned that West Africa could suffer a third consecutive decline in production. Kone acknowledged that the poor initial data was a real concern for the main cocoa crop in 2025/26. He added that the success of the crop will depend on the survival rates of the cocoa flowers and young pods, known as cherelles, which are beginning to appear in fields. In order to develop until October and December, they will need to survive July. An Abidjan exporter said, "For now, everyone is watching to see what happens from now until mid-July". "The concern is real but not alarming yet".
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IEA: Tighter carbon regulations and a slower economy will erode the growth of bunker demand.
In its annual report, published on Tuesday, the International Energy Agency stated that the demand for marine fuel will be reduced in the future due to stricter environmental regulations and a slower economic growth worldwide. The Red Sea disruptions, which forced shipping companies to take longer routes, boosted marine fuel sales last year. The IEA stated that the demand for these fuels (also known as bunkers) could plateau at 5 million barrels a day in 2024-2030 due to weak underlying growth of shipping and increasing costs from stricter maritime environmental standards. In April last year, the member states of the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations shipping agency, adopted a mechanism for carbon pricing to help the shipping sector reach zero net emissions by 2050. In the event that final approval is not granted until October 2025, ships will be required to pay a fine for exceeding their target greenhouse gas emissions starting in 2028. UN data shows that shipping transports more than 80% of all goods traded and is responsible for nearly 3% greenhouse gas emissions. The IEA stated that tariffs would create a harsher trading environment, which could adversely affect bunkers. This could increase the disconnect between maritime trade and economic growth. The IEA reported that attacks on ships in the Red Sea forced some to avoid using the Suez Canal, initially supporting bunker sales. Last year, international bunkering increased by 140,000 bpd, but this was still only slightly above the trend. The IEA also noted that the sluggish economic growth, as well as the rising freight and insurance costs, were also a factor. Enes Tunagur reported, Alex Lawler edited and Tomaszjanowski wrote.
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Poland claims that GPS disruptions in the Baltic may be due to Russia
Wladyslaw KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ, the Polish Minister of Defence, said that Poland had observed GPS disruptions in the Baltic Sea. He added that the sources indicate they are "related to Russian Federation actions, including sabotage". The Russian Embassy in Warsaw didn't immediately respond to an email request for comment. Russia has denied all wrongdoing. In the North of Poland, the Polish media has reported that GPS systems have malfunctioned in some cases. This includes private drones which fly off in an unknown direction or lose connection. A Bydgoszcz Airport spokesperson confirmed that a flight on Monday from Alicante, Spain, to Bydgoszcz, in northern Poland, was diverted to Poznan, in western Poland, due to navigational problems. "We are watching these disruptions." "They are also observed by our NATO allies over the Baltic Sea region - both in Baltic states and Nordic countries", Kosiniak Kamysz said to journalists at a recent press conference on new helicopters. According to our sources, these actions are linked to actions taken by the Russian Federation and also to sabotage. He didn't elaborate on his sources. Since Russia invaded Ukraine 2022, there have been numerous incidents, including power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines outages. The NATO military alliance is also increasing its presence in this region. Last year, Estonia and Finland also accused Russia of jamming GPS devices in the airspace. (Reporting and editing by Alison Williams; Anna Wlodarczak Semczuk)
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After Israel's attack on Iran, airlines suspend flights
International airlines have stopped flights to certain Middle East destinations following Israel's attacks against Iran. Here are some airlines that have cancelled flights from and to the region. AEGEAN AIRLINES Aegean Airlines, a Greek airline, announced that all flights from and to Tel Aviv, including the early morning flight of July 12, had been cancelled. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has announced that it will cancel all flights from and to Tel Aviv up until the 23rd of June. AEROFLOT After Israel's attack on Iran, Aeroflot announced that it has cancelled flights between Moscow-Tehran and changed other routes in Middle East. AIR EUROPA Spanish airline cancels flights from and to Tel Aviv through July 31. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France has suspended flights to and out of Tel Aviv, until further notice. KLM announced that all flights from and to Tel Aviv have been cancelled until July 1. Some flights from, to or via Beirut could also be affected. Transavia has announced that it will not be operating flights between Tel Aviv and Amman, or Beirut and Beirut. AIR INDIA Air India announced that several flights are either being diverted to another destination or returning back to their original origin. Israeli Airlines announced that all flights will be cancelled until June 21, 2018. BLUEBIRD AERWAYS The Greek airline announced that all flights between June 13 and 21 (inclusively) had been cancelled and new bookings are not allowed for those between June 22 to June 30 until security is clarified. DELTA AIR LINES Travel to, from or through Tel Aviv could be affected between June 12 and July 31. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES El Al Israel Airlines announced that it has cancelled its regular flight schedule between EL AL and Sundor until June 23. ETIHAD AERWAYS Etihad Airways has announced that it will cancel flights between Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv and Tel Aviv from June 22 to August 22. EMIRATES Emirates has temporarily suspended its flights to and from: Jordan (Amman), Lebanon (Beirut), Iran (Teheran), and Iraq (Baghdad, Basra) up until June 30, and Iran (Teheran), and Iraq (Baghdad, Basra). FLYDUBAI Flydubai has temporarily suspended its flights to and out of Iran, Iraq and Israel until June 30, 2018. GEORGIAN AIRWAYS The Georgian airline has cancelled all flights to and out of Tel Aviv from June 19 until then. British Airways, owned by IAG, has suspended its flights from Tel Aviv until July 31, and Amman and Bahrain flights are also suspended up to June 30. Iberia Express is IAG's low cost airline. It had informed the public that it would be cancelling its flights from Tel Aviv to June 30. ISRAIR Israeli Airlines has announced that all flights to and from Israel have been cancelled until June 30, 2018. ITA AIRWAYS Italian Airlines announced that it will extend the suspension of Tel Aviv flight until July 31. This includes two flights scheduled for August 1. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa announced that it has suspended all flights from and to Tel Aviv, Tehran and Amman until July 31, and to and and from Beirut, Erbil and Amman until June 20, and said it will suspend all flights from and to Tel Aviv until July 31. Lufthansa added that they would avoid Iranian, Iraqi, and Israeli airspace at this time. PEGASUS Turkish Airlines announced that they had cancelled all flights to Iran and Iraq until June 19, and flights to Jordan and Jordan until the 16th of June. The airline said it will only operate flights into Lebanon during daylight hours. QATAR AIRWAYS Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to and from Iraq and Syria. RYANAIR Ryanair has announced that it will cancel flights from and to Tel Aviv up until September 30. Romania's flag airline said it has suspended all commercial flights from and to Tel Aviv, as well as to Beirut and Amman, until June 20, and until June 23, respectively. TUS AIRWAYS The Cypriot Airlines cancelled all flights scheduled to depart or arrive in Israel until June 21, inclusive. The airline said that flights scheduled to depart between June 22 and 30 will be closed for bookings until security is clarified. TURKISH AIRLINES Turkish Airlines, along with other Turkish operators, have cancelled flights until June 16 to Iran, Iraq Syria and Jordan, according to the Turkish transport minister. UNITED AIRLINES According to the U.S. airline, travel from and to Tel Aviv could be affected between June 13, and August 1. WIZZ AIR Wizz Air has announced that it will suspend its flights to and from Tel Aviv, Amman and Jordan until September 15. Hungarian Airlines will not overfly Israeli, Iraqi or Iranian airspaces until further notice. (Reporting and compilation by bureaus, compiled by Agnieszka Olesnka, Elviira Loma, and Tiago Brancao; Editing by Matt Scuffham, Alison Williams and Matt Scuffham)
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Easyjet cabin crews will strike in Spain on June 25-27
The USO union announced on Tuesday that Easyjet cabin crews in Spain will strike on June 25, 26, and 27 for higher wages, as the holiday season ramps up. In a press release, the union stated that 657 flight attendants based in Alicante and Barcelona could be affected by this strike. According to the union, EasyJet crews in Spain earn less than their counterparts in other countries. The union stated that the strike aims to equalize the working and pay conditions of EasyJet crews in Spain, with those at other bases in Europe. EasyJet's spokesperson did not respond immediately to a comment request. In Spain, regulations force airline workers to maintain minimum service during strikes in order to limit any disruption. (Reporting and editing by Andrei Khalip, Inti landauro)
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Trump says he wants to'real-end' the nuclear problem with Iran
U.S. president Donald Trump stated that he wants a "real solution" to the Iranian nuclear issue and suggested he might send senior American officials in order to meet the Islamic Republic, as the Israel-Iran Air War raged on for the fifth consecutive day. According to a CBS News journalist who posted comments on the social media platform X, he made these comments as he was leaving Canada at midnight on Monday after attending the Group of Seven Nations summit. Trump predicted that Israel wouldn't be easing up on its attacks against Iran. You'll find out in the next couple of days. You will find out. "Nobody's slowed down so far," the CBS reporter quoted Trump saying on Air Force One. He replied "I might" when asked if he would send Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, or Vice President JDVance, to Iran. According to a pool report from Politico, Trump wants Iran to "completely give up". Washington said Trump is still working towards a nuclear agreement with Iran, despite the current military conflict. The world leaders who met at the Group of Seven Summit called for the de-escalation of this worst conflict ever between regional enemies, saying Iran is a source of instability. They also said that Iran must not have nuclear weapons and that Israel has the right to self-defence. Trump, who had to leave the Group of Seven summit early because of the Middle East crisis, claimed that his departure had nothing to do with working on a peace deal between Israel, Iran and the United States after French President Emmanuel Macron announced the U.S. initiated a ceasefire. "Wrong! He doesn't know why I'm on my way to Washington. It has absolutely nothing to do, however, with a Cease Fire. "Much bigger than that," Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Monday evening. Israel began its air war by launching a surprise strike that killed the top nuclear scientists and military commanders of Iran. Israel claims to have taken control of Iranian airspace, and plans to intensify the campaign over the next few days. Trump has repeatedly said that the Israeli attack could be ended quickly if Iran accepted U.S. requirements to curb its nuclear program. "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, that is the simple truth. I repeated it again and again! "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" Trump stated on Monday. The Iranian state news agency reported on Tuesday that the Revolutionary Guards of Iran said a new, "more powerful", wave of missiles had been launched recently towards Israel. A senior Iranian commander has said that a new wave drones will hit Israel. Nournews, a news agency in Iran, reported that an Israeli attack in the central Iranian city of Kashan resulted in three deaths and four injuries. EXPLOSIONS and AIR DEFENCE FIRE The Iranian media reported that smoke rose in the east of Tehran after an explosion attributed to suspected Israeli projectiles. Asriran News reported that air defences had also been activated in Natanz which is home to important nuclear installations located 320 km away. Iranian media reported that doctors and nurses were recalled to work after taking leave. Reza Sepahvand, the Khorramabad City MP, told Iranian Labour News Agency that the majority of incidents that occur in Iran are caused by "infiltrators", rather than direct Israeli action. He added that 21 people died in the western province Lorestan. The world oil markets are alert to any changes in the conflict which could affect global supply. The incident that occurred early Tuesday morning near the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of United Arab Emirates was not a security issue, but the result of two ships colliding. The UAE coastguard said that 24 people were evacuated from the oil tanker ADALYNN after a collision occurred between two ships near Hormuz in the Gulf of Oman. Around a fifth (or more) of all oil consumed in the world passes through this waterway. According to naval sources, electronic interference in ship navigation systems around the Strait of Hormuz has increased over the past few days and is affecting vessels that are sailing through the Gulf. Israel's military confirmed on Tuesday the death of Iran's former chief of staff. Israel said that it also carried out extensive attacks on Iranian military targets, including weapons storage and missile launchers. Israel reported 24 civilian deaths while Iranian officials reported 224 deaths. Bezalel SMotrich, Israeli Finance Minister, said that nearly 3,000 Israelis were evacuated because of the damage caused by Iranian strikes. According to sources, Tehran asked Oman and Qatar to press Trump to force Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister to agree to a ceasefire immediately. Two Iranian and three regional source said that Iran would be flexible in its nuclear negotiations. CHINESE URGED TO LEAVE ISRAEL Abbas Araqchi, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas said that the next steps would be consequential if President Trump was sincere about diplomacy and genuinely interested in ending this war. "Israel must stop its aggression. And unless there is a complete cessation of the military aggression against us our responses will continue." Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons, and has pointed out its right to use nuclear technology peacefully, including enrichment. It is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed country in the Middle East. It is not a signatory to the NPT. Israel doesn't deny or confirm this. The Chinese Embassy in Israel has urged their citizens to leave Israel as soon as they can, as security concerns are growing and Israeli airspace is closed due to the war. Israel attacked Iran's facilities for uranium enrichment on Monday. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency told the BBC the Natanz plant suffered extensive damage and likely destroyed 15,000 centrifuges. Iran's Fordow facility remained mostly intact.
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Sources: Airbus is close to a deal with VietJet for 100 A321 aircraft
Sources in the industry said that Airbus is closing in on a deal with VietJet to buy 100 single-aisle planes. An announcement was planned for the Paris Airshow, barring any last-minute hiccups in negotiations. Airbus refused to comment, and VietJet staff at the airshow were preparing for an announcement but could not be reached. Sources said that the low-cost Vietnamese carrier was interested in buying the A321neo. Cirium Ascend estimates that a deal for 100 of these planes would be worth $6.3 billion. Bloomberg was the first to report on this potential deal. Airbus, the European planemaker, announced a series of deals during the Paris Airshow - the largest aviation trade show in the world that began on Monday. Boeing, the U.S. competitor, is expected to put on a subdued performance as it concentrates on the investigation into the fatal crash last week of an Air India Boeing 787-8 and after it made huge deals during U.S. president Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East. VietJet is the largest airline of Vietnam and operates an all Airbus fleet. Boeing has yet to deliver any of the 200 MAX aircraft that Boeing has ordered. Airbus is Vietnam's main jet supplier, accounting for 86% of all planes operated by Vietnamese Airlines. Washington is pressuring Vietnam, which relies on exports to purchase more U.S. products. Reporting by Tim Hepher. Lisa Barrington contributed additional reporting. Mark Potter (Editor)
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Mitsui OSK CEO: Shipping in Gulf is continuing, and we are closely monitoring the situation
Japan's second-largest shipping company, Mitsui O.S.K. Takeshi Hashimoto, CEO of Lines (MOL), said that the company is continuing to operate as usual in Gulf while closely watching the situation in the area. Hashimoto said on the sidelines the Energy Asia Conference that "we are operating so many container, car carriers, and chemical tankers, so it is very difficult for us reduce or stop the service." He added that although there was no alternative route in the Gulf for shipping, it had been re-routed to the Cape of Good Hope following the attack by the Yemeni Houthis on ships in the Red Sea. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway that connects the Gulf of Oman to the Gulf of Arabia. It accounts for about a fifth of all oil consumed worldwide. MOL's fleet includes 15-20 vessels which regularly travel through the Gulf. Hashimoto added that MOL is monitoring the situation 24 hours a day and evaluating the risks to its entire fleet. Hashimoto stated that ships with Israeli flags or those flying the U.S. or UK flags were at greatest risk. MOL may increase its ocean freight rates in the future, when insurance and security costs are added. Hashimoto stated that the company would continue to avoid shipping on the Red Sea. Separately MOL, which is the largest LNG carrier in the world, has been in talks with the European Union about lifting the ban. The following are some of the sanctions that may be imposed on you From its liquefied Natural Gas tankers. Hashimoto, in reference to the Russian export project, said: "We provided a vessel to Yamal LNG Project which was not a targeted of sanctions." We are therefore confident that our vessel will not be targeted by sanctions. (Reporting and editing by Alex Richardson, Louise Heavens, and Yuka Obayashi; Additional reporting in Tokyo by Yuka Tan)
Maguire: Pakistan's solar boom puts it in the exclusive 25% club
Pakistan is quickly emerging as one of the leading countries in the deployment of solar energy, not only among emerging economies.
According to Ember data, the South Asian nation has increased solar electricity production by more than three times global average this year. This is due to a five-fold increase in solar capacity imported since 2022.
Solar power has risen from Pakistan's 5th largest electricity source to its biggest in 2025, thanks to a combination of capacity and production that is rapidly increasing.
Solar farms have provided 25% or more of Pakistan's monthly electricity supply. This makes Pakistan one of only 20 countries in the world that has done so.
Exclusive Club
Ember data indicates that in the first four month of 2025 solar farms will generate an average of 25,3% of Pakistan’s electricity supply.
This average is compared to a solar share that is 8% worldwide, 11% in China and 8% in America.
While the average solar share in the Northern Hemisphere is expected to increase steadily throughout the summer, few countries are likely to secure a quarter or more of their utility electricity supply from solar farms anytime soon.
According to Ember, solar farms have contributed 25% or more of the monthly electricity supply for utilities in only 17 countries.
These nations include: Australia, Belgium. Bulgaria, Chile. Cyprus. Denmark. Estonia. Germany. Greece. Hungary. Latvia, Lithuania. Luxembourg. The Netherlands. Pakistan. Portugal. This list is heavily weighted towards Europe where the shock of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine 2022 has prompted widespread and urgent power-sector restructuring and rapid deployment of renewable generation capability.
Australia and Chile, the only two nations outside Europe aside from Pakistan, boast gross domestic products (GDPs) per capita that are far higher than Pakistan.
Import Drive
Imports of solar modules from China have been the main driver behind Pakistan's solar boom.
According to Ember, between 2022 and 2024 Pakistan's imports from China of solar components increased fivefold, going from 3,500 megawatts to a record 16.600 MW.
Pakistan's share in China's total exports of solar modules also increased sharply from 2% to almost 7% by 2024.
This import spree has continued through 2025.
In the first four month of this year, Pakistan imported solar components worth just over 10,000MW from China. This compares to around 8,500MW in the same period of 2024.
The increase of almost 18% in import capacity has also boosted Pakistan's share of China solar exports, which is now around 12%.
SOLAR-CENTRIC
In recent years, the rapid deployment of imported solar panels across Pakistan has radically changed Pakistan's electricity production mix.
Solar is the largest electricity source in 2025. It is followed by nuclear reactors and coal plants, as well as natural gas.
Solar farms were only the fifth largest source of electricity two years ago. The solar industry's dominance so far is a sign that the utility system has shifted to renewables.
The country has also committed to a much higher growth rate in the capacity of renewable energy production for the remainder of the decade.
According to the International Trade Administration, Pakistan aims to have 60% of its electricity supply come from renewable resources by 2030.
Renewable energy sources produced 28% of electricity in the first four month of 2025. Energy planners aim to double that figure by the end.
Solar modules are the fastest and cheapest way to achieve these goals. This will help cement Pakistan's position as a solar superpower.
These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for.
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(source: Reuters)