Latest News
-
Plane to cut 2,043 jobs in Defence and Area, sources state
Plane is cutting 2,043 jobs in its Defence & & Area businesses, or 6% of the divisional workforce, drawing back slightly from an earlier target of up to 2,500 task decreases, two individuals familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. More than half the cuts - impacting 1,128 tasks - will fall in the Area Systems company following 1.5 billion euros ($ 1.58 billion) of current writedowns, they told Reuters, asking not to be named. A Jet spokesperson declined to comment on the figures, provided to unions in a briefing. Plane in October announced plans to cut up to 2,500 tasks in Defence and Space, or 7% of the labor force, after heavy losses in its satellites service led by the distressed OneSat program. The European aerospace group has stated it intends to perform the cuts by mid-2026 but will hold back taking an instant reorganizing charge pending talks with unions. In the plans outlined to unions on Wednesday, Plane plans to cut 250 tasks in its Air Power or battle aircraft sub-division and 47 in Connected Intelligence, the sources stated. The divisional head office will shed 618 posts, they added. Germany will bear the largest share of the overall cuts with 689 positions impacted, followed by France with 540, Britain with 477, Spain with 303 and other non-core countries with 34.
-
Suspected outlaws lay dynamites on Nigerian road, triggering damage
A gang of armed guys planted explosives along the DansadauGusau road in northwest Nigeria's. Zamfara state, causing considerable damage and casualties, a. military spokesperson and witnesses said on Wednesday. Armed gangs in northwest Nigeria, known by residents as. bandits, have actually escalated their attacks, resorting to an unsafe. brand-new strategy of planting explosives on significant highways to target. civilians and security forces. Witnesses Bello Dansadau and Abubakar Ismail told Reuters at. least 12 tourists were eliminated and 6 others injured after. their automobile ran over a dynamite on the road. Joint Job Force representative Abubakar Abdullahi stated in a. declaration that the military had deployed an explosive ordnance. disposal group to the location to reduce the effects of any staying. explosives. He did not say the number of individuals had been killed. Abdullahi stated a JTF unit is working carefully with local. authorities to investigate the attack and collar the. perpetrators. We prompt the general public to stay alert and report any. suspicious activities, he said. Outlaws in northwest Nigeria have frequently robbed. communities, killing and kidnapping locals, farmers, students. and vehicle drivers for ransom.
-
UK's FTSE 100 falls as AstraZeneca, BoE Governor's comments weigh
Britain's FTSE 100 fell on Wednesday, ending a fiveday winning streak, dragged by a decrease in AstraZeneca, while investors evaluated domestic economic data and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey's remarks on interest rate cuts. The blue-chip FTSE 100 fell 0.3%, while the midcap FTSE 250 increased 0.5% to its highest considering that Oct. 21. AstraZeneca slipped 2.8% to the bottom of the blue-chip index after HSBC experts cut its target rate to 13,720 p from 14,070 p and the drugmaker named Iskra Reic as its brand-new global executive vice president. Shares of copper miners such as Glencore and Anglo American declined 1% and 2.5% respectively, as the metal's cost reduced against a firm dollar. Meanwhile, BoE's Bailey repeated that there will be gradual cuts in interest rates next year. The sterling briefly dipped after the Financial Times reported Bailey saying the BoE anticipated four rate of interest cuts next year. The BoE is expected to keep interest rates on hold at 4.75%. this month, however deliver about 79 basis points worth of rate cut. by the end of next year. Individually, Britain's dominant services sector slowed in. November, although not as much as very first feared, as a looming. increase in company taxes weighed on companies' working with plans, a study. revealed. Legal & & General climbed up 6% to top the FTSE 100. after the life insurance provider stated it was preparing to return capital to. shareholders and was on track to fulfill its financial targets. A Reuters report stated that Shell is stepping. back from new offshore wind financial investments and is splitting its. power department. Its shares slipped 1%. ZIGUP was the leading loser on the midcap index, falling. 12.9% as the business lorry rental supplier's pretax earnings. fell 17.2% to 82 million pounds ($ 104.1 million) for the very first. half. On the global front, investors braced for an essential. no-confidence vote by French legislators that will likely oust. Prime Minister Michel Barnier's federal government. France's benchmark. index CAC 40 was up 0.7%.
-
Senator blast airline companies at oversight hearing over rising fees
Senators on Wednesday harshly slammed rising airline charges for luggage and seat projects, saying carriers are looking for brand-new methods to extract more cash from travelers. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who chairs the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, blasted providers at a hearing with American Airlines, United Airlines Delta Air Lines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier executives. Airlines nowadays view their consumers as little bit more than strolling piggy banks to be shaken down for every single possible dime, Blumenthal said. Republican Senator Josh Hawley questioned why some airlines charge passengers various charges for baggage on the same flight. This is Russian roulette, Hawley said. Nobody takes pleasure in flying on your airline companies. It's a catastrophe. ... It's dreadful. It's absolutely terrible A report launched by Blumenthal last week divulged the five airline companies collectively earned $12.4 billion in profits from seat charges between 2018 and 2023. Blumenthal's panel spent a year investigating, finding providers are increasingly using algorithms to set charges. Providers are dealing with customer-specific rates to. discriminate against travelers, and to raise fares and fees for. customers the airline thinks will pay more, Blumenthal stated. Airlines say the costs are transparent and they need to offer. consumers options while they deal with increasing expenses. American Airlines Vice Chair Stephen Johnson stated carriers. need to attract the most budget-conscious consumers. Delta. executive Peter Carter said the carrier supplies choices and. worth for each customer. ... Charge practices that wear down the trust. and loyalty of our consumers are not in our best interests. United executive Andrew Nocella stated ending family seating. in 2023 and Wifi charges next year will lower revenues by hundreds. of millions of dollars. Blumenthal's committee discovered budget plan carriers Frontier and. Spirit paid $26 million to gate representatives and others between 2022. and 2023 to capture travelers not spending for bag fees or having. large products. Frontier workers can make $10 for each bag guests must. check at the gate, the report said. Frontier CEO Barry Biffle. safeguarded the practice, telling Reuters passengers who were. trying to avert paying were shoplifting. Spirit executive. Matthew Klein said the airline stopped paying workers for. capturing travelers on Sept. 30. Previously this year, airlines sued to block the U.S. Transport Department's brand-new guideline on upfront cost disclosure,. while carriers in 2018 successfully lobbied against bipartisan. legislation to mandate reasonable and proportional baggage and. modification charges.
-
Air Canada to present carry-on costs for fundamental fare passengers
Air Canada stated on Wednesday it will begin charging for larger carryon bags from guests choosing for its lowestpriced fundamental fare for The United States and Canada paths beginning Jan. 3. Passengers will now have to pay for bigger items such as roller-boards or duffel bags, or big knapsacks under the brand-new terms. The carrier will charge C$ 35 for the very first bag and C$ 50. for a 2nd. United Airlines has executed a comparable policy,. requiring fundamental economy passengers to pay a minimum of $35 for. carry-on bags. All travelers can still bring a small personal product that. fits under the seat, such as a purse or laptop bag. Airlines have actually increased inspected baggage costs for North American flights, pointing out increasing upkeep and. labor agreement costs. Air Canada will also charge basic fare guests an. added fee if they want to change their seat from the one. designated at check-in. The Montreal-based flag provider included it will increase. examined luggage allowance for customers taking a trip worldwide on. its comfort economy fare, with passengers now entitled to check. two complimentary bags.
-
Russia, Pakistan go over cooperation on oil and gas expedition, Ifax reports
Russia and Pakistan talked about cooperation on oil and gas offshore expedition and refining at intergovernmental conferences this week in Moscow, the Interfax news firm reported, pointing out Russia's deputy energy minister. Talks also covered the possibility of Russia providing Pakistan with petroleum and grains, according to the report. Yesterday we received a rather fascinating proposition from Pakistan in the location of offshore?? oil and gas expedition, increasing oil healing at fully grown fields, and in oil refining, the deputy minister stated. We export food and farming items, (and) anticipate the resumption of grain supplies. We favorably assess the growth in exports of Russian-made mineral fertilizers to Pakistan that has emerged this year, Marshavin stated, according to Interfax. Moscow and Islamabad have been talking about long-term crude oil supply deals during current meetings. Russia began regular oil supplies to Pakistan in 2022 as an EU embargo on Moscow's. energy materials pushed it to seek brand-new buyers for its fuel. There are steady deliveries of Russian oil to Pakistan ... Work is underway to increase such deliveries and diversify. commodity groups, Roman Marshavin said, according to the. report. Earlier Pakistan's Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik stated his. government had actually restarted talks with Russia over unrefined supply,. though he denied local media reports that Pakistan was closing a. deal to import one cargo of petroleum from Russia each month. from January.
-
JetBlue projections smaller sized 2024 earnings dip as domestic travel need gets
JetBlue Airways stated on Wednesday it expects a smallerthanexpected drop in its 2024 revenue as domestic travel demand rebounded following the U.S. governmental election. Shares of the carrier increased more than 5% in premarket trading. JetBlue now expects annual profits to decline between 3.5%. and 4.5%, compared to the 4% to 5% fall projected earlier. The airline company had in October forecast a bigger-than-expected. fall in 2024 revenue in the middle of a small amounts in domestic travel need. ahead of the U.S. elections. The New York-based airline company said on Wednesday enhanced. bookings closer to departure dates over the Thanksgiving week. improved revenue during the November vacation peak. The airline company likewise said reservations for December travel went beyond. its previous expectations. JetBlue stated it now expects its 2024 profits per offered. seat mile, a proxy for prices power, to drop in between 3% and 4%,. compared to the 2.5% to 4.5% decline it estimated earlier.
-
Ivory Coast cocoa exporters fear drop in products after poor weather condition
Multinational cocoa exporters running in Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa manufacturer, fear a. drop in products from farmers in the coming months after negative. weather struck crops, raising the prospect that a few of them might. default on contracts. Up until now this season, the volume of beans getting to ports is. up 34% on the very same time in 2023-24. But last season was the. worst in a years, according to the director of a European. purchaser, speaking on condition of anonymity. If you compare arrivals to 2022, a regular season, we are. 15% below that. That means the scenario isn't rosy, regardless of. appearances, stated a second European exporter. In the west and southwestern areas that produce more than. half of Ivory Coast's cocoa, joy has given way to frustration. after heavy rains harmed crops. We enjoyed at the start of October, however the rains. shown up and destroyed whatever. Today we only have a few pods to. harvest and nothing more, said Daniel Konan Kanga, a farmer who. owns six hectares in the western city of Duekoue. There's absolutely nothing more to harvest, said Simon Djedje, who. owns five hectares in the southwestern area of Soubre. In the Ivorian bush, cooperatives, purchasers and intermediaries say. the bulk of the main harvest was finished in November, and. scarcities are anticipated to last through February or March. Typically, the primary crop peaks in December, and the mid-crop. harvest starts in April. I do not see how we can meet our target volumes with two or. three months of low arrivals, stated another director at a. international exporter in the port of San Pedro. It's clear that production will be weak for 2 months. through January and February, perhaps even March. It will be. illogical..
Power sector drives development in US natural gas demand: Maguire
The power sector is the only significant consumer of natural gas that has revealed consistent demand development over the last few years, and has actually become the driving force behind gas demand in the United States as consumption from other sectors declines.
Gas usage by power generators has broadened by around 3.5% a year over the previous 3 years, and is by far the largest single source of gas usage in the U.S., data from LSEG programs.
However by volume, growth in natural gas use by the power sector was exceeded by declines in others. Typical gas usage by power companies grew by 70 billion cubic feet daily in 2023, while typical combined intake by market, homes and commercial users fell by 114 billion cf/day.
Power firms represented around 44.4% of overall domestic gas use in 2023, compared to around 29% by market, 15.5% by families and 11% by commercial users.
Industrial gas demand has declined by around 0.3% a year over the past 3 years, while residential and business gas need has diminished by around 0.5% and 0.7% annually respectively, according to LSEG's gas demand designs.
The growing concentration of gas usage within the power sector poses a potential threat to the U.S. gas production sector, as further fast decarbonization of power systems could trigger a. swift decline in gas need for power while other major. intake sources are already in decline.
ELECTRIC PUSH
A broad push to amaze certain heating and power systems. across homes and services has represented much of the cuts. to gas use outside power generation.
Electricity-powered heatpump and boilers have actually replaced. gas-fired heating systems in scores of homes and businesses in current. years, although the rate of heat pump sales has actually slowed due to. high electricity rates and rate of interest.
A record 4.3 million heat pumps were offered in the United. States in 2022, which was the very first year that heatpump sales. gone beyond sales of gas-powered furnaces in the nation,. according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration. Institute (AHRI).
Heat pump sales slowed to 3.6 million in 2023, and through. May of 2024 totalled 1.564 million units compared to 1.643. million systems during the same months of 2023, AHRI information shows.
Regardless of the slowing sales speed, the cumulative effect of the. installed pumps on gas demand has expanded, as each unit has. displaced some quantity of direct gas consumption.
POWER SWITCH
Price quotes on the precise volumes of gas displacement. by heat pumps are scant, as a lot of evaluations made by industry. tend to be in terms of cost savings instead of in terms of the. volume of nonrenewable fuel source consumption that is cut.
More complicating the gas-impact calculus is the reality. that lots of heatpump setups frequently replace one type of. energy consumption for another - from the direct burning of gas. in on-site boilers to electrical power provided by power companies.
And as that additional quantity of electrical energy should in turn. be produced primarily by power firms, the net result on total. gas usage in the United States remains difficult to discern.
That said, high-level need information reveal clear patterns.
Overall U.S. natural gas consumption throughout the very first half of. 2024 was up 2.3% from the same months in 2023.
Gas demand from power producers was up 5.2% from the very first. half of in 2015, while need from all other major gas users. was up just 0.5%, LSEG information programs.
Amongst non-power uses, gas need was 3.1% higher amongst. industrial users throughout the first half of 2024 from the exact same. period last year, but down 2.5% among residences and 1.2% lower. amongst industrial users.
That large divergence in use trends recommends that gas. intake may be close to peaking among non-power users, while. continuing to expand in the power generation sector.
GAS GROWTH
A constant increase over the previous 5 years in the proportion. of electrical power produced from gas further shows. the significance of the power sector to the natural gas industry.
Gas created 42.41% of utility-scale electrical power. production in 2023, according to energy think tank Cinder.
That share compares to 35% in 2018 and 24% in 2010, and. reveals how power companies have actually beefed up their reliance on natural. gas for electrical power generation while progressively lowering. generation from coal.
Coal's share of U.S. electrical energy generation was 16% in 2023,
below 27% in 2018 and 45% in 2010, Ember data programs.
Electricity generation from solar and wind farms was 15.6%. in 2023, compared to 9% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2010.
A further steady expansion in eco-friendly electrical power. generation is expected over the coming years, which might help. power companies make further cuts to output from coal-fired plants. as part of emissions reduction objectives.
But power manufacturers look set to stay heavy users of. gas for electricity generation, as gas plants can be. quickly throttled up and down to match the ups and downs of. power demand needs and to plug any generation shortages during. periods of low output from sustainable sources.
DEMAND PATTERN
Overall U.S. electrical power demand looks set to broaden as more. energy end-uses become amazed and as total power. usage climbs up from data centres and due to artificial. intelligence calculations.
Over the close to medium term, that greater power demand. outlook bodes well for the gas production sector, even. if direct gas usage in homes and commercial buildings. continues to agreement.
However over the longer run, the continuing concentration of gas. demand among the power sector poses a potential threat for the gas. market.
Numerous energy systems have plans to phase out gas-fired. generation and replace that power with a combination of. renewable energy generation together with battery storage systems. that can save surplus renewable power for later use.
Over the coming years, battery systems look set to stay. far too small to pose any considerable risk to gas demand.
However if utility-scale battery systems continue their current. quick growth while dropping in expense, goals for wholesale. renewables + battery systems might come true and start to. capture out gas from power systems in a years or so.
And if that occurs while other sources of gas need also. shrink, a major gas supply surplus might emerge. << The viewpoints expressed here are those of the author, a. columnist .>
(source: Reuters)