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Charity groups say that ships near Italy have rescued 32 migrants and 71 others who were lost at sea.
Rescue charities reported that two merchant ships near the Italian coast recovered the bodies?of?two migrants?and rescued 32 survivors?from a boat attempting to?cross?to europe from Libya at Easter weekend. The survivors claimed 71 other people were lost at sea. Mediterranea Save Humans and Sea-Watch, two groups that work together to save lives in the Mediterranean, have confirmed the victims' transfer to a patrol boat of the Italian coast guard and their arrival on the Italian island of Lampedusa. The Italian?interior minister said that it did not have any comment to make on the report. The Italian?Coast Guard didn't immediately respond to a request for a comment. Sunday is Easter in Italy. The rescue charities reported that survivors said 105 people were on board the ship, but 71 of them drowned at sea. A video released by Sea-Watch showed a dozen people holding on to a capsized, orange boat when the merchant ship approached it. The 'Mediterranean has been ravaged by bad weather this year. This has limited the number of departures out of North Africa, and caused serious problems for those who have managed to set sail. IOM estimates that at least 683 people have died in the central Mediterranean this year. This is the highest death toll since 2014. (Reporting and Editing by William Maclean, Joshua McElwee and Matteo Negri)
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Trump says he will strike Iran's infrastructure on Tuesday, if the Strait is blocked
In a sarcastic social media post published on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States would target Iran's bridges and power plants on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened. In Iran, Tuesday will be "Power Plant Day" and "Bridge Day", all rolled into one. It will be a first !!!" Trump stated in a "Truth Social" post that Tehran had effectively closed the main shipping lane since the U.S. launched its attacks against Iran over a month ago. Trump concluded his?Easter Morning post by saying: "Praise to Allah." Separately, the president said that he would hold a news conference in the Oval Office on Monday after?the U.S. The?pilots of the?downed aircraft in Iran. (Reporting and editing by Susan Heavey; Dan Burns, Ros Russel)
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Shipping data shows that a tanker loaded with Iraqi crude oil passes through Hormuz.
Data from LSEG/Kpler showed that an oil 'tanker' loaded with Iraqi crude was seen transiting the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast a few days after Iran announced Iraq was exempted from any restrictions on transiting this vital -sea route. Kpler data shows that the Ocean Thunder loaded approximately 1 million barrels of Basrah heavy crude on March 2. It is expected to "discharge" its cargo in Pengerang, Malaysia by mid-April. Iran closed the Strait after U.S. airstrikes and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February escalated a conflict. Later, it said that vessels without U.S. and Israeli connections would be allowed to pass through the strait. In recent days, three Omani tankers, as well as a French-owned container vessel?and a Japanese owned?gas carrier?have crossed.
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Leaders say that explosives were found near a gas pipeline in Serbia that supplies Hungary.
Leaders from Serbia and Hungary said that explosives of "devastating power" were discovered near the Turkstream pipeline in Serbia, which carries Russian gas to Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minster Viktor Orban claimed that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had told him explosives were found near the pipeline transporting Russian gas from the Balkans into Central and Eastern Europe. Vucic, an ally close to Orban, wrote on Instagram that "our units found explosives of devastating power." "I told Orban, the?PM that we would keep you updated on this investigation." Orban, after a phone call with Vucic on Sunday, announced in a post on Facebook that he called an "extraordinary defence council meeting". The incident occurs a week ahead of the pivotal election on April 12, where Orban, a nationalist, is fighting to maintain his 16-year hold on power. His party trails in polls the opposition Tisza Party. Orban had increased security around the energy infrastructure of?the nation in February. He raised the stakes for?the elections by saying that it was a matter of choosing between war and peace. Budapest is also embroiled in a dispute with Ukraine due to a halt in oil deliveries via the Druzhba Pipeline. Orban's Fidesz has tried to link?opposition leader Peter Magyar with Brussels and Ukraine by suggesting that voting for his Tisza Party means voting for war and tanks. (Reporting and writing by Krisztina than; editing by Hugh Lawson, Helen Popper, and Edward McAllister)
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After drone attacks, a fuel reservoir was hit in Primorsk. The NORSI refinery is on fire.
Russian authorities reported that a drone attack caused fuel to leak at the port of Primorsk in Russia's Baltic Sea, and an oil refinery called?NORSI? caught fire after a drone strike. Ukraine intensified its attacks against Russian energy infrastructure over the last month to damage Russia's main source of revenue, and undermine its military power. Alexander Drozdenko, the governor of Leningrad's north-western?region, initially claimed that a pipeline had been damaged in Primorsk. Primorsk is one of Russia’s major oil exporting ports. Later, he said on Telegram that the pipeline wasn't damaged but the fuel reservoir near the port was leaking when it was struck by shrapnel. U.S. commercial images of satellites taken by on Thursday showed that the drone attack in Ukraine last month destroyed at least 40% of Primorsk's storage facilities, which are capable of handling 1 million barrels of oil per day. Around 40% of Russia's ability to export oil was shut down last month due to the attacks and the closing of the Druzhba Pipeline in Ukraine. Also, tankers with a Russian connection were seized. OIL REFINERY ON FIRE Gleb Nikitin (the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region) said on Telegram on Sunday that a fire broke out at Russia's NORSI Oil Refinery, the fourth largest in the country, after a drone strike. He added that two facilities were also?hit. According to initial information, a "power station" and "several houses" were damaged in the attack. However, no one was injured. NORSI can process up to 16 million metric tons of oil a year or 320,000 barrels a day. Andrey Kravchenko is the mayor of Novorossiysk, Russia's biggest?port along the Black Sea. He said that an air alert had been triggered due to the drone attack threat. During such alerts, oil loadings are typically suspended, including at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal that handles Kazakhstan's oil exports. Kevin Buckland, Hugh Lawson and Kevin Buckland edited the report.
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Sheriff's Office: Vehicle crashes into Louisiana crowd injuring 15 at least
Law enforcement officials reported that a car slammed into crowd in New Iberia (Louisiana) on Saturday. Some of the injuries were critical. Rebecca Melancon, spokesperson for the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office, said that a suspect was arrested and an investigation is?ongoing' following the incident. The incident occurred near a celebration of 'Lao New Year'. She said it was not clear whether the incident in the car was intentional. Acadian Ambulance announced on social media that it transported 13 people to hospital. The ambulance service posted on X that two of the 13 people were airlifted. The Louisiana Lao New Year Festival organizers announced on Facebook that they were canceling Saturday night's concerts as well as the alcohol sales. The organizers posted on Facebook: "We're?deeply saddened" by the news about the?incident that occurred near the festival grounds. "We are pleading for the?victims and their families in this difficult time." This three-day festival, held every Easter weekend, includes live music and a parade as well as other activities celebrating the Lao new year. Noel Randewich reported from San Francisco, Sergio Non edited by Matthew Lewis and Matthew Lewis.
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Chelsea tries to turn the corner after Port Vale's 7-0 FA Cup defeat
Chelsea is hoping Saturday's 7-1 thrashing over Port Vale, in the FA Cup quarterfinals, will?draw a line under the dismal.run of form and the internal turmoil that threatened to?ruin their season. Chelsea's coach Liam Rosenior announced on Friday that Enzo Fernandez, the club's vice captain and record-breaking signing, would be suspended from playing for two matches after suggesting he may leave. Chelsea has been in a state of crisis ever since they were beaten 8-2 on aggregate by European champions Paris St Germain in the Champions League and suffered domestic league losses to?Newcastle United & Everton in a fraught 10-day period in March. The goal-fest on Saturday, despite being against Port Vale who are likely to be relegated into the fourth division of English football in the near future, at least brought smiles to Chelsea's fans and players. Rosenior said to reporters that "when you 'go through a difficult time, like we did during that 10-day period... you come out stronger, and you know what you want to fix," he explained. Rosenior said that the recent international break, and the big win on Saturday could help lift his mood after he had been thrown into a busy?schedule in January when Enzo Maresca unexpectedly left Stamford Bridge. Rosenior stated, "I have a group who believe as I do that we can still have an outstanding year in terms winning the FA Cup and qualifying for Champions League." Rosenior, when asked about Fernandez’s reaction to the suspension of his player, said that it was "brilliant", to see him in attendance at Saturday’s match. Next Sunday, in the Premier League, Chelsea will face a tougher test. They will host Manchester City in second place. Both teams will be chasing the table-toppers Arsenal. Fernandez is still absent. Chelsea hadn't scored a goal in more than 300 minutes in any competition before Saturday, but the Dutch defender Jorrel hato put them in front after Port Vale failed to clear a set-piece. Brazil striker Joao Peter misled his marker with an ingenious dummy, before making it to 2-0. The Blues went 3-0 ahead before the half when Port Vale’s Jordan Lawrence Gabriel deflected Cole Palmer's shot into his own goal. Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Tosin Adarabioyo scored goals with their heads in the eighth minute. Brazil's Estevao then reacted quickly to an Alejandro Garnacho effort that had hit the post. The rout was halted by a late Garnacho penalty. Port Vale's fans, despite the fact that they failed to score a single goal in the game, took over Stamford Bridge's Shed End. (Writing and editing by Andrew Cawthorne; William Schomberg)
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Kenya fuel executives resign as state probes supply chain irregularities
The office of President William Ruto announced on Saturday that senior executives in Kenya's Energy Sector resigned after being accused of manipulating fuel stock data and procuring a 'emergency cargo' at inflated prices. Ruto accepted Mohamed Liban's resignation as principal secretary for Petroleum. The Kenya Pipeline Company also confirmed that Joe Sang had resigned from his position as managing director. According to the?statement, Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria has also resigned as director general of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority. It said that a formal investigation was launched into alleged irregularities within?Kenya’s petroleum supply chain. The government claimed that the manipulated data had been used to 'justify' the importation of fuel despite existing contracts with Saudi Aramco Trading Fujairah Ltd., Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Global Trading Ltd. and Emirates National Oil Company Singapore Ltd. All of these companies are fulfilling their contractual obligations. The emergency shipment, it claimed, was overpriced and of poor quality. It also claimed that the rates were significantly higher than what had been agreed in existing agreements. The statement stated that "this appears to have been done in order to exploit rising global prices and public anxieties, thus creating a false impression of an impending shortage." Fuel?supply issues linked to the Iran conflict have affected the global energy market. The statement stated that administrative action was taken against other officials, and?arrests were made by investigative agencies'. The arrestees were not identified. No charges have been filed. Reporting by Humphrey Malolo; Writing by Isaac Anyaogu; Editing by Bate and Ali Williams.
Don't get too fired up about China's growing gas use: Maguire
China has enhanced imports of melted gas (LNG) this year to the highest given that 2021 and has lifted naturalgas fired electrical power generation to record levels.
At a high level, rising purchases and use may recommend that China is beginning to rely more on gas to create power and electrical power in the nation, and that further boosts in both gas imports and consumption are looming.
However, a closer look at China's electrical power trends expose that gas plays only a very little function in the generation mix, and that renewables and other tidy power sources hold much greater prominence when it comes to electricity production.
What's more, gas rates stay raised compared to power produced from coal and renewables, which is undermining gas' appeal as a power source among commercial companies which have been struck by China's sustaining home crisis and financial slowdown.
If smokestack companies continue to favour more affordable fuels for commercial applications while utilities prioritise renewables, there may be only really limited scope for additional natural gas usage boosts in China over the near to medium term.
A SMALLER SIZED PIECE OF A BIGGER PIE
Natural gas-fired electricity generation in China struck a. record 188 terawatt hours (TWh) over the very first 8 months of. 2024, Ash data programs.
That overall was 1.5% up from the very same months in 2023, and for. gas bulls was a sign of continued expansion of natural. gas in China's electricity generation system following a 6.4%. increase in gas-fired generation in 2023.
However, gas's share of overall utility-scale. electrical power generation declined to a seven-year low of 2.8% so. far in 2024, which is below a 3% share in 2023.
The disintegration of gas's slice of China's generation mix plainly. suggests that electrical power manufacturers have other concerns when. it comes to boosting electrical energy supplies.
Indeed, just bioenergy plants have a smaller share of. nationwide utility-scale electrical power supply, while production from. solar, wind and hydro properties are all a minimum of 3 times larger. than gas-fired output.
LNG IMPORTS
China's imports of LNG up until now this year have actually jumped by. almost 15% from the very same months in 2023, according to LSEG.
That growth rate easily went beyond the approximately 5% increase seen. into South Korea and the 2.5% development posted by Japan over the. same period.
The cumulative total of LNG shipped to China so far this. year was simply shy of 80 billion cubic meters, according to LSEG,. and the highest because 2021 for the very same period.
That upturn in LNG need does show higher gas use by. both power companies and other end users such as factories and. plants.
Nevertheless, the power produced from imported LNG is approximated. to be roughly $30-$ 40 more costly per megawatt hour than that. produced using coal, according to the Institute for Energy. Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
That indicates that only those firms that have actually already replaced. coal-fired boilers with gas-fired set-ups are burning that gas,. while those plants that can still utilize coal or other fuels for. power are burning that instead and keeping clear of costly gas.
A sustained recovery in total industrial demand will. likely trigger more LNG imports and utilize in China going. forward, specifically by those companies that don't have the methods to. use coal rather.
However unless LNG expenses come materially lower over the near. term, couple of other Chinese industrial users are anticipated to register. for a switch to gas - especially if China's overall economy. stays wobbly and commercial earnings scarce.
OUTGROWN
Gas's use prospects likewise look restricted in the electrical power. production realm.
Given that 2018, Chinese utilities have enhanced output from solar. farms by 378% and by 163% from wind farms, however have raised. gas-fired generation by only 36%.
What's more, energies have included nearly 14 times more. renewables generation capacity as gas-fired capacity considering that 2018,. and continue to speed up the build-out of solar and wind farms. throughout the country.
The resulting electrical energy production network is clearly. geared to prioritise clean power over fossil power, although. coal remains the biggest single fuel source in China's. generation system.
Certainly, cumulative electricity output from solar, wind,. hydro and nuclear plants hit new highs up until now this year, and has. climbed up 20% from the exact same months in 2023.
That strong jump pushed tidy power's share of the general. generation mix to a new high of 38%, and helped cut fossil. fuel's share to a record low 62%.
Given Beijing's pledge to end up being carbon neutral by 2060,. even more high boosts in tidy energy generation are required,. while only restricted boosts in fossil power are expected.
Further, China's energies mean to rely more on coal than. other fossil fuels as the primary pillar of electrical power output, and. are developing new coal capability to change outdated plants and. ensure grid stability as total power need continues to grow.
That leaves little scope for any significant rise to natural. gas's generation footprint in China, even if LNG imports and. gas-fired output continue to nudge gradually higher in the near to. medium term.
<< The viewpoints expressed here are those of the author, a. columnist .>
(source: Reuters)