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• Sources say that Kazakhstan's Tengiz Oil Field will remain closed for 7-10 more days.

  Three industry sources have said that oil production in Kazakhstan's vast Tengiz field, which is one of the largest in the world, may be stopped for 7-10 days after it shut down on Sunday. This would cut crude exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. Tengizchevroil, the operator of Tengiz-Korolevskoye Field, announced on Monday that production had been halted due to problems with power supply. According to KazMunayGas, the state-owned KazMunayGas, a fire had broken out on January 18 at two turbine transformers located at GTES-4, the power station for this field. One source stated that "TCO's production is down until the end of the week but this could continue until February." Three sources said that, due to the incident?TCO already cancelled five cargoes totaling 600,000-700,000.00 metric tons of CPC Blend crude scheduled to be shipped out from CPC's terminal at Black Sea in January and Feb. Chevron, the largest shareholder of TCO, did not respond immediately to a comment request. Sources spoke on condition of anonymity. TCO's press service responded to an inquiry Tuesday by confirming that production has temporarily been suspended at?Tengiz & Korolevskoye, as a "precautionary measure". They did not specify the cause of fire or when production will resume. Source: Other producers are raising output. One source familiar with the data stated that the fall in Tengiz's oil production has not yet affected Kazakhstan’s overall production, as other producers have increased their extraction. Kazakhstan's crude oil production dropped by 35% between December and the first 12 days in January due to restrictions on CPC exports. According to the source, the output of two huge Caspian fields, Kashagan & Karachaganak began to increase rapidly in the days following. Kashagan's average daily production increased by 28% to 197,000 barrels between January 1-12 and January 1-19, while Karachaganak saw a 21% increase to 156,000 barrels. Tengiz's production increased by 6% in the period to 360,000 barrels a day. The press offices of Karachaganak Petroleum Operating, and NCOC did not reply to requests for comments. The source stated that "NCOC, KPO and CPC are partially compensating the Tengiz shut down. But in a few days CPC will start to reduce throughput." Kazakhstan exports the majority of its oil through CPC. However, due to damage at the marine terminal located in Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka to the infrastructure, some crude is redirected into the Baku-Tbilisi Ceyhan (BTC), and then to Germany via Druzhba. ExxonMobil, KazMunayGas, and Lukoil are also project partners. KazMunayGas holds 20% of TCO while ExxonMobil has 25%. (reporters in MOSCOW; additional reporting by Robert Harvey, LONDON. Editing by Guy Faulconbridge & Jan Harvey).

• EU to phase out high-risk technology targets Huawei and Chinese companies

  According to a draft of a proposal released on Tuesday by the European Commission, the European Union intends to phase out equipment and components?from high risk suppliers in critical industries. This move is expected to impact Huawei and other Chinese technology companies. The revisions of the EU Cybersecurity Act are a response to an increase in cyber attacks, ransomware, and concerns over foreign interference, spying, and Europe's dependency on technology from third-country suppliers. The Commission of the 27-nation bloc did not mention any country or company. Europe has however been hardening their stance towards the use Chinese equipment. Germany, for instance, appointed an expert committee to rethink its trade policy toward Beijing and ban the use Chinese components in future 6G networks. The United States has banned the approval of new telecommunications gear from Huawei and ZTE by 2022, and encouraged Europe to follow suit. NEW MEASURES CREATE MORE SAFETY, TECH SOVEREIGNTY, EU ?SAYS In a press release, EU tech chief Henna Vikkunen stated that the Cybersecurity Package would allow the EU to not only better protect its critical supply chains (information and communication technology), but also combat cyber attacks in a decisive manner. China's Foreign Ministry, in response to an earlier report on the plans, called the restriction of Chinese firms without legal basis "naked protectionionism". It urged the EU provide a fair and transparent business environment that is non-discriminatory for Chinese companies. The new measures are applicable to 18 sectors that were identified by the Commission. These include detection equipment, connected vehicles and automated vehicles (including autonomous and connected cars), electricity supply systems, storage of electricity, water supply system, drones, and anti-drone systems. The list also includes medical devices, surveillance technology, semiconductors, and cloud computing services. In 2020, the Commission adopted a "toolbox" of security measures to limit the use of high-risk vendors like Huawei because of concerns over possible sabotage and espionage. Despite the high costs, some countries are still unable to remove high-risk devices. The Commission's proposal on Tuesday stated that mobile telecom operators would have 36 months to remove key components from high-risk vendors after the publication of this list. Later, the phase-out period for fixed networks including fibre optics, submarine cables and satellite networks will also be announced. "This is a?important step to ensuring our European technological sovereignty and ensuring a higher level of safety for everyone," Virkkunen stated. The draft proposal stated that restrictions on suppliers from countries with cybersecurity concerns would only be implemented after a risk analysis initiated by either the Commission or three EU member states. Any measures would be taken based on a market analysis and an impact assessment. Before the updated Cybersecurity act can become law, it will need to be approved by EU countries and European Parliament within the next few months. (Reporting and editing by Joe Bavier; Foo Yunchee is the reporter)

• Ethiopian Airlines orders nine Boeing 787 Dreamliners for long-haul flights

  Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest airline, has placed an order for nine Boeing 787 Dreamliners to meet the growing demand for long distance travel. Widebody jets are in high demand as airlines look to reduce operating costs and increase capacity. Ethiopian Airlines is planning to use the 787-9 jets in order to expand their network beyond the current 145 international destinations. As part of the?strategic plan to advance sustainable aviation, CEO Mesfin Tasew stated on Tuesday that "we will continue to purchase more aircraft and adopt new technologies." The airline also completed a?purchase of?11 737 MAX jets. The airline had committed to buy these jets at the Dubai Airshow in last year. (Reporting and editing by Shilpa Majumdar in Bengaluru.

• WSJ reports that Elliott invests in Stratolaunch, a hypersonic flight company.

  The Wall Street Journal reported that activist investor Elliott 'Investment Management' has acquired a stake in a company called Stratolaunch. This hypersonic flight company has successfully tested a reusable hypersonic aircraft for the U.S. Military. The Journal reported that Elliott would also gain board representation at privately-held Stratolaunch and its investment is worth several hundreds of millions of dollars. The WSJ reported that the 'exact size' was unknown. Could not 'immediately confirm the WSJ report. Elliott and Stratolaunch didn't immediately respond to our request for comments. In May of last year, the Pentagon announced that Stratolaunch had been part of a successful second test of an a Hypersonic test vehicle that can be reused Following an earlier test in December 2024 of its Talon-A car that was not publicly announced. The reusable 'Talon-A' rocket can be quickly re-launched at a lower cost than single-use rockets. This will accelerate the development of 'U.S. Hypersonic weapons are being developed that operate at speeds of up to six times the sound speed. During their development, the vehicle will be used for carrying hypersonic weapon systems.

• Trump Administration appeals to limit agents' tactics towards Minnesota protesters

  The Trump administration announced on Saturday that it would appeal a ruling made by a federal judge who had placed limits on the tactics used by US immigration agents. Immigration agents are operating in Minneapolis. Lawyers for the Department of Justice filed a brief filing in court to appeal an order that was issued on Friday by a judge prohibiting federal officers from arresting and tear-gassing peaceful protesters and?observers. The order was issued in response to a suit filed on December 17 against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies. Three weeks later an immigration agent fatally stabbed Renee Good (37-year-old) in Minneapolis. Waves of protests followed the shooting. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has sent thousands of immigration agents to Minneapolis as part of an effort to increase deportations for people who are in the country illegally. Since an ICE agent allegedly shot Good, tensions have risen over the deployment. Six protesters and observers brought the case in court, claiming that ICE agents had violated their constitutional rights. The order prohibits federal officers detaining peaceful protesters or people who are observing officers unless they have a reasonable suspicion that the person is interfering with police or has committed a criminal offense. Federal agents are prohibited from using tear gas, pepper spray or any other crowd control munitions on peaceful protesters or innocent bystanders who observe and record immigration enforcement operations. (Reporting and editing by Caitlin Gregorio, David Gregorio and Jason Lange)

• UK Starmer calls on a 'calm conversation' to avoid a trade war with the US over Greenland

  Keir starmer, British Prime Minister, called for calm discussions on Monday to avoid a possible trade war between the United States and Greenland. He appealed to President Donald Trump to "respect" alliances like NATO instead of undermining them. Starmer tried to deescalate the verbal war by essentially ruling out any retaliatory measures against the United States in the event that Trump followed through on his threat to impose import tariffs from Britain and other seven countries unless Greenland was made available to the United States. He used an early morning Press Conference He said that "pragmatic doesn't mean passive" to describe the values underlying his approach towards Trump. STARMER SAYS THAT TARIFFS SHOULD not be used against allies Starmer, who had told Trump on Sunday that the tariffs he was threatening were incorrect, doubled down and said he would "use all of government's strength" to try to stop this U.S. move, which, he claimed, could only harm already stretched families. Starmer added that he did not want to escalate the tariff war. "A tariff battle is not in anyone's interest, and we haven't reached that stage." My focus is to make sure that we do not reach this stage. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on imports of goods from eight countries that sent small numbers military personnel to Greenland in the past week. This follows Trump's repeated claims he wants to seize Denmark's vast Arctic Island to ensure U.S. safety. Starmer claimed he Tell Trump On Sunday, these forces were "clearly" there to assess the risk posed by Russians and take action. He expressed his hope that "real clarity" had now been achieved. The British Prime Minister signaled that his approach would be different from the European Union's, which has discussed several options for a response, including a Tariffs and tariff packages Imports from the U.S. totaling 107.7 billion dollars (93 billion euros). He said that instead, Britain should nurture a relationship crucial to UK security, intelligence, and defence with the United States, while opposing the tariff threat, and working diplomatically in order to avoid it. Starmer warned that the threats could lead to a "downwards spiral" in Britain's trade, and a weakening of its alliances. "I don't want to see that," he said. But he added, "That doesn’t mean we put our principles and values to the side." We're clear on what our values and principles are. Starmer has a strong relationship with Trump. In May of last year, he was the first leader who secured a deal for a reduction in some tariffs. When asked if Trump is seriously considering his views, Trump replied that he did not believe this. Military action Starmer replied: "No, I don't." I believe that this issue can and should be resolved by calm discussion. (Reporting and writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by Sarah Young; and Andrew Heavens; and writing by Kate Holton, Elizabeth Piper and Alistair Smout; Catarina demony, Sarah Young; James Davey; and Paul Sandle.

• The Russian-owned Serbian refinery has enough crude oil to run through February

  Serbia's majority Russian owned oil company NIS announced on Monday that it had enough crude to keep its refinery running through February, after resuming imports under a newly-waived U.S. sanction waiver. NIS, in a?statement? on its website, confirmed the statement of energy minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, and announced that it had restarted its Pancevo refining plant, Serbia's sole refinery. It was reported that the first diesel quantities should be on sale on January 27. The refinery will be working throughout the month of February, it stated. "Further Work?will be coordinated?with decisions on enabling?operational activities of the company." In October, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of Treasury sanctioned NIS, in which Russia's Gazprom and Gazprom have majority stakes. This was part of broader sanctions targeting Russia's oil sector in response to Moscow's conflict in Ukraine. NIS has been?granted an exemption from sanctions by OFAC up until January 23. This allows it to import crude through Croatia's JANAF pipeline. The company has until the end of March to complete the sale of the Russian stakes. It is currently in the middle of negotiations with MOL, a Hungarian firm. Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian foreign minister, said that he expected that OFAC would approve the initial deal in the next few days. Gazprom owns 11.3% of NIS and Gazprom neft 44.9%. Serbian government owns 29.9% of NIS. (Reporting and editing by Louise Heavens, Ivana Sekularac)

• Committee approves bill to allow Uber and Lyft in Israel

  A committee of Israeli ministers approved on Sunday a law allowing shared ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft in Israel to operate in an effort to reduce taxi fares. The Transportation Ministry has proposed a reform that would allow "technology-based transport operators" to use models used successfully globally. However, this law still requires full approval from the Parliament. The Ministry noted that the Shared Transport Law, approved by the "Ministerial Committee for Legislation", would allow companies like Uber and Lyft to offer services via smart apps that connect private drivers and passengers. It was said that the move would increase transportation availability, especially during weekends and peak hours, as well as lower fares. The statement added that these?services are available in dozens of countries around the globe "and it is now time for them to be available in Israel." The law contains strict safety regulations, driver screenings, insurance coverage, and oversight of vehicle condition, as well as a mechanism to support the existing taxi industry?to ensure an equitable transition. Uber operated briefly in Israel, but only as a taxi service. It was shut down in 2023. Uber and other similar companies are not welcome in Israel. The new law is "a historic step" that will demolish outdated monopolies and create thousands of jobs. It will also open the market up to true competition, which benefits the public, said Transport Minister Miri Regev. She noted that the reform of shared rides would reduce traffic, remove private cars, and give citizens the ability to travel easily at a reasonable price. (Reporting and editing by Steven Scheer)

• Officials say at least 5,000 people have been killed in the unrest in Iran, while the judiciary suggests executions

  An Iranian official in the area said that at least 5,000 people were killed during protests in Iran. This included 500 security personnel. The figures were verified and the official accused "terrorists" and "armed rioters", of killing "innocent Iranians". On December 28, nationwide protests over economic hardship erupted. They grew over the next two weeks to include widespread demonstrations demanding the end of the clerical regime, resulting in one of the deadliest civil unrests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has repeatedly warned that he would intervene if protesters were killed or executed on the street. In a post on social media, Trump thanked Tehran leaders for cancelling scheduled mass executions. State media reported that Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, said on Saturday: "We won't drag our country into war but we won't let domestic or foreign criminals go unpunished." The judiciary hinted that executions could take place on Sunday. Asghar Jahangir, the Iranian judiciary's spokesperson, told a recent press conference that "a series of actions has been identified as Mohareb which is one of the most severe Islamic punishments". Iranian law punishes mohareb (a legal term in Islam meaning to wage war on God) with death. In an interview with Politico published on Saturday, Trump stated that "it is time to find new leadership for Iran". Khamenei - Iran's supreme authority - accused the country's longtime adversaries, the U.S., and Israel, of organising violence. He acknowledged "several thousands deaths". HRANA, a rights group based in the United States, said that on Saturday 3,308 deaths had been confirmed and 4,382 other cases are being investigated. The group confirmed that it had confirmed over 24,000 arrests. According to an Iranian official, the confirmed death toll is unlikely to be much higher. The official stated that the final death toll was not expected to rise sharply. He added that "Israel" and "armed groups abroad", had supported and outfitted those who took to the streets. The clerical elite regularly blames unrest in Iran on foreign enemies. These include the United States, Israel and other arch-foes of the Islamic Republic. Israel was the first to launch military strikes against Iran back in June. HIGHEST DEATH TOLL IN KURDISH AREAS The Iranian official who refused to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said that some of the most violent clashes, and the highest number of fatalities, occurred in the "Iranian Kurdish" areas of the country's northwestern region. Kurdish separatists are active in these areas, and past unrest has seen violent flare-ups in the region. Three sources informed? Three sources told? Hengaw, a Kurdish rights organization based in Norway, has stated that some of the most violent clashes occurred in Kurdish regions in the northwest during the protests which erupted late December. According to state media and residents, the violent crackdown has largely quelled protests. Internet blackouts have made it difficult to get information. They were lifted in part for a few early hours on Saturday. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported that the blackout appeared to have been reinstated late Saturday. (Reporting and Editing by Edmund Blair; Louise Heavens, PhilipaFletcher, Philipa Fletcher).

• NIS, a Russian company sanctioned by the US and owned by Russians, restarts Serbian refinery

  Serbia's energy ministry said that the majority-owned Russian oil company NIS had restarted its refinery in Serbia and resumed crude oil imports after receiving a waiver from United States sanctions. In an Instagram post, Energy Minister Dubravka Handanovic stated that the refinery was restarted following a break of nearly two months. She stated that the first diesel produced by the refinery following the restart of the plant should be on the market before January 27. In October, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which is part of the Treasury Department, imposed sanctions against NIS. The majority stake in NIS belongs to Russia’s Gazprom and Gazprom. NIS was given until the end of March to complete the sale of stakes to Russian companies. It is currently in the middle of negotiations with Hungary's MOL. Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian foreign minister, said that he expected that OFAC would approve the initial sale in the next few days. NIS, the sole oil refinery in Serbia was granted a sanction?reprieve until January 23 by OFAC, allowing it import crude oil through Croatia's JANAF pipe. Gazprom owns 11.3% of NIS and Gazprom neft 44.9%. Serbian government owns 29.9% of NIS. (Reporting and editing by Tom Hogue; Additional reporting by LefterisPapadimas)

• Iranian official: verified deaths in Iran protests at least 5,000

  A regional Iranian official said that authorities have'verified' at least 5,000 deaths in protests in Iran. This includes?about 500 security personnel. He blamed "terrorists" and "armed rioters", for the deaths of "innocent Iranians". The official who refused to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the matter, said that some of the 'heaviest clashes' and 'highest number of deaths occurred in the Iranian Kurdish regions in northwest Iran. This is a region in which?Kurdish Separatists are active, and where past unrest has seen the most violent flare-ups. The official stated that the final death toll was not expected to increase dramatically. He added that "Israel and other armed groups" abroad had supported and provided equipment for those who took the streets. The Iranian authorities blame the unrest on their enemies including Israel. Israel is an arch enemy of the Islamic Republic and launched military attacks on Iran in June. The HRANA rights group, based in the United States, said that on Saturday?the death toll reached 3,308, and another 4,382 were under review. The group said it had confirmed a total of more than 24,000 arrests. Hengaw (an Iranian Kurdish group based in Norway) has said that some of the most violent clashes occurred in Kurdish regions in the north-west during the protests which erupted late December. Edmund Blair, Louise Heavens and Edmund Blair are responsible for the editing.

• EU Summit Chair: European Union is weighing its response to Trump's Greenland Tariffs

  Antonio Costa, the European Council president, said that the EU is'very firm' in defending international law. He was responding to a question regarding new tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump. Costa also added that he was working on an "EU response" on this issue. Costa said at a press briefing after the EU signed a free-trade agreement with Mercosur and Trump threatened to impose tariffs on European allies for refusing to support his desire to take over Greenland. He continued, "For the time being, I'm coordinating a response from the European Union member states on this issue." (Writing and Editing by Mark Potter.)