Latest News
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Comoros suspends fuel price hikes after deadly protests
By Abdou Moustoifa MORONI, 16 MAY - Comoros has announced the suspension of the new fuel prices that were introduced as a response to the Iran War. The reversal comes after the price hikes led to protests and deadly clashes in the East African Archipelago. An announcement was made after protesters and security forces clashed on Anjouan island, resulting in the death of one person and the injury of five others. "The Comorian people's cries were heard by the government and Azali Assoumani (Assoumani). Listening to them was the only solution. At a press conference, Energy Minister Aboubacar?Said Anli stated that the goal was to maintain peace. Azali said that he suspended the decrees relating to the fuel price increase, which he said were "introduced" on May 9 to allow for discussions on the matter. On?Friday, clashes broke out following a meeting held between the mayor of Mirontsy on the island of Anjoua and the association of fishermen who have been on strike against the rising fuel price since Wednesday. In Mutsamudu - the capital of Anjouan - roads were also blocked by stones. The circumstances surrounding the death of the victim, who occurred near Mpage, are now being investigated by a judicial investigation. The unrest was a result of a wider strike that began Monday, after the government increased 'diesel prices' by 46% and gasoline by 35%. It cited the global oil prices surge caused by 'the war in the Middle East. According to the National Human Rights Commission, 39 people were detained after transport workers and shopkeepers paralyzed public transportation in Moroni's capital. The head of the merchants union and the?president? of the transport workers?union announced that the strike ended on Saturday.
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Tunisians protest Saied's arrests over economic strain
On Saturday, hundreds of Tunisians demonstrated in the capital Tunis against President Kais Saied. They accused him of undermining freedoms and preside over an escalating 'economic & social crisis. The protest was under the slogan "People are hungry and jails are full". Demonstrators demanded an end to the one-man rule, and displayed banners that denounced?arrests made of journalists, politicians and civil society figures amid fears?of a wider crackdown on dissent. The protesters used the police and the judiciary to silence their critics. They also said that Saied had failed to address the economic crisis. Tunisia faces a'severe economic strain', with a sluggish economy, high prices, shortages in food and medicine, financial pressures and deteriorating services. Saied, the man who disbanded parliament and started ruling by decree in the year 2022, is facing mounting criticism from rights groups for what they claim to be the destruction of the post-2011 democratic system. Saied denies these accusations and says that his "measures" are necessary to save the country from chaos. The bar association is calling for strikes over the erosion of judicial autonomy in the coming days, and the journalists' union will protest against restrictions on press freedom as well as journalists being jailed. Authorities claim they enforce the law, and deny accusations of political repression. Reporting by Tarek Amara. Mark Potter edited the story.
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China claims that the Trump visit is a 'preliminary deal'
China's 'commerce ministry' described the tariff, aircraft and agricultural deals as "preliminary". This was in response to Donald Trump's visit this week. Trump left Beijing Friday, after two days of talks between President Xi Jinping and Trump that were filled with pageantry and warm words but with limited details on tangible outcomes in trade and investment. The ministry announced on its website that the two parties had agreed to create an investment board and?a trade panel to negotiate reciprocal tariff reductions on specific products, as well as larger cuts on unspecified goods, including agricultural products. Beijing also said that both sides will work together to resolve issues of non-tariff tariff barriers and market access. "FINALISED?AS SOON as possible" The ministry stated that the U.S. will "actively promote" the resolution of China's longstanding concerns about?the automatic removal of aquatic products from China, the export of bonsai plants in growing media to America, and the recognition of Shandong Province as a region free of avian flu. The Chinese side also pledged to actively resolve U.S. concerns about the registration of beef plants and poultry meat exports from certain U.S. States to China. The ministry didn't identify any companies, or give details about volumes, values or timelines. China released its first public statement on Saturday, describing the results of trade talks held this week in Beijing & Seoul. This comes amid concerns about what Trump's 'first state visit' to China has achieved. Trump said that China had?agreed' to buy 200 Boeing planes, but analysts questioned this lack of timeline. The Commerce Ministry confirmed "arrangements" on "Chinese aircraft purchases from the United States" and U.S. assurances regarding the'supply of aircraft parts and engines to China", but did not elaborate. The statement said that discussions were ongoing and the agreement would "finalised as quickly as possible". Reporting by Eduardo Baptista. Mark Potter (Editing by Mark Potter).
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In Thailand, a freight train collision with a bus has resulted in at least eight deaths and 32 injuries
Rescue officials and the deputy transport minister reported that at least eight people died and 32 others were injured after a train struck a bus in Bangkok and ignited a fire. Officials said that firefighters and rescue crews responded to the incident as fires consumed the bus and vehicles nearby near the Airport Rail Link station in Makkasan. They added that the crash involved motorcycles and cars. According to preliminary reports, the bus was stopped "on the tracks" at a red signal, which prevented the crossing barriers from closing. Deputy Transport Minister,?Siripong, Angkasakulkiat, told reporters that the preliminary reports indicated the bus had been parked?on the track?, and therefore, prevented the crossing barriers from being closed. He added that the train, which was carrying containers, could not stop in time to prevent colliding with?the bus. Eight people died and 32 were injured. The wounded are being treated at various hospitals. "All eight of the dead were on that bus," he stated. Social media videos showed the train dragging several vehicles and the bus along the tracks. The bus was stuck in a red-light situation, and so couldn't move. Wanthong Kokpho said that cars were also "blocked" and could not move forward. The fire broke out immediately. The damage would have been worse if this was a normal workday. Officials said that rescue teams pulled injured victims out of the wreckage while fire crews battled with water hoses. They said that the fire had been brought under control and that crews were cooling down the area and venting gas while continuing to search for survivors. Authorities are investigating what caused the incident. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Thailand's roads are among the deadliest in the world due to a lack of enforcement of safety standards. Reporting by Orathai Shriring, Panarat Thepgumpanat, and Tananchai K. Keawsowattana. Editing by Louise Heavens & Joe Bavier
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One dead in Comoros as clashes erupt over rising fuel prices
By Abdou Moustoifa MORONI, 16 May - Five people were injured and one person killed in clashes between protesters on the comorian island of Anjouan and security forces, as unrest over fuel price increases spreads throughout the archipelago. The prosecutor stated in a Saturday statement that the Public Prosecutor's Office of Mutsamudu informed the public about a tragic incident which occurred in Anjouan in the Mpage region, and resulted in the death of a person, as well as five other injuries. After a meeting with the mayor of Mirontsy, and the 'fishermen association' which had been on strike since Wednesday in protest at rising fuel prices, there were clashes. In Mutsamudu (the capital of Anjouan), roads were blocked by stones. A judicial investigation was opened to determine what caused the death. The unrest is a result of a wider strike that began on Monday, after the government increased gasoline and diesel prices by 46% each. Citing the "Middle East" conflict as the reason for the increase. The strike by transport workers and shopkeepers has paralysed the public transportation system in Moroni. According to the National Human?Rights?Commission,?39 people were detained since the beginning of the strike. In an effort to reduce tensions, the government announced "cuts" to official travel and a reduction of 40% in customs fees. (Reporting and editing by Abdou Moostifa)
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The rising cost of diesel fuel from the Iran war is straining US school budgets
The rising cost of diesel since the onset of 'the Iran war' is draining budgets already stretched by U.S. schools districts. It makes it expensive to transport students and run generators. Schools from Yakima Washington to Waco Texas are using emergency funds reserves to keep buses running. Interviews reveal that officials in remote Alaska are scrambling to secure enough fuel to run the lights. Trevor Greene, Superintendent of Yakima said: "It is more than a straw on a camel's...back. It's like a big haystack." The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has had many knock-on effects, including the disruption of around one-fifth of world oil supplies. Fuel prices have risen at the fastest rate ever since the beginning of the war in late February. This spike has impacted economies all over the world. The spike has been so painful in the U.S. that it is a liability for Donald Trump in November's midterm elections, when the Republican Party is trying to hold onto a slim majority in the U.S. Congress. According to the American School Bus Council, U.S. bus operators consume more than 800 millions gallons of diesel per year. According to a new analysis by Samsara, a fleet management software provider, the cost to operate school buses in the United States has increased 67% since December. This is equivalent to an annual increase of $1.8 billion. James Rowan is the executive director of Association of School Business Officials International. He said that while districts can budget for higher costs in advance, the rapid swings in price make it difficult to do so accurately. "Even districts who have been able absorb costs through temporary measures or reserves this year may not have the same flexibility in the future." A survey of 188 U.S. School Districts, commissioned by AASA, and conducted in the week of May 4, revealed that close to a third are taking money from other funds to pay for their higher fuel costs. According to the survey results, school officials are looking for ways to cut costs. They consolidate bus routes, enforce anti-idling, change fuel buying practices, delay maintenance, and reduce administrative expenditure and staffing. "TREMENDOUSLY UNDERFUNDED" Yakima School district executives in Washington State said that the price of diesel they pay has recently increased by 64% on an annual basis to $6.30 per gallon. Greene said that at this price, the district's 60 buses would require an additional $213,000 in fuel costs per year. This is roughly equivalent to the salaries of two teachers. That is a big burden in an agriculture-dominated school district that has a poverty rate of 86%, and which is already "tremendously underfunded," he said. Jacob Kuper, district CFO, said that the district will instead buy its 30,000 gallon diesel tank in small quantities on days of low prices, rather than filling it. This is because it's "limping through the end" of the year. Christopher Mills of Thief River Falls Public Schools, in northwestern Minnesota said that diesel costs associated with transporting up to 800 students have increased around 30% since Iran's war began. Mills stated that the district was working to minimize direct impact on classrooms. "But if prices continue to rise, we may be forced to reduce support services for students." Even oil-rich Texas schools have not been spared. Waco Independent Schools District, which has over 80 buses, and average round-trip routes of 60 miles per day on average, reported an increase in diesel prices by 84% in early April. PRESSURE-PACKED Yupiit school district in Southwestern Alaska uses diesel generators to power the community and classrooms, not buses. Scott Ballard, Superintendent of the Yupiit District School Board in Akiachak, said during a phone interview that if they couldn't produce electricity then we wouldn't be able to run our school. The district, which has 550 students in it, is icebound most of the time, leaving a small window for fuel purchases. Ballard explained that leaders are now faced with a tough choice: Do they lock-in a price nearly 66% higher than the previous year, or do they gamble on prices falling? We're under a lot of pressure. Some of the biggest school districts in the United States are partially protected from fuel price fluctuations. Paul Quinn Mori is the president of the New York School Bus Contractors Association. He said that the district in New York City, which has the largest population in the country, outsources approximately 60%?of pupil transport. This arrangement often transfers fuel price changes from the district to the contractors. Los Angeles Unified, the second largest school district in the country, has been moving towards diesel-powered vehicles for many years. A district spokesperson revealed that 70% of its 1,300 bus fleet runs on batteries or alternative fuels. A spokesperson stated that "rising diesel prices continue impacting Los Angeles Unified’s transportation budget. However, the district has taken active steps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels by investing in clean transportation." (Reporting and editing by David Gregorio; Lisa Baertlein)
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In April, Iraq exported 10,000,000 barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
Basim Mohammed, Iraq's new Oil Minister, told a?press?conference on Saturday that the country exported 10 million barrels?of?oil via the Strait?of Hormuz?in?April. This is down?from 93 million barrels per month before the Iran War. Oil prices have risen sharply since the Iran war closed the 'Strait of Hormuz. Iraqi crude oil exports via the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline resumed in march, after Baghdad agreed to restart the flow. Mohammed said: "We currently export 200,000 barrels via Ceyhan, but we plan to increase that to 500,000 barrels". Iraq 'plans to engage OPEC in order to boost its production - and export capacity. 'The minister stated that Baghdad aims at a?production capacity of 5 million _barrels a day.
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New York's Long Island rail strikes halt the busiest commuter route in US
A union statement said that about 3,500 workers from the New York Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), who failed to reach an agreement on wages, went on strike Saturday. This halted the busiest commuter train system in the United States. The Long Island Rail Road is operated and owned by the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). It serves nearly 300,000 passengers per day. In a press release, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union stated that a group of five unions had launched a strike. This was 'the first strike in 32 years. The union said that the workers went three years without receiving raises in the course of the bargaining. Mark Wallace, President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, said: "This strike wouldn't have happened if MTA and LIRR had offered our members the terms that the government repeatedly recommended." We hope LIRR takes action soon to prevent further?disruptions of hundreds of thousands New Yorkers. When they are ready, they know where to find us: on the street. After the unions requested that he intervene, President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January to appoint another emergency?board for mediation to avoid a stoppage of work at the Long Island Rail Road. Trump had initially named a board to end the labor dispute in September of last year. (Reporting and editing by Tom Hogue in Bengaluru, Mihika Sharma, Shubham Kalya)
U.S. sanctions chill the Arctic oil of Russia
According to sources familiar with the logistics, U.S. sanction on Russian tankers and depots is causing major disruptions in Russia's vast Arctic Oil business. Crude supplies that were previously purchased by Asian buyers are now stuck in storage. The U.S. sanctions announced on Friday were the most severe yet against Russia's oil industry. They target major oil producers Gazprom and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 ships that shipped Russian oil.
According to three sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, all three Russian Arctic oil grades, Novy Port ARCO and Varandey with a combined daily output of about 300,000 barrels, are facing disruption.
Two sources claim that the vessels and infrastructure required by Russia's Arctic Oil Business, which represents a tenth its oil exports at sea, are unique.
A special type of ice class vessel is used to transport Novy Port crude oil from Gazprom Neft’s Novoportovskoye Field, where temperatures are as low as -55 C. Varandey from Lukoil’s Timan-Pechora field and ARCO from the Prirazlomnaya platform.
The cargo is then transferred to larger vessels, such as the Aframax and Suezmax, which can transport 100,000-140,000 tonnes compared to 30,000 tons for the smaller vessels.
The United States have now sanctioned Umba and Kola as well as more than a half dozen small tankers that were used to shuttle oil from the field.
According to LSEG, at least 15 tankers sanctioned on Friday by the U.S., including the Mikhail Ulyanov, Aulis and Shturman Scherbinin were actively involved in shipping Russian Arctic grades over the past two months.
The shuttle tankers are smaller and designed for northern seas. They can carry more oil with no compromise to keel clearance.
There is no way to replace them quickly. You can't buy anything like this anywhere else. "The vessels were built specifically for the project," said one source.
Sources said that Russia could be left with millions of barrels in storage of oil it has not sold. One source said that the limited storage capacity at all three projects could lead to a reduction in production if there were a few weeks of disruptions to loading.
Lukoil declined to respond to requests for comment while Gazprom Neft refused to do so.
Gazprom Neft (which produces ARCO and Novy Port) was added directly to the U.S. sanctions package, while Lukoil (which produces Varandey) was not.
ASIA BORDER
Novy Port, Varandey and other refined oils are highly sought after by refiners around the world for their superior quality. Both are light with 0.1-0.4% sulfur. Refineries in India and China have recently purchased the Arctic grades that were previously bought by refineries from northwest Europe prior to an EU embargo in 2022.
One source familiar with the Indian oil market stated that "Light Arctic Oil Grades from Russia were priced higher than the (G7) cap price due to their superior quality." India and China, however, have demonstrated that they are not willing to accept oil from sanctioned tanks and have begun to look for alternatives to Russian oil.
One of the traders on the Asian oil markets said that the absence of Russian Arctic oil grades will likely drive up the price of WTI, the U.S. flagship oil grade. WTI is also a light oil.
India has reduced its U.S. crude oil purchases after it began to buy cheap Russian barrels on the market two years ago. However, a source from an Indian refiner says that his company may be looking at purchasing more U.S. crude oil.
No Domestic Link
There is no system in place to feed the Russian oil pipeline system with the oil volume from the Arctic projects. All the oil volume will be exported.
The sources stated that in the event there are no buyers of these oil grades, then volumes will either have to be stored on floating storage or Gazprom will have to reduce output for both projects.
One source said that although it is possible to ship some grades via sea to refineries in southern Russia, this could be expensive and in limited quantities.
Technically, Lukoil Varandey's oil supplies could be shipped directly to international markets from the Varandey terminal. One source said that the cost would be higher and the company needed time to bring replacement tankers into the region. (Reporting from MOSCOW; additional reporting by Nidhi in NEW DELHI, editing by Guy Faulconbridge & Jan Harvey).
(source: Reuters)