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Smoke in the cabin causes emergency landing of a Boston bound Delta flight in Portugal
Delta Airlines reported that a flight from Barcelona to Boston made an emergency landing in Porto, Portugal on Sunday afternoon. The company reported that Flight DL251 had been diverted from Barcelona to Porto due to a mechanical problem and landed safely there. Flightradar24, a tracking service, indicated that the plane left Barcelona at 3:15 pm (1315 GMT), and landed in Porto at 5 p.m. (1645 GMT). A spokesperson for Portugal's emergency and civil protection authority said that eight passengers who were on board the Airbus A330 were treated at the Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport, while three others were transported to hospital. The Portuguese spokesperson said that the forced landing was due to "smoke" in the cabin.
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Increased security at US Fairford Air Base in England
A witness said that security measures at an 'US airbase in southwest England have increased significantly in the last few days, with roadblocks and armed police blocking access, as well as emergency vehicles parked near. A spokesperson from the US Air Force confirmed that they are aware of the current reports but will not discuss specific measures to protect forces. The spokesperson stated that "the 501st combat support wing and our UK-based Wings will remain vigilant and take appropriate actions to ensure safety and security for?our US servicemen, civilians and contractors, as well as their families." "We continually assess a number of factors to determine which measures we implement?or change in order to protect our installations and our people, as well as their families." Britain declared?in July that its armed forces were ready to protect the country against any attack, after Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned not to allow US bombers fly out of Fairford. Fairford in Gloucestershire was used to launch operations against Iran during the Middle East Conflict.
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Boeing flags 737 MAX Software Bug Affecting Landing Navigation Feature, WSJ Reports
The Wall Street Journal, citing documents from the company, reported that Boeing has discovered a previously unknown software bug in its 737 MAX aircraft. This glitch could cause an automated navigation 'feature' to fail on landing. Report said that the issue was caused by a software update in the cockpit and could occur when crews change their flight plan after a missed landing. Boeing, when asked for comment, said that it had informed 'all 737 operators' last month of the software problem under which pilots could not?have access to automated flight guidance in a certain landing scenario. Our engineers are working on a software update to 'permanently address the issue. Boeing stated in an email that engineers were working on a permanent software update. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that it was aware of a possible issue with a software update to the flight computers in certain Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts, and worked closely with Boeing as well as the airlines. The FAA issued a statement saying that it would convene a Corrective Action Review Board if a safety concern was identified. Boeing has come under heavy regulatory and safety scrutiny over the past few years, following two 'fatal 737 MAX crash incidents in 2018 and 2019, which led to a 'worldwide grounding of the aircraft. Also after a cabin panel blew out mid-air on a brand new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 in 2018. Southwest Airlines and 'United Airlines' have requested that Boeing not deliver new 737 MAX aircraft with the affected software, and instead request an earlier version. The report stated that it was not immediately clear how many aircraft were operating with the flawed software. Boeing, airlines, and regulators are evaluating the issue to determine if it poses a safety concern for flight, according to the report.
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Russia claims it has struck Ukrainian defence industry vessels and facilities
On Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry said that 'its forces' had carried out drone strikes overnight on Ukrainian defence industry installations, logistic centres and vessels used in Ukraine by its armed forces. The 'Ministry' said that the strikes targeted a 'drone assembly and storage site, in the Kyiv region; logistics hubs in Odesa and port infrastructure in Reni along the Danube River. It was also reported that Russian forces had struck a cargo vessel carrying dual-use and military goods bound for the port of Odesa. Later, on Friday, the ministry announced that its forces had hit another cargo ship?in Odesa that was delivering a?logistics centre?to the port Chornomorsk. This centre is used by Ukraine's armed forces and security forces. It also houses a data center for the?processing of intelligence data and the transmission of it. Could not independently verify statements.
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Volkswagen recalls 4 million cars, Handelsblatt reports
The Handelsblatt reported that Volkswagen, the German automaker, will recall 4 million vehicles from four different brands. This is the largest recall since the Dieselgate scandal. According to the German KBA, there will be a recall of 2.16 million VW and 700,000 Audi vehicles. The Handelsblatt reported that Volkswagen's Czech?brand Skoda, and Seat in Spain would also be affected by the action. Seat confirmed that the number. Skoda has not yet commented on the report. Volkswagen stated in an earlier press release that customers were asked to bring their vehicles to be repaired due to a?risk of corrosion associated with a screw within the steering system. If left unchecked this could affect the steering system's function in the long run. The company said that the recall is a precautionary measure, and that replacing the screw will take less than an hour. Volkswagen refused to comment on the cost estimate of the recalls.
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US airlines oppose China’s bid to increase flights
On Thursday, the head of the industry group Airlines for American?said that US carriers opposed adding more direct flights to the United States from China despite the fact that Xi Jinping, the Chinese President raised the idea. Chris Sununu, the head of the group that represents American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, among others, has said US carriers are still hampered because their Chinese counterparts have been allowed to fly over Russia on eight flights. He told reporters that he had been urging officials in the Trump administration not to cave. It's not a small thing. Sununu told an interview that it is a costly exercise for airlines to travel around Russia. Xi brought up the issue of increased flights at a Washington event on Thursday. At the moment, each country can only operate 50 round-trips per week. "Our two parties may also increase direct flight to facilitate travel in both directions and trade," Xi - said. The White House has not yet commented. Before the COVID-19 epidemic, each side was allowed to fly more than 150 round-trip flights per week. Chinese and US carriers were limited to 12 flights a week each between the two nations until August 2023. Air China was asked to increase the number of flights it offers from the US East coast to China, but Airlines for America resisted the request last week. US carriers are banned from doing so because they cannot access Russian airspace. Chinese carriers however can fly eight US flights. "It's imbalanced. Sununu stated, "It's unfair." "They have an advantage already with eight flights. "It would be a huge advantage to give them even more," he said. "Don't worsen it for us." In?March 2022, the US banned Russian flights in American airspace following Russia's invasion into neighboring Ukraine. This prompted Russia to prohibit US carriers from flying over?the country. The United States did not ban other countries from flying over Russia, but they made a deal in 2023 with China that any additional flights would not be allowed to do so. The US Transportation Department proposed in October 2025 to ban Chinese airlines from flying above?Russia along routes between the United States and Canada. They argued that the shorter flight times this practice allows puts American carriers at an unfair disadvantage. The proposal was withdrawn after it faced opposition from US agencies.
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Alaska Air expects certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 by end-September
Alaska?Air?expects Boeing’s?737 MAX 10 aircraft to be certified before the end of September, and plans to deliver its?first plane next spring. Chief Operating Officer?Jason Berry said on Thursday. Berry said that the airline expects to begin passenger service with the MAX 10 between mid-April and April. Before Boeing can start deliveries, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must certify that aircraft. This timeline could be impacted by any delays in the 737 MAX 10 certification process, which is already several years behind schedule. Alaska must then certify the heads-up displays for pilots after the single-aisle aircraft is certified by federal regulators. This will take "a few?months," according to him. He said that the tight schedule "is sport," adding, "We're not panicking yet."
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Maguire: The cement boom in Africa signals the next big shift in global energy usage.
Africa consumes less than 5% of the global energy supply. It is therefore vastly outweighed by other regions when it comes to assessing current trends in energy and pollution. The aggressive plans to build cement plants in the region may change this. Global Energy Monitor data shows that Africa dominates the global pipeline of cement production capacity being built. This construction share is compared to a 8% share of the currently operating cement capacity. This indicates a 'rapid growth in planned production on the continent. But cement investments are about a lot more than just construction materials. These bets are on urbanization, regional economic growth and industrialization. Concrete is used to build roads, houses, factories, ports and other infrastructure before countries use more steel, chemicals or manufactured goods. The cement pipeline is a good indicator of Africa's energy needs. These are expected to increase dramatically if the construction boom linked to the plans for cement capacity materializes. The trend of energy consumption and emissions in the rest of world is expected to be curbed by electrification, and the slowing of heavy industrial production. Leaning In GEM data indicates that Africa has a cement production capacity of 441 million metric tons per year in operation and 43.3 millions tons per annum under construction. African nations also announced plans to add 23 million tons to the current annual cement production capacity. This would increase the total capacity of the region by 15%, compared to its current level, bringing it to just under 507 million tonnes. The overall increase in capacity for cement in Africa is far greater than planned additions to cement capacity in other regions. This indicates that Africa’s development plan looks set to be?more raw materials-intensive' than other parts of the globe. Africa's heavy-duty cement plans indicate a similar steep rise in raw materials and energy requirements, since cement production is notoriously high energy-intensive and requires large quantities of coal, petroleum, coke, and natural gas to ensure ample output. These cement projects will increase the demand for electricity, as well as infrastructure to import, store, and distribute coal, gas, and other fuels. They also need to ship out concrete produced. The plans to expand Africa's cement manufacturing footprint are a response to the growing demand for industrial energy in Africa, which will initially be supplied by fossil fuels. FRONTRUNNERS EGYPT & NIGERIA Egypt, among African countries, has the largest cement production footprint of 88 million tonnes per year. Nigeria is second to India for the amount of cement currently being produced. Libya, Mali and Angola are also among the top 20 countries in the world for cement construction. This shows that growth is expected across the entire continent. Even if Africa adopts cleaner energy technology more rapidly than other industrializing regions, the scale of planned construction of cement suggests that it will still need large quantities of materials to urbanize. The fact that 16 African nations are building new cement kilns suggests that Africa is on the right track to follow some of the same blueprints as countries in Asia. CLEANER CONCRETE? The African cement plan is different from those of other regions because African developers can use the most modern and efficient components to build their?cement plants. Modern kilns have a higher efficiency than those that were installed ten or more years ago. They should therefore be able to produce more cement using fewer inputs. Locally produced renewable electricity -- such as rooftop solar installations -- may also be used to run milling and processing equipment, reducing energy costs for producers. Electric cement kilns, which are becoming more widespread, offer the potential to further reduce energy intensity in countries that want to limit their industrial carbon footprint. Cost considerations will likely remain paramount on many African markets. This may delay the adoption of expensive emissions-reduction techniques such as carbon sequestration. This means that cement production in Africa will be energy- and material-intensive, even though they use the latest kilns available and the most advanced components. Cement projects in Nigeria, Libya Mali, Mozambique, and other countries are not just industrial investments. These projects are early indicators of future growth in?energy demand. Africa's urbanization and industrialization could make it one of the world's largest sources of demand for electricity, fuels for transport and industrial energy. This would force policymakers to find a balance between rising living standards and rising emissions. These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for. You like this column? Check out Open Interest, your new essential source for global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets 7 days a weeks.
Mali's Barrick hardball talks are being driven by two former Barrick employees
According to sources familiar with the discussions, two former Barrick Gold executives who have inside information about the Canadian miner's operations in West Africa help drive Mali's demand for a payment from the Canadian company of approximately $200 million.
Mamou and Samba Toure were both employed by Randgold in Mali, now part of Barrick, which is a mining firm.
Mali's military government, which seized in December three metric tonnes of gold worth approximately $245 million from Barrick, has given miners until Saturday midnight to respond to their demands.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, it wants Barrick pay back taxes totaling 125 billion CFA Francs ($199m) according to a source.
Source: If the deal is finalised Mali will return the gold seized and release the four Barrick executives who have been detained since November.
Barrick has publicly announced that he is a member of the Barrick
rejected
The charges brought against its employees are not specified. According to the court documents reviewed by, these include money laundering and funding of terrorism.
Barrick declined to answer any questions regarding the current status of the negotiations, and the Mali mines ministry also did not respond.
The dispute will have ramifications on global miners, foreign investors and others who have invested billions of dollars in West Africa. They are now being forced to follow a different set of rules because the military governments of Mali Niger and Burkina Faso want a larger share of mining revenue.
Beverly Ochieng is senior analyst at Control Risks for Francophone Africa. She said that the standoff with Barrick shows just how far governments led by military forces in the Sahel region are willing to go in order to force foreign operators to adhere to new regulations aligned with their pursuit of resource nationalism.
We spoke with more than 20 people, including mining executives and consultants, diplomats, and people who had direct knowledge of the discussions, to get a better picture of the negotiation. Sources requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation.
Nine people with knowledge of the situation say that the two Toures form part of a small group on the Malian front, including junta chief Assimi Goita and the Minister of Finance and Economy Alousseini Sanou.
They are not related, despite sharing a common surname. Samba Toure was older than the other two men by several decades and was West Africa Operations Director at Randgold. Mamou worked as underground manager at the Loulo Mine.
Sources said that Mamou is the most influential negotiator in Mali due to his close relationship with the powerful Finance Minister Sanou.
Mamou’s Iventus consultancy won the contract for auditing foreign mining companies in Mali. This led to the new mining code of 2023 and the renegotiation of the miner's contracts. Samba works now for him in the consultancy.
Mamou is the current boss, said a former co-worker. Samba's technical and managerial expertise was still crucial to decision making. "The decisions are made more by Samba than Mamou."
Mamou responded to detailed questions by saying that gold production has not benefited the Mali people as it should for many decades. Mali is Africa’s second largest gold producer.
He said, "It's only natural for the state to ask for a correction." "The state made great efforts to reach an accord, which is the reason all other companies reached an agreement with state."
Samba Toure has not responded to a comment request.
ACRIMONIOUS TALKS
Barrick's talks have been acrimonious, while other Western miners, including Canada's B2Gold, Allied Gold, and Australia's Resolute, have reached deals with Mali over the past few months.
Legal disputes, arrests, nationalisations, and threats are being used by the military governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to strengthen their ties with Russia and gain greater control over gold and uranium.
Ochieng of Control Risks, however, said that this did not mean Western operators would be unwelcome. She said that several western mining companies were allowed to expand their operations and acquire new assets, provided they met the latest taxation and regulatory demands.
The Mali junta, which will take power in 2020 has pledged to examine its mining industry so that the state can benefit from gold prices at record highs.
Some companies, such as B2Gold, were able to reach an agreement quickly. Some companies, such as Australia's Resolute whose CEO was arrested while in Mali to hold talks, took a little longer.
B2Gold said it would proceed with its planned investments at its Fekola complex this year after achieving the deal. Resolute said on Thursday that its deal with the Mali government would allow for better collaboration as the mine is developed.
The relationship with Barrick deteriorated in the last year. Barrick paid 80 million dollars to release four Malians who were arrested by the authorities in September. Mali demanded more payments, as it is owed a total amount of $350 million.
Barrick generated $949m in revenue in the first nine-month period of last year from its operations in Mali.
Bristow announced in early November that it had agreed to offer Mali 55% economic benefits from the Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex, similar to the agreement struck by the miner with Tanzania five years earlier.
Mali demanded that the remaining amount be paid in one go, rather than in installments. Mali began to block Barrick's imports in early November.
Mali claims that Barrick still has 125 billion CFA Francs to pay after discounting VAT credits.
Mali issued a warrant of arrest for Barrick CEO Mark Bristow in December 5 after four Barrick employees were again detained when no payment was received.
Contacts continued in the background. On Dec. 6, a source who spoke with Barrick senior management said that Barrick was on the verge of paying a second 50 billion CFA tranche. The payment never materialized and the conversation ceased. On Tuesday, formal talks resumed.
Freddie Brooks is a metals & Mining analyst at BMI. A FitchSolutions Company. He said that Barrick, under Bristow, had the highest level of tolerance for operational risks among major miners.
He said that if they failed to negotiate a deal with Mali's junta military, it wasn't for lack of effort.
CLASHES WITH BRISTOW
Samba Toure left Randgold nine years ago, after an argument with Bristow who was the CEO at that time.
Samba's rift grew after he resigned and was denied the right to sell his Randgold shares, based in London.
Mamou Toure left Randgold after a dispute in 2015 with Bristow regarding the use of foreign contractors.
Barrick declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding the Toures departure.
Mamou's company Iventus Mining won the consulting contract when the government announced that it would audit the mines. Two sources claim that Samba Toure was the one who led the audits.
Samba became chairman of the board in 2022 after Mali established a state-owned mine, SOREM. Mamou was appointed as a member.
However, the influence of Toures cannot be denied. Last summer, junta leader Goita grew frustrated with the negotiations and brought in the director of state security, Modibo Kone, one of the five colonels-turned-generals who lead the junta, one source said. Kone's participation in the talks was confirmed by a second source.
According to a source familiar with these talks, at least once, the Finance Minister has taken over the negotiations and told Mamou to step down when he had gone too far in his requests.
Five sources claimed that the Mines Minister, a technocrat without any military ties, had been marginalized. Mamou, however, denied this, pointing out that the ministry has two members on the commission. He said that the commission receives its orders both from the Finance Ministry and the Mines Ministry.
The Mali finance ministry and the presidency have not responded to any requests for comment. The state security service could not be reached.
Special Forces Raid
Stockpiles of gold were increasing in the "gold room" located at Loulo-Gounkoto's complex, despite exports being banned.
According to a court order dated Jan. 2, Barrick had just over 3 tons of gold in its vaults as of Dec. 27.
Unannounced, a helicopter arrived at the landing strip of the mine complex in mid-morning Jan. 11. One source said that four special forces soldiers and a customs officer, along with two officers from the state mining department and other plainclothes personnel, disembarked the helicopter and handed paperwork to Barrick employees authorizing them to seize gold.
The source added that the second shipment was made in the evening.
The gold that Barrick's mines seized is currently in the vaults at the Banque Malienne de Solidarite, a state-owned bank in Bamako. The bank declined comment.
Barrick, the company that confirmed the seizure, has announced it will suspend operations at Loulo-Gounkoto.
According to the Jan. 2, order, the seizure of Bristow's and other Barrick employee's property was taken as a precautionary measure in connection with the money laundering charges and other unspecified crimes against Bristow.
Two sources claim that Barrick has resisted the government's request to migrate to the 2023 mining code due to increased taxes.
Barrick's mining license will be renewed next year. The government has indicated that it may refuse the permit.
A source who had previously consulted with the Malian government said that the government wanted leverage in the negotiation while the company was looking to secure a long-term contract renewal at favorable terms.
The person stated, "I don't think they trust each other but no one is interested in a split-up."
Some investors are predicting a difficult road for Barrick Mali. They even think the company may lose its assets.
Martin Pradier is a materials analyst with Veritas, a Toronto-based investment research firm that covers Barrick. The exchange rate is $1 = 626.7500 CFA francs. (Additional reporting from Tiemoko and Fadimata in Bamako. Writing by David Lewis, Portia Crowe and Daniel Flynn. Editing by Silvia Aloisi, Veronica Brown, and Daniel Flynn.
(source: Reuters)