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Data shows that few tankers are entering the port of Hormuz for oil loading, but LNG floating storage is increasing.
Shipping data revealed on Monday that the number of ships transiting?Strait?of Hormuz remained low over the weekend, as Iran and the United States intensified their attacks in the Middle East. Data from LSEG shows that four vessels crossed the strait on Sunday, compared to eight the day before. The data showed that at least three oil product tankers and a Very Large Crude Carrier entered the strait to load oil since Friday. LSEG data includes transit of container ships, bulkers and vehicle carriers as well as tankers carrying oil, gas, and chemicals. The U.S. announced on Sunday that it had carried out an eighth night of attacks against Iran. Meanwhile, U.S. Allies Kuwait and Bahrain also reported further Iranian attacks. Both sides have targeted shipping traffic in recent days. The U.S. has said it enforces a naval blocade against Iranian ports. Iran says it targets vessels that violate its rules for navigating the Strait of Hormuz which handles about one-fifth of the global oil trade. The 'United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Agency' said on Monday that it received a report indicating a vessel on fire eight nautical miles (14.8km) northwest of Oman’s Kumzar. UKMTO stated that the cause of fire has not been confirmed. Since Thursday, no liquefied gas tankers were visible in the Strait. Transponders are sometimes turned off by tankers and other vessels to hide their passage. S&P Global Energy's vessel tracking data showed that the combined 10-day average for laden LNG transits in the Strait fell to 0.2 cargoes a day on July 15, down from 0.8 cargoes a day at late June. The data revealed that only one LNG cargo has been 'known' to have left the Gulf in the last week. S&P Global analysts stated in a report that despite the disruptions to shipping outbound, LNG production at Qatar and the United Arab Emirates has continued at a fairly robust pace. This has led to an "increasing inventory" of LNG on tankers awaiting inside the Gulf. S&P Global estimates that seven laden Qatari LNG ships held around 0.57 million metric tonnes of LNG by mid-July, while nearly 1.9 millions tons of LNG tanker capacities are currently positioned inside the Gulf. This is the equivalent to around eight days worth of pre-war peak exports. The report added that "Should an effective blockage of Strait of Hormuz in the next few weeks ease, these vessels would be able to enable a relatively quick increase in exports by releasing LNG which has already been loaded and produced." Reporting by Florence Tan, Editing by Sonali and Lincoln Feast.
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Data shows that few tankers load oil in Hormuz.
Shipping data revealed on Monday that the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz was low over the weekend, as both the United States and Iran intensified their attacks in the Middle East. Data from LSEG showed that only four vessels crossed the strait on Sunday, compared to eight the day before. Data from LSEG shows that at least three oil product tankers and one Very Large Crude Carrier entered the Strait since Friday to load up on oil. Since Thursday, there haven't been any liquefied gas tankers visible passing through the Strait. LSEG data includes transit of container ships, bulkers and vehicle carriers as well as tankers carrying oil, gas, and chemicals. The U.S. announced on Sunday that it had completed an eighth night of attacks against Iran. Meanwhile, U.S. ally Kuwait and Bahrain also reported further Iranian attacks. Both sides have been targeting shipping traffic in recent days. The U.S. has said it will enforce a naval blockade against Iranian ports. Iran says it will target vessels that violate its rules on navigating the Strait of Hormuz. This is the area where one-fifth of the global oil trade usually takes place.
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West Africa's ECOWAS group signss agreement supporting Nigeria-Morocco atlantic Gas Pipeline, reports a statement
According to a Moroccan-Nigerian statement, member states of the Economic Community of West African States signed an intergovernmental agreement in 'Freetown on Sunday backing the 'Nigeria - Morocco Atlantic gas pipeline. According to a joint?statement?by Morocco’s hydrocarbons & mining agency ONHYM & Nigeria’s state oil firm NNPC, the pipeline will transport up to 30 billion cube metres (bcms) of natural gases a year through 13?West African nations to Morocco. The statement stated that 15 bcm of that capacity will be?available for Moroccan and European markets via an?existing pipe that links 'Morocco with Spain. The pipeline was agreed upon a decade earlier between the Moroccan King, and the Nigerian President. It would cover 6,900 km along a hybrid off-shore-onshore route, and cost an estimated $25 billion. The project has completed the feasibility study and front end engineering design (FEED). OnHYM told the public in April that the pipeline would help spur "economic integration" across West Africa, by facilitating industrial development and increasing electricity generation, while helping Morocco establish itself as an energy bridge between Africa, and Europe. According to the statement, the next step is the?signing a deal 'between Morocco and the gas-rich Mauritania.
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Infrastructure targets achieved as EU charging network exceeds EV sales
According to a report published by the advocacy group Transport & Environment on Monday, the charging infrastructure in 'the European Union' has outpaced the e-car sales. All member states, except Malta, have already met the public charging requirements of the bloc based on the size their EV?"fleets. The findings contradict 'arguments made by some carmakers, that insufficient charging networks and soft demand justifies a slower shift away from internal-combustion engines. T&E’s analysis shows that charging capacity is increasing faster than battery-electric vehicles. T&E reports that the EU has exceeded the AFIR fleet-based charging goal by 180%.
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Boeing to deliver Air Force One by 2028, but costs will rise
Boeing announced on Sunday that it is still on track to deliver the two new Air Force One aircraft in 2028. However, achieving this target will require more'spending' on a program which was already many years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget. Boeing won a $3.9billion contract to build the aircraft in 2018, but costs have since risen to over $5billion. The aircraft will replace the Air Force One planes that entered service in 1990. Steve Parker, CEO of Defense, Space & Security, said to reporters in advance of the Farnborough Airshow, that the 'first aircraft will begin testing next year. "I expect some cost increases as we complete the wiring, the structures and our own certifications." In May 2025, the United States accepted from Qatar a luxury Boeing 747-8 for temporary use as a presidential aircraft. Since then, the jet has been used as a bridge aircraft. 'Security concerns caused President Donald Trump not to fly the Qatari Jet home from Turkey and instead chose to return aboard a?older Air Force One. Air Force One is a program that involves the conversion of two Boeing 747-8 aircraft to highly specialized jets,?equipped? with advanced communication and?defensive?systems. The program will still be four years behind schedule even if it is delivered in 2028. (Reporting and editing by Sharon Singleton; Joe Brock)
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The passenger ship that sank off the coast of Guyana is believed to have taken dozens of people with it.
Guyana authorities report that a ferry with 116 passengers, including 15 children, has sunk off the coast of Guyana, in South America, late Saturday night. 67 people, including those who were rescued, have been rescued. According to local media, an air traffic control tower received the distress call from the MV Barima at 11:01 pm on Saturday night, which triggered a search and rescue mission. The ferry capsized, along with?17 other crew members,?off of the North 'Atlantic Coast on its way to Port Kaituma. The ferry's departure point was not known. At a Sunday morning press conference, Prime Minister Mark Phillips stated that the operation will continue until 'all efforts have been exhausted. Deodat indar, Guyana's Minister for Public Utilities and Aviation?said that emergency family support centers had been set up?to give families information and assistance. Reporting by Kemol King, Deisy Bugtrago and Emily Green. Editing by Chizu Nimiyama.
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Boeing focuses on production at Farnborough Airshow, not new orders
Boeing's head of commercial aircraft unit announced on?Sunday that the company is examining a?new?round of _production increases? for its best-selling 737 MAX, after it received regulator approval in may to increase production to 47 a monthly. Boeing was given an unprecedented production limit by the Federal Aviation Administration after a mid-air accident in 2024 revealed widespread safety and quality lapses. Stephanie Pope, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told reporters during a roundtable before the Farnborough Airshow that the company uses its safety management system to determine when it is stable enough to move to the next rating. "I have the team focused on stabilising 47." We'll move to 52 once we reach 47. Then we'll continue to study that. She said that the company's focus at the show is on increasing and improving aircraft production. "Not order announcement," she added. The backlog is extremely strong. The demand is not a problem. Pope said that if we announced some orders along with the process, we would 'celebrate' with our customers depending on whether they wanted to. She said that the priority of 'the planemaker is to listen' to its customers and suppliers at this biennial event, which brings together executives of many of the industry's biggest companies. She said, "We will?understand what their challenges are and then update them on our product," (Reporting and editing by Sharon Singleton in London, with David Shepardson reporting from London)
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Israeli officials claim that Israel will receive additional US refuelling aircraft as Iran's attacks intensify.
An Israeli military official revealed on Sunday that Israel is preparing for more refuelling aircraft from the United States, as attacks by 'the United States' and Iran have intensified over the last week. Since a ceasefire agreement signed one month ago fell apart, the U.S. has intensified its strikes against Iran. This raises the possibility that a full-scale war could return. Israel has not been involved in the latest U.S. strikes. According to the?Israeli official, the U.S. has "decided" to "adjust its force posture in this region" and "to reinforce the current fleet of aerial fuelling aircraft stationed at Israel with additional refuelling planes." A senior Israeli official also said that dozens of U.S. fuelling planes are expected to arrive in Israel. The U.S. Embassy at?Jerusalem did not respond to a request for comment. Since the conflict started with?U.S. Since the conflict began with?U.S. Axios, citing three U.S. officials and Israeli officials on Friday, reported that the Trump Administration notified Israel of its intention to send dozens of additional refuelling aircraft to the country in anticipation of an expansion of military operations against Iran. According to an Israeli military official, in order to reduce disruptions of civilian air traffic and based upon operational and?logistical concerns, the U.S. chose to station some refueling aircraft at?Israeli?Air?Force bases" as well as commercial airports. Sharon Kedmi said in May that 70% of Ben Gurion's?activity was restricted?because the U.S. military activities were taking up space and resources. According to a spokesperson of Transport Minister Miri regev, the U.S. has agreed to transfer some aircraft from American bases to Israeli Air Force bases. The spokesperson stated that as of June 25, there were 98 U.S. aircraft in Israel. (Reporting and editing by Steven Scheer, Maayan Loubell, Aidan Lewis).
Foreign visitors to Cuba's once-bustling tourist sites are becoming increasingly rare
Ramiro Escobar, a Colombian, had always dreamt of visiting Cuba.
Last week, the 68 year-old finally made the trip after putting it off for decades. He visited the island's most famous sites including the Varadero beach resort with its white sands. Escobar raved about his trip despite Cuba's struggling economic situation and fuel shortages.
He said, "It is true that the country is in crisis but there are still many services available and my experience has been excellent." "I have had a wonderful time here."
Escobar, a foreign tourist from Latin America, was the only one out of six to be able find him during a morning spent in Old Havana earlier this week.
The once bustling city streets, hotels, restaurants and museums are now almost entirely devoid of tourists.
Cuba's tourism sector, which is plagued by power outages, shortages and an economic crisis, has never recovered from COVID-19. The number of international visitors has barely reached half the peak of 4,75 million that was recorded in 2018.
This year has been even worse, as the U.S. has hinted at possible military action and imposed fresh sanctions on the communist-run island government. Washington has warned that foreigners doing business with sanctioned people will be penalized. As a result, the majority of top tourism and travel firms on Cuba have fled or drastically reduced their activity.
The two biggest foreign hotel chains in Cuba, Spain's Melia & Iberostar, have announced that they will reduce the number of hotels on the island. Blue Diamond, a Canadian hotel company, has completely pulled out.
Spanish airlines Iberia, World2Fly, and Russian airline 'Rossiya, along with Canadian airlines WestJet, and Air Canada have all suspended their flights to the island. The reason given was unreliable jet fuel supplies.
Visa and Mastercard also suspended their operations in Cuba as of last week.
TOURISTS ARE FEARFUL
All-inclusive resorts offer hotel rooms for as low as $50 per night to those who are willing to take the plunge and can travel to the country. Some guests are surprised to find that the elevators have broken down, their rooms are shoddy and there is no choice at the buffet.
Many people don't even try.
Adianet Labrada, a representative of the?Cubatur travel agency said that tourists are scared to visit. "I used have a lot of groups visiting us from around the world, but after the sanctions and threat of military invasion, I lost almost all of them."
Cuba's ONEI national statistics agency reported that 328 608 international visitors had arrived in the first six months of the year. This is less than half of the previous year, and well below the pre-pandemic level.
The administration of the?U.S. The administration of?U.S.
Cuba claims that decades of U.S. economic sanctions are the cause of its economic woes.
Valerio Bispuri is an Argentinean photographer who visited Cuba this week. He said he was struck by the solidarity he saw amongst people on a recent road trip to Santiago – 12 hours away from Havana – despite the obvious shortages and difficulties.
Bispuri, who praised the Cuban culture and people, said: "There's hunger, but based on what I've seen in these past few days, it seems they will be able to pull through."
Many small, privately-owned?hotels and restaurants have closed down because they say that they can't survive.
Jairan Lombira is the manager of La Vitrola Cafe in Old Havana. He has offered a 50% discount for passers-by, whether they are foreigners or not, to avoid having to close his business.
Lombira stated, "We now focus on attracting the local market while we wait for things to improve." (Reporting and editing by Dave Sherwood, Rosalba o'Brien, Ayose Naranjo)
(source: Reuters)