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Portugal expects that large non-EU carriers will also show an interest in TAP
Luis Montenegro, the Prime Minister of Portugal, said that Portugal expects to attract large airlines from both within the European Union as well as outside the bloc due to its untapped potential. Portugal has relaunched its long-delayed TAP privatisation on Thursday. The aim is to sell a stake of 44.9% to a company that can bring scale and global competitiveness to the airline, while also offering an additional 5% for TAP staff. In the last year, three major European airlines, Lufthansa and Air France-KLM as well as British Airways owner IAG have met with the government to discuss TAP. Air France-KLM confirmed its interest in the process after Thursday's announcement. It said it "will take part once all details have been released". Montenegro also said that he expected non-EU carriers would express interest. However, he did name any potential bidders. He said at a press conference that TAP integrating "into larger group with greater capacity to create synergies has untapped potential which is very positive, appealing and valuable". The Portuguese flag carrier’s sale model allows an airline to partner up with private investors or investment funds, and then submit a bid together. The government is keen to keep and even expand its links with Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African nations, and the United States, as well as its hub in Lisbon. Montenegro stated that Portugal also wishes to increase the airport capacity of the cities of Porto and Faro as well as the autonomous regions Madeira and Azores.
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Steyr Automotive, Austrian company, wins order for large electric trucks from Chinese firm
Steyr Automotive, Austria's electric truck manufacturer, announced on Tuesday that it has received an order from China's SuperPanther to produce electric trucks in Europe for its sale. Chinese automakers are expanding in Europe. They are betting on their low prices and advanced technology, to penetrate a market that is traditionally dominated only by European and American brands. This expansion has stoked tensions in trade between Brussels and Beijing. There is also a dispute over EU tariffs imposed on EVs made in China to protect European producers. China can avoid tariffs on its models if they are manufactured in Europe. Steyr and SuperPanther have signed a production agreement for electric trucks. No financial details have been disclosed. Oberösterreichische Nachrichten, a local newspaper, reported that Steyr could be producing thousands of electric trucks on the European market by 2021 after it was purchased from Germany's MAN. Steyr said that the tractor units would be produced with two axles as it is in Europe. This contrasts the three-axle SuperPanther model manufactured in China. The Austrian company said that SuperPanther will sell up to 16,00 electric trucks in Europe before 2030, and that production of the vehicle will begin next year. SuperPanther didn't immediately respond to a request from for comment. Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz Goerlich and Paolo Laudani, editing by Barbara Lewis
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Tesla's robotaxi service expands as Alphabet Waymo gains speed
Alphabet Waymo robotaxis drove more than 100,000,000 miles without a driver, and doubled the mileage in just six months. The company is accelerating deployment in U.S. Cities amid increasing competition. Waymo is expanding its service as Tesla expands their self-driving cab service. This follows a recent small test with a few Model Y SUVs on a restricted area in Austin, Texas. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that Tesla will launch the service in several U.S. Cities by the end 2025. However, Waymo has been slowly expanding its service with around 1,500 cars for many years. The service is available in San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles and other Bay Area cities. Saswat Pantigrahi, Waymo’s chief product officer said, "Reaching the 100 million fully automated miles represents years' worth of methodical progress that is now accelerating to rapid, responsible scale-up." As we continue to expand our service, we will face new challenges. Waymo has logged 71 million miles of autonomous driving as of March. This is up from 50 millions miles at the end 2024, and 25 million during July 2024. It completed its first mile in January 2023. The commercialization of autonomous vehicles is more difficult than expected. High costs, strict regulations, and federal investigations have forced many to close down, including General Motors Cruise. Amazon's Zoox is one of the few remaining competitors. It tests a vehicle that does not have manual controls, such as a pedal or steering wheel, and it plans to launch its commercial services this year in Las Vegas. Waymo, the U.S. company that operated unmanned taxis for paying passengers before Tesla launched its robotaxi last month was the only one. After collisions, federal agencies have launched investigations into Waymo and Tesla as well as recalling Zoox and other vehicles. Musk, despite multiple traffic problems and driving errors as Tesla teetered into the robotaxi industry after years of broken promises, expanded the service area to Austin and announced last week that it will roll out its services in the San Francisco Bay Area in two months. Waymo announced in March that it plans to launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Washington, D.C., next year. It has applied to operate autonomous vehicles with a trained specialist at the wheel in Manhattan. Robotaxis, which began as a small Google project for self-driving cars in 2009, and were spun off seven years later, cover over two million miles a week. By May, the company had completed more than 10 millions autonomous trips. This is up from the 5 million trips it was expected to complete by the end of 2024. (Reporting and editing by Himani Sarkar in San Francisco, with Abhirup Roy reporting from San Francisco)
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Trump's threat of sanctions looms on Russian oil exports towards China, India and Turkey
U.S. president Donald Trump has threatened to impose sanctions on buyers of Russian products unless Russia agrees to a peace agreement over the conflict in Ukraine. This could complicate Moscow's oil exports to China, India, and Turkey. RUSSIA'S GRADES AND PORTS OF OIL According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Russia's revenues from crude oil and petroleum products sales in June fell by nearly 14% compared to a year ago, to $13.57 Billion. The IEA reported that Russia's crude production remained stable last month at 9.2 millions barrels per daily (bpd), and crude loadings stayed at 4.68million bpd. The IEA reported that its exports of oil and petroleum products fell by 110,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 2.55million bpd. Russia exports Urals oil, Siberian Light oil and CPC Blend oil grades through its western ports such as Primorsk Ust-Luga, and Novorossiisk. The port in Murmansk, located in northern Russia, also loads smaller quantities of Arctic oil and ARCO grades as well as Novy port grades. Russia exports the ESPO Blend and the Sokol & Sakhalin Blend, both from Sakhalin Island in the Pacific. Pipelines connect Russian oilfields with China and European nations. Only Hungary and Slovakia still buy oil from Russia as part of the exception to European Union sanction. Russia provides its oil pipeline network to transit oil from Kazakhstan to its ports, and via the Druzhba pipeline to Germany. Russia exports oil to Belarus, which is home to two major refineries. MAIN BUYERS China is the biggest buyer of Russian crude oil. This is mainly due to the direct pipeline connections with Russian fields: the Skovorodino Mohe oil pipeline and Kazakhstan's Atasu Alashankou oil pipe enter the country, while the remaining oil purchased by Chinese refineries via sea. China imports about 2 million bpd from Russia – mainly ESPO Blend and Sokol Blend as well as some Urals, Arctic and Arctic oil. According to calculations, that's around $130,000,000 per day. Energy companies CNPC and Sinopec as well as independent refining units are the main buyers. India is Russia's second largest oil buyer and its main buyer of Urals oil. India also buys ESPO Blend, Sokol, and Arctic grades of oil from Russia. According to Kpler ship tracking data, India imports about 1.8 millions bpd of Russian oil. Russian oil is used by most Indian refiners including Reliance Industries which owns the largest refinery in the world. The oil is also sent to Nayara Energy - a private refiner in which Rosneft, a Russian company, has a stake - as well as Indian Oil, ONGC and Indian Oil. According to LSEG, the third largest importer of Russian crude oil, Turkey, increased its purchases in June to a record annual level of 400,000 bpd. Turkey's increased purchases of Russian crude oil was due to the price drop of the Russian grade. Since April 1, Urals Oil has consistently traded below the $60 price cap per barrel. Turkey's STAR Refinery, controlled SOCAR in Azerbaijan, is the largest buyer of Russian crude oil, and another refiner, Tupras also purchases Urals-grade oil. OIL PRODUCTS Russia exports around 2.5 million bpd fuel products including diesel, gasoline, naphtha and fuel oil. Since 2023, Russia also has diverted its oil product sales from Europe to Asia. Moscow is the largest diesel supplier in Brazil and Turkey. It also supplies large volumes of fuels to African nations such as Ghana, Egypt and Morocco. OTHERS Moscow also exports oil and other products to countries that it calls "friendly", i.e., those with which it has continued to do business. Syria is among the buyers, along with countries like Pakistan, Cuba, and Sri Lanka. (Reporting and Editing by Sharon Singleton).
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Namib Minerals to invest $300 million in restarting Zimbabwe mines
Ibrahima Tall, the chief executive of Namib Minerals, said on Tuesday that it plans to invest $300 million in order to restart two of its gold mines which were mothballed in Zimbabwe. Namib Minerals is the owner of three gold mines, including How Mine, currently in operation. Tall said that the funds will be used to restart production at the Mazowe and Redwing mining operations, which were halted due to economic conditions in 2018 and 2019. Namib Minerals debuted in the Nasdaq market on June 1. It was formed by merging assets owned by Metallon Corporation with Red Rock Acquisition Corporation (formerly Hennessy Capital Investment Corp.) from the United States. Tall said that production at the two mines suspended could resume in 18-24 months after Namib Minerals secures financing for their relaunch. He added that the firm was exploring different options to raise the capital required. In an interview with Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, he stated that "interest from investors has been very high." Mazowe is located north of Harare and contains 1.2 million ounces gold with an average of 8.4 grams of gold per metric ton. Redwing, which is near the border of Mozambique has 2.5 million ounces with a 3.07 gram grade. Namib Minerals How Mine in Bulawayo produced 37, 000 ounces gold in 2024. This is a 9% rise on the output of the previous year. Zimbabwe's gold mining industry, which has been struggling for years due to currency and policy volatility is now expanding production in response to the record high gold prices, and relative stability of political and economic conditions. Caledonia Mining Corp., which owns Blanket Mine in Zimbabwe, is exploring ways to raise $250 million for the construction of what could be Zimbabwe’s largest gold mine. (Reporting and editing by Nelson Banya, Joe Bavier, and CHRIS TAKUDZWA-MURONZI)
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Israeli airline Israir purchases 20% stake in credit cards company
Israir, the Israeli airline, announced on Tuesday that it would buy 20% of a local card company for 12 million dollars. The move is part of an effort to increase its passenger base. Israir is buying the stakes from Rami Levy, a retailer and Isracard, a credit card company. SuperFly, a new credit-card from the flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines will compete with FlyCard. Israir stated that the SuperFly card would allow them to develop a deeper relationship with their Israeli customers beyond just the flight ticket. This is a strategic decision that will change the way customers view airlines. Israir has stated that it plans to issue 300,000 cards by the end 2026. "This will turn the card into an engine of growth for its larger target of flying 2,5 million passengers in the year 2026." It is a smaller competitor to El Al, and it flies mostly domestic routes as well as to Europe.
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Hong Kong Government proposes first ride-hailing regulations
After years of discussions and complaints by licensed taxi drivers in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government has presented proposals to regulate ride-hailing services, such as Uber. Uber, the first ride-hailing service in Hong Kong to operate without regulation, was launched in 2014. Uber drivers were arrested for driving without a licence after police raided the office of Uber in 2015. Ride-hailing services have an unfair advantage over taxis, according to the city's taxi sector, which is struggling with a decline in income. The Transport and Logistics Bureau stated in a document submitted to the Legislature that all platforms offering ride-hailing must have a license and adhere to specific conditions. A person who operates a ride-hailing service without a licence could face imprisonment and fines. Uber HK's spokesperson said in a press release that the new regulation is an "important landmark". The spokesperson stated that "we are encouraged to see the safety and service standards, such as mandatory driver exams, regular vehicle inspections, and mandatory insurance, placed at the heart of the proposed regime." Uber also expressed concern about the proposed cap on ride-sharing vehicles. The statement said that artificial limits could increase wait times for riders and raise prices, while limiting the earning potential for drivers. Uber surveyed more than 4,800 Hong Kong taxi drivers and found that nearly 80% of them feared their livelihoods could be threatened by strict quotas or high licensing fees. John Lee, the city's leader said at a press conference held on Tuesday that there is a consensus among society to regulate ride-hailing service providers in order to protect passengers. "I accept that this issue is complex. However, I believe the government should find a solution to the problem as soon as possible," Lee said. He said that it is important to create a coexistence between ride-hailing and taxis. Transport and Logistics Bureau announced that quota arrangements will be proposed during the first half 2026. The proposals stipulate that the Hong Kong Legislative Council will be notified of the proposed legal amendments in the third quarter this year. According to the new law anyone who wants a ride-hailing driver's licence must be 21 years old and have a private driving licence for atleast one year. They also need to pass mandatory assessments and undergo training. (Reporting by Jessie Pang; Editing by Barbara Lewis)
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Sources say that India's GMR Group companies are looking to tap the bond market for 25 billion rupies.
Three sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that two companies of India's GMR Group will tap the corporate bond markets in the next few days to raise a total of 25 billion rupees (US$291.27m). Sources said that GMR Airports Holdings Co., the holding company for the GMR Group’s airport businesses, is looking to raise 15 billion rupees via three-year bonds. One source said that large mutual funds will be heavily involved in this issue. The source said that the yields could be as high as single digits, or even lower than double digits. This makes the debt fund an attractive proposition. Delhi International Airport, a joint-venture between GMR Airports & the Airport Authority of India is likely to raise another 10 billion rupees via the sale of bonds for 15 years. GMR Airports Holdings (GMR) and DIAL have not responded to email requests for comments. The second source stated that "DIAL had already begun talks with a private and foreign bank in order to place an issue of bonds, which should be done prior to the GMR." DIAL last sold bonds in July 2024 when it raised 25,13 billion rupees by selling 10-year bonds with a coupon of 9.50% payable quarterly. $1 = 85.8300 Indian Rupees
Sources say that India's SBI is seeking senior creditor status to protect NHAI Investment Trust from default concerns.
Two sources familiar with the matter said that the State Bank of India wants to be a senior creditor in order to get early repayment rights in the event of default or liquidation of state-owned road authority’s investment trust (InvIT).
Sources said that the lender, which is the largest in the country, had written to the National Highway Authority of India, (NHAI), requesting this status for its investments in National Highways Infra Trust, (NHIT).
InvITs are investment vehicles that raise funds through the issuance of units. NHIT manages NHAI InvITs.
Sources requested anonymity because the discussions are private. SBI, NHAI, and NHIT didn't reply to a request for comment.
According to Mint, a daily business publication, the move is in line with NHAI’s plan to raise $200 billion rupees (2,33 billion dollars) through the monetisation of its road assets via InvITs.
Since 2020, India has raised 460 billion rupies through four rounds. This includes a 183 billion rupee round that took place in March. It was the largest road monetisation effort to date.
SBI is heavily involved in the Indian road sector, including InvITs backed projects. In 2018, SBI signed an agreement for a 10-year unsecured loan with NHAI of almost $3 billion.
One source said that under current rules InvITs do not fall under India's bankruptcy laws. Typically, unitholders have priority in the repayment hierarchy.
Source: SBI has been warning about the lack of protection for creditors under the regulations since quite some time.
The second source stated that "the lender is not happy at all with the arrangement. They have been discussing the tweaks."
InvIT is responsible for distributing units to investors, who are then paid by toll revenue.
Securities and Exchange Board of India is the capital markets regulator in India.
According to Bharat InvITs Association data, the total assets managed by five listed InvITs and 16 unlisted InvITs across India exceeded 7 trillion rupees at March-end.
(source: Reuters)