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Rubio: US stops worker visas for truck drivers
On Thursday, Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state announced that all visas for truck drivers would be suspended immediately. Rubio wrote in a blog post on X that "the increasing number of drivers from abroad operating large tractor-trailer truck on U.S. highways is putting American lives at risk and undermining the livelihoods of American trucks." The Trump administration has taken several steps to address concerns regarding foreign truck drivers that do not speak English. In April, Trump signed an executive directive requiring that commercial drivers in the U.S. meet English proficiency standards. Sean Duffy, the Transportation Secretary, announced earlier this week that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had launched an investigation of a Florida highway crash in which three people were killed. According to Florida and U.S. authorities, the crash involved an Indian driver who did not speak English and had no legal authorization to enter the United States. Harjinder has been charged with vehicular homicide on three counts. Police said that he tried to make an illegal U turn through an "Official Use Only", blocking traffic, causing the fatal accident that killed three people in the minivan that hit the truck. Singh was taken into custody by Florida officials in California and returned to Florida to face charges. Singh's lawyer could not be immediately identified. The English proficiency standard for truckers had been in place since the U.S. Constitution was written. However, Trump's April executive order reversed the 2016 guidance which said that inspectors should not remove commercial drivers from service if they only failed to speak English. Duffy said that failing adequately to enforce driver qualifications standards raises serious safety concerns, and increases the risk of accidents. In 2023, FMCSA reported that approximately 16% of U.S. driver were born outside of the United States. Reports last month stated that Mexican truckers in Ciudad Juarez, a border city in Mexico, have started studying English to comply with Trump's order.
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Netanyahu: Israel will begin Gaza ceasefire negotiation to end the war and release hostages
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, said Thursday that Israel would begin negotiations immediately for the release of the hostages in Gaza. He also announced an end to the war which has lasted nearly two years on terms acceptable to Israel. Netanyahu told soldiers in Gaza that he would be meeting with commanders soon to discuss plans to capture Gaza City and defeat Hamas. He said: "We're in the decision phase." Israeli forces continued to exert pressure on Gaza City until Thursday. The military called up 60,000 reserve soldiers on Wednesday as a sign the government would continue with its plan despite international criticism. It will take several weeks to call up tens or even hundreds of thousands of reserve soldiers. This gives time to mediators to try to resolve differences over a temporary ceasefire that Hamas accepted but which the Israeli government is yet to respond to. The proposal calls on a 60-day truce and the release of 18 dead bodies and 10 hostages who are still alive and being held by Hamas militants in Gaza. Israel, in turn, would release around 200 Palestinian prisoners who have been held by Israel for a long time. Israel has declared that the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza held by militants must be immediately released. Israeli officials estimate that 20 of the hostages are still alive. (Reporting and editing by Mayaan Lubell, Howard Goller)
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What do we know about the Nord Stream explosions?
Italian police has German prosecutors announced on Thursday that they have arrested a Ukrainian suspected of coordinating attacks on Nord Stream's gas pipelines. The arrest marks the first major breakthrough in the investigation into mysterious underwater explosions which occurred in September 2022 on the Baltic Sea. What we know about blasts What is NORD STREAM? Nord Stream System consists of two double pipes, Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, built by Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom, to deliver up 110 billion cubic meters (bcm), of gas per year across the Baltic Sea, to Germany. Four concrete-coated steel pipes of approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) in length with a diameter of more than one meter were found at a depth between 80 and 110 m. The NS1 was put into operation in 2012. NS2 has been completed and is filled with gas in September 2021, but it was never commissioned. Germany canceled its approval process just days before Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. This put Europe's dependence on Russian gas under the spotlight. How were the pipes damaged? The Swedish seismologists recorded several blasts on Sept. 26, 2022. They were 17 hours apart and occurred off the Danish Island of Bornholm. Three of the four NS pipes ruptured, sending methane plumes into the air. Gazprom reported that about 800 million cubic meters of gas, which is equivalent to approximately three months' supply of Danish gas, had leaked. The gas leakage stopped after several days. One pipeline, NS2, is the only one that remains intact. Denmark gave permission in January to carry out preservation work, but there is no evidence that any work was done. Western companies that had stakes in the pipelines or who financed their construction, like E.ON and Shell, have written-off all of their investments following the explosions. Who was behind the explosions? No one has accepted responsibility. Denmark and Sweden concluded that it was a sabotage act, but they closed their investigations without identifying a suspect in February 2024. Western media including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and others have reported that a pro Ukrainian group is behind the attack. The German prosecution identified the suspect arrested only as Serhii, and claimed that he was a member of a group who planted devices near Bornholm on pipelines. The prosecution said that he and his accomplices set out from Rostock, on Germany's northern-eastern coastline, in a sailing yacht rented to carry out the attacks. Der Spiegel magazine in Germany and ZDF TV reported previously that six people, five men and one women, were aboard the yacht which left Rostock September 6, 2022 and returned September 23, 2022. Andromeda was seen near the explosions on a Danish island called Christianso. It also appeared in the Swedish port Sandhamn, and at Kolobrzeg Marina, Poland before returning to Germany. German media reported that German investigators raided a yacht in January 2023 and found traces of explosives similar to those discovered by Sweden on the explosion sites. The Germans told the United Nations they believed that trained divers could have attached the devices to the pipes at a depth between 70 and 80 metres (262-262 ft). German media reported also that Berlin issued an European arrest warrant for 2024 against Volodymyr, a Ukrainian diving teacher, as part of the attack. Polish prosecutors stated that the suspect who was living in Poland during this time left later for Ukraine. The prosecutors also stated that there is no evidence suggesting Poland was used to launch the attacks. What did Western Intelligence know about the attack? Der Spiegel reported on September 27, 2022 that the CIA warned Germany about possible Baltic Sea pipeline attacks in summer 2022. The Washington Post wrote, citing online leaks, that in June 2023, the United States knew of a Ukrainian attack plan on the Nord Stream gas pipelines 3 months before the damage was done. The Post reported that the intelligence report was based upon information from a Ukrainian source. It added that the CIA had shared the report with Germany and other European nations in June 2022. The Dutch national broadcaster NOS announced the same month the tip originated from the Dutch military spy agency MIVD. The Post reported that the CIA had relayed through an intermediary to Ukraine's former Commander-in Chief General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi the message that Washington was against such an operation. I was not able to independently verify the reports.
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JPMorgan hires 2 investment bankers to boost services to energy companies
JPMorgan Chase hired two bankers in order to improve its investment banking services for energy companies. One of them will focus on the middle market clients, according to a memo that was seen by. In a memo, it was announced that the bank would be creating a new vertical in its mid-cap unit of investment banking to cover natural resource companies. Matt Barrett will join the team to help support and develop relationships with energy service and equipment providers. Brad Epstein has been hired by JPMorgan to join the natural resources investment banking team. He will be focusing on companies in midstream and downstream. JPMorgan's spokesperson confirmed that the memo was sent by the Global Co-Heads of Natural Resources Group Investment Banking Jonathan Cox and Jen Dooly, as well as James Janoskey. John Richert is the head of mid-cap investments at the bank. Barrett and Epstein, both based in Houston will join the bank as managing director. Barrett spent a part of his career with White Deer Energy, a private equity firm, as well as TPH, an energy-focused investment bank of boutique adviser Perella Weinberg Partners. Epstein worked for 13 years in Citigroup's Energy Investment Bank, where he dealt with companies involved in midstream, downstream, refining and renewable fuels. The memo also said that Epstein has worked at Citadel and UBS. The memo was edited by Franklin Paul and reported by David French from New York.
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Last swing on the LME Aluminium Stocks Roundabout? Andy Home
In the last six months, 156,000 metric tonnes of aluminium metal have been deposited in London Metal Exchange's warehouses. It's beginning to look as if the stock battle that has characterized LME aluminium trade for more than a year is coming to an end. The volume of metal is decreasing. This has led to a battle between financiers, traders and warehouses. Almost all of the aluminium that was just delivered on LME warrant came from the existing LME offwarrant stock in the same Malaysian facility. The Port Klang stock shuffle had little effect on the overall inventory picture. The total LME stock, including both registered and non-warranted stocks, is still down almost 300,000 tons since the beginning of the year, at 717,000 tonnes. LME's time spreads are not easing despite a recent influx of "arrivals", as reported in daily LME inventory reports. This also provides a clue to the reason why Port Klang's storage capacity, as registered by LME, has been shrinking steadily. PORT KLANG RUNDABOUT Since May 2024 when 650,000 tonnes of aluminium were dumped in LME warehouses at Port Klang, the battle over aluminum stocks has been raging. According to reports, the seller, Trafigura trade house, would earn more from a rent sharing deal with an LME warehouse company, ISTIM UK Ltd in this case, than a physical sale on an oversupplied marketplace. The buyers were happy to learn that the metal was not Russian, as it had been recently sanctioned by the US and UK. The bad news is that the only option to break the pre-negotiated deal for storage was to cancel and transfer the metal to another warehouse operator. The rush to move aluminum created a queue similar to those at the LME during the 2010s. At its peak, the queue at ISTIM’s Port Klang Warehouses stretched 293 days in August 2024. It only vanished in May of this year. Stocks have been restocked in ISTIM's warehouses following a recent stock churn caused by the squeeze on holders of short positions in April and May. The volume of metal in India is significantly lower than last year, and the majority of it has been returned from non-warranty storage. Port Klang's total stocks have increased by only 41,000 tonnes since the end May, despite daily stock reports from the LME. ISTIM does not seem to expect much more in the near future. The number of warehouse units listed on the exchange in the Malaysian Port has decreased from 22 to 13. Despite the presence of other operators, the total LME capacity at Port Klang is down 15% since 2025. It's also half of what it was back in 2021 when ISTIM stored over 800,000 tonnes of aluminium warranted. All Change, No Change The LME time spreads are barely reacting to daily warranting. The benchmark cash to three-month period The market is unchanged since two months ago. It's not because much has changed. The total LME inventories, registered and non-warranted, increased by only 36,500 tonnes between June and July. This barely bucked a downward trend that began in May of last year. Stocks are still hovering around their three-year lows. It will take more cash to stop the erosion of an inventory that was once a mountain. The lack of new inflows may be due to greater opportunities on a market that is adapting to both a European phase out of Russian imports as well as the increase in U.S. tariffs of 50%. Physical arbitrage is more profitable than LME storage because warehouse operators like ISTIM no longer have the large storage revenues to compete with physical buyers for fresh metal. There may also be a lack of aluminium available to fight for as China increases imports. In the first half of this year, the country imported 1.25 million tonnes of primary metals, mainly Russian. The pace of arrival increased in July. The LME warehouse roundabout has lost momentum, and it will continue to do so until operators are able to draw more metal from the physical supply chain. These are the opinions of a columnist who writes for.
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Polish Minister: Netherlands will send Patriot air defense systems to Poland
The Netherlands will deploy two Patriot air defense systems and approximately 300 personnel in Poland, a NATO ally, to guard a center for military aid to Ukraine. A Russian drone crashed in a field east of Poland earlier this week. This heightened concern about airspace violations in the Ukraine war. Wladyslaw KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ, who spoke at a press conference to welcome the Dutch decision, said: "Due the current events in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict and Poland's logistical role in securing the transfer of (...), to Ukraine, the Netherlands has announced support for systems that secure our airspace and air defense systems." The Netherlands announced on Wednesday that Patriot systems will be deployed between December 1, 2012 and June 1, 2013. The drone was shot down by a military helicopter in eastern Poland on Tuesday night, scorching the crops and shattering windows of nearby homes. This increased tensions as intensified efforts were made to end Ukraine's war. A prosecutor stated on Thursday that it was most likely that the drone came from Belarus, an ally of Moscow who has supported Russia's war against Ukraine. (Reporting Alan Charlish, Editing Helen Popper).
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Greece's tourism sector enjoys a 6 billion euro profit in the first half of 2025
Bank of Greece data showed that the Greek travel services industry saw an excess of 6 billion euro ($7 billion) during the first half of the year 2025. This represents a 9.1% rise from the prior year. Travel receipts from January to June increased by 11% compared to the same period in last year, to 7.6 billion euro. This was due to a 24% rise in travel payments, and a 10% increase in average spending per overnight stay. Tourism is responsible for over a quarter (25%) of the economic output. This means that data on visitor expenditures are closely monitored. The growth in receipts was led by the euro zone countries Germany, France, and Italy. The United States grew 29.4%, to 704.3 millions euros. Inbound travel to Greece in the first half 2025 rose by 0.6%, to 11.7 millions, roughly the same as in 2024. The Bank of Greece reported that while the number of passengers using airports increased by 4.9%, those crossing border points on roads decreased by 13.1%. ($1 = 0.8588 euros)
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London Tube workers strike next month in protest of pay demands
London Underground workers are planning to strike for seven consecutive days in the next month over a dispute about pay and conditions of employment, said RMT, a railway union. RMT stated that different grades of employees will take industrial action at various times. The dispute is over pay, fatigue management and shift patterns, as well as a reduction of the work week. The union also announced that in a separate dispute workers at the Docklands Light Railway which connects Canary Wharf with the City of London financial centre will be on strike starting the week of September 7. Eddie Dempsey, RMT's General Secretary, said: "Our members are not looking for a king's ransom but fatigue and shift rotations have serious impacts on the health and well-being of our members." Dempsey stated that the union would keep working with London Underground in order to reach a settlement. (Reporting and editing by Catarina demony; Sachin Ravikumar)
Ukraine claims it has struck Russia's Unecha Oil Pumping Station on Thursday
Robert Brovdi - commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces - said late Thursday that Ukraine's military had struck the Unecha Oil Pumping Station in Russia's Bryansk Region.
Brovdi uploaded a video to Telegram Messenger showing a large flame at an installation with many fuel tanks. Could not confirm the exact location of the infrastructure shown in the video.
Hungarian Foreign Ministry Peter Szijjarto said, on Facebook, that crude oil delivery from Russia to Hungary through the Druzhba pipe had been stopped after an attack near the Russia-Belarus frontier.
Szijjarto wrote: "This is yet another attack on our energy security."
Contrary to most European Union nations, Slovakia and Hungary are still dependent on Russian oil and get most of it through the Druzhba Pipeline that runs from Belarus and Ukraine through Hungary and Slovakia.
Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia's infrastructure for energy, a sector which is crucial in funding the Kremlin war effort. The revenue from oil and gas sales accounts for about a quarter (25%) of Russia's budget.
The almost daily drone strikes on oil refineries, pipelines and other facilities have caused fuel shortages in several Russian regions.
Russia has also intensified its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite efforts made by U.S. president Donald Trump to end this conflict. Reporting by Anastasiia and Pavel Polityuk, in Kyiv; Anita Komuves, in Budapest; and Vera Dvorakova, in Gdansk. Editing by Mark Potter & David Goodman
(source: Reuters)