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Finland suspects four persons in breach of subsea cables
The Finnish police, who are investigating the damage done to two subsea cables in the Baltic Sea last year, said that four people were suspected of a crime. Prosecutors will decide whether or not charges should be brought. Finland has seized a cargo ship, Fitburg, on December 31, 'while it was en route to Israel from Russia. They suspected that the cables from Helsinki to Estonia across the Gulf of Finland had been damaged. This is one of many incidents of this nature in recent years. The police?on Saturday said that they had investigated suspected aggravated crimes, attempted aggravated crimes, and aggravated interferences with telecommunications. They were referring the case to prosecutors in order to determine if any charges should be filed. The police said in a press release that the investigation had concluded with four suspects. Three of them remain under a travel restriction. After a series of power outages, telecommunications failures, and gas pipeline disruptions since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the Baltic Sea region has been on high alert. NATO has increased its military presence by adding aircraft, frigates, and naval drones. (Reporting and editing by Terje Solsvik, Essi Lehto)
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Norway opposes tariffs and rejects US claims about forced labour
Norway's foreign minister has rejected a U.S. assessment that the Nordic country?failed? to prevent forced labor, adding?that?the allegation?was unfounded?and shouldn?t be used?by President Donald Trump?to justify new tariffs. The Trump administration proposed Tuesday tariffs of up to 12.5% on imported goods from 60 countries including Norway after concluding that they failed to curb the?trade in products made with forced labor, an assertion that many U.S. trading partners rejected. In a statement issued late on Thursday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that "we strongly disagree" with the U.S. authorities' assessment of Norway not doing enough to stop forced labour. The Transparency Act was the first legislation in the world to prevent forced labour from being used to supply chains. Barth Eide said that he had told the U.S. authorities about this. Experts, business groups, and some human right groups say that Trump's threat to slap new tariffs on trading partners will not do much to combat?modern slave trade -- and may even make matters worse. (Reporting and editing by Terje Solsvik, Jagoda Darlandak)
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Brokers bet on winners of various sectors as the World Cup soccer tournament kicks off
Analysts predict that the 2026 FIFA World Cup in host countries will bring billions of dollars to their economies. This will be driven by an unprecedented surge in consumption, which will boost sectors as diverse as retail, athletic wear and tourism. The tournament is set to be held from?June 11, to July 19, and will be the biggest soccer event in history. It could drive consumer spending during a period when broader demand is fragile. According to FIFA's analysis of the socioeconomic impact, which was conducted in conjunction with the World Trade Organization (WTO), the first three-nation World Cup (WC), which includes the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is expected to bolster the global GDP by approximately $41 billion. Here are the stocks and sectors that brokerages believe will benefit from this once every four years event: HOTEL OPERATORS B. Riley estimates that a total 13.1 million World Cup visitors, including both ticketed and unticketed attendees generated 21.3 million hotel room nights across all online travel platforms. Analysts say that U.S. hotel chains Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt, as well as the online travel platforms Airbnb and Booking Holdings, as well as Expedia, are likely to benefit from this event. Marriott expects World Cup momentum to continue into the third quarter. Airbnb predicts that hosts in New York, New Jersey and Boston will earn the most money during the World Cup. Airline Tickets Goldman Sachs thinks WC could have a?net positive' effect on U.S. Airlines. Goldman stated that "June tends to be a lower season for inbound leisure travel and corporate travel, while a significant portion of the peak outbound travel season occurs after the WC has ended." The war in Iran has caused a sharp increase in the price of jet fuel, forcing U.S. airlines to raise fares, which is causing budget-conscious Americans delay or cancel their summer vacations. BEER STOCKS Jefferies estimates that more than 1 billion pints will be consumed worldwide during the holiday season. This represents a 0.3% increase in?volumes for the industry. Markets such as the U.S.A., Mexico and Brazil are expected to improve. Analysts at Jefferies said that after five years of volatile beer prices, the market should improve in 2026. The timing of the tournament is also a plus. Roughly 75% of matches will be played in the U.S. while 84% of the matches involving participating countries are in the beer-drinking-friendly time zones, the analysts added. Bernstein, Goldman and Jefferies believe that Corona beer maker Anheuser-Busch InBev will be the main beneficiary. Anheuser-Busch InBev is the official beer sponsor of the WC. Heineken, world's second largest brewer, will also benefit from the exposure it has in Latin America and Europe. US RETAIL AND 'SPORTSWEAR Goldman predicts that a surge of merchandise demand by fans will push sales up at Dick's Sporting Goods, and Academy Sports. Analysts said that sportswear brands like Adidas, Puma, and Nike could benefit from increased brand exposure and marketing during the World Cup. Goldman pointed out that Adidas, the official sponsor of match balls, has sponsorship deals with multiple teams. This allows it to gain global exposure at the event. FOOD, RESTAURANTS, AND DELIVERY Citi said that traditional?grocers like Albertsons and Kroger as well as larger retailers such Walmart and Target are likely to benefit during the World Cup from increased household spending. Tourism and group viewings are expected to support a rise in restaurant demand. This could lift McDonald's Pizzas, Domino's Pizzas, Wingstops, and Chipotles, as well as food distributors like Performance Food Group, US Foods, and Sysco. MEDIA AND DIGITAL ?PLATFORMS Deutsche Bank analysts stated that they expect the men's World Cup in 2026 to generate the largest US advertising revenues ever. Morgan Stanley estimated that the tournament would generate between $300 and $400 million in advertising revenue to Fox, the broadcaster of the English-language rights. Deutsche Bank pointed out that Comcast's?Telemundo which holds the Spanish-language broadcast rights is another potential beneficiary. Citi stated that internet companies like?Alphabet?s YouTube and Meta Platforms?s Instagram could benefit from an increase in user activity. BETTING OPERATORS The World Cup is expected to increase overall betting volumes, and Deutsche Bank expects Flutter Entertainment to outperform DraftKings. Macquarie predicted that global wagers would exceed $50 billion, or nearly $0.5 billion each match. This is compared to the 35 billion dollars for the previous tournament in 2022.
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Argentina recommends awarding the dredging contract to Jan de Nul, and local partners, despite US concerns
The Economy Ministry announced that the Argentine government had recommended awarding an important?dredging contract in Argentina to Belgian dredging firm Jan De Nul, and its local partner Servimagnus. Rep. Brian Mast, chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, warned in May about the "malign influence" of China in the bid to win the major contract for Argentina. Jan De Nul, and its local partner Servimagnus, denied any Chinese ties. * The recommendation is for the concession to dredge the Parana River and maintain it, as this river carries 80%?of?the trade of the country. In a late-Thursday statement, the ministry recommended that DEME, a Belgian competitor company, be rejected. *?Jan de Nul - Servimagnus? scored 66.20 in the technical evaluation stage, compared to 42.14 points for DEME. The statement said that both firms had submitted identical tariffs and received the maximum score for the economic component. DTA Engenharia, a Brazilian company, was declared inadmissible after failing to provide the required bid-maintenance guarantees. Before a final?award, a seven-day period has been opened for formal 'challenges' to the recommendation. The ministry added: * "The awarding of the contract will end the process and bring an end to the deadlock in the construction work on the waterway." * The waterway is a 3,400-kilometer natural river transport route that runs along the Parana River and the Paraguay River. It's essential for importing soybeans to Argentina, which are used in the production of oil, meal and other products.
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UAE markets benefit despite the stalled US/Iran peace talks
The stock markets of 'the United Arab Emirates' closed higher on Friday. Dubai outperformed its regional peers despite the fading hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and the U.S. Hezbollah, a militia backed by Iran, rejected a ceasefire on Thursday in?Lebanon and Israel announced it?wouldn't withdraw troops from the?country?undermining U.S. president Donald Trump's attempts to halt fighting?and achieve a peace?deal? with Tehran. Dubai's main index of shares rose by 0.9%, boosted by gains in the industrial and utilities sectors. Salik Company, a toll operator, increased by 1.6% while Emirates Central Cooling Systems grew 2.5%. Abu Dhabi's benchmark indices settled 0.3% higher, with the largest utility company Abu?Dhabi?National?Energy rising 6.2%. Alef Education's stock rose 1% following the?full migration to Microsoft Azure of its digital learning ecosystem with Core42's sovereign cloud capability. Brent crude was down?0.32% to $94.73 per barrel at 1232 GMT. (Reporting from Mohd. Edrees, Bengaluru. Editing by Shailesh. Kuber.)
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Pentagon: US forces board a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced on Friday that U.S. forces had seized the stateless sanctioned oil tanker Davina in the Indian Ocean overnight. Washington has placed a sea blockade against Iran, while Tehran has fired at ships to stop them from?sailing? through the Strait of Hormuz and entering the Middle East Gulf. In recent months, U.S. forces intercepted "multiple commercial and petroleum tankers" in the Indian Ocean. Indo-Pacific Command posted on X that "we will continue to enforce global maritime law to?disrupt illegal networks and 'interdict vessels providing materials support to Iran wherever they operate". According to data from ship tracking, the Davina is a supertanker that can carry up to 2 million barrels of crude oil. The U.S. placed sanctions on it in October 2024 because it was involved in?oil trade with Iran. Ship tracking data on MarineTraffic showed that the vessel, also known as the Lenore was last spotted on June 5, off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Separate shipping data revealed that the vessel's?draft indicated it was almost fully?laden with an oil cargo. (Reporting and editing by Doina chiacu and Joe Bavier; Reporting and Editing by Susan Heavey, Jonathan Saul)
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Swedish court orders that seized cargo ships can be transferred to Ukraine
A Swedish court ruled on Monday that the seizure of an unidentified cargo ship in 'the Baltic Sea' was legal and that it could be sent to Ukraine where it is suspected of transporting grain illegally from Russian-occupied territory. The Swedish coast guard and police seized the Caffa in March off the southern Swedish coast, claiming it was operating under a false banner and had violated maritime and ship safety laws because of its lack of seaworthiness. According to the ruling of June 4, a lawyer for the owner Caffa Shipping Limited had challenged the seizure, and asked for the vessel's?release. The court stated that Ukraine was seeking the ship in connection with an investigation of suspected war crimes, including the removal and appropriation of property from Russian-occupied territories. Hakan Larsson, public prosecutor, said that in an email to?, "the court confirmed that the seizure was legal and that the vessel could be handed over to Ukraine." The district court ruled that the alleged conduct may constitute a crime of war under Swedish law. This cleared the way for the vessel to be transferred and the evidence it contained to the Ukrainian authorities. Larsson stated that the decision must be legally binding before any transfer of ownership can occur, and added?that owners have three week to appeal. The lawyer for Caffa?Shipping did not respond immediately to a further comment request. The police reported that the majority of the 11 crew members of the 'Caffa were Russians at the time of the seizure. According to the ship tracking service MarineTraffic, the vessel is a general cargo ship measuring 96 metres. Reporting by Jagoda darlak. Terje Solsvik, Mark Potter and Terje Slsvik edited the article.
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Greek shipping magnate: The West needs to speed up the scrapping of its shadow fleet, as dangers grow.
Western governments should accelerate the scrapping of unregulated vessels that have been sanctioned and give their operators time to dispose of them, as environmental risks are increasing daily. In recent years, the?use of so-called'shadow?fleets?or dark fleets of tankers has increased. Hundreds of tankers are transporting Iranian and Russian oil without any safety or insurance checks. Evangelos Marinakis is the founder and chairman at Greece's Capital Maritime & Trading Corp., a major ship owner with more than 285 vessels on order. He has been pushing to remove unregulated tankers in global trading. Marinakis said during the Posidonia Shipping Week in Athens that "we face environmental risks every day from dark fleet ships". He said, "We should allow dark-fleet vessels to be scrapped both in the United States of America and the European Union." Marinakis addressed the concern that proceeds from the disposal of ships would go to 'potentially sanctioned parties.' He said:?these typically amount to less profit than a single trip and scrapping would reduce the massive profits made by the shadow fleet. GMS, a leading ship recycling company based in Dubai, announced last month that it had received approval from the U.S. Government to scrap four containers ships which were subject to Iran-related sanctions. However, their seller wasn't affected by the sanctions. Marinakis stated that his group has been in contact with Washington and sent "a great deal of useful material". Marinakis declined to comment further and the U.S. Treasury didn't respond to an?ask for comment. The shipowner - who also owns the Olympiacos soccer team and Nottingham Forest soccer team - said that shadow fleet operators must be allowed to dispose of their ships in a certain time frame. Marinakis stated that if we gave them four to five months for the scrapping schedule, we would see a reduction of at least 20%-25% in "the dark fleet". He said that ship recyclers should be allowed to pay?dollars or?euros to the owners of dark fleets they are scrapping. But only for scrapping. "This is the way forward." (Reporting and additional reporting by Timothy Gardner, Editing by Tomasz Janowowski)
An oil pipeline fight shows US gains in Iraq
In mid-July Iranian drones flew through the mountains of northern Iraq's Kurdistan Region, zeroing in on their target: American oilfields.
One of the missiles was fired by a militia group in Iraq that is likely to be Iranian-backed, and probably as retaliation against the U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities weeks earlier. It hit the Sarsang oil field, which is operated by HKN Energy. This company belongs to the son Ross Perot, a Texas billionaire.
A second hit was reported in a field near Dallas, operated by Hunt Oil.
Nearly half of Kurdistan's production was halted by the end of a four-day offensive that also affected operations at DNO and a local company.
Nine sources with knowledge of the situation claim that Washington was enraged by Baghdad's direct attack on U.S. interest. It felt Iraq had not done enough to combat pro-Iranian forces and stepped up its pressure campaign.
This campaign led to Iraq reopening an important export pipeline for Kurdistan’s oil. It was a major concession, which indicates a shift in the balance of power within Iraq from Tehran to Washington.
Sources within the Trump administration said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent some strong messages to Baghdad in order to make it clear to Baghdad that the time for decision was near.
Sanctions Threat
Since 2023, when the pipeline was shut down due to a dispute between Baghdad's Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government over oil sales, Washington has been pushing for its reopening.
The closure of the pipeline was done to reduce global oil prices and to aid U.S. companies operating in Kurdistan. It also served to divert crude to the south and feed smuggling rings that bring huge amounts to Iran and its proxy networks.
The drone strikes led Donald Trump, the U.S. president, to escalate Washington's campaign.
One of the sources involved with the pressure campaign said that in the two months after the attacks, his representative threatened Iraq's highest energy officials with sanctions, if the pipeline wasn't restarted.
The senior State Department official did not confirm the threat of sanctions, but stated that the U.S. exerted "extremely intense" diplomatic pressure to restart the pipeline.
The White House refused to comment if it had threatened sanctions against Iraq. Hunt Oil, the KRG, and the Iraqi government declined to comment. HKN Energy did not respond to requests for comments.
After two months of intense U.S. pressuring, oil started flowing on September 27, after a preliminary agreement was announced to restart the pipeline on July 17, the last day of the drone strikes.
The details of the U.S. press campaign were not reported previously.
No group has claimed responsibility. A source in the Iraqi government, citing a security investigation, claimed that they were the work a powerful pro Iranian militia group. He declined to identify them.
Baghdad, according to a source in the Iraqi security sector, warned the group of any future attacks that would place it directly in conflict with the government.
US EXPECTS A 'SIGNIFICANT RETURN" ON ITS INVESTMENT
This episode reveals the U.S.'s energy ambitions for the Middle East. Iraq is the second largest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Trump has repeatedly criticised the organization for its efforts to keep the price of oil high.
This also highlights the close ties between U.S. diplomatic interests and U.S. commercial interests under Trump.
The U.S. source stated that "having invested so much into this country...in terms of national treasures and the loss of U.S. life alongside our Iraqi partner in the defeating of terrorism...we expect there to a significant return on investment."
Iraq's concession is a sign of a change in the balance in the country.
Baghdad has walked the diplomatic tightrope for years between Washington and Tehran, its two key allies.
Iran, under U.S. sanctions and Western sanctions because of its nuclear ambitions backs 10 hardline Shi'ite militias in Iraq, with 50,000 fighters. It also holds a lot of political power.
Israel's attacks on its regional proxies and Iran have severely damaged Iran's power and reputation.
COMPLICATIONS
The pipeline deal is not certain to last or whether the power shift will continue.
Baghdad will review the agreement at the end December.
A 1973 agreement between Iraq, Turkey and the United States that established the legal basis for oil exports expires in July.
Baghdad continues to oppose the two Kurdistan Gas deals that HKN Energy, a Vancouver-based company, and WesternZagros signed with KRG in May.
HKN is a part of Dallas-based Hillwood, a real estate and energy company founded by Ross Perot Jr. Ross Perot was Texan billionaire Ross Perot's son and he ran for president twice.
According to public records, the Perot family has been a major donor to the Republican Party. They have donated more than $3,000,000 in 2025 and 2024.
Baghdad claims that agreements regarding Iraq's natural resource can only be reached with the federal government. Baghdad filed a lawsuit on May 26 against the KRG for the deals, and signed an agreement with China's Geo-Jade Petroleum in the same week to expand a southern Iraq oilfield.
There are still signs that the U.S. and Iraqi relations are improving.
Washington sent a new Special Envoy to Iraq to the UN on October 19. This was just days after Exxon Mobil, the U.S. energy company, agreed to return to Iraq to expand production there.
Exxon CEO Darren Woods said at a conference held in London, on October 13, that "it's a very important first step in terms the work we intend to do." "We have a long way to go before anything comes to fruition but we are optimistic and look forward to evaluating this." Ahmed Rasheed reported from Baghdad; Maha El Dahan from Dubai; Humeyra Pauk and Timothy Gardner were in Washington; Dmitry Zhdannikov, Anna Hirtenstein, and Nerijus Adomatis in Oslo. Richard Valdmanis, Mark Potter and Richard Valdmanis edited the article.
(source: Reuters)