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Freeport LNG Export Plant in Texas will take in more natgas Wednesday after a reduction on Tuesday - LSEG Data
Freeport LNG’s export plant in Texas is on track to 'take in more natural gases on Wednesday, after flow?declined? on Tuesday. This was a sign that the?plant _was _recovering from some disruption earlier this week. The U.S. facility is one of the U.S. exporting liquefied gas facilities that are closely monitored in the world. Operational changes could cause price swings on global gas markets. Gas prices in the U.S. are usually lower due to a decrease in demand from the export plant. Prices in Europe are usually higher due to the reduced LNG supply available on global markets. The U.S. futures market fell by about 5% on Wednesday, mainly due to the uncertainty surrounding the possible reduction of gas supplies to Freeport. Prices in Europe were also up about 4%, reaching a new three-month high. This was mainly due to the colder weather forecasts for Europe but in part due to the reduced gas flow to U.S. export LNG plants, such as Freeport. Freeport officials did not comment on Wednesday. LSEG stated that gas flows to Freeport are on track to increase to 1.4 billion cubic foot per day (bcfd), up from 0.7 bcfd Tuesday. This compares to an average of 1.9 bcfd for the previous seven days. Three liquefaction plants at Freeport can?convert about 2.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day into LNG. A billion cubic feet of natural gas can supply 5 million U.S. households for one day. Reporting by Scott DiSavino Editing Mark Potter and Bernadettebaum
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Ryanair reduces capacity between Brussels Charleroi and Charleroi due to the passenger tax
Ryanair will operate 10% fewer flights from Brussels Charleroi Airport, due to the new 3-euro ($3.50), passenger tax that takes effect in April. Michael O'Leary, the Group Chief Executive of Irish Airlines, told reporters that the airline would reduce its annual seat total from 10.5 million to 1.1 million. He said: "We will continue to cut until the Belgian government... abolishes all these stupid taxes." New aircraft are being sent to Sweden and Albania, while some aircraft will be moved to other locations. This year, we'll be adding four new aircraft at Stockholm. O'Leary stated that in Albania there are no taxes and we're opening four aircraft bases. "We're thinking this winter we're going to move four or even five of these aircraft out of Charleroi. "They'll be going to Slovakia, Italy, and Sweden. That's what these taxes do," added he. He said that the EU must do more to maintain European aviation's competitiveness, including by including non-European flights in its Emissions Trading Scheme. The scheme gives airlines an allowance for emissions and requires them to 'buy carbon credits' in order to make up any excess emissions. The EU originally limited the scope for ETS to airlines in 'the European Economic Area. This decision has been extended multiple times. The European Commission is required to review this limit by July, before it expires at the beginning of 2027. Either we force non-Europeans to pay ETS, or we lower the ETS rates for Europeans. O'Leary stated that aviation is one of few industries in which Europe is more competitive than the United States. Ryanair, he said, has decided not to add Elon Musk's Starlink Internet to its aircraft due to the additional fuel costs and flight duration.
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UK jury: Captain attempted to change course prior to fatal tanker accident
A London court heard on Wednesday that the captain of a container vessel which smashed into a U.S. oil tanker last year off Britain's East Coast tried to alter course in order to avoid a fatal collision. Vladimir Motin's lawyer stated that the Russian captain of the Solong, who hit the Stena Immaculate tanker anchored in March 2025 and tried to turn off the autopilot but failed, shortly before the crash. Motin is facing trial at the Old Bailey, accused of gross negligence manslaughter. Mark Pernia is a 38-year-old crew member whose body was never found, but is presumed to be dead. Motin has not pleaded guilty. James Leonard, his lawyer, said that Motin was responsible for avoiding the collision and that "there is no doubt that this collision led to the sad death of Mr Pernia". Leonard continued, "On the basis of the defendant's failure to avoid a collision involving the Stena Immaculate there is no question that he was at fault." He told the jury that they had to decide whether Motin's fault was the cause of the accident and whether it was "grossly negligence as compared with anything less than that". CAPTAIN SAYS: HE TRYED TO CHANGE THE COURSE Leonard stated that Motin saw the Stena Immaculate on the radar of the Solong from "at least 9 nautical miles (16,7 kilometers) away", while the Solong was controlled by the autopilot. Motin said that when the Solong was about one nautical mile away from the Stena Immaculate he tried to manually change the course of the Solong. Leonard stated that there would have been a collision if he had changed his course the way he wanted to. He said that the jury would need to decide whether it was reasonable that Motin had waited until the Solong was a nautical mile away before he acted. Tom Little, the prosecutor, said that Motin did "absolutely" nothing to prevent the accident. Motin has pleaded guilty to gross negligent manslaughter. The trial should conclude by the end of next month. (Reporting and editing by Sam Tobin, Mark Heinrich)
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Construction-related accidents are on the rise in Thailand
A crane fell onto a train moving in the northeastern part of Thailand on Wednesday, killing dozens of people. This is just the latest in a string of construction accidents that have occurred in recent years. Other fatal construction accidents in Thailand March 28, 2025: A?partially constructed 30-storey Bangkok tower collapsed in a 7.7-magnitude quake which struck central Myanmar. At least 89 people were killed. Construction was carried out by Italian Thai Development PCL - a large construction company that was also involved in building the rail line at the time of Wednesday's accident. In?August, the president of ITD and 21 other suspects were charged with violating construction regulations as well as causing death by negligence. The case is still pending, and he initially denied the charges. On March 15, 2025, a bridge under construction on the Rama III - Dao Khanong expressway Project collapsed in Bangkok. At least five people died and?27 were injured. ITD was also a part of the joint venture for the?highway. The authorities launched an investigation, and the contractors offered compensation to the victims. In August, the incident led to the government introducing a system of "contractor reports cards" to improve oversight over companies involved in public infrastructure projects. August 24, 2024: Three workers were killed in a tunnel collapse in Nakhon ratchasima Province in northeastern Thailand. The same project that caused the incident on Wednesday was involved. The collapse took place during heavy rains in the'region. In an accident that occurred on November 29, 2024, four Myanmar workers and two Thai workers died in Samut Sakhon Province, south of?capital Bangkok. The accident happened at the construction site of a?elevated autobahn. A concrete segment and a crane fell during the construction of the elevated highway, causing six injuries. March 29, 2024: Seven people died and many were injured, including a person who lost a leg, when a crane collapsed on a construction site at a Chinese steel factory in Rayong Province in eastern Thailand. (Compiled by PanuWongcha-um, DevjyotGhoshal and Sharon Singleton; Editing by Sharon Singleton).
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After the Black Sea tanker attack, Kazakhstan calls on US and Europe to assist in securing oil transport
Kazakhstan called on Europe and the U.S. to secure oil transport after drone attacks on tankers headed to a Black Sea Terminal on the Russian coast that handles 1% of the global supply. Unidentified drones attacked at least two oil tankers in Tuesday's Black Sea, including a tanker chartered by U.S. major Chevron. They were sailing toward a terminal along the Russian coast that would load oil from Kazakhstan. In a press release, Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said that three tankers had been hit on their way to the Black Sea marine terminal for the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. Drones attacked CPC’s exporting equipment on November 29. This resulted in a drop in oil exports through the outlet. The ministry stated that "the increasing frequency of these incidents highlights the growing risk to the functioning international energy infrastructure". "We call on our partners to work closely together to develop joint actions aimed at preventing such incidents in the future," added the report. The Russian Defence Ministry said that on Wednesday, the Matilda Tanker, which was sailing under the Maltese Flag, was attacked by two Ukrainian strike drones. This attack took place at a distance between 100 km (62 miles) and the city of Anapa, located in the Krasnodar Region of Russia. Ukraine has not commented on the incident. CPC's 1,500 km (930 miles) pipeline is owned by KazMunayGas (Kazakhstan's state-owned oil company), Lukoil (Russia), and Chevron/ExxonMobil units. Russian terminals in the Black Sea process more than 2% global crude. The waters of the Black Sea, which are shared with Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania, Turkey and Russia, are crucial for grain shipping. CPC is responsible for the majority of Kazakhstan's oil exports. (Reporting and Writing by Anastasia Teterevleva, Vladimir Soldatkin. Editing by Mark Potter/Guy Faulconbridge).
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Report: Greek airspace blackout caused by old systems and not cyberattack
Investigators say that an eight-hour radio blackout at Greek airports last week, which forced authorities to clear airspace, was partially due to outdated communication systems. The issue revealed infrastructure gaps in this key tourist destination. A high-ranking government official resigned after the report of the investigative panel on Wednesday. On January 4, air traffic controllers lost touch with the majority of planes, which included dozens headed for Greek airports. Radio frequencies were also replaced by static. Experts in aviation said that the incident was unprecedented for a country in southern Europe. The key Telecom Infrastructure Based on Outdated Technology The report of the five-member investigation committee said that the cause of the outage is still unclear. Multiple systems went out of sync, leading to a scramble of communications between the airport towers and the planes. In response, a transport ministry official stated that Greece's system was in line with EU Standards. However, the ministry has implemented an upgrade plan which is expected to be complete in 2028. The unions have called for upgrades since years and say that the system is unsafe, particularly in light of the tourism boom, with millions of tourists flying to Greece each year. They said that the report vindicated their concerns on Wednesday. The AVIATION AUTHORITY'S GOVERNOR RETIRES In a statement released by the Greek transport ministry, George Saounatsos resigned as governor of Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday. The current deputy governor George Vagenas will fill in until a replacement is appointed. The report stated that, while the incident was a "low-risk" one in terms of safety for flights, the Civil Aviation Authority’s voice communication system and the critical supporting telecom infrastructure are based on outdated technology. The report was submitted to the Transport Ministry and published late Tuesday. It stated that the infrastructure no longer has the support of manufacturers and is not operationally guaranteed. The report stated that the Greek telecom provider OTE has been warning the civil aviation authority since 2019 about the need for new circuits in its systems. It also recommended upgrading transceivers, among other changes. The report also recommended the creation of a crisis response mechanism between OTE and the Civil Aviation Authority. Reporting by Renee Maltezou, Editing by Sharon Singleton & Bernadette Baum
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Is the US Uranium Market about to go Nuclear in 2026? Maguire
The market for uranium, the primary fuel in nuclear power plants, is becoming tighter as reactor construction increases. This is setting up a price rally for uranium this year. Data from Canadian uranium mining company?Cameco showed that U.S. spot prices for the uranium sector ended 2025 around $82 per pound. This represents a rise of roughly $10, or 12%, from the end 2024. This is a significant increase compared with the well-over 100% increases in share prices in 2025 of prominent uranium miner and fuel suppliers, which were boosted by policies of the U.S. Government to revive nuclear energy production. While equities linked to the nuclear supply chains look like they will remain popular among investors, the industry is now focusing on the state of uranium which is experiencing a growing structural deficit due to the fact that consumption is exceeding production. The uranium shortage is being exacerbated by the surge in demand for electricity due to the AI-driven boom in data centres, as well as the construction of modular reactors. This is especially true in the U.S., where the mine supply has been at historic lows over the last decade. The U.S. mine uranium production is increasing again, but it is still only expected to be 1 million pounds in comparison to the 50 million pounds consumed annually by the U.S. The mismatch between supply and demand is causing the U.S. price of uranium to rise, a trend that may continue as 2026 progresses. While spot prices are still below $90 per pound, executives who track discussions between mine suppliers (mines) and power generators (power generators) have noted that "long-term contracts" are closer to $100. If deals are confirmed above or at the psychologically important $100 mark - which was last consistently exceeded in 2007 – that could help spark new momentum in spot markets and establish uranium among 2026's most exciting markets. STOCKS DRAWDOWN The U.S. uranium shortage was filled in recent years by imports from the secondary market. This includes stockpiles of utility material, decommissioned warheads, and left-over material at enrichment plants. The increased purchases of utilities and government agencies has now reduced those secondary supplies. In addition, restrictions on future uranium exports to a belligerent?Russia (which will be banned in 2028) have also narrowed sources for imports. The combination of lower stocks on the secondary market in the country and the restrictions on imports have led to a greater focus on the spot-market and any new but uncontracted outputs from uranium mining. Investors' increased uranium purchasing is further tightening supply imbalance and becoming a bullish market driver. The Sprott Physical Uranium Trust's (SPUT) Uranium Holdings - the largest fund in the world that stocks physical uranium- increased 9 million pounds, reaching a record of 72.5 million pounds by 2025. Investor holdings of fuel for the nuclear industry are expected to grow as the fleet expands and more reactors come online. This will give prices a boost. Record Nuclear Generation The world's output of nuclear electricity is likely to reach a record by 2025 after several major nuclear power plants reached all-time highs or multi-year peaks. Data from the energy think tank Ember revealed that nuclear-powered electricity supply in China, India South Korea and France will all rise to their highest levels for at least five year in 2025. The nuclear power industry in Japan has recovered after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. It is expected to continue growing in 2026 when the world's biggest reactor will be restarted in Niigata Prefecture. In 2026, new nuclear reactors will also be operational in China, India Turkey and the United States, which is expected to further increase the nuclear sector's appetite for uranium and boost total nuclear power production to new record highs. Power Pipeline Europe is home to the majority of nuclear power reactors in the world, with 39% located there. Global Energy Monitor data shows that Europe has a nuclear power generation capacity of around 157,000 megawatts. Asia is the next largest region in terms of nuclear power with 120,000 MW. North America follows closely behind at 117,000 MW. The nuclear pipeline is dominated by Asia, with 82,000 MW reactors being built globally, but 66,000 MW in Asia. Asia is also home to two-thirds (or 67%) of all nuclear power plants that are in pre-construction. This means the sites have already been chosen and permits obtained, but crews still haven't broken ground. GEM data shows that around 107,000 MW of power is in pre-construction worldwide, with 60,000MW in Asia, 36,600 MW Europe, 8,800 MW North America, and?4,000MW Africa. Asia will become the main nuclear hub once the plants under construction or in pre-construction have been completed. This batch has around 246,000MW?of the 590,000MW global nuclear power generation capacity. China is the leader in the nuclear sector with a capacity of around 65,000 megawatts, followed by India at 32,000 megawatts. Around 8,000 MW in the United States are in development. This would, when completed, represent a roughly 7 % increase in installed nuclear capacity. It is possible that, due to the aggressive policies being implemented in the U.S. Nuclear Sector, additional capacity plans may be developed in the future. This will in turn tighten up the country's supply of uranium and keep the price of uranium prone to surges for the foreseeable. These are the opinions of the columnist, who is also an author. You like this article? Check it out Open Interest The new global financial commentary source (ROI) is your go-to for all the latest news and analysis. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis on everything from soybeans to swap rates. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on You can find us on LinkedIn.
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Report: Greek airspace blackout caused by old systems and not cyberattack
Investigators in a recent report said that the eight-hour radio blackout at Greek airports, which forced authorities to clear airspace in the country and divert dozens of flights to other airports was partly due to an outdated communication system. On January 4, air traffic controllers were unable to contact most planes including dozens of aircraft heading towards Greek airports as the radio frequencies dropped and were replaced with static. Experts in aviation said that the incident was unprecedented for a country in southern Europe. The report of a five member investigating committee, commissioned by government, found that the exact cause of the problem, where multiple systems went 'out of sync', caused a scramble of communications between towers at airports and planes is still unclear. The report rated the incident "low risk" in terms of?flight security, ruled out cyberattacks and stated that pilots and air traffic controllers were able to respond effectively. The report was sent to Greece's Transport Ministry and published late Tuesday. It states that the voice communication system of the Civil Aviation Authority and its critical supporting telecommunications are outdated technologies, no longer supported and without operational guarantees. According to the report, "the Greek telecommunications company OTE has been warning civil aviation authorities since 2019 that their systems need new circuits." The report called for new transceivers, among other things. The report also called for the creation of an?emergency response?mechanism that would be shared between OTE and the Civil Aviation Authority. A transport ministry official said that Greece's systems were in line with EU Standards in response to the report. However, the ministry has implemented a plan for upgrading its systems, which is expected to be complete in 2028. Unions have called for upgrades since years but say that the system is unsafe, particularly in light of the tourism boom, with millions flying into Greece each year. They said on Wednesday that the report vindicated their protests. Reporting by Renee Maltezou, Editing by Edward McAllister & Sharon Singleton
UK jury: Captain attempted to change course prior to fatal tanker accident
A London court heard on Wednesday that the captain of a container vessel which smashed into a U.S. oil tanker last year off Britain's East Coast tried to alter course in order to avoid a fatal collision.
Vladimir Motin's lawyer stated that the Russian captain of the Solong, who hit the Stena Immaculate tanker anchored in March 2025 and tried to turn off the autopilot but failed, shortly before the crash.
Motin is facing trial at the Old Bailey, accused of gross negligence manslaughter. Mark Pernia is a 38-year-old crew member whose body was never found, but is presumed to be dead. Motin has not pleaded guilty.
James Leonard, his lawyer, said that Motin was responsible for avoiding the collision and that "there is no doubt that this collision led to the sad death of Mr Pernia".
Leonard continued, "On the basis of the defendant's failure to avoid a collision involving the Stena Immaculate there is no question that he was at fault."
He told the jury that they had to decide whether Motin's fault was the cause of the accident and whether it was "grossly negligence as compared with anything less than that".
CAPTAIN SAYS: HE TRYED TO CHANGE THE COURSE
Leonard stated that Motin saw the Stena Immaculate on the radar of the Solong from "at least 9 nautical miles (16,7 kilometers) away", while the Solong was controlled by the autopilot.
Motin said that when the Solong was about one nautical mile away from the Stena Immaculate he tried to manually change the course of the Solong.
Leonard stated that there would have been a collision if he had changed his course the way he wanted to.
He said that the jury would need to decide whether it was reasonable that Motin had waited until the Solong was a nautical mile away before he acted.
Tom Little, the prosecutor, said that Motin did "absolutely" nothing to prevent the accident. Motin has pleaded guilty to gross negligent manslaughter.
The trial should conclude by the end of next month. (Reporting and editing by Sam Tobin, Mark Heinrich)
(source: Reuters)