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Gulf oil tanker prices nearly double as Middle East producers increase exports
Shipping data and sources indicate that oil tanker operators have made record profits this week after almost doubling the cost of hiring vessels to travel through the Strait of Hormuz or the wider Gulf region. This is due to the increasing demand for the waterway as it slowly begins to pick up. The strait's traffic has been relatively low since Iran lifted the effective blockade after agreeing on a 60-day truce with the U.S. last week. Meanwhile, talks are continuing to reach a permanent agreement to end the war. The number of vessels passing through Hormuz has dropped to a fraction of what it was before the conflict started on February 28. According to market estimates, up to 100 tankers are still stuck in the Gulf with their cargoes, adding to an already tight supply of vessels, as Middle Eastern producers increase exports. According to ship brokers, and other industry sources, the rates for hiring a vessel outside of the Strait?Hormuz are now $190,500 per day, up from $106,500 one week earlier. The prices also increased outside the Gulf area. According to ship brokers and industry sources, the average daily earnings of very large crude carriers have increased by over $50,000 in the last week for cargoes that need to pass through Hormuz. Ship broker Clarksons stated that "tanker owners were preparing for a surge in Middle East crude cargoes over the next few weeks. They are encouraged by the fact spot TCEs, or earnings (averaged more than $100,000/day) despite the drop in cargo volume following the U.S. Iran hostilities." In a statement, it stated: "This shows that the supply of (tankers) is extremely tight. A reopening of Hormuz will further tighten capacity." FLURRY OF TENDERS FROM MIDDLE-EAST PRODUCERS Middle Eastern producers have been offering crude in a frenzy of tenders, especially Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. They are encouraging buyers to load from within the Gulf and this is boosting demand for tankers. Sinokor, one of the largest operators of supertankers in the world, did not reply to a comment request. The group's Belgium B supertanker, the last vessel to enter the Gulf and load cargoes for the group on Monday, was heading towards terminals in Iraq. Ship tracking data from MarineTraffic revealed this on Tuesday. Insurance industry sources say that while tanker rates are up, war risk insurance costs have fallen in the last five days, to about 3% of a ship's value, from around 5% a week earlier, excluding discounts. It would be a reduction of hundreds of thousands in insurance costs for ships. After months of supply disruptions, buyers in India, such as the country's largest refiner Reliance have sought crude from this region. Reliance has not responded to a comment request.
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Europe Inc. adapts to the heatwave with cool boxes and dawn starts
Companies are trying to protect their workers and keep operations running as temperatures in Europe reach above 40 degrees Celsius. They also want to take advantage of the soaring demand that could be a relief. DHL, the German logistics giant, has provided its delivery staff in Germany with "cool boxes", which contain reusable cooling towel, water-activated arm coolers, and UV-protective collar guards. Construction firms have shifted their working hours so that they start earlier and end before the hotter part of the day. Retailers are struggling to meet the demand for portable air conditioners and fans. DHL stated that "extremely high temperatures pose a special strain when physically demanding work", adding that workers should drink lots of fluids, wear sunscreen, and seek shade wherever possible. In France, 40 people have drowned recently as a weather system brought hot air from the Sahara northwards. The people were trying to avoid temperatures above 41 degrees Celsius in Bordeaux and Poitiers. In the north, some schools have closed or altered their timetables. Scientists have linked the most dramatic increase in temperatures to climate change on Europe. According to Climate Monitor, it was the continent that had temperatures Monday far above their?historic norm. Where to escape the heat? Coping strategies have become a part of everyday work for many workers. "I keep drinking water to hydrate myself because the heat is unbearable," said 58-year-old Madrid electrician Vladimir Yepes. Even when we're not in the sun, temperatures continue to rise. The 60-year-old accountant Juan Antonio Casas said that the temperature in his air-conditioned office was bearable but it would be "horrible" to go outside. The Central Association of the Construction Industry in Germany said that road construction crews and outdoor employees are most at risk from extreme heat. Heribert Joris is the head of the association's social and collective negotiation policy. France's association for farm cooperatives reported that some silos are organizing night shifts in order to receive grain, because local authorities have prohibited afternoon harvesting due to the increased risk of fire. SALE OPPORTUNITY for SOME Heat has produced winners and losers. Currys, a British electrical retailer, said that sales of fans increased nearly 3,000% in comparison to the previous weekend before the heatwave. Air-conditioning units also increased 330%. AO World Finance chief Mark Higgins stated that the heat in Britain - which experienced record temperatures also in May - had boosted demand sooner than normal. Higgins stated that the UK had experienced a spike in hot weather through May. This is earlier than what we normally experience during the year. When it's hot, air conditioners and fans are in high demand. This surge is indicative of a wider shift on a continent that has historically been less dependent on air conditioners than other regions, such as North America. Climate change is causing more frequent droughts, heatwaves, and floods. This will increase the economic costs for most people. In a study conducted by the University of Mannheim in collaboration with economists at the European Central Bank, it was found that extreme weather could cost the European Union EUR126 billion (USD143.46 billion). Southern Europe is particularly vulnerable, and the public authorities are forced to respond. Madrid has increased the number of "climate refuges" to provide respite for vulnerable residents. Some have paid a high price to cool their homes. Yandri is a 28-year old plumber from the Spanish capital who said that he sleeps in the air conditioning all night. You will see the bill. He said, "It's going to be a big bill."
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Oman and Iran continue talks to manage navigation in Strait of Hormuz
Oman and Iran agreed?on?Tuesday to continue discussions regarding the?future management of navigation?in?the Strait of?Hormuz.?Including maritime services and costs associated with it. In a statement released after the talks in Muscat the two countries announced that a working group comprising their respective foreign ministries will be formed to continue the discussion and they will consult with other littoral states and relevant parties. This move seems to be a fulfillment of a memorandum of understanding that was signed last week, which calls on Iran to have talks with Oman and the other Gulf coastal states about the future management of maritime services and navigation in the strait. The strait is a vital waterway to global oil supply. The agreement was announced after a visit from Iranian Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. They met Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, and spoke with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Albusaidi. Oman and Iran have reaffirmed in a joint statement their commitment to ensuring safe passage along the waterway, while maintaining sovereignty over their own territorial waters. Since the U.S. and Israeli war began against Iran in February, the Strait has been closed to commercial shipping. After Iran began blocking the strait, the United States blocked Iranian ports. Oman and Iran have reaffirmed that they are committed to making the Strait of Hormuz a safe and open route for international traffic and to promoting maritime security, freedom and stability in the region. (Reporting and editing by Aidan Lewis, Timothy Heritage and Jana Choukeir)
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There are some flights to the Middle East that have resumed but there is still disruption.
Some airlines have resumed flights to certain parts of the Middle East, as diplomatic efforts intensify to resolve the conflict following the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran. However, many carriers continue to suspend flights, causing global travel disruptions. The following is an alphabetical update of the flight status for airlines: AEGEAN AIRLINES Thessaloniki-Tel Aviv flights have been cancelled by Greece's biggest carrier until 26th June. Dubai flights are cancelled up until August 31 and Erbil and Baghdad flights until September 30. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until the 28th of June. AIR CANADA Canadian Airlines has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until October 24. AIR EUROPA Spanish Airlines has canceled flights to Tel Aviv from June 28 until now. Air France-KLM Air France suspends its Tel Aviv, Beirut and Dubai flights until July 5, and until June 30, respectively. KLM has suspended flights from Riyadh to Dammam, Dubai and Dammam until August 9. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has suspended flights to Dubai and Riyadh through August 31. The U.S. carrier suspended service for the Atlanta-Tel Aviv routes through December 18. The airline plans to resume New York JFK to Tel Aviv flights on September 6 while Boston-Tel Aviv, which was scheduled to launch in late October, will now be delayed. FINNAIR Finnair has canceled its Doha flights up until October 2 while continuing to avoid the airspace over Iraq, Iran Syria and Israel. The airline will resume its Dubai flights in October, which are only operated during the winter. British Airways, owned by IAG, delayed the resumption its flights to?Doha and Riyadh to August 8th. Flights from Amman, Bahrain, Amman, Tel Aviv and Dubai will be paused for the summer season, and resumed on October 25. When it resumes, the airline plans to reduce its services to Dubai and Doha to just one flight per day, while dropping Jeddah from the list of destinations. JAPAN AIRLINES Japan Airlines has suspended its scheduled Tokyo-Doha and Doha-Tokyo flight until August 31, and Doha-Tokyo until September 1. Polish Airlines has cancelled all flights to Riyadh and Beirut until 30 June. LOT will begin operating its winter route from Dubai in October. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa has announced that it will resume Tel Aviv flights as soon as July 1, whereas ITA Airways has confirmed they will resume them on July 1. SWISS delayed?the resume of flights until August, and Brussels Airlines suspended its operations until October 24. The suspension of Dubai flights by SWISS and Lufthansa will continue until September 13th. Lufthansa and SWISS have suspended flights until October 24 to Abu Dhabi, Amman Beirut Dammam Riyadh Erbil Muscat and Tehran. Eurowings, a low-cost airline, has suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Beirut until July 9, Erbil and Beirut until June 30, and Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman until October 24. ITA Airways also extended its suspension of flights to Riyadh and Dubai until July 31. MALAYSIA AIRLINES From July 2, the Malaysian airline will resume limited service to Doha. NORWEGIAN AIR Low-cost carrier has delayed the launch of Tel Aviv and Beirut indefinitely and no new start date has been set. ROYAL MAROC Moroccan airline announced that flights to Doha have been cancelled until 30 June. SINGAPORE Airlines In response to increased demand, the carrier has extended the suspension of its Singapore-Dubai flights until August 2. It also added services on Singapore-London Gatwick and Singapore-Melbourne routes between late March and October 24. TURKISH AIRLINES SunExpress, Turkish Airlines joint venture with Lufthansa has?cancelled' flights to Dubai, Bahrain, Beirut, and Erbil, until July 14. WIZZ AIR Low-cost airlines have suspended flights from Europe to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until mid-September. (Compiled by Josephine Mason and Jamie Freed. Elviira Lioma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olesska, Bernadette HOG, Alexander Klyve Gudbrandsen, Romolo TOSIANI, Boleslaw LaSocki). Matt Scuffham and Alexander Smith edited by Susan Fenton, Milla Nissi-Prussak Jonathan Ananda Joe Bavier, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heaven, Bernadette Hogg, Romolo Tosiani.
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Trump insists Iran agreed to nuclear inspections
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, insisted Tuesday that Iran has agreed to allow nuclear inspectors for a long time into the future despite Iran's?statements that it has not. "Iran is fully and completely agreeing to the highest level Nuclear Inspections for as long as possible (Infinity!!! In a post on social media, he said: "Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!! This will ensure 'Nuclear Honesty' "If they didn't agree to this, no more negotiations!" Iran denied that it had started discussions about its nuclear program, or agreed to welcome?International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to the country. Trump said the United States would also leave ships in the Strait o f?Hormuz if it became necessary to reimpose the blockade on Iranian ports. He said this was "at this stage, highly unlikely." He also said that 19,000,000 barrels of crude oil flowed through the Hormuz Strait Monday. After the first round of talks in a?so-called peace agreement, the United States has?waived Iran sanctions for 60 days. Trump said on Tuesday that the?funds?that the U.S. Treasury will release funds that will be placed in escrow and under U.S. management. The money will then be used to buy medical and food supplies exclusively from the United States. "These are items that Iran desperately needs." Trump wrote: "This is a humanitarian crisis, and I believe it's necessary to help NOW, before its too late." (Reporting and editing by Susan Heavey; Doina chiacu)
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Fuel shortages in Russia and restrictions on sales
Russian regions are restricting fuel sales due to a lack of certain grades of gasoline and diesel and long lines at the filling stations. This is because Ukrainian attacks on oil refining facilities have disrupted supply. The following are statements by Russian regional authorities and companies on the current situation: CENTRAL RUSSIA Surgutneftegaz, Tatneft and the authorities in Tver announced on the 20th of June that temporary restrictions were introduced for individuals at the Surgutneftegaz & Tatneft gasoline stations because of increased demand. Igor Artamonov, the Governor of Lipetsk, said that several filling stations in the region, including?the cities?of Lipetsk, and Yelets were suffering from shortages of certain grades. Kommersant reported that Tambov Governor Evgeniy Pryshov had imposed restrictions on the sale of cans and other containers in order to reduce panic buying. Regional media reported that authorities in the Vladimir region stated on June 21, "temporary logistics difficulties" caused long queues at fuel stations. Sales were limited to 30-60 litres of gas per vehicle. Alexander Avdeev, the Governor of Vladimir region, urged residents to limit their travel and not stockpile fuel. A regional ministry reported on June 19 that increased demand in the Kaluga region led to long queues at gas stations. It said that reserves were available and volumes are being replenished to ensure Ai-95 and Ai-92 for two weeks as well as diesel and Ai-92 for three weeks. The Kommersant newspaper reported that private gas stations in parts of Tula region were running out of certain grades of fuel, but the major networks did not have any supply problems, according to Governor Dmitry Milyayev. SOUTH AND WESTERN RUSSIA Anna Kasyanenko, the regional agriculture minister, told local media that some Rostov-region filling stations ran out of gasoline because major refineries had cut production. Local media reported that some stations in?Makhachkala have restricted gasoline sales to a maximum of 20 litres for each vehicle. Diesel is also limited to a maximum of 50 litres. CRIMEA AND SEVASTOPOL The Crimean government has suspended summer camps for children and tourist activities until September, citing fuel shortages as well as security concerns. From June 21, fuel stations in Crimea stopped all sales of fuel to businesses and individuals. Sevastopol has also imposed restrictions on fuel sales, public transport and cafes. VOLGA REGION Local media report that Tatneft stations in Udmurtia have stopped selling Ai-95. Rustam Minikhanov, the Tatarstan leader, held a meeting in June after lines formed at certain stations. Authorities have announced temporary limits to prevent panic-buying. From June 23 to 30, the Saratov Region Governor Roman Busargin has announced a temporary limit of 30 litres for each vehicle. On June 15, Governor Vyacheslav Federishchev announced that a regional network has introduced restrictions on the sale of fuel at its filling stations in?the Samara Region. SIBERIA Marina Kozharina said that on June 16th, the Irkutsk Region Minister of Agriculture was concerned about the fuel situation in the region. Irkutsk, according to Governor Igor Kobzev, had switched over to a manual system of distribution by June 22. The new system prioritizes emergency services, transportation, municipal utilities, and agriculture. On June 23, Governor Andrey Travnikov of Novosibirsk announced that there would be restrictions at filling stations. Vitaly Khotsenko, the Omsk governor, said on June 22 that similar measures will be implemented to prevent panic buying and speculation. FAR EAST Amur.life reported that authorities in the region announced restrictions on petrol sales at stations to avoid what they called "artificial panic" among the local population. Dmitry Demeshin, the Khabarovsk governor, said that on June 16, gasoline sales were restricted in Sovetskaya gavan and Vanino due to a shortage of supplies. (Reporting and editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak).
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Court rules that UK approval of Gatwick airport expansion is legal
The?High Court of London ruled that Britain's approval for Gatwick Airport expansion was legal. This allows the country's 2nd busiest hub to proceed with its plan to add millions more passengers by 2030. Last year, the government approved the?opening? of a?second runway? at Gatwick Airport, located 30 miles (48km) south-east of London. However, two environmental groups brought a lawsuit over noise and air pollution. Both the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign and Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions said that they would appeal Tuesday's decision. GOVERNMENT HAS BACKED NEW RUNWAY The government said that the increased use of sustainable aviation fuel does not conflict with the net-zero goals. It has also backed the construction of a new airport runway at Heathrow. Keir Starmer has announced that he will step down from his position as Prime Minister after less than 2 years. He has supported infrastructure projects such as airport expansion to grow Britain's stagnant economic growth. In the case against Gatwick Airport, Judge Tim Mold dismissed two claims for a judicial review, saying that the reasons given by the government to approve the expansion were "rational, and supported by adequate, proper and understandable reasons". Mould rejected the argument about the environmental impact of the development, saying that it was not in contradiction for the government to claim it wouldn't affect its ability meet carbon reduction targets. A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: "We are pleased that the High Court has upheld our approval for expansion at Gatwick Airport." This project will bring 14,000 new jobs for local residents and PS1 billion per year to all corners of the UK. NEW RUNWAY 'COULD BE ?OPEN BY END OF ?DECADE' After the ruling, a spokesperson for Gatwick stated: "We look forward to bringing our plans to life and will announce more details in due time." Gatwick is owned by VINCI Airports & Global Infrastructure Partners. The new runway will be open by the end decade. It could provide a PS1billion boost to the UK economy through trade and tourism, and create 14,000 jobs. Andy Burnham, Starmer's most likely successor, could still sabotage the expansion of London?s two largest airports, which are both operating at near capacity. He has warned in the past that the expansion of Heathrow airport could deprive the north of England the investment they need. (Reporting and editing by Michael Holden, Jan Harvey, and Sarah Young)
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The PM has announced that Poland will be adding a second LNG vessel to the Gdansk floating terminal.
The Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Tuesday that Poland will build a floating LNG terminal in Gdansk with a second regasification vessel. This is due to the overwhelming interest of shippers. "The commercial interest is large enough for the project to not require budget involvement," Tusk told reporters before a cabinet meeting in Warsaw. The two terminals in the Baltic, along with a portfolio of LNG contracts, will allow Poland to become a hub of fuel deliveries from the U.S. Gaz-System, the Polish gas pipeline operator, will be able to move forward with the project due to the interest from the market. According to 'the company plans', the second floating storage and regasification?unit (FSRU) will have a technical capability to regasify a?additional 4.5 bcm (bcm ) of gaseous?fuel per year. Gaz-System has begun construction of an LNG terminal in Gdansk, with a capacity of 6.1 billion cubic meters of gas a year. (Reporting by Marek Strzelecki, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk and Pawel Florkiewicz)
EU loan gives Ukraine a lifeline, but more assistance is needed to end the war
According to economists and government officials, Kyiv could need additional money this year to meet its military needs. Ukraine's budget projects a huge deficit of 1.9 trillion hryvnias (43 billion dollars) by 2026, which is around a fifth of its economic output. However, economists claim that this figure significantly underestimates the costs of the?war against Russia.
Maksym Samoiliuk, an economist at Kyiv's Centre for Economic Strategy (a?think tank), said that military spending will be assessed more realistically now that the delayed loan has been approved. This is because factors like a pay increase for military personnel expected this summer can be taken into consideration.
Samoiliuk stated that the loan was crucial because it created space to deal with pressures on Ukraine's defense budget.
The remaining 90 billion euro will be paid to Ukraine in 2027. The majority of the loan will be used for military expenditures, while around 17 billion euro per year is allocated to general budget needs like health and education.
A group of over 20 allies, in addition to Ukraine’s own budget for military expenditures, funds the purchase of U.S. made weapons through the PURL program.
Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, had blocked the EU loan from Ukraine for several months. He accused Ukraine of being slow to repair an oil pipeline that Kyiv claimed was damaged by a Russian drone. The pipeline transports Russian oil from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia. Following Orban's loss in the April 12 elections, the resumption on oil flow Wednesday allowed EU ambassadors to approve the loan.
Yuliya Marcuts, Vice President for Macro and Public Finance, at the KSE Institute in Kyiv (an economic think tank), estimated that budgetary spending on defence could be increased by as much as 10 billion euro, depending on the outcome of the conflict on the front lines.
Markuts stated that Ukraine?also increased its military expenditure estimates last year. Part of this was covered by government bonds as well as loans from the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans (ERA), a G7 initiative.
"How will this year be?" She said that, although it's difficult to predict, "there could be a repeat of this," adding that the EU loan may cover the revised budget.
Confidence in Tomorrow
If the EU loan is not paid by June, economists predicted that Ukraine will run out of cash and have to cut back on public services.
The approval of the EU aid package by ambassadors was welcomed by many Ukrainians. Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. has cut back on aid to Ukraine.
Hanna Fedotova is a 58 year old nursery caretaker who said that EU funding provides stability to Ukraine's institutions of state "and, most importantly, for education".
Fedotova, a nurse in the basement of a nursery in Zaporizhzhia in the south-east, said: "This aid is all about confidence for tomorrow. The certainty that we'll be able to continue doing our job."
The EU loan must only be repaid in the event that Russia pays war reparations to Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, has stated that Ukraine needs additional funds to fight even though it received an EU loan. "We say 90 billions and that's enough to cover everything." "That's not true," Zelenskiy said in an interview with a Russian newspaper last month.
More Money Needed
Zelenskiy stated that the loan "only allows Ukraine order 60%" of the weapons it can produce. Ukraine needed 5 billion Euros to upgrade its electricity sector in the wake of Russian attacks.
Zelenskiy stated that Ukraine needed $15 billion, despite the fact that allies spent $5 billion last year on PURL weapons, mostly for air defence equipment.
We can't protect all of it, but we should. Where can we get the money? He said he was hopeful that the defence cooperation agreements with Gulf states could provide additional financing. The EU admits that its two-year loan covers only around two thirds of Ukraine's needs for external financing. Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Economy commissioner, said that international partners will still have to commit funding for 2027. However, the funding needed this year is covered.
Ukraine has access to other financing sources. Yulia svyrydenko, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, announced last week that it would receive 2.7 billion euro from the EU Ukraine Facility after parliament had approved some long-overdue reforms. Ukraine agreed to a $8.1 billion IMF four-year loan in February.
All this money is tied to a number of conditions, including tax and governance reforms that are not popular. Last week, the IMF agreed to delay the imposition on VAT for entrepreneurs following a backlash from the parliament.
Samoiliuk stated that "Ukraine’s ability to maintain the momentum of reforms" will be the main issue moving forward. "Ukraine’s international partners need to apply more pressure...and stress that Ukraine needs these reforms."
(source: Reuters)