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China has stepped up domestic output of refined zinc this year, but the Shanghai market continues to be plagued by low inventory and tight time-spreads. China's imports, exports and net trade in refined zincRETURN TO THE IMPORT MARKETChina was a consistent net importer of refined zinc over the last decade, but that changed in 2022. Shanghai zinc stocks seasonal patterns over 2020-2023LOW INVENTORYShFE registered stocks stand at a modest 43,181 tons. Sentiment, however, holds the real key to the Shanghai premium. The country's trade in refined zinc may prove a useful mirror on that question over the next few months.

Persons: Cash, It's, Jan Harvey Organizations: Share, Shanghai Futures Exchange, London Metal Exchange, Shanghai Metal, Citi, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Eritrea's, Asmara, Eritrea, China, Shanghai, Europe, Turkey, U.S, Antwerp, Singapore, Malaysia's Port Klang, Kaohsiung, Guangdong, London

☆ Ukraine is gaining ground in its counter offensive, NATO chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The Ukrainians are gradually gaining ground...They have been able to breach the defensive lines of the Russian forces, and they are moving forward," Stoltenberg told lawmakers in remarks at the European Parliament. Since launching its offensive, Kyiv has struggled to break through entrenched Russian lines and has faced growing criticism in Western media of concentrating forces in the wrong places. "Hardly any time in history we have seen more mines on the battlefield than we are seeing in Ukraine today. Not perhaps as much as we hoped for but they are gaining ground gradually," said the NATO chief. "Some hundred meters per day, meaning that when the Ukrainians are gaining ground, the Russians are losing ground."

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Sabine Siebold, Marine Strauss, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: NATO, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Moscow

☆ Ukraine used US-supplied Bradley IFV to evacuate civilians while under heavy fire, including one woman with her cat: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian soldiers said they rescued civilians from Robotyne using a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. One soldier told CNN that "Russians immediately started shelling us" despite knowing civilians were on board. We reached the next turn and the Russians opened fire on us again, even though they knew we were carrying civilians." CNN said it was unable to independently confirm that the Russians were aware the vehicle was transporting civilians. AdvertisementAdvertisementKaratsupa added that the civilians told them that the Russians "had treated them like slaves."

Persons: Bradley, Valerii, Robotyne, Karatsupa, he'd, I've Organizations: Bradley, CNN, Service, Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade, REUTERS Locations: Wall, Silicon, Robotyne, Ukraine, Ukrainian, REUTERS Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine's, Zaporizhia, Tokmak

☆ Russia Bombards Ukraine, Killing at Least 1: Live Updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Andrew E. Kramer | Erin Mendell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Destruction near the village of Robotyne, in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, late last month. For their part, Ukrainian military officials refrained from making any sweeping claims. Ukrainians forces enjoyed surprising successes earlier in the war by holding Kyiv, the capital, and repelling Russian forces at the end of March last year. The Ukrainian military aims to reclaim land in the south and east of the country. To reach that city, Ukrainian forces would have to fully break through the defenses around Verbove and then breach additional layers.

Persons: Oleksandr Shtupun, Daniel Berehulak, Michael Kofman, Rob Lee, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gen, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelensky Organizations: Ukrainian Army, Black Bird Group, The New York Times, Presidential Press Service, Russian Locations: Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Verbove, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv, Dmytrivka, Azov, Melitopol, Crimea, Tokmak, Bakhmut, Donetsk

☆ Ukraine's front-line forces are trying to fight their way through Russia's formidable Surovikin Line. Here's what that is.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian forces are making steady territorial gains in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. In doing so, Kyiv's troops have fought against the formidable Surovikin Line. As they approach Verbove, Kyiv's troops have are pushing against the main part of the so-called "Surovikin Line." The Surovikin Line is a complex system of defensive fortifications and obstacles across Russian-occupied territory in southern and eastern Ukraine. AdvertisementAdvertisementTo even reach the main line, Kyiv's soldiers have had to move through sprawling minefields — which has proven to be a slow and painstaking process.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Surovikin's, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, George Barros, Barros, Rob Lee, Michael Kofman Organizations: Service, Factory, Russian Army, Institute, REUTERS Locations: Robotyne, Verbove, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Orikhiv, Azov, Kherson, Crimea, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Washington, Russia, Tokmak, Ukrainian, Moscow

☆ Blinken, in Kyiv, Says U.S. Will Send $1 Billion More in Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The aid will also include demining assistance to clear Russian land mines and prevent the remnants of war from causing further harm to civilians, Mr. Blinken said. It includes ammunition made with depleted uranium for Abrams tanks, which are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine this fall, Mr. Blinken said. Mr. Blinken traveled by train to Kyiv with Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, according to a State Department statement. He was replaced by Rustem Umerov, who has been the chairman of Ukraine’s State Property Fund. A senior State Department official told reporters traveling with Mr. Blinken that the effort was aimed at “putting global support on a long-term, sustainable path.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Mr, Zelensky, ”, “, Lynsey Addario, Mr, Mette Frederiksen, Blinken’s, Oleksii, Rustem Umerov, Umerov’s, Tyler Hicks, Putin, Vladimir V, Russia, Erin Mendell, Anushka Patil Organizations: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kyiv, United, Pentagon, The New York Times, Ukraine’s, Department, Property Fund, 22nd Mechanized Brigade, State Department Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, U.S, United States, matériel, Kostyantynivka, Ukrainian, ”, Russia, “, Denmark, Ukraine’s, Bakhmut, Israel

☆ BlackRock voted against Glencore's climate progress report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A specialist trader works at the post where BlackRock is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 21, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies BlackRock Inc FollowGlencore PLC FollowLONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Major Glencore shareholder BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) was among investors to reject the mining giant's (GLEN.L) climate progress report at its annual meeting in May, citing inconsistencies, a voting disclosure page on the asset manager's website shows. BlackRock allows many clients to cast their own votes at companies' annual general meetings. The page also showed BlackRock did not back a shareholder resolution seeking more disclosure on progress in scaling back thermal coal production, which got 29% support, without saying why. But BlackRock in August reported a further decline in its support for shareholder resolutions on environmental and social themes, citing corporate progress on the areas and poorly crafted measures.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Glencore, company's, Clara Denina, Simon Jessop, Josie Kao Organizations: BlackRock, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, BlackRock Inc, BIS, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Paris

☆ Copper giant Codelco raises $2 billion in bond offering
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Fabian Cambero | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Codelco's logo is seen at the entrance of its Ventanas copper smelter in Ventanas, Chile October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSANTIAGO, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Chile's Codelco raised $2 billion in a bond offering in New York on Tuesday, as the world's top copper producer seeks to fund an investment drive to revive flagging output. "This financing seeks to ensure the availability of resources for the development of a demanding portfolio of investments that for this year will need a total of $4.1 billion," Codelco said in a statement. It said the firm would need to lift its investments to about $4 billion from $3.3 billion to boost its "structural projects." Codelco's production slipped last year to about 1.45 million metric tons, the lowest in around a quarter of a century, and output has slipped further this year with the miner expecting to produce between 1.31 million to 1.35 million metric tons of copper.

Persons: Rodrigo Garrido, Codelco, Moody's, Fabian Cambero, Kylie Madry, Steven Grattan, Emelia, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Treasury, BNP, Citi, J.P, Santander, Scotiabank, Thomson Locations: Ventanas, Chile, New York, Morgan

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The humanitarian situation in conflict-wracked eastern Congo has deteriorated alarmingly in the past 18 months with 8 million people in urgent need of assistance and women and girls subjected to sexual violence on a massive scale -- just in three provinces, a senior U.N. official said Tuesday. M23 rose to prominence in 2012 when its fighters seized Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city on the border with Rwanda. Recently, attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces, which is believed to have ties to the Islamic State extremist group, have also spiked along with intercommunal violence. The scale of suffering and insufficient funding have left humanitarian workers in the impossible situation every day of deciding whether to prioritize water, shelter or medical support for the constant stream of newly displaced people. And one result of the overwhelming needs is that thousands and thousands of children aren’t able to go to school, she said.

Persons: Edem Wosornu, “, ”, Wosornu, Gabriella Waaijman, and.one, aren’t, Waaijman, ” Waaijman Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Allied Democratic Forces, State, London, International Locations: Congo, U.N, North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Rwanda, Goma, Congo’s

A shareholders' agreement is being reworked to make the commitments from both shareholders legally binding, Kabuswe added. The legal details of the agreement and reinstatement of the KCM board, would be finalised within the next three months, the minister said. The forced takeover nearly paralysed operations at the KCM and triggered protracted battles, with Vedanta mounting legal battles including approaching an arbitration court in London to recover the copper assets. The government, which seeks to triple copper output over the decade, is also searching for a new investor for Mopani Copper Mines. Reporting by Chris Mfula; Writing by Felix Njini; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, David Evans, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul Kabuswe, Kabuswe, Anil Agarwal, Edgar Lungu's, Hakainde Hichilema, Vedanta, KCM, ZCCM, Chris Mfula, Felix Njini, Olivia Kumwenda, David Evans, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Vedanta Resources, IH, Vedanta, Mopani, Mining, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Zambia, LUSAKA, KCM, ZCCM, London, Lusaka

☆ Robotyne: How US-built Bradley fighting vehicles helped Ukraine take a strategically important village
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Melissa Bell Daria Tarasova-Markina Pierre Bairin | Melissa Bell | Daria Tarasova-Markina | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Yet southward progress is precisely what the Ukrainian soldiers with the call signs Karatsupa, Pan and Taba seek, driving their American-made Bradley Fighting Vehicles down a road that is also, they believe, the road to Ukrainian victory. Without the mines, we would already be in Tokmak.”Much has been made of the strategic importance of Robotyne for Ukraine’s three-month-long southern counteroffensive. And Karatsupa, Pan and Taba now carry with them not only pride at what they’ve achieved but also grief at what they’ve lost. Some of the men with whom they captured Robotyne last week have since been killed in a direct hit on their Bradley. A reminder that however important the gain of Robotyne is to the counteroffensive, there is far more loss ahead, further down the road to hell.

Persons: “ I’ve, I’ve, ”, he’d, Bradley, Pierre Bairin, “, Robotyne, ” Karatsupa, they’ve Organizations: Ukraine CNN, 47th Mechanized Brigade, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 47th Brigade, Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade, CNN, Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Orikhiv, Robotyne, Tokmak, Ukraine's, Russia

☆ Insider Today: Gen Z is out on college
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter. In today's big story, we're looking at why college isn't part of the plan for some Gen Zers. Between skyrocketing tuition costs and underwhelming salaries, some Gen Zers are skipping college altogether, writes Charlotte Lytton. A recent survey found that 40% of business leaders think recent Gen Z college grads are unprepared when they enter the workforce. The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor and anchor, in New York City.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, weren't, Zers, Chelsea Jia Feng, Zers aren't, Charlotte Lytton, It's, Alix Earle, NFTs, TikTok hasn't, Earle, Alix Earle's TikToks, @alixearle, Spencer Platt, Goldman Sachs, we've, David Rosenberg, Rosenberg, Kevin Dietsch, Marc Benioff, they're begrudgingly, Arantza Pena Popo, Corizon, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, James Webb, Stephen King, Holly Gibner, Rice, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Electric, Wall, Tech, University of Miami, Getty, JPMorgan, Amazon, James, James Webb Telescope, Hubble, NASA, ESA, CSA, Costco, Kirkland Locations: Wall, Silicon, NFTs, Blackstone, Bridgewater, Seoul, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ Lithium miners’ $4.3 bln dance is a two-way hedge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Albemarle's Chile country manager Ignacio Mehech shows an illustration of brines purification process to obtain lithium carbonate at their lithium plant placed on the Atacama salt flat, Chile, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado Acquire Licensing RightsMELBOURNE, Sept 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - On the surface, offering a near-100% premium for an as yet unproductive lithium miner may seem over the top. Dig down a bit, though, and U.S.-based Albemarle’s (ALB.N)A$6.6 billion($4.3 billion) sweetened all-cash offer on Monday for Australian rival Liontown Resources (LTR.AX) has financial merit, as well as offering each side a handy hedge. A plan by Chile’s government to nationalise lithium resources adds more reason for the deal. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Ignacio Mehech, Ivan Alvarado, Albemarle, Kathleen, Antony Currie, Pernod Ricard, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Liontown Resources, Alpha, X, Thomson Locations: Chile, U.S, Western Australia, EBITDA, Albemarle

☆ The US is growing increasingly frustrated with Ukraine's tactics. It could put the counteroffensive in jeopardy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

US officials are growing frustrated with how Ukraine is fighting the war, The New York Times said. If Ukraine wants to speed up its counteroffensive, it will need to change tactics, they said. However, experts are worried that such unrealistic expectations could mean Ukraine gets less support from Western countries going forward, putting the counteroffensive in jeopardy. "Ukraine's Western partners have every reason to expect a return on the considerable military aid they have provided over the past year-and-a-half. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Instead, Ukraine's lack of progress over the past two months should serve as a wake-up call for Western leaders.

Persons: Ukraine Ed Ram, Insider's Ryan Pickrell, it's, Marina Miron, David Lewis, Lewis, Maksym Skrypchenko Organizations: New York Times, Service, Washington, Getty, Department of, King's College London, Royal United Services Institute, NATO, Western Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Zaporizhzhia region, Kyiv

CNN —Russian forces attacked Ukrainian port facilities on the Danube River used for food exports on Sunday, a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to discuss reviving a grain export deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ukraine’s Air Force said 25 drones were used in overnight attacks on the Odesa region, 22 of which were shot down. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it was targeting fuel storage facilities in the Ukrainian port of Reni used to supply Ukraine’s military. An aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Kremlin of trying to create a “food crisis” with the attacks. He will likely to discuss reviving the deal while meeting with Putin in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Monday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Reni, “, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Andriy Yermak, Erdogan, Putin, Sergey Lavrov Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, NATO, Romania’s Ministry of Defense, Russian, UN Locations: Ukrainian, Port, Romania, Romania’s, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Black, Sochi, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ The Ukraine War has accelerated research into lithium-ion battery alternatives, including ones made of sand
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The war in Ukraine has spurred more research into clean energy, including lithium-ion alternatives. Polar Night Energy says batteries made of sand could be as effective without the same risks. It has also spurred research into safer alternatives to the lithium-ion batteries used in the ever-expanding electric vehicle market. One of the key resulting innovations has been new alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, the development of which is tied to human rights abuses and environmental harm. Beyond the human rights abuses prevalent in the cobalt industry, lithium-ion batteries also present environmental hazards.

Persons: Olga Khakova, Khakova Organizations: Energy, Service, Research, The Washington Post, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council, Washington Post, Amnesty, Democratic, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Russia, Finnish, Democratic Republic of, Congo

☆ Russia's new 'sea of fire' tactic makes it even more treacherous for Ukraine to clear minefields, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It's becoming even more dangerous to clear minefields in Ukraine, according to the New York Times. Russians are dropping grenades from drones to create a "sea of fire and explosions," per the outlet. Dense minefields and fortifications have slowed down its troops and have resorted to a "village by village, house by house" approach to retaking the south, the NYT reported. Western tanks have struggled to break through the minefields, and Ukraine's generals have switched to using Ukrainian infantry units to push back the well-dug-in Russian occupiers methodically. While the White House believes that Ukraine has made "notable progress" against Russia's second line of defense in the south over the past 72 hours, its soldiers are now set to encounter more minefields, according to one think tank.

Persons: It's, Danilov Organizations: New York Times, Service, National Security and Defense, Institute for Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia

☆ Exclusive: US to send depleted-uranium munitions to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Although Britain sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier this year, this would be the first U.S. shipment of the ammunition and will likely stir controversy. The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects. While depleted uranium is radioactive, it is considerably less so than naturally occurring uranium, although particles can linger for a considerable time. The Wall Street Journal reported in mid-June the U.S. was considering sending depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine. Recent weapons aid packages for Ukraine have included artillery, air defense missiles and ground vehicles as Ukraine's counteroffensive grinds on.

Persons: Abrams, Kacper, Biden, Mike Stone, Jonathan Landay, Don Durfee, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S . 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Abrams, International Coalition, NATO, International Atomic Energy Agency, Street, Presidential, Authority, Thomson Locations: Drawsko, Pomorskie, Ukraine, U.S, United States, Yugoslavia, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Washington

☆ Brazil eyes tax perks for energy sector, sparking 'green' vs oil debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Marcela Ayres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last year, more than 500 qualified energy projects received some 9 billion reais ($1.85 billion) in tax exemptions. However, senior officials at the Mines and Energy Ministry are pushing to broaden the incentives to include oil refineries and fuel storage facilities. Energy Ministry officials have argued that targeting tax benefits too narrowly would curtail oil and gas investments, calling in a technical note to expand incentives to oil and natural gas exploration, production and transportation. The Energy Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras (PETR4.SA) has forecast oil production for the next four decades, even as it ramps up investments in renewable energy.

Persons: Adriano Machado, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Lula, Marcela Ayres, Brad Haynes, David Gregorio Our Organizations: National, REUTERS, Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras Follow, Reuters, Finance Ministry, Mines and Energy Ministry, Finance, Energy Ministry, Mines, Investments, Petrobras, PETR4, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras Follow BRASILIA, Ukraine, biorefineries, divestments

☆ Ukrainian forces have pushed into the main line of Russian defenses, where they face a maelstrom of threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian forces have pushed into the main line of Russian defenses south of Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine launched its counteroffensive operations roughly three months ago, and efforts to break through Russian defenses and regain occupied territory have been relatively slow. On Monday, Ukraine's defense minister Oleksii Reznikov said that Ukraine's forces "broke the first line," adding that they are expanding their foothold. In both cases, Ukraine faces tough defenses as they attempt to push forward into the main line. For now, Ukraine will have to take the small wins and continue to pressure Russian defenses, which remain formidable.

Persons: It's, Oleksii Reznikov, they're, they've Organizations: Service, Institute for, General Staff of, Armed Forces, Bradley, Street Journal Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Verbove, Robotyne, Zaporizhia, Dnipro, Western

☆ A worldwide lithium shortage could come as soon as 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe world could face a shortage for lithium as demand for the metal ramps up, with some analysts forecasting that it could come as soon as 2025. BMI, a Fitch Solutions research unit, was among those that predict a lithium supply deficit by 2025. In a recently published report, BMI largely attributed the deficit to China's lithium demand exceeding that of its supply. "We expect an average of 20.4% year-on-year annual growth for China's lithium demand for EVs alone over 2023-2032," the report stated. While that could point to a global lithium surplus next year, shortages could start to plague supply chains in 2028.

Persons: Susan Zou, Corinne Blanchard, Deutsche, Blanchard, Zou Organizations: Sigma, Bloomberg, Getty, BMI, Fitch Solutions, Economic, Rystad Energy, P, Commodity, EV Locations: Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil, China, skyrocket, transportations, U.S, Europe

For five weeks, almost everything seemed to go wrong for one commercial vessel waiting in the Danube River to load Ukrainian grain bound for Spain via the Black Sea. First, Russian drones exploded mere miles away from where the vessel was anchored. Then, heavy congestion on the river led to weeks of delays, costing the vessel’s operator $8,000 a day in extra running costs. Finally, around midnight after its cargo of over 12,000 metric tons of grain had finally been loaded, Russian drones hit grain warehouses in an hourlong raid at the port the vessel had just left. For months, ships traversed the Black Sea and the Danube River without incident to load Ukrainian grain and deliver it around the world, even as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensified.

Persons: “, ”, Alan Locations: Spain, Russian, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Zambia seeks to deny bail to five Egyptians, 6 nationals charged with spying
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LUSAKA, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Zambia sought to deny bail to five Egyptians and six Zambians charged with espionage for entering a restricted zone of Lusaka airport, two weeks after Zambian authorities said their plane had been seized along with guns, bullets, cash and fake gold. "The state must give reasons as to why accused persons whose liberties to freedom are being taken away must be denied bail," defence lawyer Martha Mushipe told the court. That fuelled speculation in Zambian media that some of the suspects might have sought to swindle gold buyers in a fake bullion scam. Two Egyptian security sources said the plane seized in Zambia had been inspected by authorities before leaving Cairo, but that bags with one of the arrested Egyptians were not searched, and this was currently under investigation. Reporting by Chris Mfula; additional reporting by Cairo Newsroom; writing by Tim Cocks; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Davies Chibwili, Martha Mushipe, Zambian Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe, Chris Mfula, Tim Cocks, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Drug Enforcement Agency, Zambian Mines Minister, Cairo Newsroom, Thomson Locations: LUSAKA, Zambia, Lusaka, Lusaka's, Cairo, Egyptian

☆ Sibanye brings in Chinese partner for Mopani Copper Mines bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Felix Njini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Johannesburg-based precious metals producer is on the shortlist of potential buyers for the copper mines owned by a unit of the Zambian government. The Chinese company has a presence in copper mining and would be joining Sibanye as an investment partner, Froneman said. The Chinese investor could help derisk the investment at Mopani, Froneman said. "They are an investment partner but technically they understand the copper business and smelting, so it's managing risk," he said. The Mopani assets require significant investment but spending would be spread over a number of years, Froneman said.

Persons: Neal Froneman, we've, Froneman, Felix Njini, Tannur Anders, Sharon Singleton, David Holmes Organizations: Mines, Reuters, China's Zijin Mining, U.S, Rothschild & Co, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, Stillwater, Johannesburg, Zambian, Southern Africa, Europe, U.S, Mopani, Switzerland, ZCCM

☆ Ukrainian soldier says Russia has an edge in the air and its powerful bombs are among the 'biggest fears' for front-line forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Moscow's guided bombs are among the 'biggest fears' for front-line forces, the soldier said. Ukrainian forces have since gotten better about eliminating these threats, but others remain, such as Russian aircraft that can release guided bombs at a distance. "KAB's are one of the biggest fears," Solonko said, referring to Russia's arsenal of guided bombs. Solonko's commentary came just after Ukrainian forces raised the country's flag in Robotyne, a small village in the Zaporizhzhia region. In the video, a soldier described the covert nighttime mission to raise the Ukrainian flag in Robotyne.

Persons: Oleksandr Solonko, Solonko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, 128th, Brigade, Territorial Defence Forces, 47th Mechanized Brigade, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Zaporizhzhia, Robotyne

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