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Putin Threatens Seizures Of European Ships Over EU's "Piracy & Banditry"
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday addressed the persisting issue of European governments and navies seizing what they deem Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels off Europe's coast.
The past year alone has seen several examples, sometimes involving French or Swedish commandos descending onto a tanker's deck from helicopters and arresting crew members. The seized vessels are then taken to nearby European ports.
The latest European Union sanctions package passed last month stipulates that EU members can sell the oil or any seized cargo obtained from these 'shadow fleet' vessels.
Putin has reiterated Kremlin outrage at this scheme, condemning it as "piracy and banditry". This after Sweden has lately declared its intent to hand seized Russian grain over to Ukraine.
Pool Sputnik Kremlin via AP
The Russian leader's patience has reached its limit, apparently, as he is now putting European gove
Trump Mulls Capital Gains Relief As Midterm Sweetener
President Donald Trump is looking for new policy pledges to put before voters ahead of November, and two of them involve cutting capital gains taxes, according to National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and former NEC chief Larry Kudlow, who discussed the proposals on Fox Business Tuesday.
Kudlow, who ran the council during Trump's first term and remains close to the president, said he had raised two ideas with Trump directly. The first is indexing capital gains to inflation, so investors would be taxed only on real gains rather than on the portion of an increase that simply reflects the dollar losing value. The second is exempting home sales of $2 million or less from capital gains taxes entirely.
World's Largest Alumina Refinery Outside China Abruptly Halves Output On NatGas Disruption
Norwegian aluminum producer Norsk Hydro's Alunorte plant in Brazil, one of the world's largest alumina refineries, reduced output by 50% following disruptions to natural gas availability.
Bloomberg reports that disruptions to NatGas availability at Alunorte forced a 50% reduction in output and sent aluminum prices in London to a seven-week high. Hydro said production would return to full capacity once gas supplies normalize.
Aluminum rose nearly 2% in London and traded at $3,373 a metric ton. Alumina futures gained 1% in Shanghai.
NatGas is critical to Alunorte because alumina refining requires high-temperature heat and steam. The gas powers the Bayer process, which refines bauxite:
Digestion: Bauxite is mixed with caustic soda and heated under pressure to dissolve the aluminum
Rewritten: US unemployment drops as more Americans work
Bank of America's analysis suggests the declining U.S. unemployment rate reflects elevated household wealth and consumption patterns rather than fundamental labor market strength or robust job creation. This dynamic implies underlying economic fragility, as the apparent stability masks structural imbalances within the labor market and consumption base. Consequently, persistent wage-driven inflation pressures may continue despite softening labor demand, complicating central bank policy decisions and likely extending restrictive monetary conditions. Market participants may grow cautious, recognizing the low unemployment rate as a temporary phenomenon driven by high disposable income rather than sustainable employment growth. This perception could dampen risk appetite for cyclical assets, increase market volatility, and encourage defensive positioning amid heightened macroeconomic uncertainty, potentially signaling a less durable economic expansion than current data might suggest. (148 words)
Bank of America's analysis suggests the declining U.S. unemployment rate reflects elevated household wealth and consumption patterns rather than fundamental labor market strength or robust job creation. This dynamic implies underlying economic fragility, as the apparent stability masks structural imbalances within the labor market and consumption base. Consequently, persistent wage-driven inflation pressures may continue despite softening labor demand, complicating central bank policy decisions and likely extending restrictive monetary conditions. Market participants may grow cautious, recognizing the low unemployment rate as a temporary phenomenon driven by high disposable income rather than sustainable employment growth. This perception could dampen risk appetite for cyclical assets, increase market volatility, and encourage defensive positioning amid heightened macroeconomic uncertainty, potentially signaling a less durable economic expansion than current data might suggest. (148 words)
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