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Oil Slips as Gaza Talks Ease Supply Worries; Hurricane Beryl in Focus

FILE PHOTO: Oil pump jacks are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Oil pump jacks are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo
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Oil Slips as Gaza Talks Ease Supply Worries; Hurricane Beryl in Focus

FILE PHOTO: Oil pump jacks are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Oil pump jacks are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo

Oil prices slid on Monday after rising for four weeks, as the prospect of a ceasefire deal in Gaza eased tensions in the Middle East, while investors assessed potential disruption to US energy supplies from Hurricane Beryl.
Brent crude futures were down 49 cents, or 0.57%, at $86.05 a barrel, as at 0843 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $82.53 a barrel, down 63 cents, or 0.76%, Reuters said.
Talks over a US ceasefire plan aimed at ending the nine-month-old war in Gaza are under way and being mediated by Qatar and Egypt.
"If anything concrete comes from the ceasefire talks, it will take some of geopolitical bids out of the market for now," said IG analyst Tony Sycamore based in Sydney.
The ports of Corpus Christi, Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City closed on Sunday to prepare for Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to make a landfall in the middle of the Texas coast between Galveston and Corpus Christi later on Monday.
"Weekly settlement prices suggest that investors liked what they saw in spite of the pre-weekend profit-taking in oil, which continues this morning on the prospect of the resumption of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas and the closure of Texan ports", said PVM analyst Tamas Varga.
Port closures could bring a temporary halt to crude and liquefied natural gas exports, oil shipments to refineries and motor fuel deliveries from those plants.
"While this puts some offshore oil and gas production at risk, the concern when the storm makes landfall is the potential impact it could have on refinery infrastructure," ING analysts led by Warren Patterson said in a note.
WTI gained 2.1% last week after data from the Energy Information Administration showed stockpiles for crude and refined products fell in the week ended June 28.
IG's Sycamore said there is also a good chance of the US. data showing another large weekly draw in US oil inventories amid peak driving season.
Investors were also watching for any impact from elections in the UK, France and Iran last week on geopolitics and energy policies.

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Business

Egypt to Establish Middle East’s 1st Sodium Cyanide Plant for Gold Extraction

CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) Mohamed el-Gawsaky, received a delegation from DrasChem Specialty Chemicals (Egyptian Cabinet)
CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) Mohamed el-Gawsaky, received a delegation from DrasChem Specialty Chemicals (Egyptian Cabinet)
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Egypt to Establish Middle East’s 1st Sodium Cyanide Plant for Gold Extraction

CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) Mohamed el-Gawsaky, received a delegation from DrasChem Specialty Chemicals (Egyptian Cabinet)
CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) Mohamed el-Gawsaky, received a delegation from DrasChem Specialty Chemicals (Egyptian Cabinet)

The Egyptian government has announced the establishment of the first sodium cyanide production plant in the Middle East in Alexandria Governorate on the Mediterranean coast, with an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons and investments of $200 million in the first phase.

In a statement, the cabinet said on Saturday that CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) Mohamed el-Gawsaky met with a delegation from DrasChem Specialty Chemicals, a Private Free Zone company, to discuss the steps required to establish the company’s sodium cyanide production facility at the Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Complex in Alexandria.

The DrasChem project plans to begin production in 2028 following the completion of the facility’s first phase, with initial investments estimated at $200 million. This phase targets the production and export of 50,000 tons of sodium cyanide annually, a key input in gold extraction.

The second phase will focus on either doubling production capacity or manufacturing additional sodium cyanide derivatives, while a third phase will target the production of sodium-ion battery components.

El-Gawsaky said the project aligns with the country’s developmental priorities, particularly those related to increasing exports, transferring and localizing advanced technology, deepening local manufacturing and creating sustainable job opportunities.

The CEO also noted that the plant would benefit from the results of Egypt's economic reform program, which has caused significant improvements in investment, trade, and logistics indicators.

El-Gawsaky urged Egyptian companies, including DrasChem, to adopt integrated, export-oriented industrial strategies, with a particular focus on African markets.

He said the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade aims to increase exports by $4 billion. The focus will be on sectors with high competitive advantages, particularly the chemicals sector.

He also highlighted that DrasChem’s sodium cyanide products are of strategic importance to gold mines in Africa, which account for about a quarter of global gold production.

Bassem El-Shemmy, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at Austria-based Petrochemical Holding GmbH, the largest shareholder in DrasChem, said project partner Draslovka of the Czech Republic will, for the first time, transfer its proprietary technology - developed at its facilities in the US - to Africa and the Middle East.

This move, he said, will help position Egypt as a regional hub for gold extraction technologies and sodium-ion battery manufacturing, a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

For his part, Andrey Yurkevich, Deputy Managing Director for Strategy and Business Development at Petrochemical Holding GmbH, said the DrasChem facility will create up to 500 direct jobs and generate approximately $120 million in annual foreign-currency revenues.

He said that the project will enhance the stability and sustainability of local supply chains and strengthen Egypt’s regional standing as home to the first sodium cyanide production facility in both Egypt and the Middle East.

Business

Türkiye Says to Maintain Tight Monetary Policy, Fiscal Discipline

FILE PHOTO: People shop at a green market in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People shop at a green market in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo
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Türkiye Says to Maintain Tight Monetary Policy, Fiscal Discipline

FILE PHOTO: People shop at a green market in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People shop at a green market in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo

Türkiye will maintain its tight monetary policy and keep fiscal discipline in order to further lower inflation, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said on Saturday.

Turkish consumer price inflation leapt to a higher-than-expected 4.84% month-on-month in January, official data showed on Tuesday, driven in part by new year price adjustments and a jump in food and non-alcoholic drinks prices. Annual inflation dipped to 30.65%.

Speaking at an event in the southeastern province of Siirt, Yilmaz said ⁠the 45-point fall in inflation since May 2024 was not enough, adding the government was on a path to further lower consumer prices.

"We will maintain our tight monetary policy, we will keep our disciplined fiscal policies, we are determined to do this. But ⁠these are not enough either. On the other hand, we have to contribute to our battle with inflation through our supply-side policies," he added, according to Reuters.

Last month, Türkiye's central bank lowered its key interest rate by a less-than-expected 100 basis points to 37%, citing firming inflation, pricing behavior and expectations that threaten the disinflation process.

After a brief policy reversal early last year due to political turmoil, the bank's ⁠rate-cutting cycle resumed in July with a 300-basis-point cut, followed by more subsequent cuts.

The bank has eased by 1,300 points since 2024, when it held rates at 50% for most of the year to wrestle down inflation expectations.

Last month, the head of the Turkish Exporters Assembly told reporters late that Türkiye's extended period of tight economic policies had hurt manufacturers, with high interest rates and costs posing risks to the country's official $282 billion export target.

Business

India, Malaysia Renew Pledges to Boost Trade and Collaboration

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Putrajaya on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Hasnoor Hussain / POOL / AFP)
Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Putrajaya on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Hasnoor Hussain / POOL / AFP)
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India, Malaysia Renew Pledges to Boost Trade and Collaboration

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Putrajaya on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Hasnoor Hussain / POOL / AFP)
Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Putrajaya on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Hasnoor Hussain / POOL / AFP)

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim renewed pledges on Sunday to bolster trade and explore potential collaborations in semiconductors, defense and other fields.

Modi is on a two-day visit to the Southeast Asian nation, his first since the two countries elevated ties to ⁠a comprehensive strategic partnership in August 2024.

Anwar said the partnership included deep collaborations in multiple fields, including trade and investments, food security, defense, healthcare and tourism.

"It's really comprehensive, and we believe ⁠that we can advance this and execute in a speedy manner with the commitment of our both governments," he told a press conference after hosting Modi at his official residence in the administrative capital Putrajaya.

Following their meeting, Anwar and Modi also witnessed the exchange of 11 cooperation agreements, including ⁠on semiconductors, disaster management and peacekeeping, Reuters reported.

Anwar said India and Malaysia would continue efforts to promote the use of local-currency settlement for cross-border activities and expressed hope that bilateral trade would surpass last year's $18.6 billion.

Malaysia will also support India's efforts to open a consulate in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island, Anwar said.