Razia Khan

South Africa's ARM founder Patrice Motsepe steps down from executive role African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) said on Monday its founder Patrice Motsepe has relinquished his executive role at the group to comply with new rules of Africa's largest bourse.

South Africa's ARM founder Patrice Motsepe steps down from executive role reut.rs/4tDSUmV

Spent twenty minutes looking for the glasses I’m wearing. I’m aging like a fine milk.

Maduro is out but it's unclear who is running Venezuela The U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro - praised by President Donald Trump as stunning and powerful - leaves behind uncertainty about who is running the oil-rich country.

Maduro is out but it's unclear who is running Venezuela reut.rs/49EUxIY

The rate of global sea level rise doubled during the past three decades - Communications Earth & Environment Global mean sea level rise amounted to 4.5 mm per year as a result of warming oceans and melting land ice, more than twice the rate of 2.1 mm/year observed at the start of satellite data in 1993, base...

The rate of global mean sea level rise has increased from ~2.1 mm/year in 1993 to ~4.5 mm/year in 2023. www.nature.com/articles/s43...

The winner of the 2025 Enlightened Economist book prize (ie. my top choice among the econ and econ-adjacent books I read this past 12 months): www.enlightenmenteconomics.com/blog/index.p...

Italy's Saipem wins offshore contract in Qatar for about $4 billion Italy's Saipem said on Sunday it had been awarded an offshore engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract by QatarEnergy LNG in partnership with China's Offshore Oil Engineering Co (COOEC) .

Italy's Saipem wins offshore contract in Qatar for about $4 billion reut.rs/3MLPjSQ

I was deeply sorry that the BBC paid no tribute to John Osman’s long service—meeting Idi Amin & other dictators, being jailed in Ian Smith’s Rhodesia, & revealing the dodgy links between the Soviet U. & apartheid S. Africa to fix gold & diamond prices. Quite a story—but untold.

Apple delays next version of iPhone Air, the Information reports Apple will not release the next version of the iPhone Air in the fall of 2026 as previously planned, amid weak sales, the Information reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Apple delays next version of iPhone Air, the Information reports reut.rs/49IZNvw

BREAKING: At least eight people were killed in an explosion near the landmark Red Fort in a densely populated district of the Indian capital New Delhi, city police said reut.rs/3X7uSSp

World Bank's investment arm to boost local-currency lending in Africa The International Finance Corporation, the World Bank's private investment arm, is expanding its local-currency lending and direct investments into companies across Africa to help projects reach the scale required to attract major global funds, Managing Director Makhtar Diop told the Africa Financial Summit in Casablanca on Monday.

World Bank's investment arm to boost local-currency lending in Africa reut.rs/3X78Mz5

I am so tired of 24 hour news about small boats. I simply don’t care how many migrants arrive in the UK any more. No matter how many, they’ll never be as big a threat to British values, our way of life, or indeed women‘s safety, as the bigots who make yelling about migrants their entire personality.

Bessent says US, China reach framework deal on rare earths, Trump's tariff threat -NBC interview U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday he has reached a "very substantial framework" with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that will avoid 100% U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and achieve a deferral of China's rare earths export controls.

Bessent says US, China reach framework deal on rare earths, Trump's tariff threat -NBC interview reut.rs/4oc12b8

View from the #inside of the Cattedrale di Sant’Antonio Abate across the Gulf of Asinara
#Sardinia #Italy
##BlueSkyArtShow

Like 7pm Thursday night

Good morning, the seasonal colours of autumn to fill your time line with calm ☺️

Have a good Sunday 🙏

Qatar energy minister says gas producing countries must make clear they oppose trade barriers Gas-producing countries must make clear that they oppose trade barriers and "discriminatory measures" that disadvantage energy products, Qatar's Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said on Thursday.

Qatar energy minister says gas producing countries must make clear they oppose trade barriers reut.rs/48IAGbZ

Mehdi Hasan, "Is rejoining the EU a Green Party aim"

Zack Polanski, "Yes it is"

And just like that, the Green Party have leapfrogged the LibDems

I will be part of a virtual panel discussion this Thursday (October 16) at 7pm EDT: “What does the Western media get wrong about the Middle East?”

This event is organized by @cfetmu.bsky.social.

For more info (and Zoom link):
cfe.torontomu.ca/events/what-...

European growth to hold up but at an increasing fiscal cost, IMF says Euro zone economic growth will hold up despite a drag from U.S. tariffs but this will come at a cost of higher government spending and rising debt, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday in an update of its World Economic Outlook.

European growth to hold up but at an increasing fiscal cost, IMF says reut.rs/3WDf35o

USTR says China 'deferred' when US reached out for phone call after export controls expansion Trade Representative Jamison Greer said on Sunday that the U.S. reached out to China for a phone call following an announcement that it was expanding its rare earths export controls but Beijing deferred, while China accused the U.S. of what it called "double standards."

USTR says China 'deferred' when US reached out for phone call after export controls expansion reut.rs/48JZD6X

Headline from an article in Nature this week that states "Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery. The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality."

Lol the Nobels can't even acknowledge women's contribution to discovery. But sure let's acknowledge The Machines.

The Financial Times on how the price of gold has "rocketed almost 50% this year, its best performance since 1979, as institutional investors pile in."

@financialtimes.com #economy #markets #gold

OPEC+ agrees modest oil output hike from November, sources say OPEC+ will raise oil output from November by 137,000 barrels per day (bpd), the same fairly modest increase as in October, three people close to the matter said on Sunday.

OPEC+ agrees modest oil output hike from November, sources say reut.rs/4o4xuvA

The end of due process for immigrants is the end of due process for citizens.

Few understand this.

Multinationals race ahead as dollar slump divides US stock market Domestically focused companies lag behind as currency suffers worst year since early 2000s

US manufacturers who export are outperforming US manufacturers who don't. That's not much of a surprise. It's why many countries intervene in their currencies, so as to strengthen manufacturing exports.

www.ft.com/content/a8a7...

How I learnt to stop worrying about China’s surplus Lessons from economic history point to the benign effects of ‘overcapacity’

1/2
Very interesting article by Martin Sandu on whether trade imbalances are good for the global economy or bad.
www.ft.com/content/a2f3...

Nation goes all out to boost domestic demand Regulators unveil more consumer finance measures to support consumption upgrades, encourage spending by households

China Daily: "China is intensifying efforts to expand domestic demand, with service-related spending emerging as a key growth driver. Regulators have rolled out consumer finance measures designed to support consumption upgrades and encourage household spending."
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202509/29/...

Italy and Bahrain sign memorandum worth over 1 billion euros Italy and Bahrain said on Monday they had signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at enhancing investments and trade worth over one billion euros ($1.2 billion), according to a joint statement between the two nations.

Italy and Bahrain sign memorandum worth over 1 billion euros reut.rs/46Of6jG

Exclusive: G7 weighs price floors for rare earths to counter China's dominance, sources say Group of Seven (G7) members and the European Union are considering price floors to promote rare earth production, as well as taxes on some Chinese exports to incentivise investment, four sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters.

Exclusive: G7 weighs price floors for rare earths to counter China's dominance, sources say reut.rs/3Kkjwai

Botswana make history with thrilling 4x400m relay gold Botswana produced a brilliant performance to win the men's world 4x400 metres relay in atrocious conditions on Sunday, edging out the United States and South Africa in a blanket finish to become the first African winners of the event.

Botswana make history with thrilling 4x400m relay gold reut.rs/46LVi1k