Skip to main content

Israeli occupier attacks threaten historic Christian presence in West Bank town

In Taybeh, one of the few Palestinian communities with a Christian majority in the occupied West Bank, fears are growing that Israeli occupier attacks on farmland and property could push more families to emigrate, threatening the town’s demographic character and historic Christian presence. Local officials and clergy warned of the impact of rising violence by Israeli occupiers, which has coincided with worsening living and economic conditions in the town. Taybeh, east of Ramallah, is one of the few Palestinian towns in the West Bank that still has a Christian majority, according to church and local accounts. Residents say the town’s Christian roots go back thousands of years. Residents say the attacks have deepened fears in the town, even as they stress their determination to remain on their land. Also Read: Pakistan raises red flag over illegal settlements in West Bank, calls for Israel accountability In recent years, Israeli occupiers have established several ill...

Coffee prices soar to record highs amid supply concerns

Global arabica coffee prices surged unprecedentedly on Wednesday, reaching record highs above $3.60 per pound. This spike is being driven by a combination of dwindling supplies from Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer, and ongoing concerns about the upcoming harvest. According to dealers, approximately 70%-80% of Brazil’s current arabica harvest has already been sold, leaving little supply available for new trades. Brazil, which produces nearly half of the world’s arabica beans, is facing a situation where demand is outpacing supply, exacerbating price hikes. Although Brazil’s weather has improved after a severe drought in recent years, the country’s upcoming arabica crop is expected to be 4.4% smaller than last year, according to Brazil’s food supply agency Conab. The global coffee market continues to grapple with tight supplies, with coffee-producing nations such as Vietnam and Central American countries also experiencing delays in getting their crops to the market. Arabica coffee futures, traded on the ICE exchange, hit a record high of $3.6945 per pound earlier in the day, marking an increase of nearly 15% this year. The contract later closed at $3.6655 per pound, reflecting a 2.5% gain. Meanwhile, the price of robusta coffee, a cheaper variety commonly used for instant coffee, rose by 0.9% to $5,609 per metric ton. India, the world’s fifth-largest producer of robusta, is also expected to see a more than 10% decline in coffee exports in 2025 due to lower production and reduced carry-forward stocks from the previous season. Dealers reported that farmers in both India and Vietnam are holding back their sales in anticipation of further price increases. In Brazil, farmers prioritise local sales over exports, even though exports fetch higher prices, due to an improved financial position. The country’s traditional buffer stocks have been depleted to about 500,000 bags, compared to the typical 8 million bags, heightening concerns that any adverse weather conditions could significantly impact global prices. Sucden, a prominent coffee broker, forecasts that the global coffee market will experience its fourth consecutive deficit this season, further tightening supplies and pushing prices higher. Raw sugar rose by 1.1% to 19.45 cents per pound in other commodities, rebounding from a five-month low, while white sugar increased by 2.2% to $522.90 per ton. Cocoa futures also saw gains, with New York cocoa rising by 3.3% to $11,745 per ton and London cocoa up by 1.6% to £9,138 per ton. With concerns over supply disruptions and declining stocks, the coffee market remains on edge as prices continue to climb.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/xvUO72f

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...

Indian opposition supporters detained ahead of protest at Modi's home

Police in the Indian capital detained dozens of opposition supporters on Tuesday as they attempted to march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to protest against last week's arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal, a key opposition leader whose Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has governed the national capital territory for a decade, was arrested by the financial crime-fighting agency on corruption charges relating to the city's liquor policy, weeks before India begins voting in general elections on April 19. He was remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate until March 28, with the lawyer for the agency arguing he was the "kingpin" in the case and needed to be interrogated. Kejriwal's party, all of whose main leaders are now imprisoned in connection with the case, says he has been "falsely arrested" in a "fabricated case". The federal government and Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deny political interfere...