Hotter weather is helping Iraqi salt mining industry
While global warming plagues humans and biodiversity, a salt factory in Iraq claims the high temperatures are actually good for business. Derek Van Dam has the story
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Iran orders thousands of tons of ballistic missile ingredients from China
Sources estimated that if delivered, the materials could produce around 800 missiles. Iran has ordered thousands of tons of ballistic missile ingredients from China as part of an effort to rebuild its military capabilities while navigating ongoing nuclear talks with the United States, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the transactions. The shipments, which are expected to reach Iran in the coming months, include ammonium perchlorate, a key component in the solid propellant used for ballistic missiles. Sources indicated that these materials could potentially fuel hundreds of missiles. Some of the ammonium perchlorate is expected to be sent to militias aligned with Iran, including the Houthis in Yemen, one of the sources revealed. This move aligns with Iran's broader strategy to strengthen its regional influence and rebuild its missile arsenal while continuing to negotiate with the Trump administration over the future of its nuclear program. Iran has been expanding its stockpiles of uranium enriched to just below weapons-grade levels, despite calls from the US to curb its nuclear activities. At the same time, Iran has made it clear that it has no intention of negotiating limits on its missile program, a point that has remained a major sticking point in international discussions. According to sources, the order for the missile ingredients was placed in recent months by an Iranian entity, Pishgaman Tejarat Rafi Novin Co.. The material was sourced from Hong Kong-based Lion Commodities Holdings Ltd., a company that did not respond to requests for comment. The Iranian mission to the United Nations also declined to comment on the matter. In a statement, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson denied knowledge of the deal, asserting that China has 'always exercised strict control over dual-use items in accordance with China's export control laws and regulations and its international obligations.' The shipment of ammonium perchlorate is part of Iran's broader efforts to rebuild its so-called "Axis of Resistance" network, which includes a number of terror proxies across the region. These groups have faced significant setbacks over recent years, as well as the ongoing war. These setbacks include Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon and the assassination of key leaders such as Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, former Hezbollah secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and multiple Hamas leaders. While US and Israeli strikes have damaged the Houthis' capabilities in Yemen, they continue to periodically launch missiles at Israel. Beyond supporting regional militias, Iran has also reportedly transferred ballistic missiles to Shia militia groups in Iraq, which have previously targeted both US and Israeli forces in the region. Earlier this year, Iranian ships docked in China to load over 1,000 tons of sodium perchlorate, a precursor for ammonium perchlorate. The material was delivered to Iranian ports in mid-February and late March, according to shipping trackers. This quantity of sodium perchlorate is said to be enough to fuel around 260 short-range missiles. The new order for ammonium perchlorate, which was placed months before President Trump's proposed nuclear talks with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in early March, could supply Iran with enough material to produce approximately 800 missiles, one official estimated. In response to Iran's missile activities, the US Treasury Department sanctioned six individuals and six entities from both Iran and China on April 29 for their involvement in procuring ballistic missile propellant ingredients. Two weeks later, the Treasury expanded these sanctions to include additional Chinese and Hong Kong entities. The US Department of the Treasury also added sodium perchlorate to the list of materials it believes are being used in Iran's military, nuclear, or ballistic missile programs. Iran's reliance on foreign material for missile production is due, in part, to domestic production bottlenecks. Fabian Hinz, a military analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, noted that Iran's defense industry struggles to meet its needs without the continued importation of missile propellant materials. The storage and handling of these materials, however, come with significant risks. A deadly explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in April, which killed dozens, was reportedly caused by the mishandling of explosive materials by a unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Some of the sodium perchlorate imported earlier this year was lost in that explosion, an official confirmed. 'These substances are a major fire and explosive hazard,' said Hinz. 'Iran's defense industrial complex does not have a strong track record in ensuring safety standards.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Josh Brown Says Zscaler (ZS) ‘Dominant' Cybersec Stock for ‘Years to Come'
Joshua Brown is co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, said in a latest program on CNBC that Zscaler, Inc (NASDAQ:ZS) is among his top cybersecurity stock picks. Here is how he explained his bull case for the stock: 'On my best stocks in the market list, we talked about Zcaler a couple of weeks back. Stock still looks phenomenal. It's hanging high right by 52-week highs right now. And of course, the name that I own that I think is the dominant player in the space for years to come.' An employee standing in front of a large data center, looking toward the future of cloud security. Artisan Mid Cap Fund made the following comment about Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) in its Q3 2023 investor letter: 'Notable trims in the quarter included Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS), BioNTech and Ingersoll Rand. Zscaler provides cloud-based Internet security solutions. In the quarter, it announced solid financial results including 43% revenue growth and 38% growth in billings, which were both ahead of expectations. We believe the dual trends of rising security vulnerability and increased enterprise digitization will lead to sustained demand, even in a recession. Cybersecurity remains a top concern for businesses and governments as cyberattacks can have devastating financial and reputational consequences. Meanwhile, managing the security needs of legacy on-premise applications, a growing number of cloud-based applications (e.g., Office 365 and Salesforce) and more remote workers than before the pandemic make operating IT infrastructures increasingly complex. The stock has been a top performer this year, and we decided to trim the position based on valuation considerations.' READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Insight with Haslinda Amin 6/6/2025
Insight with Haslinda Amin, a daily news program featuring in-depth, high-profile interviews and analysis to give viewers the complete picture on the stories that matter. The show features prominent leaders spanning the worlds of business, finance, politics and culture. (Source: Bloomberg)
