Latest news with #IvanAlvarado
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Google sues LATAM Airlines in US over Brazilian YouTube video dispute
FILE PHOTO: A LATAM Airlines plane is seen at Santiago International Airport, Chile March 30, 2017. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File Photo (Reuters) -Alphabet's Google sued Chile-based LATAM Airlines in U.S. federal court in San Jose, California on Thursday, seeking a declaration that Brazilian courts cannot force the tech giant to take down a YouTube video in the United States that accused a LATAM employee of sexually abusing a child. Google in the lawsuit said that LATAM was attempting to "make an end-run" around protections for free speech under the U.S. Constitution by suing in Brazil to force the video's removal worldwide. Spokespeople for LATAM did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Google's allegations. Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in a statement that the company has "long supported the legal principle that courts in a country have jurisdiction over content available in that country, but not over what content should be available in other countries." Right-wing social media companies Trump Media and Rumble filed a similar lawsuit in Florida in February against a Brazilian judge who had ordered them to remove the U.S.-based accounts of a leading supporter of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. A federal judge decided in the case that the companies were not required to comply with the order in the United States. According to Google's lawsuit, U.S. citizen and Florida resident Raymond Moreira posted two YouTube videos in 2018 of his 6-year-old son outlining allegations of sexual abuse that the child said he experienced from a LATAM employee while traveling as an unaccompanied minor. Moreira sued LATAM in Florida in 2020 over the alleged abuse, which led to a confidential settlement. LATAM sued Google in Brazil in 2018 seeking an order to remove the video from YouTube, which Google owns. Brazil's highest court is set to consider next week whether it has the authority to order Google to take down the video worldwide. Google asked the court in California on Thursday to declare that LATAM cannot force the tech giant to remove the video in the United States. Canada's Supreme Court upheld an order for Google to remove some search results worldwide in a separate case in 2018. A California judge halted that order's U.S. enforcement in 2017. (Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by David Bario and Will Dunham)
The Star
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Rio Tinto's Chile deal is a bet on unproven tech and lithium price bounce
FILE PHOTO: A brine pool reflects clouds at a lithium mine in the Atacama salt flat, close to San Pedro de Atacama area, Antofagasta region, Chile May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File Photo SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Global miner Rio Tinto will tackle one of the biggest technological challenges in the lithium industry as it takes the lead in Chile's first major project involving the battery metal in years, alongside state-run copper producer Codelco. Maricunga marks a new pivot in Rio's lithium ambitions and a turning point for Chile, which will add a third project extracting the metal used in electric vehicles after decades of stagnation in the sector. Rio will own just under half of the project, but will spearhead design, construction, operation and sales, Codelco announced on Monday. A major challenge is deploying new technology, called direct lithium extraction, to separate lithium from salty brine liquid that is meant to be more environmentally friendly and efficient than conventional methods, industry experts say. The method has yet to be proven widely in the industry and has never been used in Chile at commercial scale. The technical challenge at Maricunga, one of the world's most lithium-rich salt flats, comes against a backdrop of uncertainty for lithium prices, which have fallen nearly 90% since late 2022 due to oversupply and weak demand for EVs. "Scaling it in line with global demand timelines remains uncertain," said Nicole Porcile, a partner at mining consulting firm Anagea. "The ability to deliver at scale, efficiently and reliably will be a decisive factor in the project's competitiveness and investor confidence." Rio has a DLE pilot plant at its Rincon project in Argentina, and recently acquired U.S.-based Arcadium, which employs a mix of DLE and traditional extraction methods. That DLE know-how gave Rio an edge over three final competitors to partner with Codelco, said a person familiar with the deal. Still, Rio and Codelco must now hammer out which kind of DLE will work sustainably and effectively at Maricunga. "That's certainly the goal: to develop and operate this in the most environmentally friendly manner possible because Codelco is well aware that they'll be under the microscope," the person said. Codelco's search for a Maricunga investor attracted Middle Eastern, Chinese and Western companies, the person added. Construction is expected to start in three to five years, once environmental permits are updated. Codelco has proposed a gradual transition to DLE, but Rio Tinto is aiming to use DLE from the start, with lower costs relative to other DLE projects, said a second person familiar with the matter. ARGENTINA EXPERIENCE Rio Tinto told Reuters its Argentina experience provided strong footing for future projects. "We are therefore confident in the application of our technology to Maricunga and potentially to other lithium salt flats in Chile," a spokesperson said. Rio will spend up to $900 million on the project. It is the only major mining company to bet heavily on lithium, accelerating its push with a second deal in six months at a time of low market prices. "We have not heard from investors that they want to see further investment in lithium," said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note. Rio is also in the running for Chile's Altoandinos lithium project controlled by state mining body ENAMI, which expects to announce a partner by the end of May. The process is independent from Maricunga, in which Codelco hired investment bank Rothschild to scout for candidates. Codelco, meanwhile, is set to soon close a deal to partner with Chile's SQM at the Atacama salt flat. Benchmark Minerals analyst Federico Gay noted that Rio and Codelco will have to carefully prioritize. "Too many fronts (are) open for both companies, in a moment when justifying large investments for lithiumischallenging." Rio Tinto, which could be granted an intellectual property permit if its DLE technology is used for the project, will hold a majority of seats on a technical committee with Codelco, and move to a 50-50 split once production begins, according to a filing with Chile's financial regulator. (Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon in Santiago and Clara Denina in London; Editing by Rod Nickel)
