News Gates Blog

July 4, 2009

China steelmakers working on lower ore price-executive

Filed under: World News — Tags: , , , — admin @ 4:55 am

* China steelmakers looking for lower ore prices in talks

* China steel production set to remain high in July

* Annual production could hit 500 million tonnes (For related stories click on [ID:nSP480484])

BEIJING, July 4 (Reuters) - China’s steel industry body is still looking for a lower iron ore price in negotiations with key suppliers, the president of Baosteel (600019.SS) said on Saturday, adding that national output was running high in July.

Xu Lejiang of Baosteel, one of China’s dominant steelmakers, was tightlipped with reporters about the tense negotiations over ore prices. But he said the China Iron & Steel Association (CISA) was still working on a lower price for the nation’s steelmakers.

“CISA is still working on a lower iron ore price,” Xu told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting.

He also said that China’s steel production in July looked set to remain at the high levels in reached in June, and national production for all 2009 could reach 500 million tonnes.

“July is still high, just like June, because steel demand from construction is strong, and also this is the high season for steel demand,” he said.

Demand from building projects and vehicle makers was shoring up the nation’s appetite for steel, he said.

Major Chinese steelmakers under the China Iron and Steel Association reported a total profit of 1.3 billion yuan ($190.3 million) in May, after losing money for seven months, the industry group said early this week.

China’s steel output hit 1.522 million tonnes per day in June 11-20, the highest daily output this year, according to data from CISA earlier obtained by Reuters. [ID:nPEK353445]

Steel prices in China have awaited cues from iron ore price negotiation with global major miners, with China seeking to pay less for imported iron ore this year than other countries.

(For a Q&A about China’s iron ore negotiations with miners, please click on [ID:nSYD475610])

But China’s hard-headed handling of the iron ore price talks may pave the way for more spot deals and fewer annual contracts next year, as frustrated steel mills seek to break with the trade body that has led negotiations to deadlock, analysts have said.

Industry observers have said there was little support for CISA’s hardline attitude, which has stymied talks that started last year, and may prompt the country’s steel mills to quietly sign individual deals with miners this year.

Last month saw a deadline for some annual contracts pass without settlement, but a spokesman for Rio Tinto (RIO.L) (RIO.AX), which has been in the vanguard for this year’s settlements, has said talks with mills continued. (Reporting by Beijing Bureau; Writing by Chris Buckley; Editing by Valerie Lee) ((chris.buckley@thomsonreuters.com; +86-10-66271261)) ((If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to newsfeedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com))
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June 25, 2009

4th of July Tips for Dog Owners

Filed under: Pets — Tags: , , — admin @ 4:52 am

Dogs and fireworks usually just don’t mix, and it is not recommended that a dog watch fireworks with the family. The loud bangs, bright lights, and screeching may prove to be too much and be a traumatic experience for the dog. Fireworks are likely to cause a dog stress and anxiety. They may be frightened of the loud noises, flashing, sparks, heat, and whistles that fireworks emit. Typically fireworks only come around twice a year this may confuse them and take them by surprise. Dogs will probably be on edge and nervous that night and a few nights after.

There are a few things to consider when a dog has anxiety and the 4th of July comes around. Make sure they are more at ease by keeping them inside of the house, not outside. Make sure it’s a quiet place, such as their kennel, your room, or your closet. Somewhere that they can feel safe and muffle out the noises better. To help muffle out the noise even further the TV or radio could be left on. They should also be very comfortable, with food and water available. The lights should be kept on so they won’t be able to see any flashes of light and the blinds or curtains should be closed.

Things you can do to help your dog ahead of time:

1. Make sure your dog is comfortable. Leave them with their favorite blanket and toy, make sure they have fresh water and food.
2. Let your dog release their pent up energy during the day by taking them longer than usual walk, to a dog park, or by playing a game of catch. This will tire them out and make them less restless. This will help to prevent any harm they may cause to themselves.
3. Let your dog outside before all of the commotion begins. If your dog has a chance to do their thing they will feel more comfortable and it helps to prevent them from making an accident inside if they are scared.
4. Try a relaxing massage or use some aromatherapy dog shampoo. This will help to calm and relax your dog. (If you don’t have aromatherapy dog shampoo try using aroma therapy candles or home diffusers instead.)

In extreme situations you may want to consider these options:

1. Try to desensitize your dog to fireworks. Buy or rent a firework dvd or something that has loud noises and is similar to fireworks. This will help your dog get used to the different noises that fireworks can make.
2. Add some carbohydrates to you dog’s food. You can add things such as potatoes or rice. This will make your dog sleepy and full.
3. Try using Comfort Zone. Comfort Zone is an air diffuser that sprays out a pheromone to calm your dog. It helps to reduce anxiety and relax your dog. Consult your veterinarian to see if Comfort Zone is right for your dog.
4. Try using Melatonin. Melatonin is a natural hormone that regulates when to sleep and when to wake up. It is shown to be helpful with dogs who have a phobia of loud noises such as thunder and fireworks. Consult your veterinarian to see if Melatonin is right for your dog.
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June 3, 2009

King Abdullah Greets Obama in Saudi Arabia

Filed under: World News — Tags: , , , — admin @ 9:07 am

By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 3, 2009; 8:09 AM

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, June 3–American flags are hanging next to the green banner of the Saudi kingdom on the street-light poles of this desert capital, a celebratory nod to the arrival of President Obama, who on Wednesday landed here to begin a five-day tour through the Middle East and Europe.

Obama will hold a day of meetings with King Abdullah on Iran’s nuclear program and the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process, among other issues. It is his first presidential visit to the Arab Middle East.

At a tarmac welcoming ceremony, Obama was greeted by the 84-year-old Saudi leader. The two strode down a red carpet lined by ranks of Saudi soldiers, U.S. and Saudi flags flying taut in a brisk, dry wind. A military band then played the Star-Spangled Banner.

The leaders were then scheduled to travel to King Abdullah’s farm at Jenadriyah, not far from Riyadh. The king hosted a dinner there last year for then-President Bush featuring an Arabian horse show and a falconry exhibition.

This stop was a late addition to Obama’s itinerary, the centerpiece of which is his Thursday address in Cairo to the Islamic world.

It comes as Obama is pushing for early progress on Middle East peace efforts and reaching out to Iran’s leaders over their nuclear program - two major and intertwined foreign policy gambits that so far have yielded few results.

With its vast oil wealth and supreme religious importance in the Islamic world as the site of Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia has long been a leading Sunni Arab player in the region, an influence Abdullah has sought to deepen in recent years.

Abdullah has asserted Saudi diplomacy aggressively in Lebanon and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He was the first to propose broad Arab recognition of Israel in return for its withdrawal from all territory occupied in the 1967 Middle East War, and he has sought in the past to broker unity government agreements between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.

Obama has suggested that Abdullah’s peace proposal, adopted by the Arab League in 2002 and now known as the Arab Peace Initiative, may serve as a way to revive talks between Israelis, Palestinians and Arab countries, only two of which now recognize the Jewish state.

After a meeting with Obama last month, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu indicated that he would welcome more regional participation in future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. He said he “would like to broaden the circle of peace to include others in the Arab world, if we could.”

Those talks are being held up now by Palestinian concerns over Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and Netanyahu’s refusal to endorse the creation of an independent Palestinian state as the best way to achieve peace.

The Obama administration may be taking more of an outside in view of the conflict, hoping a gesture from Arab nations such as this one might push Israel toward peace with the Palestinians.
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