2025-12-30 18:58

WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Two U.S. cybersecurity professionals have pleaded guilty after they were accused of working with a notorious ransomware gang to shake down American targets, the Justice Department said in a statement on Tuesday. Justice Department officials said that Ryan Goldberg, 40, of Georgia, and Kevin Martin, 36, of Texas, had both pleaded guilty at a federal court in Miami to a single count of conspiring to interfere with commerce through extortion. They are due to be sentenced in March and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, the department said. Sign up here. An attorney for Martin declined to comment. The federal public defender assigned to Goldberg declined to comment. Goldberg and Martin were two of three people accused of collaborating with the hacking gang ALPHV Blackcat to encrypt several unnamed U.S. companies' networks in a bid to extort their owners out of millions of dollars' worth of cryptocurrency. The case drew attention in part because the defendants were established professionals in the digital protection space. Martin had previously worked for the cybersecurity firm DigitalMint, which said in a statement on Tuesday that it was aware of the guilty plea. "We strongly condemn his actions, which were undertaken without the knowledge, permission, or involvement of the company," DigitalMint said, adding that it had fully cooperated with the Justice Department "throughout its investigation." Goldberg had previously worked for Sygnia (SYGJ.J) , opens new tab, another cybersecurity firm. A representative for Sygnia did not immediately return a message seeking comment. The firm previously said that Goldberg had been fired by the company "immediately upon learning of the situation" and that Sygnia was not the target of the investigation. Reuters was unable to establish the identity or status of the third alleged coconspirator, nor determine how to reach ALPHV Blackcat, which disappeared last year following a sweeping cyberattack at UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N) , opens new tab. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/two-us-cyber-experts-plead-guilty-cooperating-with-notorious-ransomware-gang-2025-12-30/

2025-12-30 18:42

Dec 30 (Reuters) - India has imposed a three-year import tariff of between 11% and 12% on some steel products, according to a finance ministry order published on Tuesday, as the government aims to curb cheap shipments from China. The levy, locally known as a safeguard duty, will be imposed at 12% in the first year followed by 11.5% in the second year and then 11% in the third year. Sign up here. The measure, which was published on the official government gazette, excludes imports from certain developing countries, though China, Vietnam, and Nepal will be subject to the levy. It also will not apply to specialty steel products such as stainless steel. The federal steel ministry has repeatedly said it does not want the domestic steel industry to face injury due to cheap imports and sub-standard products. The government imposed a temporary 200-day tariff of 12% in April. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies recommended the three-year duty after finding a "recent, sudden, sharp and significant increase in imports ... causing and threatening to cause serious injury to the domestic industry", the order said. U.S. President Donald Trump's import tariffs on steel have fuelled a wave of trade friction over Chinese steel, with countries including South Korea and Vietnam imposing anti-dumping levies earlier this year. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/india-imposes-tariff-some-steel-products-three-years-curb-cheap-imports-2025-12-30/

2025-12-30 18:10

Dec 30 (Reuters) - Argentine renewable energy producer Genneia has launched the San Rafael Solar Park in Mendoza, following a $180 million investment, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. The park, Genneia's third in Mendoza, has 400,000 solar panels and a 180 megawatt installed capacity, and will power roughly 135,000 homes, Genneia said. Sign up here. "This capacity makes it a benchmark for large-scale solar power generation, contributing significantly to the efficiency of the energy system," the company said in a statement. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/argentinas-genneia-opens-180-million-solar-park-mendoza-2025-12-30/

2025-12-30 17:55

Dec 30 (Reuters) - Duke Energy (DUK.N) , opens new tab has submitted an early site permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a site near the Belews Creek power plant in North Carolina, the utility said on Tuesday. Duke said it plans to add 600 megawatts of advanced nuclear capacity at the site by 2037, with the first small modular reactor coming online in 2036. Sign up here. An early site permit from the NRC clears a location for safety and environmental standards before a reactor design is chosen, effectively reserving the site for up to 20 years. The company's application includes six potential reactor technologies, including four small modular reactor designs and two non-light-water designs. U.S. nuclear power is gaining traction after decades of stagnation, fueled by surging electricity demand from energy-hungry data centers and the electrification of transportation and manufacturing industries. President Donald Trump issued executive orders in May seeking to expedite permitting of nuclear reactors and to reform the NRC. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/duke-energy-seeks-early-site-permit-potential-nuclear-project-north-carolina-2025-12-30/

2025-12-30 14:14

ABUJA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Nigeria's central bank forecasts 4.49% economic growth and inflation easing to an average 12.94% in 2026, citing stable forex markets and rising oil output as reforms take hold, its latest outlook showed on Tuesday. The forecast signals cautious optimism after two years of sweeping reforms by President Bola Tinubu's government, with the bank betting on structural changes in oil, tax and foreign exchange markets to sustain growth and disinflation. Sign up here. In its 2026 outlook, the central bank projects stronger non-oil growth and sturdier external buffers even as fiscal deficits and external vulnerabilities linger. "The growth prospect in 2026 is positive on account of continued gains from broad-based structural reforms… and improved stability in the exchange rate," the central bank report said. Easing monetary policy would "add impetus to growth following the anticipated reduction in the cost of lending", it added. Nigeria's central bank kept its key rate at 27% (NGCBIR=ECI) , opens new tab in November's year-ending meeting, opting to let inflation cool further, but trimmed the deposit rate - a vote of confidence in the economy. The move surprised economists, who had forecast a 100 basis-point cut after September's first rate reduction since 2020. The bank expects headline inflation, which has averaged around 21.26% in 2025, to plunge next year as easing food and fuel prices, coupled with forex stability, rein in cost pressures. Inflation slowed for the eighth straight month in November to 14.45% (NGCPIY=ECI) , opens new tab. The outlook pegs oil, Nigeria's key export, at $55 a barrel, an official rate near 1,400 naira per dollar, and oil output at around 1.50 million barrels per day. Fiscal spending is expected to stay expansionary, with a deficit of 12.14 trillion naira, or 3.01% of GDP, funded largely through domestic borrowing, the report said. The bank sees external reserves climbing to $51.04  billion and a $18.81  billion current account surplus, buoyed by stronger oil and non-oil exports plus remittances. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerias-central-bank-sees-2026-growth-449-inflation-easing-1294-2025-12-30/

2025-12-30 12:30

Dec 30 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index edged lower on Tuesday, hurt by technology stocks on the year's penultimate session, but the index was still on track to record its best yearly performance since 2009. Toronto's S&P/TSX Composite index (.GSPTSE) , opens new tab closed down 30.33 points, or 0.10%, at 31,866.26, recording its third daily losing streak, previously driven by a pause in the precious metals rally. Sign up here. The benchmark is on track to end the year roughly about 29% higher, its best showing since 2009, lifted by heavyweight banking and mining stocks. Meanwhile, Wall Street indexes closed little changed in choppy trading, partially hurt by declines in technology and financial stocks. TSX's technology sub-index (.SPTTTK) , opens new tab tracked the decline, losing 1.4%. Gold and silver gained ground on Tuesday, as safe-haven demand returned due to persistent geopolitical risks following a brief spell of profit-taking. Mining stocks took the cue and were top gainers on the TSX, with the gold sub-index (.SPTTGD) , opens new tab advancing 1%, closely followed by the materials sector (.GSPTTMT) , opens new tab, which rose 0.7%. Energy stocks (.SPTTEN) , opens new tab also rose 1.4%. Market observers say the "Santa Claus rally," where indexes usually gain during the final five trading days of the year and the first two sessions of January, has been muted this year. Michael Dehal, senior portfolio manager at Dehal Investment Partners at Raymond James, said with just a few days left in the year, "some year-end rebalancing is going on." On the macroeconomic front, the U.S. Federal Reserve agreed to cut interest rates at its December meeting only after a deeply nuanced debate about the risks facing the U.S. economy right now, according to minutes of the latest two-day session. https://www.reuters.com/business/tsx-futures-gain-precious-metal-prices-stabilize-2025-12-30/