Italy reduced steel production
In August 2025, Italian steel enterprises reduced steel production to an annual low of 821 thousand tons. Compared to the previous month, the figure fell by 52.4 percent, but rose by 7.3 percent y/y. This is evidenced by data from the industry association Federacciai, SteelOrbis reports.
During January-August, steel production by Italian metallurgists increased by 3 percent compared to January-August 2024, to 13.66 million tons.
Flat steel production in August amounted to 289,000 tons, compared to 732,000 tons in July and 415,000 tons in August 2024, while long steel production amounted to 437,000 tons (1.1 million tons in July; 357,000 tons in August 2024).
UAE economy to grow 4.9pc in 2025
The United Arab Emirates’ economy is expected to grow 4.9 percent in 2025, up from an earlier forecast of 4.4 percent, due to higher oil production and strong growth in the non-hydrocarbon sector, the central bank said.
The hydrocarbon sector is expected to grow by 5.8 percent in 2025, and expand by 6.5 percent next year, the bank said in a quarterly update, on increased oil production in line with OPEC+ quotas.
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“This real adjustment in hydrocarbon output is expected to largely offset the negative impact of the decline in oil prices on government revenues, creating a positive ripple effect on non-hydrocarbon sectors,” the report said.
The UAE, a top oil exporter, has accelerated plans to diversify its economy, with the non-hydrocarbon sector accounting for 77.1 percent of total GDP in the first quarter.
Natural gas production soars 9.2pc
The ministry reports steady growth in natural gas production. In the first seven months of 2025, the country produced 17.3 billion cubic meters of gas, an increase of 1.46 billion cubic meters, or 9.2 percent, compared to the same period last year.
“According to preliminary data from the Bureau of National Statistics, the positive trend continues: production volumes reached 111.1 percent compared to the same period last year,” said the ministry in its Sept. 12 statement.
It also points to the fact that the observed increase in gas prices for consumers is not linked to production volumes.
“It is a planned and controlled stage of the reform aimed at transitioning to market-based pricing mechanisms,” said the ministry.
Officials explain this measure is necessary to ensure the long-term stability of the industry, attract investment in the development of new fields, and prevent the risk of shortages in the future. According to the ministry, the tariff change is a balanced decision that will help ensure uninterrupted gas supplies to all consumers in the country in the long term.
Chinese researchers successfully create groundbreaking dairy cattle cell atlas
Chinese researchers have successfully created a multi-tissue single-cell expression atlas for dairy cattle, marking a breakthrough that sheds light on the genetic mechanisms of key traits while advancing precision breeding and human disease research.
The study was carried out by a research team led by China Agricultural University in collaboration with multiple domestic and international institutions, with the findings recently published in Nature Genetics.
According to Sun Dongxiao, a professor at the College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, traditional research has primarily focused on gene expression at the tissue level, which makes it difficult to explain how different cell types interact to regulate important traits in dairy cattle, such as milk production, reproduction and disease resistance.
Employing single-cell RNA sequencing technology, the team analyzed 59 tissue types from multiple Holstein cattle. They identified around 1.79 million high-quality cells and annotated 131 distinct cell types, spanning seven major lineages that range from immune cells to germ cells.
Nuclear ‘renaissance’ could stall out
Plans to ramp up nuclear power capacity could run into tight uranium supplies, the World Nuclear Association warns in a recent report.
It urges producers to secure new sources of the critical mineral as global demand from reactors is set to rise by a third—to 86,000 tonnes by 2030 and 150,000 tonnes by 2040—while mines are expected to halve their output between 2030 and 2040.
The “significant gap” between demand and supply projections threatens an awaited nuclear power “renaissance,” the Financial Times writes.
The WMA calls for significant exploration, innovative mining techniques, efficient permitting, and timely investment to deliver new uranium supply.
Demand for nuclear power is rising as countries seek to bolster energy security, and as data centre developers invest in carbon-free power sources. But big uranium producers have recently announced production cuts, leading analysts to warn of supply risks that could push up prices.
“The whole ecosystem needs to be in equilibrium, and it’s not,” Mark Chalmers, CEO of the Colorado uranium company Energy Fuels, told the Times. “There are clouds on the horizon.”
Brazil: sugar production rises 18.2pc
Sugar production in Brazil’s key center-south region surged by 18.21 percent in the second half of August compared to the same period last year, reaching 3.87 million metric tons, according to industry group UNICA on Wednesday.
Sugarcane crushing for the period totaled 50.06 million tons, marking a 10.68 percent increase year-on-year, the group said in a statement.
However, the average Total Recoverable Sugar (TRS) content fell by 3.87 percent to 149.79 kilograms per ton of sugarcane, down from 155.82 kg per ton during the same fortnight last year. For the season to date, TRS has declined by 4.16 percent, averaging 131.76 kg per ton compared to the previous year.