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Indian Embassy reports that a tanker with a Mozambique flag was attacked in Iranian waters.
The Indian embassy in Tehran reported that a tanker flying the flag of Mozambique and carrying 28 Indian crew members was attacked on Friday in Iranian territorial waters. In a statement?posted to X, the embassy said that all Indian crew members were safe and they are in contact with?authorities. Disha was attacked by an unknown missile while en route to the Persian Gulf, according to the Forward Seamen's Union of India. Before the conflict in Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was a major transit route for a fifth of all global energy supplies. Since a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran broke down in early July tensions have escalated, leading to heavy strikes and further disruption of shipping through the waterway. (Reporting by Hyunsu Yim in Barcelona; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
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Beumer sues EU antitrust regulators over Vanderlande, Siemens deal, court filing shows
A court filing seen by revealed that the German logistics group Beumer Group has taken EU antitrust regulators 'to 'court' for refusing to investigate Dutch rival Vanderlandes' acquisition of Siemens' airport logistic 'unit'. Beumer was concerned when Siemens announced the EUR300m ($341.31m) deal with Dutch luggage conveyor belts and package-sorting systems Vanderlande owned by Japan's Toyota Industries two years ago. In March of this year, Vanderlande asked regulators in Portugal & Spain to approve the deal. These?countries and Italy then asked the European Commission (EC) to take on the case. In May, the EU's competition enforcer rejected these requests. The Commission stated that the requests were not "appropriate" for the EU, as the deal has been in place 'for more than one year. The Commission said that Portugal and Spain must continue to investigate the case as national agencies are regularly scrutinising the market. Beumer argued in court that the Commission had erred by failing to evaluate the deal. The company urged the court to void its decision. The Commission does not have the discretion to deny a request for a referral when it is obvious, on the basis of objective criteria that the national competition authorities (NCAs), who are requesting the referral, will be unable to effectively review the concentration. This was stated in the July 17 filing. Beumer stated that the EU's decision was also based upon criteria that were not legally relevant. A spokesperson for the Commission said, "As always, the Commission is?ready to defend its decisions in Court." The General Court in Luxembourg usually takes several years to hear a case.
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AI is a talent drain, and the aerospace industry has to compete for recruits.
Hassan Butt was a 17-year old British student who volunteered at the Farnborough Airshow in this week. For him, nothing was cooler than watching the planes and pondering the physics behind what kept them airborne. He said, as he answered questions from passersby. He wanted to be an aerospace engineer and focus on missiles. There was no shortage in the hall of displays, stalls, and recruitment campaigns aimed at capturing his enthusiasm and luring him along with other potential recruits. Butt was the perfect candidate. But industry bodies and businesses said that there weren't enough people like him. The UK aerospace sector faces a shortage of 10,000 specialized engineers every year, with AI and other newer technologies stealing talent. In Britain, more than half of the licensed aerospace engineers are over 50 years old; less than 10% are younger than 30. This was revealed in a report released by the Royal Aeronautical Society. ADS, a trade group, said that the UK aerospace sector grew 31% over the past decade but that the talent pipeline had not kept up. Kevin Craven said, "we in the aerospace industry are experiencing a shortage of skilled employees for quite some time... despite industry growth year-on-year for the last 10 years." He said that innovations such as flying taxis and sustainability can help younger engineers to sign up. RECRUITING RESOURCES ARE ATTRATED BY CONTESTS AND TOP-GUN DISPLAYS Sector faces record backlog of orders. Boeing and Airbus, two of the world's largest aerospace companies, are trying to produce more planes but their engineers are nearing retirement. In an effort to save money, many companies in this sector have scrapped their feeder apprenticeship programs that supported longer-term career paths a few short years ago. These have been largely replaced by entry level jobs or graduate programmes, which are often promoted by stalls and campaigns at the event this week. Other activities at the show included engine building exercises and Top Gun style flying displays. All of these were designed to attract young recruits. It is a fierce competition to get them. Experts say that other sectors with similar engineering requirements have a lower barrier to entry, and pay higher salaries. Jerrold Lundquist is a consultant and managing director at The Lundquist 'Group. The UK government hopes that renewed defence investment, linked to the war in Ukraine can boost the appeal of joining this sector as it develops drones like BAE Systems Brontanax. ADS reported that the aerospace, defense and security sector added $62,4 billion to the UK's economy in 2012. Molly Haydon was a?17 year old at the event and she wanted to participate just as much as Hassan Butt. She said that'more needs to be done to attract students and young women like herself outside the airshow. She said, "I believe they need to educate young people about it and get them more aware that there are still plenty of jobs available in this sector for everyone."
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US strikes Iran from the south to the north after Trump's threats about Red Sea shipping
U.S. rockets?hit targets in Iran on Friday, after President Donald Trump promised "major punishment" to Tehran and its Houthi ally in Yemen for extending Middle East war into a'second major shipping chokepoint at the mouth of Red Sea. The 'Iranian Armed Forces' responded two weeks after an interim ceasefire meant to end war collapsed by firing on U.S. bases and warning the people of neighbouring Arab nations that they could strike non-military structures used by U.S. personnel. The Houthis who control the northern and western parts of Yemen have announced a blockade of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels of crude oil per day via pipeline to the Red Sea in order to avoid Iran's nearly total blockade of Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf entrance has been the focal point of a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives in less than five months. It has also stoked inflation worldwide and raised fears of an economic recession. PAKISTAN EXPLORING WAY FOR TALKS SOURCES SAY On Thursday, Houthi fighters attacked two Saudi tankers in the Bab el Mandeb Strait of the Red Sea. Oil prices rose 7% and reached $100 per barrel for first time since last May. Brent futures had fallen more than $4 by 1600 GMT Friday to just over $96. Sources say Pakistan is exploring a way to re-start the stalled talks that have been halted between the U.S.A. and Iran about ending the war. This follows a Chinese push. Three Pakistani sources said that Eskandar Mumeni, Iran's interior minister, visited Islamabad in this week and had exploratory talks. This was his second visit to Islamabad within the past 10 days. Three Pakistani sources said that there were still many obstacles to any possible talks with the U.S. TANKERS RETRAIT, SHIPPING INSURANCES GO UP Meanwhile the Houthi attack forced other tankers turn around and head to the north through the Suez Canal. This could be a longer route for reaching Asia by "sailing" around Africa. Sources said that shipping insurance costs in the southern Red Sea nearly doubled on Thursday for some companies. Despite this, two Chinese'supertankers' and half of the 18 ships that left Bab el-Mandeb Thursday carried crude oil. On Thursday, there was only one tanker that crossed the Strait of 'Hormuz. This is the lowest number since May 7. In a telephone call, the Iranian and Omani Foreign Ministers discussed maritime navigation and security in the Strait of Hormuz between the two nations. A statement posted on the Telegram channel of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that the conversation took place during the phone call. IRAN THREATENS THE U.S. FORCES Trump stated on social media that Iran would be held accountable for any future attacks by Yemeni fighters. "And major military punishment will also be inflicted against Iran and of course the Houthis themselves." He told Axios that he would consider relaunching a major war against Iran. The U.S. media outlet reported him saying, "They haven’t received enough pain." The Iranian Health Ministry said in a statement to X that 59 people have been killed and 666 injured since the resumption clashes between U.S. troops late June. Iranian media reported that the head of Iran’s top joint command said Iran would kill one member of U.S. military forces for each Iranian killed. The war has resulted in the death of 18 U.S. military personnel. The Pentagon announced on Monday that since July 7, 100 servicemen had been injured. 96% of them have returned to work. U.S. WARNS CITIZENS? IN MIDEAST TO EXERCISE CAUTION Iranian officials claimed that they had targeted U.S. military equipment at Camp Buehring in Kuwait's north, as well as the positions of U.S. soldiers at Camp Arifjan, near Kuwait City, and Camp Doha. Kuwait announced in the early evening that its air defences intercepted "hostile" Iranian targets. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they had damaged a U.S. Fifth Fleet surveillance tower in Bahrain. The group also claimed that they attacked a U.S. fighter jet and barracks in Jordan. According to the semiofficial Tasnim News Agency, they also attacked a barracks, spy balloon and Patriot air defences at Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdish Region. State TV reported that Jordan's army had destroyed?seven Iranian rockets and six drones. The attack caused no damage or injuries. U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned U.S. citizens to remain vigilant and exercise caution in the Middle East. U.S. MISSILES HIT GUARDS HQ - MEDIA According to an Iranian media report, U.S. missiles have 'hit a Revolutionary Guards Navy HQ in the Ziba Kenar region?of Gilan province on the Caspian Sea. According to the ILNA, provincial authorities confirmed that U.S. missiles also hit the port city Bandar Anzali. IRIB, the Iranian state broadcaster, reported that four people had been killed and five others injured by an attack launched by the United States on Ahvaz. The Revolutionary Guards issued a warning to the people of Gulf states in a statement published by Iran's Fars News Agency. They warned them of possible attacks against U.S. military personnel, who could be using "buildings and cities as locations for their crimes".
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Five UK police officers are injured after a boat hits a bridge in London
The Metropolitan Police said that five British officers were injured when a boat hit the Westminster Bridge in central London on Friday. Police said that the vessel from the Met's Marine Policing Unit hit the bridge around 1440 GMT. The police said that "a number of officers" had entered the water but were rescued by additional police and other emergency services. The police statement stated that "we understand five officers were injured and are being treated." "We are awaiting an update regarding the extent of their injuries." The statement said that it didn't believe any public members were injured or involved in the incident and that the circumstances would be "thoroughly examined". Crowds of onlookers watched the incident from the bridge. Port of London Authority said it was also supporting the response. (Reporting and editing by Michael Holden; Sam Tabahriti, Kate Holton)
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Trump warns China and Russia against involvement in Iran War
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said on Friday that he doesn't believe China or Russia is "participating." He warned them however that it would be "very bad" for them if they got involved. He wrote: "President Xi told me at our meeting in Beijing that he wouldn't, under any?circumstances?, sell or give weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran -?and that statement included Chinese Companies" on Truth?Social. Trump claimed that Putin told him he wouldn't sell weapons to Iran, and that he thought Russia and China weren't involved in the Iran conflict. Trump wrote: "If they did it, that would be bad for them - certainly not in their best interest." Since February of this year, the United States and Iran are at war. This is because Israel and the U.S. launched attacks that killed senior Iranian officials including Iran's supreme leader. U.S. Intelligence sources told four people that the CIA's earlier Gulf War strikes on Iranian targets had prompted the U.S. Intelligence is investigating whether Russia has been assisting Iran in the use of drones or targeting information. The Kremlin declined to comment on Thursday's?report. The United States has sanctioned Russian and Chinese individuals and companies for helping Iran purchase weapons. Jasper Ward, Washington reporter; Michelle Nichols, editor
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GL Group acquires US oil and gas assets for the first time in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani energy company GL Group has purchased oil and gas assets in Texas. The company is now the full operator of the four fields. This was the first deal like this for the former Soviet nation. More than 200 wells are included in the assets located near Midland, Permian basin. GL Group headed by Asif Zeynalov did not reveal the value of the transaction,?the reserves or current production. The company stated that the transaction made them 'the first Azerbaijani firm to own and operate upstream oil and gas assets within the United States. The acquisition is part GL Group’s strategy to expand upstream business beyond Azerbaijan. The group's first international investment was made in 2024 when it acquired a 25% stake of Gazelle Energy Limited in Canada, which has a?gas licence in Turkey's Thrace?Basin. The GL Group operates five oil and natural gas fields in Azerbaijan via Salyan Oil Limited?and Taghiyev Operating Company. Separately GL 'Group announced that it had signed a 5-year service agreement with U.S. oilfield services company Baker Hughes. Both companies stated that the agreement covered?operational assistance, technical expertise, and access to oil & gas technologies. (Reporting and editing by Emelia Sithole Matarise; Nailia Bagirova)
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NextEra CEO: We have secured full ownership of the Iowa nuclear plant that is being restarted to power Google data centers.
NextEra Energy CEO John Ketchum announced on Friday that the company has acquired sole ownership of a closed 'nuclear?power?plant? in Iowa, which is being restarted to supply Google data centres. NextEra has acquired the remaining 30% of a minority stake in a Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant from two rural utilities. This acquisition took place roughly nine months after NextEra announced its intention to resume operations at the plant. The soaring demand for?electricity in the United States -- fueled by Big Tech's expansion of data centers -- has led to multiple attempts to restart closed nuclear reactors across the country. Constellation Energy, a nuclear power 'plant in Pennsylvania, is re-starting with the help of a Microsoft power purchase agreement. No fully closed reactor has yet been resurrected to produce commercial electricity. Ketchum said on a conference call with investors that his company is on track to produce electricity from the plant by early 2020.
What are nations doing to get nationals out of Lebanon?
Western countries are updating contingency prepare for arranging evacuations from Lebanon after a sharp escalation in border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah.
Cyprus, the closest European Union member state to the Middle East, is a most likely hub for evacuations, having actually processed around 60,000 individuals fleeing the Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006. Neighbouring Turkey has provided facilities also.
No country has actually activated a large-scale military evacuation yet, though some are chartering airplane to help in their nationals leaving as Beirut airport remains open. There have likewise been plans to evacuate by sea to Cyprus, enabling the motion of larger groups of individuals at a time.
Here are details on contingency preparation:
AUSTRALIA. Authorities have made contingency strategies that might include. evacuation by sea, though it has actually urged an estimated 15,000 of. its citizens in Lebanon to leave while Beirut airport remains. open.
BELGIUM. Belgium's foreign ministry advises Belgian people to leave. Lebanon as quickly as possible, Belga news agency reported.
CANADA
Report from Canada suggest it will cooperate with. Australia in leaving nationals by sea. The strategy involves. contracting a commercial vessel to carry 1,000 individuals out. each day, The Toronto Star reported.
FRANCE. France, which has actually been advising residents not to take a trip to Lebanon,. has actually had evacuation strategies in place for several months but has not. provided an evacuation order. Present contingency plans centre. around Cyprus and Beirut airport, while it is likewise discussing. evacuations by means of Turkey. France has a warship in the region,. while a French helicopter carrier will get here in the eastern. Mediterranean in the coming days and take up position in case a. choice is taken to leave foreign nationals from Lebanon, a. French army spokesperson said on Tuesday.
GERMANY
Germany has actually evacuated non-essential personnel, families of. embassy workers and German nationals who are medically. susceptible out of Lebanon and will support others attempting to. leave, a joint declaration by the foreign and defence ministries. said on Monday. Germans in the region can leave the nation on. business flights via airports that are still open, a. spokesperson for the German foreign ministry stated on Monday.
GREECE
The Greek foreign ministry has prompted its people to leave. Lebanon and avoid any travel to the nation. A frigate is on. standby in case help is required.
ITALY
Italy has actually lowered diplomatic staff and beefed up security. workers at its embassy in Beirut, a source informed Reuters. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has consistently prompted nationals. to leave the nation and looked for assurances from Israel over the. security of Italian soldiers running in peacekeeping operations. in the location.
THE NETHERLANDS. The Netherlands will repatriate its people from Lebanon, Dutch. news agency ANP reported on Tuesday.
TURKEY. Turkey is ready to perform a possible evacuation of Turks from. Lebanon via air and sea, and is dealing with around 20 countries. on preparing its ports and airports for a possible evacuation of. foreign nationals via Turkey, the foreign ministry said on. Tuesday.
A diplomatic source stated that some 14,000 Turkish people. were registered at the Turkish consulate in Lebanon, though that. number was not conclusive. Some states with less resources. were asking to sign up with Turkish evacuation operations.
If an evacuation choice is made, the top priority will be our. own people, the source said.
Our military freight airplanes and ships that will be utilized in a. possible evacuation are waiting prepared for responsibility.
UK. Britain has actually called for its nationals to leave immediately. It. has walked around 700 troops to Cyprus, strengthening its existence. in the area where it currently has military assets, including two. Royal Navy ships. It also has 2 military bases on the island. The British federal government has actually chartered a flight to help satisfy any. additional demand from Britons wishing to leave on Wednesday,. and will fly directly back to London.
UNITED STATES. The U.S. has actually purchased the implementation of lots of troops to. Cyprus to help get ready for situations, including an evacuation of. Americans from Lebanon.
PORTUGAL
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has actually encouraged against travel to. Lebanon. The nation assisted in the evacuation of a little. variety of Portuguese people living there.
(source: Reuters)