North Asia

Ukraine's?agriculture ministry told? On Monday, Ukraine's?agriculture minister? cited?Russian strikes? on the southern Odesa hub of the country. Taras Vysotskyi, the first official forecaster of exports since the Russian attack in late July that effectively stopped shipments out of Odesa port, which are crucial to Ukraine and global agriculture market. Before the increase, the ministry had forecasted exports at 43 million tonnes for this season. In recent weeks, Russia has attacked Ukrainian Black Sea port terminals, vessels that enter and leave the ports on a daily basis and their export terminals. The lower grain forecast highlights?the damage?attacks are inflicting? on a...

German authorities opened a counterterrorism probe after a drone containing explosives was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport - a cargo and logistics hub for military purposes. The interior minister called it a hybrid attack. The discovery by airport workers of a 'drone' in a restricted zone on Tuesday led to flight cancellations and closures of certain parts of the airport. Alexander Dobrindt, the German interior minister, said that on Wednesday this incident had opened up a "new level" of danger. Here are some details on the drone incident that occurred at Leipzig/Halle Airport this week. From WORLD WAR II DESTRUCTION to...

Trade sources and shipping data showed that a 'Panama-flagged' tanker carrying Russian naphtha attempted to pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait during 'the last week of July. The ship then changed course to sail instead around Africa, according to LSEG. Data shows that the Suezmax vessel Sea 'Icon' loaded 100,000 tons of naphtha from Ust-Luga, Russia, on July 1 for shipment to Asia. The Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company, based in Kuwait, controls the tanker. The company did not respond immediately to an email asking for comment. The 'tanker' made a U-turn as it approached the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which is a...

The Russian-controlled Crimea installed street 'phones to make emergency calls to police and ambulance services. This is an alternative to mobile communications that are frequently 'jammed due to frequent Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine has struck supply lines, bases, and power plants located in Crimea. Crimea was captured by Russia in 2014 and annexed unofficially. Ukraine, under constant Russian missile and drone attacks, claims it's trying to isolate Crimea from Moscow and undermine its?war effort. Local authorities in Crimea reported that 17 civilians had been injured by a 'overnight drone strike on the southern city Yalta. A high-rise apartment was targeted. Both...

Two people were injured by a Ukrainian drone attack on a bus travelling from Minsk, the Belarusian capital, to the Russian Black Sea resort town of Anapa. This was reported in Russian state media. Sputnik Belarus reported that the government of the Bryansk region in Russia, near the border with Ukraine and Belarus, said two drivers were injured in the attack, which took place at the Krasniy kamen border crossing. Andriy kovalenko, the head of Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation, a branch of the National Security Council (NSC), denied that Kyiv attacked the bus. He called the?Russian claims "provocations" as...

Four sources with knowledge of the matter have confirmed that NATO is planning to replace its aging AWACS fleet with GlobalEye aircraft from Sweden's Saab. This move could put President Donald Trump on edge. Trump has repeatedly threatened NATO's dissolution, accusing European countries of a free ride by leaving it to the U.S. Sources?said NATO would announce its GlobalEye plans at a meeting with its members on 7 and 8 July in the Turkish capital Ankara. NATO has not responded to our request for comment. Saab declined to comment. Since 1982, NATO has been able to keep an eye on...

Russian state media reported that a Ukrainian drone attacked two people on a bus travelling from Minsk, the Belarusian capital, to Anapa, a resort town near the Black Sea in Russia. Sputnik Belarus reported that the government of the Bryansk region in Russia, near the border with Belarus and Ukraine, said two drivers were injured, but only slightly, during the attack. The incident occurred at the Krasniy kamen border crossing between Russia and Belarus. Ukraine has not yet responded to the question. The Ukrainians regularly shell Bryansk, and the nearby region of Kursk. This results in?injuries and deaths among local...

Officials in Ukraine said that 'Russia' attacked three rail locomotives in Ukraine, killing one driver. It also hit two petrol stations. This is part of a recent escalation of strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure. Both Russia and Ukraine attacked fuel and transportation facilities in an attempt to cut off supplies?to their troops, and gain an advantage along the front lines?of a five-year war. Oleksandr P. Pertsovskyi is the CEO of the state rail company Ukrzaliznytsia. He posted on Facebook that a strike had hit a locomotive located in the Sumy region to the north-east and the Zaporizhzhia area in the south....

The Ukrainian economy ministry has proposed to increase state railway 'Ukrzaliznytsia ''s freight rates by 30% starting August '1'' in order to stabilize the company's finances. However, steelmakers and farmers have warned that this may make them less competitive. Rail remains an important part of Ukraine’s logistics network. It carries both freight and passengers. The government is under pressure to increase its cash flow as it tries to restructure debt. Ukrzaliznytsia's CEO Oleksandr Ptsovskyi said this month that his firm must?increase its tariffs this year by at least 45 percent to restore its finances. In a weekend note, the economy...

Russia has accused Ukraine of launching a drone strike that killed a Belarusian bus full of schoolchildren, an accusation which the Ukrainian military says is "false". Yegor Kovalchuk is the acting governor of Russia's Bryansk Region, which borders Ukraine. He said that the bus was carrying a Belarusian children's soccer club to southern Russia for a vacation. Kovalchuk wrote on Telegram that he visited the injured and described the incident as "a completely deliberate strike against civilian transport on a busy road". The Russian Foreign Ministry called the attack "another horrific crime" and said that a woman who was with...

Russia has accused Ukraine of a drone attack that killed Belarusian children on a school bus Wednesday. Ukraine's military denies this accusation. Yegor Kovalchuk is the acting governor of the Bryansk region in?Russia, bordering?Ukraine. He said the bus was carrying a Belarusian children's soccer squad on a vacation to southern Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the attack a "monstrous crime" and said that a woman who was accompanying the children died. Eight others, including six kids, were also injured. The Ukrainian General Staff denied the Russian claim, saying via Telegram that the "Defence?Forces in Ukraine" did not use unmanned...

The head of India's agency for ship safety certification has said that the agency is taking a more aggressive stance against vessels that are involved in evading trade sanctions by canceling the certification of over 200 tankers and ships. The Indian Register of 'Shipping' (IRClass) is one of the world's most prestigious'ship 'certifiers. A vessel being removed from this list could make it difficult for them to obtain insurance or access ports. Arun Sharma, Executive Chairman of the Mumbai-based non-profit organization IRClass, said that since 2023 235 ships have been declassified from its registry. These are mostly oil tankers, but...

Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor, said that the German government will soon reveal who is responsible for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport earlier this month. Merz, speaking at a summit of the coalition, said that his government "works closely with security authorities to this end, and will soon set out this issue?and make a comment about it." Local?media cite security sources that suspect Russian intelligence of involvement in the attempted attack. Berlin, however, has not made direct accusations. A drone with explosives was discovered on August 4 near an Antonov cargo plane used for military supplies. Investigators suspect...

German investigators have discovered a third drone and suspected explosives linked to the attempted attack on the Leipzig/Halle Airport this month, according to the NDR and WDR radio stations and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Media reports stated that the drone was discovered on August 14, 10 day after the incident. It was located?towards the west of airport where investigators also?found about 50 grams (1.8oz) of what they suspected as the military explosive hexogen. The office of the?prosecutor general?didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. The reports cite security sources who suspect Russian intelligence involvement. This accusation has been denied by...

The 'International Atomic Energy Agency' said Tuesday that a drone exploded at a bus stop used by the staff of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, killing one person and injuring others. In a statement released on?X, the IAEA (the United Nations' nuclear watchdog) said that the director of the plant described the incident as "the worst the plant has ever faced". According to the agency, the director of the plant said that the explosion occurred at 6 am and caused 16 casualties, including one death and three serious injuries. The station is Europe's biggest with six reactors and was seized...

German authorities opened a counterterrorism probe after a drone containing explosives, which was found at the Leipzig/Halle Airport cargo and military logistic hub in what interior minister called a "hybrid attack", was discovered. The drone was discovered by airport workers in a restricted zone late Tuesday night, causing flight cancellations and the closure of certain parts of the airport. On Wednesday, German Interior Minister Alexander "Dobrindt" said that the incident had opened up a whole new level of risk. Here are some details on the drone incident that occurred at Leipzig/Halle Airport this week. From a World War Two Destrotion...

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung, among other news outlets, reported that a Ukrainian cargo aircraft found parked next to an explosive-laden drone at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport on Tuesday night was actually carrying military ammunition. The report, also broadcast by NDR and WDR, cited a confidential police report and said that forensic experts determined the explosives on the drone to be of high military grade. These findings could raise the stakes of a wider counterterrorism investigation into the incident at a?airport that serves as a major military and cargo logistics hub, which the German government has classified as critical infrastructure. Alexander Dobrindt, the...

Russia said on Wednesday it had struck seven 'logistics centers in Kyiv, and the surrounding area overnight that were used to store or 'distribute goods for dual-use?and drones components.? And that its forces have hit three cargo vessels in the Black Sea. Could not independently verify the claims of the ministry about the nature and quantity of goods stored at the target sites. The attacks, which Ukrainian officials said killed at least fourteen people, were part an intensifying bombing campaign against what Russia claims are targets related to Ukraine’s drone forces. Since July 18, Ukrainian drones have attacked at least...

According to its CEO, Mikhail Volkov, the Russian government is looking at options to support state-owned postal service and logistics provider?Russian Post in order to help them manage their 140?billion Rubbles ($1.83 Billion) debt. After the central bank increased its key interest rates to the highest level in 2024 since the early 2000s, debt and debt servicing costs for many Russian companies such as Russian Railways, Russian Post and state conglomerates like them, rose. Last month, the central bank announced that it had lowered reserve requirements on restructured loan amounts. This could help heavily-indebted companies like Russian Railways to reduce...

The Romanian defence ministry announced that it would purchase French Mistral air defense systems in the amount of more than 626 millions euros ($726million), as part of a joint acquisition deal with other European Union countries. The Ministry of Defence said that it had signed a contract with the French Defense Ministry on Tuesday for the purchase 231 man-portable Air-Defense Systems (MANPADS), built by the missile manufacturer MBDA, and 934 missiles along with training, simulators and logistics. The statement did specify the date of delivery. The first time the Romanian legislators approved the acquisition plan was in 2022. Romania, an...

On Monday, Polish prosecutors announced that they had charged two Russians with spying on behalf of Russian intelligence. One of the Russians was also accused of plotting to send an explosives parcel. Since a series explosions near Warsaw, Poland's capital in July 2024 in Britain, Germany and other European countries, European authorities are on high alert. Western officials blamed Russia for those incidents. Moscow denies these accusations A Russian, identified as Igor R. in Poland's privacy laws, has been charged with taking part in a plot involving a courier to deliver a bomb parcel. An Ukrainian was also charged for...

The following are the top stories on business pages of British papers. Reuters has not validated these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. The Times - The UK government is to take a golden share in Royal Mail as part of a contract with Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky that paves the way for a 3.6 billion pounds ($ 4.57 billion). overseas takeover of the previous state postal operator. - Arm Holdings chief executive Rene Haas has actually been. selected as a non-executive director of AstraZeneca as. part of a refresh of the board of Britain's most important public....

Germany is investigating numerous fires brought on by incendiary devices hidden inside parcels at a storage facility in Leipzig previously this year, the nation's. district attorney general said on Tuesday. German authorities cautioned businesses in August that. unsafe parcels might be in blood circulation after several. events in which freight sent by personal individuals in a. variety of European countries caught fire while in transit. On Monday, Thomas Haldenwang, the head of Germany's domestic. intelligence agency, informed a parliamentary committee that Germany. had only narrowly got away a plane crash when an air freight. parcel caught fire. In the same...

Britain stated on Tuesday it had sanctioned 16 members of the Russian cybercrime gang Evil Corp, a group it said had been tasked by Russia to carry out operations versus NATO allies. Evil Corp was as soon as believed to be the most considerable cyber-crime risk on the planet, Britain's National Crime Agency ( NCA) said after taking coordinated action with officials in the United States and Australia. Today's sanctions send a clear message to the Kremlin that we will not endure Russian cyber-attacks - whether from the state itself or from its cyber-criminal community, foreign minister David Lammy stated...