Asia

A source with first-hand knowledge of the situation said that India's civil aviation minister summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson after a flight from Phuket to Delhi suddenly dropped 300 feet in altitude. Air India and the Minister's Office did not respond immediately to'requests for comment. The Indian authorities launched an investigation days before the government's move. Air India reported that the flight from the 'Thai tourist town experienced a'momentary elevation variation' while flying over Odisha in eastern India, resulting in injuries for 13 passengers and four crew members. The aircraft carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members safely landed...

Airbus, a European planemaker, announced on Monday that it would'send specialists to help aide in the investigation of a sudden loss of altitude by an 'Air India - Airbus aircraft during a flight last Thursday. Air India A320?VT-EXO operating flight AI2379, from Phuket to Delhi, lost a sudden 300 feet during cruise. The aircraft then stabilized and safely landed in Delhi. On the same day, the Indian government launched an investigation into the incident. They also said that they had obtained the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of the aircraft for analysis. Eight passengers and four crew members...

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...

China is exporting its way out of an internal slump, causing what many Western governments refer to as a "second China shock." This strategy may be causing trade wars overseas, but it also creates a whole new group of potential domestic beneficiaries. In recent months, the dichotomy of China's robust export sector and its flagging economy was on full display. China's export?growth was 24% on a year-over-year basis in July, and it posted a $113 Billion trade surplus. This follows similar figures in June. It is now on track to achieve another trillion-dollar surplus by 2026. It recorded a disappointing...

The Australian 'Transport Safety Bureau' was informed that a Jetstar A320 and a 'Qatar Airways Boeing 777' narrowly avoided colliding on the tarmac of Sydney airport on Sunday. The regulator reported that the Jetstar flight crew was taxiing to take off for Gold Coast in Queensland when they saw an aircraft tug towing a Qatar Airways plane very close by on a cross-taxiway. The Transport Safety Bureau said that "both aircraft were abruptly stopped" in a press release. The regulator reported that a cabin crew member of the Jetstar aircraft was injured and that the connection between the nose gear...

Typhoon Dolphin hit Japan's southern Okinawa Prefecture Saturday, injuring six people and cutting power to over 50,000 buildings. China closed ports and stopped ferries as it prepared for the storm's arrival on its eastern coast. Authorities reported that five elderly people in Okinawa, including three who fell because of strong winds, sustained non-life-threatening wounds. Another person was injured by strong winds in Kagoshima Prefecture. Kagoshima was affected by nearly 39,000 buildings without power, while Okinawa was only impacted by just over 12,000. Domestic airlines ANA and Japan Airlines cancelled flights from and to Okinawa. The maximum sustained wind speed was...

Typhoon Dolphin slammed Japan's southern prefecture of 'Okinawa' on Saturday. It injured 'five people' and cut power to '14,000 buildings'. Meanwhile, China closed its ports and ferry routes in preparation for the storm's arrival on their east coast. As of 0300 GMT the storm was located about 160 km (99 mi) northwest of Kume Island, Okinawa. It was moving north at a speed of 15 kph (9mph), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Okinawan government officials reported that five elderly people sustained non-life-threatening wounds, three of which were caused by the wind. ANA and Japan Airlines cancelled flights into the...

Taiwan's Mirage fighters, made in France, were scrambled on Friday during an annual war game to show how they could be quickly re-armed and sent back into the sky during a conflict with China. The Han Kuang exercise began in Taiwan on Wednesday. The drills, which last 10 days, are aimed at assessing Taiwan's readiness to fight a possible attack by China. China regards Taiwan as its territory and has promised to take it back, if necessary, with force. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing’s claims of sovereignty. The crew of a Mirage fighter towed Magic II and MICA, both French-made, to...

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...

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...

El Al Israel Airlines announced a doubling of its second-quarter profit on Wednesday. The airline cited recovery from the initial impact of fighting between Israel & 'Iran' despite a sharp increase in jet fuel prices. On February 28, the U.S., Israel and other countries launched airstrikes on Iran. During this time Iran fired missiles towards Israel. This effectively closed Israel's commercial airspace, forcing El-Al and its rivals to fly only limited routes. The conflict was briefly ended by a ceasefire on 8 April. Israel has not been dragged back into conflict despite the fact that Iran and the U.S. continue...

Cathay Pacific Airways announced a record-breaking first-half profit on Wednesday, as strong demand for passengers and cargo offset the higher fuel prices. Hong Kong's flagship carrier saw its net profit rise 71%, to HK$6.24billion ($795.59m), for the six-month period ended June 30. This is the second highest in the company's history. Last month, the airline forecast a profit for the first half of the year in a range?of HK$6 to HK$6.5billion. In a recent statement, Cathay Chairman Guy Bradley stated that the summer travel demand is expected to be strong into the third quarter. "We are cautiously optimistic about the...

On Tuesday, Latvia announced that a tunnel was discovered 'under the border of Belarus. It also announced plans to combat the networks which it claims are helping an increasing number of migrants cross the border 'illegally. Last month, Latvian soldiers fired a warning shot and used teargas to deter migrants from entering the country through Belarus. Belarus shares a 173 km (107 mile) border with Latvia. Interior Minister Janis Dombrava said at a press conference held jointly with Prime Minister Andris Kubergs that "the protection of Latvia's east border will be enhanced, through closer cooperation between Border Guard, State Police...

Alexander Gusev said that a drone attack killed a person and injured two others overnight in the Voronezh region of 'Russia. Gusev, a Telegram user, said that Russia's air defense units destroyed 15 drones in the area of Voronezh. "A drone crashed caused fires in two warehouses of a large company. The fire at one warehouse has been contained within an area of 16 square meters. At the other, a fire covering 20,000 square metres is currently being put out. "Emergency Services are on the scene," said?the governor. He didn't identify the company that was affected. On?Tuesday?, Russian online retailer...

According to a Monday letter published by the 'Russian Central Bank,' creditors are advised to assist businesses that have been affected by Ukrainian drone attacks on warehousing and logistics centres. Ukraine has?attacked at least 20 warehouses owned by Russian ecommerce retailer Wildberries since July 18. In a letter, the regulator stated that "small and medium-sized businesses who have suffered due to terrorist attacks on warehouses, manufacturing plants, retail, offices, and other premises can apply for restructured loans." Sberbank, VTB and Wildberries Bank, which is owned by the retailer, have all announced that they are ready to help?businesses. Sergei Melamed, senior...

Sinograin, China's state stockpiler, sold 67% of its 501,000 metric tons of soybeans at a second auction held in recent weeks on Wednesday. The company is trying to make space for U.S. cargoes. Sources said that soybeans from the 2022-2025 crop sold on average at a price of 4,013.5 Yuan ($594.84) a ton. Deliveries are scheduled between October and December. Sinograin's?previous Friday auction -- the largest since January -- sold about half?the 504,000 metric tons of imported soybeans?at a price of 4,033 Yuan per ton. Traders have said that they expect the stockpiler state to continue auctions in the next...

Shipping data revealed on Monday that two tankers?laden with Saudi oil? crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the weekend. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz slowed after reports of vessel attack. Kpler data shows that the number of cargo vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait dropped to 18 on Sunday from 27 on Friday and 28 on Saturday. On July 20, the Iran-aligned Houthis announced a?maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, opening a new battlefront against the U.S. The data shows that the Suezmax tanker Lesvos, and the Very Large Crude Carrier Desh Vaibhav left the Red Sea without their...

Azerbaijan's government expects the freight volume along the "Middle Corridor", a trade route, to rise 17% this year to 5.5 million tons before rising to 7 million tons in 2027. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known by the name of the corridor, connects China to European countries via Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. It also passes through Georgia, Turkey, and Georgia. Containers containing clothing, electronics, and other consumer products, as well grain, coal, ore and fertilisers are transported along this route. The corridor, with its annual capacity of over 15 million tons is still a tiny part of the rail traffic...

Sinograin, China's state-owned stockpiler, said it would auction 500,000 metric tons of?imported?soybeans this Friday. This will be the first sale of such a size since January. The market is expecting the state stockpiler free up space to receive U.S. soybeans. According to a notice issued by the National Grain Trade Centre, this sale is scheduled for 1:30 pm (0530 GMT) and will offer 504,000 tons of soybeans that were produced between 2022-2025. The 'auction' is probably to clear storage space in preparation for the purchase of 25 million metric tonnes of U.S. soya beans, said Johnny Xiang of AgRadar Consulting....

Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. 74SOFTWARE, a software company, reported a first-half operating profit of EUR43.9 mln ($49.94 mln) on Thursday. The company also raised its revenue growth and margin forecast for the full year. AKWEL On Thursday, the automotive component supplier reported a -18.7% decline in revenue for the first half to EUR415 millions and confirmed its outlook through 2026. ARAMIS GROUP On Thursday, the used car retailer reported a third-quarter revenue totaling EUR 559.2 million. It also confirmed its 2026 goals. ARGAN/WDP: The...

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian president, said that the U.S. aerospace company Raytheon expressed interest in a joint production of Patriot interceptors. Kyiv is seeking to strengthen air defences as it tries to counter escalating Russian missile attacks. Zelenskiy said on X that he was grateful for the willingness of the company to take our partnership to a?higher level. This would allow Ukraine to co-produce with RTX some of the most important air defense assets –?Patriot interceptors. Ukraine has?asked for help? from its Western partners to build up interceptors that can down Russian ballistic rockets. It also sought agreement on securing an...

These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. The?has not checked these stories or?cannot?guarantee their accuracy. Databricks, a provider of data analytics, has raised a round of strategic funding valued at $188 billion. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Taco Bell owned by Yum Brands would stop using shredded iceberg sourced from a supplier that has been linked with a parasitic outbreak causing a severe form of diarrhea and vomiting. Honda Motors will stop?the production?of its Prologue SUV, which is sold?in America?this?year. Honda Motors will not cancel sales immediately, but expects to continue them until...

Two sources with knowledge of the matter said that Trafigura, a trading house, delivered over 80,000 metric tonnes of lead this week to London Metal Exchange's warehouses, bringing stocks to their highest level in 14 years. Lead stocks LME data shows that the number of tons in approved LME warehouses increased to 370,075 on Monday after the delivery of battery metal. This is the highest level since April 2012. LME inventories of lead have increased by 40% since the middle May. The LME benchmark three-month lead dropped as much as 0.9%, to $1,851 per ton, after Tuesday's stock data, which...

Exxaro Resources, a South African miner, said Monday that it wants to 'transport more manganese by rail instead of road in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency at its newly-acquired assets. Exxaro CEO Ben Magara stated that the company, along with its competitors, were working together with Transnet, a state-owned firm in freight transport, to increase freight capacity. Transnet is opening up parts of its network for private investment. Exxaro reported that hauling manganese via road costs?37% higher than rail. Exxaro said that logistics costs accounted for 43% for the free-onboard costs of?the bulk minerals. Johan Meyer, Exxaro's head...