Latest News
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Sweden sends radars and anti-drone systems to Denmark in support of summit security
Sweden will provide military capabilities to counter drones for Denmark in conjunction with the Copenhagen summit this week. Drone sightings forced Denmark last week to close several airports. Denmark will host EU leaders in Copenhagen on Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, the 47-member European Political Community will meet. It has already increased security following the drone incursions. Kristersson stated in a social media post that Sweden would send Counter UAS Systems and that, separately, his country had shipped "a handful of" radar systems to Denmark on Sunday. On Sunday, Denmark ordered A ban on drone flights by civilians After drones were seen at several military installations overnight. Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen and editing by Terje Solsvik
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KLM loses Delta Air France and Air France ground service customers
Air France KLM, the Dutch branch of Air France KLM, announced on Monday that Air France and Delta will no longer use its ground services in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport following the weeks-long strikes of its ground crew. KLM said that the airlines told them they were looking for a new ground handling partner in Schiphol - one of Europe's most busy airports. KLM issued a statement saying that the decision had immediate operational implications, especially for its ground services division. The financial and employment implications of this decision is currently being assessed. Delta and Air France have not responded to comments. KLM Amsterdam's ground crew has been striking for several weeks, demanding higher wages and improved working conditions. This led to hundreds of cancellations. Anoesjka Aspeslagh, KLM's spokesperson said: "This played a major role in Delta and Air France's decision." They have suffered damages of millions of Euros and were forced to disappoint many of their clients. The CNV, a labour union, said that the decision of KLM's partners had nothing to do with the strike. It would not affect the resolve of the ground crew. Souleiman Amallah, the union's spokesman for CNV, said that the negotiations between the airlines concerned had just begun. KLM struck a deal earlier this month with a number of unions. However, not with two major ones who have continued to strike and announced a larger and newer strike on Wednesday. The court ruled on Monday that the strike could only take place if the unions guarantee the flights of KLM’s international partners will not be affected. KLM Ground Services handles 17 Delta daily incoming flights and 12 Air France flights, for a total 380 flights per day.
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Japan protests China’s ocean research in exclusive Economic Zone
Yoshimasa Hayashi, the chief cabinet secretary of Japan, said that after spotting a Chinese ship in the southwest region of the country, Japan had lodged a complaint with China asking it to cease ocean research in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). Hayashi reported that the Japanese Coast Guard discovered the Chinese vessel "Xiang Yang Hong 22," extending a metal-like object in the ocean within the Japanese EEZ, about 379 km (235 miles), west of Amami Oshima island early Sunday morning. Hayashi, the Japanese government's top spokesperson, said that the Chinese government was not allowed to conduct marine scientific research without Japan consent. He said that the Chinese vessel left the water and headed west about three hours after he spoke. Tokyo and Beijing face a territorial dispute over a group of Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. (Reporting and editing by Jacqueline Wong; Kantaro Kommiya)
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New York Times Business News - September 29,
These are the most popular stories from the New York Times' business pages. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports. As officials rushed to fix a border inspection kiosk outage, passengers arriving at major Canadian airports on Sunday reported being stuck on planes and in terminals crowded with people waiting for immigration. The U.S. president Donald Trump will hold a meeting with four of the top leaders in Congress at the White House, on Monday. This is the day before the deadline for averting a shutdown. On Sunday, Mayor Eric Adams announced that he was abandoning his stumbling campaign for a new term. This decision radically changed the race for the leadership of the largest city in the United States just five weeks prior to Election Day. Police said that a stowaway found dead inside the wheel wells of an American Airlines flight at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, North Carolina after its arrival from Europe. (Compiled Bengaluru Newsroom)
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Lufthansa cuts 4,000 jobs and targets higher profitability
The German airline group announced on Monday that it would cut 4,000 administrative positions by 2030, and also set higher profit targets. It is seeking to increase efficiency through automation and digitalisation. Lufthansa announced its first capital markets day for six years that it now expects to achieve an adjusted EBIT of 8-10% by 2028. This is up from the previous goal of only 8%. It also aims at adjusted free cash flows of over 2.5 billion euros ($2.9billion) per year. Last week, it was reported that Lufthansa intended to reduce about 20% of non-operational employees. The company stated that the reductions would be made in Germany, in consultation with its social partners. The group plans to increase its fleet by 230 aircraft and improve the returns of its airlines through a deeper level of cooperation. $1 = 0.8527 Euros (Reporting and editing by Kirsti Knolle, David Goodman and Ozan Ergenay in Gdansk)
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Wall Street Journal, September 29,
These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these stories. Danish biotechnology firm Genmab has agreed to purchase cancer treatment developer Merus, listed on Nasdaq, for approximately $8 billion in cash. U.S. president Trump and congressional leaders will hold last-minute discussions just as Republicans are preparing for a shutdown of the government by mid-week, which could include a new round of firings. Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, will address senior officers and enlisted members of the military at a gathering that will be held on Tuesday. Due to the introduction of artificial intelligence, and automation, Deutsche Lufthansa will cut 4,000 administrative positions by 2030. This will be mainly in Germany. Russia launched over 600 drones, and dozens missiles, at Ukraine Saturday night and early Sunday morning. This was one of the biggest aerial attacks in the war while the United Nations General Assembly is still in session.
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Two dead, 17 missing after Typhoon Bualoi strikes Vietnam
After Typhoon Bualoi struck Vietnam on Monday, two people were killed and 17 more missing. Houses were damaged and power lines knocked down as the storm brought huge swells and flooding rains before losing strength as it moved towards Laos. Bualoi moved along the northern central coast of the country before it made landfall on Monday morning, causing eight-metre waves, according to the National Weather Agency. The government's disaster agency reported that one person was killed after being trapped in floodwater in Hue, while another died from a falling branch in Thanh Hoa Province. According to the agency, 17 fishermen are missing after two fishing boats were hit by huge waves off Quang tri province. Another fishing boat also lost contact with the other during the storm. Nguyen Thuan Vinh, 45, said in Nghe An Province as he cleaned up the debris: "I have seen many storms and this one is by far the strongest." Vinh's neighbors said that they were up all night protecting their homes even though the power went out in their apartment building. Ho Van Quynh, a resident of Ho Van Quynh said: "I was afraid that the strong winds would pull the door off." The weather agency reported that by 11:00 a.m. (0400 GMT), typhoons were moving across Nghe An Province into Laos. Maximum wind speeds had weakened to 74 km/h, from 117 km/h at the time of landfall. Bualoi, according to a disaster management report, has damaged 245 homes, submerged nearly 1,400 acres of rice and other crops and cut off several areas. The report does not mention any major damages to industrial property, although there are several large factories near or in Bualoi’s path including those owned and operated by Foxconn (or Luxshare), Formosa Plastics, Vinfast, Formosa Plastics, etc. The government evacuated over 28,500 people before the typhoon hit, and hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled as four airports closed in central provinces. Authorities have warned that heavy rains could cause severe flooding and landslides. According to the weather agency, rain was expected to reach 500 millimetres in some parts of the country from Sunday night to Tuesday. Vietnam's long coastline, which faces the South China Sea and is often affected by typhoons, makes it prone to these storms. Last week, Bualoi caused at least 10 deaths in the Philippines. Reporting by Khanh Vu from Hanoi, and Thinh Nguyen from Nghe An. Editing by John Mair.
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This week in Asian Football
Discussion points on Asian football this week: KASHIMA THROWNAGOYA TO MAINTAIN LEADER IN JAPAN Kashima Antlers defeated Nagoya Grampus by 4-0 on Sunday to maintain a four-point advantage over Vissel Kobe, the defending champions in Japan. Kashima won the match after Elber and Leo Ceara scored in the first 20 minutes. Homare Tokuda then scored two goals in the last 2 minutes. Kobe won 2-1 over Shimizu S-Pulse thanks to a goal from Gotoku Sakai in stoppage time. LEONARDO DOUBLE PUTS SHANGHAI BACK ON TOP OF CHINA Shanghai Port, the defending champions of the Chinese Super League, moved back to the top with a 3-2 victory over Wuhan Three Towns in the Chinese Super League on Friday. Leonardo equalised in the 85th minute before scoring seven minutes into extra time to help Port take advantage of Chengdu Rongcheng’s 3-3 draw against Zhejiang FC. Chengdu lost a three-goal lead at halftime in Hangzhou. Yago Cariello equalized for the hosts after 10 minutes of stoppage time. Chengdu now sits second, two points back from Port, with four matches remaining. JEONBUK'S LEAD OVER SEOUL IN KOREA NARROWS AFTER DRAWING WITH THEM Jeonbuk Motors' lead in the K League was trimmed by two points on Saturday, as Gus Poyet’s team were held to a 1-1 draw with FC Seoul. Meanwhile, Gimcheon Sangmoo defeated Pohang Steelers 2-0 despite having 10 players. Yeon Jeun's own goal in the 96th minute denied Jeonbuk three points. However, Jeonbuk still has a 15-point lead. Gimcheon won after Lee Dong Hee's dismissal in the 42nd minutes gave the army the upper hand. After the break, goals from Lee Dong Gyeong and Won Ki Jong sealed the victory. AL-NASSR DOWN CHAMPIONS AL-ITTIHAD TO MOVE TWO POINTS CLEAR Al-Nassr, which is currently leading the Saudi Pro League, defeated Al-Ittihad by a 2-0 score on Friday. Al-Ittihad's Laurent Blanc lost his job after the defeat. Al-Nassr now has a two-point lead over Al-Qadsiah in second place, which won 1-0 at home against Al-Fateh. Al-Ittihad drops to third, a further one point behind. They are now level with Al-Taawoun and Neom on nine points after the first four matches of the new season. (Reporting and Editing by Peter Rutherford, Michael Church)
Poland and Hungary become key brand-new chauffeurs of Europe's solar development: Maguire
Electrical energy generation from solar farms is growing quicker in Central and Eastern Europe than in any other European region, vastly surpassing the development rates seen in both wealthier and sunnier parts of the continent.
Through the first 7 months of 2024, utility-run solar output in the 5 largest solar producers in Central/Eastern Europe - Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Poland - leapt by 55% from the very same months in 2023, information from Ash shows.
That's over two times the development rate for Europe as an entire, and dramatically goes beyond the speeds posted by the five largest solar generators in Western Europe, Southern Europe and Northern Europe over the same period.
Central and Eastern Europe's top 5 solar producers have also broadened solar generation capacity faster than local peers considering that 2019, leading the way to continued solar output growth in among Europe's most greatly industrialized areas.
DRIVING FORCES
Poland and Hungary are without a doubt the most important drivers of utility-scale solar development in Central/Eastern Europe.
Through the first seven months of the year, solar-powered electricity generation in Poland was 11.3 Terawatt hours (TWh). and was 5.8 TWh in Hungary.
Those output figures were up 33.3% and 47.7%, respectively,. from the exact same durations in 2023, according to Ash, and rank. among the fastest growth rates in all of Europe.
In outright generation terms, those output figures likewise rank. highly amongst European peers.
Indeed, the five biggest solar manufacturers in the. Central/Eastern European area improved collective. solar-generated electrical power by just 10% less so far this year. than the five biggest solar producers in Western Europe -. Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland.
The ability of countries throughout Central/Eastern Europe to. compete with wealthier economies in Western Europe in terms of. solar growth underscores how budget friendly solar installations have. end up being relative to other forms of electrical energy generation.
The rapid growth in solar generation in Central/Eastern. Europe also reflects helpful tidy energy policies throughout the. region, which has historically been among Europe's heaviest. coal-burning regions.
Both Poland and Hungary - the area's two biggest solar. manufacturers - have targeted net absolutely no carbon emissions in power. generation by mid-century, and plan aggressive even more. growths in tidy energy generation.
CLIMBING THE GENERATION RANKS
In outright generation terms, the 5 largest solar. manufacturers in Central/Eastern Europe still rank a remote third. in the region behind the five largest solar manufacturers in Western. and Southern Europe.
Through the very first 7 months of 2024, Western Europe's. largest solar producers created 83.53 TWh of electrical energy,. while Southern Europe's five largest solar producers - Greece,. Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey - generated 76.12 TWh, Ash. data shows.
The 25.2 TWh of solar electrical power produced by Central and. Europe's five largest solar producers looks small relatively.
Nevertheless, over the previous 3 years the Central/Eastern. European region has enhanced solar generation by approximately 49% a. year, which overshadows the 19% annual development speed for Europe as a. whole, the 16% rate of Western Europe, and the 21% for Southern. Europe.
If those growth rates were sustained for the rest of this. decade, the generation overall by the five biggest Main and. Eastern solar producers would exceed that of their peers in. Western Europe in 2029 and those of Southern Europe in 2030.
ADDITIONAL GAINS
The biggest solar manufacturers in Central/Eastern Europe. currently produce 76% more solar electricity than their peers in. Northern Europe (Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Sweden and the. United Kingdom), and look primed for more aggressive solar. growth throughout the area.
Operations at the 60 megawatt (MW) capability Tapolca solar. farm in western Hungary began in late July, and will provide. approximately enough electricity for 30,000 families annually,. according to developer Enlight.
And in Poland, a new 40 MW project developed by Lightsource. BP commenced operations last month.
The area's largest project, however, is the 400 MW farm in. Apriltsi, Bulgaria, which boasts over 800,000 photovoltaic. panels and is created to provide electrical energy not simply to. Bulgarian clients however across Eastern Europe.
And beyond being one of the most significant solar parks in Europe,. the Apriltsi project is also significant for the height of its. panels, which at 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) enable the land below. to be utilized for farming functions.
Further so-called agrivoltaic projects are being trialled in. Turkey and Poland, and look set to yield additional tidy. electrical power generation with just restricted effect the area's. farmland.
And provided the strong local policy support for standard. solar already in location, the successful release of more. agrisolar projects could assist the Central/Eastern Europe area. collect a lot more solar generation momentum in the years ahead. << The viewpoints expressed here are those of the author, a. columnist .>
(source: Reuters)