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First NATO member to fire in Ukraine war, Poland shoots down Russian drones
Poland shoots down drones It was the first time that a NATO member fired shots in Russia's conflict with Ukraine. Poland reported that 19 objects entered its airspace as part of a Russian air strike on Ukraine. It said it shot down any that were a danger. Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, said that he activated Article 4 of NATO's Treaty. This allows members to demand consultations from their allies. Tusk said, "We're dealing with a provocation of a very large scale." "We are prepared to repel such provocation." "The situation is grave, and there's no doubt that we need to prepare for different scenarios." A Russian diplomat was quoted by the Russian state news agency RIA as saying that accusations of an invasion were "groundless". He also said that Poland had not provided any proof to prove the origin of the drones. The incursion was described by several European officials as an intentional act and a sign that Russia is escalating. Tusk said, "The fact that the drones, which were a threat to security, have been shot down, changes the political environment." The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces has urged residents in three east regions to remain at home. It said: "This was an act of aggression which posed a serious threat to our citizens' safety." The incident may influence the decision to tighten sanctions against Moscow. After sporadic talks to end the war failed, European countries hope to convince U.S. president Donald Trump to impose sanctions with them. In the past, countries bordering Ukraine have reported Russian missiles and drones occasionally entering their airspace, but never on such a large-scale. They are also not known to be responsible for shooting them down. In 2022, a Ukrainian air defense missile that was misdirected killed two people in Poland. NATO spokesperson stated that NATO chief Mark Rutte had been in contact with the Polish leadership, and that the alliance was consulting closely Poland. Sources said NATO did not consider the incident an attack, but rather an intentional incursion. According to a source, the operation involved Polish F-16 fighters, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance aircraft and mid-air refueling planes operated jointly by NATO. The Polish military command stated that radars tracked over 10 objects, and any that could be a danger were "neutralised". It said that operations were completed by morning. Kaja Kallas, EU's top diplomatic representative, said that early indications suggest the entry of Russian drones in European airspace is intentional and not accidental. "Russia's War is not ending, it is escalating." Kallas stated that we must increase the cost to Moscow, support Ukraine and invest in Europe’s defence. Kallas said in a blog post that the EU played a significant role, and we would support initiatives such as the Eastern Border Shield defense line. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reported on Tuesday that Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, had been informed. The State Department didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian president, said that Russia had used 415 shahed drones made in Iran and 40 missiles to attack Ukraine over night. He also added that eight of these drones were aimed at Poland. He called it "an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe". "A strong reaction is required - but it can only come from all partners, including Ukraine, Poland and all Europeans. Russia has said for years that it does not intend to start a war against NATO and that Western European nations who suggest it is a danger are trying worsen the relations. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, called for additional sanctions against Russia and said that the EU is preparing sanctions against'shadow fleets' that transport Russia's oil and third-country buyers. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky has called on NATO to increase air defences at its frontline. Closed Airports Chopin Airport in Warsaw is the largest airport in Poland. It closed its airspace several hours, before reopening. The airport said that there would be delays and disruptions throughout the day. The airport of Lublin in eastern Poland remained closed. Ukraine's Air Force reports that the majority of Ukraine, including the western regions of Volyn, Lviv and bordering Poland, were under air raid warnings for nearly all of last night. Trump, who welcomed Putin warmly in Alaska in August at a summit, said on the weekend that he was prepared to move into a second stage of sanctions against Russia following months of discussions about a deal. This was his strongest hint yet that, in response to the conflict in Ukraine, he might increase pressure on Moscow and its oil customers. This week, the top European Union sanctions official was in Washington to discuss coordinated sanctions. This would be the first coordinated action taken by the United States and Europe against Russia after Trump's return to office, in January, promising to end the conflict in 24 hours.
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CEO of Lufthansa says that the turnaround plan is progressing.
Carsten Spohr, chief executive of Lufthansa Group, told reporters in Frankfurt that the group's turnaround plan is progressing, but 2025 and 2026 are transitional years, as it attempts to stem spiraling costs. The airline group warned twice about its profit in 2024, as its core airline struggles with rising costs and labor disruptions. Meanwhile, Eurowings, the more successful airline within the group continues to grow. "It is obvious that the performance of recent years has been poor. It was therefore obvious to us that the year 2014 would be another year of transition. Spohr added, "But it's a year for transformation towards higher performance." "I think I can say also that this turning point has been reached in 2025." He said that flight operations have become more stable with only 1% of flights cancelled, and the customer satisfaction rate has increased. Last year Spohr announced that he would turn the flag carrier around by 2026. He also launched a major restructuring of the Group to bring costs under control. Spohr said that Lufthansa would seek to better integrate with the other members of the group, including Swiss Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, to streamline operations. He said that the cheaper operations of its two newer subsidiaries, City Airlines and Discover, are helping to grow the group. The cost disadvantage for the classic division is so large that the growth of the group is now taking place in other areas. Spohr stated that they would like to find a way to lower these costs. The Lufthansa pilots' union has threatened to strike in protest at the airline's pension plan. The upcoming deliveries of new Airbus aircraft and Boeing jets are also expected to boost growth. 60 jets should be delivered by the end 2026. This month, the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner with Lufthansa’s luxurious Allegris cabin arrived. Since years, airlines have complained about the high cost of operating in Germany. Ryanair announced earlier this year it would stop some operations due to the high airport fees. Spohr stated that the group's fleet will be based in locations other than its German hubs of Frankfurt and Munich, as it expands its multihub model to places such as Vienna and Brussels and continues its acquisition of Italian carrier ITA Airways. This could help the group balance its costs better as it continues to seek out less expensive markets for growth.
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IGU report: World gas demand set to reach record levels in 2025
The 2025 Global Gas Report, released by the International Gas Union and Italian gas pipeline firm Snam on Wednesday, shows that global natural gas demand will continue to grow by 1.7% by 2025, after reaching a record in 2024. This is because consumers are using more gas for transportation, industry and power generation. The report predicted that global gas demand in 2025 would increase by 71 billion cubic metres to 4,193 bcm. This is after a rise of 78 bcm or 1.9% to a record high 4,122 bcm. The report stated that the lower growth forecast in 2025 than in 2024 was mainly due to a slightly slower growth of demand in Asia in 2025. The record demand for 2024 is approximately 11.3 billion cubic meters per day (399.3 billion cubic feet per day). The report revealed that the growth of global gas demand in the first half 2025 will be mainly in Europe and North America. These regions are expected to grow by 6.1% and 1.5 % respectively. The report notes that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence data centers in the United States, which is expected to account for 1.7% of global electricity consumption in 2025 and 1.5% in 2024, makes it difficult to predict future energy demand. The report states that the LNG trade expanded this year. This was boosted by the sharp increase in European imports. These increased by 12 bcm (23,6%) compared to 2024's first half. They were mainly imported to meet the regional demand for storage and injection, as well as to meet the needs of the region. The global LNG trade reached a record of 555 bcm by 2024. Reports showed that the global energy demand was likely to increase over the next decade. This would be especially true in China and India, where a surge in power consumption is expected. Reporting by Scott DiSavino, New York; editing by Lisa Shumaker
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Zelenskiy, a Ukrainian official, says that at least eight drones were used to target Poland during the Russian attack
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said that during Russian strikes overnight at least eight Russian drones had been aimed toward Poland. Poland destroyed drones which entered its airspace on Wednesday during a Russian assault in western Ukraine. It is believed that this was the first time in the war a member state of the alliance fired a shot. Poland called the incursion an "act of aggression". Zelenskiy, writing on X about Iranian drones that are widely used in Russia, wrote: "Today, there was yet another step in the escalation – Russian-Iranian shaheds operated in Poland's airspace, in NATO's airspace." Zelenskiy wrote: "This was not one accident but eight drones that were aimed at Poland." He said that a total of 415 drones, and 40 missiles, were used in the attack against Ukraine. The attack spanned fifteen Ukrainian regions and killed one person in Zhytomyr and injured three others in Khmelnytskyi. Ukraine's Air Force said that it shot down 386 out of 415 drones, and 27 out of 43 missiles launched over night. The impact of 16 drones and 21 missiles was recorded at 17 different locations. In the central region, Vinnytsia officials said that civilian industrial sites had been struck. Emergency services in western Volyn said that they had put out an blaze which covered 1,000 square meters. After the attack, Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, called on neighboring countries to use air defense to intercept aerial targets above Ukraine. "Ukraine suggested this step a long time ago. Sybiha wrote in X that it was necessary to take this step for the sake collective security. (Reporting and editing by Aidan Lewis, Peter Graff, and Anastasiia malenko)
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Officials say that floods in Bali, Indonesia have killed at least six people.
Officials said that floods in Bali, Indonesia's popular holiday island, have caused at least six deaths this week. They also blocked major roads throughout the capital. Four people were killed by the continuous heavy rains that fell between Tuesday evening and the morning of Wednesday in Denpasar's capital, Bali, according to I Nyoman Saidakarya, head of the island search and rescue agency. Indonesia's disaster management agency announced on Wednesday that two more people had died and 85 were evacuated from the area of Jembrana. As of Wednesday, Suharyanto, the chief of the agency, told reporters that flooding continued to affect Bali. Nyoman stated that only trucks were allowed to use the roads near the international airport of Denpasar. Social media videos, which are not verified, show flooding on major highways, causing complete gridlock. Nyoman reported that 200 rescuers had been sent to the area. In East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, heavy rains have also caused flooding that has killed four people. The disaster mitigation agency stated. (Reporting and editing by Saad Saeed; Saad Widianto)
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A drone-like object hit a residential building east of Poland, says the mayor
The local mayor of Wyryki, in eastern Poland, told TVP Info that a drone or other similar object hit a residential building but no one was hurt. Poland destroyed drones which entered its airspace on Wednesday during a Russian attack on western Ukraine. The NATO member called the incursion an "act of aggression". TVP Info reported that Wyryki Mayor Bernard Blaszczuk said, "I received a call at 6:45 am from a worker in the office saying something had fallen." "A drone, or missile, definitely hit the rooftop; we don’t know at this time... He said that the police were providing security and there was a crisis team on-site. TVP Info aired footage of a home with a roof that was damaged and exposed rafters. Police in the eastern Lublin region of Poland said that they had found a damaged UAV in Czosnowka. The District Prosecutor's Office of Zamosc in the Lublin Region said that it was informed about the discovery of drone parts near a cemetery of Czesniki.
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Singapore Military to Buy Four Boeing P-8A Poseidon Patrol Aircraft
Singapore will acquire four Boeing P-8A Poseidon naval patrol aircraft. The country's Defence Ministry announced this on Wednesday. This order represents the first phase of a refreshed capability for the Singapore Armed Forces in maritime security. The planes will replace the existing Fokker-50 aircraft, which has been in service since 1992, according to a statement. The value of the agreement was not disclosed. Boeing did not respond immediately to a comment request. Singapore's Minister of Defence Chan Chun Sing said that production has started on 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 jet fighters Singapore ordered and that they will be delivered by the end of 2026. Chan met with U.S. Secretary Of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday at the Pentagon. Hegseth welcomed the new Secretary of War to "the newly minted Department of War". The name change has been ordered by President Donald Trump, but Congress will need to act. Reporting and editing by Jamie Freed in Seoul.
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Wall Street Journal, September 10,
These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch their accuracy. - Klarna has priced its IPO at $40 per share--above expectations--raising $1.37 billion and boosting its valuation to $15.1 billion, as it prepares to debut on the NYSE following a delayed listing due to tariff-related market uncertainty. Meta's elite artificial intelligence unit, TBD Lab has caused internal tensions. High-profile recruits are receiving massive compensations and exclusive access. Existing employees have been prompted to ask for raises or to leave. The company is struggling to maintain organizational harmony while retaining talent in the face of fierce competition. Robinhood has launched Robinhood Social. This new social network allows users to share verified trades and view other people's performance stats. They can also initiate trades from their posts. The platform aims to integrate social media-driven retail investing into its platform. Cracker Barrel's restaurant remodel plans have been canceled after customer complaints about modern design changes. The company has chosen to keep its traditional decor, and the "Old Timer logo". DHL acquired SDS Rx in order to expand its healthcare logistic services. This acquisition is aimed at the growing demand of specialized last-mile delivery, particularly for long-term-care and specialty pharmacies, across the U.S.
Maguire: Europe's wind production closely tracked as solar peaks passes
Wind turbines will overtake solar panels in Europe as the primary driver of growth in clean electricity for the remainder of 2025. This is because the Northern Hemisphere's summer ends with less sun but more wind at the turbine level.
Due to prolonged wind droughts in Europe, wind generation has been well below average this year. This has led to an unusual drop in the total amount of clean electricity produced in Europe.
Data from the think tank Ember show that total European wind-powered energy supplies between January and August 2024 were down by 6%, whereas clean electricity was down by 2%.
The forecast of European wind power production is however positive. LSEG models predict a dramatic increase in regional wind energy output during the second half September.
If these higher wind production levels are maintained through the winter, historically a period of high wind output in Europe, Europe's clean electricity output this year could reach a new record.
Seasonal Peaks and Troughs
Solar-powered electricity production has risen by over 20% in the last year, reaching all-time-highs.
Ember data shows that solar electricity production in Europe reached successive record highs this year in May and in June, as capacity was increased across the continent.
Solar farms have reached their peak production levels for the year. Production in both July and August has decreased from the previous month due to cloudier skies and reduced daylight.
The clean energy advocates are fortunate that electricity production from wind farms increases steadily following the summer, as cooler weather is welcomed by the changing seasons.
Even with the huge swings from summer to winter in solar and winds production, Europe's clean electricity production remains relatively stable.
The low wind generation in the first half of 2025 raised concern that the output of wind farms would be stunted throughout the year and could have a negative impact on clean energy growth.
WIND'S LEVELING
According to DNV, the average wind speed in continental and northern Europe for the first half 2025 was 4% to 8 % below average long-term speeds.
These below-average winds speeds were particularly evident in the first four months of 2025 when Europe's wind power electricity supply was consistently lower than the previous year.
Ember data show that the average wind electricity production from January to April was around 10 Terawatt Hours (TWh), or 16% less than in 2024.
Germany and the United Kingdom -- Europe's two largest wind energy producers in terms of capacity -- saw their wind generation fall even more this year.
Germany's average wind power output from January to April was 30% lower than the previous year, while the UK output averaged 20% less.
On the Rise?
Wind forecasters closely monitor wind output forecasts in the autumn and winter months, because any wind production below par will require regional utilities to increase their use of fossil fuels as a source of power and heat.
The latest forecast models indicate that a significant increase in wind power generation is expected to occur over the next few weeks.
LSEG data indicates that the collective wind generation in continental Europe is expected to increase from 40,000 MWh - 60,000 MWh a day, so far this month, to approximately 60,000 MWh - 110,000 MWh a day by the second half.
Forecasts for the longer term also indicate a sharply higher level of supply than recent levels.
In Germany, the wind power output was around 10,700MWh per a day during August. This is expected to increase to 15,200MWh by September, to nearly 19,000MWh each day in October and to over 24,000MWh every day by December.
In August, the UK averaged around 5,100MWh a daily. This is expected to rise to around 7,500MWh by September, 8,500MWh by October and around 10,500MWh per day by December.
LSEG data show that if these forecasts are accurate, output levels in Germany would be approximately on par with long-term norms and in the UK they would be about 10% higher than the average long-term level.
These output forecasts will also be sufficient to ensure that Europe’s total supply of clean electricity reaches new heights in 2025 despite the dip in early-year wind production.
If wind farms do not perform as expected in the next few months, this will lead to a reduction in clean electricity and a likely increase in fossil fuel production by utilities, especially during peak demand for power and heating seasons.
These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for.
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(source: Reuters)