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Moscow Oil Refinery resumes operations at drone-hit unit, sources say
Gazprom Neftowned Moscow Oil Refinery on Tuesday resumed operations at unrefined distillation unit6 (CDU6), which was suspended following a drone attack on Sept. 1, two industry sources informed Reuters on Friday. Gazprom Neft did not immediately reply to a request for remark. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated on the day of the attack that a number of drones targeted the Moscow refinery and triggered a. fire at a separate technical room at the plant. Sources said the refinery suspended operations at integrated. refining system Euro+, that includes CDU-6. The Euro+ system accounts for some 50% of the plant's overall. prime refining capability, as its crude distillation unit has actually a. capability of 6 million metric tons of oil each year. In 2023, the Moscow plant processed 11.6 million tons of. petroleum, producing 2.6 million lots of gas, 3.3 million. lots of gasoil, 2.3 million tonnes of fuel oil and 0.9 million. lots of jet fuel.
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Bollore shares increase after revealing buyout deals for subsidiaries
Shares in Bollore rose as much as 7.2% on Friday, topping the SBF 120 index, after the French holding business announced on Thursday buyout offers for 3 subsidiaries, part of plans to retake complete ownership and delist the companies. French billionaire Vincent Bollore's holding company stated in a release it would release tender deals for Compagnie du Cambodge, Financiere Moncey, and Societe Industrielle et Financiere de l'Artois (SIF Artois), payable in money, UMG shares, or a combination of both. The business is intending to take complete ownership of the three subsidiaries and delist them in order to minimize administrative and management expenses. Shares were on track for their best day considering that March 15, 2023, when they closed 8.3 % greater. The offers will be sent to vote to the subsidiaries' shareholders throughout a remarkable general meeting on Oct. 21, 2024. Bollore is providing 93 euros ($ 103.11) per Compagnie du Cambodge share, 118 euros per Financiere Moncey share and 9,300 euros per SIF Artois share. The offers' completion will go through the French markets regulator's clearance.
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No, no, yes: shifting red lines in West's assistance for Ukraine
Given that Russia's fullscale intrusion more than 30 months back, Ukraine has relied heavily on materials of weapons from its Western allies to beat back its much larger enemy. Kyiv's allies have sometimes hesitated to provide it the weapons it has requested for, since of worries the war will intensify. Nevertheless, as the war has actually gone on, one weapons system after another has actually been given to Ukraine after initial hesitation. At present, Kyiv is seeking permission from the United States and its partners to use longer-range missiles they have given Ukraine to strike much deeper inside Russia. Kyiv says this could decrease the threat that Russia presents. Some NATO nations have actually supported Kyiv's plea, but Washington is weighing this versus issues about Moscow's. reaction to the relocation, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has. said would be seen as equivalent to direct Western participation. in the war. Below is a list of some of the weapons systems Western. nations were at first hesitant to provide Ukraine however which were. ultimately handed over. ATACMS Throughout the war, Ukraine has asked its allies to provide it. the capability to strike much deeper behind Russian lines, an important. part of disrupting opponent logistics and command chains. The United States held off on supplying Army Tactical. Missile Systems (ATACMS) - since of concerns that Russia would. see this as escalatory - up until October 2023, when they provided. a short-range version with an optimal series of 165 km (100. miles). This was followed up by deliveries in early 2024 of a. longer-range version of the ATACMS rocket which has a series of. as much as 300 km (165 miles). A U.S. official told Reuters at the. time that the first usage of this variation of the rocket was an. April 17 strike on an air base in the Russian-occupied peninsula. of Crimea. F-16s Ukraine asked for F-16 fighter jets from right after start of. the intrusion to boost its long-range strike capability as well as. to use the jets to shoot down the volleys of cruise rockets. fired deep into Ukraine by Moscow. Ukrainian pilots started to be trained on the jets only in. August 2023, after prolonged negotiations between the union of. allies who would provide airplanes or training. Ukraine was keen to complete the training process as quickly as. possible, and the confirmation that Ukraine had actually received the. initially planes came on July 31 this year. Ever since, one of the aircrafts has actually crashed while trying. to engage Russian missiles fired at land targets in Ukraine. WESTERN TANKS Although Ukraine's eastern European allies offered it with. Soviet-era tanks at the start of the intrusion, Kyiv coveted. Western-built tanks, such as Britain's Challenger 2 and the. German-built Leopard 2, till their transfer was approved after. a lengthy negotiation in January 2023. The agreement on a coalition of nations to provide the. tanks was delayed by concerns in Germany that the move could be. viewed as escalatory by Russia. Berlin eventually approved the. transfer of Leopard 2 tanks from other countries' stockpiles as. well as its own. STRIKES ON RUSSIA For over two years, the United States did not enable Ukraine. to strike Russia with any of its weapons systems. After a Russian assault in May 2024 near the northwestern. city of Kharkiv, Washington changed its stance under pressure. from Kyiv. Ukraine was secretly authorised by President Joe Biden to. fire U.S.-supplied weapons at military targets inside Russia. that were supporting the Kharkiv offensive.
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Manchester, Birmingham seek brand-new UK train to avoid HS2 capacity crunch
Britain's. second and 3rd cities on Friday published plans for a new. train to counter the blow of in 2015's federal government choice. to gut much of the HS2 northsouth highspeed rail job. The authorities of Manchester and the West Midlands stated a. new line in between Birmingham and Manchester would provide 85% of. the benefits of the planned-but-axed HS2 connection at 60% -75%. of the expense. It might broaden the combined economies of the two cities by. around 70 billion pounds ($ 92 billion) a year, their proposition. paper stated. If we stop working to put in place a plan soon to fix rail capacity. and connection between the North and the Midlands, the. already-congested West Coast Main Line and M6 (freeway) will. end up being major barriers to financial development, said Andy Burnham,. mayor of Greater Manchester. The Conservative prime minister at the time, Rishi Sunak,. cancelled the northern leg of HS2 in October 2023, pointing out. ballooning expenses, and diverted funds into other transportation. jobs such as roadway improvements. Financiers and facilities professionals said the decision. highlighted Britain's systemic failure to promote infrastructure. financial investment. The truncated HS2 between London and Birmingham should open. to passengers between 2029 and 2033. While HS2 trains will continue north of Birmingham using the. existing line - at lower speeds - they will change some. existing trains that carry more passengers. Friday's report intends to win the approval of new Labour Celebration. financing minister Rachel Reeves as she prepares her inaugural. budget plan on Oct. 30. She promised to raise financial investment ahead of July's election. success, but since taking office has actually stressed the bad state of. public finances and the requirement for tough decisions. The report stated a brand-new railway could use much of the land. currently bought for HS2 while saving cash with an easier. style and lower speeds. The Midlands-North West Rail Link would link HS2 in the. south to the Northern Powerhouse Rail task, designed to. overhaul decrepit connections in between the cities of northern. England. The Department for Transportation stated it was committed to. improving rail connections throughout the north and would set out. next actions in due course.
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German navy makes uncommon transit of delicate Taiwan Strait
2 German navy ships including a frigate sailed through the delicate Taiwan Strait on Friday in the very first such transit in 20 years and at a time of skyrocketing tensions in between Taipei and Beijing. China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own, says just it works out sovereignty and jurisdiction over the strait. Both the United States and Taiwan say the strait - a. major trade route through which about half of international container. ships pass - is an international waterway. Speaking in Berlin, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. said he might validate the passage of the frigate. Baden-Württemberg and supply ship Frankfurt am Main. International waters are international waters. It's the. quickest and, provided the weather, the safest path. So. we are going through, he stated. Taiwan's defence ministry decreased immediate comment. A security source familiar with the situation stated the ships. would likely fully clear the strait on Saturday. Speaking in Beijing before the transit was verified on. Friday, a Chinese foreign ministry representative said it. condemned reasons for infringing China's sovereignty. We strongly oppose provocations and threatening of China's. sovereignty and security under the banner of 'freedom of. navigation', Mao Ning informed a routine press conference. U.S. warships cruise through the strait around when every 2. months, drawing the ire of Beijing, and some U.S. allies like. Canada and Britain have also made occasional transits. A 2nd security source, speaking like the very first on. condition of privacy given the level of sensitivity of the situation,. said the ships sailed in a southerly instructions through the. strait. The cruising was a clear and loud statement made by Berlin. that it is standing with its allies to maintain. international rules, the source added. China, which has never ever renounced using force to bring. Taiwan under its control, has over the past five years stepped. up military activities around the island, including staging war. games. Taiwan's government declines China's sovereignty claims and. says just the island's individuals can decide their future.
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NET4GAS says it wins arbitration case versus Gazprom Export payments
Czech gas transmission system operator NET4GAS has won an arbitration case against Russian group Gazprom Export over payments it was owed, the Czech business said. In a filing late on Thursday, NET4GAS said a tribunal had bought (Gazprom Export) to pay the claimed amount together with default interest and reimburse N4G for the costs of the proceedings. Gazprom and Gazprom Export did not immediately respond to a. request for remark. NET4GAS has said it was declaring 113 million euros from. Gazprom Export after the Russian carrier stopped working to make payments. under contracts following the halt in products to Europe by means of the. Nord Stream pipeline in 2022. A spokesperson decreased on Friday to provide any even more. details on the claim. NET4GAS has stated that payments form. Gazprom contributed 3 quarters of its income before. Russia's full invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Gazprom in the meantime won a claim of equivalent size in a. Russian court against NET4GAS, which NET4GAS said remained in blatant. breach of international law. Gazprom was a significant shipper through the NET4GAS network,. which carried gas from northern border with Germany to southern. Germany through the Czech Republic along with to Slovakia. The stop in shipments through the Nord Stream pipeline in 2022. and rearrangement of gas flows in Europe have triggered the company. to lose a considerable part if its company, and at present. mostly serves only for imports for domestic needs. The Czech federal government obtained the company consisting of. arrearage of around 33 billion crowns
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DSV to produce worldwide logistics giant with $15.9 bln Schenker takeover
Denmark's DSV has actually consented to buy Schenker, the logistics arm of German state rail operator Deutsche Bahn, for 14.3 billion euros ($ 15.85 billion) in an offer that would make it the world's. most significant logistics company. The acquisition will be the most significant by a Danish company and. move DSV above Swiss group Kuehne und Nagel in both. volume and income. The all-cash transaction will be financed through a. combination of an equity raising of 4-5 billion euros and financial obligation. funding, DSV stated. DSV, which began as a small business of 10 truckers in. 1976, said the industrial and operational fit between the two. groups will contribute to development, job development and strong. financial returns. Shares in DSV were up 4% by 0701 GMT, extending recent gains. activated by reports that an offer impended. The acquisition of Schenker is a transformative transaction. for DSV, producing a world-leading player within the worldwide. transport and logistics industry, DSV said in a statement. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Danish group had actually won. the race to purchase Schenker, citing Deutsche Bahn and German. government sources. PLEDGES ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT As part of the deal, DSV has actually promised to invest 1 billion. euros in Germany over the next 3-5 years and keep numerous key. jobs in the country. The combined group will have more workers. in Germany five years from now than Schenker and DSV have today,. the Danish company said. The offer, based on regulatory and German ministerial. approval along with by Deutsche Bahn's supervisory board, is. anticipated to close in the second quarter of next year. The combined group will have earnings of 293 billion Danish. crowns ($ 43.52 billion) based on 2023 outcomes, with a workforce. of about 147,000 across more than 90 nations, DSV added. ( It) marks the largest deal in DB's history ... It. has been important for us to discover a strong partner for Schenker. and a long-lasting home for the employees of the company, Deutsche. Bahn CEO Richard Lutz said in the statement. DSV has proliferated through a string of successful. acquisitions - some bigger than the company itself - in an extremely. fragmented logistics market. Schenker, which has actually been Deutsche Bahn Group's biggest. revenue motorist over the last few years, has more than 70,000 staff members in. about 130 countries, including approximately 15,000 in Germany.
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Charleroi airport flights cancelled for second day due to strike
All flights to and from Belgium's Charleroi airport, a major center for budget airline company Ryanair, were cancelled on Friday for a second day as the airport's employees continued to strike. A joint union strike has been announced at Charleroi airport. All flights set up for this Friday are cancelled, Charleroi Airport said in a statement, advising guests to not go to the airport but to contact their airline. According to its website a minimum of 87 flights were meant to depart from the airport on Friday and 6 of those would depart from Brussels Airport instead, about 70 km (44 miles) away. The strike began as a wildcat strike, labour union CNE told Belgian media on Thursday, as unions were still at the same time of arranging action they had actually revealed last week. Unions and the airport have been in talks for months over improving worker working conditions.
China's senior tourists could be a silver lining for travel companies
Travel companies are betting that Chinese tourist could return to its prepandemic boom days if they modify tours to avoid high hikes, include nurses and healthcare professionals to their staff and deal discounts for the seniors they're targeting.
As China's population quickly ages, and many in the middle-class face task unpredictability and a slowing economy, so-called silver tourist is on the increase, with more retirees, specifically in upscale seaside cities, venturing out in your home and abroad.
A number of these seniors have accumulated considerable cost savings during 4 decades of eye-watering financial development, and they are more youthful than other taking a trip retirees as they leave the labor force as soon as 50 for ladies and 60 for guys. Lots of have no grandchildren, so they have more spare time.
Now companies inside and beyond China, and regional travel authorities, are beginning to tailor their services to the requirements particular to this growing friend.
We are beginning to see an increasing segment of elder Chinese customers who are not only affluent however, more notably, ready to spend on quality lifestyle pursuits and individual development, said Wee-Hoon Tan, senior vice-president of item advancement and marketing at Viking Cruises China.
This is a huge intake mindset shift, Tan stated, describing a generation of Chinese who have been prudent with spending throughout their working lives.
About 300 million people presently aged 50 to 60 - practically comparable to the whole U.S. population, are set to retire over the next 10 years, and the National Committee on Aging price quotes silver travel will account for 50% of domestic travel by 2040.
In June, Swiss-based Viking Cruises and Shanghai's. University for the Elderly, which is devoted to offering. courses to elders, revealed a partnership to combine history. and culture courses with travel plans around seaside areas in. Asia and on European rivers.
Viking's ships have barrier-free elevators, hand rails in. corridors and showers, bigger typefaces on tv remote. controls and toiletries to make it simpler on senior eyes. A. fresh noodle bar opens for early breakfast.
Shanghai Train Bureau likewise began targeting older. tourists this year, introducing 10 long-distance tourist. trains on scenic paths aimed at travelers aged 50-70 who want. to experience the diversity of regional customizeds and national. resources.
The trains, which go through the cliffs of the eastern. Huangshan mountains or through the terraced rice fields of. Lishui, are staffed with nurses and geared up to supply. health care services.
Visitor Tao Wen stated having health care on hand provided her. comfort. The 56-year-old retired in 2015 and has since. took a trip throughout China and Southeast Asia.
Companies require to understand our costs habits vary. from those of young people, Tao stated. We value. cost-effectiveness.
In China, hotel chain Hilton uses a senior. discount rate of as much as 6% for people aged over 65 and arranges tea. tasting and wellness classes for them.
The older boom is clearly visible, stated Wendy Huang,. senior vice president at Hilton in Greater China.
GREEN TEA AND SLIPPERS
China's tourist academy forecasts the variety of active. elderly visitors will surpass 100 million next year, when the. domestic silver tourist market will hit 1 trillion yuan ($ 139.9. billion) annually.
Still, a frail social safeguard, meagre pensions and patchy. health and senior care outside big cities may minimize. senior citizens' ability and willingness to invest their cost savings on. travel, experts say.
The slowing economy may also intensify these problems, said. Herald van der Linde, head of Asia Equity technique at HSBC.
However this process of ageing and moving intake. patterns is happening however, he stated.
Silver travellers can select off-peak durations in the. calendar to make the most of hotel discounts, stated Jane Sun,. head of China's most significant online travel agency Trip.com.
We advise our partners worldwide to have Chinese. food for breakfast, in the room, Sun said. Having a tea pot. with green tea, or slippers, doesn't cost too much, but will. make the older generation feel more at home.. ($ 1 = 7.1484 Chinese yuan renminbi)
(source: Reuters)