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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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The next major challenge for Europe is to close the energy security gap: Vladimirov
After Europe's energy crises erupted at the end of 2021, it has taken four years to move from emergency response into system redesign. The European Union has not yet recovered. The European Union is still vulnerable, and the progress towards a clean, affordable, and secure supply of energy remains uneven. The Energy and Climate Security Risk Index, developed by the Center for the Study of Democracy, measures energy security in four areas: geopolitics (including affordability), reliability, and sustainability. The study's findings show a growing energy security gap between countries like France, Sweden, and Denmark, and those who are lagging behind, such as Hungary Italy and Bulgaria. The biggest achievement in Europe's energy security has been the reduction of its dependence on Russian fossil-fuels. Eurostat reports that gas imports from Russia fell from 40% of EU supplies in 2021 to 10% in 2025. The EU achieved this by increasing purchases from the U.S.A., Norway, and Qatar. Italy and Germany, which were once among the largest consumers of Russian energy, have virtually stopped importing it. However, several countries in Central Europe are still highly vulnerable. According to Eurostat data, Hungary continues to buy more than three quarters of its natural gas from Russia. Slovakia is still tied to Russia’s Gazprom agreements. However, new dependencies are also emerging. The EU gets most of its LNG from the U.S. This leaves it vulnerable to future trade negotiations with Washington. In addition, Europe's rapid expansion of solar, battery, and wind infrastructure has increased Europe’s dependence on Chinese supply chains. China is the dominant refiner of many essential minerals. It processes more than 60% of the global lithium, 80% cobalt and 70% of rare Earths. All are critical to the EU's energy sector. Europe is at risk of replacing one dependence with another if it does not diversify. But Europe has options. France has increased its capacity to refine silicon for solar manufacturing. Sweden, meanwhile, already provides up to 90% the EU's domestically-produced iron ore while expanding its copper and Zinc output. Portugal is developing large lithium reserves and Finland has major nickel and zinc refining facilities. Serbia's Jadar Mine could provide nearly 90% of Europe’s current lithium needs, if it were to be commissioned. However, these needs are expected rise dramatically in the next few years. Ukraine also has significant deposits of titanium and rare earths, but it is not known if these deposits can be extracted and processed in a profitable manner. AFFORDABILITY CHALLENGES In 2022, geopolitics dominated energy policy. Today, affordability is the main challenge. The affordability risks in Europe have increased five-fold since 2020, largely because of the price shocks that followed Russia's invasion. According to Eurostat, retail power and gas prices are 40-70% higher than they were before the crisis in Southern and Eastern Europe. The most vulnerable countries include Poland, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic, which have a high coal consumption. Nordic countries and France, with less-carbon-intensive systems, face much lower affordability risks. The high cost of energy continues to put significant pressure on the European industry. In Europe, between 2021 and 2020, over 1 million industrial positions disappeared, mostly due to the high energy costs. Europe faces a loss of competitiveness if it does not sign long-term contracts for clean energy and adopt stronger efficiency measures. RELIABILITY ISSUES In Europe, the nature of reliability risks in energy has changed. In an energy system that was dominated by fossils fuels, the main challenge was to secure supply. The problem today is that renewables have been rapidly integrated into grids, without adequate infrastructure. The blackout in the Iberian Peninsula that occurred in April was a clear example. Solar power systems that were dominated by inverter generation and lacked backup suffered a sudden 15 gigawatts loss. Germany and the Netherlands, two wealthy countries, invest in digitalised grids as well as interconnections and energy storage. In Central and Eastern Europe however, outdated grids, limited investment and outdated energy systems leave energy systems vulnerable to future outages. SUSTAINABILITY GAP The EU has ambitious sustainability goals, including Fit for 55, REPowerEU, and the Green Deal. The implementation of the Green Deal is uneven in different parts of the region. Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, for example, have used renewable energy, industrial decarbonisation, and strong governance in order to reduce the risk. France has benefited from the use of nuclear power to keep costs and emissions down. Many Central and Eastern countries are hampered by their legacy infrastructure, and lack of governance. They are also seeing their emissions and energy prices rise. The ECSRI also suggests that countries with high sustainability risk are often faced with affordability and geopolitical issues. Clean energy, industrial strategy, and grid investments are all more resilient in those countries that integrate them. It has been four years since Europe proved it could act in crisis. But the next phase of energy transition requires more than reactive policy. This will require a long-term, coherent strategy as well as better coordination in the region. The energy security data makes one thing very clear: Europe's sovereignty and prosperity are at risk if the energy policy divide is not closed. The views expressed are those of Martin Vladimirov (Director of the Geoeconomics Program of the Center for the Study of Democracy, CSD). You like this column? 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Wall Street Journal, September 10,
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(source: Reuters)