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German industrial orders are increasing due to large-scale orders
Sales of aircraft, ships and railway rolling stock drove the?German industrial order growth in July. The national statistics office reported that industrial orders increased by?2.5% on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis from the previous month. Analysts polled by a leading publication predicted an increase of 0.3%. This increase is almost exclusively attributable the growth of what the Statistics Office classifies as?other transport equipment. This includes aircraft, ships and trains. In this sector, new orders increased 126.4% month-on-month. A special EUR 500 billion infrastructure fund, as well as an exemption to debt rules for defense spending that was approved last year, have made it possible to see a surge in investment. In July, foreign orders fell 2.1% while domestic orders rose by 9.1%. New orders, excluding large-scale orders fell 1.4% from June. Marco Wagner, Senior Economist at Commerzbank said: "This indicates that the trend is still moving sideways on a low level." "The German economy is expected to recover moderately." The German economy grew 0.3% in second quarter despite higher prices caused by the Iran conflict, and the uncertainty brought on by U.S. Tariffs. This was largely due to a surge in exports. A number of economic institutes have raised their growth forecasts this year because of improved exports and higher fiscal spending. The comparison of the less volatile three-month period showed that from May to July, new orders were 2.9% more than they had been in the previous three months. The revised data shows that the number of new orders in June was up 3.7% compared to May. This is a revision from a previous 3.1% increase. Marc Schattenberg, economist at Deutsche Bank Research, said that the already high order book?in different sectors of the economy?will likely contribute to the further stabilisation of manufacturing.
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Bild reports that German police are responding to new attempts at sabotage on power grids.
The newspaper Bild reported that German police responded to two new alleged attempts against Germany's electricity grid. This comes after Berlin blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig Airport. Bild reported that local police had confirmed an attempt to short circuit a power grid in Dormagen, which is a city located in the western state North Rhine-Westphalia. According to the report, police have received a claim of responsibility. Separately in Ganderkesee, the police cordoned off an electrical transformer station on Friday, citing suspicious circumstances. Unidentified police spokeswoman told NDR, the public broadcaster, that police officers made a discovery over night that required police intervention. She did not provide any further details. The spokesperson said that there was no danger for the public. It was impossible to reach the police immediately for comment. Germany was already dealing with two suspected cases of sabotage earlier this week. In the first case, authorities investigated vandalism in a substation at Bergheim in North Rhine-Westphalia that caused lignite units with a combined capacity of 4,200 megawatts to be temporarily disconnected from the grid. In the 'other,' devices containing conductive material damaged high-voltage power lines at one of the state's most critical nodes.
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Wall Street Journal, September 4,
These are the?top stories?from The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal has not?verified? these stories, and does not guarantee their accuracy. Fox News parted with longtime anchor Maria Bartiromo on Thursday. Tesla's first public test to transition from manual cars to fully automated vehicles, the?Cybercabs? without a steering wheel was launched in Austin, Texas. Elon Musk's Boring Company asked investors to assist in recruiting employees or business development during its latest round of funding. Adobe has named Anil Chakravarthy its new Chief Executive, effective December 1. Volkswagen's Supervisory Board?has approved plans to double the?job? losses at the automaker and to halve its model portfolio. - 'The Trump Administration filed an emergency application?asking?the U.S. Supreme Court if it would allow?the U.S. Postal Service implements new mail ballot regulations immediately.
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Typhoon Saudel floods China's coast with torrential rain
Fujian and Guangdong, two provinces in southern China, braced for more torrential rains on Friday after Typhoon Saudel's?severe rainfall triggered flooding both in urban and rural areas. Vehicles were flooded and a brick building collapsed. Social media footage confirmed by showed that firefighters in Fujian's Fuding city, which is known for its tea plantsations and lush greenery carried elderly people out of floodwaters up to their waists. The footage showed that in Jinxi Village, a tea growing community surrounded with mountains, the raging waters submerged residential buildings, and even brought down a 3-storey house. Local authorities in multiple coastal areas have closed schools, suspended public transport and implemented emergency flood protocols. Saudel made a third landfall on the coast of Fujian, Thursday morning. This is the seventh typhoon in China this year, and the third one to strike Yuhuan?in eastern Zhejiang within less than two months. According to the China Meteorological Administration this meteorological sequence is very rare and experts believe it is closely related to El Nino. In an El Nino, the Western Pacific Subtropical High is extremely strong and located further north. Typhoons are then guided along a northwest trajectory, directly towards China's east coast. The United Nations warned Thursday that El Nino could intensify even further in 2027, and be the strongest one ever. This would increase the risk of extreme weather. Since late August, hundreds of thousands of residents have been evacuated from Zhejiang province and neighboring provinces. More than 83,000 residents were evacuated alone in Fujian as Saudel tracked into the inland and saturated surrounding areas. According to videos posted on China's RedNote, in Putian, where the Mulan River runs through the city, floodwaters flooded main highways and bridges, inundated homes, and damaged bridges. State broadcaster CCTV said that local authorities have organized rescue teams to help evacuate residents trapped in their homes. It also reported that some people were missing. STRONGER AND LONGER TYPHOON SESSION Saudel is the next typhoon after Narra which poured heavy rains across Guangxi province, Hainan province and?Guangdong last month. The Ministry of Natural Resources warned that torrential downpours can cause secondary disasters, such as landslides. Recent rains have already caused rivers to exceed warning thresholds, and inundated communities with low-lying terrain. Hui Su is a professor at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "We tend to see more powerful?typhoons this typhoon period. They form in the east, travel long distances, and get stronger once they reach the land. This is especially true for China and the southern part Asia." Su, a meteorologist, said that the typhoons could last into December rather than the normal end of October or November due to a prolonged period of warm temperatures.
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Records show that Sydney airport near miss involved controllers flagged for high-fatigue risks.
According to internal records, and a recording of a phone call, several air traffic controllers were flagged for a high fatigue risk when two Qantas planes nearly collided in July at the?Sydney Airport. One shift manager called this situation "a little insane". The incident on July 27, in which a Qantas turboprop narrowly missed a Qantas Boeing 737, that was cleared to cross runway, was one of six near misses at Sydney Airport within a month. This brought further attention to the air traffic control staffing shortages around the world. According to an internal review of the log, five of the 10 controllers at the time were rated as "H" under Australia's fatigue management system for high risk. One controller was rated as "M" or medium risk, and another was "L" (low risk). Three other workers were not considered at risk for fatigue. We've got five high-fatigues this morning. In an internal call, a controller's shift manager said to the air traffic director that it was "a little insane". He said, "Thankfully, they did not hit, but it's pretty close, and everyone here is pretty shaken by it," in a recorded interview. The shift manager stated that two of the three controllers directly involved in the incident had "high fatigue" and the other was "medium-fatigued". Both the fatigue-risk rating and the internal request, which were not previously reported, took place as aviation authorities around the world grappled with concerns over the risks of accidents and an overstretched workforce in air traffic control. Airservices Australia (the government agency which employs the air traffic controllers in the country) declined to comment on the incident, citing an ongoing investigation. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has begun an investigation into all six near misses in order to determine if they have 'common safety issues' or other contributing factors. FATIGUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The system does not determine whether a controller has actually become fatigued. It uses automated assessments of factors like workload and scheduling to estimate fatigue risk. According to the rating, controllers could be subjected to mitigation measures that are approved by local shift supervisors or an air traffic director who is based in a different city. These measures may include longer breaks, limiting the traffic volume handled by a control, or terminating a shift earlier. Civil Air President Scott Nugent told reporters that in recent years, an increasing number shifts had been assessed to be at high risk of fatigue, due to controllers working longer hours and getting less sleep. Nugent stated that if a controller felt they were fatigued they should not follow safety regulations. He said that short staffing led to more overtime work, fewer holidays, more pressure, and increased fatigue. According to the presentation slides of a Canberra meeting last week, Airservices reported that in the six-week period ending August 28, there were unusually large short-term absences from Sydney. This had a major impact on their ability to fill operational shifts. Two Australian controllers said that "staff are regularly permitted to continue work despite high fatigue risk ratings" and that staff shortages and heavy traffic can make it hard to implement mitigation measures. One of them, who is based in Melbourne said that he has 'never seen any controllers removed from duty due to being too tired to work. Controllers are also under pressure to work extra hours, with calls and messages encouraging them to do so, knowing that their absence would put already stressed colleagues even more pressure. There are no global uniform rules that govern how long air traffic control operators can be on duty. Instead, each country is required to create their own fatigue management?programs. Scheduling limits are therefore widely varied. Airservices Australia has an enterprise agreement that allows controllers to work up 10 consecutive shifts. This includes additional and emergency duties, but is limited to 80 hours in a single run. According to union officials, controllers can work up eight consecutive days in Canada and six in the United States. Civil Air and three Australian controllers said it was not uncommon for controllers working 10 days straight to receive a day off. In countries such as Australia, Canada and United States, there is a chronic shortage of staff. This has led to controllers working long hours. According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, the amount spent on overtime by air traffic controllers in the U.S. increased more than 300 percent between 2013 and 2024. Last year, the total was $200 million.
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Typhoon Saudel floods China's coast with torrential rain
Fujian and Guangdong, two provinces in southern China, braced themselves for more torrential rain on Friday after heavy downpours caused flooding both in rural and urban areas. Vehicles were flooded and a brick building collapsed. Social media footage confirmed by the showed that firefighters in Fujian's city of Fuding, famous for its tea plantations, carried elderly people out of floodwaters up to their waists. Social media footage confirmed by the showed that raging floodwaters flooded residential buildings in Jinxi Village, a tea growing community surrounded with mountains. They also brought down a three-storey home. Local authorities in multiple coastal areas have closed schools, suspended public transport and implemented emergency flood protocols. Saudel landed on the coast of Fujian, Thursday morning, after intensifying over the South China Sea. This is the third typhoon to hit the city of Yuhuan, in eastern Zhejiang, in less than two weeks. China's Meteorological Administration says that this meteorological sequence is rare and closely related to El Nino. During El Nino years, the Western Pacific Subtropical High is extremely strong and located further north. Typhoons are then guided along a northwest trajectory, directly towards China's east coast. El Nino is expected to continue intensifying?into the year 2027, and may be the strongest El Nino ever. This could lead to a prolonged period of extreme weather. Since late August, hundreds of thousands of people in Zhejiang province and surrounding provinces have been evacuated. More than 83,000 residents were evacuated from Fujian as Saudel tracked into the inland area?and saturated surrounding areas. Saudel is the next typhoon after Narra which brought heavy rains to Guangxi province, Hainan province and Guangdong last month. The Ministry of Natural Resources has warned that torrential downpours can cause secondary disasters such as landslides. Recent rains have already caused rivers to exceed warning thresholds, and inundated communities with low-lying areas.
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US airlines prioritize safety systems to prevent mid-air collisions over legal mandate, says provider
According to Acron Technologies' CEO, some airlines do not wait for a U.S. law to outfit planes with a system that will prevent?midair crashes, according to retrofitting Airbus jets with this equipment. Acron, which ?has equipped American Airlines' single-aisle Airbus ?planes ?with the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In platform, is talking with most U.S. carriers and could see another order by year's end, Acron CEO Alan Crawford said on Thursday. U.S. legislators are weighing up two legislative options that could lead to a requirement for ADS-B in order to prevent midair accidents after the January 2025 crash between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional plane, which killed 67 people. Crawford stated, "I do not think that the industry will wait to see what happens from a legislative perspective." We're having active conversations with customers who are indicating that they want to order by the end of the year. But you never know." ADS B In, an optional technology, allows aircraft to receive real-time traffic broadcasts in the cockpit from other aircraft. Air Line Pilots Association supports Congress' mandate of ADS-B in order to improve pilots’ situational awareness, and prevent midair collisions. The U.S. safety agencies have investigated "multiple near miss incidents". Honeywell Aerospace’s SURF A, cockpit safety software that prevents runway collisions is expected to be certified by the end 2026. According to one industry source, some U.S. airlines prefer to wait for legislation before investing in new technology so that they don't have to pay additional costs later on to comply with legal requirements. Crawford stated that the cost to equip planes with ADSB In is in the tens or thousands of dollars. United Airlines announced that all new widebody aircraft will be equipped with ADS-B in. The airline said that it is 'working with the U.S.?Federal Aviation Administration and others to obtain this service for other aircraft types. Delta Air Lines sent a comment request to the U.S. airline trade group Airlines for America. However, they were not available immediately.
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Trump administration brings mail-in vote fight to US Supreme Court
The administration of President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court to allow it to enforce a new U.S. Postal Service rules tightening the use of mail-in votes, after a judge temporarily blocked it ahead of November's Midterm Elections. In an urgent request, the Justice Department requested that the Supreme Court lift the order of Boston-based U.S. district judge Indira Talwani temporarily prohibiting the USPS to enforce the new rule. The USPS adopted the new rule following an executive directive by the Republican President to restrict mail in ballots. USPS regulations would require new standards for voter data and ballot envelopes, and could refuse delivery of ballots if they did not meet the requirements. Critics say this could lead to thousands of votes being thrown out as the election date of November 3 draws near. Republicans are in a tight battle to keep control of Congress after the elections. Critics claim that restricting mail in ballots will disproportionately favor Republicans, given the fact that Democratic voters are more likely to send mail-in votes. The administration is defending Trump's order against legal challenges from states and voting rights groups for the second time. The court lifted the injunction Talwani had imposed in June to block Trump's order on August 24, 2018. This?decision was backed by the 6-3 conservative majority of the court. It faulted the coalition of mostly Democratic-governed States for filing a lawsuit too early, but left open the possibility for another challenge. Three liberal justices of the court dissented. A NEW RULE WILL TIGHTEN STANDARDS for MAIL BALLOT DELIVERY The new USPS rule requires that states provide lists of mail-ballot recipients to the postal services and use envelopes with barcodes and agency approval for outbound and returned ballot mail. Postal service can refuse to send ballots that don't comply with the new standards or are linked to voters who don't appear on the list. Trump has cast doubts on the security of mail-in votes for years, even though evidence of voter fraud is rare. Trump has falsely claimed that widespread fraud is occurring in U.S. election, including his loss to former Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020. In a written submission on Thursday, the administration urged the Supreme Court that it be allowed to implement "an important federal policy to prevent the mail from being used for voter fraud." A coalition of states governed by Democrats and Washington, D.C., along with a number of voting rights groups, contested the new USPS rule. Talwani issued an order blocking the rule on August 27, stating that it would likely violate the U.S. Constitution under which the states administer elections and that the states could not comply given the upcoming midterms. The Justice Department requested that the 1st U.S. The Justice Department asked the Boston-based 1st U.S. Talwani held an additional hearing on Thursday, to determine whether he should issue a longer term injunction.
Air India A320 issued warning of stall when seatbelt sign off, injuring 24 investigators claim
Indian investigators reported that an Air India A320, flying from 'Phuket to New Delhi, last month, issued a stall alert when the seatbelt sign was 'off.
According to the preliminary report on the 4th of August accident, an Airbus plane was cruising at 36, 000 feet and initially rose 372 feet before falling to 292 feet.
The flight control system sent the two-second warning after it detected that all three hydraulic systems of the aircraft had failed within four seconds. This caused the autopilot to be disengaged and a cockpit alarm to sound continuously.
Reports state that the hydraulic systems began to recover about nine seconds after losing the first.
The report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, (AAIB), did not mention why the pressure loss detected was detected. This will require further investigation.
Investigators changed the event from a "serious accident" to "accident", and the report sheds light on the chaotic moments aboard the flight, which had 137 passengers on board and eight crew.
It was reported that the 32-year old first officer was flying the plane when the incident occurred, but the 34-year old captain took over later. Both were interviewed in the course of the investigation.
AIR INDIA IS UNDER SCRUTINY
This report is a further step in the scrutiny of Air India. The airline has been subject to intense public and regulatory pressure ever since a Boeing 787 crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people on June 20, 2025.
Separate questions are also raised by the airline after the report stated that the captain of the flight returned a "nonnegative" result to a confirmatory drug test.
The AAIB didn't specify what substance the captain failed to test negative for, but last month a source said it was marijuana.
Air India said it would cooperate fully with the investigation and give investigators access operational, maintenance, and technical records.
After the accident, India's second-largest carrier is expanding its checks beyond regulatory requirements by implementing a one-time substance test for all pilots.
The AAIB recommended that the aviation regulator prioritize taking appropriate actions to prevent the abuse of psychoactive substances. They called the finding "a serious concern."
After the accident, India will consider testing all pilots for drugs annually instead of the 10% that is currently required.
The preliminary report made no recommendations to Airbus. In a report reviewed by Air India, the A320 aircraft'registered losses in all three hydraulic systems in quick succession, briefly causing key flight controls to be unresponsive.
Airbus' analysis revealed that for about four seconds the pilots could not use the elevators or ailerons to control the aircraft's pitching and banking.
Air India is owned by the Tata Group while Singapore Airlines holds a 25% stake.
(source: Reuters)