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Portugal asks Air France, KLM and Lufthansa to improve their offers for TAP sale
Portugal's government asked rivals Lufthansa and Air 'France-KLM to submit better offers for a'minority stake' in the 'flag carrier TAP', starting a final round of negotiations, after judging that both groups' first bids were too similar to choose one. In July, both European airline groups made binding but undisclosed offers to purchase a 44.9% stake in TAP. They also offered to become TAP's strategic partner. The?government received the assessment of the offers from Parpublica, the state-owned holding company. Leitao Amaro stated that the two binding offers "differeced in their content but were rated as being broadly similar overall". He told reporters that after a cabinet session, "we have decided to start a final round?of negotiations lasting a few weeks. During?this time we expect bidders to increase their offers." Portugal has revived its long-delayed TAP privatisation in July 2025. It is looking for a strategic investor who can expand the airline's reach internationally and increase its competitiveness. The winning bidder will have the option of acquiring any shares that are not claimed by employees. TAP's biggest attraction is its?valued?slots connecting its Lisbon hub to Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African nations and the United States. These routes are important for Portugal's diaspora and tourism, as well as investment. The government has asked that the future strategic partner of TAP support growth in Portugal's airport system, strengthening operations and connectivity, not only in Lisbon, but also in Porto and Faro and in the Azores and Madeira. The government can sell the remaining 50% stake in the company to the strategic investor.
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UAE shares rise as PMI shows solid growth for August
The stock markets of the United Arab Emirates rose on Friday, after a survey showed that the non-oil sector in the country grew at a steady pace in August. This was due to higher output and new business expansion. The S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers' Index?rose from 52.7 to 55.3 in?August. Dubai's main stock index gained 0.7%, with broad gains. The blue-chip developer Emaar Properties rose by 2.2%, while low-cost carrier Air Arabia grew by 2.1%. Air Arabia announced that it would increase the frequency of its Bangkok flights by adding four daily flights to Sharjah. Abu Dhabi's benchmark Index advanced 0.5%. This was aided by a 1.5% rise in 'UAE's biggest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank, and a a 1.2% increase in 'Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank'. Aldar Properties' shares jumped 1.6% after completing mortgage finance on an off-plan home for its customers through the newly launched framework of Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC). By 1139 GMT, oil prices -- which are a major catalyst for the Gulf financial market -- had fallen?0.45%.
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Chinese shipper COSCO denies that its vessels were spied on for Beijing
COSCO, the state-owned Chinese shipping company, has denied allegations that it used hidden equipment on its vessels to gather intelligence for Beijing. The claims were called "totally false" and "unfounded". On Tuesday, the?report? cited two senior Trump Administration officials that COSCO had used the equipment to spy military communications near coastlines of countries including the United States. The officials, who spoke on condition ?of anonymity, said COSCO has a decades-long intelligence-collection partnership with Beijing, ?which allows China to collect communication signals from vessels and aircraft ?operating across Europe, North America and Asia. In a?statement, the?company stated that "COSCO SHIPPING adheres to market-oriented operation and compliance practices across all of our global businesses." It said: "All communications, navigation, safety, and operational equipment installed aboard our vessels are used exclusively for legitimate commercial purposes including navigation safety, Ship-to-Ship Communications, and Emergency Response." COSCO said that the equipment on its ships was not used to intercept military communications or gather intelligence. Beijing has not yet confirmed the date of the visit. The summit will likely focus on a number of sensitive trade and security issues. China's embassy in Washington previously said Beijing would not ask any company or person to "collect data, information or spying located abroad that is against local laws."
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Will Trump's restrictions regarding mail-in votes be in effect for the midterm elections?
The administration of President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to let it enforce a new U.S. Postal Service rule tightening use of mail-in votes has left states in limbo about whether or not they'll be required to implement this for the November 3,?midterm election. As deadlines for U.S. state mail ballots near, the uncertainty is growing. Trump's Republicans are defending narrow majority in both chambers. North Carolina, the first to do so, was expected to mail out its ballots this Friday. Here is a description of the ruling, the current court case and the possible next steps. WHAT DOES THE NEW RULE DO? Trump signed an executive directive in March that required states to provide the U.S. Postal Service lists of mail-ballot recipients and barcodes unique to each envelope. The order states that USPS must only deliver mail-in ballots to those voters who are on the approved list of each state. Trump has cast doubts on the security and reliability of mail-in ballots for years. He has also falsely claimed that the fraud in the 2020 election resulted in his defeat. Trump has voted regularly by mail. Democratic Party officials claim that their supporters will be disproportionately impacted by the restrictions because Democrats are more inclined to vote via mail than Republicans. They also say the measures could disenfranchise eligible voters. According to the MIT Science Lab, 37 percent of Democrats cast their ballots by mail during the 2024 elections, while only 24% of Republicans did. What has happened in the Courts? Legal challenges were filed against the executive order by Democratic Party officials, Democratic states and voting rights organizations. The lawsuits claimed that the USPS did not have the authority to reject mail-in ballots, and that Trump's order violated the U.S. Constitution's?authority to administer elections' granted to individual states. On June 25, U.S. district judge Indira Talwani in Boston blocked the implementation of the executive orders for the Democratic-led States that sued. And on August 11, she effectively extended that order, preventing USPS to implement?its?new rule nationwide. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that Talwani’s June executive order was invalidated because the states brought their challenges before the USPS had released its finalized rule outlining how it would implement Talwani’s order. The Supreme Court, where conservatives have a 6-3 majority of justices, has left the door wide open for states to sue once again. States and groups then renewed challenges, arguing the case was ready for adjudication because the USPS had issued a finalized rule on August 22, 2008. Talwani once again prevented the USPS from implementing this rule. The Trump administration requested the Supreme Court on Thursday to reverse Talwani’s latest order. It was a strange move, since the 1st U.S. The Circuit Court of Appeals has not yet ruled on the Justice Department's appeal of Talwani's ruling. The Democratic Party has challenged this rule separately in Washington, D.C., Federal court. What will the state election officials do? Many state election officials have stated that they will not be able to upgrade their systems to meet the USPS rules in time for the midterm elections. The online portal through which states could upload their lists has not yet been activated, but many state election offices have already printed their envelopes and ballots. Sam?Hayes (executive director of the North Carolina State Board of elections) told reporters Thursday that county officials will mail out ballots as scheduled on Friday. Hayes stated that the USPS has already approved the design for the state's envelopes. "We are watching what the court does." Hayes stated that if anything changes we will be compliant. How is the Trump Administration responding? In court documents, the Justice Department stated that the USPS had the authority to implement the rule and that it was up to each state to decide who would be eligible to vote. USPS has stated that it will help states comply with this rule. According to a whistleblower's complaint made public by the U.S., USPS is meanwhile moving?forward in building the online portal. This week, Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat senator, made a complaint. The whistleblower claimed that design flaws could lead the USPS to refuse to send ballots to eligible voter. A USPS official stated in a court document on Thursday that the service is continuing to refine the portal and that it could be available to states who wish to use it voluntary next week.
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Air Tanzania will resume its flights to Russia from September 7, after a temporary halt
Air 'Tanzania announced on Friday that it will re-start flights between?Dar es salaam, and Moscow on the 7th of September. This comes after announcing a suspension for a limited time starting on September 4. The airline announced on Facebook that the decision was made after a 'routine risk assessment of the operating conditions along the route.' It did not provide any?details as to why the decision was taken to resume flights. Flightradar24's data shows that Moscow airports were among the most disrupted in recent weeks due to drone attacks. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned insurance companies and airlines that Russian airspace is becoming "completely hazardous". He stated that Ukraine was not a threat to civil aviation, but "there will be drones flying in Russia's sky and proper notice must be taken". The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said that this was "state terrorism". This would make it more difficult to restart peace talks with Ukraine.
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Bild: German police investigate a new grid sabotage attack
According to the police, an attempt was made to short circuit a transformer in the electricity grid south of Duesseldorf, west 'Germany. The newspaper Bild reported this on Friday. This comes after two suspected sabotage efforts 'this week. The police received a letter from a person claiming responsibility for both the Dormagen incident and vandalism of a Bergheim substation that shut down 4,200 megawatts on Tuesday. This week, Europe's fears about critical infrastructure in Germany have been at the forefront. After Germany accused Moscow of a drone strike on the Leipzig/Halle Airport in August, allies came together to support Germany. The attack was part of a hybrid war meant to intimidate countries that supported Ukraine since Russia's full scale invasion in 2022. Russia has denied the accusations. A closely watched election will take place on Sunday in the eastern state Saxony-Anhalt. The far-right Alternative for 'Germany (AfD), which is friendly to Russia, has a strong lead in?surveys. The German Interior Ministry stated that it was "no accident" that "hybrid" attacks were occurring on the eve before the elections. Bild reported that in a letter he revealed his name and claimed responsibility for incidents at Bergheim and Dormagen. However, it is unclear if he was actually the perpetrator. Cologne Police, located in the same area, confirmed that they were aware of the letter, but refused to provide any further information while the investigation was underway. The number of attacks that were foiled or failed was a "sign of how our security mechanisms work and that they do work", according to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's spokesperson. The other sabotage attack this week involved conductive materials being carried by devices that damaged high-voltage lines in Brandenburg, the easternmost state. According to Bild and local media, the police in Ganderkesee, a northern town, cordoned off a transformer station on Friday citing suspicious circumstances. It was impossible to reach the police immediately for comment.
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Bild: German police report a new grid sabotage attack
According to the police, an attempt was made to short circuit an electricity grid transformer south of Duesseldorf, in western Germany. The newspaper Bild reported this on Friday. This comes after two suspected sabotage attempts during the week. The police received a letter claiming responsibility for both the Dormagen incident and vandalism of a Bergheim substation that shut down 4,200 megawatts on Tuesday. This week, Europe has focused on Germany as the focal point of its fears regarding the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. After Germany accused Moscow of a drone strike in August on the Leipzig/Halle Airport, allies rallied around?after?. They argued that it was part of?hybrid warfare?. This hybrid warfare is meant to intimidate countries who have supported Ukraine after Russia's full scale invasion in 2022. Russia has denied the allegations. On Sunday, a closely-watched election will take place in Saxony-Anhalt in the east, where far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is friendly to Russia, holds a commanding lead. Germany's Interior Ministry said that it was "no accident" that "hybrid" attacks were occurring on the eve before the elections. Bild reported that in a letter he revealed his name and claimed responsibility for incidents at Bergheim, Dormagen, but it wasn't clear if he was actually the perpetrator. Cologne police, located in the same area, confirmed that they were aware of a letter which claimed responsibility but refused to provide further details until the investigation was completed. The spokesperson for Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the number of attacks foiled or unsuccessful was "a sign of our security measures working - and they do work". In the second sabotage attack this week, devices carrying conductive materials damaged power lines in one of the state's most important high-voltage nodes. According to Bild and local media, the police also cordoned off a transformer station in Ganderkesee, citing suspicious circumstances. It was impossible to reach the police immediately for a comment about the incident.
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Group says at least 37 people killed in Nigerian pipeline accident
An environmental group reported a death toll of 37 after they inhaled?fumes while trying to tamper with an oil pipeline. However, the authorities have not confirmed this toll. The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre reported that the incident occurred at Okrika, in Rivers State, at about midnight on Thursday. The police said that the victims were killed while trying to steal crude oils. Rivers Police spokesperson ASP 'Blessing Kaborlo Adgabe said that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances and facts surrounding the incident. The Niger Delta is plagued by a persistent problem of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism. This has led to deaths, pollution, and financial losses for Nigeria's oil industry. Environmental group stated that the incident happened at Okari Jetty, while a vessel loaded and suspected 'thieves' were siphoning petroleum products under high pressure into small boats. The group said that others were missing and bodies had been spotted floating in the river. Was unable to independently confirm the events and death toll. The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps stated that circulating casualty figures were unverified, and the substance of these numbers required technical confirmation. The statement said that it was working with security agencies to determine the number of "dead, injured, and missing" and to investigate any possible negligence, collusion, or criminal facilitation.
Son of Sri Lanka's ex-president arrested on corruption charges
A top court in Sri Lanka announced on Friday that the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested and remanded to a prison until September 18 for alleged graft related to purchases of Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines.
Namal Rajapaksa is a member of the opposition Sri Lankan Podujana peramuna. He was arrested after more than five hours?of questioning from Sri Lanka's main anti-corruption body, the Commission to Investigate Allegations Of Bribery Or Corruption. The order remanding?him came from Colombo Chief Magistrates?Asanga?S. Bodaragama.
Rajapaksa has consistently denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers weren't immediately available to comment.
His arrest is part a ongoing investigation into a multimillion-dollar purchase made by Airbus in 2013 of planes. Airbus sent a delegation to Colombo, Sri Lanka in August 2013 to help with the investigation.
Airbus has reached a pact with French, British and U.S. officials in 2020 following a three-year investigation into allegations of bribery over jetliner sales. The?case was settled with a $4 billion fine.
SriLankan Airlines & Airbus did not respond immediately to a comment request.
(source: Reuters)