Latest News
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The tanker containing Russian Arctic LNG sanctioned leaves Chinese port
Ship tracking data revealed that a tanker carrying liquefied gas from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project, sanctioned by the United Nations, had left a Chinese port a day after docking there. The LSEG data from Sunday indicated that the Russian Voskhod LNG Tanker was sailing to the south after leaving an LNG terminal at the port of Tieshan, in China's southwest region of Guangxi. LSEG data revealed that the Russian flagged tanker with a cargo of 150 000 cubic metres of LNG was loaded at Arctic LNG 2 in Gydan, northern Siberia, on July 19. The cargo is the third from the project sanctioned to dock in China, after the tanker Arctic Mulan arrived in Beihai LNG Terminal in late August. Arctic LNG's cargo on the Arctic Mulan is the first to reach a final user since its start-up last year. It was not possible to determine immediately if LNG was discharged in Tieshan. Reporting by Farah Masters in Hong Kong, Editing by Clarence Fernandez
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Bangladesh battles rising tide of dengue and chikungunya
Bangladesh is facing a public health crisis that is rapidly worsening as dengue and the chikungunya mosquito-borne disease spread simultaneously, overloading hospitals and raising fears of a larger outbreak in the coming weeks. According to the Directorate General of Health Services in South Asia, there have been over 33,800 cases of dengue and 132 deaths so far this year. At least 10 deaths and over 1,500 hospital admissions were recorded in the first week of Septembre alone. Chikungunya is back after years of absence. Four Dhaka labs have confirmed 785 cases between January and July. In some laboratories, the detection rate was as high as 30%. Officials in the port city Chittagong reported 30 cases within 24 hours. This brings the total for the year to almost 3,000. Hospitals struggle to cope. Wards at Dhaka Medical College Hospital are bursting with patients, more than threefold the capacity of the wards. Experts warn of a possible worsening of the situation if mosquito control campaigns do not intensify. Kabirul Bashar is a medical entomologist from Jahangirnagar University. He said that the Aedes mosquito adapts quickly to our cities. "Stagnant waters in construction sites and rooftops as well as flower pots have become breeding grounds. We must destroy these habitats to prevent outbreaks of dengue and Chikungunya. Dengue was the deadliest disease in 2023 with 1,705 dengue-related deaths and over 321,000 infections. World Health Organization (WHO) has identified dengue as a global threat that is growing rapidly, and this is exacerbated by urbanization and climate change. WHO recommends that you recognize the warning signs of dengue fever, such as abdominal pain, nausea, bleeding or reduced urination, and avoid using NSAIDs. The patients said that this season's fever was unlike any other. Sultana Parveen (48), who had been bedridden in Dhaka, Bangladesh for over two weeks and was waiting for further tests, said that although her dengue test came back negative, the pain continued. "I can't walk because my ankles are so painful." Experts say that with multiple fevers spreading at the same time, Bangladesh needs to strengthen its hospitals, expand testing, and implement year-round mosquito prevention campaigns.
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Ukraine claims it has attacked the Druzhba Oil Pipeline in Russia's Bryansk
Robert Brovdi said that the Ukraine had attacked the Druzhba pipeline in the Russian region of Bryansk, causing "comprehensive damage" to the oil pipeline. The reports could not be independently verified. Russia has not yet responded. The transit pipeline provides Russian oil to Hungary, Slovakia and other European Union countries, who continue to purchase energy from Russia even after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv claims that its attacks on Russian energy targets are a response to Moscow’s continuing attacks against Ukraine. They aim to undermine their adversary’s war effort. In recent weeks, Ukrainian attacks on the pipeline that runs through Ukraine and Slovakia to Russia have disrupted oil shipments into both countries. Reporting by Olena Hartmash and Pavel Polityuk from Kyiv, Writing by Lidia Kelley in Melbourne, Editing by William Mallard & Clarence Fernandez
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Air Canada Flight Attendants reject wage agreement
Air Canada flight attendants rejected a wage deal on Saturday. A bitter wage dispute is now expected to be resolved through mediation, as workers are not allowed to take any further legal strikes. The union reported that 99.1% of flight attendants at Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada voted against the wage offer from the company. Negotiators reached a tentative agreement on August 19, to end a 4-day strike which stranded 500,000 passengers. Flight attendants had refused to comply with the Canadian government's efforts to end this strike, forcing Canada's largest airline back to the negotiating table. Air Canada and CUPE have agreed that there will not be a strike or lockout and flights will continue as usual, the airline announced on Saturday. The strike brought to light the demands of North American flight attendants who want to be paid from when they check-in to when they clock-out. Flight attendants from Air Canada, as well as other U.S. airlines such United Airlines, have been fighting a compensation system that pays the cabin crew primarily when an aircraft moves. Sara Nelson, International president of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), said that the public's support for the Air Canada strikes also benefits her U.S.-based members. United flight attendants are represented by the AFA. They recently rejected a tentative deal, partly because of demands for ground wages. Nelson stated that the inspirational fight by Air Canada flight attendants was helpful and created momentum. Reporting by Allison Lampert and Rajesh K Singh in Montreal; Writing by Caroline Stauffer, Editing by Edmund Klamann
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Air Canada Flight Attendants vote on wage agreement
The results of the vote by Air Canada flight crews on a wage deal are expected to be announced on Saturday. More than half a dozen members have said they do not expect that the tentative agreement will get approved. Negotiators claimed they reached a tentative agreement on August 19, ending a crippling, four-day strike after more than 10,000 flight crews refused to return to work despite government attempts to do so. This forced the largest airline in the country back to the bargaining tables. The attendants could not continue their legal strike if they reject the wage section of the tentative agreement. This is the only part that was up for a vote. Instead, the matter would be referred to arbitration. This would prolong talks over a dispute which caused Air Canada's financial guidance to be withdrawn for 2025. The union said that the result of the voting will not be revealed until Saturday after 3 pm (1900 GMT). The strike brought to light the demands of North American flight attendants who want to be paid from when they check-in to when they clock-out. Flight attendants from Air Canada, as well as other U.S. airlines such United Airlines, have been fighting a compensation system that pays the cabin crew primarily when an aircraft moves. Sara Nelson, International president of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), said that the public's support for the Air Canada strikes also benefits her U.S.-based members. The AFA represents United flight attendants who rejected a tentative deal recently, partly because of demands for ground wages. Nelson stated that "the inspirational fight by the Air Canada flight attendants creates momentum and is beneficial." DISAPPOINTMENT WITH DEAL Air Canada's proposed contract for flight attendants included some gains that were important to the flight attendants, but many felt the deal was not fair on the issue unpaid labor. Some said they would vote it down. The proposed four-year agreement would result in a wage increase of approximately 20% for cabin crew at entry level and 16% for those with more experience. The crew would receive 60 minutes pre-flight on narrowbody aircraft and 70 minutes for widebody jets. Pay will start at 50% in the first year, increasing to 70% in the fourth year. Many flight attendants are working two or more jobs in order to cover the cost of living. This is especially true for those who live in expensive cities like Toronto. Mark Hancock, President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, said that the deal was reached between Air Canada, the union and a mediator in a Toronto airport-hotel under threat of criminal charges. Hancock said, "My understanding is that the next day if no agreement was reached, they would have sought criminal contempt and then fines and charges." It would have escalated to the next stage." Reporting by Allison Lampert, Montreal; and Rajesh K. Singh, Chicago; Editing done by Edmund Klamann
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Man dies after shark bite at Sydney beach
Police said that a man who was attacked by a large, aggressive shark on a Sydney Beach died from his injuries. This is the first incident of this kind in over 3-1/2 years and prompted the closing of many beaches. Police said that the victim, who has not yet been identified, was assaulted just after 10 am at Long Reef Beach in the northern part of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales. The victim was brought to shore and rescued from the surf, but died on the spot, according to a press release. It also stated that the victim had suffered serious injuries. Police added that two sections of a surfing board were recovered and taken to be examined. Authorities said they did not know what kind of shark attacked the beach, and that it was still unknown. This is the first death in a Sydney shark attack since February 2022, when a swimmer drowned off a Sydney beach. The data of the state-run Taronga Zoo in Sydney shows that there have been three more fatal shark attacks in Australia since 2025. A surfer in Western Australia was killed in March by a shallow-water shark on a remote, isolated beach. (Reporting from Sam McKeith, Sydney; Editing done by Clarence Fernandez).
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New Fortress Energy announces a larger second-quarter loss
New Fortress Energy, a U.S. LNG company, posted a larger loss for the second quarter on Friday as lower contributions from asset sales affected its performance. The New York-based firm reported a net profit of $556.8 millions, or $2.02 per common share, for the three months ending June 30. This compares to a $86.9million loss, or 44c per share, one year ago. NFE's revenue total fell from $428.8 million to $301.7 in the second quarter. The company's core adjusted earnings dropped to a loss $3.7 million, from a profit $120.2 million one year ago. New Fortress Energy's earnings were negatively affected by the sale of its Jamaican assets to Excelerate Energy in May. The company was able to reduce its debt and lower its earnings. The company stated that it intended to use the proceeds from the transaction to repay $270 million of their loan. The company started last year. Explore the world with us After deferring dividends for shareholders to conserve cash, and working out an agreement with bondholders in order to delay maturities, you have options such as bringing strategic partners into the picture or selling assets.
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Putin calls on Russia's aerospace sector to develop rocket engines
On Friday, President Vladimir Putin called on leaders of the aerospace industry to continue their efforts to develop booster engines for space launch vehicle and to build on Russia’s long-standing reputation as an innovator in space technology. Putin, who spent the last week in China, and the Russian port of Vladivostok in the far east, flew south to Samara where he met with industry experts and toured Kuznetsov Design Bureau aircraft engine manufacturing facility. According to Russian news agencies, Putin stated that Russia was a leader in the development and growth of the aerospace sector. The agencies reported that Putin said late Friday, "It's important to continually renew production capacity when it comes to engines for booster rockets." "And we must do so not only to meet our current and future needs, but also to move actively on the world markets and be successful rivals." Putin praised Russia's achievements in producing innovative engines, especially in the energy sector. This was despite Western sanctions imposed in connection with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Putin was quoted saying, "Under the restrictions of sanctions, we were able to develop a number of innovative energy engines in a very short time." These are actively being used, even in the gas transport infrastructure. Putin said it was "a very important theme", especially for the development of Russian exports. Power of Siberia 2, the pipeline planned to bring Russian gas into China, is currently being discussed in China. Putin said that the Power of Siberia 2 Pipeline was beneficial for both sides. Russia proposed this route many years ago. However, the plan is now more urgent as Russia looks to Beijing to replace Europe as the main customer, as Europe has been trying to reduce Russian supplies of energy since the Russian invasion. Putin also highlighted the development PD-26 engine, saying that it would enable the development and production of wide-bodied passenger aircrafts as well as military transports. He was quoted saying, "The development and implementation of this project will not only modernise military transport aircraft but also open up the possibility of building a new wide-bodied civil aircraft." (Reporting and Editing by Leslie Adler).
Report: Cable problems likely to be behind deadly Portugal funicular crash
According to an initial report, a problem with a cable caused a Lisbon funicular rail popular with tourists, to hurtle down the hill. It crashed into a house, killing 16 people, and injuring 22 others.
After leaving the track, the yellow tram-like carriage that carries people up and over a steep slope in the Portuguese capital hit a building on Wednesday. It was only a few metres away from its identical twin at the base of the steep hill.
The Office for Air and Rail Accident Investigations in Portugal released on Saturday its first investigation report into the crash.
The report stated that the cabins "had not travelled more than six meters" before they "suddenly ceased to be balanced by the cable connecting them".
"Cabin No. "Cabin No.
"Cabin No. "Cabin No.
The report stated: "The brakeman of the cabin immediately applied both the pneumatic and hand brakes to try to stop the movement." The cabin continued to accelerate down the slope despite the brakeman's efforts.
The report stated that an examination of wreckage revealed "the connecting cable gave way" at attachment point of the cabin on top of the hill.
The final report will be released later.
(source: Reuters)