October, 2021

• 6 October

  Soaring heat is killing farm workers in US

  On June 26, the temperatures south of Portland, Oregon, approached 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 degrees Celsius). That didn’t stop Sebastian Francisco Perez, a Guatemalan farm worker, from going to work moving irrigation lines at a nursery. At some point, as the scorching afternoon dragged on, he collapsed and died. When Occupational Safety and Health officials turned up to write a ...

  Read More »
• 6 October

  Macron’s European goals need a new plan

  In true Jupiterian style, French President Emmanuel Macron said nothing publicly when the Aukus debacle erupted, letting his ministers and European partners do the talking after Australia scrapped a $66 billion submarine deal with Paris in favour of an American-led alliance in the Indo-Pacific. Yet now that there’s a power vacuum opening up in Europe, as Germany’s Angela Merkel bows ...

  Read More »
• 6 October

  Airline industry aims net-zero carbon emissions by 2050

  

  Bloomberg The airline industry’s main lobby group adopted a target of eliminating carbon emissions on a net basis by 2050, a goal that will require balancing the fight against climate change with the need to spur demand in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Current airline targets aren’t ambitious enough, International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Willie Walsh said ...

  Read More »
• 6 October

  Qantas kicks off 100-plane order worth more than $9b

  

  Bloomberg Qantas Airways Ltd kicked off a process to buy more than 100 new planes worth in excess of $9 billion as it pushes ahead with plans to start ultra-long flights halfway around the globe. The airline will bring in the new aircraft by 2034 to renew its aging domestic fleet of Boeing Co 737-800s and smaller Boeing 717s. Qantas ...

  Read More »
• 6 October

  SpiceJet plans fleet expansion as carrier nears break-even

  

  Bloomberg SpiceJet Ltd Chairman Ajay Singh wants to expand the company’s fleet of passenger jets and cargo haulers as the Indian airline’s financial performance recovers after a punishing stretch during the pandemic. Singh said the no-frills carrier has a “reasonable chance” of reaching break-even this quarter through December thanks to a combination of cost cuts, renegotiated aircraft leases, an uptick ...

  Read More »
• 6 October

  Delta yet to take decision on worker shots under US order

  

  Bloomberg Delta Air Lines Inc hasn’t decided yet how it will handle a federal mandate for coronavirus vaccinations for workers at certain companies, saying there are “different ways” to make sure 100% of its employees get the shots. Delta’s delay splits from other US airlines such as American Airlines Group Inc, JetBlue Airways Corp and Alaska Air Group Inc that ...

  Read More »
• 6 October

  French Connection accepts $40m offer

  Bloomberg French Connection Group Plc accepted a $40 million takeover approach from a group of bidders that includes the struggling UK fashion retailer’s second-largest shareholder. Directors of the retailer unanimously recommended the 30-pence-a-share offer from a consortium, which includes Apinder Singh Ghura, Amarjit Singh Grewal and KJR Brothers Ltd. The group announced the bid on September 23. French Connection kicked ...

  Read More »
• 6 October

  Blinken seeks to make up with France post submarine-deal spat

  

  Bloomberg Secretary of State Antony Blinken met French President Emmanuel Macron and other top French officials in Paris on Tuesday as the US looks to move past a spat over a defense agreement with Australia and the United Kingdom. Blinken and Macron met for 30 to 40 minutes to discuss deeper cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Sahel region of ...

  Read More »
• 6 October

  UK holds talks with Taliban government

  

  Bloomberg The UK sent officials to Afghanistan to hold talks with Taliban leaders for the first time since the mass evacuation of Kabul in August. The officials discussed on Tuesday how the UK could help Afghanistan address a humanitarian crisis, the importance of preventing the country from becoming an incubator for terrorism, and the need for continued safe passage for ...

  Read More »
• 6 October

  France threatens UK power supply as Brexit tensions escalate

  

  Bloomberg France’s European affairs minister, Clement Beaune, said the European Union (EU) could look to leverage its electricity supplies to the UK in an effort to force Boris Johnson’s government to grant access to British fishing waters. Beaune said that the EU will take action in the next few days to increase the pressure on the UK, which is a ...

  Read More »