WORLD BRIEFING: September 29, 2023

  • Glencore Plc and Seriti Resources Holdings Ltd. are contemplating significant job cuts in South Africa due to challenges caused by Transnet SOC Ltd., the state-run freight company responsible for coal transportation. Sabotage, cable theft, and outdated equipment have hampered Transnet’s performance, impacting the country’s coal exports. This situation, coupled with falling coal prices, has led to Glencore and Seriti considering workforce reductions, potentially affecting hundreds of jobs. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s intervention has been urged to address what’s described as “a crisis of catastrophic proportions” in the coal industry - BizNews

  • The US State Department has condemned the jailing of one of Vietnam’s most prominent environmental activists for tax fraud in a ruling human rights activists claimed was a “total sham.” Hoang Thi Minh Hong, 51, who has led environmental campaigns in the communist country for at least a decade, was sentenced to three years in prison by a court in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday for evading about $280,000 in taxes, according to her lawyer Nguyen Van Tu. In a statement, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States was “deeply concerned” by her imprisonment and reiterated calls for Vietnam to “release all those unjustly detained” and to “respect the right to freedoms of expression and association.” “NGO leaders like Hoang Thi Minh Hong play a vital role in tackling global challenges, proposing sustainable solutions in the global fight against the climate crisis, and combating wildlife and timber trafficking,” Miller said - CNN

  • Over half the estimated population of 120,000 ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh has fled to Armenia, according to Yerevan officials. The journey out of the crisis-hit region can take days and many arrive exhausted and hungry. Armenian volunteers are doing what they can to provide relief to the tens of thousands of displaced people who have flooded into the country since Azerbaijan launched an attack on Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19 - RFE/RL

  • Many of Ukraine's homegrown UAV producers are modifying their drone fleets with the latest, cutting-edge technology. The upgrades, which now include artificial intelligence, are helping the outgunned country punch above its weight on the battlefield. The domestic company Warbirds of Ukraine says that the development of so-called smart drones will play a key role in the outcome of the war.

  • When you’re low on spare parts and aircraft desperate measures are required. It appears like Russian carrier Ural Airlines is preparing the A320 (RA-73805) aircraft for take-off from a field in Siberia, where it made an emergency landing two weeks ago due to running out of fuel. A ground power unit (GPU) can be seen connected here, which suggests a power up attempt and getting ready to leave. Russian air carriers have been battered by crippling western sanctions since the full scale invasion.

Michael BociurkiwComment