Business life, stock market, international news… All the news from this Wednesday, September 4th can be followed here.
> Today’s news:
8:10 a.m. – Tokyo Stock Exchange: Nikkei closes sharply down
The Tokyo Stock Exchange plunged, following Wall Street, with the Nikkei dropping more than 4%, weighed down by the strength of the yen and renewed investor concern about the global economy.
The Japanese capital’s leading index fell 4.24% to 37,047.61 points and the broader Topix index lost 3.65% to 2,633.49 points.
8:03 – Ukraine: Foreign Minister resigns
According to the Kyiv Independent, Dmytro Kuleba has submitted his resignation letter. The day before, at least six other Ukrainian politicians, including ministers, submitted their resignations and a presidential adviser was dismissed.
A major government reshuffle is planned after two and a half years of war, according to the ruling party, as President Volodymyr Zelensky tries to build confidence in his team at a time when the country is facing many challenges, including daily Russian bombings.
7:05 a.m. – Ukraine: two dead and 23 injured in Russian strikes on Lviv
At least two people were killed and 23 injured overnight in Russian strikes on Lviv, a large city in western Ukraine, regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi announced.
Five of the injured were children and several residential buildings were hit by the strikes. The dead were a 50-year-old nurse and a man who has not yet been identified, the city’s mayor Andriy Sadovy said.
6:53 a.m. – SpaceX’s mission for the first private spacewalk is scheduled for Friday
SpaceX’s rocket for a groundbreaking space mission including the first private spacewalk, Polaris Dawn, is set to launch on Friday after being postponed last week. A four-hour launch window is set to open at 3:33 a.m. (9:33 a.m. CET) on Friday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with other options on Saturday and Sunday, according to the US aviation regulator (FAA).
Comprising a billionaire, a pilot and two female employees, the Polaris Dawn mission had already been postponed by 24 hours after a “helium leak” was detected on August 26 on a fuel line that powers the rocket. It was then postponed again last Friday “due to unfavorable weather forecasts,” according to SpaceX.
I wanted to share some updates:
– The primary factor driving the launch timing for Polaris Dawn is the splashdown weather within Dragon’s limits. Unlike an ISS mission, we don’t have the option to delay long on orbit, so we must ensure the forecast is as favorable as possible… pic.twitter.com/3cKEjjVqvC
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) August 29, 2024
The commander of this five-day mission is American billionaire Jared Isaacman, who has been working with Elon Musk’s company for several years. The trip is intended to test SpaceX’s very first spacesuits, which are white and have a futuristic look. The spacewalk, which promises to be spectacular, was to be broadcast live on the third day of the mission.
6:50 a.m. – Thunderstorms: Var and Alpes-Maritimes on orange alert this evening
The departments of Var and Alpes-Maritimes will be placed on orange alert from 6:00 p.m. for “storms”, Météo-France announced. The meteorological organization specified that “an extension of the orange alert to other departments remains possible”.
6:48 a.m. – The Pope calls for “strengthening interreligious dialogue”
In Jakarta, at the start of a long tour of Asia-Pacific, Francis called for “strengthening interreligious dialogue” to “counteract extremism and intolerance.” Such dialogue is “indispensable to face common challenges, including that of counteracting extremism and intolerance, which – by distorting religion – try to impose themselves using deception and violence,” the Argentine pope said in a speech to Indonesian authorities and the diplomatic corps at the presidential palace.
Pope Francis and Indonesian President Joko Widodo review honor guards during a welcoming ceremony at the Istana Merdeka presidential palace in Jakarta, Wednesday, September 4, 2024.Adi Weda/Ap/SIPA
6:46 a.m. – Venezuela: HRW denounces “widespread human rights violations”
“The repression we are witnessing in Venezuela is shockingly brutal,” said Juanita Goebertus, HRW’s Americas director, in a report. “Human Rights Watch has documented that Venezuelan authorities and pro-government armed groups known as colectivos have committed widespread abuses, including killings, arbitrary detentions and prosecutions, and harassment of critics,” the report said.
6:45 a.m. – Australia: less than 50% of electricity produced from coal, a first
Coal’s share of Australia’s electricity generation fell below 50% for the first time in the last week of August, a record high alongside a rise in the share of renewables.
According to the Open-NEM electricity market data monitoring platform, coal generated 49.1% of Australia’s electricity in the last week of August. Renewables accounted for 48.7%, with storms boosting wind generation.
6:42 a.m. – China: growth in services activity slowed in August
The Caixin/S&P Global services PMI fell to 51.6 last month from 52.1 in July, but remained above the 50 threshold that separates contraction from expansion. Growth in China’s services sector has slowed despite the traditional summer travel peak, prompting some firms to cut staff amid concerns about rising costs.
6:40 a.m. – Biden condemns Russia’s ‘deplorable’ attack on Ukrainian city of Poltava
“This attack is a tragic reminder of Putin’s consistent and outrageous attempts to break the will of a free people,” the US president was quoted as saying in a White House statement. He assured that the United States “will continue” to support the Ukrainians, “including by providing them with the air defense systems and capabilities they need to protect their country.”
6:39 a.m. – Postponement of the launch of the last Vega launcher
“Due to electrical problems with ground connections,” the launch was “interrupted” three hours before the launch, Arianespace said on the X network. Initially scheduled for Tuesday at 10:50 p.m. local time (3:50 a.m. in France), the launch was postponed by 24 hours.
This is the last mission of the Italian Vega launcher, from the Avio firm, in service since 2012, before the handover to Vega C, an improved and more powerful version, grounded since 2022 following an accident.
6:35 a.m. – American justice system pursues Hamas leaders for “terrorism”
The American justice system made public last night the charges against six senior officials of the Palestinian Islamist movement on charges of “terrorism”.
Six Hamas leaders, including its former political leader Ismail Haniyeh, assassinated in Tehran on July 31 in an operation attributed to Israel, as well as his successor Yahya Sinouar, are targeted by the proceedings filed on February 1 before the federal courts in New York.
6:30 a.m. – Six rating agencies fined in the United States
The rating agencies, including the big three Moody’s, S&P and Fitch, will pay a total of $49 million in fines for failing to protect their data, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced. The US securities regulator has accused the agencies of “significant record-keeping failures,” according to a statement.
Moody’s and S&P have each agreed to pay a fine of $20 million, while Fitch’s fine is $8 million. Three other agencies are also affected by this indictment: HR Ratings de México, which has agreed to pay a fine of $250,000, AM Best Rating Services, which has been fined $1 million, and Demotech, for $100,000.