Air Canada to resume flights after pay deal struck with union
Air Canada and its flight attendants have struck a tentative agreement after a strike that grounded flights and stranded passengers since Saturday, BBC reported.
The deal, reached through government mediation, will be voted on by union members. Flights are set to resume Tuesday evening, though full service may take days.
According to BBC, over 10,000 attendants had walked out over pay and scheduling, rejecting Air Canada’s offer of a 38 percent raise over four years, which the union said fell short of inflation and industry standards.
Vietnamese, Bhutanese leaders back plan for direct flights
Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Tuesday discussed strengthening ties during the King’s state visit to Hanoi.
Both leaders encouraged airlines to consider direct flights to promote tourism, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. They also pledged closer cooperation in trade and investment, with Vietnam affirming its readiness to support stronger connectivity between Bhutan and Southeast Asia, according to Xinhua.
China's Pop Mart, maker of the Labubu doll, says profit soars nearly 400% in first half
Chinese toymaker Pop Mart (9992.HK) posted a 396.5 percent surge in first-half net profit and more than doubled revenue, driven by soaring global demand for its Labubu dolls and stronger overseas sales, Reuters reported.
The “Monsters” line, led by Labubu, earned 4.81bn yuan ($670m), over a third of total revenue, while other popular IPs like “Molly” and “Crybaby” each topped 1bn yuan.
According to Reuters, shares have risen over 200 percent this year, lifting Pop Mart’s value above Mattel and Sanrio. The company now runs 571 stores and nearly 2,600 vending machines in 18 countries, with plans to increase supply as Labubu continues to sell out worldwide.
Venezuelan president decides to mobilize 4.5m militias over US threats
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the mobilization of 4.5m civilian militias to counter what he called US threats of war. He said the groups will defend national sovereignty alongside police and armed forces, Xinhua reported.
The move follows Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez’s accusation that Washington is using anti-drug operations in the Caribbean to justify military action. The US has offered a $50m reward for Maduro’s arrest on drug trafficking charges, which he denies.
