EMEA Morning Briefing : Stocks to Open Lower as -2-

Gauges of manufacturing activity plummeted across major Asian economies, in large part because virus lockdowns, port congestion and higher input costs hampered production. There were also signs that global demand for some Asian goods has been leveling off, as consumers rein in spending in the West.

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Flight Path Examined by FAA

Aviation regulators are investigating how Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc.'s spacecraft returned to the ground after taking billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson to the edge of space, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Virgin Galactic's Unity space vessel deviated from the flight path it agreed to follow as it came back to the Spaceport America facility in New Mexico on July 11, according to the FAA spokesman. Five other crew members were on board with Mr. Branson, Virgin Galactic's founder. The mission, called Unity 22, drew widespread attention.

Taliban Face Threat of European Sanctions Over Rights Abuses and Terror Links

BERLIN-European leaders, grappling with the question of how to interact with Afghanistan's new hard-line Taliban leadership, are considering threatening sanctions to win commitments to safeguard human rights, cut terrorist ties and permit at-risk Afghans to leave.

Measures under consideration include freezing Afghan money overseas and ending existing sanctions-waivers for certain Taliban leaders.

Taliban Battle Opposition Militias, Wield New Power in Kabul

Clashes flared in northern and central Afghanistan between the Taliban and local militias on Wednesday, as the Islamist movement continued to consolidate its grip on power in the Afghan capital two days after the U.S. ended its 20-year presence in the country.

The U.S. now estimates it left behind the majority of the Afghan interpreters and others who had applied for visas to flee Afghanistan, a senior State Department official said, despite frantic efforts to evacuate those at risk of Taliban retribution in the final days of the airlift.

Biden, Zelensky Discuss Energy, Russia, Ukraine's Future With the West

President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Wednesday to discuss the countries' bilateral relations and Ukraine's tensions with Russia and aspirations to join the West, addressing a simmering foreign policy challenge for Mr. Biden in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Biden said on Twitter that the meeting would serve "to reaffirm America's commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations."

Energy Traders See Big Money in Carbon-Emissions Markets

LONDON-Big energy trading houses, long focused on deep, volatile markets such as oil and natural gas, are now bulking up their carbon-trading operations as governments around the world push to expand the market for trading carbon emissions.

Two of the world's biggest oil companies, Royal Dutch Shell PLC and BP PLC, already have significant carbon-emissions trading arms, thanks to a relatively well-developed carbon market in Europe. Big carbon emitters such as steel producers receive emission allowances, and can buy more to stay under European emissions guidelines. Companies that fall below those limits can sell their excess carbon-emissions allowances.

Apple to Allow Media Apps to Link to Own Websites for Payment Options

Apple Inc. said it would allow media apps to create in-app links to sign-up pages on those companies' websites, allowing the likes of Spotify Technology SA and Netflix Inc. to bypass the iPhone maker's cut of subscriptions.

Spotify and other technology companies for years have said Apple's restrictions were unfair and anticompetitive. The Cupertino, Calif., company previously prohibited Spotify and others from directing their users to sign-up options outside the App Store.

Amazon Seeks to Hire 55,000 for Corporate, Tech Roles

Amazon.com Inc. said it is seeking to hire about 55,000 people globally among its corporate and technology ranks during a recruiting event set for Sept. 15, as the e-commerce giant continues a hiring spree begun at start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Seattle-based company is aiming to fill roles in cloud-computing unit Amazon Web Services, as well as in divisions such as Amazon Studios, advertising and its broadband satellite Project Kuiper. The open positions include more than 40,000 roles in the U.S. across 220 locations, including in New York City; Bellevue, Wash.; and Arlington, Va., where the company is opening a large corporate office.

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Expected Major Events for Thursday

06:00/ROM: Jul PPI

06:30/SWI: Jul Retail Sales

06:30/SWI: Aug CPI

07:00/SWI: 2Q GDP

07:00/AUT: 2Q GDP

07:00/HUN: Jul PPI

07:00/SPN: Aug Unemployment

07:30/EU: Aug EuroCOIN indicator of euro area economic activity

08:30/UK: Aug Narrow money (Notes & Coin) and reserve balances

08:30/UK: 2Q Household Finance Review

09:00/EU: Jul PPI

09:00/CYP: Aug CPI

10:00/FRA: Jul OECD CPI

10:00/IRL: 2Q Balance of Payments

10:00/IRL: 2Q GDP

14:00/DEN: Aug Foreign Exchange & Liquidity

23:01/UK: Aug BRC-Sensormatic IQ Footfall Monitor

All times in GMT. Powered by Kantar Media and Dow Jones.

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This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-02-21 0010ET