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EARTH INTELLIGENCE

20 Oct 2025 — 5 min read

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On October 20, 2025, an Emirates SkyCargo cargo plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport after landing from Dubai, hitting a security patrol vehicle before both went partly into the nearby sea. The event happened around 3:50 a.m. local time, killing two airport security workers in the vehicle, while the two pilots were injured and taken to hospital. No distress call came from the Boeing 747-400 before the crash, and early reports point to it veering off during landing, with no fuel leaks or fires from the plane, which held general cargo. The north runway closed briefly for cleanup and checks, but the south runway kept flights going with little delay.

Emergency teams, including fire and rescue, responded right away, and Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department is investigating the cause, which may involve weather or mechanical problems.

Economics & Markets:

Today’s commodity market:

Today’s crypto market:

Geopolitics & Military Activity:

On October 19, 2025, Israel conducted airstrikes in Gaza, stating they targeted Hamas positions in response to alleged ceasefire violations by militants, including an attack in Rafah that killed two Israeli soldiers. Gaza health authorities reported at least 26 to 45 Palestinians killed and dozens injured across central and southern areas, with hospitals noting civilian casualties and accusations that the strikes breached the truce. The Gaza Media Office claimed Israel has violated the ceasefire 80 times since it began on October 10, resulting in 97 Palestinian deaths overall, while Israeli officials stated that Hamas initiated the breaches through attacks on troops and tunnel activities.

The ceasefire, mediated by the U.S. and effective from October 10, was intended to end two years of conflict through hostage releases and prisoner exchanges, but it has been strained by mutual allegations of non-compliance. International observers have highlighted the risk of further escalation, calling for independent investigations into the reported violations, while humanitarian concerns have increased regarding aid access in impacted areas.

Cyber:

Space:

On October 19, 2025, SpaceX carried out two Starlink missions in one day, launching 56 satellites total to grow its internet network. The first, from Cape Canaveral in Florida at SLC-40, used a Falcon 9 to place 28 satellites in orbit, with the booster landing safely on a droneship in the Atlantic. Later that day, a second Falcon 9 from Vandenberg in California at SLC-4E launched another 28 Starlink satellites.

These were SpaceX's 132nd Falcon 9 launches of the year, showing the company's fast pace in expanding Starlink, now with over 9,000 satellites in service.

Statistic:

Largest assets on Earth by market capitalization:

Gold: $29.759T
🇺🇸 NVIDIA: $4.460T
🇺🇸 Microsoft: $3.817T
🇺🇸 Apple: $3.744T
🇺🇸 Alphabet (Google): $3.066T
Silver: $2.866T
🇺🇸 Amazon: $2.272T
Bitcoin: $2.198T
🇺🇸 Meta Platforms: $1.800T
🇺🇸 Broadcom: $1.649T
🇸🇦 Saudi Aramco: $1.631T
🇹🇼 TSMC: $1.530T
🇺🇸 Tesla: $1.460T
🇺🇸 Berkshire Hathaway: $1.062T
🇺🇸 Walmart: $858.91B
🇺🇸 Oracle: $830.46B
🇺🇸 JPMorgan Chase: $810.01B
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF: $760.03B
🇨🇳 Tencent: $726.65B
🇺🇸 Eli Lilly: $719.70B
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF: $700.17B
SPDR S&P 500 ETF: $673.44B
🇺🇸 Visa: $663.58B
Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF: $545.83B
🇺🇸 Netflix: $509.63B
🇺🇸 Mastercard: $507.12B

History:

The history of the Suez Canal begins in ancient Egypt, where early rulers envisioned linking the Nile River to the Red Sea to enable trade between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. The earliest known attempt is attributed to Pharaoh Senusret III around 1850 BC, who may have ordered the first canal dug through the Wadi Tumilat. Pharaoh Necho II (610–595 BC) later began a similar project, which was reportedly abandoned after heavy losses. Persian king Darius I (522–486 BC) is credited with completing an early version that connected the Nile to the Red Sea, confirmed by stone inscriptions along the route. This canal was maintained and expanded under Ptolemy II in the 3rd century BC but eventually fell into disrepair. The idea resurfaced in 1798 during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign, though his engineers incorrectly believed the Red Sea was higher than the Mediterranean, discouraging construction. The modern canal became possible in 1854, when French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps secured rights from Egypt’s Sa’id Pasha. After ten years of construction—using both forced and paid labor—the Suez Canal officially opened on November 17, 1869. Spanning 193 kilometers from Port Said to Suez, it cut weeks off sea voyages by eliminating the need to sail around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
Once opened, the canal rapidly became one of the world’s most valuable maritime corridors. Originally managed by the Suez Canal Company with mostly French control, Egypt’s financial crisis in 1875 forced it to sell its stake to Britain, giving the British Empire a controlling interest. Though the 1888 Convention of Constantinople declared the canal a neutral passage open to all nations, Britain effectively dominated it for the next several decades. On July 26, 1956, President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the canal to fund the Aswan High Dam, triggering the Suez Crisis. Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt, but withdrew under global pressure—signaling a decline in European colonial power. The canal was later closed from 1967 to 1975 during and after the Six-Day War. In 2015, Egypt completed a major expansion to increase capacity and allow two-way traffic. Today, the Suez Canal remains one of the most critical arteries in global trade, handling over 10 percent of global shipping, with its importance made clear when the Ever Given blocked the canal for six days in March 2021, freezing billions of dollars in commerce.

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