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South Korea ships test Arctic commercial route amid Western concern
On Saturday, a South Korean container vessel set sail?for Europe via arctic in the nation's first commercial trip on the route. The?nation is testing its viability and hopes to turn the southeastern port of Busan into a maritime hub. The PanStar Acro is expected to sail north hugging the eastern Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, crossing the Bering Sea and taking the Northern Sea Route. It will stop in Felixstowe, Britain, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Poland's Gdansk before returning in a trip that should take between 40 and 45 days. President Lee 'Jae Myung made Arctic shipping for South Korea a priority, making it a "shipping powerhouse". Officials claim that this could transform Busan, and make the Arctic a regular trading route by 2030. The project could cause friction with Western allies who want to?keep Russia isolated? during its war in Ukraine. Seoul has spoken to Moscow about the trip, including whether or not the ship needs help if it gets stuck in the ice. The Oceans Ministry of South Korea and the Foreign Ministry of Russia did not respond when asked for comments. According to Norway's Center?for High-North Logistics, last year?88 ships made 103 transits along the route. This is up from 97 vessels in 2024 and 42 in 2022. These vessels were primarily from countries such as Russia and China. Scientists say that melting Arctic ice makes it easier to travel through the north, and the increased shipping speeds up global warming. PanStar, a South Korean container ship operator, has secured 837 TEU cargo on the government-backed trip. This includes auto parts and chemical products as well as 100 empty containers. A government official stated that the PanStar?Acro will flag off at around 8 pm (1100 GMT), depending on loading and other preparations.
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Muslim group condemns Texas's request for federal investigation of airport wash facilities
Texas Governor Greg Abbott?on Friday requested a federal probe into airport facilities to determine if ritual washing was performed before islamic prayers. A Muslim advocacy group referred to this as an "anti-Muslim" political stunt. Abbott, in a letter sent to the Department of Justice urging it to review immediately the ablution stations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFWIA) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (GWIA), criticized them for being discriminatory. Abbott's office stated that because airports receive federal funding, they are required to adhere to a number of conditions. This includes complying with all applicable laws against discrimination. Before daily prayers, many Muslims wash their arms, legs and faces. The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (an advocacy group) said that these?are not spaces for Muslims only, any more than nursing rooms or interfaith prayer rooms are 'Christian-only.' "These are accommodations that are open to all travelers, but are primarily used by the Muslim community." This is not discrimination. This is how accessible public infrastructure should look," CAIR Texas said in a press release. Abbott threatened to revoke funding for the state airports last week after referring them to Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Abbott stated that DFW has abandoned its plans to build more ablution stations as a result of this referral. The airport announced?this past week that it had determined the benefit originally expected may not be realized if more ablution stations are built. World Population Review reports that there are 4.5 million Muslims living in the United States, including more than 300,000. U.S. rights activists?say Islamophobia is on the rise since September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., and recently due to anti-immigration policy, white supremacy, and?the aftermath of Israel's Gaza war. Rights advocates have also documented a spike in anti Muslim messaging and rhetoric during U.S. campaigning, as Muslim American politicians rose to high office. Republican governors of Florida and Texas have branded CAIR as a terrorist organization. The group has opposed Republican President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations. CAIR and civil rights groups denounced these claims, and claimed that Republicans were trying to incite fear towards Muslims.
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If the court approves, US Postal Service will issue rules to tighten up mail-in voting.
The U.S. The U.S. USPS stated that it was issuing the 95-page rule so it could be implemented for the next election if a judge lifted their injunctions. USPS will not deliver ballots to states that don't comply with the new rules. USPS final rule requires that states provide a list of voters who have received mailed ballots. The U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani of Boston has blocked USPS from adopting the rules that President Donald Trump ordered ahead of November's elections, which will determine control of Congressional seats. Trump, who is a Republican and a member of the Republican Party, signed the executive order on March 1, after calling for stricter voting rules by mail. He also claimed that the reason behind his defeat in the 2020 elections was widespread voter fraud. The order, which was published late Friday night, will be officially published on 26 August. However, USPS will not take any action to implement it unless the court lifts its injunction. USPS directed questions to the White House. If the rule is implemented, USPS won't collect or record party membership, nor will it inspect the ballot content. Postal workers will also not be authorized to open mail that has been sealed against inspection. USPS will keep data on the outside of the envelope including the address and barcode information. USPS Postmaster-General David Steiner defended this plan in June. He said that the Postal Service is making sure "we match what a state thinks they are sending to what gets sent." Democrats and many states have said that USPS has no authority to change the rules of elections. It is also too close to an election for any major changes. The new rule, announced on Friday, would require that states provide the USPS with the names and barcodes associated with their mail-in votes for federal elections. USPS stated earlier that it "will assist in determining adherence to federal laws and facilitate law enforcement." (Reporting and editing by William Mallard, Muralikumar Aantharaman and David Shepardson)
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Costs of transmission constraints on the largest US grid will reach $6 billion by 2026
The grid's independent monitor said that congestion costs for PJM, America's largest power grid, jumped 43% in the first half of the year to $6 billion as a result of escalating high-voltage transmission line overloads. According to Monitoring Analytics' independent market monitor, PJM, transmission bottlenecks during stressful events such as storms are the main cause of the rise in wholesale electricity prices. According to the report of the Market Monitor, price adjustments for transmission restrictions were $6 billion. This is up from $2.1 in the previous year. The report stated that the $3.9 billion increase in the cost of natural gas fuels was dwarfed by the $2 billion increase. Costs will eventually be reflected in monthly bills for consumers as the PJM'market' struggles to keep up with the booming demand of power from data centers and electric vehicles, heat pumps and heat pumping stations. According to the market monitor, PJM "often" assumes that transmission lines are less capable than they actually are and, as a?result, charges penalty fees incorrectly 94% of time. PJM disagreed with the analysis of the watchdog. PJM issued a statement saying that the (market monitor) was wrong to claim that PJM reduced transmission line ratings in order to trigger penalties. "PJM was unable to reproduce and/or verify the assertions made by the (market monitor)." PJM provides electricity to 67 million customers in a region that stretches between Washington,?D.C. and Chicago. PJM's wholesale real-time cost to meet electricity demand during the first half of this year was $29.4 Billion, compared with $20.4 Billion in the first half of 2025. During the first six months of 2026, the number of 'five-minute periods during which PJM high-voltage transmission lines of 500-kilovolts exceeded or hit operating limits jumped to 8,920 from just 1,865 the previous year. The violations occurred primarily during a winterstorm, according to the market monitor. According to PJM market data, other impacted?areas include metro Baltimore and Delaware. According to PJM data, other impacted 'areas' include the metro Baltimore area and Delaware. The report stated that the average real-time wholesale 'electricity cost across PJM increased to $72.54 per Megawatt Hour in the first half 2026 from $51.75 a megawatt hour a previous year, an increase by $20.79 per MWh.
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El Nino returns: What it means for global trade and the Panama Canal
El Nino, just two years after the most severe drought in the history of the Panama Canal forced ships to wait for weeks for passage, and triggered multimillion-dollar bidding wars for transit slots. Now El Nino threatens again the rainfall that feeds this waterway. El Nino is strengthening and reservoirs are shrinking. The industry is preparing for another disruption on one of the most important waterways in the world. Some?ships have already taken long detours through Africa. The Panama Canal Authority reversed its previous promise to limit 'passage' as it prepares for an El Nino that is longer than usual. 1. Where does the canal receive its water from? The Panama Canal, unlike the Suez Canal (in Egypt), relies on the use of fresh water for the operation of three sets a locks. This artificial waterway stretches 80 km (50 miles) between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Operation depends on two manmade reservoirs: Gatun and Alajuela Lakes. These lakes release millions of liters per transit, allowing ships to be raised and lowered through gravity-fed locks. 2. El Nino and the Panama Canal: Why is it important? The weakened winds can cause the reservoirs to dry up as a result of the warm water in the Pacific Ocean. Samuel Munoz is an associate professor at Northeastern University of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He said that, when reservoirs are low, the authority that controls the canal must reduce the number of ships that it allows to pass through in order to conserve water. This reduction "creates disruptions of the shipping system that ripple throughout the global economy." 3. Why are these water resources vulnerable? The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's monitoring system in Panama has been recording some of the highest air temperatures ever since May. May, June, and July all posted record or near-record average monthly temperatures. Steven Paton, the monitor who runs the network, said that rainfall in Panama during this period was below average. He added that some stations report record lows or values near records, especially around the canal. 4. What is the Panama Canal Authority doing? Starting September 4, the Panama Canal Authority will cap daily?transit slots at 34 vessels and reduce that number to 32 by September 15. El Nino is expected to continue, and water levels are predicted to fall further. This could force the authority to tighten up again. The measures are similar to those taken in 2023-24, when drought reduced daily transits down to 22 ships according to official statistics. For the fiscal year 2026 (October to September), the canal recorded an average of 35 to 34 daily transits. 5. What impact does this have on shipping? Panama Canal Authority acknowledged, without providing further details, that some ships that transited the canal recently "paid amounts exceeding one million dollar at auction to meet specific market needs." 6. What are the alternatives? Rohit Rathod is a senior analyst for Vortexa and a senior oil industry analyst. He said that many shippers take the long route around Africa because they don't have long-term slots packages or large auction budgets. He said that so far, in August, about half of the gas carriers headed to Asia chose the Cape of Good Hope instead of the Panama Canal. This is the highest percentage for the past decade. A large gas tanker traveling from Houston to Japan would take about 26 days to pass through the Panama Canal, but it would take 45 days just to go around Cape of Good Hope. 7. What are the long-term options being considered? Panama is considering a longer-term solution: a reservoir at Rio Indio. The Panama Canal Authority claims that this would provide water to more than half of the population and ensure the operation of the canal for the next fifty years. It would also improve conditions for nearby communities. Environmental activists have been instrumental in blocking First Quantum Mining's contract. Some argue that the reservoir is unnecessary and suggest alternatives, such as Lake?Bayano. 8. What is the difference between this El Nino and previous ones? The Climate Prediction Center of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a forecast last week that El Nino was strengthening. It said there is a greater 90% chance of an "extremely strong" event in the Northern Hemisphere during the fall and winter of 2026-2027. Clarksons Securities stated in a recent research note that "El Nino has now emerged as a major risk" to a sector already struggling with capacity constraints and geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East. (Reporting from Stefanie Eschenbacher, Mexico City; Elida Moreno, Panama City; editing by Emily Green and Sanjeev miglani).
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A man armed with a sword injured several people in a Swedish high school
Local authorities reported that a man was arrested after he allegedly injured several people with a saber at a Swedish high-school on Friday. The incident triggered a massive response by emergency services. The incident happened on Friday at Brinell High School, which has around 450 students between 16 and 20 years old in Fagersta. A police spokesperson said: "We received a report at 1406 (or 1206 GMT) of suspected violent death and sent all the resources we could to the school." A spokesperson stated that one person was taken into custody and there was no danger to the public. "IT FEELS UNTREAL" Some students were attending their first day of senior high school. Madelene Jansson was interviewed by the local newspaper Fagersta-posten outside of the school where her daughter attended. "I got a message first from her saying that someone had been stabbed, and that the police were en route. It all just 'went off'. She told the newspaper that it felt unreal. After the attack with the sword, several other schools and buildings in Fagersta also went into lockdown. Vastmanland County Authority said that it has adopted a high alert status. "We have adopted a high alert status in order to marshal resources and get a clearer picture of the situation. This will allow us to make the best decisions possible," Jonas Cederberg, Director of Health and Medical Services, said in a press release. The daily Expressen reported that police shot the suspect but they could not confirm this immediately. This incident occurs a year after the worst mass shooting ever in Swedish history, which took place in Orebro in central Sweden. A gunman shot 10 people before turning his weapon on himself. Justice Minister Gunnar strommer stated in a press release that the Swedish government was in contact with police after Friday's incident. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kritersson stated that the police were working on the case intensively and asked for everyone to leave them alone and allow the emergency services to work. In a social media post, he wrote: "Our thoughts are for all those affected." Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats, who leads a centre-left coalition that is leading in polls ahead next month's elections, stated, "All of Sweden stands with Fagersta during this difficult time."
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Dutch regulator fines Uber 966 million dollars for automating driver terminations, shows document
According to a decision reviewed on August 17, the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP), has fined Uber EUR825,000,000 ($966,000,000) for deactivating drivers accounts using automated systems without properly informing them. The fine would be the second largest ever under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation. It is behind the EUR1.2 billion fine that Ireland imposed in 2023 on Meta for illegally transferring the data of?European Facebook Users to the United States. Meta has appealed the fine. Uber also said that it would appeal. "We strongly oppose this?decision, and the disproportionate fine," said a company spokesperson. The spokesperson added that the company takes driver's rights seriously. Its current policies include human reviews as well as opportunities for drivers to dispute suspensions of platform. The AP confirmed that the decision was made, but couldn't comment on it further. In recent years, European regulators have fined large U.S. technology companies billions of Euros for violating privacy, competition and digital market regulations. Meta, Google and Apple all faced multiple fines, though the headline fines were often reduced or reversed following years-long appeals. U.S. president Donald Trump has criticised such fines and in April a senior U.S. State Department Official said that they are the "biggest source of friction" between U.S. and EU economic relations. GDPR bans decisions that are solely based on computer algorithms when they impact people's lives. Such decisions need a meaningful human review, and the ability to challenge a ruling. The decision stated that "the AP determined that Uber violated drivers' right, specifically the driver's right to not be subjected to automated decision making that has...significant implications." The decision stated that Uber had also violated the rights to information. It said the agency considered this a serious issue worthy of a large fine. This case concerns European incidents that occurred in 2020 to 2022. It was a French complaint which sparked the initial investigation. The Dutch regulator handled the case because Uber's European HQ is in the Netherlands. Uber temporarily suspended the accounts of drivers suspected?of fraudulent activity, such as when Uber's systems determined that drivers took unnecessary detours in order to inflate prices?or accepted trip without intending them to be completed. Uber stated that such suspensions are usually brief and they do not deactivate accounts permanently without human review. The AP reported that drivers with a?low rating were sometimes permanently deactivated using a?computer. Uber denied this, saying that it had never automated decisions about permanent deactivation. The company stated that one of the reasons it finds the fine to be disproportionate is because only a few drivers were affected. In Europe, 126 drivers had been deactivated due to low customer ratings by 2021.
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Why does Trump mention the Keystone XL pipeline?
This week, during the U.S. Canada trade talks, a social media post from U.S. president Donald Trump stating that the Keystone XL pipeline "may 'be awoken?from the grave" caught the attention of many. Here's a look back at that project, which ran through parts of Canada as well as the United States. Also included are details about a new oil pipeline proposal that takes a slightly different path. What is Keystone XL? Keystone XL is a crude pipeline that was proposed. It would have been 1,181 km long and carried approximately 830,000 barrels of oil per day from the oil sands in northern Alberta, to the U.S. major storage hub of Cushing, Oklahoma. The oil would then be sent to Gulf Coast refineries. Trump revived the project during his first term after it was rejected by President Barack Obama. The pipeline, which had begun construction, was never completed because U.S. president Joe Biden revoked the key permit in 2021 for the U.S. stretch of the project. WHAT COMPANIES ARE PARTICIPATING? When the Keystone XL pipeline was cancelled, TC Energy in Canada lost billions. South Bow spun off the crude pipelines division of TC Energy to focus on natural gas. Trump, however, has been vocal in his desire to see Keystone expanded. Canada is the fourth largest oil exporter in the world. It sends over 90% of its crude production to the U.S. and many U.S. refining plants are dependent on Canadian heavy oils. South Bow had previously stated that it was "moving on" from the Keystone Project, but forecasts of increased Canadian oil production prompted the company to propose earlier this year a new project called Prairie Connector. The ?550,000-barrel-per-day project, which South Bow is working on in partnership with U.S. company Bridger Pipeline, would run from Alberta to Wyoming and would use some of the Keystone XL pipe that ?had been installed on the Canadian side of the border before that project was canceled. South Bow has said that it will decide in 2027 whether to proceed with Prairie Connector. The CEO of the company has stated that proof is needed before moving forward to ensure that a U.S. Presidential permit "is durable". South Bow has declined to comment about Trump's latest posts. What role does the 'PIPELINE' play in trade talks? Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, raised the possibility of a revival of the pipeline project in trade talks with Trump. He referred to it as an area of possible?cooperation? between the two nations. The trade talks stalled then for several months. Trump posted a Keystone meme shortly after announcing on Tuesday evening that he had granted Canada a 3-day reprieve from more tariffs. He posted it again before a midnight deadline for a new deal. (Reporting and editing by Caroline Stauffer in Calgary, and Sanjeev Mikleni)
Seven people killed in UK when vehicle traveling the wrong way strikes police car
The local police said that seven people, including two police officers, died in a crash on Saturday in the?northeast of England after a vehicle driving 'the wrong way' down a major highway hit a marked police vehicle.
The incident took place around 3:39 am (0239 GMT), near the South Bank area, east of Middlesbrough. All occupants of both vehicles died on the spot.
Cleveland Police Chief Constable, Victoria Fuller said: "This tragic incident will be felt throughout Cleveland and our communities as well as the entire policing community."
The police force said that it was still investigating and working to identify all of the victims.
As is standard in these cases, the Independent Office for Police Conduct will review the incident. Ireland's chief of police warned this week that following two recent head on crashes near Dublin in which five people died, some young drivers were driving wrong way on the motorway "for social network likes".
A?parliamentary committee in Ireland has asked TikTok how it removes "content that appears to glorify dangerous and illegal behavior?on our streets". Ireland's media regulator issued a similar demand on Tuesday. (Reporting and editing by Alexandra Hudson, Joe Bavier, and David Milliken)
(source: Reuters)