Latest News
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US proposes to help airlines avoid fines for consumer protection violations
The U.S. Transportation Department proposes to revise their guidance in order to?emphasize the imposition of civil?fines against?airlines that violate consumer protection laws and to abandon policies from Biden's era. The Office of Aviation Consumer protection?stated that its enforcement focus would be "on ensuring compliance with civil rights and consumer protection regulations, rather than finding and punishing entities for 'violations.'" If it finds violations, the office will "attempt to address the issue by issuing warning letters to help the regulated entitiy achieve compliance and resolve the issues before taking enforcement action." USDOT also proposes to remove guidance issued in 2023 by then-President Joe Biden, which stated that the department would seek higher penalties from airlines who violated 'consumer protection regulations.
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Local distributor reports that Dongfeng, a Chinese automaker, is in talks with Turkey's local distributor to manufacture passenger cars.
The Turkish distributor of China's Dongfeng Motor said that the company is in discussions with an investor to produce passenger cars in Turkey. Turkey is a large market with an annual sales volume of 1.4m vehicles. It also has a customs-free trade agreement with the EU. Chinese imports of cars to Turkey are subject to additional taxes, and Chinese automakers including Chery are seeking to set up production in Turkey with local partners. In a LinkedIn statement, Yavuz Cirak said, "We're working hard to begin production this year." Cirak is the CEO of Dongfeng’s local distributor,?Marcar, and was a part of the talks. A?request for a comment from Dongfeng Motor was not responded to immediately. The investor has secured a production facility. However, a final investment decision is not yet guaranteed. Talks are still ongoing. Marcar will oversee local sales, and support the cars. When contacted by? On Wednesday, Cirak declined to identify the investor invoking a confidentiality agreement. On Monday, a post was made on the Turkish Instagram account of Dongfeng luxury car brand Voyah stating that local production of a new hybrid model is in the works. Despite high taxes, Turkish car sales reached a new record in the last year thanks to an increasing adult population and electric vehicle demand. BYD, a Chinese manufacturer, is expected to begin production in Turkey by the end of 2026. Can Sezer is reporting; Zoey Zhang and Mirac Eren dereli are providing additional reporting from Shanghai and Gdansk, respectively; Darin Butler and Elaine Hardcastle are editing.
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Dozens Italian tourists evacuated by Yemeni island
The Italian Foreign Ministry announced that it has started repatriating its citizens who were stranded in the Yemeni Island of Socotra. A first flight carrying 46 tourists is due to land in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. As authorities continue to work with Yemen and Saudi Arabia, another 59 Italians are still on the island. They will be returning on additional flights within a few days. Saudi authorities will issue a transit visa for the Italians to facilitate their return. Last week, the United Arab Emirates?withdrew their troops from Yemen in response to a Saudi Arabian deadline. They also left behind Socotra, a remote island off Yemen that had been inhabited by 600 tourists. The main airport on the island halted air traffic as the crisis between Saudi Arabia and the UAE intensified, resulting in a new conflict on the mainland of Yemen where the two Gulf countries are supporting opposing factions in the civil war. Socotra, which is located more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) south of Yemen’s coast and was only accessible by air until recently via the UAE, has been a refuge of calm during the conflict on the mainland. (Reporting and writing by Cristina Carlevaro, Editing by Janet Lawrence).
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MoD: UK supported US mission in seizing Russian-flagged tanker
The Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday that Britain had provided assistance to the United States during its operation to capture a "Russian flagged oil tanker" in the North Atlantic. After pursuing the tanker for over a month across the Atlantic, Washington was able to seize the vessel on Wednesday. Britain's armed forces provided "pre-planned?operational support including basing", following a request from the United States for assistance. The report said that a naval vessel aided the U.S. forces in pursuing the oil tanker and the Royal Air Force provided aerial surveillance. Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the operation was targeted at a vessel with a "nefarious past" connected to Russian and Iranian sanction evasion networks. In a press release, he stated that "this action was part of global efforts?to crack down on sanctions-busting". He said that the U.S. had been 'Britain's most important partner in defence and security. Today's smoothly executed 'operation' shows how this relationship works. British officials confirmed that the U.S. sanctioned the Bella-1, now called Marinera under its?counter-Iran sanctions. In a statement, the MoD said that support had been provided "in compliance with international law". (Reporting and writing by William James; editing by Paul Sandle, Kate Holton, and Sam Tabahriti)
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Alaska Airlines orders 110 Boeing planes for expansion plan
Alaska Airlines has announced that it is ordering 110 new Boeing aircraft, making this the largest order in airline history. In order to expand, the airline has announced that it will be ordering 105 737 MAX-10 planes as well as five new 787-10 aircraft. It also plans to acquire options for 35 more 737 MAX 10. The airline said that the additional planes would help it increase its fleet from 413 to 475 aircraft by 2030, and then more than 550 by 2035. The additional five 787 Dreamliners are expected to help the carrier expand its service in Europe and Asia. Ben Minicucci, CEO and president of Alaska Air Group, said: "This fleet investment builds upon the strong foundation Alaska has created to support steady growth that is scalable and sustainable. It's another building block for implementing our Alaska Accelerate?strategic plans." Alaska Airlines, the 5th largest domestic airline in?2024?, will acquire Hawaiian Airlines, the 10th largest carrier, for $1.9 billion. Hawaiian Airlines, which was the 10th-largest carrier in the U.S., was acquired by Alaska Airlines for $1.9 billion. Alaska has exercised 52 MAX 10 options and ordered 53 new aircraft. Boeing has been trying to get FAA approval for new MAX versions - the MAX 7 and MAX 10 - for many years. A problem with engine de-icing has caused delays for the planemaker in obtaining certification. The FAA approved Boeing's request to increase its 737 MAX monthly production from 38 to 42 aircraft in October. This ended a cap of 38 planes that had been in place since 2024. The FAA imposed this 'unprecedented' production cap after a mid-air crisis in 2024 involving a brand new Alaska 737 MAX 9 which lacked four bolts on a door plug. This caused a large hole in the fuselage to open at 16,000 feet (4900 m). This incident exposed widespread safety and quality failures in Boeing's production.
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German emissions declined only modestly by 2025, due to building and transport
Agora Energiewende, a think tank for energy, said that Germany's greenhouse gases emissions will only be marginally lower?in 2025 as the?overall climate equilibrium is impacted by the?weak progress made in decarbonising transport and buildings. Germany, Europe's biggest economy and manufacturing powerhouse, aims to be climate neutral by 2045. Part of this goal is to achieve 80% of electricity from renewable sources by the end the decade. Agora's annual report stated that carbon dioxide emissions in 2025 will be 640 million tons, a decrease of?1.5%, or 9 millions tons, from the previous year. Agora calculated that while Germany achieved its annual emissions goal last year, the reduction is less than half of what will be saved in 2024. It was partly due to lower production in energy-intensive sectors, which were a result of weak global demand and prolonged low prices. However, record solar power generation also played a role. Julia Blaesius is the director of Agora Energiewende Germany. She added that "The power sector, which has been the main driver of emissions reductions to date, cannot compensate permanently for the inadequacies in the switchover to climate technologies on transport and in buildings." Emissions are higher in cold temperatures and with more fuel use. Agora reported that after years of insufficient progress, the building and transport sectors will see emissions rise in 2025. A cold start last year led to an increase in heating oil and gas consumption, which increased emissions by 3.2% or 3 million?tons. Transport emissions increased by?1.4% or 2 million tons due to a slight increase in fuel consumption. SOLAR ENERGY IS A SILVER LINING Positively, a record year of solar power production offset a poor year for wind and waterpower. Solar energy now accounts for 18% of electricity, surpassing coal and natural gas. Around 300,000 heat pumps were sold in 2025. According to the analysis the increasing share of renewables in the power mix has dampened the rise in prices. However, electricity costs at the exchange will still increase by 13% on average to 89 euros (104 dollars) per megawatt-hour in 2025.
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Polish Cabinet backs changes to energy law to speed up grid connections
The Polish Cabinet has approved a revamp of the energy laws to speed up grid connections, prevent developers from ordering capacity that they never use, and increase transparency in the process of connecting to the grid. The draft is designed to reduce the time it takes for developers to convert an initial agreement into a connection agreement and to increase fees for connection requests in order to alleviate a glut of speculative connections that block access to other users. Poland is facing?power overload, also known as ghost capacity. This occurs at a moment when the?electricity grid requires investment to increase flexibility, integrate intermittent sources of renewable energy, and reduce connection wait times that are estimated at around three years. Last year, the Polish power grid PSE announced that project developers had submitted a?motion to connect 130 gigawatts worth of data centres to its grid. This is compared to an industry expert's projected growth of only 1.2 GW by 2034. PSE needs to integrate 80 GW and 15 GW new renewable capacity by 2034. Renewables will account for 60% of Poland's electricity in 2035. This bill will guarantee a transparent, fair process to connect to the grid... and ensure that grid connection rights won't be subject to speculation," said Polish Energy Minister Milosz Motyka at a Wednesday news briefing. To become law, the draft must be approved by both the parliament and the president. (Reporting by Marek Strzelecki, additional reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz)
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Berlin restored to power after longest blackout in history
On 'Wednesday,' electricity was restored in southwestern Berlin after a suspected arsonist attack on a power station. The leftist activists allegedly set it ablaze. This caused a blackout that affected tens and thousands of homes. It was the longest blackout to hit the German capital since World War Two. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said: "Today's a great day for many people who have been without heat and electricity since January 3. The?operation for restoring power', which began at 11 am. He said that the process of achieving 1000 GMT was "complex and gradual". A fire broke out early Saturday morning, destroying a cable duct that crossed a canal. This cut off electricity to 45,000 homes and more than 2,00 businesses in the southwestern district of the city during a period of freezing temperatures. Volcano, a far-left activist group that claimed responsibility for the attack on a power pole near Tesla's factory in Berlin outside 2024, has now taken over. The German army was called to help residents who were struggling with this outage which also affected heating, mobile phone connections and trains. Some politicians have demanded more funding to protect the infrastructure of the capital, particularly after the intelligence agency warned about the growing threat from left-wing extremists. Madeline Chambers, Matthias Williams and Jan Harvey edited the report.
Philippines raises alert levels at Mayon volcano
The Philippines raised the alert level on the Mayon Volcano in central province Albay. They warned of "potential explosive activity" over the next few days or weeks and advised people to stay out of the 6-kilometre (3,7 miles) danger area.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (also known as Phivolcs) raised the alert level to three?on a scale of five?which means that magma was pushing up?inside of the volcano and creating a lava-dome at the summit.
Residents within the 6-km-no-go zone were urged to evacuate due to hazards such as?lava flows and falling rocks.
Mayon has erupted over 50 times during the past four centuries, making it the'most active' of 22 volcanoes. In June 2023, it had its last magmatic explosion which spewed lava as well as noxious gasses.
In February 1841, lava flows destroyed an entire town.
The Philippines is located on the "Ring of Fire", which is a belt of volcanoes that circles the Pacific Ocean and is also prone for earthquakes.
Phivolcs asked 'civil aviation authorities' to warn?pilots not to fly near Mayon summit due to ash that can be dangerous to aircraft.
Since January 1, 2026 PHIVOLCS recorded 346 rockfalls as well as 4 volcanic earthquakes. This compares to 599 rockfalls between November and December 2025. (Reporting and editing by David Stanway; Karen Lema)
(source: Reuters)