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Authorities say that a major drone attack on the St Petersburg oil terminal and port was carried out by Ukraine.
Authorities in St Petersburg, Russia's second largest city and the surrounding Leningrad area said on Saturday that a major Ukrainian drone strike overnight had hit a local oil pipeline and port. Alexander Beglov, the Governor of St Petersburg, said that the city with a population of 6,000,000 had been subjected to a "large scale" drone attack. The city's oil storage terminal was also hit. He stated that there were no injuries and the aftermath had been handled. Alexander Drozdenko, Governor of the Leningrad Region, said that drones struck the port of Vysotsk on the Gulf of Finland. The port is located about 170 kilometers (105 miles), northwest of St Petersburg. The port is used to handle oil, grain and coal, as well as liquefied gas. Drozdenko stated that 72 drones were shot down in the Leningrad area. Ukraine has intensified its strikes against Russian energy infrastructure this year, leading to fuel shortages across parts of Russia. St Petersburg is about 900km (560miles) from Ukrainian-held territory.?Kyiv drones have occasionally attacked St Petersburg. The city's oil-terminal and a moored ship were among the targets during the St?Petersburg International Economic Forum held in June. The governor of Pskov Region, south?of St Petersburg said that more than 30 'drones were shot down overnight. He reported minor injuries and damage, including to the factory in Velikiye-Luki. Reporting by. Felix Light is the author. Mark Potter (editing by Felix Light)
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Yemen's Houthis warn Saudi Arabia of their targets in response to Iran's flight to Sanaa
Yemen's Houthis claimed on Friday that their forces had engaged Saudi "warplanes", which they claimed 'attempted to stop an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport', according to the military spokesperson for the group Yahya Saarea. Sarea, an Iran-aligned group, warned they would "target Saudi airports and vital interest on land and sea" if Saudi Arabia continued to violate Yemeni airspace. He added that flights between Sanaa, Iran and Tehran would continue despite "possible consequences". Al Masirah TV, a Houthi-run channel, reported on Friday that an Iranian plane landed in Sanaa to fly the group's delegation to Tehran for the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Other passengers included more than 200 patients. Saudi Arabia led the military coalition which intervened in Yemen after the Iran-aligned Houthis took over the capital Sanaa in 2015. The Saudi-led coalition claimed early on Saturday that the Houthis' statements against the Kingdom were an attempt to "divert the attention" away from the group's "violations". It warned it would react firmly with "unprecedented force" against any attempts to attack the kingdom or violate Yemen's sovereignty. The Houthis demonstrated their missile and drone capabilities in Yemen's?war by attacking Saudi Arabia, targeting oil installations and critical infrastructure. Reporting by Eman Abohassira, Menna Alaa el-Din and Editing by Louise Heavens Philippa Fletcher David Gregorio
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Heatwave disrupts Fourth of Jule events in eastern US
The Fourth of July festivities were disrupted by a 'dangerous heatwave' that swept across large swathes of the central and eastern U.S. The Great American State Fair, which was a major event in President Donald Trump's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, was also affected by the heat. The Great American State Fair was temporarily closed Friday afternoon as temperatures reached 101° Fahrenheit (38° Celsius). The organizers said that they expect the fair to reopen by?5 pm, with modifications such as cooling tents and spritzing stations. The emergence of the "heat dome," a system of high pressure that traps hot air over a large area, caused record-breaking temperatures to spread from the Midwest to the east of the U.S. earlier this week. More than 185 million people, or more than half of the U.S. population, were under heat alerts on Friday. National Weather Service reported that on Friday there were heat alerts for over 185 million people, more than half of the?U.S. In some parts of the nation, heat indexes can reach up to 115 F (46 C). Forecasters and government officials warned that this heat wave could be deadly. The government urged Americans to be hydrated and seek shade when attending public events and gatherings during the Fourth of Independence weekend. There were cancellations of events along the Eastern Seaboard during the Fourth of July weekend. This is when Americans usually 'gather to barbecues, parades, and fireworks displays in celebration of the 1776 Declaration?of?Independence. The Salute to Independence Parade in?Philadelphia was canceled due to extreme heat. The decision was made after temperatures reached 103 F in Philadelphia on Thursday. This tied a record set back in 1901. Heat-related disruptions were also felt in other parts of the region. Haddon Township in New Jersey canceled its annual Fourth of July parade. Watertown, upstate New York, cancelled its Independence Day concert. Boston officials have delayed the entrance to an annual riverside celebration of fireworks by four hours. The event was originally scheduled to begin at noon, but now it will start at 4 p.m. Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein, Washington; Nathan Layne, New York. Editing by Mark Porter and David Gregorio.
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Heatwave disrupts Fourth of Jule events in eastern US
The Fourth of July celebrations were ruined by a 'dangerous heatwave' that swept through much of central and eastern U.S. On Friday, the heat wave forced officials to cancel or postpone dozens parades, concerts, and fireworks displays in celebration of the 250th anniversary of America. The Great American State Fair, a centerpiece event of President Donald Trump's efforts to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America on the National Mall of Washington was temporarily closed on Friday afternoon due to temperatures of 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Organisers have said that it is expected to reopen, weather permitting, at?5 pm, with modifications such as cooling tents and misting station. The National Weather Service reported that record-breaking temperatures reached the east coast of the United States from the Midwest this week. Over 185 million people received heat alerts for Friday. In many areas, peak heat indexes could reach?up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Forecasters and government officials warned that the heat wave was potentially deadly. They urged Americans to celebrate the Fourth of July outdoors, stay hydrated and seek shade, and be on guard for signs of heat illness. At least seven states have reported event cancellations, including a "major Independence Day Parade" in Philadelphia, as well as "events" in Maryland's Takoma Park, and Loudoun County in Virginia. Ahmed Aboulenein reported from Washington, Nathan Layne from New York and Mark Porter edited the story.
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PJM, the largest US power grid, intensifies emergency measures to prevent blackouts
PJM, the largest U.S. power 'grid operator, said?Friday he was on a federal alert for reducing electricity consumption in his territory due to generator failures, massive overloading of?its transmission lines and a spike in ac usage from prolonged sweltering temperatures. PJM said it had told utilities that they could reduce the electricity supplied to customers if they were under contract. PJM serves 67,000,000 people in the Mid-Atlantic, South, and Washington, D.C. area. This week, spot wholesale electricity prices in Northern Virginia, the home of the largest 'collection of data centres in the world, soared past $2,000 per megawatt hour. This compares to a?about 40?per MWh if PJM was not in distress. According to industry analysts and PJM operations data, the surge in prices is mainly because it's becoming expensive to supply power accross congested high voltage power lines.
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Alupar and Axia win power transmission projects in Brazil
A consortium led by Brazilian power company Alupar secured the largest lot in Friday's power transmission auction in Brazil, while Axia Energy won the other three projects. The consortium of Alupar, the Infra II Investment fund and other partners'secured' the installation of underground transmission in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo with a proposal that offered to take 48 percent of the maximum revenue the project could generate. The auctioned lots on Friday were the most expensive, with the highest?investment expected at 1.1 billion reais (212.9?million). Axia Energia was awarded the remaining projects in Sao Paulo state, Mato Grosso state, and Mato Grosso do Sul with 668 million reais of required investment. According to the results released in Sao Paulo by the B3 stock market, Axia's winning offers offered a discount of more than 50% on the?allowed revenue in three cases. Brazil reauctioned four 'power transmission projects' after MEZ Energia - a company which had won concessions for 2020 and 2021 - failed to progress with them.
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Ivory Coast increases renewable energy with new solar power station
Ivory Coast opened a solar power plant of 52.4 megawatts (MW) on Friday as part of its 'efforts' to increase the % share of regenerative energy in their electricity mix, and achieve climate goals by 2021. The world's biggest cocoa producer wants to be a major energy supplier in West Africa. It aims to use 46% renewable energy by 2035. Ivory Coast has an installed capacity of approximately 3,000 MW. Most of this power is generated by oil and gas plants. It exports electricity to Ghana, Burkina Faso. Benin, Togo, and Mali. At the opening ceremony, Mines Minister Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly stated that "Today's Ceremony fits perfectly with Ivory Coast's strategy... to accelerate its energy transition through diversifying the electricity mix by expanding renewable energy capacity." According to PFO Africa, which is a 100% Ivorian infrastructure investment group, the Ferke Solar Plant?will?supply electricity for 370,000 households and directly serve about 2,000,000 people in primarily?the northern Ferkessedougou Region?. Construction ?of the plant was ?financed by PFO ?Africa subsidiary PFO Energies and it will operate on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer basis. (Editing by Ayen deng Bior, Editing by Emelia sithole-Matarise).
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Yemen's Armed Forces Threaten Saudi Targets over Iran Flight to Sanaa
According to a military spokesperson, Yahya Saarea, Yemen's armed force alleged that they had confronted Saudi 'warplanes' attempting to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing in Sanaa International Airport. Sarea reported that the Iran-aligned group had warned they would "target Saudi airports and vital interest on land and sea" if Saudi Arabia continued to violate Yemeni airspace. He added that flights between Sanaa, Yemen and Tehran would continue despite "possible" consequences. Houthi Al Masirah TV reported earlier on Friday, that an Iranian aircraft had arrived in Sanaa. The group's delegation was then flown to Tehran for the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Among the passengers were more than 200 patients. Saudi Arabia led a coalition of military forces that intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015. This was after Houthis, who were aligned with Iran, seized Sanaa as the capital. The Houthis demonstrated their drone and missile capabilities in attacks against Saudi Arabia, which targeted oil installations and other vital infrastructure. (Reporting and editing by Louise Heavens, Philippe Fletcher and Eman Abouhassira)
Western powers failed to secure shipping on the Red Sea. Hormuz is going to be more difficult
Western allies negotiating a way to protect energy shipping through the Strait of Hormuz face a harsh reality. A similar effort that began years ago in the Red Sea cost billions of dollars, and ultimately failed to defeat Yemen's Houthis. The Red Sea experience, which cost billions of dollars and resulted in four ships being sunk and more than $1billion spent on weapons, is a stark reminder of the Strait of Hormuz. This shipping artery, used by a fifth or the world's oil and LNG supply, has been blocked by Iran - an adversary more powerful than the Houthis. Iran's threats against the strait, and its attacks on the energy infrastructure of nearby Gulf nations has sent oil prices soaring. This is the biggest disruption in oil and gas supply in history. Without the reopening of the strait, energy, food, and other products will be more expensive. Kuwait Petroleum CEO Sheikh Nawaf Sabah Al-Sabah stated in a fiery live video stream to the CERAWeek Energy Conference in Houston, Texas on Tuesday that "there is no substitute for Strait of Hormuz". It is the world's Strait, according to international law and in practical terms. On Tuesday, U.N. Security Council Members were negotiating resolutions to protect the strait. Some nations, like Bahrain, took a strong stance, which would authorize the use "all necessary measures" to defend the strait – including the use force.
The interview was conducted with 19 maritime and security experts, who discussed the many challenges that the U.S. faces in protecting the Strait. Iran has more sophisticated military forces than the Houthis. It also has an arsenal of drones, missiles and floating mines.
The Red Sea is a much more difficult place to defend convoy operations than the Strait of Hormuz, said retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery. He was part of the 1988 U.S. oil tanker escorts that crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the Iran-Iraq War.
This is a major concern for U.S. president Donald Trump, who must justify the Iran War to the inflation-weary American public now that gasoline costs nearly $4 per gallon. Analysts said that the spike in energy costs is unlikely to reverse itself until the waterway is opened. Trump has not been committed to U.S. involvement. He first said that the U.S. Navy would escort vessels when necessary, and then, more recently, he stated that other nations should lead the effort. Since the joint U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran began on February 28, Iran has blocked many ships from entering the'maritime chokepoint. A lawmaker in Iran told state media that Iran is considering the idea of charging vessels who want to enter the strait a fee.
THE HORMUZ QUAGMIRE In December 2023 the U.S. launched a mission to protect Red Sea shipping against the Houthis. European nations joined in a few months after. The Houthis sank 4 ships between 2024-2025, despite the fact that the allies destroyed hundreds of missiles and drones. The passageway that once carried 12% of the world's trade is now mostly avoided by shippers, who prefer to travel around the Horn of Africa, a journey which takes much longer.
Joshua Tallis is a naval analyst with the research firm CNA.
The danger zone surrounding the Strait of Hormuz can be up to five times larger than the Houthis attack zone surrounding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait which flows into the Red Sea. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a professional army with access to funding and its own weapon factories.
Military experts say that to provide escorts in the Strait, up to 12 large warships like destroyers would be needed, supported by drones, helicopters and jets. This is to "account" for the limited space available for maneuvering. To protect against drones and explosive-laden unmanned or manned vessels, overhead air coverage is essential.
Analysts at SSY said that while a destroyer could intercept missiles, it couldn't sweep mines simultaneously, manage GPS disruption, or counter drone-boat swarms coming from multiple directions.
Analysts think that Iran's IRGC fighters are hiding missiles and drones in caves and buildings along the steep mountainous coast. Experts said that in some areas, the shore is so close to ships, drones can swarm them within five to ten minutes.
"There are drones, ballistic missiles and floating mines. Even if you could destroy these three capabilities, there would still be suicide operations," said Adel Bakerawan, Director of the European Institute for Studies on the Middle East & North Africa.
Tom Sharpe, retired commander of the Royal Navy, says that the U.S. has not faced these threats in the Red Sea. He said that the stakes are high for dealing with these threats.
If (the Americans) lost a destroyer, that would change the equation. Sharpe said that 300 people could be killed, referring to the?potential death of U.S. sailors. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated earlier this month that there is no evidence that Iran has mined the Strait. This was after reports that Iran deployed a dozen mines along the waterway.
Bryan Clark, a Hudson Institute expert on autonomous warfare, says that a combination of mine clearance, military escorts, and air patrols will eventually allow the strait to be reopened.
Clark said that it could take months to finally erode the IRGC's threat.
(source: Reuters)