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Tesla seeks to keep Texas robotaxi data under wraps, regulator says
According to a letter published on Monday, Tesla informed U.S. regulators its answers on the safety and deployment of its robotaxi in Texas were confidential business information that should not be released. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Friday that it was reviewing the answers provided to questions about the safety and reliability of Tesla's self-driving roboticaxi in bad weather. The agency stated on Monday that Tesla is invoking federal law which "restricts NHTSA’s ability to release publicly what the companies call confidential." The agency said that, "after assessing these responses and any other relevant information NHTSA will be taking any necessary action to protect road safety." Since October, NHTSA is investigating collisions between Tesla vehicles that use Full Self-Driving Software in conditions of low visibility. The investigation covers 2.4 millions Tesla vehicles with FSD after four reported accidents, including one fatal accident in 2023. NHTSA stated on Monday that the agency's investigation remains open into Tesla's FSD Supervised/Beta. Tesla says the information it provided to NHTSA was commercially valuable, as competitors could use it for their own automated and advanced driving systems. In a letter to NHTSA, Casey Blaine, Tesla's regulatory senior counsel wrote that "nefarious actors" could use the marked information in order to discredit Tesla for the sake or notoriety. In the absence of public disclosure, accessing the marked information would require significant time and resource expenditures and intimate knowledge of Tesla. Tesla released a small fleet of self-driving cabs to pick up paying passengers on Sunday in Austin, Texas. Elon Musk announced the launch of robotaxis and social media influencers posted videos of their rides. Musk believes that the Tesla EV maker will be able to survive financially if it can attract paying passengers. Tesla shares rose 8% to $347.80 in the afternoon on Monday.
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Turkish Airlines confirms that it has held non-binding discussions about potential Air Europa investments
Turkish Airlines said it was holding non-binding talks to evaluate a possible investment in Spanish airline Air Europa, and explore potential partnership synergies. In a late Friday filing with the stock exchange, Turkish Airlines confirmed that it was considering a bid to acquire a minority stake of Air Europa. The flag carrier stated that it evaluates growth potentials regularly to improve its global position in the aviation sector. Media reports have stated that Turkish Airlines has been in talks to buy shares in Air Europa. In this context non-binding talks are being held in order to assess the potential investment in Air Europa, and to explore possible partnership synergies", the company stated in a statement. Turkish Airlines' consideration is important, since there are very few carriers outside Europe that have bought shares in regional players. Air Europa operates flights within Spain and between Madrid, Europe and Latin America. (Reporting Canan Svgili, Editing Jan Harvey)
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After Iran threatened to retaliate against US strikes, Doha in Qatar heard explosions
Witnesses reported hearing explosions over Qatar's capital Doha, just hours after a Western diplomatic official said that there was a credible Iranian threat to the U.S. run al Udeid Air Base in the Gulf Arab State since noon. The diplomat's remarks came shortly after Qatar announced that it had temporarily closed its airspace to ensure the safety for residents and visitors. The U.S. Embassy in Qatar advised Americans earlier to shelter in place out of "overwhelming caution". Iran has threatened to retaliate after U.S. aircraft dropped 30,000 pound bunker busters on Iran's nuclear underground installations at the weekend. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump raised the possibility that the Iranian government could be overthrown. Israel had struck earlier on Monday a prison for political prisoners located in Tehran, a powerful demonstration of its expanding targets beyond nuclear and military sites. Its aim was to strike at the very pillars that support Iran's ruling regime. Two U.S. officials have said that Washington believes Iran will soon launch attacks against American forces in the Middle East, but the U.S. still seeks a diplomatic solution that would allow Tehran to forgo any retaliation. Oil prices were largely unchanged despite Iran's threat to disrupt oil shipments out of the Gulf. This suggests traders did not believe the Islamic Republic was serious about any action which would disrupt global supply. In Moscow, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met to discuss Tehran's next moves.
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Qatar shuts down airspace; US and UK warn citizens to shelter in Place
Qatar announced on Monday that it had temporarily shut down its airspace, after U.S. authorities and British authorities advised their citizens to shelter in place for the time being. Iran reiterated earlier threats of retaliation against the U.S. following strikes on its nuclear site. Al Udeid Air Base is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. It serves as the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, and houses approximately 10,000 troops. Two U.S. officials told separately that Iran could launch attacks against American forces in the Middle East in the near future, one source stating it could occur in the next two days. The messages sent by the British and U.S. embassies in Qatar stated that their recommendations had been made "out of a great deal of caution", and provided no additional information. Qatar's Foreign Minister said on X, that Qatari airspace will be closed in response to developments in the area. He did not go into more detail. Majed al Ansari, the spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, had earlier released a press release stating that security conditions in Qatar remained stable. Qataris were confused about what they perceived as mixed messages from Qatari officials and U.S. Embassy officials. After the announcement by the Embassy, American universities in Qatar sent a message to their staff and students. Northwestern University told people to leave and Georgetown University allowed people to return home. The American School has closed its campus until further notice. Reporting by Andrew Mills, Tala Ramadan and Maha El Dahan. Writing by Mahal Dahan. Editing by Kevin Liffey and Aidan Lewis.
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US electricity prices rise as a brutal heatwave stresses grids
The U.S. electricity prices have risen to their highest level since winter, as businesses and homes turned up their air conditioners in order to escape the brutal heatwave that blanketed the eastern half. This has put a strain on regional power grids. Extreme weather reminds the consumers of the deadly freeze in February 2020, which left millions of Texans with no power, water or heat for days. And a brutal heatwave in August 2020 that caused the California The power grid imposed rotating outages on about 800,000 consumers over two days. AccuWeather, a weather forecaster, predicted high temperatures for New York City, the largest city in the United States. United States On Monday, the mercury is expected to reach 98 F. This will break the record set 137 years ago of 96 F. The weather is expected to rapidly cool down in New York from 94 F to 85 F by Thursday, and then to 78 F by Friday. This compares to the current record highs for Monday and Tuesday of 96 F, set in 1888. A normal high of 82 F is also seen in New York at this time of year. Prices for next-day electricity at the PJM West hub In Pennsylvania, the cost of electricity has risen by more than 430% since January to $211 per Megawatt Hour (MWh). New England Power prices have risen by more than 18% to $161 per MWh - their highest level since February. This compares to average power prices of $55 per megawatt hour in PJM, and $81 per megawatt hour in New England for 2025. HEAT WEATHER ALERT PJM Interconnection operates the power grid for all or part of 13 states. New Jersey Illinois The alert, which was issued on Monday, asked generators to be prepared to run at full capacity in the event of a heat wave. PJM predicted that power demand would reach 160,000 Megawatts (MW), 158,000 MW, and 155,000 MW for Monday. On a normal day, one megawatt is enough to power around 800 homes. However, this number drops dramatically on hot summer days when air conditioners are turned up in homes and offices. Grid operator says the alert is aimed primarily at transmission and generator owners, who can plan maintenance accordingly. It also sends a signal to nearby regions that PJM exports of power may have to be curtailed. Reporting by Scott DiSavino, New York; and IshaanArora, Bengaluru. Editing by Jan Harvey & Andrea Ricci.
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Air India to undergo annual audit by India's watchdog within days of deadly crash
A government memo revealed that ten officials from India's aviation watchdog would visit Air India headquarters for an audit on Tuesday. This comes as the airline faces intense scrutiny following a plane crash which killed 271 people. Air India is not being audited because of the crash, but it has received warnings from the aviation safety watchdog for lapses. It has also cut its routes citing the need for "operational security" after the deadly June 12 crash in India's Ahmedabad. During the visit, officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will examine documents related to Air India's operations, audit findings, and action taken reports, according to a memo that was seen by. Adhiraj Yadav will lead the 10-member DGCA Team, which will include a number of flight operations inspectors. The team also includes two officials who will check cabin safety standards. Memo stating that top Air India executives must be present for the "annual surveillance and regulatory auditor" from June 24 to 26. Air India and DGCA didn't respond to questions. The watchdog issued a warning on Saturday to Air India over "repeated serious violations" in relation to the scheduling of pilot duty. It also directed that three executives be removed from their roles as crew schedulers. Air India has confirmed that it has followed the order. After years of complaints from travelers about poor service, Air India will be taken over by Tata Group 2022. It faces many challenges to rebuild its reputation. Air India was warned by the authorities for violating safety regulations after it flew three Airbus planes that were overdue on checks of emergency equipment and escape slides. The investigation into the cause of June 12's incident continues.
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Middle East flights suspended by airlines
Israel's attacks against Iran have caused international airlines to stop flights to certain Middle East destinations because of airspace closures and safety issues. The conflict has entered a new phase after the U.S. invasion on Iranian nuclear sites Some airlines have cancelled flights to hubs such as Dubai is Qatar's Doha. Here are some airlines that have cancelled flights from and to the region. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, announced that it had cancelled all flights from and to Tel Aviv up until September 30. AEROFLOT Aeroflot, a Russian airline, has announced that it has cancelled flights between Moscow & Tehran and changed other routes throughout the Middle East. AIR EUROPA Spanish airline cancels flights from and to Tel Aviv through July 31. AIR FRANCE-KLM French flag carrier suspends flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut until July 14, and until June 25, respectively. Air France has also cancelled flights to and out of Dubai and Riyadh up until June 24. KLM has cancelled all flights from and to Tel Aviv, at least until July 1, and warned that flights from, to or via Beirut may be affected until June 29. DELTA AIR LINES Travel to, from or through Tel Aviv could be affected between June 12 and July 31. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES The airline announced that it has cancelled all regular flights to EL AL and Sundor until June 27. Flights scheduled to depart until July 15 are also closed to new bookings. ETIHAD AERWAYS Etihad has announced that it will no longer be operating flights between Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv and Tel Aviv after July 15. EMIRATES Emirates has temporarily suspended its flights to and out of Iran (Teheran), Iraq (Baghdad, Basra), and Afghanistan (Bahdad and Basra), until June 30. FINNAIR Finnair has cancelled all flights from and to Doha until June 30 as well as flight AY1982 for July 1. Finnair added that it will not fly through the airspace over Iraq, Iran or Syria. FLYDUBAI Flydubai has temporarily suspended its flights to and out of Iran, Iraq and Israel until June 30, 2018. British Airways, owned by IAG, has announced that flights to Tel Aviv will be suspended until July 31, and flights to Amman or Bahrain until June 30. After cancelling flights to and from Dubai and Doha the previous day, British Airways was scheduled to resume Dubai and Doha routes on June 23, Iberia Express, IAG's low cost airline, announced previously that it would cancel its flights to Tel Aviv up until June 30. Iberia has cancelled all flights to Doha and Dubai until the 24th of June. ISRAIR Israeli Airlines has announced that all flights to and from Israel have been cancelled until June 30, 2018. Israir has halted the sale of its flights up to July 7 inclusive. ITA AIRWAYS Italian Airlines announced that it will extend the suspension of Tel Aviv flight until July 31. This includes two flights scheduled for August 1. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa has suspended flights from and to Tel Aviv, Tehran and Beirut until July 31. Amman and Erbil flights are cancelled through July 11. German Airlines added that they would not use the airspace of these countries until further notice. PEGASUS Turkish Airlines has announced that they have cancelled all flights to Iran and Iraq until July 30, and flights to Lebanon, Jordan and Lebanon until June 30. QATAR AIRWAYS Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to and from Iraq and Syria. RYANAIR Ryanair has announced that it will cancel flights from and to Tel Aviv up until September 30. SINGAPORE Airlines The Asian carrier has cancelled flights from Singapore to Dubai up until the 25th of June. Romania's flag airline has suspended all commercial flights from and to Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Amman till June 24. TUS AIRWAYS The Cypriot Airlines cancelled all flights scheduled to depart and arrive in Israel until June 30, inclusive. The airline said that flights scheduled to depart between July 1-7 are currently sold out, pending any further developments. UNITED AIRLINES According to the U.S. airline, travel from and to Tel Aviv could be affected between June 13, and August 1, 2013. There may be problems with flights to and from Dubai between June 18th and July 3th. WIZZ AIR Wizz Air has announced that it will suspend its flights to and from Tel Aviv, Amman and Jordan until September 15, 2015. Hungarian Airlines will not overfly Israeli, Iraqi or Iranian airspaces until further notice. (Reporting and compilation by bureaus, compiled by Agnieszka Olesnka, Elviira Loma, and Tiago Brancao; Editing by Matt Scuffham, Alison Williams and Matt Scuffham)
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Norway secures four new offshore wind sites
The Norwegian energy regulator identified four additional areas that are most suitable for future offshore development. It announced this on Monday. The government will now consult on the findings to determine the best way forward. Norway is planning to open enough land by 2040 for offshore wind development to reach 30 gigawatts, which could increase the country's capacity to produce electricity by 75%. Initially, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate NVE identified 20 areas that were suitable for offshore wind deployment. After further study of the remaining land, it found that four other areas were also suitable. Kjetil Lind, NVE's director, said that NVE had found four areas in southern Norway with better economic, grid and wind conditions. The impact on the environment, other industries and the environment was relatively minimal. The government must decide which acres to select, he said. The government has not stated how many areas they are hoping to move forward. Terje Aasland, the Energy Minister, said that the government would conduct a consultation with industry and other stakeholders to get their input. They will also weigh in local support as well as the need for additional power. Lund, NVE's Lund, who presented the report said that offshore wind in Norway was not profitable at present without significant financial assistance. The Energy Minister declined to comment on future potential subsidies but stated that he expects costs for offshore winds to decrease over time. Norway's first offshore turbine farms, Soerlige Nordsjoe II (norwegian crowns worth $2.26 billion) and Utsira Nord (norwegian crowns worth 35 billion), have received state assistance of 23 billion Norwegian crowns.
Exports of US ethane to China now face a new licensing requirement
According to trade sources, and data on shipping, Chinese buyers of U.S.-produced ethane – a vital petrochemical raw material – face new uncertainty following a directive from the Commerce Department to exporters that they must obtain export licences for China.
Washington has ordered that a wide range of companies stop shipping products, such as ethane or butane, without a license to China and revoked the licences granted to certain suppliers.
This is the latest in a series of disruptions in Chinese purchases from the United States of ethane. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. ethane exports will reach a record 492,000 barrels / day by 2024 or almost half of U.S. imports.
China raised tariffs on U.S. imports to 125% in early last month but waived them for petrochemical companies that depend on the United States. China imports almost all of their ethane.
Kpler data shows that at least two Very Large Gas Carrier were waiting in U.S. ports this week to load ethane, while thirteen more tankers will be heading to or waiting off the U.S. Gulf Coast for about 460,000 metric tonnes of ethane to be loaded by June.
It will be a big issue if exports of ethane are stopped, said an ethane-importer from China who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak with the media.
We are watching with caution if the exporters will be able to obtain new export licenses in the near future.
Kpler data and LSEG showed that the VLGC Pacific Ineos Grenadadier, which was supposed to be loading ethane at Enterprise Products Partners' Morgan's Point Terminal at La Porte in Texas for Ineos, has been docked at this terminal since last Friday.
The data shows that Stl Qianjiang, anchored near Energy Transfer Nederland's terminal, is due to load ethane, for Chinese petrochemical company Satellite Chemical.
Satellite Chemical, Enterprise Energy Transfer, and Ineos have not responded to our requests for comments outside of office hours.
In a note, Julian Renton, analyst at East Daley Analytics said that "the market disruption could be immediately".
Sources in the trade say that Ineos may divert cargo to Europe. The company also purchases ethane from Europe for its plants.
Enterprise, one of the top handlers of butane and ethane, stated in a filing that it was evaluating their procedures and internal control and couldn't determine if they would be able get a license.
The traders said that Chinese operators may not be affected in the near future, since they have enough stocks.
Renton, of East Daley, said that if the restrictions remain in place, Chinese petrochemical facilities could be faced with critical feedstock shortages and projects could stall.
Chinese petrochemical companies use ethane to replace naphtha as a feedstock, while U.S. producers of oil and gas rely on China to purchase their natural gas liquids because domestic supply is greater than demand.
Satellite Chemical shares fell 3.1% Friday, while Wanhua Chemical stocks dropped 1.3%.
(source: Reuters)