North America

The British outsourcer Mitie Group and smaller rival Marlowe are in discussions to purchase each other, the companies announced on Wednesday. This sent Marlowe shares up 13%. According to British takeover regulations, Mitie, a provider of services in the public and private sectors, including security, cleaning and engineering, must make a firm bid for Marlowe by July 2 or leave. Marlowe is a smaller peer, with a capitalisation of about 290 million pounds (392,31 million dollars), that provides risk management and compliance services to UK businesses, including safety inspections. By 1242 GMT, shares of Marlowe had risen 13.2% while Mitie’s...

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that on Wednesday, the West had been involved both directly and indirectly in Ukrainian "terrorist" attacks against civilian targets within Russia. The U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy stated that the risk of an escalation in the war in Ukraine had "gone way up" since Ukrainian forces used drones against nuclear-capable aircraft at several airbases inside Russia. The Russian State Investigative Committee accused Ukraine on Tuesday of "acts" of terrorism by blowing two railway bridges up in Russia at the weekend. The explosion of a highway overpass in Russia was a...

Beta Technologies, the company and port officials announced on Tuesday that it was the first U.S. firm to land an electric aircraft in the New York/New Jersey area. In a press release, the airline said that a flight from New York to John F. Kennedy International Airport took 45 minutes. The pilot was accompanied by four passengers. Airlines and transportation companies are developing services that use electric aircraft powered by batteries, which can land and take off vertically. This allows them to transport travelers on short city trips while avoiding traffic. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finalized in October comprehensive...

Two sources familiar with this matter say that the Trump administration's widespread reductions in federal staff have left a Florida-based emergency response team, which reopens U.S. port after storms or accidents, unstaffed during hurricane season. Sources said that the closure of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Navigation Response Team, located in Fernandina Florida, one of six locations across the country, could result in slower response times and more port closures this summer if hurricanes hit the U.S. Southeast. Teams are responsible for deploying survey vessels into ports to identify underwater hazards which must be removed to reopen the shipping....

Hong Kong's leader stated on Tuesday that China had recently removed its top representative from the city. He was known for his strict policies regarding national security. China surprised the world by announcing late Friday night that Zheng Yanxiong - the director of the China Liaison Office in Hong Kong, Beijing's main representation office in the city, with a powerful influence over local affairs – had been "removed". Zhou Ji was appointed to replace him. He is a senior officer at the Hong Kong Macau Affairs Office of the State Council. Zheng played a major role in the crackdown against...

Russian authorities announced early Sunday that at least seven people had died and 30 others were hospitalized after "illegal intervention" caused a collapsed bridge and train derailment in the Bryansk region of Russia, which borders Ukraine. Russian Railways announced on Telegram that the train's locomotive, along with several cars, had derailed due to "the collapse of a span-structure of the road bridge in response to an illegal interference with the operation of transportation." Alexander Bogomaz said that two children, including one in a critical condition, were hospitalized. The state-run Russian news agencies cited medics to report that the driver of...

Casa dos Ventos, a wind farm developer in Brazil's northeast, has received regulatory approval for a 300 megawatt project. The company had been discussing an investment of a large data center with TikTok owner. Casa dos Ventos reported on Friday that the Brazilian national grid operator (ONS), has given the green light for the project to be connected at the Pecem Port Complex in Ceara. Casa dos Ventos said that the total investment for infrastructure and equipment in the data centers will be 50 billion reais (8.7 billion dollars). A person with knowledge of the negotiations stated that the ONS...

According to a statement from ICE, the Intercontinental Exchange, which runs the arabica futures contracts that set the benchmark price for this type of coffee globally, will be changing the way these contracts are offered over the next few months. The exchange announced late Thursday that they would stop offering the current futures contracts which are priced in cents per pound and instead offer new contracts with a price in dollars per ton. When the contract expires, around March 2028, all contracts will be quoted in dollars per metric ton. Around March 2028 all contracts will then be quoted in...

The executive director of America's busiest port said that importer uncertainty remains high ahead of the crucial holiday ocean shipping season, as a legal battle over President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs broke out. The U.S. Court of International Trade's ruling on Wednesday night threatened to delay or even kill Trump's "Liberation Day", tariffs, on the majority of U.S. trading partner countries. However, a federal appellate court reinstated these duties on Thursday. Gene Seroka said that business was softer than normal as we enter the traditional ocean shipping seasons for back-to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas merchandise. He expects that the...

The Department of Energy announced on Thursday that Sempra’s Port Arthur Phase 2 Project in Texas had won U.S. approval for exporting liquefied gas to Europe and Asia. The first final LNG export approval was issued by U.S. president Donald Trump. He reversed the pause that former president Biden ordered in order to study the economic and environmental impact of this booming industry. According to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, the project is "a significant expansion of a first phase that was already under construction – turning more liquid gold underneath our feet into energy for the American public."...

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday said it would extend by three years a program that allows Boeing to perform some tasks on the agency's behalf like inspections, saying the planemaker had made improvements. In May 2022, the agency agreed to renew Boeing's Organization Designation Authorization -- known as ODA -- program for three years rather than the five Boeing had asked for to ensure the planemaker implemented "required improvements." Before making the decision to again extend the ODA program, FAA said it had "closely monitored specific criteria and saw improvements in most areas," adding that it "will continue...

The Trump Administration announced on Wednesday that it had agreed to stop the U.S. Transportation Department from considering race or gender in awarding federal highway and transportation project funding for small businesses. In September, a judge in Kentucky ruled a federal program enacted by the U.S. government in 1983 that treated businesses owned and operated by racial and ethnic minorities as presumptively disadvantaged in order to qualify for funding was in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection guarantee. In a court document, the Transportation department stated that "the program's use of presumptions based on race and gender is unconstitutional."...

U.S. Pipeline Operator ONEOK announced on Tuesday that it has purchased the remaining stake in Delaware Basin Joint Venture from NGP XI Midstream Holdings for $940 million in cash and stock. By acquiring the remaining interest of 49.9%, ONEOK gained the sole ownership of this basin. It operates natural gas gathering, processing, and storage facilities in West Texas, and New Mexico’s Delaware Basin. The total processing capacity is over 700 million cubic feet a day. In the last two years, the operator of the pipeline has diversified its portfolio through acquisitions. These include a Gulf Coast NGL system from Easton...

On Tuesday, groups representing U.S. and global airlines warned that new tariffs on imports of commercial aircraft, jet engine parts and other components could threaten air safety or the supply chain, and have unintended consequences. After President Donald Trump announced in April sweeping duties against trade partners, the industry is already facing 10% tariffs. The Commerce Department launched an investigation called Section 232 last month to examine the risks imported goods pose to U.S. security. This could lead to even higher tariffs for imported planes, engines, and parts. In a recent filing, the Aerospace Industries Association (which represents Boeing, Airbus...

The group of major U.S.-based and international aeropsace companies warned on Tuesday that new tariffs on commercial aircraft, jet engine and part imports could have unintended or dangerous consequences for air safety. The Commerce Department opened a Section 232 investigation last month that could lead to even higher tariffs for imported planes and engines, as well as parts. Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), which represents Boeing and Airbus as well as RTX and GE Aerospace, urged Commerce Department to extend the public comment period by 90 days, and not impose any new tariffs until at least 180. They called for further...

The current head of this panel announced on social media that U.S. president Donald Trump would nominate Laura Swett to be chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Swett, a Vinson & Elkins energy lawyer, represents pipelines and power companies before FERC. He has also served as an advisor to a Republican chair and a Republican commissioner at the independent agency. Mark Christie, a Republican chairman, announced in a late Monday post on X that he would remain in office after the 30th of June for a couple of weeks. Swett's confirmation must be approved by the Senate which is...

Officials from Russia in Ukraine said that drone and shelling attacks by the Ukrainians caused power outages in large areas of Russian-controlled territory, including in Zaporizhzhia region and Kherson region in south Ukraine. Officials have said that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station - Europe's biggest nuclear facility - has not been affected by the Russian invasion in February 2022. The Russian officials who run the plant have said that radiation levels are normal in the facility. It is currently shut down and does not produce any power. The governors of the two regions, who are Russian-installed, said that the Ukrainian...

The preliminary LSEG ship tracking data shows that U.S. liquefied gas exports dropped in May as a result of plant outages and repairs at the largest export facility. U.S. LNG production is a major factor in global LNG price. According to LSEG, the U.S. exports 8.9 million metric tonnes of LNG in May, down from a new record of 9.3 MT set in April. The LSEG data revealed that all U.S. plants had short periods in May when compared with April. Cheniere Energy confirmed its Sabine Pass facility, which is the largest in the country, at 30 MTPA. Since May...

Federal Aviation Administration plans to increase the number of flights next week at Newark Liberty International Airport after a new runway was opened on Monday, nearly two weeks before schedule. At a press event at the airport, Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau stated that the runway was already in use for departing flight but that it would take until the 9th of June to certify the runway for arrivals. This will allow the rate to be increased from 28 arriving flights per hour to 34. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, said that the airport would be able to handle 34 arrivals...

The preliminary LSEG ship tracking data shows that the U.S. liquefied gas output dropped in May as a result of plant outages and repairs at the largest export facility. U.S. LNG production is a major factor in global LNG price. According to LSEG, the U.S. exports 8.9 million metric tonnes of LNG in May, down from a new record of 9.3 MT set in April. The LSEG data revealed that all U.S. plants had short periods in May when compared with April. Cheniere Energy confirmed its Sabine Pass facility, which is the largest in the country, at 30 MTPA. Since...

Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, met with the leaders of 10 provinces on Monday to discuss ways to speed up the approval process for mining and energy projects. Carney claims that streamlining the process would boost the GDP and offset the damage caused by U.S. Tariffs. Carney said Ottawa would declare a number of projects as being in the national interests in an attempt to speed up their construction. He has requested a list from the provinces of possible candidates. The approval process will be shortened to just two years from five. Carney, at the beginning of the...

According to a source familiar with the calculations and statistics, Kazakhstan's oil output fell 4% from April to May due to a lower production at the Tengiz Oilfield. However, it remained above the OPEC+ quota. Kazakhstan, a country in the top 10 oil producers, has consistently exceeded the quotas of OPEC+. This alliance is between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers, led by Russia. Officials from Kazakhstan said that the country had told the group it did not plan to reduce its oil production. According to the source, Kazakhstan produced 1.748 millions bpd in May....

The International Air Transport Association announced on Sunday that it expects sustainable aviation fuel production to double by 2025, reaching 2 million tonnes. This represents 0.7% of airline fuel consumption. IATA, a powerful industry group, has warned that airlines may struggle to achieve their sustainability goals and described the production rate of SAF (which is more expensive than conventional Jet Fuel) as disappointingly slow. Willie Walsh, Director general of IATA, said that although the increase in production was encouraging it would add $4.4 billion to the global aviation fuel bill. Walsh stated in a press release that "the pace of...

The runway at Newark Liberty International Airport is scheduled to reopen Monday, nearly two weeks before schedule, following several weeks of chaos caused by equipment failures, runway construction, and a shortage of air traffic control personnel that led to flight cancellations, delays, and diversions, U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced. Manhattan is located about 14.5 km (9 miles) away from Newark Liberty Airport, which is one of New York City's main airports. Duffy announced Friday that the runway would reopen two weeks earlier than the original June 15 deadline. The Federal Aviation Administration reduced flights last week to 28 arrivals...