North America

On Tuesday, a group of nine Senators from the Environment and Public Works Committee claimed that the Trump Administration is illegally withholding funds previously granted to the states for charging electric vehicles. The U.S. Transportation Department announced on Thursday that it would suspend the electric vehicle charging programs and rescind approval of state EV charger plans pending a re-evaluation. The Democratic Senators in the Committee led by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse stated that the action was "in blatant disregard of law." Whitehouse requested any emails which would indicate if Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and advisor to President Donald Trump was involved...

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO of Dubai-based ports and logistics firm DP World, said that President Donald Trump expected other markets to open if America did. Trump wants fair trade and not free trade. He said this at the World Government Summit held in Dubai. The U.S. president substantially increased tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum on Monday, to a flat rate of 25%. He hopes this will help the struggling industries within the United States. However, it also risks igniting a multifront trade war. Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Brazil will be applied to...

Investigators prepare to push forward on Friday with efforts to obtain the two aircraft involved in a crash in Washington that killed 67 people and raised questions about air safety in the U.S. capital. Fresh from recuperating the so-called black boxes from the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River after hitting an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday, scuba divers intend to salvage the aircraft and discover extra parts on Friday, Washington's fire department said. Overnight, boats will remain on scene for security and surface searches from regional, state, and federal regional partners, it stated. The National...

Private investigators plan to push forward on Friday with efforts to retrieve the two airplane associated with a crash in Washington that killed 67 people and raised questions about air safety in the U.S. capital. Fresh from recovering the so-called black boxes from the American Airlines airplane that crashed into the Potomac River after hitting an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday, scuba divers intend to restore the airplane and discover additional elements on Friday, Washington's fire department said. Overnight, boats will remain on scene for security and surface searches from regional, state, and federal regional partners, it stated. The...

President Donald Trump recommended without proof on Thursday that the lethal midair crash of 2 aircraft in Washington was the outcome of the Federal Air travel Administration's efforts to hire a more varied labor force. Trump leveled the allegation at a White House press conference called to upgrade Americans on the Wednesday night crash in which a guest jet about to land at Reagan National Airport collided with an Army helicopter on a training flight. The cause of the air crash is not yet clear, and there is no proof that efforts to make the federal labor force more diverse...

An American Airlines regional passenger jet was associated with a midair accident on Wednesday night with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, officials said. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas stated on social networks that we know there are casualties, though he did not state how many. These are the last 11 fatal airline crashes to occur in the U.S., according to data from the U.S. National Transport Board and the Flight Safety Structure's Aviation Security Network: 2013. An Asiana Airlines airplane crashed at 2009 A Colgan Air turboprop crashed on approach to landing in. Buffalo,...

President Donald Trump recommended without proof on Thursday that the fatal midair crash of two aircraft in Washington was the outcome of the Federal Air travel Administration's efforts to employ a more diverse and fair workforce. Trump leveled the accusation at a White House press teleconference to upgrade Americans on the Wednesday night crash in which a traveler jet about to land at Reagan National Airport collided with an Army helicopter on a training flight. It drew quick criticism from aviation safety specialists, special needs rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers. There were no survivors among the 64 individuals on the...

Spanish fashion and scent business Puig reported a 14.3% rise in fourthquarter sales on Thursday, beating expert expectations for the key vacation duration. The Barcelona-based business behind fragrance brands Rabanne, Carolina Herrera and Jean Paul Gaultier said net sales for the three months to Dec. 31 were 1.36 billion euros ($ 1.42 billion),. above the 1.30 billion euro typical projection from analysts. polled by LSEG. Puig, which generates the majority of its earnings from fragrance. sales, is greatly reliant on the holiday season, with analysts. approximating that almost half of its eminence fragrances are sold in. the quarter that consists...

Truckers' transportation lobby said this week that a large grain transshipment center linking Brazil's heartland to the port of Santos was clogged by trucks unable unload grain quickly. According to a press release from ANATC (which represents 2.2 millions truckers), lines of up to 3,500 trucks formed at the Rondonopolis plant in Mato Grosso. The situation is alarming. Carley Welter said that unloading can take as long as 24 hours or 48 hours. Brazil's soybean program has a slow start due to logistics disruptions. Brazil's soybean exports fell by 1.3 million tonnes in January, compared to 2.4 million tons the...

Data based on vessel movement showed that Venezuelan oil exports increased 15% in January to 867,000 barrels a day. This was due to an increase in shipments from U.S. giant Chevron Corp through its joint ventures and state firm PDVSA as well as more cargoes going to China. Last year, the administration of former U.S. president Joe Biden did not renew an authorization that allowed Venezuela, which was sanctioned, to export oil freely. However, it granted individual licenses for some PDVSA customers and partners, allowing them to export to countries such as India, Europe, and the U.S. Donald Trump said...

Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary for State, welcomed the decision of Panama to allow its participation in China’s global infrastructure plan to expire on Monday. He called the move a "great step forward" for the United States-Panama relationship. Washington has argued Beijing uses this scheme as "debt-trap diplomacy" in order to consolidate its global influence. Rubio made his first trip abroad as the top U.S. diplomacy under President Donald Trump. He visited Panama, an important U.S. ally in Latin America. Rubio also pressed the country to change its relationship with China. Jose Raul Mulino, the Panamanian president, said that after meeting...

Some U.S. officials and lawmakers are citing a nearly 50-year-old treaty signed between the United States of America and Panama as a way to justify Trump's threat to take back the Panama Canal, provided they can prove that the waterway's operations are threatened. Some, however, believe that obstacles would arise if the U.S. tried to use the 1997 Panama Canal Neutrality Treaty - which went into effect in 1999 - to claim the canal. The treaty guarantees the canal will remain neutral and available to ships from any country. Since 1999, the Panama Canal Authority has controlled the 82-km waterway....

Two sources familiar with the plan said that after Monday's drone attack, the Black Sea CPC blend oil loading plan will not change for February. The drone attack hit a pumping facility on an oil pipeline that runs through Russia. This reduced the flow of oil from Kazakhstan into world markets, which is pumped by western firms such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron. Two sources familiar with the situation said that the plan to ship crude oil via CPC remained the same on Monday, at 1.4-1.5 million barrels a day or 5.1 million tons. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which controls...

The Central American nation's Maritime Authority announced on Wednesday that Panama had made progress in removing vessels from its registry if they did not meet the standards of its flag. This was a response to criticisms by the United States that it had allowed sanctioned nations to move ships under the Panamanian flag. Officials and congressmen from the United States have accused Panama for not doing enough to enforce sanctions against vessels and shipowners from countries such as Russia, Iran and Venezuela. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has used these arguments in threatening to take over the Panama Canal. Washington...

U.S. grid operators are asking regulators for more time to fulfill a federal order to upgrade existing transmission lines with devices that can increase their capability approximately 40%, according to a Reuters review of regulatory files. The hold-ups represent a possibly years-long setback for efforts to reinforce the country's weak power infrastructure, at a time recently sworn-in President Donald Trump has declared a. national energy emergency over skyrocketing U.S. electrical power need. from data centers. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in late 2021 had. bought all 6 significant regional grid operators outside of Texas. to develop systems that regularly update...

The U.S. Justice Department announced on Tuesday that a neo Nazi leader who was accused of planning to attack Baltimore's electricity grid had been found guilty of conspiracy to damage an energy facility. Brandon Russell, 29 of Orlando, Florida, and an associate, were arrested by the FBI in February 2023, after a confidential informant foiled their plot. The Justice Department stated that evidence presented at the trial revealed that Russell had conspired between November 2022 until that month to attack transformers in electrical substations, "in furtherance his racially- or ethnically-motivated violent extremist views." Russell posted links on open-source maps of...

Jim Teague said that Enterprise Products Partners did not receive enough interest from customers to commercialize the Sea Port Oil Terminal project (SPOT), the crude export project of the pipeline operator. Teague stated in a conference call following the earnings report that "in order to build SPOT we know what we require is volumes, fees, and terms... If we can't accomplish these within a reasonable time frame, we will move forward." Enterprise's Spot in 2022 was the first project of its kind to be licensed by the U.S. maritime regulator as a deepwater terminal that can load up to two...

Pipeline operator ONEOK, and midstream company MPLX LP have entered into a joint-venture to build a 400,000 barrel per day (bpd), liquefied petrol gas (LPG), export terminal in Texas. The investment total is $1.4 billion. Both companies will invest the same amount to jointly own and operate the Texas City Logistics export terminal (TCX), which is due to be finished in early 2028. MPLX is responsible for the construction and operation of the facility. The agreement includes ONEOK constructing and operating a 24 inch pipeline from its Mont Belvieu storage facility, Texas, to ONEOK's new export terminal. ONEOK owns 80%...

Some U.S. officials and lawmakers are citing a nearly 50-year-old treaty signed between the United States of America and Panama as a way to justify Trump's threat to take back the Panama Canal, provided they can prove that the waterway's operations are threatened. Some, however, believe that obstacles would arise if the U.S. tried to use the 1997 Panama Canal Neutrality Treaty - which went into effect in 1999 - to claim the canal. The treaty guarantees the canal will remain neutral and available to ships from any country. Since 1999, the Panama Canal Authority has controlled the 82-km waterway....

Three officials with knowledge of the situation say that Japan may offer support for a $44billion gas pipeline in Alaska to appease U.S. president Donald Trump and avoid potential trade friction. Sources said that officials in Tokyo believe Trump will bring up the project, which is a key part of the U.S. security and prosperity, at his first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru ishiba in Washington, as early as next week. The overall cost of gas is causing Japan to doubt the viability the 800-mile pipeline that would link fields in Alaska to a southern port where the gas...

Three officials with knowledge of the situation say that Japan may offer support for a $44billion gas pipeline in Alaska to appease U.S. president Donald Trump and avoid potential trade friction. Sources said that officials in Tokyo believe Trump will bring up the project - which he said was important for U.S. security and prosperity - when he meets Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington for the first meeting as early as next week. The overall cost of gas is a concern for Japan, compared to other sources. Officials said that Japan is willing to look into a possible...

Atlantic Shores is a joint venture between Shell Plc, France's EDF and the State of New Jersey. It reiterated on Thursday its commitment to deliver New Jersey's 1st offshore wind project, despite Shell’s recent $1 billion write off related to this venture. Shell's fourth quarter earnings included $2.2 Billion in impairments. Part of this was a $1 Billion write-off on Atlantic Shores. Chief Financial Officer Sinead GORMAN stated that the project didn't align with the company’s capabilities or goals. Shell now wants to monetize the stake. Atlantic Shores submitted a proposal to New Jersey in July of last year as...

A law office representing victims of the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles has submitted images with a legal filing on Wednesday that appear to show exposed wire at the base of a Southern California Edison tower that the firm declares might have added to the fatal blaze. The Eaton Fire was amongst the greatest of several wildfires that emerged on Jan. 7 and spread out rapidly in powerful Santa Ana Winds across the Los Angeles location. The wildfires are potentially the most pricey catastrophe in U.S. history. Photos and video show stimulates or flames near the energy's transmission devices have...

Brazilian and U.S. authorities agreed on Wednesday to go over routinely how Washington will deport migrants from Brazil, as some leaders in Latin America have balked at what they view as bad treatment of their citizens on repatriation flights. Brazil's foreign affairs ministry stated in a social media post that the talks will be led by authorities from the ministry and the U.S. embassy, after the ministry summoned a senior U.S. diplomat previously this week over the treatment of recent deportees that regional officials condemned as degrading. U.S. President Donald Trump, who took workplace recently, has intensified a crackdown on...