Latest News
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NHTSA: Ford recalls 79,800 cars in the US due to door panel and lightbar defects
Ford Motor Company is recalling 79.781 cars in the U.S. because they may have interior panels that can detach near the doors and rear lights that might stop working. This was announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday. Ford Flex and F-150 Lightning BEV vehicles are included in the recall. Ford also recalls nearly 34,481 units re-manufactured automatic transmissions 10R80 that were used to repair some Ford and Lincoln cars, according to the NHTSA. Automaker recalled 227.006 vehicles in Bengaluru on Thursday due to issues such as air bubbles on windshield glass, loose seat frames and moonroof deflectors which could come off of Expedition, Navigator and F-series trucks. This brings the total recalls for this week near half a million. (Reporting from Bipasha dey in Bengaluru).
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Cebu Pacific expands holiday flights with Bulgaria Air
Cebu Pacific, the Philippine budget airline, announced a partnership on Friday with Bulgaria Air. The agreement will last until December 2025 or January 2026. Cebu Pacific announced that two Airbus A320ceos will be used on four routes within the Philippines, from Manila to Cebu and Davao. Cebu Pacific is providing the cabin crews. Bulgaria Air will supply the aircraft, pilots and maintenance, while Cebu Pacific provides insurance. Cebu Pacific's CEO Mike Szucs stated at a press briefing that by increasing flight frequency, deploying widebody planes and enhancing our fleet with a damp lease from Bulgaria Air, Cebu Pacific was strategically positioned to capture the peak travel season and sustain its growth momentum through the holiday seasons. From January to September, the airline reported carrying nearly 20 million passengers. This is a 13.9% rise from a year ago. The airline said that its domestic passenger number grew by 12.7%, to 14.9 millions. Meanwhile, the number of international travelers rose 17.7%, to 5.1million. Cebu Pacific announced in May that it would lease to Saudi budget airline flyadeal two Airbus A320 aircraft to generate revenue during low season. (Reporting and editing by Thomas Derpinghaus; Xinghui KOK)
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The death toll from the Vietnam floods has risen to 13 with 11 other missing
As the flood waters began to recede, residents of Hoi An in central Vietnam started cleaning up. In the last few days, floods triggered by unprecedented rainfall levels have inundated a wide swath in central Vietnam. The former imperial capital Hue as well as Hoi An were the hardest hit. Images circulated on state media showing that the floodwaters were still covering much of both locations, with many houses being submerged to their roofs. Vietnam is susceptible to violent storms, which can be deadly. Flooding and storms are also common in Vietnam. This causes widespread damage to property. Floodwaters began to recede in Hoi An on Friday. The ancient town, which is well preserved, was once a busy Southeast Asian trading hub from the 15th century to the 19th century. Tran Van Tien told Hoi An residents that he had seen floods before, but this was the worst he'd ever seen. The majority of tourists have cancelled hotel reservations for Hoi An. Last year, the city received over 4.4 million tourists, including almost 3.6 million tourists from abroad. Nguyen Thuy, hotel manager whose hotel is closed since Monday, said that floodwater rose too rapidly, causing property damage. In a recent report, the government disaster agency stated that 11 people were also missing. The floods inundated over 116,000 homes and 5,000 acres of crops. They also damaged roads and rails, cutting traffic and power to several areas. According to the report, heavy rains are expected to continue throughout central Vietnam. Daily rainfall in some areas will exceed 500 millimetres from early Friday to late Saturday. Thuy stated, "I hope floods don't occur again because we all depend on tourism in this area." Reporting by Thinh Vu and Khanh Vu, Hanoi. Editing by David Stanway.
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The death toll from the Vietnam floods has risen to 13 with 11 other missing
The government announced on Friday that the death toll in the central Vietnam floods has reached 13, and 11 other people are still missing. In the last few days, floods triggered from record rainfall levels have inundated a wide swath of Central Vietnam. The former imperial capital Hue as well as the ancient town Hoi An were the worst affected. Images circulated on state media showing that the floodwaters were still covering much of both locations, with many houses being submerged to their roofs. Vietnam is susceptible to violent storms, which can be deadly. Flooding and storms are also common in Vietnam. This causes widespread damage to property. In a recent report, the government disaster agency stated that floods had also inundated over 116,000 homes and 5,000 acres of crops. They have also damaged roads and rails, causing traffic to be disrupted and electricity to be cut off in many areas. According to a report, heavy rains are expected to continue throughout central Vietnam. Daily rainfall in some areas will exceed 500 millimetres from early Friday to late Saturday.
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Xi will meet with Canadian and Japanese leaders following Trump's trade truce
Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, will be at the forefront of an annual gathering in South Korea of Pacific Rim Leaders on Friday. He will hold talks with his Canadian and Japanese counterparts following a fragile truce reached with U.S. Donald Trump. This agreement, reached just before Trump left South Korea and skipped the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, will suspend any further restrictions on China's rare earth exports, which threatened to clog global supply chains. The APEC meetings in Gyeongju, a historic city, this year focused on strengthening supply chains. The 21-member club's goal is to reduce barriers to trade and investment and encourage cooperation. However, decisions taken at meetings are not binding and consensus has become increasingly difficult. XI MEETS JAPAN'S NEW HAWKISH LEADER Xi is now expected to have his first meeting with Japan's newly-elected leader Sanae Takayichi. Although relations between the two historic rivals are on a better footing, Takaichi’s elevation as Japan’s first female president may strain ties because of her nationalistic views. Her first act since taking office last Monday was to speed up a military buildup aimed at defending Japan's island from a China that is becoming more assertive. Japan is also home to the largest concentration of U.S. forces abroad. The agenda is likely to include sensitive topics such as the detention of Japanese citizens in China, and Beijing's restrictions on Japanese beef and seafood imports. CANADA WANTS TO RESTART CHINA ENGAGEMENT His office announced that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would meet Xi Jinping on Thursday, April 4, at 4:00 p.m. local (0700 GMT). The meeting is intended to restart a broad engagement with China following years of bad relations. Canada, embroiled in an intense trade war with the United States, its largest trading partner is looking to find new markets and wean itself from this overwhelming dependence. China is Canada's largest trading partner. Canada's security agencies concluded that China had interfered with at least two federal election under the leadership of Justin Trudeau's predecessor, Carney. Xi publicly scolded Trudeau for leaking their conversations to the media. China announced preliminary antidumping duties on Canadian Canola imports, one year after Canada announced it would levy 100% tariffs on the imports of Chinese Electric Vehicles. Both sides' senior officials met earlier this month to discuss these issues, but there was no sign of a breakthrough. BESSENT STANDS UP FOR TRUMP Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury secretary, will be acting in place of Trump at the opening session, when South Korean Premier Lee Jae Myung is hosting a discussion about "restoring the desire to cooperate in Asia-Pacific". Cho Hyun, South Korean Foreign Ministry, said that even though negotiations are still ongoing on a statement for the ministerial summit itself he is hopeful that it will be adopted along with a declaration from the leaders when the summit concludes Saturday. He told a press briefing that "we are very close." Two diplomats from APEC members nations privately expressed skepticism about the substance of any statement, given the fractures in world politics. APEC did not adopt a joint statement in 2018 or 2019 during Trump's presidency. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is scheduled to speak this afternoon at a parallel gathering of executives to the APEC Summit. The week has been a whirlwind for Huang, as Nvidia became the first company in the world to reach a valuation of $5 trillion. However, the sale of AI chips by the U.S. chipmaker to China seemed to be left out of the Xi-Trump Summit on Thursday. (Reporting from Jihoon Lee in Gyeongju, Ju-min Park in Seoul and Eduardo Baptista at the Xi-Trump summit; Writing by John Geddie with editing by Michael Perry.)
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Bloomberg News: Air India wants $1.14 billion from SIA and Tata to survive, reports Bloomberg
Bloomberg News reported that Air India was seeking financial support of at least 100 billion rupees (about $1.14 billion) from its owners, Singapore Airlines and Tata sons. The report cited people who were familiar with the situation. This follows the deadly Air India crash that claimed more than 240 lives in June, plunging it into its worst crisis. It also complicates its efforts to restore its reputation as well as modernize its fleet. Reports said that the Tata Group's carrier, Air India, is seeking funds to revamp its systems and services and develop in-house engineering departments and maintenance departments. Bloomberg stated that any financial support will be proportional to the ownership. The owners can decide whether the funding is an interest-free equity loan or a loan. Tata Group owns 74.9% of Air India, the airline it bought in 2022. Singapore Airlines holds the remaining 25%. The report could not be verified immediately. Air India, Singapore Airlines, and Tata Sons have not responded to requests for comment. Air India's CEO pledged to improve internal practices earlier this week. ($1 = 87.8950 Indian Rupees) (Reporting and editing by Rashmi aich and Alan Barona in Bengaluru)
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JetBlue flight diverted to Tampa after flight problem, reported injuries
JetBlue Airways Flight 93, which was en route to New Jersey from Cancun in Mexico on Thursday, diverted after a flight-control issue. Some passengers were injured, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. JetBlue Flight 1230, an Airbus 320, departed Cancun International Airport and was heading to New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport at the time of its landing around 2:19 p.m. ET at Tampa, Florida. The FAA is conducting an investigation. JetBlue reported that the aircraft dropped in altitude. "Medical personnel evaluated passengers and crew members, and those who needed additional care were taken to a nearby hospital." The airline has not yet revealed how many people have been injured. The airline has announced that it will investigate the incident thoroughly to find out what happened. JetBlue stated that "the safety of our passengers and crew members is our top priority and we will support those involved." (Reporting and editing by Diane Craft, Leslie Adler, and David Shepardson)
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FAA delays flights at Dallas, DC Airports due to air traffic staffing
As the government shutdown enters its 30th day, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has been delaying flights in Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as well as Dallas Fort Worth International Airport because of staffing problems. Staffing problems are expected to cause delays in Orlando. The FAA reported that flight delays at Reagan were on average 91 minutes and at Dallas 21 minutes. The government shutdown has resulted in tens of thousands flights being delayed or cancelled. The FAA issued a groundstop for Reagan Airport earlier on Thursday due to staffing issues. In the northeast of the United States, bad weather also delays flights. Over 13,000 air traffic control officers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents are working without pay. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, said that air traffic controllers' absences were responsible for 44% of Sunday delays and 24% of Monday delays. This is compared to an average of 5% before the shutdown. Even before the shutdown, many air traffic controllers were working six-day weekends and mandatory overtime. Reporting by David Shepardson, Doina chiacu and Andrea Ricci; editing by Katharine Ricci and Andrea Jackson
Maguire: High fossil fuel consumption highlights US power transformation challenge
The United States continues to rely on fossil fuels for its power generation, despite the rapid expansion of clean energy.
According to Ember, U.S. generators have been prioritizing clean energy sources over fossil fuels for the past decade. Since 2014, they have increased clean electricity production capacity by more than 70%, while reducing fossil-fueled capacity by 5%.
LSEG reports that fossil fuels still dominate the nation's power generation, with just over 58% of the total generated in the first eight month of 2024.
This is down from 60.4% in the same month of 2021. It reflects efforts to increase generation using clean energy, as part net zero emission targets.
In absolute terms, fossil fuels have reached new heights in this year's output, as a result of the steadily increasing total energy demand, which is putting strain on all power systems in the country.
In order to keep up with the rapid growth in demand, which is fueled by data centers and artificial-intelligence applications, power companies have had to increase their production from fossil fuels along with clean energy sources. This was despite long-term pledges to reduce reliance on fossil-fuels.
The fossil fuel generation of power generators will be reduced to a significant extent only when clean generation capacity surpasses fossil generation capacity and is complemented with a much larger battery storage system than the one currently in place.
Staying Power
According to LSEG, the total U.S. electricity generation from fossil fuels in the first eight month of 2024 reached 68.6 megawatt hours (MWh). This was an increase of 2.8% over a year earlier and was the highest level since at least the 2021.
The majority of the energy was generated by natural gas-fired power plants, which produced 49.3 millions MWh. This was a 5% increase from January to August 2023 and the highest total ever.
The coal-fired production was down by 2.3% compared to the previous year at 19,1 million MWh. This is the third consecutive decline in coal consumption during the window from January to August.
The oil-fired output was 179.368 MWh. This is a record low.
The industry's efforts to reduce the use of highly polluting fuels are reflected in the steady reductions in coal- and oil-fired power generation.
Ember data shows that the emissions per unit of electricity produced by gas-fired power plants are among the lowest fossil fuels and 77% less than coal-fired generation.
Around 537,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) were emitted in 2024 for each terawatt-hour (TWh), of electricity generated by gas-fired power plants.
This compares with around 950,000 tonnes of CO2 from coal-fired power plants and 700,000 from oil-fired power plants.
CLEAN LIMITATIONS
The emissions from clean energy per TWh electricity are around 21,500 tonnes CO2, which is 25 times lower than the emissions from gas-fired plants.
This sharply reduced emissions profile is one of the main reasons why U.S. government and power companies support clean energy adoption within U.S. electricity generation.
In the first eight-month period of 2024, nuclear reactors will account for approximately 18.6% of the total U.S. generation.
Other major sources of clean energy include hydro dams (6.4%), wind farms (10.7%) and solar farms (5%)
Clean power sources are limited in their current capacities.
Nuclear power plants are the most reliable source of clean energy available, but they have fallen out-of-favor due to their high costs, long development times, and strict regulations regarding waste management.
Hydro dams are also subject to a long construction phase. They can only be used in certain areas and they face fierce environmental opposition.
Solar and wind farms are cheaper and quicker to build, but they have some drawbacks.
Construction costs for onshore wind farms have increased since 2020, mainly due to inflation in labor and parts. They also need to overcome local objections to get the green light. Offshore projects face similar obstacles, but at a higher cost.
Solar parks can be the fastest and cheapest way to generate power, but they only work during daylight hours. They require backup supplies when solar output drops.
The U.S. utilities responsible for ensuring that power is available at all times, regardless of time, rely on fossil fuels in order to meet most of their demand and fill any gaps during periods of windless or sunless weather.
Many utilities are building battery networks to store excess clean energy for later use. This will help reduce fossil fuel dependence in the future.
According to the energy data platform Cleanview, current battery capacity installed is just around 21,000 Megawatts. This is less than 2% total installed generation capacity.
Batteries can only meet a small fraction of the country's power requirements.
Power firms may be forced to continue using fossil fuels as a major source of electricity until batteries are able to reliably deploy more of their generation capacity.
(source: Reuters)