Latest News
-
German Minister: Russian drone incursion in Poland is considered deliberate
Boris Pistorius, German Minister of Defence, said that the incursion by Russian drones in Poland was a targeted, unacceptable provocation against NATO. He also stated that he believes it to be a deliberate action. Pistorius said to reporters that there was no evidence at all to suggest these drones flew accidentally over Polish territory along this route. He said: "This is why we can assume this was a deliberate act." When asked how it differed from a NATO attack that would trigger Article 5 he replied that the attack was infringing on Polish airspace but that nothing was destroyed nor anyone killed. Pistorius said NATO was united, and that it had a level-headed but clear response. "We will not be provoked, but we are focused on unity and strength," he added.
-
Amazon's Zoox Robotaxi offers free service to the public in Las Vegas
Amazon.com's Zoox began Wednesday offering free robotaxi rides on the Las Vegas Strip and in the surrounding area, while it waited for state approval before charging fares to compete with Alphabet’s Waymo or Tesla. Waymo offers a robotaxi that transports paying passengers to many U.S. city, while Tesla has robotaxis in Austin, Texas. Zoox is a vehicle designed to look and feel like a toaster on wheels. The vehicle has no manual controls, such as a pedal or steering wheel. Its passengers are seated facing each other. Aicha Evans, Zoox's Chief Executive, said: "This is an experience so different that we want people to get used to the robotaxi and to give us feedback." "That's great for the community. That's great for the riders. And that's fantastic for Zoox." The commercialization of robotaxis is more difficult than expected. Tight regulations, public protests and federal investigations, as well as high investment, have forced many robotaxi ventures shut down. Amazon purchased Zoox in 2020 for $1.3 billion and is among the few remaining competitors in the race to develop autonomous vehicles that could yield large returns if they are successful. Zoox has begun the process of obtaining regulatory approvals for its paid service, which it plans to launch in the coming months. The vehicles will run mainly on their own, with human remote assistance only available when they request help. Test Ride Zoox has operated a test loop out of a Las Vegas Casino for the past month. "We have been receiving thousands of riders each week from just this one location. This has exceeded our expectations," said Chief Technology Officer Jesse Levinson. About 50 vehicles are part of the company's fleet. The majority of them are located in Las Vegas. The executives announced that Zoox would "very soon expand" the service to San Francisco. It has been testing the service there for several months, and now is adding riders to the waiting list. They said that expansion to Miami, Austin in Texas, Atlanta, and Los Angeles would follow this year and the following year. Tesla launched a ride-hailing company in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a safety-driver who uses Tesla's self-driving tech. Waymo operates with its fleet of 2,000 vehicles in the Bay Area as well as parts of Los Angeles and Phoenix. Uber, the traditional ride-hailing service, is fast becoming a rival. It has signed multiple agreements to add autonomous cars to its network. (Reporting from Abhirup Roy and Akash Sriram, both in San Francisco; editing by Peter Henderson and Matthew Lewis.)
-
Turkey purchases 15 billion cubic meters of LNG to diversify its gas supply
Alparslan Bayraktar, the Energy Minister, said that Turkey had signed LNG supply agreements with international energy companies. The deals will secure around 15 billion cubic meters (bcms) of gas over the period 2026-2028. Gastech 2025, a conference held in Milan by the Turkish state energy company BOTAS and eight suppliers, saw contracts signed over two days. The initial agreements with BP ENI Shell covered 8.7 bcm. Five additional deals were signed on Wednesday to expand the portfolio, including deliveries from companies based out of Britain, Germany, Japan, and Norway. Hartree, a UK-based supplier, will provide 600 million cubic metres over a period of two years. Bayraktar announced that U.S. LNG producers Cheniere and SEFE will each supply 1.2 billion cubic meters within one year. He also stated that Japan's JERA would deliver 600 million cubic meters under a contract lasting one year, while Equinor, of Norway, will provide 1.5 billion cubic metres over a period of three years. Last year, Turkey imported approximately 50 bcm natural gas. Of this amount, 14.3 bcm was LNG. The contracts signed represent a large portion of the domestic consumption, and they are expected to improve supply security before winter. Bayraktar stated that the agreements are a reflection of Turkey's strategic goal to create a flexible and multi-sourced energy structure. He added that the deals would enhance predictability for the country's mid-term gas portfolio. Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun, Can Sezer and Tomasz Janovski Editing by Louise Heavens
-
Wizz Air will cease Vienna base operation by March 2026
Wizz Air, the Hungarian budget airline, announced on Wednesday that it will stop its base operations at Vienna by March 2026. This follows a strategic assessment. In a press release, Mauro Penda, the Managing Director, said that "the airport cost base, taxes, and ground handling service have all increased significantly since we launched, making it unsustainable to continue operations." On October 26, 2025 the airline will remove two aircraft from service and two routes - Bilbao to London Gatwick and then three aircrafts and routes - in March 2026. The budget airline announced in July that it would close its Abu Dhabi base launched six years earlier, which is losing money, and shift its focus to other destinations. Eastern Europe generates two-thirds its business, as does Central Europe. In July, the company said it would be back to full capacity by September in Israel.
-
Poland eliminates drones that violated its airspace
Poland shot down drones Wednesday that were in its airspace when Russia attacked Ukraine. This was the first time an NATO member fired in the war. The following are details about the events that occurred overnight, the actions taken by Poland, and the reaction of its allies. WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT? Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, told the parliament that the country, which is both a member state of the European Union as well as NATO, had received its first alert regarding the Russian attack in Ukraine at 0600 GMT on the same day. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said that Russia had launched over 40 missiles and 415 drones in 15 Ukrainian regions. Ukraine's air force has reported that it shot down 386 drones, and 27 out of 43 missiles. According to Tusk, the first violation of Polish Airspace occurred around 2130 GMT Tuesday and the last violation took place around 0430 GMT Wednesday. Western officials confirmed that F-16s from Poland, F-35s from the Netherlands, Italian AWACS surveillance aircraft, and mid-air refuelling planes took part in an overnight operation to respond to the violations of airspace. Zelenskiy stated that at least eight Russian drones were aimed at Poland. At least two of them entered Polish territory through Belarus. Poland reported that it had detected several airspace violations over the course of the night, many of which originated from Belarus. It confirmed that three drones were shot down and said that it was probable a fourth one had also been destroyed. It said that the last drone was destroyed at 0445 GMT. What happened after the event? Polish authorities started searching for drone debris. They urged the public to report any sightings and to stay away from unidentified objects. Seven drones, as well as parts of a rocket, were discovered in the eastern part of the country. The interior ministry reported that a drone was discovered near Mniszkow, in the province of Lodz, 240 kilometers (149 miles), west of the border between Belarus. Within 48 hours, President Karol Nwrocki will convene a National Security Council. Poland requested NATO to begin consultations in accordance with Article 4 of their treaty. This article states that the members of the Western Military Alliance will consult each other whenever they believe the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of one of them are threatened. Polish officials were unable immediately to confirm whether the drones targeted the capital Warsaw or a logistics hub for western Ukraine in southeast Poland, as well as any NATO infrastructure. How have Poland's allies responded? NATO's top military leader, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said that NATO is in constant contact with Poland and its allies. Officials in Europe described the drone invasion as deliberate and escalated. Kaja Kallas said that early indications suggest the drones intentionally entered European airspace. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, called for more sanctions against Russia. (Reporting and editing by Timothy Heritage; Pawel Florkiewicz, Marek Strzelecki, Anna Koper)
-
Robotaxi service launched by May Mobility and Lyft in Atlanta
The first public deployment of the partnership will be launched by ride-hailing app Lyft, and the autonomous vehicle startup, May Mobility, in Atlanta on Wednesday. Customers can hail Toyota Sienna vans retrofitted with May Mobility's May Mobility app on routes around Midtown Atlanta for fares that are comparable to normal rides. Companies will begin with a small fleet and have trained operators in the vehicles to answer any questions or take over if necessary. The rollout highlights Lyft’s efforts to integrate autonomous rides into its app via partners, including Baidu in Europe, and Mobileye. This is even as robotaxi companies race to clear regulatory obstacles and prove that they can operate at scale safely and profitably. "We will start with a few cars and then move to dozens and eventually hundreds of thousands," Jeremy Bird said, Lyft’s executive vice-president of driver experience. Bird and May Mobility CEO Edwin Olson did not give a timeline. Olson stated that the vehicles are equipped with a redundant drive by wire system, and a 360 degree sensor suite which combines lidar and radar. The service will integrate into Lyft’s hybrid marketplace and allow riders to select an autonomous trip or conventional ride. May Mobility will manage the Atlanta pilot, not Flexdrive's fleet operations backbone. Lyft held an AV Drivers Forum in Atlanta last month to inform drivers about the rollout. Both companies have said that they are working with state and local officials. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed) (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)
-
Uber to offer helicopter and seaplane ride on Joby app by 2026
Joby Aviation, a maker of air taxis, announced on Wednesday it plans to add Blade's helicopters and seaplanes to the Uber App as early as next year. Joby purchased Blade Air Mobility's passenger service in August for $125 million and plans to launch its electric air taxi service worldwide in the future. Electric vertical takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL), or electric aircraft, is a new technology that air taxi firms are racing to commercialize to meet the demand for more efficient and sustainable urban transportation. These firms, backed by major airlines and defence contractors, aim to reduce congestion in cities that are already crowded by offering short-haul flight between airports and urban centres. In June, U.S. president Donald Trump told regulators that they should speed up the certification processes to accelerate the development of eVTOLs. Joby announced that, upon certification, its electric air taxi service would be launched in Dubai, New York City, Los Angeles and the United Kingdom. Blade, a company that flew over 50,000 passengers by 2024, has routes throughout the New York Metropolitan Area and Southern Europe. These include high-traffic destinations like Newark Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport as well as Manhattan and the Hamptons. Joby began working for Uber in 2019. He then bought the flying taxi division of the company, Elevate. A year later, he purchased it. The electric air taxi can carry up to four passengers, a pilot and be much quieter than traditional helicopters. It is capable of speeds up to 200mph. (Reporting and editing by AnshumanTripathy in Bengaluru)
-
Maguire: Europe's wind production closely tracked as solar peaks passes
Wind turbines will overtake solar panels in Europe as the primary driver of growth for clean electricity by 2025. This is because the Northern Hemisphere's summer ends, bringing less sunshine but more wind at the turbine level. Due to prolonged wind droughts in Europe, wind generation has been well below average this year. This has led to an unusual drop in the total amount of clean electricity produced in Europe. Data from think tank Ember show that the total European wind-powered energy supply from January to August was down by 6% compared to 2024. Meanwhile, clean electricity overall supplies were down by 2%. The forecast of European wind power production is however positive. LSEG models predict a dramatic increase in regional wind energy output during the second half September. If these higher wind production levels are maintained through the winter, historically a period of high wind output in Europe, Europe's clean electricity output this year could reach a new record. Seasonal Peaks and Troughs Solar-powered electricity production has risen by over 20% in the last year, reaching all-time-highs. Ember data shows that solar electricity production in Europe reached successive record highs this year in May and in June, as capacity was increased across the continent. Solar farms have reached their peak production levels for the year. Production in both July and August has decreased from the previous month due to cloudier skies and reduced daylight. The clean energy advocates are fortunate that electricity production from wind farms increases steadily following the summer, as cooler weather is welcomed by the changing seasons. Even with the huge swings from summer to winter in solar and winds production, Europe's clean electricity production remains relatively stable. The low wind generation in the first half of 2025 raised concern that the output of wind farms would be stunted throughout the year and could have a negative impact on clean energy growth. WIND'S LEVELING According to DNV, the average wind speed in continental and northern Europe for the first half 2025 was 4% to 8 % below averages over the past few decades. These below-average winds speeds were particularly evident in the first four months of 2025 when Europe's wind power electricity supply was consistently lower than the previous year. Ember data show that the average wind electricity production from January to April was around 10 Terawatt Hours (TWh), or 16% less than in 2024. Germany and the United Kingdom are Europe's two largest wind energy producers. Germany's average wind power output from January to April was 30% lower than the previous year, while the UK output averaged 20% less. On the Rise? Wind forecasters closely monitor wind output forecasts in the autumn and winter months, because any wind production below par will require regional utilities to increase their use of fossil fuels as a source of power and heat. The latest forecast models indicate that a significant increase in wind power generation is expected to occur over the next few weeks. LSEG data indicates that the collective wind generation in continental Europe is expected to increase from 40,000 MWh - 60,000 MWh a day, so far this month, to approximately 60,000 MWh - 110,000 MWh a day by the second half. Forecasts for the longer term also indicate a sharply higher level of supply than recent levels. In Germany, the wind power output was around 10,700MWh per day during August. This is expected to increase to 15,200MWh by September, to nearly 19,000MWh each day in October and to over 24,000MWh daily in December. In August, the UK averaged around 5,100MWh per day. This is expected to rise to around 7,500MWh by September, and 8,500MWh by October. By December, it will be around 10,500MWh. LSEG data show that if these forecasts are accurate, output levels in Germany would be approximately on par with long-term norms and in the UK they would be about 10% higher than the average long-term level. These output forecasts will also be sufficient to ensure that Europe’s total supply of clean electricity reaches new heights in 2025 despite the dip in early-year wind production. If wind farms do not perform as expected in the next few months, this will lead to a reduction in clean electricity and a likely increase in fossil fuel production by utilities, especially during peak demand for power and heating seasons. These are the opinions of a columnist who writes for. You like this article? Check it out Open Interest The new global financial commentary source (ROI) is your go-to for all the latest news and information. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis on everything from soybeans to swap rates. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on You can find us on LinkedIn.
Quotes-Western leaders denounce Russia for drones infiltrating Polish airspace
Poland shot down drones Wednesday that had entered its airspace, marking the first time an NATO member has fired shots in Russia's conflict in Ukraine.
Some reactions from politicians to the current situation.
POLISH PREMIER MINISTER DONALD TUSK
"We're dealing with a massive provocation...We are prepared to repel such provocations." No one doubts the seriousness of the situation, or that we need to prepare for different scenarios.
The fact that these drones posed a threat to security were shot down has changed the political climate.
This is the closest that we've been to an open war since World War Two.
RUSSIA'S RIA NEWS AGENCY MENTIONED ANDREY ORDASH AS THE RUSSIAN CHARGE d'AFFAIRES IN POLAND.
We find the allegations to be unfounded. "No evidence has been provided that these drones were of Russian origin."
KAJA KALLAS - EUROPEAN UNION HEAD OF REPRESENTATION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRES AND SECURITY POLITICS
"Russia's War is not ending, it's escalating." We must increase the price on Moscow, support Ukraine and invest in Europe’s defence.
"The EU has a significant role to play and we will be supporting initiatives such as the Eastern Border Shield defense line."
FRENCH PREMIER EMMANUEL MACON
"The incursion by Russian drones in the Polish airspace, during an attack conducted by Russia against Ukraine, is simply unacceptable." It is a crime that I condemn in the strongest possible terms. "I call on Russia to stop this reckless escalation."
"I reiterate our complete solidarity to the Polish people and government. Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO, and I will be speaking soon. "We will not compromise the security of our Allies." Reporting by Alan Charlish, Mathias de Rozario and Andrew Gray from Warsaw to Paris and Brussels. Compiled by Timothy Heritage. Edited by Peter Graff.
(source: Reuters)