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Lithuania declares a state of emergency in response to smugglers balloons from Belarus
The government of Lithuania announced that on Tuesday, a?state of emergency was declared due to the threat to public safety posed by smuggled s?balloons from Belarus. Lithuania accuses Belarus of allowing smugglers use weather balloons for contraband cigarettes to be transported across the border. This has repeatedly forced Vilnius Airport to stop operations and disrupt air traffic. Vladislav Kondratovic, Interior Minister at a live-streamed government meeting, said: "The state of Emergency is declared not only because of civil aviation disruptions, but also due to national security interests." Kondratovic said that the declaration gives increased operational freedom to military forces, allowing them to work in coordination with the police or act independently. He did not, however, provide any further details. It was not immediately clear how long the emergency measures would last. Belarus, which allowed the use of its territory for Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, denied responsibility for balloons. It also accused Lithuania of provocation, including sending a drone that dropped "extremist materials". Lithuania, which is a member of NATO and the European Union but was once a part of the Soviet Union, rejected these accusations as false. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said that the situation on the border had "worsened" and called Belarus' balloon incursions "hybrid attacks" which were "completely inacceptable." Lithuania in The Belarus border region was placed under a state-of-emergency over what it called illegal migration to the Baltic nation. Non-residents were not allowed access. Next year Vilnius declared a state of emergency following Russia's invasion in Ukraine, out of fear that Lithuania would also be targeted. It imposed restrictions on freedom of speech to curb what they said was possible Russian propaganda. (Reporting and writing by Andrius Sytas; editing by Terje Solsvik).
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India orders IndiGo, the airline in crisis, to reduce flights by 5%
IndiGo has been ordered by India's aviation regulator to reduce its?planned flight schedules by 5%. The?airline had to cancel?atleast 2,000 flights due to poor roster planning last week. IndiGo was asked to submit a revised schedule on Wednesday by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. IndiGo was told by the regulator to reduce?flights? on routes that are operated by rival airlines and to avoid those where it has a monopoly. The notice didn't specify a deadline for the mandatory cuts. IndiGo didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. IndiGo was approved to depart 15,014 times per week during the winter travel season in India. The airline has cancelled 951 of the 64 346 flights that were approved in November. IndiGo shares fell 0.22% to?4,912 on Tuesday. Since December 1, they have lost almost 17.1% of their value. The airline was criticized for failing to 'adequately plan for new rest periods and duty rules which came into effect 'on?November 1st, leaving planes on the ground. This affected the travel plans for tens of thousand of passengers. Reporting by Abhijith Ganahapavaram and Aleef Jahan, Editing by Tom Hogue & Thomas Derpinghaus
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Malaysia's MISC secures Brunei's first floating natgas project
The Malaysian logistics firm MISC Berhad announced on Tuesday that it had secured its first floating production unit (FPU) in Brunei. This marks a strategic expansion of the offshore oil and natural gas market. The company announced that it had received a letter of award from Petronas Carigali Brunei Ltd for the lease, operation and maintenance of a FPU in connection with a natural-gas development project. The contract is for 12 years with three?options to extend it by one year each. According to MISC, the FPU's production capacity will be 450 million standard cubic feet per day. It will also have 1,170 barrels of condensate produced per day and a storage capacity of 300,000 bbls. The FPU will be deployed off Brunei in order to supply feedstock for the country's liquefied natural gas sector. According to Kpler, Brunei is a country that exports LNG. It shipped out?4.9 millions metric tons last year.
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Thyssenkrupp anticipates a deep net loss for 2026 due steel restructuring provisions
Thyssenkrupp is expecting a net loss in 2026 of up to 800 million euros ($931million), blaming the restructuring provisions made at its steel division, which it's trying to sell to India’s Jindal Steel International. Axel Hamann, the finance chief of the company, said: "We are creating the basis to sustainably improve our earnings through the measures we have planned for the current year. The company noted the "persistently difficult?market environment" and said that the free cash flow prior to M&A, closely watched by investors as a way to measure the group's cash-generating ability, would be negative 300 million to 600 millions euros in 2026. This is compared to a positive free cash flow of 363?millions euros in 2025. It was the third consecutive year with a?positive?free cash flow. Thyssenkrupp has proposed that its dividend remain at 0.15 euros for 2025, despite the fact that it recently spun off a?minority of its warship division TKMS 'and is seeking to sell stakes across all its?businesses.
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Sources say that GMR Airports in India plans to sell long-term bonds worth $245 million.
Three sources familiar with the development said that GMR Airports in India is planning to raise funds via its longest-tenor bonds issue before the end of this week. Sources, who requested anonymity because the discussions are private, said that the airport operator is looking to raise approximately 22 billion rupees (245 million dollars) by selling bonds maturing within 15 years. One source said that the proceeds would be used to refinance the debt of GMR - Hyderabad International and for corporate purposes in general. GMR Airports did not reply to an email asking for comment. Since a long time, the company has refinanced its expensive foreign currency borrowings using local debt. Merchant bankers report that local funding for GMR Airports is now cheaper, after Abu Dhabi Investment Authority invested around 63 billion rupees last year in structured debts of GMR 'Enterprises', the holding company of GMR Group. The 'company' raised a total of 59 billion rupees in August through bonds that matured in 18 months or three years, with an annual coupon rate of 10.50% for both. GMR Airports bonds have been rated by Crisil as A+. $1 = 90,1550 Indian Rupees (Reporting and editing by Dharamraj Dhutia & Khushi malhotra)
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Brazil court recommends a two-stage auction for the mega Santos terminal as a blow to Maersk
The Brazilian Federal Audit Court (TCU), voting six to three, recommended that operators of existing container terminals in the Santos Port be banned from participating 'in the first stage of bidding for the planned mega terminal. This decision is a blow for companies like Danish shipping group Maersk and MSC, which already operate container terminals at the largest port in Latin America. These companies can only enter the second phase of auction if they do not receive any?valid bids. The two-phased model proposed by Antaq, the port regulator, and challenged in court by Maersk, could be beneficial to 'new entrants in Asia, or even JBS meatpacking companies, who entered the shipping industry?last year, as operators of a Santa Catarina container terminal. The Brazilian government expects that the Tecon 10 winner will invest more than 6 billion reais over a period of 25 years and increase container handling capacity at Santos to 50%. This will reduce?logistical bottlenecks. "Accepting this proposal increases the chances of an independent operator entering the port and reduces the risks that one operator controls the terminal," Augusto Nardes said, a TCU court member. Maersk stated that the TCU's decisions disregard technical studies performed by various Brazilian government agencies. It added that this "significantly reduces" the potential of the project in Latin America's biggest port. International Container Terminal Services (International Container Terminal Services), a Philippine-based operator of 33 terminals for container handling in different countries, has welcomed the TCU's decision. In a press release, it stated that "this is a well-known and traditional model in the infrastructure industry which encourages the effective entry of a?new player into the Port Santos". The TCU recommendation that the auction be scheduled by the Ministry?of?Ports was not unanimous. Benjamin Zymler defended a different model in which the winner would have to sell assets if he or she was already an operator at Santos. Cristina Machado said that excluding current operators from the first stage of the auction would violate the principle of competitive bidding. $1 = 5.4298 Reais (Additional reporting by Luciana Magnhaes; Writing by Ana Mano, Editing by Himani Sakar)
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Trump Administration wants airports and airlines to offer healthier food options
By David Shepardson ARLINGTON (Virginia), Dec. 8 - On Monday, the Trump administration stated that it wanted airlines and airports offering healthier food options and exercise equipment, as well as?family-friendly amenities like playspaces, and nursing facilities. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, said at a Reagan Washington National Airport press conference that he called the majority of U.S. airlines CEOs to ask them how they could improve travel experiences. Duffy last week urged airlines not to serve salty pretzels or cookies with high calorie counts on board and to offer healthier options. Duffy responded on Monday that he couldn't do much to reduce the cost of food in airports. It was a matter of market demand and supply. Duffy explained that the airports have very few options and keep people in a tight space. "I am trying to provide healthier options." Duffy also urged airports?to add more spaces and exercise equipment for children, as well as to increase the number of places where mothers can nurse their babies. Duffy launched a new campaign last month to encourage people to dress and act nicely when traveling by air. They asked travelers to refrain from wearing pajamas or slippers at the airport. "This isn't about mandates. This is not a requirement. This is not a requirement. Duffy spoke on Monday. "How can we make our travel experience a little better, while we're all together? This is the conversation that we are having. But I won't force this down anyone's throat .... I won't fine anyone for wearing their pajamas to the airport." Duffy and Health Sec? Robert F. Kennedy did pull-ups in the airport, promoting the importance of exercising before flying. Duffy oversees a $12.5 billion overhaul to the air traffic control system of the United States and is working?to resolve a chronic shortage of air traffic controls. He is asking Congress to approve an additional $19 billion for the project. Duffy stated that he was unaware of any updates on the Transportation Department proposal, issued by President Joe Biden. The proposal would have prohibited airlines from charging fees for seating families with small children on U.S. flight if adjacent seats are available at time of booking. His department lists this proposal as "long-term action." Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Leslie Adler & Jamie Freed
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Brazil court recommends two stage auction of mega Santos Port Terminal in blow to Maersk
The Brazilian Federal Audit Court (TCU), on Monday, recommended that operators of other mega container terminals in Santos be banned from bidding for the first phase of the auction, citing possible concentration of the market. This decision is a blow for companies like Danish shipping group Maersk and MSC that operate container terminals at Latin America's biggest port. These companies can only enter the second phase of bidding if the first one does not receive valid bids. Maersk challenged the two-phase model proposed by port regulator Antaq in court. It could be beneficial to new entrants in Asia, or companies from the JBS group who entered the shipping industry last year by operating a container terminal at 'Santa Catarina. The Brazilian government estimates that the Tecon 10 terminal will cost "nearly six billion reais" ($1.11 billion) over 25 years. It will increase container handling capacity in Santos by 50 percent, thus reducing logistical bottlenecks. "Accepting this proposal increases the chances of an independent operator entering the port and reduces the risks that one operator controls the terminal," Augusto Nardes said, a TCU court member. International Container Terminal Services (International Container Terminal Services), a Philippine-based operator of 33 terminals for container handling in different countries, has welcomed the TCU decision. In a press release, it stated that "This is a well-known and traditional model in the infrastructure industry which encourages a new player to enter the Port of Santos". The decision that allows the Ministry of Ports to schedule the auction was not unanimous. Benjamin Zymler a member of court defended a different model in which the winner would be forced to sell assets if he was already an operator at Santos. Cristina Machado said that excluding current operators from the auction's first phase could violate the principle of competitive bidding.
Maguire: Texas solar power output surpasses coal in Texas
In 2025, Texas' largest power grid will generate more energy from solar farms during a calendar-year than it does from coal plants. This marks a new milestone in energy transition for the U.S.
According to LSEG data, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas generated 2.64 megawatt hours of energy from solar assets, compared to 2.44 million MWh of electricity from coal plants during the period January-November.
Solar farms are expected to generate 150,000 MWh or more in December, even if solar generation drops in the last weeks of 2025 because of reduced daylight.
In 2025, the U.S. climate watchers will be able to highlight the Texas solar output as compared with coal production. The coal output in the United States has risen sharply this year, and is still three times higher than solar energy.
The steep rise in solar power in Texas, the U.S.'s main fossil fuel hub, will likely serve as a model for other states that are trying to increase output from every source possible to meet the rising demand.
YEAR BANNER
According to LSEG data, the increased installed solar capacity of?Texas in this year - 24% higher than in 2024 - has enabled solar power production in Texas to increase by 42% this year compared to a year ago.
ERCOT's solar production is averaging a 44% increase from 2024, and has been setting new records each month in 2025.
If the solar output for December is also up by 44% from a year ago, then this year's output total will be around 185,000 MWh. This would bring the solar generation for all of 2012 to 2,82 million MWh.
COAL GROWTH
LSEG data show that Texas solar generation has outperformed coal in the state even though ERCOT coal-fired plants have posted a 10% increase from the same month of 2024.
In Texas and throughout the United States, utilities have tried to increase output this year from all sources to meet a higher energy demand. This is due to an increased use of artificial intelligence and a greater use of electricity.
The steep rise in the price of natural gas has also led to widespread gas-fired plant closures in Texas and other states.
According to LSEG, ERCOT's gas-fired electricity supplies are down by 4% compared to a year ago. They have reached 7.74 million MWh this year.
Gas prices in the U.S. are currently around 50% higher than the average for 2024. Additional cuts to the gas-fired production can be expected where coal-fired power plants are available to cover the output gap.
This means that coal-fired production in Texas, the top coal producer in the United States, is also expected to rise further in?2026. The state will finish strong in coal production.
CLEAR CLEAN MOMENTUM
Even though coal-fired power is on the rise, solar production has fallen to its lowest level in years, 2025 will be a crucial year for solar energy in Texas.
Solar farms accounted from January to November for a record share of ERCOT's generation mix. This compares with a share of 13% for coal plants in the state.
The solar share in Texas this year is compared to a mere 6% in the same months of 2022. This shows the rapid and massive rollout of solar assets in Texas over the past few years.
Texas utilities are also the most aggressive in the nation when it comes to deploying utility-scale batteries storage systems. These allow surplus solar energy that is generated throughout the day to be stored and then released during times of peak demand.
The combination of battery and solar power remains the fastest and most popular way for utilities to increase their energy supplies. This means that Texas solar parks will continue to expand in the years to come.
These are the opinions of a columnist who writes for.
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(source: Reuters)