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As anti-migration sentiment grows, EU lawmakers adopt tougher asylum laws
On Tuesday, EU lawmakers approved changes in the??European Union asylum system. This will allow for a faster rejection of asylum applications and possible transfers of asylum seekers into countries where they have no or little connection. The move highlights the increase in anti-immigration feelings across the European Union that has led to a broadening of popular support for extreme right parties. The text, which must be approved by the 27 member states of the EU, represents a "sharp" hardening of EU immigration policy, which has been taking shape ever since an influx in 2015-16 of more than a million migrants and refugees. Humanitarian groups criticized the move, saying it could lead human rights violations as well as a reduction of asylum rights. This is because of a 1951 convention that prohibits returning asylum seekers to dangerous countries. The European Parliament has approved a change to the Asylum Procedures Regulation that will introduce a list of countries deemed "safe", to which asylum seekers who fail to gain entry can be sent. List includes Egypt and Tunisia, whose human-rights records have been questioned. PROTECTION IN A "SAFE" COUNTRY According to the new rules EU countries can reject an asylum request if a person could have been protected in a safe country that the bloc considers. Amnesty International's EU Advocate for Migration and Asylum, Olivia Sundberg Diez said: "Today’s vote could mean that people who seek asylum in the EU will have their applications denied without review and sent to countries where they do not have any connection, or even have set foot." She said in a press release that "these measures represent an abdication of EU commitment to refugee-protection and pave the road for EU member countries to broker agreements?with third countries for offshore processing of asylum claims." The new rules are a step towards allowing EU countries to establish "return hubs" outside of the EU. These hubs, like those set up by Italy in Albania, would be similar to what Italy has done. However, specific rules regarding return regulations still need to be discussed in parliament. The Migration Pact is a set of EU rules and processes that govern migration. It was approved in 2023, but will not be fully implemented before June 2026. Since 2015, when more than one million migrants, mostly from Syria, arrived via the Mediterranean, anti-immigration rhetoric is gaining momentum in the EU. This sentiment has?boosted public support for nationalist right-wing parties and pushed?governments towards adopting increasingly restrictive migration policies focusing on returns. The text on safe origin countries will put hundreds of thousands in grave danger. Melissa Camara, a French Green legislator, said that third countries would be considered safe despite their extremely worrying human rights situations. (Reporting and editing by Amina iSmail)
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Figure skating-Naumov's emotional Olympic debut is fueled by the memory of his late parents
Maxim Naumov, the U.S. figure skating champion, said that he felt his parents' presence as he made an emotional debut at the Milano Cortina Games on Tuesday, just over a year since they died in a plane accident near Washington D.C. Naumov's parents were among the 67 who died when an American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter in mid-air on January 20, 2025. Naumov, a reporter, said: "I felt as if I was guided today by them." "I felt their support with every glide and step I took on the ice. They guided me from element to element. "I finished on my hands and knees. I didn't even know if I would laugh, cry or smile. All I could do at the end was to look up and say 'Look what just happened'." The crash killed 28 parents, coaches and young skaters returning from a training camp. While he waited to hear his score, the 24-year old?from Norwood Massachusetts held up a photo of him holding hands with his mother and father as spectators cheered at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. It's a picture of me when I was 3 years old, my first time on ice. "I carry them so that I never forget," said Naumov. He was also seen kissing the photo. They're literally right on my chest in my cross-body. He added, "I wanted to have them sit with me in the kiss-and cry and live the moment. Look up at the scoreboard and just be in this moment." They deserve to sit right next to me as they have always done." Heartfelt Performance Skating to Frederic Chopin’s "Nocturne No. Naumov, who is 20, began with a stunning quadruple Salchow. He then smiled and looked skyward before covering his eyes. He was initially unsure if he would continue competing after the tragedy. But on Tuesday, he said that skating was a comfort to him, and that he is satisfied with his 85.65 score. He said, "I wasn't concerned about doing anything perfectly." "I wanted to really put everything out there. I had no regrets after that program. "I could not be prouder of myself and my teammates. The job is not done. He added, "We've got one more to do." Naumov will be back in action on Friday when the top 24 skaters from the short program compete for the free skating. This was the most deadly?U.S. aviation disaster since November 2001. Last week, a group of bipartisan U.S. House members announced that they would introduce legislation addressing a number of safety recommendations following the crash. In a joint press release, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Armed Services Committee stated that they were "working expeditiously on legislation" to prevent a similar crash from happening again.
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Extra Space Storage sued for 'predatory practices' by New York City
New York City has sued Extra Space Storage, one of the biggest owners of self storage space in the U.S., for "predatory practices" and bait-and switch pricing. It also accused it of letting its units suffer from vermin, water damage, and mold. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection of the city accused Extra 'Space of violating false advertisement laws on Tuesday by misleading consumers with low prices for storage units, which it falsely claimed were "clean" and pest-free. According to the lawsuit?Extra Space "dramatically raised" prices shortly after many consumers moved in their belongings, often without prior notice. Some rents doubled in one year. Salt Lake City based company accused of threatening to auction off belongings and changing locks to "extort", or force, consumers to pay higher prices. In a recent statement, City Council Speaker Julie Menin stated that "Many New Yorkers depend on self-storage to solve their limited living space and sudden changes in living conditions." It's time that storage companies, like Extra Space, take responsibility for exploiting hardworking New Yorkers. Extra?Space stated in a press release that it was "actively conducting an extensive internal review in order to accurately assess the claims made in the complaint." The suit filed in Manhattan, New York State court seeks civil penalties of more than $5,000,000 and full restitution. Extra Space is responsible for 60 out of more than 300 self storage facilities in New York City. The city also said that Extra Space receives the most complaints. Extra Space's shares rose $1.76 to $142.12 in afternoon trading. Extra Space has a market cap of around $30 billion. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel, New York Editing Rod Nickel and Chizu Nimiyama
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Strikes will cause major disruptions to flights on Thursday at Lufthansa
There will be major flight disruptions on Thursday for the core German airline of Lufthansa, its freight arm and its short-haul carrier CityLine. This is because two separate unions have called for pilots' and cabin crew's strikes. The German pilots union VC (Vereinigung Cockpit), on Tuesday, called a 24-hour walkout on the 12th of February at Lufthansa's main German carrier and Lufthansa cargo in a dispute?over pensions. In a ballot held at the end of September last year, union members announced their willingness to strike to pressurize Lufthansa to grant more generous retirement benefits. The talks have resumed, but they have only been intermittent. The strike 'will affect all flights leaving German airports on... February 12th, VC stated in a statement. Separately the UFO flight attendants union called for its members to strike at CityLine on Thursday due to the planned closure of the flight operations of the company and "the employer’s continued refusal" to negotiate a social collective plan. It said that all?Lufthansa CityLine departing from Frankfurt, Munich Hamburg Bremen Stuttgart Cologne Dusseldorf Berlin and Hanover would be affected. Lufthansa spokesperson said that the announcements would be "extremely short notice" and "disproportionate", and would "hit passengers hard". Marc Baron, spokesperson for the company, said: "Dialogue is the only way to find sustainable solutions; strikes should always be a last resort." "We therefore call on the unions?to resume talks with us. We are prepared to do so at any moment. Baron said that customers would receive automatic notifications if there was a problem with their flight. Reporting by Ilona wissenbach and Olaf Brenner, Writing by Ludwig Burger & Sarah Marsh. Mark Potter and Nia Willams edited the story.
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US investigation finds no evidence of spyware on Chinese power inverters
U.S. officials have found no evidence that malicious communication equipment is embedded in Chinese inverters used in the nation's power grid, according to an Energy Department?report. Inverters are devices that convert the electricity produced by solar panels and batteries into electrical power for use in appliances. The inverters are designed to be remotely accessible for maintenance and updates. The majority of power inverters in the world are manufactured in China. In part, this is due to the tense relationship between Beijing and Washington and concerns about national security. The DOE analysis was done in response to media reports stating that unexplained communications equipment was found in some inverters manufactured in China. Last year, we reported the existence of these devices. The report, dated January 20, stated that "DOE assessments did not find any definitive evidence of malicious wireless functionality being intentionally introduced in the inverters tested." DOE officials didn't immediately respond to a comment request on the report. According to the analysis, the agency examined about?30 of inverters. It found two that were different from official documentation. The differences were "non-malicious" and "non-intentional." Inverters, as well as any device with communication capabilities, are at risk of remote access. The report?added that it was unlikely for a single compromised inverter to have an impact on the grid. It is recommended that purchasers of components are familiar with all the capabilities of the products. Reporting by Nichola Grroom, Editing by Chizu Nomiayama
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Uber introduces Baidu's self driving taxis in Dubai
Uber and Baidu announced on Tuesday that they will launch autonomous ride hailing services in Dubai 'in the coming month. This is the latest step of a global expansion push by a Chinese tech company. Uber said that the 'fully autonomous vehicles' will be available in select locations around the Jumeirah area. They added that they would continue to expand based on progress made and regulatory approvals across the city. The companies announced a partnership last year that aims to deploy thousands of Baidu Apollo Go autonomous cars on the Uber platform in several international markets, outside the U.S. Uber has also taken a big step in its?ambitions of competing in the 'robotaxi market, as tech companies compete to increase commercial adoptions of autonomous vehicles. Baidu has run its Apollo Go robotaxi service commercially in a number of Chinese cities since 2022. The company now has a global footprint of 22 cities. As of October, the service had completed more than 17,000,000 rides. Also, the company has a partnership with Lyft for robotaxis to be deployed?across Europe. Baidu and Uber teamed up in December to test driverless taxis in the UK. Baidu announced on Tuesday that passengers would have the option to be matched up with an Apollo Go car when booking an Uber Comfort taxi or UberX, or selecting the "Autonomous option" in the Uber app.
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Williams predicts higher profit in 2026 as pipeline projects drive the growth
Williams Companies, a U.S.-based pipeline operator, forecasted Tuesday that its 2026 profits would be above analyst expectations due to the growth of new 'pipeline and off-shore projects and the continued rise in natural gas demand. Williams shares rose 2.8% during morning trading after it increased its dividends by 5%, to $2.10 for each share in 2026. The demand for natural gas is expected to increase this year due to the increasing electricity consumption of households, businesses, and data centers, fueled by AI. This will reinforce pipeline operators' expectations that long-term needs for a?gas infrastructure?will continue. Williams completed 1.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfpd), of pipeline transmission projects by 2025. Another 7.1 bcfpd pipeline projects are in progress. Under a 10-year agreement, the pipeline operator has added to its pipeline a power-innovation project called "Socrates the Younger", which will have 340 Megawatts (MW), of behind-the meter capacity. The project has a capital expenditure of $1.3 billion. The company announced on a conference phone that the project represents a capital cost of about $1.3? Williams said it has increased the size of its Aquila project and Apollo project, adding an additional $900 million and extending both contracts to 12.5 year. Elvira Scotto, RBC Capital's?Markets Analyst said: "We believe that?Williams continues to be among the best-positioned companies in our coverage for growing demand for natural gas and electricity with its large backlog of attractive growth project anchored by Transco and Power Innovation." According to LSEG, the Tulsa-based Oklahoma company anticipates that its adjusted earnings in 2026 will be between $2.20 to $2.38 per share. This compares to an average analyst estimate of $2.28. The company also anticipates growth capital expenditures of between $6.1 and $6.7 billion in 2026, reflecting "continued investments" in pipeline expansions as well as power innovation projects. The company's adjusted profit per share of 55 cents for the quarter ending December 31 fell short of analysts' expectations of 57 cents. (Reporting and editing by Leroy Leo in Bengaluru, Vijay Kishore, and Katha Kalia)
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Canada's Carney claims that the issue of the bridge Trump threatened will be resolved
Mark Carney, Canadian Prime Minister, told reporters on Tuesday that Canada and the United States would resolve the issue of the $4.7 billion bridge between Detroit and Windsor in Ontario, which is a source of discontent for U.S. President Donald Trump. Carney told reporters that he had a discussion with Trump on Tuesday morning, covering a wide range of topics including the bridge. Carney did not provide any details, but said that the situation would be resolved. In his latest salvo, Trump threatened to block the opening of the new bridge, a move that sparked alarm among Michigan elected officials over issues of trade. Trump cited Canada’s tariffs on dairy and trade talks with China, as well as its?financing? of the Gordie-Howe International Bridge. Canada financed the bridge because the United States refused to pay for it. The bridge is due to be opened in the upcoming months. Tolls will be used to finance the costs over a period of 30 years. Trump claimed incorrectly that the bridge was owned by Canada, even though it is owned jointly. "I explained that Canada paid over $4 billion for the construction of this bridge," Carney said. Carney explained that ownership of the bridge is shared by the Michigan state government and the Canadian government. The White House has not yet commented. Detroit Regional Chamber is a Michigan-based business group. They said that the bridge was the "most significant infrastructure project" in Michigan and the region for this generation. The group stated that "any attempt to block this project would have enormous consequences for the area, state and country." In 2012, Michigan’s then-Governor Rick Snyder accepted a Canadian Government offer to pay for most of the costs of the new bridge. He took the unusual move of bypassing the legislature by using his executive authority. Construction started in 2018. The Department of Homeland Security in the United States published a rule on January 30 declaring the bridge an official port of entry. The Department of Homeland Security published on January 30, a rule declaring that the bridge is an official port of entrance. The bridge is expected to save travelers $12.7 million per year by reducing traffic congestion and time spent traveling, while also easing traffic flow.
Boeing, the US aircraft manufacturer, plans to open a fourth 737 production facility in midsummer
Boeing will open a fourth 737 MAX line in Everett in Washington in the middle of summer, a Boeing executive announced on Tuesday during an aerospace suppliers' conference.
North Line is a new production line that will help the U.S. aircraft manufacturer increase its 737 MAX jet production to 63 per month in the next few decades. It currently increases production from 38 to 42 jets per month.
Katie Ringgold, Vice President and General Manager of the 737 Program at Boeing, said that the company will continue to increase production by 15% over the next 18-months. She spoke at the Advance 2026 Conference organized by the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Association.
This would mean that Boeing's next rate target of 47 aircraft per month will be reached in 2027 and not this year as many industry observers and investors anticipate.
Boeing officials told two suppliers to expect a monthly production rate of 47 aircraft this year.
Boeing shares have dropped by nearly 1%.
The planemaker has recovered from crises that impacted its production and supply chain for several years.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who was tasked with turning around the company and restoring "production stability", has prioritised restoring "production stability" by increasing production five planes every six months.
The North Line - in Everett - will be the first time a 737 - has been manufactured outside Boeing's Renton Plant south of Seattle. Boeing has begun training workers for the line.
Boeing plans to increase 737 production to 63 planes per month "over the next few years", Ringgold informed suppliers.
Boeing's best selling airplane, the 737 MAX, is in a close competition with Airbus A320neo on the lucrative single-aisle market. (Reporting and editing by Will Dunham and Rod Nickel; Reporting by Dan Catchpole)
(source: Reuters)