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Trump holds meeting to discuss plan to renovate Washington Dulles Airport
The White House announced that U.S. president Donald Trump will hold a meeting Wednesday to discuss 'his plan to overhaul the main international airport in the U.S. Capital area. He had harshly criticised its design?in December. Sean Duffy, the Transportation Secretary, is expected to attend the meeting about Washington Dulles International Airport. The airport, which is located about 25 miles (40 km) from the U.S. capital and opened in 1962, is set for a new 435,000-square-foot (40,412-square-meter), 14-gate concourse this fall serving ?United Airlines customers. The airport authority announced on Tuesday that it had a record-breaking year in 2025. It handled?29 millions total passengers, an increase of 6.4%. Meanwhile, traffic at the rival Reagan National Airport fell by 5.4%. In December, Trump said that he would rebuild Dulles because it was "not a good airport." It should be an amazing airport... The airport is a "great building but a bad one." Trump has said that he is working on a new design for Dulles. The terminal building of the airport was designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. It is a unique structure, with two sides that have sloping rooftops. The building is regarded as a prime example of Mid-Century Modern Architecture. In December, the Transportation Department sought proposals for a complete overhaul of the airport. This could include tearing down the main terminal. The agency criticised the "jet-fuel smell" in the concourses and the "paltry number" of gates in Dulles' main terminal. It added that Dulles was "no longer an airport fit and "grand enough" for the capital city of the United States. The Metropolitan?Washington Airports Authority operates the airport under a lease of 50 years approved by Congress. Other media outlets reported that Trump had offered to 'drop his hold on funding of a $16 billion New York Hudson River tunnel project if Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer supported the renaming Dulles Airport and New York Penn Station after Trump. Last week, Florida lawmakers approved legislation renaming the Palm Beach International Airport to Trump. Dulles was named for John Foster Dulles who served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Dwight Eisenhower during the 1950s. (Reporting and editing by Chris Reese, Jamie Freed, and David Shepardson)
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Source: Carney was aware of South Bow's Keystone XL plans prior to the White House meeting.
A federal government'source' familiar with the issue said that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney knew about South Bow's plans in October to revive some of the canceled Keystone XL expansion pipeline to the United States. He floated this idea to U.S. president Donald Trump. Source: South Bow, Canadian pipeline company responsible for the canceled 'Keystone XL Pipeline,' is looking at reviving parts of the existing line as part of an expansion project in Alberta aimed to transport more Canadian oil into the United States. South Bow, the Canadian pipeline company that took over the Keystone XL assets of TC Energy TRP.TO when President Joe Biden canceled the project, is evaluating an expansion in order to leverage existing infrastructure, and permitted corridors, according to a spokesperson. However, the spokesperson did not specify if this would include Keystone XL. A spokesperson stated that the expansion proposal was still in a very early stage. Bridger Pipeline estimates that the expansion could increase Canada's exports of oil to the U.S. from?about 12.5%. Carney would then have more leverage in the upcoming negotiations for the Canada-United States Mexico (CUSMA). Carney raised the possibility of reviving Keystone XL, an oil pipeline that would connect Alberta to the United States during his October meeting with Trump. This was part of Carney's efforts to ease tensions in trade between the United States and Canada. CARNEY IS UNDER PRESSURE DUE TO U.S. TARIFFS Carney was facing increasing pressure from Canadians to deal with painful U.S. Tariffs on steel and autos. He asked Trump if he'd be interested if Keystone were revived, and had Canadian backing, as reported in October. South Bow had said that it was "moving on" from Keystone, but supported efforts to increase transportation of Canadian oil. Carney knew, however, that South Bow had been in discussions with potential U.S. Partners to revive a part of the Keystone XL pipeline, according to the source. The source stated that "he was certainly aware of the private sector interest." The source refused to give his name in order to speak openly about the issue. Source: The Canadian government has no involvement in the South Bow proposal. However, energy will be a major part of the negotiations at the CUSMA review. A spokesperson from Carney's Office declined to comment and referred questions to Canada's Department of Natural Resources. Charlotte Power, a spokesperson for Natural Resources, responded to an email query by saying: "Canada has what the world is looking for in terms of energy. As the federal government prepares to review the CUSMA, we engage actively with industry leaders as well as provinces and territorial governments to ensure that our negotiating positions reflect Canada's economic interests. BRIDGER FILE PIPELINE SUBMISSION WITH REGULATORS Bridger Pipeline has recently submitted a proposal to Montana regulators. The proposal describes construction of a 'potential 645 mile (1,038 km) pipeline that would begin near the U.S. Canada border in Phillips County Montana and travel through Guernsey Wyoming. The application says that a large portion of the new pipeline would be constructed in areas adjacent to existing infrastructure owned by Bridger or other operators. It stated that the purpose of the pipeline would be to transport 550,000 barrels of Canadian crude oil per day to the U.S. In 2024, Canada will export an average of 4.4 million barrels per day to the U.S. Bridger declined comment on the application. South Bow declined to comment on an upcoming?U.S. partner. Source: The government knew about discussions between South Bow, Bridger and the issue before Bridger submitted its application. RBN Energy analyst Liz Dicken stated in a blog that the only Canadian infrastructure which could be used for a project this size is the partially completed Keystone XL pipeline in Alberta. This system has been idle since 2015, when the pipeline was cancelled. Dicken pointed out that Guernsey in Wyoming is not a final market for crude oil. Therefore, additional downstream links will be needed to transport oil from Guernsey to refinery hubs like Cushing, Oklahoma and Patoka, Illinois. Keystone XL is a crude pipeline that was proposed to be 1,900 kilometres long. It would have transported 830,000 barrels of oil per day from oil sands in northern Alberta - through the Dakotas, Nebraska, to Cushing, Oklahoma - the U.S. major storage hub, and then to Gulf Coast refineries. TC Energy proposed the project back in 2008, but it was quickly met with significant opposition from environmentalists and Indigenous groups. The project was initially rejected by the Obama administration, then revived by Trump during his first term. Biden cancelled it again in 2021. TC Energy, which lost billions of dollars on the project, set up South Bow to take over the oil pipeline business. Before the halt, no significant Keystone XL Infrastructure was built in the United States. (Reporting and editing by Caroline Stauffer in Calgary, Edmund Klamann, and Amanda Stephenson)
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FIFA monitors World Cup host city Guadalajara, and postpones soccer matches amid violence in the city.
After violence erupted near Guadalajara following a military operation in which cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera was killed, FIFA monitored the situation in the city that will host the World Cup in 2026. According to the Defense Ministry, Oseguera was injured during a special force operation in Jalisco, Mexico, on the Pacific coast. He died in custody. A FIFA Mexico spokesperson said: "We are constantly in communication with the authorities and closely monitor the situation in Jalisco." We will continue to follow actions and directions of the various government agencies aimed at maintaining the public safety and restoring the normalcy. And we repeat?our close cooperation with federal, State, and Local authorities." Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum On Tuesday, the Minister of Tourism said that the World Cup was in full swing and "no risks" were posed to visitors. Gianni Infantino, FIFA's President, echoed this sentiment when he told reporters at an event in Colombia that "Everything is fine." It's going be spectacular." From March 26 to 31, the World Cup will be played at the Estadio Akron, a venue in Zapopan (Guadalajara), which is one of its venues. Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus confirmed that FIFA has not intended to remove any of the host cities. Azteca stadium in Mexico City, another World Cup venue is scheduled to host an international friendly between Mexico vs Portugal on the 28th of March to celebrate its reopening following?renovations. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), said that it would be closely monitoring the developments and will make decisions about travel arrangements based on safety. Surinamese football federation is also evaluating its situation in advance of the World Cup Playoff in Monterrey. "We're scheduled to arrive between March 22 and 23 but we're monitoring the situation very closely," Secretary-General Mitchell Kisoor said. MATCHES WILL BE POSTPONED INDEFINITELY Mexican league announced on social media that two games, Queretaro against FC Juarez and Chivas against America in the women’s league, scheduled for Sunday have been postponed. Local media also reported that two second division matches scheduled to be played on Sunday were cancelled. The match between Necaxa vs Queretaro, played in Aguascalientes on Sunday was stopped when the players left after hearing loud noises coming from outside Estadio Victoria. Media reports described these sounds as gunshots. The match was resumed later, and Necaxa won 2-1. Mexico's national team will face Iceland in an amiable match on Wednesday at the Corregidora Stadium, in Queretaro. The Mexican Open men's tennis event in Acapulco will begin as scheduled on Monday, according to established security protocols. The Tennis Tournament went as planned The Merida Women's Open tournament, which was held in the east of the country, also went according to plan. The WTA has been made aware of reports of security incidents in western Mexico, the WTA stated?in a press release. It added that the authorities have increased the police presence at the tournament site. The safety of the players, staff and spectators is our number one priority. Following reports of El Mencho’s death, suspected members of the cartel blocked?highways and set businesses ablaze in more than a half dozen states. No civilian deaths were reported. Social media users in Jalisco’s popular beach resort Puerto Vallarta described dark plumes of smoke rising from the bay. Air Canada, United Airlines and Aeromexico suspended flights. Reporting by Karan Saxena and Angelica Medina from Mexico City, Julia Symmes Cobb and Chiranjit Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Kevin Liffey, Toby Davis and Toby Davis.
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Iran announces it is ready to negotiate with the US
Tuesday, oil prices fell 1% after Iran said it would take all 'necessary measures' to reach a deal with the United States. This came following weeks of the U.S. increasing its military presence in the Middle East. Brent futures closed at $70.77 a barrel, down 72c or 1%. WTI futures fell 1% as well, closing at $65.63, a decrease of 68 cents. Oman's Badr Albusaidi, the Foreign Minister of Oman, said that the U.S. and Iran will be holding a third round of talks in Geneva on Thursday. Iran is the third largest crude producer within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The U.S. has sent warships, aircraft carriers and jets into the region to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear program. Iran denies it is developing an atomic bomb, and its deputy minister of foreign affairs said on Tuesday that Tehran was prepared to reach a settlement to reduce tensions between two countries. Swiss bank UBS expects a modest drop in oil prices over the next few weeks, provided tensions do not escalate in the Middle East and disrupt supply. U.S. oil prices are subject to a geopolitical premium of $3-$4 per barrel due to tensions between Iran and the United States, according the Director of North Dakota Mineral Resources Department. North Dakota is the third-largest oil producing state in the United States. 3 U.S. oil-producing state. Energy executives say that the oil industry needs crude prices to increase and to sustain at $70 per barrel in order to grow production. A senior official announced on Monday that the U.S. State Department will be removing non-essential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. This is due to growing concerns about the possibility of conflict between Iran and the United States. Iran, according to sources, has been close to signing a deal to buy anti-ship cruise-missiles with China. U.S. TARIFFS AND OIL SUPPLIERS Meanwhile, the U.S. started collecting a temporary 10% global import duty on Tuesday. But President Donald Trump's Administration was working to raise it to 15%. This has caused confusion about tariff policies following last week's Supreme Court decision. Trading houses and buyers have chartered very large crude carriers for exports from Venezuela since the Caracas-Washington supply deal was initiated. According to data and sources, this will speed up the shipments in March as well as boost deliveries to India. According to EU officials, and according to a document viewed by, the European Commission is expected to'submit a proposal on April 15 to ban Russian oil imports permanently. This will be three days after Hungary held its parliamentary elections. Two sources familiar with this situation reported that the Russian oil pipeline monopoly, Transneft, has cut crude intake by around 250,000 barrels a day. This is a day after Ukrainian drones struck a pumping station for major oil hubs. U.S. OIL Inventories The U.S. crude stock rose, while gasoline and distillate decreased inventories According to sources citing the American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday, crude oil prices fell last week. Crude'stocks increased by 11.43 millions barrels during the week ending February?20. This is much more than the 1.5million barrels analysts predicted energy firms would add to storage. The Energy Information Administration will release official U.S. inventory reports on Wednesday. Reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York, Siddharth Cavale in London and Trixie Yap, Singapore, and Anushree Mukerjee, Bengaluru; additional reporting by Trixie YAP in Singapore, Alex Richardson, and David Gregorio.
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UK enforces travel permit requirements on foreign visitors
The UK Interior Ministry announced that, starting Wednesday, visitors from 85 countries will need to obtain a 'electronic permit' in advance of their trip or they may be denied entry. Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme (ETA) requires that all visitors to Britain who don't need a Visa purchase a pretravel permit on the internet for a?cost? of 21.57 pounds (16 pounds). The law was implemented in 2023, and it was extended to European visitors in April of last year. However, the law has not been strictly enforced. From February 25, it will be mandatory that all visitors to the UK have an ETA before travelling. The interior ministry stated that this'means airlines will not allow passengers to board if they do not have a valid ETA, eVisa, or other documentation. British and Irish nationals, including dual-citizens, as well as those with the right of residence in the UK are exempted from the need for an ETA. The ETA scheme, according to migration minister Mike Tapp, is a crucial part of the?work we do to improve border security in the UK. It helps to provide a more modern and efficient service for both 'visitors' and the British people. The European Union (EU), after much delay, began implementing its post-Brexit security checks at the border for UK citizens entering?the EU in?October of last year. Britain will officially leave the EU in 2020. The EU's Entry/Exit System eliminates the need to manually stamp passports and creates digital records at external EU borders. Travellers have complained that the introduction of this new system has caused delays in some airports. Industry leaders are concerned about a possible disruption if it is fully implemented at Easter.
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Source: RPT-Carney was aware of South Bow's Keystone XL plans even before the White House meeting.
Sources familiar with the issue said that Canadian 'Prime Minister Mark Carney' was aware of South Bow Oil Company's plans to revive a portion of the canceled Keystone XL Pipeline to the United States, when he brought the idea up to U.S. president Donald Trump last October. Sources said that South Bow, the Canadian company responsible for the Keystone XL pipeline cancellation, may revive some of the existing line as part of an expansion project aimed to transport more Canadian oil into the United States. During Carney’s meeting with Trump at the?White House he brought up the possibility of reviving Keystone XL, an oil pipeline that would connect Alberta and the United States as part of 'his efforts to reduce trade tensions between both countries. Carney was being pressed by Canadians to deal with the painful U.S. steel, auto, and other tariffs. He asked Trump, in October, if he'd be interested in a revived Keystone XL oil pipeline from Alberta to the United States. South Bow at that time said it had "moved forward" with Keystone, but supported efforts to increase transportation of Canadian oil. Carney knew that South Bow was in discussions with potential U.S. A federal source with knowledge of the matter said that Carney was aware at the time that?South Bow's?U.S. The source stated, "He was certainly aware that there might be private sector interest." The source refused to give their name in order to speak openly about the issue. Source: The Canadian government has no involvement in the South Bow proposal. However, energy will be a major part of negotiations when the Canada-United States Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA) is reviewed. A spokesperson from Carney's Office declined to comment and referred questions to the Department of Natural Resources of Canada. Charlotte Power, a spokesperson for Natural Resources, stated in an email reply: "Canada has what the world is looking for when it comes to energy. As the federal government prepares to review the CUSMA, we are actively engaging with industry leaders and provinces and territorial governments to ensure that our negotiating position reflects Canada’s economic interests. In an email, a spokesperson from Calgary-based South Bow confirmed that the company was evaluating a proposal to?leverage its existing infrastructure in Canada and to connect with crude oil 'pipelines' in the U.S. The spokesperson did NOT specify which infrastructure they might use, or with whom they would partner south of the border. Bridger Pipeline, a U.S. firm, recently filed a proposal in Montana with regulators. The proposal describes the construction of a 645-mile pipeline (1,038 km) that would begin near the U.S. Canada border, Phillips County in Montana, and travel to Guernsey Wyoming. Bridger stated in his application that the purpose of the new pipeline would be to transport as much as 550,000 barrels of Canadian crude oil per day to the U.S. Market. Bridger declined comment. (Reporting and editing by Caroline Stauffer in Calgary, Amanda Stephenson)
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Venezuela prepares larger oil cargoes to export and targets India
Four sources and shipping data indicate that buyers and trading houses of Venezuelan oil chartered the very large crude carriers to export the South American nation?since the Caracas-Washington deal was signed. This move will boost deliveries to India. The use of larger vessels that can hold up to 2,000,000 barrels each is expected to reduce transportation costs for buyers and traders, relieve a shortage in smaller tankers, and speed up deliveries beginning next month. This could help to drain the millions barrels stored at Venezuela faster. The Nissos Kea and Nissos Kythnos, as well as the Arzanah, are at least three VLCCs that Vitol and Trafigura have chartered. They will be loading in March at Venezuela's largest oil terminal, Jose. This terminal is operated by PDVSA, a state-owned energy company, and it handles 70% of all crude exports. Sources said the tankers were bound for India. According to LSEG Ship Tracking, another supertanker Olympic Lion was signaling Venezuela this week as its destination, with an expected arrival date of late March. The charterer wasn't immediately known. Since January, most of Venezuela's crude oil exports have been transported to U.S. refining facilities in medium-sized tanks, such as Aframaxes and Panamaxes. These tankers can transport between 450,000 and 700,00 barrels of heavy oils each. According to vessel movement data, the oil was also transported on Suezmax vessels that?can transport up to one million barrels. BIGGER CARGOES - LOWER COSTS Larger cargoes may reduce the costs of trading houses, who have complained about prices that are around $15 below Brent for Venezuelan Merey heavy oil, agreed on last month, for initial purchases. According to shipping data, two sources and the U.S. oil giant Chevron, Reliance Industries in India has purchased its first cargo of Venezuelan heavy crude since December 2023. This is the first time that heavy oil has been sold in six years. The Boscan crude shipment will be transported on the Ottoman Sincerity. Reliance has also purchased a 2-million barrel cargo from Vitol, for loading in March, and is looking to purchase directly from PDVSA. Reliance didn't respond to questions outside of office hours. Vitol 'and Trafigura are trading houses that have been exporting Venezuelan Crude this year, as part of a deal worth $2 billion between the U.S.A. and Venezuela. They have also recently sold Venezuelan Heavy Crude cargoes to Indian Refiners including Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petrol Corp, and HPCL Mittal Energy. India was the third largest buyer of Venezuelan oil before Washington imposed sanctions on 2019. As a result of the lifting of a U.S. oil blockade, Venezuela's oil exports increased to 800,000 barrels a day in January. However, this rapid increase, from 500,000 barrels a day in December, has left millions in storage that were originally meant for U.S. or European buyers. PDVSA and Vitol have not responded to our requests for comment. Trafigura refused to comment. More Cargo to the U.S. Chevron, Phillips 66, Citgo Petroleum, and other U.S. refiners are preparing to increase Venezuelan oil processing in their?refineries. This is expected to also boost exports. Two sources confirmed that Chevron, along with some U.S. refining companies, have hired dozens Aframaxes or Panamaxes. These vessels are mostly on time-charter agreements for Venezuela. This means they will only transport Venezuelan oil during the contract period. Valero Phillips 66, and Citgo have not responded to requests for comment. Two sources say that the move by trading houses to larger tankers will ease the search for medium-sized vessels departing from the Caribbean. Many companies have been struggling to find them. Trafigura Vitol, and Chevron had been exporting oil from the OPEC nation under individual U.S. licences. But in late January the U.S. Treasury Department released a general license that allows oil exports. It is anticipated that the new authorization will gradually expand the number of cargo destinations and buyers. Reporting by Marianna Pararaga, Shariq KHan, Arathy SOMASEKHAR, Georgina McARTNEY and Nicole Jao. Rod Nickel, Julia Symmes Cobb and Julia Symmes Cobb edited the story.
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Telecom Italia announces a 5-6% increase in its core profit and a share buyback program
Telecom 'Italia (TIM), on Tuesday, announced that it would 'launch' a share purchase of up to $400 million euros ($471.48 millions). The company forecasted a 5-6% increase in core profit this year, and reported 2025 earnings which were in line with expectations. TIM was under intense pressure from its home market for over a decade, and Poste 'Italiane became its largest shareholder, replacing France's Vivendi. The stock has more than doubled in value during the last 12 months, a result of the company's?assets-and-shareholder overhaul. The buyback is 'the first form of shareholder compensation since 2022 when Italy's largest telecoms operator suspended its dividend payments in order to embark on a complex restructuring centered on the sale of fixed-network assets. Last year, TIM promised to use half the?proceeds of the 700 million-euro sale?of its subsea-cable unit Sparkle?to reward investors. This was after the 18.8 billion-euro sale in 2024 of its domestic landline system was used to reduce its debt. TIM stated that the buyback of shares was conditional on the completion of Sparkle's sale later this year. Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortisation After Lease Costs (EBITDA AL) rose 6.5% to 3.7 billion Euros in 2025, according to the company's consensus. "TIM's financial structure is stronger, and it has a higher profit margin. It also generates more cash," said Pietro Labriola, the Chief Executive Officer. TIM reported 700 million?euros of equity?free-cash flow after leasing in 2025. This was higher than the analyst's forecast of 530 millions euros. Total revenue in 2025 increased 2.7% to 13.7?billion euro. Net debt after leasing fell by 400 millions euros to 6.9 billion euros at December 31, 2025. The net result that will be announced next month is likely to be affected by TIM adopting a new method of recognizing?deferred costs for retail broadband customers. TIM stated that the revised approach will allow costs to be amortized over four years instead of eight. This will add 600 million euros in 2025.
Transport Canada certifies Gulfstream G700 & G800 jets following Trump spat
Transport Canada approved two large-cabin Gulfstream jets, weeks after the U.S. Donald Trump has threatened to take action against Canada's aircraft sector because its regulator is taking too long in certifying the U.S. made planes. According to a document released by the government on Monday, Transport Canada has certified Gulfstream Aerospace's flagship G700 and G800 planes. The company's G500 and G600 smaller, shorter range planes were first certified on February 15, according to a government document.
In a post on social media, Trump stated that Canada took too long to certify aircraft. He threatened to respond by decertifying Canadian made Bombardier Global Express jets, and by imposing a?50% tariff on all aircraft manufactured in Canada. Gulfstream is owned by General Dynamics, a U.S. company.
This threat is part of a series of provocations that President Trump has made against Canada since his re-election in January last year. Trump has threatened to annex Canada and he said that he would block the opening of a Canadian-financed new bridge connecting Detroit, Ontario, with Windsor, Michigan. The certification issue is unclear, since the Gulfstreams are already certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and don't need Canadian certification in order to fly there. According to global aviation regulations, it is the responsibility of the country that designed an aircraft to vouch for its safety. Usually, other countries validate the decision made by the primary regulator.
Nate Sizemore, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday, said that "the President was clear": fair trade is important in all sectors including aviation.
Aviation experts were alarmed by the incident and argued that planes should only be certified based on safety, without political influence.
Richard Aboulafia is the managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, a U.S. aerospace consultancy firm.
Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, has criticised Trump's use tariff threats as a negotiation tactic. In a speech given in Davos in January, Carney said that other nations must accept that U.S. led rules-based international order is over. He had traveled to China earlier that month in order to negotiate a deal with his U.S. competitor.
Gulfstream's spokesperson stated that the private jet manufacturer is working with FAA and Transport Canada. They are "optimistic" about the progress being made.
Reporters in Ottawa were told by Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon that the approval of the regulator was not due to pressure from the Trump Administration.
He said that there were requests for certification of Gulfstream aircraft. They were in different stages." (Allison Lampert, Montreal; David Shepardson, Washington; editing by Chizu nomiyama and Nick Zieminski).
(source: Reuters)