Latest News
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China blames military drills around disputed Shoal for reef damage
China, without naming a country, said that "military training such as bomb-dropping in the waters around Scarborough Shoal" has damaged coral reefs. State broadcaster CCTV cited an ecological report. The natural resources ministry of the country also said that the "illegal fishing", and the frequent intrusion activities in recent years, have posed a threat to the ecosystem surrounding the shoal. Both China and the Philippines claim territorial rights over Scarborough Shoal. This is one of Asia's most contentious maritime features, prized for its rich fishing grounds, its protected lagoon, and its proximity to major shipping routes. But sovereignty has never been established. Although Filipino boats continue operating there, it is under the control of Beijing. In September, China approved the creation of a nature reserve on the shoal. The Philippines called this plan a "clear excuse for occupation".
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South Korean President vows to reveal the truth on anniversary Jeju Air crash
Lee Jae Myung, South Korean president, apologized to the families of 179 people who lost their lives in the Jeju Air crash that occurred a year ago. He also promised to uncover the "truth" behind the accident. In a statement released on Monday, Lee apologized for his actions. Families of victims are demanding answers after investigators delayed the release of a report about what happened on December 29, 2024 when the Jeju Air plane crashed-landed into an embankment near the end?of the runway. The 181 passengers on board were?all but two? killed when the plane exploded in a ball if flames. In a January preliminary report, the government-led Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board stated that both engines of the plane had been damaged by bird strikes. There are still questions about the safety of the runway, what the pilots did in the last minutes of the flight and the design?of Muan International Airport. Lee stated that "the disaster revealed the systematic problems and limitations in our society." What's needed is real change, not empty words or perfunctory promises. The Parliament has been reviewing the plan to revamp the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board to ensure greater expertise and independence. A memorial service will be held by relatives of the victims at the Muan International airport in the southwest of the country to mark the anniversary. (Reporting and editing by Thomas Derpinghaus; Jack Kim)
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Woodside LNG signs LNG supply agreement with BOTAS
Woodside Energy, a subsidiary of Australia's Woodside Energy, announced on Monday that it has signed a contract with the Turkish state-owned oil company BOTAS for delivering?around 5.8 billion cubic metres?of liquefied gas?for up to nine years starting in 2030. The non-binding heads agreement signed in September by the two parties is now a binding commitment. The agreement stipulates that LNG will be supplied primarily from the Louisiana LNG project, which is currently under construction in the United States, with additional supplies coming from Woodside, Australia’s largest natural gas producer. Woodside's Louisiana Gas Complex, the largest foreign investment in the history of the southern state, was the U.S.'s first LNG project to be given the green light after Donald Trump took office in January, and promised to unleash "U.S. Energy is the future. The project was approved in late April. It is scheduled to begin delivering gas in 2029. Mark Abbotsford, Woodside's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, said: "This LNG supply agreement with BOTAS is a significant milestone for Woodside as it represents our first long-term arrangement to provide LNG to the Turkish market." Woodside is also grateful for the support of the Turkish and United States governments following the announcement earlier this year of the HOA.
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Flash floods in southern Spain cause one death and two missing
Overflowing rivers washed away motorcycles and cars, and authorities warned people to stay inside. Authorities in Valencia, where the deadly floods that occurred in October of last year caused damage worth billions of Euros and killed more than 220 people, sent red alerts to people's mobile phones on Sunday night, urging them not to leave their homes and stay on high ground. Eight other provinces also issued an orange alert, warning residents of the serious dangers to their property or themselves and to prepare for worsening conditions. Heavy rains last year in Valencia caught authorities by surprise. Many blamed local and national officials who warned people too late. This led to the resignation of the regional leader. According to a post on their X page, the Civil Guard of Spain found a body in Malaga. The man's van had been swept away Sunday by an overflowing stream. The second passenger was still missing. According to the state news agency EFE, emergency teams are also searching for a teenager in Granada that was swept away while trying to cross a riverbed with a motorcycle. In Barcelona, Catalonia, ?a woman was hospitalised on Saturday after being hit by a lamppost torn down by 70-kilometre-per-hour winds, the regional government's civil protection agency told Europa Press. (Reporting and editing by William Maclean, Victoria Waldersee)
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Amazon cancels drone delivery plans in Italy
Amazon announced on Sunday that it would not pursue plans to deliver goods by drones in Italy. The company said it made progress with the aerospace regulators but business regulations were against it. Italian civil aviation ENAC described the decision as unexpected. In a statement issued on Saturday, the company said that the move was motivated by a change in company policy and related to "recent financial events involving Group". The company had announced that initial drone delivery tests would be completed in San Salvo in central Abruzzo in December 2024. Amazon released a statement on Sunday. "Following an?strategic assessment, we have decided that?our plans for commercial drone deliveries in Italy will be discontinued". Amazon said that despite positive engagement and progress with Italian aerospace regulators, the regulatory framework for business in the country does not support the longer-term goals of this program at this time. (Reporting and editing by Frances Kerry, Alvise Armelli)
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Ukraine's DTEK claims that power has been restored to one million households in the Kyiv area
Ukraine's largest?private energy company said on Sunday that it had restored power to more than one million households around Kyiv, a day after an air strike by Russia had caused emergency outages. Two people were killed and power was knocked out in large areas of the capital area and surrounding region by a combined?missile-and drone attack? that occurred early Saturday morning. DTEK announced in a statement that it restored electricity to 748, 000?households?in Kyiv as well as 347,000?outside the city. The report said that the situation on Kyiv’s left bank was "more difficult", as emergency power outages were still in place. DTEK reported that two districts in the Kyiv region were still experiencing emergencies. In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its massive strikes on Ukraine's energy systems as it continues to?press ahead with a military offensive in the face of a U.S. led peace effort aimed at ending the war that is now nearly four years old. (Reporting and editing by Hugh Lawson; Reporting by Dan Peleschuk)
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Winter weather in the Northeast US leads to thousands of flight cancellations and delays
Snow and ice plowed into the U.S. Northeast on Saturday morning, disrupting the post-holiday weekend?airline traffic. New York and New Jersey officials declared weather emergencies even though the storm had subsided by mid-morning. New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency due to the treacherous road conditions. In a press release, New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that "the safety of New Yorkers is my number one priority and I will continue to urge caution for the duration of this hurricane." Bob Oravec, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center near Washington, D.C., stated that by early Saturday, six to ten inches (15 to 25 cm) of snow had fallen in an area extending from Syracuse, in central New York, to Long Island, in the southeast part of the state, and also Connecticut. Oravec reported that Central Park received the most snow since 2022, with 4.3 inches. He said, "The good thing is that most of the heavy snow has melted." "Only a couple of flurries are left this morning, and they will fade by afternoon." The effects of the storm were felt by passengers. FlightAware, which tracks flights, reports that more than 9,000 domestic U.S. flight cancellations or delays occurred on Saturday. Many of these were in the New York region, at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LaGuardia) and Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark Liberty). American Airlines, United Airlines, and JetBlue Airways representatives told passengers that they waived the change fees usually charged for rebooking in cases where weather-related delays may have affected their travel plans. Winter weather advisories and ice storm warnings were posted in most of Pennsylvania, as well as in much of Massachusetts. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have issued restrictions on commercial vehicles for certain roads, including interstate highways. Tahesha way, acting governor of New Jersey, said that the storm would cause hazardous road conditions and impact holiday travel. "We urge travelers to avoid traveling during the storm to allow crews to maintain roads." Rich McKay reported from Atlanta. (Additional reporting by Maria Tsvetkova, Steve Gorman and Dan Levine in Washington; editing by Sergio Non & Mark Potter.)
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Winter weather in the Northeast US leads to thousands of flight cancellations and delays
Snow and ice blanketed the U.S. Northeast on Saturday morning, causing disruption to airline traffic after the holiday weekend. Officials in New York and New Jersey declared weather emergencies even though the storm had subsided by midday. New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency due to the treacherous road conditions. New York Governor Kathy Hochul made a statement saying, "The safety and well-being of New Yorkers are my highest priorities. I will continue to urge caution for the duration of this hurricane." Bob Oravec, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center in Washington, D.C., says that by early Saturday, six to ten inches of snow (15 to 25 cm) had fallen in an area spanning from Syracuse, in central New York, to Long Island, in the southeast, and Connecticut. Oravec reported that Central Park received 4.3 inches of snow, the highest amount since 2022. He said, "The good thing is that most of the heavy snow has melted." "Only a couple of flurries are left this morning, and they will fade by afternoon." Travelers were feeling the effects. FlightAware reports that more than 14,400 domestic U.S. flight cancellations or delays occurred on Saturday morning. The majority of these flights were in the New York region, at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LaGuardia) and Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark Liberty). FlightAware reports that another 2,100 international flights scheduled to leave or land the U.S. Saturday have been canceled. American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines representatives said that they waived the change fees usually charged for rebookings in cases where weather disruptions may have affected travel plans. Winter weather advisories and ice storm warnings were also posted in?most Pennsylvania and most of Massachusetts. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have issued restrictions on commercial vehicles for certain roads, including interstate highways. Tahesha way, acting governor of New Jersey, said that the storm would cause hazardous road conditions and affect holiday travel. We urge travelers to avoid traveling during the storm to allow crews to maintain roads. Rich McKay reported from Atlanta. Steve Gorman and Maria Tsvetkova contributed additional reporting from Washington, while Steve Tsvetkova reported from New York. Sergio Non, Mark Potter and Sergio Non edited the article.
Mexican train derailment kills 13
Mexican authorities said that on Sunday, at least 13 people were killed when an Interoceanic Train?derailed?in the southern state of Oaxaca.
The Mexican Navy reported that the train derailed near Nizanda was carrying 250 passengers, including nine crew and 241 passengers.
Of the 193 passengers, 193 were reported as being in a safe condition, while 98 others were injured.
Claudia Sheinbaum, the president of X, said that five of the injured are in critical condition. She added that senior officials have been dispatched to the scene to help the families.
In a post on social media, Ernestina Godoy Ramos, Mexico's Attorney-General's Office said that an investigation had already been opened into the incident.
The Interoceanic Train will be inaugurated by former President Andres Lopez Obrador in 2023 as part of a larger project called the Interoceanic Corridor.
The project was to modernize rail links across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It would connect Mexico's Pacific Port of Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos, on the Gulf Coast.
The Mexican government is working to turn the isthmus of the country into a strategic trade corridor, by expanding ports, railroads, and industrial infrastructure, with the goal of competing with the Panama Canal.
The train service is part of an effort to expand passenger rail and freight rail services in southern Mexico, and to stimulate economic growth in the region. (Reporting and editing by Tom Hogue, Michael Perry and Natalia Siniawski)
(source: Reuters)