Latest News
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Governor of Temryuk says that a drone strike in Ukraine has killed one and ignited a fire in the Russian port.
Veniamin Kondratiev, the governor of the Krasnodar Region, said that a 'Ukrainian drone attack' sparked an blaze at a sea port in Temryuk in southern Russia. Peace talks to end the Ukraine War have stagnated. Temryuk was previously attacked by Ukrainian drones in late May when Kyiv’s security service claimed it had hit a gas station there. Regional authorities cited Governor Andrei Bocharov as saying that a separate strike took place on Saturday and caused a fire to break out in an industrial area of the Kotovo District in the Volgograd Region. Bocharov did not disclose the details of the damages or the affected facilities. The?report on June 1?stated that Lukoil's Volgograd oil refining plant in Russia's south has been suspended since May 29 due to a Ukrainian drone strike.
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Brazil launches a subsidised motorcycle credit program for delivery drivers using apps
The Brazilian government launched on Friday a subsidised?credit program to help app-based drivers purchase motorcycles. This is a new initiative aimed at boosting demand and supporting a sector of the workforce which has grown rapidly in recent years. Bruno Moretti, Minister of Planning, said at an event held in Brasilia that the program would offer interest rates for male and female drivers of 11,5% and 12,5%, respectively. The benchmark rate of the central bank is currently 14.5%. Moretti stated that state-run lenders Caixa Econômica Federal and Banco do Brasil would provide?financing for eligible borrowers. He also noted that a government funded will mitigate credit risks by covering a part of potential losses. The Ministry of Industry, Development and Trade stated that the new loans are expected to be worth up to 2.5 billion reais (494,19 million dollars). This initiative is the latest of a series quasi-fiscal policies introduced at the beginning of the year. They do not affect the primary balance of the federal government, but they are meant to 'boost demand before the elections in October. Leftist Luiz inacio Lula da So is running for a fourth non-consecutive term. The new measures include a program to renegotiate consumer debts, initiatives to encourage truck purchase and vehicle financing support for ride-hailing driver. The app-based drivers program will offer discounts on motorcycles made in Brazil. This includes electric models. It will be open to drivers who have been registered for at least 6 months and completed 100 trips or delivery. This will cover all taxi drivers, cyclists and motorcycle couriers who have been formally employed for at least six consecutive months by the same company. A government statement states that borrowers have up to 48-months to repay their loans, and a grace period of two months. ABOVE TARGET INFLATION On?Friday earlier, Dario Durigan reiterated the government's plans to launch a program later this month to renegotiate consumer debts and personal loans for Brazilians that are up-to-date on their payments. Economists warn that the combination of demand-boosting measures and inflationary pressures resulting from the U.S. supported?war against Iran has clouded the outlook on monetary policy ease in Brazil. Previously, the central bank of this South American country was expected to make much larger rate cuts in 2018. The annual inflation rate is 4.72% and above the central banks' official 3% target. BTG Pactual expects only one more?25-basis point rate cut next Monday, followed by a pause for the remainder of the year. In a report released this week, the firm estimated that the Lula government's previous stimulus measures would inject 142 billion Reais into the Brazilian economy this year. This is equivalent to 1% of the GDP.
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US EPA sends California emission rules to Congress as a possible reversal
The US Environmental Protection Agency announced on Friday that it would be sending California's landmark vehicle emissions rules to Congress for possible repeal. This is the latest attempt to stop state tailpipe regulations becoming more strict. According to the EPA, waivers of California regulations that were approved by Democratic administrations in the past should have been sent directly to legislators under the Congressional Review Act. California's Advanced Clean Cars I, which allows California to set vehicle emission standards that are more stringent than federal standards, is included in the rules. California has not yet responded to the EPA proposal. The administration of President Donald Trump has launched a multifaceted effort to prevent California from requiring cleaner vehicles and more electric vehicles. The EPA also enacted regulations that make it easier for automakers sell more gasoline powered cars and?trucks while making EVs more expensive. California was granted authority to set its own emission standards for cars, trucks and lawn and garden equipment through the four waivers that were sent to Congress to be reviewed. These rules have prompted companies to "produce cleaner electric versions to reduce emissions." California?won approval for its current vehicle regulations known as Advanced Clean Cars I (ACC I) in 2022, under the then President Joe Biden’s EPA. These rules remain in place. The U.S. Transportation Department filed a lawsuit against the California Air Resources Board in March. It claimed that the rules of the state governing zero-emission vehicles and emissions from tailpipes are illegal. California's regulations require automakers sell an increasing number of electric cars and adhere to?increasingly strict limits on tailpipe emission. These rules are stricter than the ones imposed by Trump's administration, who plans to rollback federal fuel economy regulations. Trump signed legislation in 2017 to "overturn California's Advanced Clean Cars II regulations that aim to phase-out new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035." California claims that the fuel savings consumers will enjoy from the new rules will far outweigh the initial costs of electric vehicles. Congress revoked California's authority to ban traditional gasoline-powered cars after?2035, after Toyota GM and other automobile manufacturers lobbied Congress for relief from California’s emission regulations. This was after the EPA had sent Congress a waiver for this program to be reviewed. Many Democratic legislators claimed that waivers were not subject to review under the CRA. The White House has also weakened federal tailpipe regulations. Congress passed legislation to stop collecting penalties in 2025 for failing to meet vehicle tailpipe standards. This will save automakers hundreds and millions of dollars. In February, the EPA repealed a scientific conclusion that greenhouse gas emission endangers human health and removed federal tailpipe standards for cars and truck. David Shepardson, David Gregorio (Editing and Reporting)
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EU agrees to continue compensating passengers for delays in flights
Reporters were told that the European Union countries had agreed to maintain the three-hour delay compensation threshold in the EU's upcoming set of airline passenger rights. They also agreed to ask for greater transparency regarding fees for carry-on luggage. The diplomat stated that the 27 member states would now submit their proposals to the Parliament which would evaluate them from Monday. The European Commission and the EU members had been at odds over a package of measures that was first proposed by the EU executive more than a decade ago. The Commission proposed that the compensation threshold be raised to four hours, and the member states wanted to cap it at EUR 500. According to rules in effect since 2004, passengers who are delayed more than three hours on their flight can receive compensation ranging from EUR250 to EUR600 depending on the length of the flight. The member states have decided to maintain the status quo in the controversial issue of compensation for delay. This issue pitted airlines against consumer protection groups, who demanded greater flexibility in order to remain competitive. The member states propose that airlines include the cost of cabin baggage in the basic ticket price. Consumers who choose to opt out can receive discounts. The measure aims to increase price transparency and comparison. These fees were widely criticized by consumer rights associations across the EU. They sparked a battle in 2024 when the Spanish Consumer Rights Ministry fined low-cost airlines EUR179,000,000 for charging them. The airlines have appealed against the fine. The countries have also kept the rules unchanged that allow an adult accompanying a child to sit next to them without having to pay a fee and that require airlines to provide more services when a connection is missed. The law also prohibited airlines from forcing their passengers to download an app on their mobile phones to obtain a boarding card, a practice Ryanair began in November.
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Air India wants to delay hundreds of jet deliveries - sources
Air India wants to delay the delivery of hundreds?of jets ordered from 'Airbus and Boeing' in order to cut costs, according two people familiar with the situation, who confirmed a Bloomberg article. Air India and Boeing did not respond to a request for comment. Air India, under the new majority owners Tata Group, placed a record-breaking order in 2023 for a total 470 Jets. It also leased another 25 jets. Airline faces increasing losses and operational disruptions due to the conflict in Iran, which is compounded by Pakistan's ban on airspace and a crisis following a deadly Boeing 787 crash a year ago. Air India last week?cut?flights from several routes citing airspace restrictions as well as record jet fuel prices. Bloomberg News reported that Air India was looking to postpone plans for expansion, reduce flights and defer deliveries after Tata Group instructed it to concentrate on reducing record losses. Reporting by Tim Hepher. Mark Potter edited the article.
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American Airlines will resume US flights to Haiti by November
American Airlines announced Friday that it would resume flights to Haiti on 1 November after major U.S. airlines ceased service in the Caribbean nation by late 2024. American will resume service in Haiti this fall. It is the first U.S. airline to announce that it would be resuming its service. Since November 2024, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned flights to Port-au-Prince in Haiti's capital due to a perceived threat from "armed groups" to civil aviation. Later, the FAA allowed flights to resume at'six other airports located in northern Haiti. But it kept its ban on Port-au-Prince. Haiti is the only Caribbean nation that does not have direct flights from U.S. carriers. American said it also plans to offer a second Venezuelan airport flight option. FAA restrictions in Port-au-Prince will continue until at least September 3rd. The FAA suspended flights to Haiti in November 2024 after three commercial U.S. jetliners were hit by gunfire. The FAA continues to restrict access to Haiti's capital, citing the inability of security forces in Port-au-Prince or surrounding areas to prevent aircraft attacks. U.S. planes are allowed to fly over Port-au-Prince at a height of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). According to a U.N. Report earlier this year the death toll has risen each year as independent and powerful armed groups have clashed with security forces and local vigilantes. According to the FAA, since September 2025, Haitian groups used small arms fire to 'attack' at least three aircraft in the area where U.S. Civil Aviation is prohibited. The agency permits flights to six airports: Port-de-Paix (Cap-Haitien), Pignon (Jeremie), Antoine-Simon, and Jacmel. (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; David Shepardson)
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Pope's return from Spain delayed due to technical issues with the plane
After a technical problem on his plane Friday, Pope Leo had to delay his return to Rome after a seven-day tour of Spain. As the?plane taxiing to the runway with Pope Leo and Vatican staff,?journalists and other passengers was about to take off when the captain announced a problem. Leo was escorted by King Felipe back to the airport after he had already 'boarded' his flight operated by carrier Iberia, following a 'wave-off by King Felipe, and other dignitaries from Spain. A spokesperson for Iberia said that maintenance specialists were checking out a technical issue, but did not provide any further details. The captain announced in a second statement that the engine was probably unable to start due to?the?wind. He said that the plane would be towed so it was facing the wind and they'd try to start the engine again. (Reporting and writing by Joshua McElwee, editing by Sanjeev Mglani).
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There are some flights to the Middle East that have resumed but there is still disruption.
The Middle East is slowly getting back on the map as regional carriers work to rebuild their schedules following the war's disruption. However, the conflict continues disrupting a wider range of traffic. Middle Eastern airlines added capacity following severe disruptions linked to the Iran War, while many carriers outside the Gulf continue to divert Europe-Asia flight to avoid the Middle East. The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically: AEGEAN AIRLINES Thessaloniki-Tel Aviv flights were cancelled by Greece's biggest?carrier until June 26. Dubai flights are cancelled until August 31 and Baghdad and Erbil flights until September 30. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has canceled flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until the 28th of June. AIR CANADA Canadian Airlines has canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until October 24. AIR EUROPA Spanish Airlines has canceled flights to Tel Aviv till June 28. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France suspends Tel Aviv flights through June 21 and Beirut and Dubai flights through June 24. KLM has suspended flights from Dubai to Riyadh until August 2, and until July 26 to Dammam and Riyadh. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has suspended its flights to Dubai and Riyadh through August 31. The U.S. carrier suspended service for the Atlanta-Tel Aviv routes through December 18, 2018. The airline plans to resume New York JFK-Tel Aviv flights starting September 6. However, the launch of its Boston-Tel Aviv flight, scheduled for late October, was delayed. FINNAIR Finnair has cancelled all flights to Doha until October 2 and continues to avoid airspace in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Israel. The airline will resume its Dubai flights in October, which are only operated during the winter. British Airways, owned by IAG, delayed the return of its flights from Doha to Riyadh to August 8 and until August 1. Flights to Dubai and Tel 'Aviv will be paused for the rest of the summer and resumed on October 25. The airline plans to reduce the number of flights to Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv from two to just one when they resume. Jeddah will be dropped as a destination. JAPAN AIRLINES Japan Airlines has suspended its scheduled Tokyo-Doha and Doha-Tokyo flight until August 1, as well as Doha-Tokyo until July 31. Polish Airlines has cancelled all flights to Riyadh and Beirut until 30 June. LOT will begin operating its winter route from Dubai in October. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa has announced that it will resume Tel Aviv flights as soon as July 1. ITA Airways also confirmed they would resume Tel Aviv flights as of July 1. SWISS delayed the return of flights to August, while Brussels Airlines suspended its operations until October 24. The suspension of Dubai flights by Lufthansa SWISS and ITA Airways continues until September 13th. Lufthansa and SWISS have suspended flights until October 24 to Abu Dhabi, Amman Beirut, Dammam Riyadh Erbil Muscat and Tehran. Eurowings, a low-cost airline, has suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Beirut to July 17 and Erbil to June 22. Flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi have also been suspended until October 24. ITA Airways also extended its suspension of flights to Riyadh through June 30. MALAYSIA AIRLINES From July 2, the Malaysian airline will resume limited service to Doha. NORWEGIAN AIR The low-cost carrier has delayed the launch of its Tel Aviv, Beirut and other services indefinitely. No new dates have been set. QANTAS Australia's flag-carrier is increasing flights to Rome, Paris and other European destinations to meet the increased demand. The number of flights to Paris will rise from three to five weekly return flights, and the Perth to Singapore service will go from daily to 10? per week. A new schedule for flights will be implemented gradually from mid-April until late July. ROYAL MAROC Moroccan airline announced that flights to Doha have been cancelled until 30 June. SINGAPORE Airlines In response to increased demand, the carrier has extended its Singapore-Dubai flight suspension until August 2 and added services on Singapore-London Gatwick?and Singapore -Melbourne routes between late March and October 24. TURKISH AIRLINES SunExpress, Turkish Airlines’ joint venture with Lufthansa has cancelled flights from Dubai to Bahrain, Beirut, and Erbil up until July 14. WIZZ AIR Low-cost airlines have suspended flights from Europe to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until mid-September. (Compiled by Josephine Mason and Jamie Freed. Elviira Lioma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olesska, Bernadette HOG, Alexander Klyve Gudbrandsen, Romolo TOSIANI, Boleslaw LaSocki). Matt Scuffham and Alexander Smith edited by Susan Fenton, Milla Nissi-Prussak Jonathan Ananda Joe Bavier, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heaven, Bernadette Hogg, Romolo Tosiani.
Bolt, a ride-hailing service, expands into Italy to serve a market that is underserved
Bolt, a ride-hailing app, launched its operations in Milan in the first phase of a campaign aimed at shaking up the Italian transport market. According to Bolt's CEO the Italian market is still largely?underserved?despite the presence and popularity of Uber in the U.S.
Markus Villig, the founder and CEO of Estonia's Bolt, stated that Bolt would work with hundreds drivers in Milan who will either be official taxi drivers or private hire car chauffeurs. The company expects to provide millions of rides within its first year.
The market in Italy has just begun. "We have a long term view," Villig stated in an interview. He added that Bolt plans to expand later in Italy in order to tap into the huge tourism industry.
He said, "We can provide better products and services to our customers. We are also here to help drivers earn more money."
Bolt is now active in 26 of the 27 countries that make up the European Union.
DESPITE TRANSPORT SHORTAGE, APPS FACES PUSHBACK IN ITALY
Italy's ride hailing sector is still governed under a framework from 1992 that separates taxis with a license and chauffeur-driven vehicles. Local authorities also tightly control the number of taxi permits.
Italian antitrust authorities and critics say that the system is responsible for chronic shortages in major cities and long wait times, which regularly leave tourists and residents stranded.
Uber has been operating in Italy for more than a decade. However, Italy does not permit ride-hailing companies that use drivers who do not have commercial licenses. Taxi unions have been very resistant to any reforms.
Milan, with a population of approximately 3 million in the metro area, approved 450 new taxi licences last summer, the first major expansion for the city since 2003. At the time, the city had 4,853 active permits.
Villig stated that there aren't enough drivers in Italy to drive the demand. The market in Italy would grow if regulators opened the door to new suppliers. It would be different."
He has said that he doesn't expect Bolt to be profitable in the next five years.
The taxi industry in Italy has been at a standstill for years. Attempts to expand their services have repeatedly led to strikes and protests on the streets by drivers.
App-based platforms are still seen as a danger by many taxi drivers in a sector based on fixed municipal rates and limited licenses. This is one of the most politically sensitive battlegrounds for Italian transport.
Three Italian taxi drivers were told by their unions that the arrival another ride-hailing app would cause a backlash and protests.
One driver explained, "We use a meter with rates set by the municipality as this is a service provided to the public." Instead, apps set their prices, take commissions, and pay drivers several weeks later. This is not fair competition." Reporting by Inti and Mirko Landauro; editing by Joe Bavier
(source: Reuters)