Latest News
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Smoke in the cabin causes emergency landing of a Boston bound Delta flight in Portugal
Delta Airlines reported that a flight from Barcelona to Boston made an emergency landing in Porto, Portugal on Sunday afternoon. The company reported that Flight DL251 had been diverted from Barcelona to Porto due to a mechanical problem and landed safely there. Flightradar24, a tracking service, indicated that the plane left Barcelona at 3:15 pm (1315 GMT), and landed in Porto at 5 p.m. (1645 GMT). A spokesperson for Portugal's emergency and civil protection authority said that eight passengers who were on board the Airbus A330 were treated at the Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport, while three others were transported to hospital. The Portuguese spokesperson said that the forced landing was due to "smoke" in the cabin.
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Increased security at US Fairford Air Base in England
A witness said that security measures at an 'US airbase in southwest England have increased significantly in the last few days, with roadblocks and armed police blocking access, as well as emergency vehicles parked near. A spokesperson from the US Air Force confirmed that they are aware of the current reports but will not discuss specific measures to protect forces. The spokesperson stated that "the 501st combat support wing and our UK-based Wings will remain vigilant and take appropriate actions to ensure safety and security for?our US servicemen, civilians and contractors, as well as their families." "We continually assess a number of factors to determine which measures we implement?or change in order to protect our installations and our people, as well as their families." Britain declared?in July that its armed forces were ready to protect the country against any attack, after Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned not to allow US bombers fly out of Fairford. Fairford in Gloucestershire was used to launch operations against Iran during the Middle East Conflict.
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Boeing flags 737 MAX Software Bug Affecting Landing Navigation Feature, WSJ Reports
The Wall Street Journal, citing documents from the company, reported that Boeing has discovered a previously unknown software bug in its 737 MAX aircraft. This glitch could cause an automated navigation 'feature' to fail on landing. Report said that the issue was caused by a software update in the cockpit and could occur when crews change their flight plan after a missed landing. Boeing, when asked for comment, said that it had informed 'all 737 operators' last month of the software problem under which pilots could not?have access to automated flight guidance in a certain landing scenario. Our engineers are working on a software update to 'permanently address the issue. Boeing stated in an email that engineers were working on a permanent software update. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that it was aware of a possible issue with a software update to the flight computers in certain Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts, and worked closely with Boeing as well as the airlines. The FAA issued a statement saying that it would convene a Corrective Action Review Board if a safety concern was identified. Boeing has come under heavy regulatory and safety scrutiny over the past few years, following two 'fatal 737 MAX crash incidents in 2018 and 2019, which led to a 'worldwide grounding of the aircraft. Also after a cabin panel blew out mid-air on a brand new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 in 2018. Southwest Airlines and 'United Airlines' have requested that Boeing not deliver new 737 MAX aircraft with the affected software, and instead request an earlier version. The report stated that it was not immediately clear how many aircraft were operating with the flawed software. Boeing, airlines, and regulators are evaluating the issue to determine if it poses a safety concern for flight, according to the report.
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Russia claims it has struck Ukrainian defence industry vessels and facilities
On Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry said that 'its forces' had carried out drone strikes overnight on Ukrainian defence industry installations, logistic centres and vessels used in Ukraine by its armed forces. The 'Ministry' said that the strikes targeted a 'drone assembly and storage site, in the Kyiv region; logistics hubs in Odesa and port infrastructure in Reni along the Danube River. It was also reported that Russian forces had struck a cargo vessel carrying dual-use and military goods bound for the port of Odesa. Later, on Friday, the ministry announced that its forces had hit another cargo ship?in Odesa that was delivering a?logistics centre?to the port Chornomorsk. This centre is used by Ukraine's armed forces and security forces. It also houses a data center for the?processing of intelligence data and the transmission of it. Could not independently verify statements.
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Volkswagen recalls 4 million cars, Handelsblatt reports
The Handelsblatt reported that Volkswagen, the German automaker, will recall 4 million vehicles from four different brands. This is the largest recall since the Dieselgate scandal. According to the German KBA, there will be a recall of 2.16 million VW and 700,000 Audi vehicles. The Handelsblatt reported that Volkswagen's Czech?brand Skoda, and Seat in Spain would also be affected by the action. Seat confirmed that the number. Skoda has not yet commented on the report. Volkswagen stated in an earlier press release that customers were asked to bring their vehicles to be repaired due to a?risk of corrosion associated with a screw within the steering system. If left unchecked this could affect the steering system's function in the long run. The company said that the recall is a precautionary measure, and that replacing the screw will take less than an hour. Volkswagen refused to comment on the cost estimate of the recalls.
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US airlines oppose China’s bid to increase flights
On Thursday, the head of the industry group Airlines for American?said that US carriers opposed adding more direct flights to the United States from China despite the fact that Xi Jinping, the Chinese President raised the idea. Chris Sununu, the head of the group that represents American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, among others, has said US carriers are still hampered because their Chinese counterparts have been allowed to fly over Russia on eight flights. He told reporters that he had been urging officials in the Trump administration not to cave. It's not a small thing. Sununu told an interview that it is a costly exercise for airlines to travel around Russia. Xi brought up the issue of increased flights at a Washington event on Thursday. At the moment, each country can only operate 50 round-trips per week. "Our two parties may also increase direct flight to facilitate travel in both directions and trade," Xi - said. The White House has not yet commented. Before the COVID-19 epidemic, each side was allowed to fly more than 150 round-trip flights per week. Chinese and US carriers were limited to 12 flights a week each between the two nations until August 2023. Air China was asked to increase the number of flights it offers from the US East coast to China, but Airlines for America resisted the request last week. US carriers are banned from doing so because they cannot access Russian airspace. Chinese carriers however can fly eight US flights. "It's imbalanced. Sununu stated, "It's unfair." "They have an advantage already with eight flights. "It would be a huge advantage to give them even more," he said. "Don't worsen it for us." In?March 2022, the US banned Russian flights in American airspace following Russia's invasion into neighboring Ukraine. This prompted Russia to prohibit US carriers from flying over?the country. The United States did not ban other countries from flying over Russia, but they made a deal in 2023 with China that any additional flights would not be allowed to do so. The US Transportation Department proposed in October 2025 to ban Chinese airlines from flying above?Russia along routes between the United States and Canada. They argued that the shorter flight times this practice allows puts American carriers at an unfair disadvantage. The proposal was withdrawn after it faced opposition from US agencies.
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Alaska Air expects certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 by end-September
Alaska?Air?expects Boeing’s?737 MAX 10 aircraft to be certified before the end of September, and plans to deliver its?first plane next spring. Chief Operating Officer?Jason Berry said on Thursday. Berry said that the airline expects to begin passenger service with the MAX 10 between mid-April and April. Before Boeing can start deliveries, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must certify that aircraft. This timeline could be impacted by any delays in the 737 MAX 10 certification process, which is already several years behind schedule. Alaska must then certify the heads-up displays for pilots after the single-aisle aircraft is certified by federal regulators. This will take "a few?months," according to him. He said that the tight schedule "is sport," adding, "We're not panicking yet."
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Maguire: The cement boom in Africa signals the next big shift in global energy usage.
Africa consumes less than 5% of the global energy supply. It is therefore vastly outweighed by other regions when it comes to assessing current trends in energy and pollution. The aggressive plans to build cement plants in the region may change this. Global Energy Monitor data shows that Africa dominates the global pipeline of cement production capacity being built. This construction share is compared to a 8% share of the currently operating cement capacity. This indicates a 'rapid growth in planned production on the continent. But cement investments are about a lot more than just construction materials. These bets are on urbanization, regional economic growth and industrialization. Concrete is used to build roads, houses, factories, ports and other infrastructure before countries use more steel, chemicals or manufactured goods. The cement pipeline is a good indicator of Africa's energy needs. These are expected to increase dramatically if the construction boom linked to the plans for cement capacity materializes. The trend of energy consumption and emissions in the rest of world is expected to be curbed by electrification, and the slowing of heavy industrial production. Leaning In GEM data indicates that Africa has a cement production capacity of 441 million metric tons per year in operation and 43.3 millions tons per annum under construction. African nations also announced plans to add 23 million tons to the current annual cement production capacity. This would increase the total capacity of the region by 15%, compared to its current level, bringing it to just under 507 million tonnes. The overall increase in capacity for cement in Africa is far greater than planned additions to cement capacity in other regions. This indicates that Africa’s development plan looks set to be?more raw materials-intensive' than other parts of the globe. Africa's heavy-duty cement plans indicate a similar steep rise in raw materials and energy requirements, since cement production is notoriously high energy-intensive and requires large quantities of coal, petroleum, coke, and natural gas to ensure ample output. These cement projects will increase the demand for electricity, as well as infrastructure to import, store, and distribute coal, gas, and other fuels. They also need to ship out concrete produced. The plans to expand Africa's cement manufacturing footprint are a response to the growing demand for industrial energy in Africa, which will initially be supplied by fossil fuels. FRONTRUNNERS EGYPT & NIGERIA Egypt, among African countries, has the largest cement production footprint of 88 million tonnes per year. Nigeria is second to India for the amount of cement currently being produced. Libya, Mali and Angola are also among the top 20 countries in the world for cement construction. This shows that growth is expected across the entire continent. Even if Africa adopts cleaner energy technology more rapidly than other industrializing regions, the scale of planned construction of cement suggests that it will still need large quantities of materials to urbanize. The fact that 16 African nations are building new cement kilns suggests that Africa is on the right track to follow some of the same blueprints as countries in Asia. CLEANER CONCRETE? The African cement plan is different from those of other regions because African developers can use the most modern and efficient components to build their?cement plants. Modern kilns have a higher efficiency than those that were installed ten or more years ago. They should therefore be able to produce more cement using fewer inputs. Locally produced renewable electricity -- such as rooftop solar installations -- may also be used to run milling and processing equipment, reducing energy costs for producers. Electric cement kilns, which are becoming more widespread, offer the potential to further reduce energy intensity in countries that want to limit their industrial carbon footprint. Cost considerations will likely remain paramount on many African markets. This may delay the adoption of expensive emissions-reduction techniques such as carbon sequestration. This means that cement production in Africa will be energy- and material-intensive, even though they use the latest kilns available and the most advanced components. Cement projects in Nigeria, Libya Mali, Mozambique, and other countries are not just industrial investments. These projects are early indicators of future growth in?energy demand. Africa's urbanization and industrialization could make it one of the world's largest sources of demand for electricity, fuels for transport and industrial energy. This would force policymakers to find a balance between rising living standards and rising emissions. These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for. You like this column? Check out Open Interest, your new essential source for global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets 7 days a weeks.
What disturbances have been reported after the global tech blackout?
A worldwide tech outage that appeared to be associated with concerns at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and Microsoft impacted operations at airports, airline companies, banks and media outlets on Friday.
Here is a list of disruptions that have actually been reported across sectors:
AIRPORTS, AIRLINES
Airports and airline companies around the world alerted of delays and cancellations or changed to manual check-ins, with some halting flights.
- Berlin airport temporarily halted all flights, a. spokesperson informed . Lufthansa's Eurowings stated. it was stopping domestic German flights as well as flights to and. from Britain up until 3 p.m. (1300 GMT).
- Spanish airport operator Aena reported a. computer systems event, while Lisbon airport, Portugal's. biggest, also experienced disruptions. Amsterdam's Schiphol. Airport and Brussels airport were also apparently affected.
- Leading Dutch airline KLM stated it could not manage. flights on Friday and had actually suspended most of its operations. Air. France, KLM's parent business, likewise stated its operations were. interfered with.
- Turkish Airline companies was experiencing issues with ticketing,. check-ins and booking, it stated in a post on X. Budapest Airport. said a number of airline check-in systems were out of operation.
- Major U.S. carriers consisting of American Airlines,. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines stopped. flights on Friday early morning, pointing out interaction problems. American. Airline companies later stated it had re-established operations. Frontier. and Spirit, too, canceled regulations to ground airplanes.
- Ryanair stated it had actually canceled a little number of. flights.
- An SAS representative said the Scandinavian airline company was. anticipating hold-ups.
- Qantas, Australia's national airline, and Sydney. airport said aircrafts were postponed but still flying.
- Swiss air traffic control business Skyguide stated it had. momentarily decreased Swiss air traffic capability by 30%.
- Roughly 90% of flights at London Gatwick Airport and. London Stansted Airport had actually been postponed or canceled.
- Indian carriers including SpiceJet, Indigo,. Akasa Air, Vistara, Air India and Air India Express were likewise. experiencing issues on Friday.
- Philippines' Cebu Air stated it was dealing with. technical issues and system downtime due to the Microsoft. failure.
FINANCIALS
- JPMorgan Chase & & Co said that the majority of its. ATMs were running generally and that the bank was working to. bring back service to the staying ATMs.
- Australia's biggest bank, Commonwealth Bank, stated. earlier issues impacting PayID immediate transfers had actually been. resolved. Services consisting of Netbank, the CommBank app, CommBiz,. merchant payments and ATMs were available.
- Several significant oil and gas trading desks in London and. Singapore were struggling to perform trades, 6 industry. sources told . The Singapore Exchange stated some services. including its rate feed web service were temporarily affected.
- Macquarie Capital was not able to supply liquidity for. unexpired warrants on HKEX.
- Providers of South African lenders Capitec Bank. and Absa were completely restored after experiencing. interruptions.
- London Stock market Group's's Workspace news. and data platform suffered an interruption that affected user access. worldwide, triggering disturbance across financial markets. It said. in a client memo that technical problems on FX area and forward. rates had actually been dealt with and services brought back.
- Some brokerages in India were facing technical. troubles, traders at the brokerages told .
- German insurance provider Allianz stated it was experiencing. a significant outage that was affecting staff members' capability to log on. to their computer systems.
- Some German banks were facing disruptions, a spokesperson. for the Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft monetary market association. stated on Friday, without offering details.
- Barclays stated its Smart Financier digital. investing platform had actually been impacted.
- Brazilian lending institution Bradesco stated its digital platforms were. not available on Friday.
MEDIA
- Britain's Sky News resumed broadcasting after an. hours-long blackout, however was operating at minimal capacity and. without much of its normal services.
- Australia's state broadcaster, ABC, said it was. experiencing a significant network outage, without giving a reason.
- Routine programming at Sky News Australia was interrupted.
EMERGENCY SITUATION SERVICES, HEALTHCARE
- England's National Health Service said reservations of. doctors' visits and client records were disrupted, but. emergency services had not been impacted.
- Several medical facilities in the Netherlands had to scale down. their operations, Dutch press company ANP reported.
- Victoria state police in Australia stated some internal. systems had been hit, however emergency services were running. normally.
- Copenhagen's fire department said on X it was experiencing. issues getting instantly transmitted fire alarms, and. urged people to call 112 in case of a fire.
- 2 hospitals in the northern German cities of Luebeck and. Kiel canceled optional operations scheduled for Friday.
- Non-profit hospital chain Mass General Brigham stated the. outage impacted a lot of its systems. Due to the intensity of the. concern, it canceled all formerly scheduled non-urgent. surgical treatments, treatments and medical gos to for the day.
- Quest Diagnostics stated its client services and. consumer contact teams were operating with reduced capacity and. clients might experience longer waiting and service times.
- Lab provider Labcorp stated the failure. was impacting some of its service systems, call center. operations and results delivery, including doctor and client. portals.
- Hospital operator Providence stated it brought back a key. performance allowing nurses, doctors and caretakers to. access patient records and carry out clinical documentation, however. other scientific applications and workstations were still. affected.
SHIPPING, LOGISTICS
- Maersk stated the blackout impacted a few of its. run terminals, however all were back in operation within a few. hours.
- FedEx Corp said that its network was now operating. across the globe after it faced significant disruptions due to a. around the world IT failure experienced by a third-party software. vendor. Competing UPS also warned of potential shipment. delays.
- Railroad operator Union Pacific said the. CrowdStrike software application failure had differing levels of impact. across its network, however backup protocols helped it interact. with its teams and dispatchers. It later said its network was. open to organization.
OTHERS
- Important facilities in Germany had actually been affected, an. interior ministry representative said.
- New Zealand's parliamentary computer systems were. affected, according to Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, head of the. parliamentary service.
- Australia's Telstra Group was dealing with disruptions. to a few of its systems, a representative for the telecom firm informed. .
- The Baltic Hub container terminal in the Polish city of. Gdansk stated it was struck by the worldwide outage in Microsoft systems. and was working to resolve the problem.
- The Paris Olympics arranging committee said the cyber. interruption was slowing its operations, however the effect was restricted. and ticket sales were unaffected.
- The United Arab Emirates foreign ministry said its. electronic systems were functioning usually again.
- Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, stated it. briefly stopped production and despatch operations. It resumed. operations and did not expect a material impact from the. event.
- Port Houston said two of its terminals experienced system. failures as part of the worldwide tech interruption. All systems were. later on up and running.
- U.S. telecom huge Verizon initially stated international. IT problems might impact some of its services and store. operations could be restricted, however its network was not impacted.
- Soccer club Manchester United said on X that it. had to delay an arranged release of tickets.
- Starbucks said its mobile order-ahead and pay. features were briefly down due to a worldwide tech failure.
- North American pipeline operator Enbridge stated it. did experience some effects to organization applications as an outcome. of the CrowdStrike software upgrade.
(source: Reuters)