Latest News
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US Airlines cancel more than 1,000 flights as a result of Northeast Winter Storm Warnings
Flight tracking website FlightAware reports that airlines in the United States have canceled or delayed a large number of flights on Friday during peak holiday travel due to severe weather warnings. The website reported that 1,139 flights were cancelled and 3,808 flights were delayed by 12:30 pm ET. National Weather Service issued a warning this afternoon about winter storms that "will create hazardous travel conditions from the Great Lakes into the northern Mid-Atlantic region and southern New England today through Saturday morning." Airports that are in areas of high impact, such as John F. Kennedy Airport or LaGuardia Airport, have posted signs on X to warn travelers about possible delays?or cancelations. JetBlue Airways, with 225 cancellations, is the largest carrier. Delta Air Lines, with 186 cancellations, Republic Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, and 96 flights by American Airlines are close behind. A spokesperson for American Airlines said that the airline has "issued an alert allowing travelers whose plans could be affected to rebook their flights without paying any?change fees." JetBlue, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines didn't immediately respond to comments. Reporting by Aatreyee dasgupta in Bengaluru and Abhinav parmar; editing by Shakesh Kuber
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US Airlines cancels over 1,000 flights because of Winter Storm Warnings
Flight tracking website FlightAware reports that airlines in the United States cancelled or delayed thousands of flights on Friday during peak holiday travel due to severe winter storm alerts. As of 12:01 p.m. ET, 1,097 flights had been?cancelled and 3,608 were delayed. ET, according to the website. The National 'Weather Service' issued a warning of winter storms today afternoon, which "will cause dangerous travel conditions for the Great Lakes into northern Mid-Atlantic & southern New England from today until Saturday morning." Airports such as 'John F. Kennedy Airport' and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport have also posted on X to warn travelers of possible delays or cancellations. JetBlue Airways has cancelled 225 flights. This is the most of all carriers. Delta Air Lines, which cancelled 177 flights, and Republic Airways, who canceled 153 flights, are close behind. Reporting by Aatreyee dasgupta, Bengaluru. Editing by Shashesh Kuber.
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More rain expected in drenched California before drier weekend
The National Weather Service predicted a dry weekend for Southern California, which was still ravaged by storms. The holiday deluge, which began on Christmas Eve, was caused by the latest atmospheric storm in the region, a huge airborne current of moist, dense moisture that had been sucked from the Pacific and swept over the greater Los Angeles Area. It poured 6 inches of rainfall in Los Angeles, with up to 18 in the mountains. Some roads were washed out, and evacuations and shelter-in place orders were issued. Tom Kines, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather (a commercial forecasting firm), said that an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain is expected on Friday. "Our overall 'picture' is that this mess will last just one more day, mainly in Southern California and specifically the LA area," said?Kines on Friday. "We're still having some problems today, with heavy rains, but the weekend is mostly dry." AAA estimates that more than 14.5 millions Californians will travel by car during the Christmas holidays. Forecasters say that the coming dry weather will make travel easier after a few days of slippery or flooded roads. The atmospheric river, which caused the problems, will continue to wind down across California on Friday, with heavy rain, mountain snow and gusty winds. On Christmas Day, many of the evacuation orders issued in Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County were lifted. The orders are still in place on Friday for the hard-hit community of Wrightwood. It is a rural town with a population around 5,000 located in the San Gabriel Mountains, on the border between Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Fire department aerial video footage from Christmas Eve showed rivers of mud flowing through cabin neighborhoods and mud-covered homes, cars, and vehicles. On Thursday, videos posted on the internet showed residents scrambling to cross washed out roads and picking through rubble as streams of flowing water flowed into mounds of mud. Reporting by Rich McKay, Atlanta; Editing done by Donna Bryson and Alistair Bell
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Iran claims foreign tanker smuggled fuel was seized in Gulf
State media reported that Iran had seized an oil tanker from a foreign country near the Iranian island of 'Qeshm, in the Gulf. The tanker was said to be carrying 4,000,000 litres of fuel smuggled, the report stated. The authorities did not name the vessel nor disclose its nationality. The authorities alleged that 16 foreign crew were?detained for criminal charges. State TV reported that the tanker had been seized on Wednesday. Iranian news sites published photos and video footage of the tanker they claimed to have seized. Iran announced last week that it had seized a foreign tanker carrying smuggled fuel in the Gulf of Oman. It did not identify the vessel, nor its nationality. Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices in the world due to heavy subsidies and the sharp fall of its currency. It is now trying to stop fuel smuggling to neighboring countries by land and to Gulf States by sea. (Editing by Joe Bavier).
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Ukraine claims that Russian drones have damaged foreign-flagged ships in southern ports.
Ukraine's deputy premier said that overnight Russian drone attacks damaged vessels with flags of Liberia, Palau, and Slovakia in the ports of Odesa, Ukraine. Russian officials have said that Moscow has intensified its attacks in recent weeks on the southern Odesa region, while Ukrainian officials claim Moscow is attempting to cut Ukraine from the Black Sea and sow chaos among civilians. Oleksiy Kulba, in a Telegram message, said that there were no casualties in Friday's strikes. However, the attacks damaged elevators, civilian warehouses, and caused power outages in the Odesa area. Kuleba also said that drones had damaged a locomotive at the Kovel railway station in northwestern Poland, which is a distance of?about 60 kilometers (37.28miles) away. Kuleba stated that "despite Russia's deliberate terror against Ukraine, the logistics system continues to function." Russia has not commented on this matter. (Reporting and editing by Joe Bavier, Muralikumar Anantharaman, and Yuliia dysa)
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Iran claims foreign tanker smuggled fuel was seized in Gulf
State media reported that Iran had seized an oil tanker from a foreign country near the Iranian island of Qeshm, in 'the Gulf. It said it was carrying smuggled fuel of 4 million litres. The authorities did not disclose the name of the vessel, its nationality or when it was seized. The authorities said that 16 foreign crew members had been arrested on criminal charges. Iranian news sites?published video and photos?of the tanker they claimed to have seized. Last week, Iran announced that it had intercepted another foreign tanker in the Gulf of Oman carrying 6,000,000 litres of diesel it described as smuggled. It did not identify the vessel or its nation. Iran has been trying to stop fuel smuggling to Gulf States and neighbouring countries by land and sea. This is due to the heavy'subsidies it receives and the sharp fall in its currency. (Editing by Joe Bavier).
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Families question credibility of investigation after delay in Jeju Air crash report
Two officials have said that the South Korean investigation into the crash of Jeju Air, which killed 179 people, is likely to miss the deadline for releasing a progress report. This comes as the relatives of victims are still demanding answers to what went wrong. Two board officials confirmed that the country's accident investigation board will not be able to release an interim update on the Monday, first anniversary of the worst plane accident in South Korea. The two officials declined to give their names due to the sensitive nature of the issue. The Boeing 737-800, which was on a flight from Hong Kong to Muan, made an emergency belly land at the airport. It overshot the runway, then slammed against a concrete embankment, exploding into a fiery ball, killing 181 passengers. 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. Investigators stated in a report from July that the pilots turned off the engine with less damage after?the bird struck. The report was not made public due to objections by families of victims. Families of victims are frustrated Some family members claimed that investigators seemed to blame the pilots, without investigating other factors such as the concrete structures beyond the end runway which likely made the accident far more deadly. It feels like doubts keep growing. "It feels like frustration has only increased over the past year," said Ryu, Kum-Ji. She lost both her parents in the accident. She stood with other members of her family who also shaved off their hair and protested in front of the presidential office. They demanded an independent and transparent investigation. Ryu stated that mistakes by the Transport Ministry, which supervises the investigation board could have also been a factor. This month, a transport ministry official assured bereaved families that they would look into their concerns. The second vice-minister of the Transport Ministry said: "We take your concerns seriously that the government's effort was not enough in the process (of finding the truth)." The government will support the families who have lost loved ones and look into it more closely. The South Korean parliament will launch an investigation into the crash on February 2. REPORT DELAYED According to the rules of the U.N. Aviation body, a report should be issued within one year after an accident. If that's not possible, then an interim statement detailing the progress of the investigation and any safety concerns raised, should be released on each anniversary. The two officials said that the investigation board does not plan to publish a?update yet due to pending legislation intended to ensure its independence. The lawmakers have proposed that the board be replaced and the oversight transferred from the Transport Ministry to the Prime Minister's Office. One of the board members said, "We will respect the decision of the newly-formed committee regarding the timing for the publication of the interim report." In a report published this week, South Korea's anti-corruption agency found that the concrete embankment of Muan Airport violated both local and international standards which require such structures to be "frangible", so that they can give way in the event of an impact. This meant that it could "cause deadly damage to aircraft and their occupants." On the request of legislators and the families of the victims, the board delayed the public hearings originally scheduled for early December. The police are also investigating. "All we ask is that the authorities admit their mistakes and apologize. Ryu stated that he wanted an apology and the disclosure of truth. (Reporting and editing by Ed Davies, Jamie Freed and Joyce Lee. Additional reporting by Hyunjoo Ryu and Jungminryu.
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Vingroup shares fall on withdrawal of rail project, weighing Vietnam index
Vingroup, Vietnam's largest conglomerate and its affiliated companies saw their shares fall?sharply? on Friday. This dragged down the index of Vietnam's main stock exchange. Vingroup's shares fell by 7%, their daily limit to 147,000 dong. This follows a 7% drop on Thursday after the company announced it would withdraw the investment proposal for?nation?s $67 billion North-South high speed railway project. Vingroup's affiliated firms, including Vinhomes Retail, Vincom Retail, and Vinpearl also saw their shares fall 7% on Friday. According to LSEG, Vingroup and 'its affiliates' account for nearly a quarter of the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange total?market capitulation. Vingroup shares are up 625% in this year despite the fact that one of its biggest foreign shareholders, SK Group from South Korea, has divested its stake. Vietnam's stock fell 2.5% to 1,699 in the morning trading on Friday. Vietnam's efforts to boost its economic growth include a number of infrastructure projects, including the 958-mile (1.540-km) railway that links capital Hanoi with business hub Ho Chi Minh City. Vingroup's high debt and lack of expertise in rail infrastructure had previously been a concern to the?country's Central Bank.
Airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions increase
Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have triggered international airlines to suspend flights to the region or to prevent affected air area.
Below are a few of the airlines that have cancelled services to and from the area:
AEGEAN AIRLINES
The Greek airline has cancelled flights to and from Beirut till Dec. 17 and to and from Tel Aviv till Nov. 12.
AIR ALGERIE
The Algerian airline company has suspended flights to and from Lebanon up until further notice.
AIRBALTIC
Latvia's airBaltic has actually cancelled flights to and from Tel . Aviv up until Nov. 30. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France has extended its suspension of Paris-Tel Aviv. flights up until Oct. 29 and Paris-Beirut flights up until Nov. 30.
KLM has actually extended the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv up until. completion of the year at least.
The Franco-Dutch group's inexpensive system Transavia has. cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv, Amman and Beirut up until. end-March.
AIR INDIA
The Indian flag carrier has suspended flights to and from. Tel Aviv till further notification.
BULGARIA AIR
The Bulgarian carrier has actually cancelled flights to and from. Israel until Dec. 23.
CATHAY PACIFIC
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has actually cancelled flights to Tel . Aviv till
Oct. 25, 2025. CORENDON AIRLINES The Turkish airline cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv. till January.
DELTA AIR LINES
The U.S. provider has actually stopped briefly flights between New York and Tel . Aviv through March 2025.
EASYJET
The UK spending plan airline company has actually suspended flights to and from Tel . Aviv until March.
EGYPTAIR
The Egyptian carrier in September said it had actually suspended. flights to Beirut up until the circumstance stabilises.
EMIRATES
UAE's state-owned airline has actually cancelled flights to Beirut. through Oct. 31 and flights to Baghdad and Tehran until Oct. 30.
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
The Ethiopian provider has actually suspended flights to Beirut until. further notice, it stated in a Facebook post on Oct. 4.
FLYDUBAI
The Emirati airline company has actually suspended Dubai-Beirut flights till. Oct. 31, a flydubai spokesperson said.
IAG
IAG-owned British Airways has suspended their flights to Tel . Aviv till completion of March 2025.
IAG's low-cost airline company Iberia Express has cancelled flights. to Tel Aviv until Oct. 31, while Vueling has actually cancelled. operations to Tel Aviv until Jan. 12 and to Amman up until even more. notice.
IRAN AIR
The Iranian airline company has cancelled Beirut flights until. even more see.
IRAQI AIRWAYS
The Iraqi nationwide provider has actually suspended flights to Beirut. until more notice.
ITA AIRWAYS
The Italian carrier has actually extended the suspension of Tel Aviv. flights through Nov. 30.
LOT
The Polish flag provider has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv. till Nov. 11. Its very first arranged flight to Beirut is prepared. for April 1.
LUFTHANSA GROUP
The German airline company group has actually extended the suspension of its. flights to Tel Aviv up until Nov. 25, while its low cost provider. Eurowings has suspended them till Nov. 30. Flights for Tehran. are cancelled till Jan. 31, 2025, and to Beirut up until Feb. 28.
SWISS, part of Lufthansa Group, has cancelled flights to. Beirut up until Jan. 18.
SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish. Airline companies, has actually suspended flights to Beirut through. Dec. 17.
PEGASUS
The Turkish airline company has cancelled flights to Beirut until. Nov. 15.
QATAR AIRWAYS
The Qatari airline has actually briefly suspended flights to and. from Iran and Lebanon, while flights to Jordan and Iraq will. run during daylight hours only.
RYANAIR
Europe's most significant budget plan airline has cancelled flights to and. from Tel Aviv up until completion of December. Group CEO Michael. O'Leary on Oct. 3 said the suspension was most likely to be extended. till end-March.
SUNDAIR
The German airline company cancelled flights to Beirut from Berlin. up until Dec. 8, from Bremen until March 26, and from. Muenster/Osnabrueck up until March 29.
TAROM
Romania's flag provider has suspended Beirut flights up until. Nov. 15.
UNITED AIRLINES
The Chicago-based airline company has actually suspended flights to Tel Aviv. for the foreseeable future.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
The UK carrier has suspended Tel Aviv flights until. end-March.
WIZZ AIR
The Hungary-based airline has suspended Tel Aviv flights. through Jan. 14.
(source: Reuters)