Latest News
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China, Sri Lanka agree more financial investment and financial cooperation
China and Sri Lanka agreed on more financial investment and financial cooperation on Wednesday as China's President Xi Jinping met recentlyelected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Beijing. The countries signed 15 cooperation files, including arrangements on economic and technological development and aligning China's 'Belt and Road Initiative' with Sri Lanka's. 2030 digital economy blueprint. Specifics of the deals were not divulged at the signing. ceremony. Dissanayake's see to his nation's biggest bilateral. lender comes after very first taking a trip to local competing India. Dissanayake won a big majority in September's election,. vowing to tweak the regards to an International Monetary Fund. rescue plan, and on his leftist union's plans to eliminate. poverty and graft. Sri Lanka had been moving closer to China under the previous. Rajapaksa government, leaning heavily on Chinese loaning to. develop highways, a port, an airport and a coal power plant as. part of Xi's flagship cross-continent Belt and Road. facilities initiative. Colombo protected a preliminary $10 billion bilateral financial obligation. offer remodel with essential lending institutions consisting of China, Japan and India. last June and a $12.5 billion bondholder deal in December. Nevertheless, it needs direct agreements with China EXIM Bank and. China Advancement Bank to lock in the deal to continue. demonstrating development to the IMF in reorganizing its foreign. debt to secure more disbursements from a $2.9 billion IMF. bailout program. I am willing to work with you, Mr President, to chart a brand-new. vision for the advancement of bilateral relations and promote. brand-new and greater achievements in China-Sri Lanka's friendship and. cooperation, Xi informed Dissanayake on Wednesday, speaking at the. Great Hall of the People. Inviting more Chinese investment, Dissanayake told his. host: China has actually supported crucial and important facilities. advancement in Sri Lanka through the Belt and Roadway Effort and. China has actually been and remains an essential advancement partner. However throughout his visit to Delhi in December, Dissanayake. struck a wide range of energy and security cooperation. agreements with the other local superpower, signalling his. brand-new government wants to become less dependent on Beijing. Sri Lanka's economy has actually begun a tentative recovery, but the. high cost of living is still a vital problem for many,. especially the poor. China, the world's second-largest economy, might give an. financial assisting hand by buying more Sri Lankan items, of which. it mainly buys tea, clothing, chemicals and other products,. according to U.N. COMTRADE data, and through encouraging more. Chinese tourists to think about holidaying there. It is needed to enhance people-to-people exchanges. in between the 2 sides and boost new ties in between the 2. peoples, Xi informed Dissanayake, according to the Chinese state. broadcaster.
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Oil tanker sabotage team were poised to cut more cables when captured, Finland states
Team on board an oil tanker implicated of undermining undersea power and interactions cable televisions in the Baltic Sea were poised to cut other cable televisions and pipelines when Finnish authorities boarded the vessel last month, the head of the Finnish examination said. Baltic Sea nations are on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022. Leaders of the NATO member states around the Baltic Sea are set to fulfill in Helsinki on Tuesday to talk about the alliance's response to the threat. On Dec. 26, Finnish authorities seized oil tanker Eagle S. carrying Russian oil. They stated they suspected the vessel had. damaged the FinnishEstonian Estlink 2 power line and four. telecoms cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed for. more than 100 km (60 miles). The head of the examination, Risto Lohi of the National. Bureau of Examination, informed Reuters the vessel was threatening. to cut a 2nd power cable television, Estlink1, and the BalticConnector. gas pipe between Finland and Estonia at the time it was seized. There would have been an almost instant danger that other. cable televisions or pipelines related to our critical underwater. facilities could have been harmed, he said. Lohi said a ninth crew member from the ship had actually been added. to a list of those being treated as suspects and disallowed from. travelling. Finland revealed previously this month that eight of. the 24 team members were being barred from travel. The captain. of the ship is Georgian and the team are citizens of India and. Georgia. We have heard and questioned the crew, and at the moment. we have nine crew members as suspects. They are under travel. restrictions associated with this to protect the investigation, Lohi said. Naturally, our top priority are the people whose jobs or. responsibilities include the navigation of the ship and the. operations related to the anchors.. In another incident, Finland and other Baltic Sea nations. think a Chinese bulk carrier, Yi Peng 3, of dragging its. anchor to breach 2 undersea fibre-optic interactions cable televisions. in November. Sweden's Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin stated on Sunday. stated that authorities had actually figured out the Chinese ship had also. threatened to cut a power cable connecting the Baltic states and. the Nordic nations. We can today report that it has actually been figured out that there. are traces of an anchor, probably from Yi Peng 3, also in. connection with NordBalt-cable, that is, the connection between. Sweden and Lithuania. This certainly shows the seriousness. of the circumstance we discover ourselves in, he told press reporters.
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Russia prepared 'acts of terrorism' in the air, Polish PM says
Russia prepared 'acts of terrorism' in the air versus Poland and other countries, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Wednesday after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Warsaw. Security officials have said that parcels that took off at logistics depots in Europe were part of a test run for a Russian plot to set off surges on freight flights to the United States. The explosions occurred in depots in Britain, Germany and Poland in July. Russia has denied involvement in the occurrences and Tusk did not mention them specifically. The most recent information can validate the validity of fears that Russia was planning acts of terrorism in the air not just versus Poland, Tusk told a press conference. He did not state what acts he was referring to or elaborate on the contents of the details. Moscow has regularly denied any participation in the courier depot surges, as well as break-ins, arson and attacks on individuals which Western officials say were performed by operatives paid by Russia. The Russian embassy in Warsaw has not right away responded to an emailed ask for discuss Tusk's. statement.
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Brazil's Gol launches new five-year plan ahead of Chapter 11 exit
Brazilian airline company Gol launched a modified fiveyear strategic plan on Wednesday as it prepares to leave Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy proceedings, saying the brand-new forecasts would act as a base for its reorganization. Gol said in a securities filing it expects to emerge from Chapter 11 in May, and sees its net leverage significantly. improving moving forward as it restores its network and returns. to regular levels of core profits by next year. The carrier, one of Brazil's biggest, declared Chapter 11. in the United States in early 2024 as it came to grips with high. debts, hit by a fall in traffic due to the COVID pandemic and. Boeing delivery hold-ups. We have actually protected lessor concessions, addressed maintenance. and past-due liabilities, introduced an earnings improvement plan,. and reached arrangements with crucial stakeholders, Gol's Chief. Executive Celso Ferrer stated in a declaration. When implemented through the reorganization strategy, they will. deleverage Gol's balance sheet..
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US proposes brand-new guidelines for carbon dioxide pipeline safety
A U.S. regulator on Wednesday proposed new rules to enhance security requirements for carbon dioxide and hazardous liquid pipelines at a time when carbon capture technologies see increased adoption to eliminate international warming. The new guidelines will reinforce existing requirements and, for the first time, establish brand-new norms for transferring carbon dioxide in a gaseous state via pipeline, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Products Safety Administration (PHMSA) stated. The U.S. has actually anticipated a boost in carbon dioxide pipelines across the nation as the battle versus worldwide warming leads to higher adoption of carbon capture and sequestration innovations. Among the rules needs more in-depth vapor dispersion analyses to much better secure the public and the environment in case of a pipeline failure. I have learned firsthand from impacted communities in Mississippi and across America why we require more powerful CO2 (carbon. dioxide) pipeline security requirements, PHMSA Deputy Administrator. Tristan Brown said. In 2020, Denbury's 24-inch Delta Pipeline burst in. Satartia, Mississippi, launching countless barrels of CO2,. which resulted in regional evacuations and caused 45 individuals to be. hospitalized. Liquid CO2 vaporizes when released to the environment, and. the vapor is 1.53 times heavier than air. It displaces oxygen,. potentially asphyxiating humans and animals, according to PHMSA. In 2023, Denbury and PHMSA decided on a penalty of about. $ 2.8 million, almost $1 million less than the initial proposition. in 2022.
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Ukraine to cut soybean and rapeseed location however increase corn, farm union says
Ukraine will minimize locations planted to soybeans and rapeseed this year but will increase corn locations, Ukrainian farm service association UCAB stated on Wednesday. Ukraine is a significant grower and exporter of grains and oilseeds, but production has fallen greatly given that Russia released its invasion of the country in 2022. The head of UCAB's analytical department, Svitlana Lytvyn, stated that the worldwide market is the primary driving force behind the change to crop structure in Ukraine. In 2022 and 2023, thanks to favourable worldwide conditions, soybeans were almost the only profitable crop (in Ukraine). That is why, in 2024, soybean acreage reached its optimum, she stated. This year the circumstance has actually altered, with worldwide soybean prices falling substantially, so the area under soybeans will be smaller, Lytvyn added. Ukraine gathered a record-high soybean harvest of more than 6 million metric heaps in 2024. Lytvyn said bad weather condition throughout the fall sowing had actually cut the area sown to winter rapeseed while farmers might rather increase the corn area in spring 2025. ( We expect) an increase in the area planted to corn, as sell this crop has actually gotten once again. Now, thanks to the smooth operation of Odesa (Black Sea) ports, it is simpler to export, she kept in mind. Ukrainian sea ports were obstructed after the Russian invasion in the winter of 2022 and it was not up until fall 2023 that Ukraine had the ability to release uninterrupted maritime traffic through its ports in the Odesa area.
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Italy's Salvini faces calls to give up over late-running trains
Italy's deputy premier and transportation minister Matteo Salvini dealt with require his resignation on Wednesday following a spate of major hold-ups to strike the country's beleaguered rail network. Bouts of widespread interruption across Italy have actually become increasingly prevalent, leaving passengers stranded, sometimes for hours, as workers try to repair the most recent fault on the lines. On Wednesday, delays were reported on local paths in main Italy and on intercity traffic in between Rome and Naples. On Tuesday, an electrical issue blocked the capital's main railway hub for nearly an hour, resulting in lengthy hold-ups, while bad weather snarled rail services in the far south. In a rare minute of unity, all the main opposition leaders voiced their anger over Salvini's performance this week, while the centrist Italia Viva celebration of former prime minister Matteo Renzi introduced a petition to attempt to force him to stand down. The nationwide train network remains in a state of collapse. Every day countless Italians have to suffer unbearable hold-ups, constant breakdowns, cancelled trains and degrading travelling conditions, the party stated. Salvini has actually dismissed the criticism, with his League celebration arguing that the rail system is paying the price for many years of underinvestment. On Wednesday, the state railway operator, Ferrovia dello Stato (FS), said it believed its services were being undermined, noting that many of the most intricate issues occurred at peak hours, triggering optimal disturbance. Due to yet another anomalous event on the network and a list of highly suspicious scenarios, the FS Group has prepared a really comprehensive problem which it has actually now submitted with the qualified authorities, it said. The far-right League invited the move, which will likely activate an authorities investigation, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party rallied to the side of their under-fire ally. For some time now Matteo Salvini has actually been the target of a. denigrating and mendacious project, said Galeazzo Bignami, a. parliamentary party leader of Sibling of Italy. Besides regular technical problems, rail transportation has actually been. hit by repeated strikes over the past year, most recently last. Friday, that seldom halt all traffic but create long delays. Italy has some 16,830 km (10,460 miles) of railway lines in. use since 2023, bring more than 800 million passengers a. year. The government is seeking to extend the quick service to the. far south, while likewise boosting its operations in the north,. particularly around the port city of Genova.
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Malaysia Airports buyout deal reached Jan. 24
A takeover offer for Malaysia Airports by a consortium comprising the country's. sovereign wealth fund and BlackRock has actually been extended once again to. Jan. 24, a stock market filing on Wednesday showed. Previously this month, the offer was extended to Jan. 17. The offerors have actually now protected an extra 44.92% stake as. of Jan. 15, the filing revealed, bringing their overall control to. 85.77%, after they had actually currently accumulated a 40.85% stake since. early Dec. 2024. In May 2024, the consortium consisting of Malaysia's sovereign. wealth fund Khazanah and BlackRock's International Infrastructure. Partners offered to acquire all remaining shares at 11 ringgit. per share, giving the airports operator an equity worth of 18.4. billion ringgit ($ 4.09 billion). If the acceptance condition of the deal is fulfilled, the. offerors do not mean to keep the listing of the offeree on. the stock exchange, the filing showed.
Suspension of flights to Middle East
Issues about dispute in the Middle East have triggered global airlines to suspend flights to the region or to avoid affected airspace.
Below are some of the airline companies that have suspended services to and from the area:
AEGEAN AIRLINES
The Greek airline company in August cancelled flights to and from Beirut up until March 29.
AIR ALGERIE
The Algerian airline company has suspended flights to and from Lebanon until further notice, it said on Aug. 1.
AIRBALTIC
Latvia's airBaltic has actually cancelled flights to and from Tel . Aviv until Jan. 28. It announced the suspension in late.
September. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France has actually extended its suspension of Paris-Tel Aviv. flights until Jan. 17 and Paris-Beirut flights up until Jan. 31.
KLM will extend its short-term suspension of flights to. Tel Aviv and will not fly up until the end of March.
The group's affordable unit Transavia has actually cancelled flights to. and from Tel Aviv, Amman and Beirut till end-March.
AIR INDIA
The Indian flag carrier has suspended flights to and from. Tel Aviv until more notice, it said on Aug. 12.
CATHAY PACIFIC
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has actually cancelled flights to Tel . Aviv until Oct. 25, 2025. It suspended its flights to Israel in.
August. CORENDON AIRLINES
The Turkish airline company has actually cancelled flights to and from Tel . Aviv till January.
DELTA AIR LINES
The U.S. carrier has actually stopped briefly flights between New york city and Tel . Aviv through March 2025. The suspension was announced on Sept. 19.
EASYJET
EasyJet will not hurry to resume flights to Tel Aviv. after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into result,. its inbound CEO stated on Nov. 27. The UK budget plan airline had. previously suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv up until March.
EMIRATES
UAE's state-owned airline has cancelled flights to Beirut. and to Baghdad till Jan. 31. The suspension started in late. September.
FLYDUBAI
Flights to Beirut stay temporarily suspended, a. flydubai spokesperson said on Dec. 30.
IAG
IAG-owned British Airways has suspended flights to Tel Aviv. until the end of March 2025.
IAG's low-priced airline company, Iberia Express, has actually cancelled. flights to Tel Aviv up until March 29 while Vueling will keep. operations to and from Tel Aviv suspended throughout the very first. quarter of 2025.
IRAN AIR
The Iranian airline has actually cancelled Beirut flights till. even more observe. The suspension was announced in late September.
ITA AIRWAYS
The Italian carrier has extended the suspension of Tel Aviv. flights through Jan. 31, a suspension that has actually remained in place. because Sept. 30.
LOT
The Polish carrier plans its very first arranged flight to. Beirut for April 1. It had suspended its flights to Lebanon in. August.
LUFTHANSA GROUP
The German airline group has actually extended the suspension of its. flights to Tel Aviv until Jan. 31.
Flights to Tehran are cancelled until Jan. 31 and to Beirut. till Feb. 28.
SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish. Airlines, has suspended flights to Beirut until March. 31.
PEGASUS
The Turkish airline company said on Jan. 2 that it was bring. out Beirut flights throughout daytime hours from Istanbul and. Antalya.
RYANAIR
Europe's biggest spending plan airline plans to run a full. schedule of flights from Tel Aviv this summer season, senior executive. Eddie Wilson stated on Jan. 9.
SUNDAIR
The German airline company has cancelled flights in between Beirut and. Bremen until March 26. The cancellation began on Sept. 23.
UNITED AIRLINES
The Chicago-based airline company validated on Dec. 30 that its. flights to Tel Aviv remain suspended. The suspension began on. July 31.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
The UK carrier has suspended Tel Aviv flights till the end. of March. The suspension has remained in location since September.
WIZZ AIR
The Hungary-based airline resumed flights to and from Tel . Aviv from Jan. 15, after having actually paused the majority of them because. October.
(source: Reuters)