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US Senate committee votes on FAA nominee June 25,
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is set to vote on Donald Trump's nomination for the Federal Aviation Administration head. This comes as the agency struggles with safety concerns and a persistent shortage of air traffic control officers. Bryan Bedford, the CEO of Republic Airways, has been critical of the FAA leadership and culture. He told the Senate Commerce Committee that he will hold Boeing "accountable" for delivering a safe, high-quality plane. Boeing declined to make a comment. Bedford revealed he spoke with Elon Musk on February 25, who, according to documents published Wednesday, said that he wanted to hire a "technologist to run the FAA." Bedford disagreed with Musk and suggested that the FAA could "hire or contract competent technology help." Bedford stated that Musk believed the FAA's biggest problem was the lack internal development and software tools. Musk did not respond immediately to requests for comments. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary in Paris this week, gave the strongest indication that the Trump administration was moving towards lifting the cap of 38 planes per month on Boeing's 737 MAX Production imposed in January 2020 after a midair emergency involving a 737 MAX 9 lacking four key bolts. Duffy told CNBC that Boeing is on the right track. "I want the FAA to move when Boeing is ready to expand its capacity." After a midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army chopper on January 29, near Washington Reagan National Airport, calls to modernize our nation's air-traffic control system increased. The 67 passengers on the plane died. The FAA has facilities that are at least 50 years old. These aging systems have caused delays on numerous occasions. Newark Airport has been plagued by technology issues that have delayed hundreds of flights. Flights have been delayed by a persistent controller shortage. Many controllers work six-day weekends and mandatory overtime. About 3,500 air traffic control positions are not enough to meet the FAA's target staffing levels. Rod Nickel edited the Rod Nickel Reporting by David Shepardson
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Iran and Israel accuse each other at UN Shipping Agency over sea routes
On Wednesday, Iran and Israel both accused one another of endangering the commercial activity around the Gulf and Red Sea in the UN's Shipping Agency as their military conflict escalated. Iran's delegation said at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization security committee that Israel has recently extended its "unlawful attack" to include petrochemicals and gas infrastructures in Asalouyeh, along Iran's Gulf Coast. Iran's livestreamed statement to delegates of the IMO said that "These actions directly threaten international maritime security as well as the global energy supply chains." If the international community does not take immediate and concrete steps to stop this unlawful aggression, a sea escalation is imminent. Iran has threatened to close down the Strait of Hormuz in response to Western pressure. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz could affect trade and global oil prices. Shipping sources reported on Wednesday that maritime agencies are advising commercial ships to avoid Iran's water around Hormuz. Ehsan Khandouzi, the former Iranian Economy Minister, has stated that only with Iranian approval should tankers and liquified gas cargoes transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Alikhamenei rejected Donald Trump’s demand on Wednesday for unconditional surrender. However, the U.S. President said that his patience was running out and he did not give any indication as to his next move. Israel's delegation told delegates that Iran was "openly and violently" threatening the IMO's fundamental principle of global navigation safety, in part through its support for Yemen's Houthi milita, whose attacks disrupted shipping via the Suez Canal, and Red Sea, over the past few years. "Iran turned our entire region, and the Red Sea in particular, into a conflict zone." Israel stated that Iran's political, military and financial support of the Houthi Rebels has allowed a maritime terror campaign against civilian vessels. It seeks to weaponize world's busiest shipping lanes, take international shipping hostage and impose violence on its will. The London-based IMO regulates the safety and security in international shipping, and prevents pollution. It has 176 member states. A spokesperson for the IMO said that the Maritime Safety Committee took note of Israel's and Iran's statements on Wednesday. There has been increasing pressure on the agency that it is becoming politicised. In 2023, Russia stated that the IMO would be renouncing its technical role due to "external pressurization", which had an impact on the fair treatment for all member countries. The United States' proposal to withdraw the bid to host an event on the sea in 2023 led to the rejection of Iran's offer. (Reporting and editing by Alexandra Hudson.)
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Russia increased its railway gasoline exports in the period from January to May by a quarter
Two market sources and calculations show that Russia increased its gasoline exports via railway by about a quarter between January and may, owing to a easing of the fuel embargo. Russia has banned gasoline exports as of March 2024 in order to balance the excessive demand for petroleum and stabilize prices on the domestic market. Fuel supplied to members of the Eurasian Economic Union, led by Moscow, was exempted from this rule. In November, the government lifted an embargo on gasoline supplied by producers. However, it extended restrictions to other exporters such as independent traders or re-sellers. Drone attacks also hit several Russian refineries, including the NORSI oil refining facility in Nizhny Novgorod owned by Lukoil, a major gasoline producer. This led to a drop in fuel production as well as exports. Other major gasoline producers are Rosneft and Gazprom's Ryazan Refinery. Calculations based on sources' data show that the Baltic port Ust-Luga has been the primary destination for Russian gas exports so far in 2025. Between January and May, this figure rose by nearly 85%, or 0.72 million tons. Data from market sources revealed that in the first five month of 2025, gasoline exports from Russian refining plants to the Baltic Port of Vysotsk nearly doubled from the previous year to 150,000 tons. Fuel supplies to Mongolia, however, fell by 17% to 304,000 tonnes. Since the EU embargo against imports of Russian oil and products came into effect on February 20, 2023, Russia diverted its gasoline seaborne supply to countries in Africa, Asia, Turkey, and Brazil. According to market sources, in 2024 Russia will produce approximately 43.1 million tonnes of gasoline. It will export nearly 4.4 millions tons. (Reporting and Editing by Emelia Matarise Sithole)
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Taiwan's Starlux orders 10 more Airbus A350 long-haul jets
Starlux Airlines, a Taiwanese airline, has ordered 10 additional Airbus A350 long haul jets. The two companies announced this at the Paris Airshow. Cirium Ascend's estimates of aircraft prices suggest that the deal could be worth $1.85 billion. Starlux CEO Glenn Chai stated that deliveries of new A350-1000s are expected to begin in 2031. Chai, a reporter, said that the aircraft was a perfect match for their long-haul strategies. The airline operates a fleet of 28 Airbus aircraft consisting of A350-900s for trans-Pacific routes and A330neos, A321s, and A321s for regional ones. Chai said that the airline expects to begin flying to its European destinations next year but gave no further details. Taiwan's new full-service carrier launched its first flight in 2020, and currently serves Tokyo, Bangkok Hanoi, Singapore Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Hanoi. Benoit de Saint-Exupery, Airbus' Chief Commercial Officer, said: "This isn't the first time we've worked with Starlux but we're not going to get tired." Starlux placed its first order for 17 A350s with Airbus in 2019. Starlux unveiled its new carbon fiber livery for the 1000s on Wednesday. Reporting by Giulia Segreti. Mark Potter edited the article.
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This weekend, the yacht of UK tech tycoon Lynch will be brought to the surface.
The sunken superyacht of late British tech tycoon Mike Lynch will be recovered this weekend from the sea near the northern Sicily coast, according to the company that is leading the salvage operation. The 56-metre (184-foot-long) Bayesian, which was moored near Palermo in the small Porticello port, sank last August during a sudden and severe weather event. Seven people were killed, including Lynch's daughter Hannah and Lynch. The recovery process was made easier by the removal of the 72-metre mast using a remote controlled cutting tool. It was then placed on the seabed. The Bayesian will be lifted 50 meters to the surface by a powerful marine crane. Marcus Cave, Head of Naval Architecture, TMC Marine, said that if all goes well, the final recovery of the vessel will be this weekend. The bodies are expected to arrive at the nearby port of Termini Imerese, on Monday, and be handed over to authorities investigating the tragedy. A UK interim report last month said that the yacht was susceptible to violent winds, and it was likely knocked down by gusts exceeding 117 km/h (73 miles per hour). The yacht also sank, killing lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda and banker Jonathan Bloomer, along with his wife Judy. Also killed were chef Recaldo, as well as Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy. Nine crew members and six passengers were also rescued. Last month, the salvage work was temporarily halted following the death of an active diver.
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Port data indicates that a ship is expected to arrive in French ports to load wheat bound for Egypt.
Port data confirmed that a ship will arrive in La Pallice, Western France, on June 21, to load 60,000 metric tonnes of wheat bound for Egypt. This confirms a part of the sale announced earlier this month. Mostakbal misr confirmed that two ships are on their way to France and another one is expected "very soon". Trading sources said that Egypt's state grain buyer Mostakbal Misr had agreed to purchase about 180,000 tonnes of French wheat in April from two major European traders. However, they warned of delays with the delivery of these cargoes. Mostakbal Misr said that it was also pursuing efforts to diversify the origins of wheat, including by sourcing wheat from Australia.
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What is the cause of the Iberian Power Outage and what will happen next?
Separate findings have been released by the Spanish government and the grid operator regarding the causes of the massive blackout that occurred in Spain and Portugal, on April 28. The blackout caused gridlock and thousands were left stranded in trains and elevators in cities across the Iberian Peninsula. What caused the blackout? In a report published on Tuesday, the Spanish government stated that the grid operator Redeia had miscalculated how much energy was needed in the system. The Spanish government blamed some thermal power plants that use coal, gas, and nuclear for not maintaining an appropriate voltage. As a result, grid operators were unable to cope when a sudden surge in voltage occurred, resulting in the power outage. To maintain grid stability, voltage - which is the force driving electric current – must be maintained within a safe range. Redeia stated on Wednesday that the cause of the power outage was a sudden surge in voltage. However, it blamed the conventional power plants for not being able to regulate the voltage. The company attributed the outage to anomalies that occurred during the disconnection of power plants from the network on April 28, and an unexpected surge in demand for electricity in the transport system. Redeia has rejected the claim its miscalculation of energy mix was a major factor. What should have happened? Grid operators use a variety of tools to maintain the stability of power systems by ensuring they have the correct frequency, voltage and supply. According to the government report, the number of generators available for voltage control was lower on April 28 than in previous weeks. Redeia did not name the companies that operated the plants and failed to maintain proper voltage control. Sara Aagesen, Spain's Minister of Energy, said at a Madrid press conference that the grid operator lacked sufficient capacity to regulate voltage. Concha Sanchez, Redeia’s chief of operations, said that the grid had calculated the voltage support needed, but certain plants didn't respond as expected. Where are the renewables to blame? No. The government and Redeia both said that renewable energy sources are not to blame for the blackout. Spain is Europe's largest producer of renewable energy, and solar power accounted for 59% at the time of blackout. Sanchez, a Redeia representative, said that if conventional power plants had done their job of controlling voltage, there would not have been a blackout. Did the French Power Link play a role? When the power outage occurred, Spain exported electricity to France and Portugal. Aagesen, the Energy Minister, explained that at 12 p.m. an "atypical oscillation" was detected in power system. Grid operator responded by implementing standard control procedures including reducing exports of electricity to France. These actions, while successful in reducing oscillations, also had a second effect, namely an increase in voltage. What happens next? On Tuesday, the government announced that it would propose measures to improve voltage control and strengthen the grid. The government also said it plans to improve the integration of the peninsula with European grid. Redeia announced that it would release its complete report on Wednesday. The report of the government will be sent to the European Network of Transmission System Operators, which is conducting its own investigation. A party found to be responsible for a blackout could be held liable for any losses that occurred during the outage.
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Nigeria will introduce real-time tracking of oil exports
According to regulations seen by, Nigeria's oil regulator will introduce a new rule requiring oil producers to get an export permit, vessel approval and a unique identifier to allow real-time tracking. The updated regulations will allow for real-time monitoring and tracking of oil cargoes at the export terminals. This will help combat theft and underdeclaration. The new rules are a major departure from the old system, which required only that producers declare their cargoes to customs for export permits to be issued. The new guidelines are a major step towards a more accountable, transparent and efficient oil export system in Nigeria, said the spokesperson of the regulator. Ayodele ONI, an energy lawyer with the Lagos-based Bloomfield Law Firm, stated that the previous system did not allow for real-time monitoring. Oni stated that this deficiency caused issues such as theft, under-reporting and mismatches of export data. Exporters are required to file detailed information about the cargo and vessel in advance under the new framework known as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Advance Cargo Declaration Regulation. This includes the consignee and port destination of the cargo, the amount of the cargo, and the estimated arrival time. The strict compliance with the new regulations is mandatory. Non-compliance can result in penalties up to $20,000 Reporting by Isaac Anyaogu. (Editing by Jane Merriman.
Iran's Khamenei refuses Trump's unconditional surrender
Ayatollah Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, said Wednesday in a broadcast read by a TV presenter that his country would not accept the call of U.S. president Donald Trump for unconditional surrender.
Khamenei's first remarks after Friday, when Israel bombarded Iran, he said that the Islamic Republic could not be forced to accept war or peace.
He said that "intelligent people" who are familiar with Iran, its nation and history would never use threatening words to address this nation because it will not submit.
"The Americans must know that any U.S. Military intervention will be accompanied with irreparable damages."
On Wednesday, thousands of people fled Tehran after Israeli warplanes bombarded the city over night. A source claimed that Trump is considering joining Israel to attack Iranian nuclear sites.
Israel's military reported that 50 Israeli jets struck around 20 Tehran targets overnight, including sites manufacturing raw materials, components, and systems for making missiles.
Sources familiar with the internal discussions revealed that Trump and his team had considered a range of options. This included joining Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
Ali Bahreini said that Iran told Washington it would take retaliation against the United States if they were to directly participate. He stated that he saw the U.S. already as "complicit" in what Israel was doing.
(source: Reuters)