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Vietnam closes all airports and evacuates thousands as Typhoon Bualoi approaches
Vietnam evacuated thousands from areas that could be affected by Typhoon Bualoi on Sunday, as the storm intensified. Days earlier, the Philippines had been hit with widespread flooding and at least 10 fatalities. According to Vietnam's National Weather Forecast Agency, the typhoon is expected to land in central Vietnam on Sunday evening, sooner than forecasts because it is moving fast. This is a storm that moves at nearly twice the speed of average, with a strong intensity and wide area of impact. The storm is capable of triggering several natural disasters at once, including strong winds, heavy rain, flooding, flash-floods, landslides and coastal inundation, according to the agency. The government announced that authorities in central province Ha Tinh had begun evacuating more than 15,000 residents, and that thousands of troops were ready to assist. Civil Aviation Authority announced that Vietnam suspended operations in four coastal airports, including Danang International Airport, from Sunday and changed the departure times of several flights. The government has confirmed that heavy rains have already led to flooding in Hue & Quang Tri. Vietnam's long coastline, which faces the South China Sea is susceptible to deadly typhoons. Typhoon Yagi caused property damage of $3.3 billion and killed 300 people last year.
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Kuwait plans to build 14 GW of new power plants by 2031
Kuwait's electricity minister announced on Saturday that the country will increase its power generation capacity to 14,05 gigawatts by 2031 in order to meet the rising demand. Kuwait, as a major oil-producing country, is struggling with power shortages due to rapid population growth, urbanization, high temperatures, and maintenance delays in certain plants. The government has had to implement planned power cuts since last year. Subaih Al-Mukhaizim said on X, the minister of electricity and water, as well as renewable energy, that the country managed to successfully manage the summer of 2025 despite some days reaching temperatures of 51 degrees Celsius. He noted that peak summer electric load dropped 0.17% year-on-year compared to expectations of a 4% rise. These projects include the second and third phases, 2.7 GW each, of the Al-Zour North Power Plant. They were signed in August by a consortium led Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power with the Gulf Investment Corporation. The cost was more than 1 billion dinars (3.27 billion dollars), and they are backed by both local and international banks. The first and second phases, which will have a combined power of 1.6 GW and be built on a public-private model, are also covered. Meanwhile, the third and forth phases, in collaboration with China, will add an additional 3 GW. The first phase of the Khairan water and power desalination facility, which is expected to add 1.8GW, will be included in the program. Bidding for the project was opened to prequalified consortiums on September 1. Fatma Johar Hayat, the ministry's spokesperson, said that parts of the 7.2 GW Nuwaiseeb will also be built. A portion is scheduled to be completed after 2031, and possibly into the next decade. (Reporting and editing by Alison Williams, Ahmed Hagagy)
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Denmark reports new drone sightings at military installations
The Armed Forces of Denmark reported on Saturday that unidentified drones had been observed in Denmark over night near military installations, after several drone incursions this week near airports and other critical infrastructure. The Danish Defence confirms that drones were spotted at several locations of the Danish Defence last night. A spokesperson told us that several capabilities were deployed. The Armed Forces didn't specify where drones were observed. Ritzau News reported that police said they observed drones near Karup Air Base in western Denmark. Norwegian police announced on Saturday that they are investigating drone sightings near Norway's main F-35 jet fighter base, Oerland Air Force Base in central Norway. A spokesperson from the Norwegian Armed Forces joint headquarters said that the guards made a number of observations early Saturday morning outside the perimeter of the base. Copenhagen Airport, which is the busiest airport in the Nordic region, was closed late Monday for several hours after several large drones appeared in its airspace. In the days that followed, five smaller airports, civilian and military, also experienced temporary closures. Danish authorities called the incursions a hybrid attack, and Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark said this week that it was "the worst attack on Danish critical infrastructure ever." Reporting by Jacob GronholtPedersen and Nerijus Adomiaitis. Toby Chopra edited the story.
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Iraq resumes Kurdish crude oil exports to Turkey following a 2-1/2 year pause
Iraq's oil minister said that crude oil began flowing through the pipeline on Saturday for the first time since two and a half years after a deal was reached to break the deadlock. According to a ministry statement, the resumption began at 6 am local time (0300 GMT). The ministry reported that "operations started quickly and without any technical issues." Iraq's oil ministry told Rudaw that the agreement between Iraq's Federal Government, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and foreign oil companies operating in the area will result in 180,000 to 190,00 barrels of oil per day flowing to Turkey's Ceyhan. The U.S. pushed for a restart that is expected to bring back up to 230,000 barrels of crude per day (bpd), at a moment when OPEC+ increases output to gain more market share. The Kirkuk-Ceyhan Pipeline was stopped in March 2023, when the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ordered Turkey to pay Iraq damages of $1.5 billion for exports that were not authorised by the Kurdish Regional Authorities. According to Iraqi officials who are familiar with the agreement, the preliminary plan agreed on Wednesday calls for the KRG commit to deliver at least 230,000 barrels per day to Iraq's SOMO state oil marketing company, while retaining an additional 50,000 barrels per day for local use. Unknown traders will sell from the Turkish port Ceyhan at official SOMO prices. The officials stated that for each barrel sold, 16 dollars will be transferred into an escrow fund and distributed proportionally among the producers. The rest of the revenues will go to SOMO. DNO, a Norwegian company, said that it does not have immediate plans to ship crude oil through the pipeline. However its local customers could do so. Genel Energy and the company have stated that there is a need to address Kurdistan’s arrears of around $1 billion to producers. DNO is owed approximately $300 million. The KRG and eight oil companies who signed the agreement have agreed to meet in 30 days after exports resume to discuss a method of settling outstanding debts. (Reporting and writing by Muayad Hamed and Maha El Dhan; editing by Muralikumar Aantharaman).
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Why the Iraq-Turkey Oil Pipeline was stopped for 2 1/2 years
For the first time since two and half years, crude oil flowed from northern Kurdistan in Iraq to Turkey on Saturday. Here are the details of the dispute which halted a piped supply of approximately 450,000 barrels per daily (bpd), in March 2023. What prompted the shutdown? The Turkish government shut down the pipeline after a ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce, which ordered that it pay Iraq $1.5 billion for damages relating to unauthorised oil exports between 2014 and 2018 from Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq filed an arbitration request in 2014 at the Paris-based ICC regarding Turkey's role as a facilitator of exports from Kurdistan, without the consent by the federal government. Baghdad demanded $33 billion as damages. It claimed that the national oil marketing company SOMO was the sole authority to export Iraqi oil. The ICC is yet to rule on a second case of arbitration involving exports starting in 2018. Why is it important for the oil market? Iraq is OPEC’s second largest oil producer, and exports around 3.4 millions bpd through its southern ports. Iraq's Oil Minister told Kurdish radio Rudaw that the latest deal would add between 180,000 and 190,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the north. This is expected to increase to around 230,000 bpd. The U.S. had called for a restart as a higher supply would help lower crude prices. This is something that the Trump administration prioritized while simultaneously promising to reduce Iran's crude oil exports to zero. This move also aligns with recent efforts made by OPEC+ countries to increase production to gain market shares. What happens next? Eight oil companies, which represent over 90% of the production in Iraqi Kurdistan have signed agreements with Baghdad to resume exports. A trader independent will sell the crude from Ceyhan at SOMO's official price. Producers get $16 per barrel. The Kurdistan region will benefit from the return of oil exports through the Iraq Turkey Pipeline. This will relieve the economic pressure that has led to salary delays and service cuts for the public sector.
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LATAM is looking for Embraer deliveries quickly to add 30 new Brazil destinations
LATAM Airlines expects to receive its E195-E2 aircraft from Embraer "relatively soon" and to be able to add up to 30 new Brazilian destinations, according to a Friday statement by an executive. LATAM Brasil CEO Jerome Cadier said that a significant portion of the aircraft would be delivered by the end the year and another portion by 2027. The airline will decide in six months what routes the jets will serve. The Brazilian subsidiary of LATAM, a Chilean company, is the No. The No. 1 airline in terms of market share. The carrier announced Monday that it had placed a firm order of 24 E195E2 aircraft with options to purchase another 50. Both firms celebrated a major milestone with the deal. Embraer received a long-awaited Brazilian order for its second generation jets, while LATAM added regional planes to their fleet of Airbus narrowbodies, and Boeing widebodies. AIRBUS CONTEST Cadier revealed to the world last year that LATAM is considering a move. purchasing smaller jets Embraer's E2 aircraft and Airbus' A220 are direct competitors for the segment of up to 150 seats. Cadier said that the A220 was more spacious and had a longer range. This would have brought it closer to LATAM's existing narrowbody aircraft. The smaller E2, with 136 seats, is better suited for the Brazilian market. He said that the E2 was a good fit for the E2 when you consider the distances between cities and the demand of those cities. If there were many big cities, the A220 might be a better option. Cadier didn't provide any further details on destinations LATAM might add to its domestic schedule. EXPANSION PLANS LATAM expects that it will continue to expand its workforce, and is aiming for a similar level of hiring in 2024, which includes pilots and cabin staff members, this year. The company invested in a new hangar for heavy maintenance, worth 40 million reais (7.49 million dollars), at its Sao Carlos facility. The facility was opened on Friday, one day after the rivalry between Azul and Gol had ended. Talks on a merger This would have made LATAM the largest airline in Brazil by market share. Cadier stated that the merger would not have caused concern, since the antitrust watchdog CADE likely would have placed restrictions on the deal. He said, "We never thought of a scenario where a merger like this would be approved if mitigation measures were not taken."
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Ukraine: Drone incursions by Russia part of West pressure plan
The Ukrainian spy agency claimed that Russia intentionally flew drones in the airspace over NATO member Poland to test the response of the alliance, increase fatigue among member states due to its war against Ukraine, and put more pressure on the west. After NATO jets shot down Russian drones which entered Polish airspace between September 9-10, it sent a written assessment. Unidentified drones disrupted air traffic in Denmark this week. This assessment was limited to the incident that occurred in Poland. The agency stated that "Such hybrid operation likely aim to increase the pressure on Ukraine's Western partner, which could lead to: Reduced assistance for Ukraine, particularly military aid." Russia denied it intended to target anything in Poland using drones while it was attacking Ukraine. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said immediately after the incident that the drones could have ended up in Poland by accident. The Ukrainian spy agency has ruled out this as the reason for the jamming of electronic systems and drones by Russia. UAVs (drones), not only from Ukraine, but also from Belarus, entered Poland. "Some UAVs penetrated as far as 100 km (60 mi) into Polish territory - well beyond the ranges of Ukrainian electronic warfare systems", it said. The Ukrainian agency also highlighted the large number - about 20 - of drones involved in the incident. According to the Ukrainian agency, one of the models was the Gerbera decoy, which used by Russia indicated that it did not intend to strike anything. 'PART OF BROADER PLAN In recent weeks, tensions on NATO's east flank have increased with Russia. In addition to the Polish incursion last week, Estonia also accused Russia of sending in three fighter jets, while Romania came close to shooting down drone. The Kremlin had earlier said on Friday that the threat to shoot down Russian military aircraft over Europe was reckless and aggressive, and marked an escalation in tensions near Russia's borders. The Ukrainian agency did not address the recent incidents but said that "this incident (in Poland), is part of Russia’s larger plan to expand its aggression into the countries bordering Ukraine". It is a warning for NATO and a test to see how they respond to attacks against member states. The aim is to intimidate Polish citizens. The report found that there were 10 drone violations in Moldovan airspace this year and 14 drones crashed on Romanian soil during attacks against nearby port infrastructures in Ukraine. It said that "violations of airspace in countries adjacent to Ukraine have become systemic during Russian combined air strikes on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure." (Reporting and editing by Howard Goller; Tom Balmforth)
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US tightens licenses for truck drivers who are not citizens after Florida crash
After a fatal accident in Florida and an audit by the government, the U.S. Transportation Department announced Friday that it would issue an emergency regulation restricting commercial driver's licenses for non-U.S. nationals. Non-citizens won't be eligible for a driver's license unless they comply with new rules, such as an employment-based Visa, and submit to a federally mandated immigration status check. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, is also taking enforcement action against California to stop it from issuing commercial driver's licenses to foreigners. Duffy stated that "licenses for dangerous foreign drivers to operate an 80,000-pound vehicle are often issued illegally." A spokesperson for the Governor of California said that the commercial drivers in the state "had a fatal accident rate nearly 40% lower than the national average." Texas, the only state that has more commercial drivers, has a rate nearly 50% higher than California. In August, Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State of the United States announced that the United States would immediately suspend the issuance all worker visas to commercial truck drivers. The previous order, which stopped new visas from being issued to non-citizens but allowed those already in the country to get a commercial license, has now tightened the rules. California has 30 calendar days to comply, or else the Trump administration withholds federal highway funds. The first year will see nearly $160 millions withheld and then doubled. Duffy stated that more than 25 percent of California's commercial licenses granted to non-U.S. residents were issued in an improper manner. This is just the latest in a long series of conflicts between the Trump Administration and California over federal funding for transportation. Duffy cited a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) audit as evidence that "the combination of a catastrophic inability of states to comply with the law, and a broken systems has created an immediate hazard for American travelers." Duffy stated that the audit revealed drivers who had valid licenses long after their legal presence in the U.S. ended. Duffy said that Colorado, Pennsylvania South Dakota Texas and Washington had licenses which did not comply with federal regulations. The audit is not yet available. Duffy warned last month that USDOT would withhold federal funds from California, Washington and New Mexico until they adopted English proficiency requirements. Todd Spencer, President of the Owner-Operator and Independent Drivers Association, praised the actions taken to stop the issuance commercial licenses for non-residents. Spencer stated that "loopholes" in the program allowed unqualified drivers to drive on America's highways. This created unnecessary safety risks both for professional drivers as well as motorists. According to some groups, the United States is in need of up to 80.000 truck drivers. According to Florida and U.S. authorities, the federal investigation was prompted after a fatal Florida accident involving a truck driver of Indian descent who didn't speak English nor had legal authorization to enter the United States. He was issued a California license. The English proficiency standard for truckers had been in place since the early 1970s. However, Trump's April executive order reversed 2016 guidance which said that inspectors shouldn't remove commercial drivers from service if they only have a lack of English. In 2023, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported that approximately 16% of U.S. drivers were born abroad. Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Chizu nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker
Flightradar24 reports that the airspace around Poland's Lublin and Rzeszow has been closed because of 'unplanned' military activity.
Flightradar24, a flight tracking service, said that Poland had closed the airspace around its cities of Lublin (southeast) and Rzeszow (southeast) until at least 4 am GMT Sunday because "unplanned military activities related to state security".
After Russia began its attacks on Ukraine, the Polish military said that it had scrambled aircraft in order to secure its airspace.
In a posting on X, the military stated that "Polish and allied aircraft began operating in our airspace in connection with the activity by the Russian Federation long-range aerial force carrying out strikes against the territory of Ukraine." The military described the actions taken as preventive, and that they were aimed at protecting airspace and citizens.
Ukraine's Air Force data shows that air raid warnings are in place across the country at 0300 GMT.
(source: Reuters)