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As tensions over Iran escalate, airlines reroute and cancel flights
As tensions between Iran and the United States escalate, airlines have been rerouting or cancelling flights in the Middle East. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the U.S. was sending an "armada", towards Iran. Senior Iranian officials Friday Iran will treat an attack as "an all-out battle against us" ahead of the arrival of the U.S. aircraft carrier strike group in the Middle East and other assets. On January 16, the European Union's aviation regulator advised its airlines to stay away from Iran's airspace, as tensions grew over Tehran's violent crackdown on anti-government protests and U.S. intervention threats. Air France KLM, the Dutch subsidiary of Air France KLM, said that Airline KLM would avoid flying over large parts of the Middle East 'until further notice' due to the rising tensions in the region. A KLM spokesperson stated that, as a precaution due to the geopolitical climate, KLM would not fly in the airspace of Iran and Israel, nor will it fly over several countries within the Gulf region. Air France Air France resumed its service from Paris to Dubai after it was suspended a day earlier. The airline said that they were monitoring the situation "in real-time" in the Middle East. Air France said that it "continually monitors" the geopolitical conditions of the countries served by its aircraft and those overflew. LUFTHANSA Lufthansa announced on January 14 that it will bypass Iranian and Iraqi Airspace until further notice and only operate day flights between January 14-19 to Tel Aviv or Amman. In a press release issued that same day, the company said some flights may be cancelled as a result. BRITISH AIRWAYS British Airways suspended its flights to Bahrain temporarily on 16 January as a precautionary step. The airline said it "continued to closely monitor the situation in the area". On January 24, flights to Bahrain were again available on the BA website. A spokesperson for the carrier said that all of its scheduled flights would be carried out. FINNAIR Finnair announced in a statement on 16 January that it has stopped flying over Iraqi airspace and is instead traveling to Doha or Dubai via Saudi Arabia. For security reasons, the carrier avoided Iranian, Syrian and Israeli skies. WIZZ AIR A spokesperson for Wizz Air said that in January, the company avoided Iraqi airspace and Iranian airspace. The representative explained that some flights departing from Dubai or Abu Dhabi will be required to stop in Larnaca (Cyprus) or Thessaloniki (Greece) for refueling and crew changes. (Compiled by Jan Harvey, with additional reporting from Leigh Thomas and Michael Holden at London and Paris; editing by Sharon Singleton).
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Italy protests and recalls its ambassador to Switzerland following the release of a New Year's barfire suspect
Italy protested formally on Saturday against the bail release of the owner a Swiss bar that was engulfed by a deadly fire New Year's Day and it recalled its ambassador in Switzerland. The court's ruling had been criticized in both countries. Jacques Moretti, his wife Jessica and the owners of Le Constellation in Crans-Montana are being investigated for negligent homicide, as well as other crimes, linked to a fire that claimed 40 lives and injured over 100 others, including many teenagers. Jacques Moretti, who was arrested on 9 January but released on bail last Friday, has been detained since then. PM MELONI?CALLS THE DECISION "AN INSULT" TO VICTIMS FAMILIES Giorgia Melons, the Italian prime minister, called Moretti’s release “an insult to the families of those victims and an insult to their memory”. Six of the six dead and 10 injured in the bar fire were Italian. In a statement released on Saturday, Meloni and Antonio Tajani, Italy's Foreign Minister, instructed the ambassador to contact Beatrice Pilloud in Switzerland's Valais Canton, Chief Prosecutor, to express Italy's "strong anger" at Moretti's freedom. The court added that it had made the decision despite seriousness of alleged crime and the possibility of evidence being compromised. The statement read: "The entire country of Italy is demanding truth and justice and respectful measures in the wake this disaster that take into account the suffering and the expectations of the families." Meloni & Tajani also ordered Ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado to return Rome to determine the next steps to be taken, it stated. Swiss prosecutor Pilloud confirmed that she was contacted by the Italian Ambassador but explained that another court had ordered Moretti’s release. "I don't want to be held responsible for any diplomatic incident that may occur between our countries." "I will not be influenced by any pressure from the Italian authorities. That is why I told the ambassador to speak to the Swiss political authorities," said she. The spokesperson for the Swiss Foreign Affairs Ministry was not available to comment immediately. "ANOTHER SLAP", SAYS THE FATHER OF A TEEN VICTIM AFTER RELEASE Moretti was released on bail, which included a payment of 200,000 Swiss Francs ($256.377) and an instruction to report to the police station daily. Lawyers representing the families of victims and lawyers for those who were injured in the fire said that they could not understand the court order. They also expressed concern about the disappearance of evidence. Andrea Costanzo's comments in Italian newspapers published on Saturday said, "It's another slap to a wound that will never heal." Both the Morettis and their children have expressed their sorrow over this tragedy, and they both said that they will cooperate with the prosecutors. Their lawyers stated that they will "continue to obey all requests" from the authorities following Jacques Moretti’s release.
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Italy protests and recalls its ambassador to Switzerland following the release of a New Year's barfire suspect
Italy protested formally on Saturday against the bail release of the owner of an?Italian?bar that was engulfed by a deadly fire on New Year's Day and it recalled its?ambassador?to Switzerland as the court's ruling had been criticized in both countries. Jacques Moretti, his wife Jessica and the owners of Le Constellation in Crans-Montana are being investigated for negligent homicide, as well as other crimes, linked to a fire that claimed 40 lives and injured over 100 others, including many teenagers. Jacques Moretti, who was arrested on 9 January, was released on bail this Friday. Release is a 'punishment' to the families of victims, says PM Meloni Giorgia?Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, called Meloni's release overnight "an insult to the families of those who died in the New Year's Eve tragedy" and "a affront to their memory". Ten of the injured and six of the dead were Italian. In a statement released on Saturday, Meloni and Foreign Ministry Antonio Tajani instructed Italy’s?ambassador immediately to contact the chief prosecutor in Switzerland’s Valais Canton to express Italy's "strong anger" over Moretti’s release. The court added that it had made the decision despite seriousness of the crime, flight risk and possible compromise of evidence. The statement stated that "the whole of Italy is demanding truth and justice and calling for respect measures to be taken as a result of this tragedy, which fully account for the suffering and the expectations of the families." Meloni & Tajani also ordered ambassador Gian Lorenzo to Cornado to return to Rome and determine what action to take next, according to the statement. The spokesperson for the Swiss Foreign Affairs Ministry was not available to comment immediately. Moretti was released on bail, which included a payment of 200,000 Swiss Francs ($256.377) and an order to report to the police station daily. Lawyers representing the families of the victims and lawyers for those who were injured in the fire said that they had difficulty understanding the court order. They also expressed concern about the disappearance of evidence. Both the Morettis and their children have expressed their sorrow over this tragedy, and they both said that they will cooperate with prosecutors. Their lawyers stated that they both would "continue complying with all requests" from the authorities following Jacques Moretti’s release.
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Delta cancels more Atlanta-East Coast flights due to winter storm
Delta Air Lines announced on Saturday that it had made "additional cancellations" for Atlanta, along the U.S. East Coast, and at its "hubs" in Boston and New York as it continues to adjust schedules because of winter storm Fern. The airline stated that significant snowfall will begin in the Northeast on Sunday afternoon, as well as ice accumulation. A major winter storm that threatens to disrupt operations, as well as force widespread cancellations, is disrupting air travel in the United States. Airlines are cancelling flights, warning of delays and issuing 'travel waivers' as ice and snow sweeps across major hubs, regional airports, and the central, eastern, and southern parts of the U.S. Customers should expect cancellations in the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys including Nashville and Raleigh-Durham as the storm threatens weekend travel. Delta cancelled flights at several airports across five states, citing the possibility of more cancellations and delays due to slow operations. The National Weather Service warned that a mixture of freezing rain and sleet could cause power outages, tree damage and make travel hazardous in the Southeast. As the storm moves north, heavier snowfall is expected. (Reporting and editing by Tomasz janowski in Bengaluru)
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Dutch airline KLM avoids Middle East because of rising tensions
Air France KLM, the Dutch airline arm of Air France Group, said that KLM would avoid flying over a large part of the Middle East until further notice because of the 'increasing tensions. KLM didn't specify what prompted?the decision. The fear of a war between the United States and Iran is growing after U.S. president Donald Trump ordered the deployment?of an aircraft carrier strike group?and other military assets to the Middle East. On Friday, a senior Iranian official stated that Iran would consider any attack as "an all-out war" against the United States. KLM's spokesperson stated that, as a precaution due to the geopolitical climate, the airline will not fly through the airspaces of Iran, Iraq, and Israel, nor will it fly over several countries in the Gulf region. The spokesperson said that "KLM will not fly to Dubai, Riyadh Dammam, Tel Aviv and Tel Aviv" until further notice. (Reporting and editing by Bart Meijer)
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US Judge rules that Trump administration illegally suspended EV charging infrastructure program
A federal judge ruled on Friday that President Donald Trump's administration illegally suspended funding to support the expansion?electric vehicle charger infrastructure. This was a win for the 20 Democratic-led state who sued the Trump administration over this action. U.S. District Court Judge Tana Lin ruled in Seattle in favor of the District of Columbia and 20 states that had filed their suit after the U.S. Department of Transportation suspended in February an EV charging infrastructure program enacted in 2021 by Congress under a Democrat President Joe Biden. Lin, a Biden-appointed official, stated that the DOT and Federal Highway Administration had "yanked out the NEVI Formula Program?cord from the outlet" without following the statutory requirements of administrative law. Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club praised the ruling. They said it allowed states to move forward in building infrastructure that is funded by law. Lin's order prevents the Transportation Department permanently from taking away funds from the states or cancelling their approved implementation plans. In a press release, Mike Faulk said that the order of Judge Lin was a "resounding victory for rule of law and smart investments in our future clean energy." The Transportation Department didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. The DOT suspended the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program in February, shortly after Sean Duffy became Transportation Secretary. This program was part of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act?that Biden signed in law in 2021. The Trump administration has implemented a number policies that aim to increase the sale of gasoline-powered cars and reduce EV incentives, both for automakers as well as consumers. California, Colorado, and Washington, along with other states, sued the Trump administration in May alleging that it wrongfully withheld billions of dollars they were previously awarded. The administration claimed it was only a temporary pause. It ended later after the judge issued a preliminary order and the agency issued a new guideline. Lin, however, said that the 2021 law did not contemplate?even temporary breaks in funding for EV infrastructure. She wrote: "In summary, defendants defied Congress' will by withholding funds a way not contemplated in the IIJA." Next week, the U.S. Senate will consider legislation that was already approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would redirect $879 millions in funds that were approved under Biden to build an EV charging infrastructure to other priorities. Nate Raymond, reporting from Boston; David Shepardson, editing in Washington.
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US Safety Board opens investigation into Waymo robotaxis that pass stopped school buses
The?U.S. The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Friday that it will 'open an investigation' into the self-driving company Waymo after a robotaxi passed stopped school busses in Austin, Texas at least 19 different times since the beginning of the school term. Alphabet recalled over 3,000 vehicles in December to update software that caused the vehicles to 'drive past stopped school busses that were loading or removing students, increasing the risk of a collision. In October, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began an investigation into Waymo's vehicles when they were near school buses. Waymo stated that there were no accidents in the incidents. It said its self-driving technology, the Waymo driver, "safely navigates thousands of school bus encounters across the United States each week and is constantly improving." Waymo said it was "confident" that its safety performance around busses is superior to humans. The NHTSA posted a letter on November 20 from the Austin Independent Schools District stating that five incidents occurred in November following software updates by Waymo to fix the problem. The school district asked the company not to operate around schools at pick-up or drop-off hours until they could be sure the vehicles would not break the law. The school district reported to Waymo in December that the company refused 'to stop operations around schools. A lawyer for the district wrote, "We cannot let Waymo continue to endanger our students as it attempts to fix the problem." The lawyer said that a Waymo had been "recorded" driving past a school bus moments after the student had crossed in front and was still on the road. (Reporting and editing by Lisa Shumaker in Washington, David Shepardson from Washington)
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US energy sector prepares for winter storm, as crude and natural-gas output falls
As a winter storm accompanied by?cold temperatures' began to sweep the United States on Friday, U.S. crude oil and natural gas production dropped and spot electricity prices soared. According to the National Weather Service, the storm system named Fern will bring heavy snow and?sleet to large parts of the U.S., from the southern Rockies up to New England, through Monday. Travel disruptions are expected, as well as downed powerlines and extended electricity outages. According to analysts and state regulators, the U.S. crude production is expected to fall as cold weather and stormy conditions force operators to stop production in certain basins. Energy Aspects said that this could result in a loss of up to 300,000 barrels a day. Energy Aspects reported that the storm could reduce natural gas production by 86 billion cubic foot over the next two week, and noted that the Appalachia area could lose up to 35 bcf. According to Energy Aspects, freezing temperatures will reach the Permian Basin this weekend. This could cause a decline of 200,000 barrels per day in that oilfield. According to the Energy Information Administration, this area - which straddles Texas & New Mexico - is expected to produce 6.63m bpd in January. The state regulator reported on Friday that North Dakota crude production is down between 80,000 and 110,000 barrels per day, or 5 to 10%. This is because operators have shut down their operations due to the cold weather. The latest data from the Industrial Commission of North Dakota showed that North Dakota was the third largest oil producing state. Its output increased by 12,000 bpd, to 1.189 millions bpd, in November. The associated gas production of the state is currently down 0.24 billion cubic foot per day, to 0.33 BCFD. Prepare for the POWER GRID Operators Chris Wright, the U.S. Secretary for Energy, asked power grid operators on Thursday to have backup generators available at data centers – which are sensitive even to minor disruptions – and other major facilities as needed. According to the Department of Energy, there are still 35 GW of backup generators that have not been used in the United States. This could reduce blackouts, and potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars for Americans in the event of a winter storm. Southwest Power Pool (SWPP), a regional grid operator spanning 14 states from North Dakota to Louisiana reported that spot wholesale prices in real time were above $200 per megawatt hour due to congestion on high voltage power lines that brought electricity from the South to the upper Midwest. A surplus of wind power generated as the storm tore through New Mexico and Oklahoma caused wholesale prices to fall. Wind generators were forced to pay for the grid to accept their excess electricity to avoid having to shut down their own production. PJM, the largest U.S. grid, has warned that temperatures could cause it to set a 'new all-time peak winter load on Tuesday, 27th January. It is taking extra precautions in preparation with its transmission and generation owners. CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy and other U.S. utilities issued a joint statement on Friday informing consumers that they are preparing to reduce the impact on power supply. Fuel Markets Brace for Cold Blast Diesel prices are rising because it is used for heating and electricity generation. Tom Kloza is a veteran oil analyst. He said that there is a potential for soaring demand for distillate fuels, as trucks are loaded with fuel?that must be used because natural gas is not available. The possibility of refining disruptions also pushed U.S. ultra low-sulfur Diesel futures up to their highest level since November on Friday. ULSD futures rose 3% last to $2.44 a gallon. TACenergy, a U.S. distributor of fuel, said that major fuel delivery hubs along the Colonial Pipeline - the largest fuel conduit in the U.S. - are expected to remain covered with ice and snow over the next few days. This has caused the price of shipping gasoline along Colonial's Line 1 to fall, and demand for these delivery hubs is expected to be affected. TACenergy stated that the worst of this storm is expected to pass over most of the refinery origins. Reporting by Georgina Mcartney in Houston and Arathy Sommesekhar in New York; Tim McLaughlin and Nicole Jao, in Boston, and Tim Gardner, in Washington. Editing and rewriting by Nathan Crooks, Rosalba o'Brien, and Nathan Crooks.
Winter storm in the U.S. leads to 100,000 power outages and thousands of cancellations.
On Saturday, more than 4,000 flights in the U.S. were cancelled - ahead of a winter storm which has already affected over 100,000 utility customers as far as Texas and threatens to paralyze states to the east with heavy snowfall.
Forecasters predicted that dangerously cold temperatures would accompany a combination of sleet, freezing rain and snow in the eastern two thirds of the country on Sunday.
Donald Trump, who called the storms "historic", approved federal disaster declarations on Saturday in South Carolina (South Carolina), Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina (Maryland), Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana Mississippi, Indiana and West Virginia.
"We will monitor and keep in touch with every state in the path this storm. Trump posted a message on Truth Social titled "Stay Safe and Stay Warm".
The Department of Homeland Security has declared weather emergencies in 17 states and District of Columbia.
Tens of thousands have lost electricity in the affected states of the South. Utility crews are working as quickly as possible to restore power, DHS Secretary KristiNoem stated late Saturday afternoon.
Power outages continue to increase. According to PowerOutage.com, as of 6:30 PM ET, more than 130,000 U.S. consumers had lost power, with the majority of those in Texas and Louisiana.
The U.S. National Weather Service has warned of a?unusually large and long-lasting winter storm which will cause widespread heavy ice to accumulate in the Southeast U.S., citing "crippling or locally catastrophic impacts."
The weather service predicted that dangerously low wind chills and record-breaking cold temperatures would continue to descend on the Great Plains region in the U.S. as of Monday.
FlightAware, a flight tracking website, reported that as of 6:42 pm EST on Saturday, over 4,000 U.S. scheduled flights had been cancelled. The website also indicated that more than 9,000 U.S. flight originally scheduled for Sunday have been cancelled.
Major U.S. Airlines warned their passengers to be alert for sudden flight cancellations and changes. Delta Air posted an update to its website Saturday, stating that it was "continuing to make schedule changes due to Winter Storm?Fern." Additional cancellations were expected in the morning in Atlanta, along the East Coast and at Delta hubs located in Boston and New York City.
The airline announced that it would be transferring experts from its cold weather hubs in order to assist the de-icing teams and baggage teams of several southern airports.
JetBlue announced that as of Saturday morning, it had cancelled?about 1,200 flights until Monday. Additional cancellations are possible as JetBlue is "closely" monitoring the forecasts. On Saturday, U.S. grid operators increased precautions in order to prevent rotating blackouts.
Dominion Energy's Virginia operations, which include the largest data center collection in the world said that if the ice forecast holds, it could be one of the biggest winter events ever to impact the utility's operation.
Noem warned Americans about taking precautions at a press conference on the preparations of the U.S. Government for this storm.
Noem warned, "It will be cold." We encourage everyone to stock up fuel and food. We will all get through this together.
(source: Reuters)