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US Judge again blocks Postal Service’s mail-in vote restrictions
Federal Judge extended the ban on President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing new U.S. Postal Service rule that would increase the number of mail-in votes required ahead of November's congressional elections. Boston-based ?U.S. District Judge Indira Telwani issued this injunction on behalf of Democratic-led state and voting rights organizations, after one State sent out mail ballots to the elections last Friday. Talwani wrote only Congress' laws can override state authority in elections. She added that "the executive does not have inherent authority" to change voting rules. Talwani wrote that Congress never delegated voting authority to the Postal Service. The new rule of the agency "is in conflict with Congress's statute scheme and is unconstitutional." Talwani wrote that the immediate deadlines required by the Postal Service rule would cause "chaos" among groups who provide information on how to vote. The League of Women Voters, for example, "does not know whether or not to advise its members to vote via mail, despite their legal entitlement," Talwani's ruling states. The administration filed an appeal notice quickly. USPS refused to comment on this ruling but U.S. postmaster general David Steiner defended their handling of the matter. Steiner stated on Friday that "we have always acted within our legal authority" to issue a regulation to achieve these policies. However, the courts will ultimately decide this question and we will follow their determination. The White House didn't immediately respond to our request for comment. RULE ON POSTAL SERVICES FOLLOWS TRUMP'S ORDER According to the rule, the USPS must receive lists of recipients for mail ballots from the states. All outgoing and return?ballot envelops must have unique barcodes. Under the rule, the USPS may refuse to deliver any ballots that are not compliant with the new standards, or those associated with voters not appearing on the list. Talwani is an Obama appointee who issued a temporary injunction last week to stop the USPS from enforcing its rule. She was deciding whether or not to issue a more permanent injunction. The administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to intervene and lift a temporary order, so that the rule can take effect. Last week, the court's conservative majority of 6-3 lifted an order Talwani had issued that prevented USPS from imposing restrictions. USPS released its rule in March to implement the executive order that Trump signed after years of calling for restrictions on voting by mail. All 50 states permit some form of mail in voting. 29 states allow voters to request to vote by mail, without providing any reason. Eight other states conduct their entire election by mail. North Carolina became the first state to mail ballots in the November elections on Friday. If the rule is allowed to go into effect, it could force state officials to make changes to their systems in just a few weeks, to conform to a system critics say USPS has not yet implemented. Talwani stated that it is "implausible", that states will be able comply with this rule in time for the upcoming elections of this year, since it would require 10,000 jurisdictions redesigning their ballots, printing them, and submitting voter information to an online portal run by USPS that doesn't yet exist. The court concluded that the disenfranchisement of Plaintiff Organizations members, regardless their residence, was inevitable. The administration asked a federal court of appeals to overturn Talwani’s original restraining orders. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston had not yet acted on this request. Circuit Court of Appeals hadn't acted on this request before the Judge issued her latest ruling.
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US Judge again blocks Postal Service’s mail-in vote restrictions
On Friday, a federal judge in Boston extended a ban that prevented President Donald Trump from implementing any new?U.S. Postal Service rule would increase the number of mail-in votes required ahead of November's congressional elections. The Boston-based U.S. district judge Indira Talwani issued an injunction on behalf of Democratic-led States and voting rights groups, after the country's first state sent out its mail ballots?for the elections?on Friday. Talwani is an Obama appointee who issued a temporary injunction last week to stop the USPS from enforcing its rule. She was deciding whether or not to issue a more permanent injunction. On Thursday, the administration had asked the U.S. Supreme Court for intervention and to lift the restraining orders so that the rule could go into effect. Last week, the court's conservative majority of 6-3 lifted an order Talwani had issued that prevented USPS from imposing restrictions. USPS released its?rule in order to implement the executive order Trump signed back in March. This was after the Republican President had called for years to restrict voting via mail, and pushed the?false claims that the defeat of his 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden resulted from widespread voter fraud. All outgoing and return ballot envelopes are required to have unique barcodes. USPS may refuse to deliver any ballots that are not compliant with the new standards or those associated with voters not listed on the list. Talwani was temporarily blocked by voting rights advocates, and several Democratic-led States, last week. They argued that the rule could disenfranchise voters, and violated the U.S. Constitution which grants states the power to administer elections. The lawyers of the U.S. Department of Justice countered by stating that USPS has the authority to implement "modest" requirements for envelope design. The state election officials said that if the rule was implemented, they would still have full control over who can vote by mail. All 50 states permit some form of mail in voting. In 29 of those states, voters can?ask for a mail-in ballot without providing any reason. Eight other states conduct their entire elections by mail. North Carolina became the first state on Friday to mail ballots in the November elections. If the rule is allowed to take effect, it could force state officials to restructure their systems in just a few weeks before elections to comply with a system that critics claim USPS isn't ready to implement. Many state election offices have already printed their envelopes and votes. In a court document filed on Thursday, September 3, a USPS official stated that the 'online portal states would use to upload voter lists is not yet active. The official said that states could use the portal at some point in the week of Sept. 7. The U.S. released a whistleblower's statement on Tuesday from an anonymous federal employee. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a Democrat, alleged on Tuesday that USPS was rushing into implementing a 'new system created hastily that risks disrupting the delivery during the election of mail ballots. The administration asked a federal court of appeals to overturn Talwani’s first restraining orders. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston had not yet acted on this request. Circuit Court of Appeals hadn't acted on this request before the Judge issued her latest ruling.
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Panama Canal defers Neopanamax draft reduction
The Panama Canal Authority on Friday postponed further a planned reduction in the maximum draft allowed for its Neopanamax locks to '14.48 meters (47.5 feet), which was scheduled to go into effect on October 1. This decision was made due higher than expected water levels at Gatun Lake, and favorable weather forecasts. A ship's draft is the minimum depth of water it needs to be able to float. If the limit is lower, the vessel may need to carry less cargo to get through the canal. In the Neopanamax lock, a maximum draft of 48 ft (14.63 meters) will continue to be allowed. The authority didn't give a new deadline for the potential reduction, but said that it would make any future adjustments to draft?in due time. The authority delayed the move from 14.48 meters up to 14.63 meters for the Neopanamax locks until October 1. The move was accompanied by a reduction in daily transits to prepare for an El Nino-like season that is expected to lower water levels. This reverses a previous promise not limit vessel passage.
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US Senate Democrats ask Postal Service to stop work on new mail-in voting regulations
The?U.S. Postal Service was urged by lawmakers to halt the work on new mail-in voting rules. Postal Service ordered the halt to "work" on new rules for mail-in voting, Friday. In a letter to the USPS, Senator Gary Peters from Michigan and six other Democrats on the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee wrote: "The Postal Service’s continued illegal efforts to transform itself into an electoral administration agency under the direction of President Trump risk disenfranchising American voters and threatening the integrity of the upcoming elections." On Thursday night, the Trump administration requested that the Supreme Court allow it to enforce a new USPS rule restricting the use mail-in votes. USPS didn't immediately comment. The Democratic Senators -- Peters, Richard Blumenthal, Maggie Hassan, Andy Kim, Elissa, Slotkin, and John Fetterman, all of Pennsylvania, and Ruben, Gallego, of Arizona -- warned that the "verification" system planned by USPS "could collapse the absentee voting system, and disenfranchise millions of Americans." U.S. district judge Indira Talwani issued an order temporarily prohibiting the USPS to enforce the new rule. The USPS adopted the new rule following an executive directive by the Republican President restricting mail-in votes. USPS regulations would require new standards for voter data and ballot envelopes, and could refuse delivery of any ballots that did not meet these requirements. Critics say this could lead to thousands of votes being invalidated as the election date of November 3 draws near. Republicans are in a fierce battle to "retain" control of Congress during the elections. Critics claim that restricting mail in ballots would benefit Republicans more than Democrats, since Democratic voters are traditionally more likely to mail in ballots. The new USPS rule requires that states provide the postal service with lists of voters who will be receiving mail ballots. They must also use envelopes for outgoing and return mail ballots which are approved by the agency, and have barcodes. Postal?services could refuse to send ballots that don't comply with new standards, or are associated with voters not listed on the list. Trump has cast doubts on the security of mail-in votes for years, even though evidence of voter fraud in rare. Trump has falsely claimed that widespread fraud is occurring in U.S. election, including his loss to Joe Biden as former Democratic president in 2020.
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Norway will help Russians stuck in Arctic after ship seize, says government
Norway's foreign ministry said on Friday that it would provide the necessary assistance to Russians in the Arctic Svalbard Islands following the arrest of a ship carrying passengers and supplies to the archipelago. The Norwegian court ordered this week the seizure of the Professor Molchanov Cruise Ship in Svalbard on behalf of an Ukrainian company involved in legal disputes, leaving its passengers and crew stranded and leading Moscow accuse Norway "piracy". Norway's Foreign Ministry said that they were complying with their international obligations by protecting Russian citizens in Svalbard. Statistics Norway reports that the town of Barentsburg is where the ship is docked. It is one of two Russian settlements in Svalbard, with a total of 392 residents. The ministry said that Russian companies receive regular'sanctions relief' to allow them to import food and other essential goods to the islands. According to Cruisemapper's website, the 71-metre-long Professor Molchanov has 32 crew members and 52 passengers. It also features a bar, a sauna, a library and two restaurants. The vessel is used both for commercial cruises and scientific expeditions. The seizure of the assets was ordered by a court on behalf Naftogaz - a Ukrainian energy company - which is seeking to enforce a compensation award of $4.22 billion for 'assets Moscow took in 2014 when it annexed Crimea. Russia plans to appeal this ruling.
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What is Ukraine's SBU Security Agency?
On Friday, Russia launched a drone at the Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) headquarters in central Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities called it the latest in a series of war escalations. The following are key facts about the organization. What is the?SBU? SBU is an enigmatic and powerful organisation which emerged from the Ukrainian branch KGB of Soviet times when Ukraine became independent in 1991. The SBU has broad powers over matters of domestic security. It has been involved in combat since the Russian invasion of 2022, and it is now investigating war crimes, countering a cyberattack, conducting counterintelligence, and catching Russian agents. Alpha special forces have also conducted drone attacks against Russian military hardware in the field as well as on oil refineries and other military installations deep within Russia. They've also used sea drones against tankers transporting Russian oil. Authors of 'Operation Spiderweb' It has claimed to have carried out some spectacular wartime operations against Russia. For example, it used a truck bomb to attack Russia's bridge into the occupied Ukrainian peninsula Crimea in 2022. Last year, the organization masterminded a sophisticated '2025 drone strike, codenamed Spiderweb. It targeted a number of Russian strategic air-bombers deep within Russia. It is widely regarded as being a key player in the covert campaign to assassinate senior Russian military figures and others who are blamed by Ukraine as having committed war crimes. Russia has called these killings terrorist attacks. Who is in charge of the?SBU? According to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the agency is headed by Oleksandr Pklad. His office was the target of the drone which hit the SBU headquarters in Kyiv last Friday. Poklad was not hurt, according to the agency. He was appointed in July. How big is the SBU? During the war, the SBU grew in size. The SBU's size is secret, but the maximum number of employees it can have in wartime is 41,000. The figure is probably in the same ballpark. Last year, the legislative cap was raised from its previous threshold of 31,000 personnel during wartime. BITTER RIVALRY WITH MILITARY INTELLIGENCE The 'SBU' has had a long-standing rivalry with Ukraine's military spy agency, the Main Intelligence Directorate. This week, a dispute between the two organisations escalated into a shooting in Kyiv that left several military intelligence officers injured. Zelenskiy ordered an investigation to determine what happened.
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Portugal asks Air France, KLM and Lufthansa to improve their offers for TAP sale
Portugal's government asked rivals Lufthansa and Air 'France-KLM to submit better offers for a'minority stake' in the 'flag carrier TAP', starting a final round of negotiations, after judging that both groups' first bids were too similar to choose one. In July, both European airline groups made binding but undisclosed offers to purchase a 44.9% stake in TAP. They also offered to become TAP's strategic partner. The?government received the assessment of the offers from Parpublica, the state-owned holding company. Leitao Amaro stated that the two binding offers "differeced in their content but were rated as being broadly similar overall". He told reporters that after a cabinet session, "we have decided to start a final round?of negotiations lasting a few weeks. During?this time we expect bidders to increase their offers." Portugal has revived its long-delayed TAP privatisation in July 2025. It is looking for a strategic investor who can expand the airline's reach internationally and increase its competitiveness. The winning bidder will have the option of acquiring any shares that are not claimed by employees. TAP's biggest attraction is its?valued?slots connecting its Lisbon hub to Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African nations and the United States. These routes are important for Portugal's diaspora and tourism, as well as investment. The government has asked that the future strategic partner of TAP support growth in Portugal's airport system, strengthening operations and connectivity, not only in Lisbon, but also in Porto and Faro and in the Azores and Madeira. The government can sell the remaining 50% stake in the company to the strategic investor.
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Son of Sri Lanka's ex-president arrested on corruption charges
A top court in Sri Lanka announced on Friday that the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested and remanded to a prison until September 18 for alleged graft related to purchases of Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines. Namal Rajapaksa is a member of the opposition Sri Lankan Podujana peramuna. He was arrested after more than five hours?of questioning from Sri Lanka's main anti-corruption body, the Commission to Investigate Allegations Of Bribery Or Corruption. The order remanding?him came from Colombo Chief Magistrates?Asanga?S. Bodaragama. Rajapaksa has consistently denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers weren't immediately available to comment. His arrest is part a ongoing investigation into a multimillion-dollar purchase made by Airbus in 2013 of planes. Airbus sent a delegation to Colombo, Sri Lanka in August 2013 to help with the investigation. Airbus has reached a pact with French, British and U.S. officials in 2020 following a three-year investigation into allegations of bribery over jetliner sales. The?case was settled with a $4 billion fine. SriLankan Airlines & Airbus did not respond immediately to a comment request.
Rolls-Royce engine dispute casts doubt on United's A350 order
United Airlines has revealed a dispute between the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and its long-delayed Airbus A350 purchase. This is 'the latest twist in a long-running saga of jet procurement.
The A350 order dates back to 2009, one year before United Airlines merged with Continental Airlines. Continental Airlines was a Boeing champion and had exclusive ties with Boeing. The A350 contract was restructured later, but it has been deferred and changed numerous times.
In a filing to the regulatory authorities late Thursday night, the airline stated that it was in dispute with the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, and did not give investors a timetable as to when the planes might arrive.
The dispute over United's ability to put the A350 into service is raised by the fact that Rolls-Royce, a British company, is the only one who makes the engines.
United's filing continued to list 45 Airbus A350 aircraft on its books, with an expected arrival date of 2027. However, it did not provide a delivery schedule. In a previous filing, United had indicated that it expected deliveries to extend beyond 2026.
ENGINE CONTRACT DISPUTE
The airline said that it signed a contract in 2010 with Rolls-Royce to purchase?engines, maintenance services and parts. It paid $175 million in advance in 2017 to the British engine manufacturer.
United claimed that Rolls-Royce had breached their contract in December of last year. Rolls-Royce denies breaking any contract.
The U.S. airline's version states that Rolls-Royce refused payment and claimed United was to blame. It added that both companies now claim the other side owes money.
A Rolls-Royce spokeswoman said that the company has met its obligations based on agreements dating back as far as 2010. However, she could not provide any further information due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Rolls-Royce called United "a valued customer" and expressed its eagerness to resolve what it called an "historic issue", and strengthen the partnership. The spokesperson stated that "we are aware of the problem and confident in our position."
Three-way Pressure Point
Analysts claim that multi-billion dollar jet deals are complicated three-way relationships between the airline, the planemaker, and the engine supplier.
United, in a reference that is likely to be directed at Airbus said that it was weighing the implications of?the dispute for?other parties.
Airbus refused to comment. Airbus continues to display the stalled orders on its backlog, in what industry insiders describe as a standard move to protect contractual rights.
United's spokesperson declined to provide any additional comment.
United Airlines has been a major purchaser and a battleground between Airbus vs Boeing over the years.
Scott Kirby, the Chief Executive Officer of the airline, told reporters that the company would announce its A350 order in September 2025.
The airline said that a decision on the aircraft was tied to the long-term replacement needs of its widebody aircraft, namely the need to replace older Boeing 767s or 777s.
The repeated delays have led to speculation that United may cancel the order, or convert it to another Airbus model. For example, the A321neo aircraft family which it has purchased in large quantities. Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Paris and Tim Hepher; editing by Chris Reese
(source: Reuters)