Latest News
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Yemen's Houthis warn Saudi Arabia of their targets in response to Iran's flight to Sanaa
Yemen's Houthis claimed on Friday that their forces had engaged Saudi "warplanes", which they claimed 'attempted to stop an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport', according to the military spokesperson for the group Yahya Saarea. Sarea, an Iran-aligned group, warned they would "target Saudi airports and vital interest on land and sea" if Saudi Arabia continued to violate Yemeni airspace. He added that flights between Sanaa, Iran and Tehran would continue despite "possible consequences". Al Masirah TV, a Houthi-run channel, reported on Friday that an Iranian plane landed in Sanaa to fly the group's delegation to Tehran for the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Other passengers included more than 200 patients. Saudi Arabia led the military coalition which intervened in Yemen after the Iran-aligned Houthis took over the capital Sanaa in 2015. The Saudi-led coalition claimed early on Saturday that the Houthis' statements against the Kingdom were an attempt to "divert the attention" away from the group's "violations". It warned it would react firmly with "unprecedented force" against any attempts to attack the kingdom or violate Yemen's sovereignty. The Houthis demonstrated their missile and drone capabilities in Yemen's?war by attacking Saudi Arabia, targeting oil installations and critical infrastructure. Reporting by Eman Abohassira, Menna Alaa el-Din and Editing by Louise Heavens Philippa Fletcher David Gregorio
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Heatwave disrupts Fourth of Jule events in eastern US
The Fourth of July festivities were disrupted by a 'dangerous heatwave' that swept across large swathes of the central and eastern U.S. The Great American State Fair, which was a major event in President Donald Trump's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, was also affected by the heat. The Great American State Fair was temporarily closed Friday afternoon as temperatures reached 101° Fahrenheit (38° Celsius). The organizers said that they expect the fair to reopen by?5 pm, with modifications such as cooling tents and spritzing stations. The emergence of the "heat dome," a system of high pressure that traps hot air over a large area, caused record-breaking temperatures to spread from the Midwest to the east of the U.S. earlier this week. More than 185 million people, or more than half of the U.S. population, were under heat alerts on Friday. National Weather Service reported that on Friday there were heat alerts for over 185 million people, more than half of the?U.S. In some parts of the nation, heat indexes can reach up to 115 F (46 C). Forecasters and government officials warned that this heat wave could be deadly. The government urged Americans to be hydrated and seek shade when attending public events and gatherings during the Fourth of Independence weekend. There were cancellations of events along the Eastern Seaboard during the Fourth of July weekend. This is when Americans usually 'gather to barbecues, parades, and fireworks displays in celebration of the 1776 Declaration?of?Independence. The Salute to Independence Parade in?Philadelphia was canceled due to extreme heat. The decision was made after temperatures reached 103 F in Philadelphia on Thursday. This tied a record set back in 1901. Heat-related disruptions were also felt in other parts of the region. Haddon Township in New Jersey canceled its annual Fourth of July parade. Watertown, upstate New York, cancelled its Independence Day concert. Boston officials have delayed the entrance to an annual riverside celebration of fireworks by four hours. The event was originally scheduled to begin at noon, but now it will start at 4 p.m. Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein, Washington; Nathan Layne, New York. Editing by Mark Porter and David Gregorio.
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Heatwave disrupts Fourth of Jule events in eastern US
The Fourth of July celebrations were ruined by a 'dangerous heatwave' that swept through much of central and eastern U.S. On Friday, the heat wave forced officials to cancel or postpone dozens parades, concerts, and fireworks displays in celebration of the 250th anniversary of America. The Great American State Fair, a centerpiece event of President Donald Trump's efforts to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America on the National Mall of Washington was temporarily closed on Friday afternoon due to temperatures of 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Organisers have said that it is expected to reopen, weather permitting, at?5 pm, with modifications such as cooling tents and misting station. The National Weather Service reported that record-breaking temperatures reached the east coast of the United States from the Midwest this week. Over 185 million people received heat alerts for Friday. In many areas, peak heat indexes could reach?up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Forecasters and government officials warned that the heat wave was potentially deadly. They urged Americans to celebrate the Fourth of July outdoors, stay hydrated and seek shade, and be on guard for signs of heat illness. At least seven states have reported event cancellations, including a "major Independence Day Parade" in Philadelphia, as well as "events" in Maryland's Takoma Park, and Loudoun County in Virginia. Ahmed Aboulenein reported from Washington, Nathan Layne from New York and Mark Porter edited the story.
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PJM, the largest US power grid, intensifies emergency measures to prevent blackouts
PJM, the largest U.S. power 'grid operator, said?Friday he was on a federal alert for reducing electricity consumption in his territory due to generator failures, massive overloading of?its transmission lines and a spike in ac usage from prolonged sweltering temperatures. PJM said it had told utilities that they could reduce the electricity supplied to customers if they were under contract. PJM serves 67,000,000 people in the Mid-Atlantic, South, and Washington, D.C. area. This week, spot wholesale electricity prices in Northern Virginia, the home of the largest 'collection of data centres in the world, soared past $2,000 per megawatt hour. This compares to a?about 40?per MWh if PJM was not in distress. According to industry analysts and PJM operations data, the surge in prices is mainly because it's becoming expensive to supply power accross congested high voltage power lines.
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Alupar and Axia win power transmission projects in Brazil
A consortium led by Brazilian power company Alupar secured the largest lot in Friday's power transmission auction in Brazil, while Axia Energy won the other three projects. The consortium of Alupar, the Infra II Investment fund and other partners'secured' the installation of underground transmission in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo with a proposal that offered to take 48 percent of the maximum revenue the project could generate. The auctioned lots on Friday were the most expensive, with the highest?investment expected at 1.1 billion reais (212.9?million). Axia Energia was awarded the remaining projects in Sao Paulo state, Mato Grosso state, and Mato Grosso do Sul with 668 million reais of required investment. According to the results released in Sao Paulo by the B3 stock market, Axia's winning offers offered a discount of more than 50% on the?allowed revenue in three cases. Brazil reauctioned four 'power transmission projects' after MEZ Energia - a company which had won concessions for 2020 and 2021 - failed to progress with them.
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Ivory Coast increases renewable energy with new solar power station
Ivory Coast opened a solar power plant of 52.4 megawatts (MW) on Friday as part of its 'efforts' to increase the % share of regenerative energy in their electricity mix, and achieve climate goals by 2021. The world's biggest cocoa producer wants to be a major energy supplier in West Africa. It aims to use 46% renewable energy by 2035. Ivory Coast has an installed capacity of approximately 3,000 MW. Most of this power is generated by oil and gas plants. It exports electricity to Ghana, Burkina Faso. Benin, Togo, and Mali. At the opening ceremony, Mines Minister Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly stated that "Today's Ceremony fits perfectly with Ivory Coast's strategy... to accelerate its energy transition through diversifying the electricity mix by expanding renewable energy capacity." According to PFO Africa, which is a 100% Ivorian infrastructure investment group, the Ferke Solar Plant?will?supply electricity for 370,000 households and directly serve about 2,000,000 people in primarily?the northern Ferkessedougou Region?. Construction ?of the plant was ?financed by PFO ?Africa subsidiary PFO Energies and it will operate on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer basis. (Editing by Ayen deng Bior, Editing by Emelia sithole-Matarise).
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Yemen's Armed Forces Threaten Saudi Targets over Iran Flight to Sanaa
According to a military spokesperson, Yahya Saarea, Yemen's armed force alleged that they had confronted Saudi 'warplanes' attempting to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing in Sanaa International Airport. Sarea reported that the Iran-aligned group had warned they would "target Saudi airports and vital interest on land and sea" if Saudi Arabia continued to violate Yemeni airspace. He added that flights between Sanaa, Yemen and Tehran would continue despite "possible" consequences. Houthi Al Masirah TV reported earlier on Friday, that an Iranian aircraft had arrived in Sanaa. The group's delegation was then flown to Tehran for the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Among the passengers were more than 200 patients. Saudi Arabia led a coalition of military forces that intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015. This was after Houthis, who were aligned with Iran, seized Sanaa as the capital. The Houthis demonstrated their drone and missile capabilities in attacks against Saudi Arabia, which targeted oil installations and other vital infrastructure. (Reporting and editing by Louise Heavens, Philippe Fletcher and Eman Abouhassira)
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CMA CGM ship damaged by missile in the Hormuz Strait could be scrapped, CEO states
The CMA CGM container vessel that was damaged by a'missile' in the Strait of Hormuz early in May may be sent to scrapyard, according to its chief executive. The CMA CGM San Antonio was attacked by a missile. Several members of the crew were injured and evacuated. The ship was one of the dozens of commercial ships that were?struck' during the Iran War. Rodolphe Saade, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM, said at a business meeting in southern France that the car was "so damaged" that they were considering scrapping it. San Antonio, which had been stuck in the strait since a few weeks, has now been brought to safety. He said that the group did not intend to send ships back to the Gulf at this time. The Iranian side was advising against it. Saade, whose family controls CMA CGM, has reiterated his opposition against transit fees to use the Hormuz Strait. These are a few of the?unresolved questions in U.S. - Iranian peace talks. CMA CGM was the third largest 'container shipping' line in the world at the beginning of the Iran War, which virtually closed the waterway. Saade stated that CMA CGM wants to see four more vessels leave the zone. In a French press interview, the CEO said that some of their vessels are intended to be used in the Gulf.
Airline cancels flights due to Middle East conflict
The global air travel industry is still severely affected by the Iran War. Many people are unable to reach their destinations as planned after major Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu 'Dhabi were closed.
The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically:
AEGEAN AIRLINES
The largest airline in Greece has cancelled flights to Riyadh, Amman and Tel Aviv until June 27 and to Beirut and Beirut till June 26. The airline cancelled flights to Erbil, Baghdad and Dubai until June 29, and also to Erbil and Baghdad between July 2 and July 2.
AIRBALTIC
AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has announced that flights to Tel Aviv are cancelled until May 31. Dubai flights are cancelled until 24 October.
AIR CANADA
The Canadian carrier has canceled?flights? to Tel Aviv until September 7.
AIR EUROPA
Spanish Airlines has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv from May 3 until now.
AIR FRANCE-KLM
Air France has suspended Tel Aviv flights to Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh until May 3.
KLM suspends flights to Riyadh and Dubai until the 17th of May.
CATHAY PACIFIC
Hong Kong Airlines has cancelled all flights to Dubai and Riyadh up until 30 June. In April, the airline will increase its passenger flights from London, Paris, and Zurich to Europe to meet the increased demand.
The U.S. carrier cancelled all flights between New York and Tel Aviv, and has delayed the start of the Atlanta-Tel Aviv flight until September 5. The launch of the Boston-Tel Aviv flight, which was originally scheduled for late October, has now been postponed until further notice.
EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES
Customers who had planned to leave Israel by April 18th have been informed that their flights, including return flights, have been cancelled.
From April 13, the number of destinations will be increased to 30 and then gradually increase throughout the rest of the Month.
EMIRATES
After a partial opening of the regional airspace, Emirates Airlines has announced a reduced schedule.
ETIHAD AERWAYS
The UAE carrier said that it operates a commercial flight schedule from Abu Dhabi to around 80 destinations.
FINNAIR
The Finnish airline has canceled its Doha flights up to July 2 and continues to avoid the airspaces of Iraq, Iran Syria, and Israel. Dubai flights will only be resumed in October.
FLYNAS
Saudia, the budget airline, has suspended flights until April 15 to Dubai, Abu Dhabi Sharjah Doha, Bahrain Kuwait Iraq and Syria.
British Airways, owned by IAG, will reduce flights to the Middle East once services resume. Jeddah is no longer a destination and it will be permanently removed.
From July 1, it plans to reduce the number of flights to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv from two daily flights to just one. Riyadh's two daily flights will be reduced to just one starting in mid-May. The changes will apply until the end of the summer season on October 24. One Dubai service will restart on October 16.
Iberia Express, the Spanish low-cost carrier of IAG, has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until May 31.
JAPAN AIRLINES
Japan Airlines suspends scheduled Doha-Tokyo and Tokyo-Doha flight schedules until May 10. Japan Airlines has also announced additional flights between Tokyo, London and Doha on April 25.
The Polish airline has suspended flights to Tel Aviv till May 31. The airline also cancelled flights from March 31 until May 30, and to Beirut between June 30 and 30. The airline will operate its winter route from Dubai to?October.
LUFTHANSA GROUP
Lufthansa and Swiss Airlines suspended flights from Dubai and Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi until May 31. They also suspended flights to Amman, Beirut and Dammam. Riyadh and Erbil were also affected. Lufthansa Cargo will remain the same except for Tel Aviv, which is suspended until April 30.
Eurowings, a low-cost carrier, plans to suspend flights to Tel Aviv through April 30, and to Beirut, Erbil, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until October 24.
MALAYSIA AIRLINES
Malaysian Airlines has suspended all flights to Doha through June 14.
NORWEGIAN AIR
Low-cost carrier has delayed the planned launch of Tel Aviv and Beirut flights until June 15.
PEGASUS
Pegasus Airlines, Turkey's national airline, has cancelled all flights to Iran, Iraq, Amman Beirut, Kuwait Bahrain Doha Dammam Riyadh Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharjah and Abu Dhabi until May 1.
ROYAL MAROC
Moroccan airline cancels flights to Doha until June 30, and those to Dubai until May 31,
QANTAS
Australia's national carrier has added flights to Rome, Paris and other European destinations to meet the increased demand. The number of flights to Paris is to increase to five return flights a week, up from three. Perth-Singapore will also go from daily service to 10 flights. A new schedule for flights will be implemented gradually from mid-April until late July.
QATAR AIRWAYS
The airline said that it will gradually increase the number of flights from Doha, to more than 120 destination by mid-May.
SINGAPORE Airlines
In response to increased demand, the carrier has extended its suspension of Singapore-Dubai flights until May 31. It also added services on Singapore-London Gatwick as well as Singapore-Melbourne from late March through October 24.
TURKISH AIRLINES
SunExpress, Turkish Airlines joint venture with Lufthansa has cancelled flights from Dubai to April 30.
WIZZ AIR
Low-cost carrier suspends flights from Europe to Amman, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until mid-September. All flights to Medina are suspended indefinitely. (Compiled by Josephine Mason and Jamie Freed. Elviira Loma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olenka, Bernadette HOG, Boleslaw LaSocki, Romolo Tosiani. Editing by Sumana Nady, Joe Bavier Mark Potter and Milla Nussi-Prussak
(source: Reuters)