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FAA claims it did not address warning signals prior to fatal collision
The Federal Aviation Administration's head will tell Congress Tuesday that the agency did not act on warnings before the fatal January 2025 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter, which killed 67 near Reagan Washington National Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board reported in January that a series systemic failures of the Federal Aviation Administration caused a mid-air collision which was the most deadly U.S. aviation disaster for more than 20 years. "Our airspace systems were sending warning signals before that tragic evening." In a written?testimony, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told a U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee that the problem was not lack of data but a failure to?translate this data into action. "That's the gap we urgently close." Bedford said that the FAA has taken a number of steps to improve safety. In March, they suspended the use of visual separations between helicopters and airplanes at major airports. In March, the FAA issued new rules citing two recent incidents including a near-miss involving an American Airlines plane and a police helicopter near San Antonio's airport. He said that a strategic, sweeping reorganization is underway at the FAA. "This includes streamlining of leadership roles and eliminating silos that hinder transparency and information sharing." The NTSB found that the FAA allowed helicopters to travel close to airports without safeguards separating them from planes and failed to review data or act on recommendations for moving helicopter traffic away. Since 2021, 15,200 air separation accidents have occurred near Reagan Airport between commercial planes and helicopters. This includes?85 close calls. The FAA implemented restrictions on helicopter traffic at Reagan Airport after the?collision of 2025. Other airports, including Baltimore, Las Vegas, and Washington Dulles, were also affected. The FAA also reduced plane arrivals at Reagan.
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Data from traders and LSEG show that oil exports from Russia’s western ports rose in the first half of May despite drone strikes.
According to data from traders and LSEG, the increase in oil exports and transit through Russia's western port ports was around?150,000 barrels per daily (bpd), a?9% rise, compared with April. The ongoing drone attacks on Russian refineries force Moscow to increase crude oil exports. However, traders warn that the spare capacity of the Transneft system is close to its limit. Estimates show that between May 1-15, the average exports and transit volumes of Urals and KEBCO, as well as Siberian Light, via Primorsk and Ust-Luga, were?about 2,35-2.4 million barrels per day. This is up from 2.2?million barrels per day in April. Exports are expected to remain high in May, according to market participants. This is assuming that there are no new disruptions at ports or pipelines. One industry source said, "There's still spare crude in?the?system. Companies want to ship it, and demand is strong." Novorossiisk was the main driver of the increase in early May?loadings. It handled cargoes carried over from April, totaling around 1,000,000 metric tons during the first 10 days. The first half of the month saw a rise in loadings to 0.7 million bpd, up from 0.5 million in April. After a drone attack last month, the port temporarily halted loading tankers. Traders reported that loading rates had slowed down after operations were resumed. Primorsk kept shipments at a little over 1.1m bpd while loadings in?UstLuga remained?at 0.6m bpd. According to official data and social media reports, drone attacks on Russia's infrastructure for energy have increased. The number of "refineries" targeted has doubled since the beginning of the year. Urals crude is still in high demand in Asia due to the limited shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been linked to the conflict in Iran. The premiums for Indian crude oil have dropped to $2 to $3 per barrel, compared to Brent. This is down from $6 to $7 in May-loading cargoes. However, Russian crude remains at a high price. (Reporting and Editing by Diti pujara)
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US moves to curb Ebola risks, saying immediate risk to the public is low
U.S. officials announced Monday'steps to reduce the risk of Ebola spreading in the United States,' amid international?concerns about a new outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, they also assured Americans that the risk is low. CDC officials will monitor and screen 'travelers' who left or visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan in the last 21 days. According to the CDC, this order is only in effect for 30 day and does not affect U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals or lawful permanent residents. The CDC stated that the risk of Bundibugyo disease being introduced into the United States was increased by the virus incubation period. This can last up to 21-days, allowing 'infected' individuals to travel abroad while asymptomatic, and thus unlikely to be detected using routine symptom-based screening methods. The U.S. government will also "ramp up" contact tracing capacity, laboratory testing capability and hospital readiness across the country, it added. The CDC statement 'comes at a time when medical personnel are rushing to 'the frontlines of outbreak in eastern DRC, after the World Health Organization proclaimed it a 'public?health emergency due to concerns that the?disease might spread after two cases have been confirmed in Uganda. (Reporting and editing by Katharine Nichols, Michelle Nichols, and Susan Heavey)
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Airline cancellations in response to Middle East conflict
Middle Eastern carriers increased capacity following the Iran War, and airlines outside the Gulf have rerouted flights between Europe & Asia away from major hubs within the region. The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically: AEGEAN AIRLINES On May 21, Greece's biggest carrier will resume its flights from Heraklion, Rhodes, and Larnaca to Tel Aviv. Thessaloniki-Tel Aviv flights are canceled until June 26. Flights to Riyadh,?Amman and Erbil will resume on May 21. The airline has cancelled flights to Dubai until June 29 and Erbil and Baghdad till July 2. AEROFLOT The Russian flag carrier has announced that it will resume flights to the United Arab Emirates on June 1. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has announced that flights to Tel Aviv are cancelled until the 28th of June. Dubai flights are cancelled until 24 October. AIR CANADA The Canadian carrier has canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until September 7. AIR EUROPA Spanish Airlines has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv from June 9 until now. Air France-KLM Air France suspended flights to Riyadh, Beirut, and Dubai until May 19, and Tel Aviv and Beirut until June 3. KLM suspends flights to Riyadh Dammam, and Dubai until 28 June. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has suspended all flights to Dubai, Riyadh and cargo freighter service to Dubai, Riyadh and Dubai until May 31. The airline plans to continue all scheduled flights after June. The U.S. carrier plans to resume New York JFK to Tel Aviv flight service on September 6. The airline said that the launch of its Boston to Tel Aviv route was delayed until further notice. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES All flights to Dubai have been cancelled until 31 May. FINNAIR Finnair has cancelled all Doha flights until July 2 and continues to avoid airspace in Iraq, Iran Syria, and Israel. The airline will not resume Dubai flights until October. 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 dropped. Plans to reduce service to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv from two daily flights to one daily flight by July? Riyadh will be reduced from two to one daily flight from mid-May. Changes will be made through the end of summer, which is October 24. One Dubai service will resume 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 has suspended its scheduled Tokyo-Doha and Doha-Tokyo flight until July 1, as well as Doha-Tokyo until June 30, 2009. The Polish airline suspended its flights to Tel Aviv from June 12 until now. The Polish airline has also cancelled flights from March 31 until June 27 to Beirut and Riyadh. LOT will operate its winter route from Dubai to Riyadh in October. LUFTHANSA GROUP Austrian Airlines plans to restart flights to Tel Aviv on June 1. SWISS, ITA Airways, and Lufthansa plan to resume flights in July. Brussels Airlines suspended its operations until October 24, Lufthansa will continue to suspend its flights to Dubai until September 13th. Until October 24, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa and SWISS have suspended their flights to Abu Dhabi and other destinations, including Amman, Beirut and Dammam as well as Riyadh. Erbil, Muscat, Tehran and Riyadh are also affected. Eurowings, a low-cost airline, has suspended its flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut until July 9, Erbil and Dubai until June 22, and Amman and Abu Dhabi until October 24. ITA Airways has also extended the suspension of flights to Riyadh through June 30. MALAYSIA Airlines will resume limited service to Doha on July 2. NORWEGIAN AIR Low-cost airline 'pushed back the planned launch of its Tel Aviv and Beirut services until June 15 PEGASUS Pegasus Airlines, Turkey's national airline, has cancelled all flights to Iran, Iraq Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam Riyadh Abu Dhabi Sharjah until June 1. QANTAS, Australia's flag-carrier, is increasing flights to Rome and Paris in response to a surge in demand for European destinations. The number of flights to Paris will rise from three to five per week, and the Perth to Singapore service will go from daily to 10. A new schedule will be implemented gradually for flights starting in mid-April. It will run through late July. QATAR AIRWAYS From June 16, it will also expand its international flight network by more than 150 destinations. ROYAL MAROC Moroccan Airlines has announced that flights to Doha have been cancelled until 30 June, and those to Dubai? until 31 May. SINGAPORE Airlines In response to increased demand, the carrier has extended its Singapore-Dubai suspension until August 2. It also added services on Singapore-London Gatwick as well as Singapore-Melbourne from late March until October 24. TURKISH AIRLINES SunExpress, Turkish Airlines joint venture with Lufthansa has cancelled flights until June 30, including to Dubai, Bahrain and Erbil. WIZZ AIR Low-cost airlines will resume their flights to Tel Aviv from May 28, but flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as flights to Amman in Jordan remain suspended until the middle of September. All flights to Medina have been suspended permanently. (Compiled by Josephine Mason and Jamie Freed. Elviira Loma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olenka, Bernadette HOG, Boleslaw LaSocki, Romolo Tosiani. Matt Scuffham and Alexander Smith edited by Milla Nissi, Susan Fenton, Jonathan Ananda, Milla Nissi-Prussak, and Jonathan Ananda.
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US House lawmakers propose a $130 annual EV charge to pay for road repair
U.S. House members proposed bipartisan legislation requiring electric vehicles to pay $130 annually for "road repairs" and $35 per plug-in hybrid model. The 'House' is working on a bill to reauthorize the highways for five years, allowing $580 billion in funding before the expiration of current legislation on September 30. The majority of federally-funded road repairs are funded by diesel and gasoline tax revenue, which EVs don't pay. The law requires that the fee?be increased by $5 each year beginning in 2029, up to a maximum of $150 for EVs and $50 plug-in cars. The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will likely take up the bill introduced by Sam Graves and Rick Larsen, the top Democrat on the committee. Some states charge EVs a fee to cover the cost of road repairs. Congress has not raised fuel taxes in the last?three decades to cover rising road repair costs. In February 2025, some Republican senators proposed a $1000 tax on electric vehicles to pay for road repair costs. Sierra Club, a group that advocates for the environment, has criticized this bill. They claim it will cut funding for charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and include "an irresponsible charge for drivers of EVs and plug-in hybrids." The bill also requires the U.S. Transportation Department to publish regulations within two years establishing performance-based standards of safety for?autonomous trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles. The bill would not apply for?passenger vehicles and would pre-empt state law. The bill would require that autonomous school buses transporting young students have a human driver. The?Electrification Coalition (an EV advocacy group) argued last year that a $250 charge for?EVs is unfair, since the average gasoline-powered vehicle only pays $88 in federal gas tax per year. Since 2008, over $275 billion - including $118 from the 2021 infrastructure law - have been transferred from the general fund to pay road repairs. Some lawmakers believe it will be difficult to reach an agreement on funding by September 30, given the upcoming November congressional elections. (Reporting and editing by Hugh Lawson.
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Battery storage companies eye AI but grid and supply challenges
Battery storage firms in the U.S. see a surge of interest from AI data centers that are power-hungry. However, long queues to connect to the grid as well as a supply chain heavily reliant on China hinder the industry's capacity to scale quickly. Batteries are increasingly being used in regions with a high renewable energy supply, such as California, to help meet the demand at night when solar power begins to fade. They are now emerging as a solution that is promising for data centres. Installed in front of the meter they can optimize transmission line capacity and smooth out power demand. They can be installed behind the meter to manage power spikes, reduce consumption of power when the grid strains, cover temporary outages, and reduce dependence on backup diesel generators. However, experts say that the industry is still facing bottlenecks. Harvest-Time Obadire is a senior power and renewables analysts with BMI. He said that while data centers can be constructed in as little as 18-24 months, connecting the?grid in some parts of the US can take up to seven years. The power demand from data centers could rise quickly Data centers may account for 9% to 17% (or more) of the total electricity consumed in the U.S. Electricity supply could reach 790 terawatt hours (TWh) by 2030, compared to around 4% today. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, in 2025 the U.S. will have added a record-breaking 57.6 gigawatt hours of battery energy storage, bringing the total installed capacity to 166.1 gigawatt hours. The group predicts that annual battery storage deployments by 2030 will reach 110 GWh. A significant portion of this is driven by the data center demand. These systems also work well with the natural gas-fired generator, which is becoming a popular solution for data centers that are energy-intensive. Ben Hertz Shargel, Wood Mackenzie's global head of grid transformatio, said that batteries will be a vital resource for data centers that rely on gas generators. Gas generators cannot keep up with the volatile AI datacenter demand. This demand is driving deals. According to CEO Julian Nebreda, energy storage company Fluence has been involved in more than 30 GWh in data center projects worldwide, including a significant portion in the U.S. Tesla made $430 million last year by selling its storage systems to Elon Musk's xAi. Calibrant Energy also agreed to supply a 31 MW/62 MWh energy storage battery system for an Aligned campus data center in the Pacific Northwest. Batterie storage companies are increasing their efforts to increase domestic production and calibrate offerings for "hyperscalers". Nebreda said that Fluence views this as a strategic advantage and intends to grow it. SUPPLY CHAIN AND INTERCONNECTION CHAOS However, it is difficult to quickly add new battery capacity. While the U.S. increases its domestic capacity for lithium ion-phosphate batteries, the supply chain remains heavily dependent on China. This creates bottlenecks in the near term as tax credit regulations increasingly demand non-China sourcing. RBC Capital Markets Analyst Chris Dendrinos said: "This is a great opportunity to scale US Manufacturing that would otherwise have been priced out. However, sourcing materials outside of China needs to be further developed." The grid interconnection queues continue to be a bottleneck for front-of-the meter battery projects that are connected to it. This can cause delays in projects across the country by several years. PJM interconnection, the biggest grid operator in the nation, halted the processing of new applications for connecting to the grid in 2020 after becoming overwhelmed with projects. They began accepting new applications a few months ago. Nebreda stated that if it weren't for the long interconnection queues we could deploy an utility-scale storage system within a year and meet the needs of electric grid. (Reporting and editing by Liz Hampton, Tasim Zaid and Kavya Baliaraman)
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US Treasury and India's Adani Enterprises resolve alleged Iran sanctions violation
The U.S. Department of Treasury announced a settlement of $275 million with India's Adani Enterprises Ltd. over the potential civil liability of the company for 32 apparent 'U.S. sanctions' violations. The U.S. Department of Treasury announced on Monday that it had?agreed to a $275 million settlement with India's Adani Enterprises Ltd over the company's potential civil liability for 32 apparent violations of?U.S. sanctions. Treasury's Office for Foreign Assets Control released a statement stating that Adani Enterprises allegedly purchased shipments of liquefied petrol gas from a Dubai-based trader claiming to be supplying Omani and Iraqi gasoline, but the gas?actually originated from Iran. Last week, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission settled separately a civil suit against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani for an alleged scheme of bribing Indian government officials. According to two sources familiar with the matter, the Justice Department is close to dropping criminal charges of fraud against Adani who has pledged $10 billion for the economy in 'U.S. According to two sources who are familiar with the issue, the Justice Department is also close to dropping related criminal?fraud charges against Adani. He has promised to?invest $10 billion in the?U.S. economy. (Reporting and editing by Michelle Nichols; Susan Heavey)
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ANSR CEO: Global centres in India are slowing hiring as AI reshapes the work.
The CEO of ANSR, a company that helps companies 'build & run global centers,' said Monday, "Global capability centres are being measured in India as companies...are worried about the impact of...geopolitical uncertainty and the growing adoption of.AI." India has more than half the global centres, as businesses prefer it for its skilled workforce, low operating costs, and ability to support high-value positions in technology, finance, and engineering. The 'rise of artificial intelligence' could put this edge to the test by reducing the number of people in certain roles and reshaping what global centers do. Lalit?Ahuja is also the founder and CEO of ANSR. "Companies are employing fewer employees, as a matter?of abundant 'caution. ANSR's clients include FedEx, Target, and Lowe's. Ahuja claims that the hiring is being cut by 30% to 50%. Some firms who had planned to have global centers with more than 5, 000 employees are now reducing their ambitions to around 2,000. He didn't give any further details. In a report released this month, the IT industry body Nasscom said that India will host 2,200 global centers and 2.36 million talent by the end of fiscal year which ends in March. FLEXIBLE WORKFORCE Ahuja stated that hiring is expected to be subdued 'in the near-term.' This will allow companies to build a core team, along with a flexible pool of workers who can be scaled down or up based on business needs. This reflects a growing tiredness with the "wait and watch" approach. Companies choose to hire less people than planned or begin work on a smaller-scale - all in an effort to see what happens. Ahuja stated that "Companies are now undertaking bold experimental experiments." It's hard to let people go.
Australia purchases more jet fuel and urea from Brunei, China
The 'Australian Government' said that it had secured three shipments of jet-fuel from China, and additional urea for agricultural use from Brunei. This is to boost fuel and fertiliser stocks amid the disruptions caused by Iran War.
After discussions between Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the government announced that more than 600,000. barrels of jet fuel, or approximately 100 million litres would be arriving in early June.
Beijing has been limiting fuel exports to protect the domestic supply since March after the Strait of Hormuz was closed, disrupting crude and fuel flow.
The government of Australia said that it also purchased 38,500 metric tonnes of urea in Brunei, to "support farmers and agriculture sectors".
The fuel and fertiliser security centre, worth A$7.5 billion ($5.36billion), was able to secure both shipments.
The facility was created to assist Australia's agricultural and transport industries deal with supply pressures through financial assistance in the form of loans, equity, guarantee, insurance, and price support.
Albanese, in a press release, said that the additional?600,000.00 barrels of jet-fuel will keep Australia moving and will provide?certainty? to our farmers.
The additional 'jet fuel' represents about 1% of Australia’s annual consumption.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that Australia worked?with other countries in the region to respond to the shock to the global economic system and ensure the continual flow of essential fuels.
Since the Middle East conflict started at the end February, Australia has been experiencing localised fuel shortages. Reporting by Christine Chen, Sydney; Editing Clarence Fernandez, Jamie Freed
(source: Reuters)