Latest News
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Two more Guatemalans plead guilty to the smuggling death of 55 migrants.
On Wednesday, two more Guatemalans pleaded guilty to human smuggling in Texas. The charges stemmed from the December 20, 2021 crash of a truck that killed 55 out of the 160+ migrants who were crammed inside. Jorge Agapito Ventura (34),?who?was arrested in Texas on December 20, 2024 and Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino (26), one of five co defendants extradited to America the following year, face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. According to a press release from the U.S. Justice Department, Sentencing has been set for October 6. In their guilty pleas in Texas federal court, both admitted that they conspired with others to smuggle unaccompanied children and adults from Guatemala into the United States via Mexico. Charges stem from a similar operation where an estimated 166 migrants were?packed into a tractor trailer rig which overturned and slammed against a bridge abutment in Chiappas in Mexico on December 9, 2021. The accident resulted in the deaths of 55 migrants, including a girl of 16 years old, and the injuries of dozens more. Surviving migrants said that they were crammed into the trailer compartment with such force, most of them could only stand. The video footage shows bodies scattered around the crash site. Federal authorities describe the incident as one of recent history's deadliest smuggling tragedies. Mexican officials said at the time that nearly all of?the victims were Guatemalan. Authorities in Chiapas said that among the injured were three Dominicans, a Honduran and a Mexican. Three of the four Guatemalans who were extradited into the United States in this case pleaded guilty in similar charges - one in April, and two in last month. The charges?against?the sixth defendant are?still pending. In a press release, Assistant U.S. attorney general A. Tysen Duva stated that "these defendants worked together in order to exploit?vulnerable persons by breaking immigration laws of this nation with deadly consequences following." (Reporting and editing by Shri Navaratnam in Los Angeles)
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The U.S. has said that companies must take steps to prevent self-driving cars from interfering with emergency vehicles.
The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States said that companies offering self-driving cars must address a "clear trend" of driverless cars interfering with first responders and law enforcement. Jonathan Morrison, the head of the U.S. Vehicle Regulatory Agency, wrote in a letter addressed to the industry, that NHTSA had documented numerous instances where AVs drove into emergency scenes and other incidents, when they "blocked ambulances and firefighter's paths, or failed to recognize basic safety conditions such as flashing lights and flares, smoke and?fire and traffic cones." In a letter to the industry, Jonathan Morrison, who heads the U.S. vehicle regulatory agency, said that NHTSA has documented multiple instances of AVs driving into active emergency scenes and other incidents when the vehicles "failed to recognize and respond to basic safety conditions like flashing lights or flares. NHTSA announced that it would be scheduling meetings with vehicle developers by the month's end to solicit solutions. It called on AV operators and developers to fix the problem. The letter stated that "an AV which cannot safely interact and communicate with first responders poses a risk to the public." NHTSA didn't name any companies or give specific details about the incidents. Local media in Texas reported that a Waymo?self-driving car in Dallas, Texas in late May partially blocked the route used by fire trucks to reach an apartment building on fire. Waymo didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for a?comment. Waymo's vehicles are also seen in other videos allegedly driving into a police station and blocking an ambulance. The National Transportation Safety Board and NHTSA are both investigating separate incidents involving Waymo?self driving vehicles. In one incident, the vehicles were spotted passing school buses that had their lights on in violation of Texas state law. Another incident occurred on January 23rd, when a Waymo self-driving vehicle?hit a nine-year old girl running across the street in Santa Monica from behind a double parked SUV towards the school.
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Venture Global's liquefaction fees for the second quarter of 2014 have risen 69% due to Iran war and higher LNG prices
Venture Global, an American LNG producer, said that the average liquefaction fee in the second quarter was up?69% from the previous three months. This is due to the higher global LNG prices after the Iran War disrupted the supply through the Strait of Hormuz. According to a regulatory filing, the U.S. exporter of liquefied gas realized an implied weighted-average fixed liquefaction rate of $6.45 for?million British Thermal Units (MMBtu). This is up from $3.82 in the first quarter. Damage to Qatar's liquefaction plants curtailed LNG exports and sent LNG prices sharply higher. Venture Global's?weighted-average liquefaction charge reflects both the higher prices it received from cargoes that were sold on the spot-market and under short-term contract, as well as the lower-priced volume?sold through long-term agreements. Liquefaction charges are an important component of earnings for U.S. LNG facilities. These plants?charge fixed fees in long-term contracts and have the ability to adjust prices based on global LNG markets conditions. During the second quarter of 2016, the company sold 466.4 TBtu?LNG and recognized revenue, a slight decrease from 480.8TBtu during?the previous period. Calcasieu Pass exports?37 cargoes compared to?38 the previous quarter. Plaquemines exports 90 cargoes compared to 92. (Reporting by Dharna Bafna in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
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S&P 500 closes down after Trump declares Iran deal 'over
Broadcom led the gains amongst recently battered chips stocks. Trump warned, 'at the NATO summit in Turkey that he has no interest in continuing talks with Iran. He will likely launch additional strikes in Washington on Wednesday night. Trump's remarks marked the latest setback of the back-and forth talks, which have oscillated between threats of escalation or hopes for diplomacy. Investors were caught off guard by several false begins toward a peace agreement. Duration is key. How long will this continue? Rob Haworth is a senior investment strategist with U.S. Bank Wealth Management, Seattle. The market could be forced to take more action if we see damage done to Iranian infrastructure. This is because Iran will likely retaliate. Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet, all AI giants, each fell, which weighed on the S&P 500. Broadcom gained after Apple announced that it will spend more than $30 Billion as part of an agreement to supply chips reached with Broadcom earlier this week. Art Hogan is the chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth. He said: "Any announcement by?Apple that they will be using your equipment is a positive thing, especially since there are 2.5 billion Apple products in people's pockets around the world." Nvidia rose when the Information reported China's top AI firms will be allowed to purchase a limited amount of H200 chips from the company. The preliminary data shows that the S&P 500 fell 22.57 points or 0.30% to finish at 7,481.28 while the Nasdaq Composite rose 52.52 points or 0.19% to 25,868.29. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 592.43, or 1.12% to 52,332.72. Brent crude futures rose 5.2% after Trump's remarks. Treasury yields rose too as the sale spread to bonds. The latest escalation of the conflict threatens to upset the equity rally that has seen the benchmark S&P500 up about 9% this year despite sharp drops after the Mideast War started. Oil prices rising again could rekindle inflation concerns and complicate the Federal Reserve's course. Travel stocks that are sensitive to energy prices fell, as rising oil prices raised concerns about fuel costs and demand. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines lost ground. Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line also fell. The International Monetary Fund lowered their global growth forecast for 2026 to 3% on Wednesday, warning about the ongoing risks of the Middle East war. Minutes of the meeting showed that inflation concerns increased at the U.S. Central?bank's last month's meeting, as officials followed Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh to a more streamlined?policy announcement, according to Wednesday's minutes. According to CME Fedwatch, traders expect a rate hike at the Fed's meeting in December.
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Ireland's Manna begins push into U.S. drone delivery "battleground"
90% of Tulsans can expect to be able order deliveries by autonomous drones within the next 12 months, said Manna on Wednesday. The company has begun a push in the American Southwest it believes will "be the battleground" for this?fast-growing sector. Executive chairman Kenny Jacobs said that the Irish-founded startup, based in Oklahoma City, will begin flying orders for partners like DoorDash, McDonald's, and Uber Eats by mid-2027. It will operate 40 bases throughout Oklahoma's second largest city. Jacobs said at the launch of the first full-scale U.S. operations. The technology has been proven. It's now about commercial scalability, and showing how quickly you can set up bases and deliver a variety of things," said the former Dublin Airport CEO and Ryanair Marketing Chief who joined Manna last week. Manna is competing with Zipline, Alphabet’s Wing, Amazon’s Prime Air, and other startups based in the U.S. It has made more than 300,000. This was primarily in Ireland, where the company recently halted its services due to a lack of national planning regulations. Jacobs does not anticipate any such obstacles in the U.S. He said that he would be 'amazed' if Manna did not expand to another U.S. city this year. Jacobs cited?other areas of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona, as attractive destinations. Jacobs stated that the company is able to scale rapidly at a low capital expenditure per base, given that each local launch site is not larger than four parking spaces. Jacobs said that Manna hopes to expand to?Britain in early 2028. Its plans could be to push into the Middle East, particularly the United Arab Emirates, before then. Reporting by Padraic halpin, editing by Chizu Nomiyama
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S&P 500 drops after Trump declares Iran deal is over
Broadcom, a chip stock that has been battered recently, led the gains amongst recent battered stocks. The S&P?500 dropped on Wednesday as U.S. president Donald Trump declared an interim agreement aimed at ending?the war?with Iran to be "over." Trump, speaking at the NATO summit in?Turkey said that he was not interested in continuing talks with Iran. He also warned that Washington will likely conduct additional strikes on Wednesday evening. Trump's remarks marked the latest setback of the series of back and forth talks which have oscillated between threats of escalation, and hopes for diplomacy. Investors were left unprepared by several false begins toward a peace agreement. The key is duration. How long will this last? Rob Haworth is a senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, Seattle. The market could react more strongly if we see damage done to Iranian infrastructure because of the likely retaliation from Iran. Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet, all AI giants, each lost more than 1%. This weighed on the S&P500. Broadcom rose 5.2% when Apple announced it would spend over $30 billion as part of an agreement with Broadcom reached this week. Art Hogan is the chief market strategist for B. Riley Wealth. He said: "Any announcement by Apple regarding their use of your equipment is a positive thing, especially with 2.5 billion Apple devices around the world." Nvidia rose by?about 2.8% following the Information's report that China plans to allow its top AI companies to purchase a limited amount of the company’s H200 chip. The PHLX Chip Index rose 2.2% and is now up 77% by 2026. The S&P was down 0.36% to 7,477.10. The Nasdaq fell 0.08%, to 25,798.29, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.11%, at 52,335.24. Nine out of 11 S&P 500 indexes fell, with industrials down by 3.41% and materials dropping by 2.45%. Brent crude futures rose 5% after Trump's comments. Treasury yields rose too as the selling spread to bonds. The latest escalation of the conflict threatens to undermine the rally in equities that has seen the benchmark S&P500 up by about 9% this year despite sharp drops after the Mideast War started. Oil prices may rise again, causing inflation concerns to resurface and complicating the path of the Federal Reserve. Travel stocks that are sensitive to energy prices fell as rising oil prices raised concerns about fuel costs and demand. United Airlines fell 2.3%, and Delta Air Lines dropped 1.9%. Cruise operators were also affected, with Carnival dropping 3.7% and Norwegian Cruise Line falling 2.1%. The International Monetary Fund lowered their '2026 global growth prediction to 3% on Wednesday, warning about the ongoing risks of the Middle East war. Minutes of the meeting showed that inflation concerns increased at the U.S. Central Bank's last month's meeting as officials 'followed Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh's example to a more stripped-down statement', according to the 'Wednesday' minutes. According to CME's Fedwatch, traders expect a rate hike at the Fed's meeting in December. The S&P 500 saw a ratio of 3.3 to 1 between declining stocks and rising stocks.
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Etihad nearing deal to order 10 Boeing 787 jets, sources say
Industry sources said on Wednesday that Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi, is "close to a deal" for the purchase of ten Boeing 787 wide body jets. An announcement could come as soon as this month at the Farnborough Airshow. Etihad declined and Boeing declined?comment. Sources warned that a deal could not be guaranteed, as negotiations continue to take place in the run-up to 'the 'July 20-24 event? in Britain. Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves said last month that the company was considering ordering double-digits of wide-body aircraft, but declined to provide further details. Etihad has restored flights following a?cut in March due to the increase in fuel prices caused by the 'U.S. - Israeli?war against Iran. Airbus, Europe's largest airline, said that Middle East airlines were recovering well amid the fragile ceasefire in the region. Gulf hubs are returning to normal traffic volumes. (Reporting and editing by Elaine Hardcastle, Deepa Babington, Federico Maccioni)
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Trump switches to Air Force One unexpectedly, excluding Qatari jet
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that he would 'fly from Turkey to Britain on an older Air Force One. This was a surprising switch that raised concerns about the retrofitted Boeing 737 donated by Qatar as his presidential jet. He had unveiled it only a few weeks earlier. This was the first trip abroad for the new aircraft. The change comes after months of scrutiny about the luxury gift that was intended to be a temporary replacement for Air Force One while Boeing struggles to deliver its long-delayed new-generation planes. The retrofit was criticized for its cost, speed and security. Trump stated?on Truth Socialthat he will use an older Air Force One aircraft "for old times sake" to travel to RAF Mildenhall, Britain?while a newer plane visits the base to allow U.S. military personnel stationed there to tour the aircraft. The new plane, a Boeing 747, was 'gifted' to the United States last year by Qatar and refitted L3Harris Technologies. The jumbo aircraft has been painted with a livery of'red, white and dark blue, chosen by Trump. This is a departure from Air Force One's long-standing design. The acceptance of the Qatari jet had attracted scrutiny. Experts said that retrofitting this luxury jet required upgrades in security, communication improvements to prevent spying, and missile defence capabilities. The conversion, according to Democratic lawmakers, cost over $1 billion. It also posed security risks. Upgrades were made so quickly, some experts expressed concerns that the aircraft may not be as safe as Air Force One. During presidential trips, a second aircraft capable of operating as Air Force One will always be on "standby". In order to produce an interim version faster, the Air Force has accelerated its efforts to prepare the jet. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said that the service "meticulously analyzed every requirement" as it worked to accelerate delivery. The Qatari jet?serves as a bridge while Boeing works on delivering two purpose-built 747-8s under a $3.9 Billion fixed-price contract that was signed in 2018. This program is now four years behind schedule. Delivery will not be expected until mid-2028. Trump could find himself without a new U.S. built plane by the time his term ends, in January 2029. Boeing has incurred billions in costs for the Boeing project. (Reporting and editing by Philippa Goller and Howard Goller in Washington)
There are some flights to the Middle East that have resumed but there is still disruption.
As regional carriers re-build their schedules following war-related disruptions, some airlines are gradually restoring flights to the Middle East. However, the conflict continues disrupting wider traffic flows.
Middle Eastern airlines have increased capacity following severe disruption caused by the Iran War, but many carriers outside of the Gulf still divert Europe-Asia flights to avoid the area.
The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically:
AEGEAN AIRLINES
The largest airline in Greece has cancelled flights between Thessaloniki and Tel Aviv up until June 26. Dubai flights are cancelled until August 31. Erbil, Baghdad and Erbil flights will be cancelled until July 2.
AEROFLOT
The Russian flag carrier announced that it would 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 up until the 28th of June.
AIR FRANCE-KLM
Air France has suspended Tel Aviv flights through June 7. Air France has suspended its flights to Tel Aviv until June 7.
KLM suspends flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai until July 12, and until August 2.
CATHAY PACIFIC
Hong Kong Airlines has suspended all flights to Dubai, Riyadh and cargo services until May 31, and until August 31, respectively. The airline plans to continue all scheduled flights after June.
The U.S. carrier plans to resume New York JFK-Tel Aviv flights from September 6 and has extended the suspension of services on the Atlanta-Tel Aviv routes through December 18. The launch of the Boston-Tel Aviv flight, originally scheduled for late October, has been delayed.
EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES
All flights to Dubai have been cancelled until 31 May.
FINNAIR
It has cancelled all flights to Doha until October 2 and continues to avoid the airspaces of Iraq, Iran Syria, and Israel. The airline will only resume Dubai flights in October.
British Airways, owned by IAG, has decided to delay the resumption of flights to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv until August 1. It also plans to reduce Middle East flights when they resume and to permanently drop Jeddah from its list of destinations.
The airline also plans to reduce the number of flights to?Dubai and Doha as well as Riyadh, Tel Aviv, and Riyadh to just one per day.
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 August 1, as well as Doha-Tokyo until July 31.
The Polish airline has suspended its flights to Tel Aviv till May 30. The airline has also cancelled its flights to Riyadh up until June 30, and to Beirut between March 31 and June 27. 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,
ITA Airways, SWISS, and Lufthansa will continue to suspend flights until September 13
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, the low-cost carrier, has suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Beirut and Erbil.
ITA Airways has also extended its suspension of flights to Riyadh through June 30.
MALAYSIA Airlines will resume limited service to Doha on July 2.
NORWEGIAN AIR
The low-cost airline has delayed the launch of its Tel Aviv, Beirut 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 national carrier has added flights to Rome, Paris and London to respond to a surge in demand on European routes. The number of flights to Paris will rise from three to five weekly return flights, and the Perth to Singapore service will go up from daily to ten a week. A new schedule will be implemented gradually for flights starting in mid-April. It will run through late July.
ROYAL MAROC
Moroccan carrier announced that flights to Doha and Dubai will be cancelled until 30 June.
SINGAPORE Airlines
To meet increased demand, the carrier has extended its Singapore to Dubai flight suspension until August 2. It also added services on Singapore-London Gatwick (late March) and Singapore-Melbourne (late March to 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 resumed 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. 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.
(source: Reuters)