Latest News
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Judge rejects US Postal Service's proposal to restrict mail-in voting
A federal judge blocked the U.S. Postal Service's proposed limitations on mail-in votes were blocked by a federal judge Wednesday, who found that they violated an agreement with a major civil rights group which required that mail-in ballots be handled expeditiously. The Washington-based U.S. district judge Emmet Sullivan's decision marked the second court defeat for U.S. president Donald?Trump in just a few weeks, as his Republican Party is locked in a tight fight to maintain control over both houses of Congress. Trump has said for years, without any evidence, that mail-in voting was prone to fraud. This assertion is a pillar in his campaign to undermine confidence in U.S. election, along with his false claim that his defeat at the 2020 elections was due to widespread voter fraud. Postal Service proposed in May a rule that states must provide voter lists and adopt new voting procedures before they can make delivery. The Postal Service refused to deliver ballots if states didn't comply. Sullivan, appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton to the bench, sided the NAACP right group in arguing that the new rule was against a 2021 'legal settlement' that required USPS officials take "extraordinary steps" to ensure timely mailing of ballots through 2028. The Justice Department, who represents the administration before the court, did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Sullivan's decision prevented the Postal Service implementing the 'proposed regulations', which'stemmed' from Trump's executive order in March directing the Department of Homeland Security compile a list of U.S. citizens confirmed to be eligible to vote for each'state' and requiring that the USPS only deliver mail-in ballots to those voters listed on each'state's approved list of mail-in ballots. U.S. district judge Indira Talwani, based in Boston, blocked Trump's implementation of the "entire executive order" ahead of the midterm elections. The judge sided with the coalition of Democratic-led states in ruling that Trump exceeded his authority by trying to overhaul election procedures, which have been managed by local and state governments since 1789 when the republic was founded. (Reporting and editing by Franklin Paul, Cynthia Osterman, and Luc Cohen from New York)
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Von der Leyen: EU will provide 200 million euros to boost South Caucasus Connectivity
In a speech to the European Commission in Baku, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said that up to EUR200m ($228m) would be provided as grant funding for boosting transport, energy, and digital links across 'the South Caucasus. Von der Leyen met with Azerbaijani president?Ilham Alyeev along with EU Enlargement commissioner Marta Kos. She said the initiative was intended to support peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia through strengthening regional connectivity and providing targeted assistance to local communities. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at war for nearly four decades, over the mountainous region Nagorno Karabakh. They reached a peace agreement in August last year after meeting with President Donald Trump at The White House. Von der Leyen stated that "our 'Peace through Connectivity Package' would help to build a prosperous and peaceful future for the South Caucasus." Together, we can turn peace on paper into reality. The Commission announced that a further EUR20million would be allocated to a program supporting local communities in Armenia and Azerbaijan. This will include investment?in healthcare?, demining?, skills -development and local businesses.
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US LNG exports to Europe fall as Asia prices rise
According to preliminary data on ship tracking from LSEG, for the first time in almost two years, less than half of U.S. exports of LNG last'month went to Europe. Stronger prices in Asia, and record imports to Egypt, diverted cargoes. This is the first time that Europe hasn't taken the majority of U.S. LNG exports since July 2024. European buyers who need to replenish storage before the winter season have been waiting for better pricing. Last month, Asian spot prices were higher than those in Europe. This encouraged exporters to reroute shipments to the east. LSEG data showed that the Asian benchmark JKM averaged 17.33 per million British Thermal Units (mmBtu), compared to the European TTF benchmark of $13.19 per mmBtu in June. Egyptian buyers paid a premium of up to one dollar per mmBtu compared with TTF prices. The price difference was widened by the Middle East supply constraints, which were linked to geopolitical tensions in the region, and the softer European demand, creating arbitrage opportunities for U.S. Exporters. The total U.S. exports of LNG rose "slightly" to 10,6 million metric tonnes (MT) in June, despite having one less day than May. The output was boosted by the return of facilities such as those at Cheniere Energy and Freeport LNG from scheduled maintenance. In May, 5.13 MT or over 50% of the total exports were shipped to Europe. Analysts have noted a tepid demand for LNG in Europe. Some traders are holding back their purchases because they expect global LNG supplies to increase, easing prices. Hans van Cleef is the head of Eqolibrium's energy research. He said that this backwardation means traders are holding firm and are presently?purchasing very small amounts of gas. "The fear that you will pay too much is prevalent." Egypt?emerged a major buyer in June importing a record 1,06 MT U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas, which accounted for almost 10% of the total exports. According to LSEG, shipments?to Asia totaled 3,25 MT or approximately 31% of exports. This is slightly lower than May levels but significantly higher than early in 2026. Exports to Latin America rose also to 0.96 MT, as buyers replaced the reduced supply from 'Trinidad and Tobago', where maintenance on Atlantic?LNG plants owned by Shell and BP decreased?output. LSEG data revealed. Around 0.73 MT (or 0.7 tons) of U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas was shipped with no fixed destination. Cargoes were looking for buyers at sea. Additional single cargoes have been sold to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Africa, and Senegal. Curtis Williams, Houston (reporting): Nathan Crooks & Paul Simao, editing.
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There are some flights to the Middle East that have resumed but there is still disruption.
Some airlines have resumed flights to certain parts of the Middle East, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran gain momentum. However, many carriers continue to suspend their flights and disrupt travel around the world. The following is an alphabetical list of the current status of flights. AEGEAN AIRLINES The largest airline in Greece has cancelled flights to Dubai and Erbil until September 30. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, resumed its Tel Aviv flights on July 1. Dubai flights are suspended until October 24. AIR CANADA Canadian Airlines has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until October 24. AIR EUROPA On June 29, the Spanish airline began flights to Tel Aviv. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France suspends its Tel Aviv flight until July 2. Dubai flights will be suspended until July 5. Beirut flights will be suspended until September 9. KLM has suspended all flights to Riyadh and Dubai until the 23rd of August. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has suspended its flights to Dubai and Riyadh until August 31. The U.S. carrier suspended service for the Atlanta-Tel Aviv routes until December 18, 2018. The airline plans to resume New York JFK-Tel Aviv flights starting September 6. FINNAIR It has cancelled all Doha flights up to October 2 and continues to avoid the airspace of Iraq, Iran Syria, and Israel. The airline will resume its Dubai flights in October, which are only operated during the winter. British Airways, owned by IAG, delayed the return of its flights from Doha to August 1, and to Riyadh to August 8. Flights from Amman, Bahrain, Amman, Dubai, Tel Aviv and Dubai are suspended until the end the summer season. They are expected to resume on October 25. When the flights resume, it plans to reduce service to Dubai, Doha and Riyadh to just one flight per day, and drop Jeddah from its list of destinations. JAPAN AIRLINES Japan Airlines has suspended its scheduled Tokyo-Doha and Doha-Tokyo flight until August 31, and Doha-Tokyo until September 1. Polish Airlines has suspended flights to Riyadh from June 30 to July 2, and will resume them on July 2. LOT will begin operating its winter route from Dubai in October, and resume its Beirut operations during the Summer of 2027. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa, ITA Airways and British Airways have resumed Tel Aviv flights on 1 July. SWISS delayed the return of flights to August, and Brussels Airlines suspended operations until October 24, The suspension of Dubai flights by SWISS and Lufthansa will continue 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 carrier, resumed its operations in Beirut and Erbil as of July 1, and will resume flights from Tel Aviv by July 10. The airline plans to resume flights to the remaining Middle East destinations by autumn. Operational reasons also led ITA Airways to extend the suspension of flights to Riyadh and Dubai to July 31. MALAYSIA AIRLINES From July 2, the Malaysian airline will resume daily flights from Doha. The second daily service will continue to be suspended. NORWEGIAN AIR No new dates have been set for the launch of Tel Aviv or Beirut flights by the low-cost carrier. ROYAL MAROC The Moroccan carrier announced that flights to Doha will be cancelled until June 30, and they plan to resume their operations on July 2. SINGAPORE Airlines In response to a 'higher demand,' the carrier has extended its Singapore-Dubai flight suspension until August 2. It also added services on Singapore-London Gatwick and Singapore-Melbourne routes between late March and October 24. TURKISH AIRLINES SunExpress, Turkish Airlines’ joint venture with Lufthansa has cancelled flights from Dubai to Bahrain, Beirut, and Erbil up until July 14. WIZZ AIR Low-cost airlines have suspended flights from Europe to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until mid-September. (Compiled by Josephine Mason and Jamie Freed. Elviira Louma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olesska, Bernadette HOG, Boleslaw LaSocki, Alexander Klyve Gudbrandsen, Romolo Tosiani. Matt Scuffham and Sanjeev Mikleni edited the book.
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German media reports that Germany has indicted Ukraine over the Nord Stream Pipeline explosions.
German federal prosecutors 'have filed charges against a Ukrainian citizen over 'the Nord Stream pipeline explosions, ARD, Sueddeutsche... and Zeit,?German media outlets reported on Wednesday. Federal prosecutors declined comment. The explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipelines that carried Russian gas into Europe was a major flashpoint between Moscow and 'the West. It came just months after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. According to ARD, prosecutors accuse a Ukrainian national known as Serhii K - according to German privacy laws - of 'attacks on civil energy infrastructure, causing explosions and destroying structures. The suspect was detained in Italy's Rimini Province on August 21, 2025 and then transferred to Germany on November 27, 2025. The next day, a German judge issued the arrest warrant. Serhii k has denied any involvement. Nicola Canestrini, his lawyer, said he was confident that Serhii K would be acquitted in a German trial. Serhii K. was previously represented by a?Berlin-based law firm. As a client in Germany, I was not immediately reachable on the phone.
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ICE confirms raw sugar deliveries of 796 500 metric tons in July, all from Brazil
The exchange confirmed on Wednesday that the deliveries of 'raw sugar' at the expiry -of the contract for July -were 15,678 lots or or 796,500 metric tons. This confirms the preliminary information provided by sugar traders the previous day. ICE's Wednesday delivery notice?said 100% of this sugar would be?loaded in the Santos Port, Brazil. The traders?said Chinese commodities trader COFCO?was the only deliverer, and French soft commodities trader Sucden was viewed as the largest recipient, with 7,209?lots. They said that Louis Dreyfus had 4,181 lots of sugar, Bunge had 2,300 lots, and Wilmar had 1,988 lots. COFCO, besides being a major sugar producer in Brazil, has almost 200,000 acres of sugarcane fields, and four mills. July's delivery was neither large nor small. According to ICE data, the biggest contract month delivery was in 2019, with 41 488, according to. The July delivery of last year was just 888 contracts. (Reporting and editing by Mark Porter; Marcelo Teixeira)
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The largest US power grid prepares for record demand with warnings galore
PJM, America's largest electric grid operator, warned on Wednesday of a massive transmission line backlog as it prepared for record-breaking demand due to a heatwave in advance of the July 4th celebrations. PJM, the largest U.S. electric grid operator, warned of massive transmission line congestion and a price spike on Wednesday as it prepared for record-breaking demand driven by a heatwave ahead of?July 4 celebrations. PJM’s low-voltage warning signaled a higher risk of rotating power outages as transmission?lines' voltage levels weakened. Grid operator has also warned power plants that they should bring their generators back into service to be ready for a surge in demand. Grid expert Georg Rute of Gridraven said that extreme heat, low wind and a surge in demand coincide at a moment when transmission lines are least safe. This is contributing to a spike in electricity prices as the cost to move power increases amid heavy congestion. The temperatures are expected to be around 100deg Fahrenheit (38deg Celsius) this week from Boston to Washington, D.C., close to Northern Virginia's massive data center hub. This will cause a surge in demand for air conditioning, further straining PJM and regional power grids. PJM will be put to the test at 6 p.m. on Thursday, when demand for grid power is expected to reach 166.3 gigawatts. According to PJM’s latest forecast, this would be a record-breaking demand of 165.6 GW. This was set 20 years earlier. PJM has 18 GW of reserve power that can be turned on within 30 minutes to meet any unexpected shortages. This is about six times higher than the reliability requirements. Spot electricity prices are expected to spike Wednesday evening to over $1,000 per MWh as PJM operators manage the congested powerlines around Virginia's hub of data centers and dispatch expensive power plants, mainly powered by coal and gas to meet day's largest electricity consumption. Another 'electric demand record' could be broken in the Midwest as early as Wednesday evening. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the regional grid operator of 15 U.S. States in the Midwest and South, has forecast that demand records as high as 127.1 GW may fall.
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Russian fuel shortages boost EV charging use, Rosatom says
Alexei Likhachev, the CEO of Rosatom, said that fuel shortages had prompted a rise in demand for electric vehicles. He predicted that this would lead more drivers to choose battery-powered cars. Fuel restrictions have been imposed across the country due to intensifying Ukrainian strikes against Russian energy infrastructure. Likhachev, a reporter, said: "We have already seen a significant rise in the use of our electric charging stations." He said that between June 21 and 28 the demand for Rosatom's?over 290 stations of charging rose by 40%. Likhachev said that although the current situation is unlikely to lead to an immediate switch from internal combustion engines to electric, it may prompt car owners to consider the options in the future. The development of the EV sector in Russia is still at an early stage due to severe weather conditions, long distances, and limited charging infrastructure. According to Autostat, the number of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles in Russia was 208,000 at the beginning of April. It said that from January to May, 24600 plug-in hybrids were sold in Russia. This is 125% more than the same period in last year. (Reporting Anastasia Lyrchikova; additional reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; writing by Alessandra Prrentice, editing by Mark Trevelyan).
Fatal air crashes with suspected or confirmed deliberate actions by pilots
According to a source familiar with the situation, Indian investigators will delay the release of a final report on the deadly Air India Boeing crash until Friday's one-year anniversary. They say they need to complete the analysis of the planes engines.
According to an early assessment by U.S. officials, reported in? Last year, a U.S. official's early assessment reported by? Indian investigators at the time said it was "too early" to reach any conclusions.
The father of Captain asked India's highest court to order a independent investigation which took into consideration other causes than deliberate pilot actions, as has been suspected or proven in the following fatal accidents.
CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES 2022: In March 2022 a Boeing 737-800 of China Eastern crashed into a southern Chinese hillside, killing all 132 passengers. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board published data last month indicating that fuel was cut off to both engines. This is the first major update in the investigation of the crash.
The NTSB reported that the fuel switches of both engines were moved from their run position to their cutoff positions while the aircraft was cruising at 29,000 feet.
Flightradar24 reported that the data showed downward force had been applied to the controls of the first officer after fuel was stopped to the engines. The NTSB update came after China's Aviation regulator decided for the second consecutive year to not release an annual report on its investigation of the crash. It let the fourth anniversary go by without providing any insights into the cause.
GERMANWINGS, 2015:
A Germanwings Airbus A320 jet crash-landed into a French mountainside in March 2015 on a flight between Barcelona and Duesseldorf. All 150 people on board were killed. Investigators determined that Andreas Lubitz, the first officer of Germanwings, deliberately crashed the aircraft after locking the captain out.
Lubitz, who was a pilot for the now-closed Lufthansa Low-Cost subsidiary, suffered from a mental disorder with psychotic symptoms, which led to suicidal thinking. However, Lubitz had hidden his illness from his employers. In 2018, the European Commission passed new rules regarding pilot mental health, requiring that airlines conduct psychological assessments of pilots prior to hiring them.
MALAYSIA AIRLINES 2014:
Flight MH370, with 239 passengers on board, vanished on March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Investigators believe that based on satellite tracking, and subsequent wreckage discoveries, the plane veered off course thousands of miles and crashed in an isolated area of southern Indian Ocean.
The final report of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau revealed that Captain?Zaharie Ahmed Shah had flown a flight route in his home simulator six weeks prior, which was "initially" similar to the actual route taken by MH370. The Malaysian team of investigators said that the controls had been manipulated deliberately to divert the plane from its course. However, they could not determine who was to blame.
EGYPTAIR 1999: A Boeing 767 operated by EgyptAir crashed on October 31st 1999 off Nantucket in Massachusetts killing all 217 passengers. U.S. investigators concluded in their final report that the relief first officer of the flight said, "I trust God", and then moved the controls suddenly into a nose down position, intentionally crashing the aircraft. Egyptian investigators, however, accused the NTSB for twisting evidence in order to support their suicide theory. They produced their own report citing technical issues.
SILKAIR, 1997:
The crash of a SilkAir Boeing 737-390 near Palembang, Indonesia on December 19, 1997 killed all 104 passengers.
The air traffic controllers didn't receive a distress signal from the plane flown by an now-closed regional branch of Singapore Airlines.
Investigators discovered that the flight recorders'stopped' minutes before the crash, fueling speculations about a deliberate pilot act. But the exact cause is still disputed.
In a final report, Indonesian investigators stated that they could not determine the reason for the plane leaving its cruising altitude based on the limited information and data from the wreckage or flight recorders.
The U.S. NTSB stated that the evidence indicated the cockpit voice recording was intentionally disconnected. They also said recovery of the aircraft was possible, but was not attempted. It was more likely than not the first officer who made the inputs for nose-down flying. (Compiled by Abhijith Ganahapavaram, edited by Jamie Freed).
(source: Reuters)