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Sources say that Noem's top aide entered the cockpit and fired the pilot for missing blanket.
Corey Lewandowski, a top homeland security aide in the United States, entered a government plane's cockpit without permission during a flight, and then fired a pilot over a misplaced quilt, two people with knowledge of the situation said. Lewandowski was travelling with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Nuem when they noticed her blanket missing. New details about the incident suggest that Lewandowski might have violated safety guidelines established by the U.S. Coast Guard which operated the aircraft. Lewandowski entered into the cockpit before the aircraft had reached 10,000 feet (3.048 meters), and while the seatbelt signal remained on. Federal Aviation Administration regulations, some of which were tightened following 9/11, limit cockpit access, and forbid interference with the duties of aircraft crews. A FAA regulation prohibits airline staff and pilots from engaging in non essential activities or conversations while flying below 10,000 feet. Civil aircraft operators who violate this rule may face fines of thousands of dollars, while pilots can be terminated. The U.S. Coast Guard is not legally bound to the FAA regulation known as the "sterile-cockpit rule," but it has a policy similar, which is spelled out by a 2021 operation manual: "No one shall engage in any activity or conversation that could distract or interfere?with a flight crewmember performing their assigned duties properly during critical phases of flight." The manual does provide specific penalties for violations of the rule. However, it states that in general, rule violations will be dealt with through internal disciplinary procedures. Lewandowski responded to a request for comment in a text message: "There was never a conversation in the cockpit when the flight took off." Lewandowski responded to a? Lewandowski denied the information provided by the sources, but did not comment on whether or not he entered into the cockpit when the plane was still climbing below 10,000 feet. Experts in aviation safety consider that the initial ascent is one of the most dangerous parts of a flight. Randy Klatt is a flight safety officer at The Foundation for Aviation Safety. He said that planes climb "low and slowly" to 10,000 feet during the initial ascent, so it's important for pilots not to lose focus. Klatt stated that this is a dangerous situation for any aircraft. You don't have enough altitude or airspeed to trade if necessary. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Coast Guard declined to comment about the flight. The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard, which are both under DHS, declined to comment on the flight in question. The FAA didn't respond to our request for comment. Noem has been under scrutiny since federal immigration agents in Minneapolis killed two U.S. Citizens in January. The Wall Street Journal published a report earlier this month about the tensions and infighting at DHS, under Noem's leadership and Lewandowski's. The article also mentioned the firing of?pilot. PILOT RELEASED, THEN REINSTATED The White House responded to a question about Lewandowski's entry into the cockpit, and tensions within DHS by referring to comments made by Trump in late January praising Noem. It also referred to remarks from Karoline Leavitt who said that Trump had "the utmost trust and confidence" in her. Lewandowski is a Noem senior adviser who has accompanied her on several high-profile trips. The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House Counsel's Office had opened an investigation into Lewandowski's role as a quasi-government employee last year. Lewandowski is a volunteer at DHS, and the spokesperson stated that DHS was unaware of any investigation. Lewandowski refused to comment on his employment status when asked. One of the people who was familiar with the incident stated that during the flight on the Gulfstream jet last spring, the cockpit pilots asked Lewandowski not to leave the cabin until the plane had reached cruise altitude. Lewandowski, according to the two sources, asked the pilot who should be fired when he returned into the cabin after the flight because Noem’s blanket was left behind during the technical switch before takeoff. Sources confirmed the Wall Street Journal's report that the pilot, an accomplished flyer who had a long history of service, accepted responsibility for any mistake. Lewandowski then fired him immediately. Sources said that once Noem & Lewandowski arrived at their destination, Coast Guard leadership realized they would need the pilot to fly them home to Washington, and the agency reinstated him. DHS and Coast Guard declined comment on the pilot’s firing and subsequent reinstatement. The Coast Guard and DHS declined to comment on the pilot's firing and reinstatement. (Reporting from Ted Hesson and Erin Banco, Washington; Additional reporting by Kristina Cooey in San Francisco; Editing and Craig Timberg by Edmund Klamann and Craig Timberg)
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The terminals in Greece will supply Ukraine with at least 75 mcm LNG by March
Analysts at ExPro said that in March, gas traders such as state-owned Naftogaz would import at least 75 million cubic meters of?gas to Ukraine via a'vertical pipeline' from LNG terminals in Greece. Atlantic See LNG Trade is a joint venture of?Aktor, the Greek gas supplier DEPA and Atlantic See. It announced this month that it had signed a first contract to supply U.S. natural gas liquefied to Ukraine. Ukraine is facing a 'worst wartime energy crisis ever' as its 'energy sector collapses under Russian attacks, bitter cold and accumulated damages. ExPro reported in a recent report that gas imports from Greece’s Revithoussa terminal would be 2.41 mcm/day at a special transport rate. Naftogaz announced earlier this month that it had received a delivery of nearly 100 mcm U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas, the first such delivery since?2026. The company stated that the LNG was delivered 'in partnership with Poland's Orlen.?And that further deliveries were expected in either February or March. (Reporting and editing by Louise Heavens, Jan Harvey, and Pavel Polityuk)
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Uganda plans to connect a new railway line with Tanzania to open a new export route
A government document seen by revealed that Uganda is looking to connect a new rail line it's building with one being built in Tanzania. This could potentially open up a new export route for minerals like gold, iron ore, and copper. Uganda exports most of its goods via the Kenyan port in Mombasa. It has announced plans to connect its Standard Gauge Railway Project to the one being built in Kenya. This initiative is still in progress. Uganda hadn't previously stated that it would also seek to connect the railway with Tanzania's network? and its port in Dar es Salaam. According to the Ugandan Ministry of Works and Transport, the railway will run from the border of?Tanzania and continue through the south and southwest of Uganda before ending in the town of Mpondwe at the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The document stated that the main objective of this project was to connect the vast mineral-rich areas of both countries, (Uganda & Tanzania), to the port 'of Dar es Salaam... while saving time and transport costs." The document stated that the African Development Bank (AfDB), could finance the project, and that the Democratic Republic of Congo might seek to connect to it in the future. Unable to comment immediately, a spokesman from the Ugandan Ministry could not be reached. The AfDB informed? The AfDB told? The?bank could consider financing the?project, depending on?the results?of the study, if it is determined that the project can be banked," said bank official Epifanio Carrvalho de Meo.
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Renault buys out Volvo and CMA CGM to gain full control of Flexis, an electric van company.
Renault announced on Monday that it would buy out the stakes of truckmaker Volvo Group and shipping firm CMA CGM in Flexis, their joint venture for new-generation electric vans. The agreement is expected to take effect by the first half 2026 as Renault CEO Francois Provost accelerates his efforts in streamlining the group's operation. Two sources said in January that the automaker had already planned to fold back its Ampere electric vehicle unit into the group. It has also shut down its car sharing services as part of restructuring its division focused primarily on new transportation solutions. Flexis was founded in 2024, by the former Renault CEO Luca de Meo. He partnered with?Sweden’s Volvo. CMA CGM joined later as a minor shareholder. CMA CGM and Volvo own a combined 10%, while Renault holds 45%. We have different opinions on how this project should be driven. Volvo Group spokesperson said, "We think this is the most strategic solution moving forward." The recent market slowdown was also a factor in the decision. The European association of carmakers ACEA reported that new van registrations will fall by 8.8% between 2025 and 2025. Around 11% (or the newly registered vans) are electrically charged. Volvo spokesperson refused to comment on financial details or purchase price. CMA CGM and Renault did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Volvo and Renault each committed to investing 300 million euros over a period of three years, while CMA planned to invest 120 millions euros. In its annual report, the Swedish group reported that it had invested 240 million Euros in Flexis by 2024. This was on top of the initial 2.4 billion Swedish crowns (approximately $265?million). The production of the Renault Trafic Van E-Tech Electric, the first model in the range, is expected to begin as planned by the end 2026 at Renault's Sandouville factory?in France. Volvo will market the vehicle through Renault Trucks (part of the Volvo Group) from 2027, as part of a long-term agreement for light commercial vehicles.
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Soccer-Four matches are postponed following violence sparked by the death of a Mexican cartel leader
Violence flared up near Guadalajara - one of Mexico's host cities for the 2026 World Cup - after a military operation that killed cartel leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera on Sunday. Oseguera (60), the mastermind behind the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, died in custody following an injury sustained in a special force operation in Jalisco, a state on Mexico's Pacific Coast. Mexican league announced on social media that two games scheduled for Sunday, Queretaro against FC Juarez (men's?) and Chivas against America (women's) league, have been postponed. Local media also reported that two second division matches scheduled to be played on Sunday were cancelled. The match between Queretaro and?Necaxa in?Aguascalientes on Sunday was called off after the players left the field when they heard loud noises coming from outside Estadio Victoria. Media reports described these sounds as gunshots. Necaxa won 2-1 in the re-match. Mexico's national team will face Iceland in an amiable match on Wednesday at the Corregidora Stadium in Queretaro. The Mexican Open Men's Tennis Tournament in Acapulco will begin as scheduled on Monday, according to established security protocols. Merida's women's tennis event is also set to begin on Monday. After hearing of El Mencho’s death, suspected members of the cartel blocked highways in burning cars and torched business in more than a half dozen states. No civilian deaths were reported. Social media users in Jalisco's popular beach town of Puerto Vallarta reported plumes of dark smoke rising from the bay. Air Canada, United Airlines Aeromexico, and American Airlines have suspended flights to the area. (Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena; Additional reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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British citizen among 19 dead in Nepal bus crash
Police said that a passenger 'bus' fell from a sloping road in West Nepal just before dawn on?Monday morning, killing 19 people, including a British citizen. They said that only nine of the dead had been identified to date, and added that the bus was carrying 44 people. Police said that a New Zealander, as well as a Chinese, were among the 25 people injured when the bus, which was headed to Kathmandu from Pokhara, the tourist town, fell 200 meters (650 feet) off the road in Dhading District, 80 kilometers (50 miles), west of Kathmandu. It said that the 'injured' are being treated in hospitals in Kathmandu. In Nepal's mountainous regions, road conditions are often poor. ?Hundreds die ?in road crashes in Nepal annually. (Reporting and editing by YPrajesh; Gopal Sharma)
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Wall Street Journal, February 23,
These are the top stories from the Wall Street Journal. The?Wall Street Journal has not?verified? these stories, and does not vouch? for their accuracy. Ed Garden, an investor, has acquired a stake in Fortune Brands Innovations, a building products supplier. He is now looking to replace the incoming CEO. Winter storms in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic have caused more than 8,000 flights to be canceled on Sunday and Monday. Most of these were routes into or out from Boston and New York. A military raid in Mexico on Sunday resulted in the death of a notorious drug lord, "El Mencho" or 'Nemesio' Oseguera. Airlines such as United Airlines and Air Canada halted flights to Mexico's Puerto Vallarta. Dassault Systemes announced that Chief Executive Pascal Daloz will replace co-founder Bernard Charles in the role of executive chairman. (Compiled by Bengaluru Newsroom)
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Two people were killed and three injured in the Russian attack on Odesa, Ukraine
Ukraine's emergency service and a government official confirmed that a Russian attack on Ukraine's southern Odesa area overnight killed two people and injured three, respectively. Two people were killed when a Russian Drone fell on a truck-stop, causing an fire, according to the Telegram messenger. Oleksiy Kuleba, Infrastructure Minister Oleksiy Kuleba, said on 'Telegram' that Russia has attacked the port infrastructure in Odesa?region. "This is another blow to port infrastructure and civilian logistics." Kuleba said that Russia is attacking non-military facilities to undermine the economy of the area and the country as a whole. He claimed that the storage area for freight transport was damaged. Since the beginning of Russia's full scale invasion in 2022, the Odesa region, home to a major shipping hub, with terminals at the Black Sea ports Odesa and Chornomorsk as well as Pivdennyi, has been "targeted". Russia Sharply Increased The intensity of its attacks on Black Sea ports by late 2025, when?President Vladimir Putin threatens to "cut Ukraine from the sea". Sources in the transport industry who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject said last week that the strikes at the Odesa port?in the past few months had reduced the export capacity up to 30 percent from its pre-war levels. (Reporting and editing by Sonali & Gareth Jones.
Global robotaxi deployments gain momentum as the driverless future grows.
Uber and Lyft have teamed up with Chinese technology company Baidu in order to test self driving taxis in the UK by 2026. They are the latest ride hailing platforms to team up with self-driving car firms.
Robotaxis is expected to become a safer form of transportation that reduces operational costs through reducing the reliance on drivers, and by optimizing routes using real-time data.
Robotaxi services are being tested in several cities and countries, including robotic food delivery, daily travel and last-mile logistics.
Here are some of the most significant robotaxi trials, tests and operations worldwide:
UBER, LYFT, AND BAIDU Uber partnered with Chinese technology company Baidu to test Apollo Go RT6 self-driving vehicles in the UK next year.
MOMENTA AND GRAB Momenta and Singapore's ride-hailing service Grab partnered in December in a deal which included an investment by Grab.
MOMENTA, LUMO AND MERCEDES-BENZ In December, Mercedes-Benz launched a robotaxi service with UAE taxi operator Lumo and autonomous driving company Momenta. The Mercedes S-Class-based fleet is expected to start operations in 2026 and expand to other markets.
WERIDE AND GRAB Chinese roboticaxi company WeRide, and ride-hailing firm Grab announced that Singapore's Land Transport Authority had approved autonomous vehicle tests for their Ai.R Ai.R in Punggol District in November. The partners plan to quadruple the number of robotaxi tests on shuttle routes in 2025. They began their trials mid-October.
WERIDE AND Uber WeRide and Uber began public rides in Abu Dhabi on Yas Island in November under a permit-backed launch. Uber Comfort, UberX or the new category "Autonomous", Uber's first self-driving option, are available to passengers.
WERIDE IN ZURICH
WeRide has received a driverless roboticaxi permit in November from the Swiss regulator for operation on public roads in Zurich’s Furttal Region. Safety-driver tests are underway, and the company expects to launch a fully driverless service in the first half of 2026.
ZOOX IN SAN FRANCISCO Amazon’s self-driving subsidiary Zoox started offering free rides in certain parts of San Francisco to selected early users, the company announced in November. Zoox invites people on its waiting list to test its point-topoint service in South of Market and the Mission District to improve it before a wider rollout.
BAIDU IN SWITZERLAND Baidu’s Apollo Go launched the AmiGo Robotaxi service in Eastern Switzerland in October, partnering with Swiss Post’s PostBus. Testing will begin in December, with a fleet of pilot vehicles mapping routes with safety drivers. Pilot rides will begin in early 2026 with safety drivers. Later, driverless tests are planned for late 2026. Early 2027 is the target date for full operations.
In October, PONY.AI and THE XIHU Group received Shenzhen’s first citywide permit for driverless robotaxi commercial services. The approval was granted jointly by the city's biggest taxi operator Xihu Group and will allow services to begin in Nanshan Qianhai Baoan, before spreading across the entire city.
WAYMO IN LONDON Waymo's autonomous unit Alphabet announced in October that it would launch a?autonomous ride-hailing service for London in 2026. The company has partnered with mobility fintech firm Moove in order to manage fleet operations and facilities as well as charging infrastructure before the roll-out.
ZOOX IN VEGAS In September 2025, Zoox began its autonomous ride-hailing services on and around Las Vegas Strip. The company offered?ride to the public free of charge while waiting for the state to approve the collection of fares. The vehicles will be able to run independently, and remote assistance is only available when they request it.
WeRide in Guangzhou has launched a fully driverless, 24-hour commercial operation in the Huangpu district of Guangzhou in September 2025.
WERIDE IS IN SINGAPORE WeRide announced in September that it had begun testing its GXR roboticaxis in Singapore's Centre of Excellence for Testing & Research of Autonomous Vehicles. The Centre was opened by Nanyang Technological University in 2017. The company hopes to launch the service on public roads designated by the government before the end of 2025.
PONY.AI IS IN SHANGHAI In August, Pony.ai launched a driverless ride hailing service in Shanghai, in partnership Shanghai Jinjiang Taxi. The launch followed the issuance eight demonstration permits during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Currently, the company operates robotaxis at designated areas in Pudong’s Jinqiao & Huamu.
PONY.AI IS BEIJING In July, Pony.ai announced that its robotaxi, the seventh generation from Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation, had begun road tests in Beijing. Multiple vehicles are now operating within Beijing's High-Level Demonstration Area for Autonomous Driving, which covers 225 square kilometers. The company stated that the trials are a step towards large-scale production, and commercial launch.
TESLA IN AUSTIN In June, Tesla launched a paid robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. Model Y SUVs were used in a city-restricted area and required a safety monitor to be onboard. Elon Musk's company tests its vehicles without safety monitoring onboard.
WAYMO IN TOKYO Waymo partnered in April 2025 with Japanese taxi and limousine company Nihon Kotsu to test autonomous cars in Tokyo. Nihon Kotsu's drivers operated the vehicles manually during the initial testing phase, which took place in seven Tokyo wards including Minato, Shibuya, and Minato.
BAIDU AND AUTOGO Baidu’s Apollo Go partnered in March with UAE-based autonomous vehicle company Autogo to test self driving vehicles at Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre. The plan is to gradually expand the testing, and eventually launch commercial operations.
In February 2025, Pony.ai will launch paid robotaxi services at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport as well as Guangzhou 'South Railway Station. The company was approved as the first to operate these routes.
PONY.AI IN HONG KING PONY.ai announced in January that it would be providing robotaxi services in Hong Kong. Initially, the service will serve airport staff at Hong Kong International Airport, before expanding to other areas of the city.
BAIDU HONG KONG Baidu has been granted a permit for its Apollo Go robotaxi to be tested in Hong Kong by November 2024. The approval will allow the company to test 10 autonomous vehicles on North Lantau according to a recent statement from Hong Kong's Transport Department.
WAYMO IN LOS ANGELES Waymo will be fully rolled out across an 80-square mile area, including Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, in November 2024.
UBER AND WAYVE Wayve is a British company that specializes in self-driving technology. It was backed by SoftBank, Nvidia and other investors. They partnered with Uber to launch advanced trials of AI in the UK in August 2024, with plans to conduct driverless tests as early as 2026.
WAYMO IN SAN FRANCISCO Waymo launched a commercial fleet of Jaguar I?PACE??SUVs in the city on June 20, 2024. The service is available throughout the San Francisco Peninsula in vehicles with cameras and sensors. According to third-party data, Waymo now has more than doubled Lyft's share of the San Francisco Bay Area ride hailing market.
BAIDU IN SHENZHEN Baidu has obtained a license for the operation of fully driverless ride hailing services in Shenzhen by June 2023. Shenzhen will be the fourth Chinese city to permit such services after Wuhan Chongqing and Beijing. Baidu's robotaxis can now operate without safety operators.
BAIDU IN CHONGQING & WUHAN
Baidu has secured the first permit in China to provide commercially driverless robotaxi service to the public by August 2022. Apollo Go can now operate in Chongqing, Wuhan and Chongqing without safety drivers.
WAYMO IN PHOENIX In October 2020, Waymo will launch its driverless robotaxi in Phoenix. The company started offering rides in minivans without a human on board as part of a gradual rollout.
(source: Reuters)