Latest News
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Allegiant acquires Sun Country Airlines for $1.5 Billion
Allegiant, a low-cost airline, will buy Sun Country Airlines for $1.5 billion including debt. Sun Country shareholders receive 0.1557 Allegiant Shares and $4.10 cash per share. This values the stock at about $18.89. That's a 19.8% premium to the Friday closing price of $15.77. The deal will increase the number of destinations that the combined company can serve in the United States as well as on international markets. The fleet will consist of about 195 aircraft with options and additional orders. The combined company will have its headquarters in Las Vegas and is expected to generate annual synergies of $140 million by the third full year following the closing. In addition, the transaction should increase earnings per share in the first year. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026. After the merger, Allegiant shareholders and Sun Country investors will own approximately 67% and 33 % of the combined company. Allegiant CEO 'Gregory Anderson' will be the chief executive of the combined company, Robert Neal as president and chief financial officers. Sun Country CEO Jude Bricker joins the board of director.
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Nordics reject Trump’s claim that Chinese and Russian vessels are near Greenland. FT reports
Financial Times reports that Nordic diplomats have rejected Donald Trump's claim of Russian and Chinese vessels near Greenland. The FT reported that there have been no signs in recent years of Russian or 'Chinese' ships?or subs around Greenland, citing senior Nordic diplomats who had access to NATO intelligence. The report could not be verified immediately. The White House as well as NATO have not responded to comments. It is simply not true. I've?seen intelligence. The FT quoted a senior?diplomat who said, "There are no submarines or ships." A second Nordic diplomat has said that claims that Russian and Chinese vessels were "crawling" in the waters surrounding Greenland are unfounded. They added that this activity is on the Russian side of the Arctic. Trump has repeatedly said that Russian and Chinese ships are operating near Greenland. Denmark disputes this claim. He hasn't provided any evidence. Trump said that the U.S. should own Greenland - an autonomous part within the Kingdom of Denmark - to stop Russia or China from occupying this strategically located, mineral rich territory. Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Danish Foreign Minister, said this week that the image of Russian and Chinese vessels right inside?Nuuk Fjord with massive Chinese investments is incorrect. MarineTraffic data and LSEG vessel tracking data show that there are no Chinese or?Russian ships near Greenland. Greenland’s Assembly said late Friday that it would convene a meeting on Monday to discuss the response to U.S. threat to take control of island. Trump's renewed push to get Greenland after the U.S.'s military intervention in Venezuela worries many of Greenland's 57,000 residents, who have a common goal to become an independent country.
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Dar Global and Trump Organization Launch $10 Billion Saudi Developments
Ziad El Chaar, CEO of Saudi real estate developer Dar Global, announced on Sunday that two Trump-branded luxury projects will be launched in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Jeddah (Jordan). Chaar said that the projects include the Trump National Golf Course in Riyadh and the Trump International Hotel at Diriyah. This is a massive project located on the western edge of the Saudi capital. Chaar said that a mixed-use development called Trump Plaza is planned for Jeddah. Chaar stated that the projects were in line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to diversify its economy and move away from oil. The aim is to attract direct foreign investment. Saudi Arabia will also allow foreigners to own property in certain areas for the first-time starting this month. According to Eric Trump, son of U.S. president Donald Trump and executive vice-president of the Trump Organization, the latest in a long line of partnerships between the Trump Organization and Dar Global (the international arm of Saudi developer Dar Al Arkan) is expected to be completed within the next four or five years. (Reporting and editing by Tomasz Janovski and David Goodman in Riyadh)
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Maersk is exploring more ethanol for green fuel in order to reduce its reliance on China.
The Financial Times published an interview with Maersk's CEO, Vincent Clerc, on Sunday. This could reduce the company's dependence on China, and help the industry to decarbonise. Clerc stated that the U.S. and Brazil are the leading producers of ethanol in the world. Clerc?told FT that if all the benefits are concentrated in China then some countries may object. But if they're more evenly distributed then many more will be supportive ?.?.?. It will allow more countries to see the benefits of the green transition. The shipping industry is more difficult than others to reduce emissions. This requires expensive retrofits for existing vessels or new ships that are able run on efuels. Hapag-Lloyd?and North Sea Container Line (NCL), two shipping companies, won a tender late last year to use low-emission fuels made from hydrogen on container ships starting in 2027. The contract will run for three years. (Reporting from Gnaneshwar rajan in Bengaluru, editing by Kate Mayberry.)
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Ukrainian drone attack injures four, damages buildings in Russia's Voronezh, governor says
The governor of Voronezh Region said that an overnight Ukrainian drone strike inflicted injuries on at least four people and caused damage to a number of buildings. The governor Alexander Gusev said on Telegram that an emergency service facility, six houses, and seven apartment buildings were damaged by the attack. The?reports could not be independently verified. Ukraine claims that it has been attacking targets in Russia since the Kremlin launched its war nearly four years ago. This is in response to the repeated drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Russia launched a missile at a Ukrainian site near NATO member Poland on Friday, an attack Kyiv's European partners characterized as a ploy to dissuade them from continuing their support for Ukraine. (Reporting and editing by Alistair Bell in Melbourne)
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Mississippi man accused in killing six people, including a 7-year old child and a pastor
Officials from law enforcement said that a man was arrested and charged for first-degree homicide in the deaths of six people on Friday night, including a young child, in Clay County, Mississippi. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott announced on Saturday that Daricka Moore, 24, is suspected of killing several members of her family and a pastor in the area before she was taken into custody. Officials said that the charge against Moore is likely to be upgraded to capital murder and a death penalty could be imposed if he is found to have mental competency. This is horrible. "This is as bad as it gets," said Scott Colom. He's the district attorney of Mississippi's Sixteenth Circuit Court. His jurisdiction includes Clay County. Scott claims that Moore shot his father, brother and uncle in the head, killing them, on Friday night. He then stole a truck, drove to another location, where he attempted to sexually abuse a 7-year old girl who was related to him before shooting her dead in the head. The?law enforcers responded to the 911 call and were directed to a third location where they found two other males who had been fatally shot. One of those men was a pastor from the area. Moore was arrested at a nearby area 'just before midnight', Scott reported. Scott stated that the motives of the murders were unknown. Scott said at a press conference that the incident had "really?shaken" his community. "I personally don't know why someone would kill a seven-year-old." Scott stated that autopsies will be conducted by the Mississippi Crime Lab. Moore will appear in court Monday. Clay County is located in northeastern Mississippi. It has a population close to 20,000. (Reporting and editing by Sergio Non in Houston, Mark Potter and Rod Nickel.
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Local media and law enforcement say that a suspect has been arrested after six people were killed in Mississippi
Local news outlets and police have not provided any additional information, but say that at least six people died after being shot in Clay County, Mississippi. The suspect is in custody. According to WTVA (an NBC News affiliate), the deaths took place at?three separate shooting locations. Eddie Scott, the Clay County Sheriff, announced on social media that the suspect was "in custody" and no longer posed a threat to 'our?community. WTVA reported that six people were killed. Scott and the Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to an?ask for comment. Scott posted on Facebook: "I ask you to lift up our victims and their families in your prayers." Clay County is located in the?northeast part of Mississippi. It has a population close to 20,000. Reporting by Ernest Scheyder. (Editing by Sergio Non, Mark Potter and Mark Potter.
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Four tankers, which had left Venezuela in "dark mode", are now back in its waters
Four tankers, the majority of which were loaded, left Venezuela early in January in "dark mode" - that is, with their transponders turned off despite a "strict" U.S. blockade. According to the state company PDVSA, and the monitoring service TankerTrackers.com, the blockade is now in place. Last month, a flotilla consisting of at least three empty ships and a dozen vessels with cargo left Venezuelan waters. This was in apparent defiance to an embargo that President Donald Trump imposed on Venezuela since mid-December. The U.S. seized the?supertanker M Sophia with a Panamanian flag this week as it returned to the country. Another Aframax Tanker Olina, flying a Sao 'Tome and Principe flag, was also?intercepted, but was released to Venezuela Friday by state company PDVSA. Tankertrackers.com spotted three more vessels in Venezuelan waters on Friday night through satellite images. These were the Panama-flagged Merope and Cook Islands-flagged Min Hang, as well as Panama-flagged Thalia III. U.S. authorities had announced on Friday that Olina, formerly known as Minerva m, would be released. They said that the next step in the negotiations between Caracas, Washington and the U.S. for a $2 billion oil deal would be to begin organized crude exports. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that arrangements had been made for a supply of oil in a meeting with executives from top oil companies on Friday. Sources said that Vitol, Trafigura and other global trading houses received the first U.S. licensing to carry Venezuelan exports and to negotiate with Venezuela. Naphtha is also expected to be supplied to the OPEC nation, according to sources. Marianna Pararaga, Julia Symmes Cobb and Marianna Parraga contributed to this report.
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)