Latest News
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Governor of Temryuk says that a drone strike in Ukraine has killed one and ignited a fire in the Russian port.
Veniamin Kondratiev, the governor of the Krasnodar Region, said that a 'Ukrainian drone attack' sparked an blaze at a sea port in Temryuk in southern Russia. Peace talks to end the Ukraine War have stagnated. Temryuk was previously attacked by Ukrainian drones in late May when Kyiv’s security service claimed it had hit a gas station there. Regional authorities cited Governor Andrei Bocharov as saying that a separate strike took place on Saturday and caused a fire to break out in an industrial area of the Kotovo District in the Volgograd Region. Bocharov did not disclose the details of the damages or the affected facilities. The?report on June 1?stated that Lukoil's Volgograd oil refining plant in Russia's south has been suspended since May 29 due to a Ukrainian drone strike.
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Brazil launches a subsidised motorcycle credit program for delivery drivers using apps
The Brazilian government launched on Friday a subsidised?credit program to help app-based drivers purchase motorcycles. This is a new initiative aimed at boosting demand and supporting a sector of the workforce which has grown rapidly in recent years. Bruno Moretti, Minister of Planning, said at an event held in Brasilia that the program would offer interest rates for male and female drivers of 11,5% and 12,5%, respectively. The benchmark rate of the central bank is currently 14.5%. Moretti stated that state-run lenders Caixa Econômica Federal and Banco do Brasil would provide?financing for eligible borrowers. He also noted that a government funded will mitigate credit risks by covering a part of potential losses. The Ministry of Industry, Development and Trade stated that the new loans are expected to be worth up to 2.5 billion reais (494,19 million dollars). This initiative is the latest of a series quasi-fiscal policies introduced at the beginning of the year. They do not affect the primary balance of the federal government, but they are meant to 'boost demand before the elections in October. Leftist Luiz inacio Lula da So is running for a fourth non-consecutive term. The new measures include a program to renegotiate consumer debts, initiatives to encourage truck purchase and vehicle financing support for ride-hailing driver. The app-based drivers program will offer discounts on motorcycles made in Brazil. This includes electric models. It will be open to drivers who have been registered for at least 6 months and completed 100 trips or delivery. This will cover all taxi drivers, cyclists and motorcycle couriers who have been formally employed for at least six consecutive months by the same company. A government statement states that borrowers have up to 48-months to repay their loans, and a grace period of two months. ABOVE TARGET INFLATION On?Friday earlier, Dario Durigan reiterated the government's plans to launch a program later this month to renegotiate consumer debts and personal loans for Brazilians that are up-to-date on their payments. Economists warn that the combination of demand-boosting measures and inflationary pressures resulting from the U.S. supported?war against Iran has clouded the outlook on monetary policy ease in Brazil. Previously, the central bank of this South American country was expected to make much larger rate cuts in 2018. The annual inflation rate is 4.72% and above the central banks' official 3% target. BTG Pactual expects only one more?25-basis point rate cut next Monday, followed by a pause for the remainder of the year. In a report released this week, the firm estimated that the Lula government's previous stimulus measures would inject 142 billion Reais into the Brazilian economy this year. This is equivalent to 1% of the GDP.
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US EPA sends California emission rules to Congress as a possible reversal
The US Environmental Protection Agency announced on Friday that it would be sending California's landmark vehicle emissions rules to Congress for possible repeal. This is the latest attempt to stop state tailpipe regulations becoming more strict. According to the EPA, waivers of California regulations that were approved by Democratic administrations in the past should have been sent directly to legislators under the Congressional Review Act. California's Advanced Clean Cars I, which allows California to set vehicle emission standards that are more stringent than federal standards, is included in the rules. California has not yet responded to the EPA proposal. The administration of President Donald Trump has launched a multifaceted effort to prevent California from requiring cleaner vehicles and more electric vehicles. The EPA also enacted regulations that make it easier for automakers sell more gasoline powered cars and?trucks while making EVs more expensive. California was granted authority to set its own emission standards for cars, trucks and lawn and garden equipment through the four waivers that were sent to Congress to be reviewed. These rules have prompted companies to "produce cleaner electric versions to reduce emissions." California?won approval for its current vehicle regulations known as Advanced Clean Cars I (ACC I) in 2022, under the then President Joe Biden’s EPA. These rules remain in place. The U.S. Transportation Department filed a lawsuit against the California Air Resources Board in March. It claimed that the rules of the state governing zero-emission vehicles and emissions from tailpipes are illegal. California's regulations require automakers sell an increasing number of electric cars and adhere to?increasingly strict limits on tailpipe emission. These rules are stricter than the ones imposed by Trump's administration, who plans to rollback federal fuel economy regulations. Trump signed legislation in 2017 to "overturn California's Advanced Clean Cars II regulations that aim to phase-out new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035." California claims that the fuel savings consumers will enjoy from the new rules will far outweigh the initial costs of electric vehicles. Congress revoked California's authority to ban traditional gasoline-powered cars after?2035, after Toyota GM and other automobile manufacturers lobbied Congress for relief from California’s emission regulations. This was after the EPA had sent Congress a waiver for this program to be reviewed. Many Democratic legislators claimed that waivers were not subject to review under the CRA. The White House has also weakened federal tailpipe regulations. Congress passed legislation to stop collecting penalties in 2025 for failing to meet vehicle tailpipe standards. This will save automakers hundreds and millions of dollars. In February, the EPA repealed a scientific conclusion that greenhouse gas emission endangers human health and removed federal tailpipe standards for cars and truck. David Shepardson, David Gregorio (Editing and Reporting)
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EU agrees to continue compensating passengers for delays in flights
Reporters were told that the European Union countries had agreed to maintain the three-hour delay compensation threshold in the EU's upcoming set of airline passenger rights. They also agreed to ask for greater transparency regarding fees for carry-on luggage. The diplomat stated that the 27 member states would now submit their proposals to the Parliament which would evaluate them from Monday. The European Commission and the EU members had been at odds over a package of measures that was first proposed by the EU executive more than a decade ago. The Commission proposed that the compensation threshold be raised to four hours, and the member states wanted to cap it at EUR 500. According to rules in effect since 2004, passengers who are delayed more than three hours on their flight can receive compensation ranging from EUR250 to EUR600 depending on the length of the flight. The member states have decided to maintain the status quo in the controversial issue of compensation for delay. This issue pitted airlines against consumer protection groups, who demanded greater flexibility in order to remain competitive. The member states propose that airlines include the cost of cabin baggage in the basic ticket price. Consumers who choose to opt out can receive discounts. The measure aims to increase price transparency and comparison. These fees were widely criticized by consumer rights associations across the EU. They sparked a battle in 2024 when the Spanish Consumer Rights Ministry fined low-cost airlines EUR179,000,000 for charging them. The airlines have appealed against the fine. The countries have also kept the rules unchanged that allow an adult accompanying a child to sit next to them without having to pay a fee and that require airlines to provide more services when a connection is missed. The law also prohibited airlines from forcing their passengers to download an app on their mobile phones to obtain a boarding card, a practice Ryanair began in November.
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Air India wants to delay hundreds of jet deliveries - sources
Air India wants to delay the delivery of hundreds?of jets ordered from 'Airbus and Boeing' in order to cut costs, according two people familiar with the situation, who confirmed a Bloomberg article. Air India and Boeing did not respond to a request for comment. Air India, under the new majority owners Tata Group, placed a record-breaking order in 2023 for a total 470 Jets. It also leased another 25 jets. Airline faces increasing losses and operational disruptions due to the conflict in Iran, which is compounded by Pakistan's ban on airspace and a crisis following a deadly Boeing 787 crash a year ago. Air India last week?cut?flights from several routes citing airspace restrictions as well as record jet fuel prices. Bloomberg News reported that Air India was looking to postpone plans for expansion, reduce flights and defer deliveries after Tata Group instructed it to concentrate on reducing record losses. Reporting by Tim Hepher. Mark Potter edited the article.
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American Airlines will resume US flights to Haiti by November
American Airlines announced Friday that it would resume flights to Haiti on 1 November after major U.S. airlines ceased service in the Caribbean nation by late 2024. American will resume service in Haiti this fall. It is the first U.S. airline to announce that it would be resuming its service. Since November 2024, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned flights to Port-au-Prince in Haiti's capital due to a perceived threat from "armed groups" to civil aviation. Later, the FAA allowed flights to resume at'six other airports located in northern Haiti. But it kept its ban on Port-au-Prince. Haiti is the only Caribbean nation that does not have direct flights from U.S. carriers. American said it also plans to offer a second Venezuelan airport flight option. FAA restrictions in Port-au-Prince will continue until at least September 3rd. The FAA suspended flights to Haiti in November 2024 after three commercial U.S. jetliners were hit by gunfire. The FAA continues to restrict access to Haiti's capital, citing the inability of security forces in Port-au-Prince or surrounding areas to prevent aircraft attacks. U.S. planes are allowed to fly over Port-au-Prince at a height of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). According to a U.N. Report earlier this year the death toll has risen each year as independent and powerful armed groups have clashed with security forces and local vigilantes. According to the FAA, since September 2025, Haitian groups used small arms fire to 'attack' at least three aircraft in the area where U.S. Civil Aviation is prohibited. The agency permits flights to six airports: Port-de-Paix (Cap-Haitien), Pignon (Jeremie), Antoine-Simon, and Jacmel. (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; David Shepardson)
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Pope's return from Spain delayed due to technical issues with the plane
After a technical problem on his plane Friday, Pope Leo had to delay his return to Rome after a seven-day tour of Spain. As the?plane taxiing to the runway with Pope Leo and Vatican staff,?journalists and other passengers was about to take off when the captain announced a problem. Leo was escorted by King Felipe back to the airport after he had already 'boarded' his flight operated by carrier Iberia, following a 'wave-off by King Felipe, and other dignitaries from Spain. A spokesperson for Iberia said that maintenance specialists were checking out a technical issue, but did not provide any further details. The captain announced in a second statement that the engine was probably unable to start due to?the?wind. He said that the plane would be towed so it was facing the wind and they'd try to start the engine again. (Reporting and writing by Joshua McElwee, editing by Sanjeev Mglani).
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There are some flights to the Middle East that have resumed but there is still disruption.
The Middle East is slowly getting back on the map as regional carriers work to rebuild their schedules following the war's disruption. However, the conflict continues disrupting a wider range of traffic. Middle Eastern airlines added capacity following severe disruptions linked to the Iran War, while many carriers outside the Gulf continue to divert Europe-Asia flight to avoid the Middle East. The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically: AEGEAN AIRLINES Thessaloniki-Tel Aviv flights were cancelled by Greece's biggest?carrier until June 26. Dubai flights are cancelled until August 31 and Baghdad and Erbil flights until September 30. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has canceled flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until the 28th of June. AIR CANADA Canadian Airlines has canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until October 24. AIR EUROPA Spanish Airlines has canceled flights to Tel Aviv till June 28. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France suspends Tel Aviv flights through June 21 and Beirut and Dubai flights through June 24. KLM has suspended flights from Dubai to Riyadh until August 2, and until July 26 to Dammam and Riyadh. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has suspended its flights to Dubai and Riyadh through August 31. The U.S. carrier suspended service for the Atlanta-Tel Aviv routes through December 18, 2018. The airline plans to resume New York JFK-Tel Aviv flights starting September 6. However, the launch of its Boston-Tel Aviv flight, scheduled for late October, was delayed. FINNAIR Finnair has cancelled all flights to Doha until October 2 and continues to avoid airspace in 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 Riyadh to August 8 and until August 1. Flights to Dubai and Tel 'Aviv will be paused for the rest of the summer and resumed on October 25. The airline plans to reduce the number of flights to Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv from two to just one when they resume. Jeddah will be dropped as a destination. 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. Polish Airlines has cancelled all flights to Riyadh and Beirut until 30 June. LOT will begin operating its winter route from Dubai in October. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa has announced that it will resume Tel Aviv flights as soon as July 1. ITA Airways also confirmed they would resume Tel Aviv flights as of July 1. SWISS delayed the return of flights to August, while Brussels Airlines suspended its operations until October 24. The suspension of Dubai flights by Lufthansa SWISS and ITA Airways continues until September 13th. Lufthansa and SWISS have suspended flights until October 24 to Abu Dhabi, Amman Beirut, Dammam Riyadh Erbil Muscat and Tehran. Eurowings, a low-cost airline, has suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Beirut to July 17 and Erbil to June 22. Flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi have also been suspended until October 24. ITA Airways also extended its suspension of flights to Riyadh through June 30. MALAYSIA AIRLINES From July 2, the Malaysian airline will resume limited service to Doha. NORWEGIAN AIR The low-cost carrier has delayed the launch of its Tel Aviv, Beirut and other services indefinitely. No new dates have been set. QANTAS Australia's flag-carrier is increasing flights to Rome, Paris and other European destinations to meet the increased demand. The number of flights to Paris will rise from three to five weekly return flights, and the Perth to Singapore service will go from daily to 10? per week. A new schedule for flights will be implemented gradually from mid-April until late July. ROYAL MAROC Moroccan airline announced that flights to Doha have been cancelled until 30 June. SINGAPORE Airlines In response to increased demand, the carrier has extended its Singapore-Dubai flight suspension until August 2 and 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 Lioma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olesska, Bernadette HOG, Alexander Klyve Gudbrandsen, Romolo TOSIANI, Boleslaw LaSocki). Matt Scuffham and Alexander Smith edited by Susan Fenton, Milla Nissi-Prussak Jonathan Ananda Joe Bavier, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heavens, Louise Heaven, Bernadette Hogg, Romolo Tosiani.
Trump demands that Ottawa and Washington hold talks about the new US-Canada Bridge
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, threatened on Monday to prevent the opening of a new $4.7 billion bridge linking Detroit and Windsor,?Ontario, as his latest salvo in a trade dispute with Canada.
Trump cited Canada as the owner of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, Canada's refusal to stock certain U.S. alcoholic drinks on Canadian shelves, Canada’s tariffs on milk products, and its trade negotiations with China.
Canada financed the bridge because the U.S. refused. It is expected to open within the next few months. Tolls will cover the costs over a period of 30 years.
Trump posted on Twitter: "I won't allow this bridge to be opened until the United States has been fully compensated for all that we have done. And, Canada must treat the United States with the?Fairness and Respect we deserve." We will begin negotiations immediately. We should be able to own at least half of this asset, if not more, with all we have done for them.
Rick Snyder, Michigan's former governor, accepted an offer from the Canadian government to pay for the majority of the costs of the new Gordie-Howe Bridge in 2012. He then took the unusual decision to use executive authority and?bypass' the legislature. Construction started in 2018 and is nearly complete.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published on January 30, a rule declaring that the bridge is an official port of entrance. It says,?the bridge saves $12.7 million per year for travelers by reducing traffic congestion and travel times while easing flow of traffic.
The Canadian Embassy and the bridge authority did not comment immediately.
Local Politicians React
A spokesperson for Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (a Democrat) said that Canada financed the construction. The bridge was built by union workers on both sides of border and will be operated as part of a joint ownership arrangement between Michigan and Canada. It will open in some way.
Elissa slotkin, a Michigan Democrat Senator, stated that "cancelling this project would have serious repercussions." Michigan businesses will face higher costs, less secure supply chain, and ultimately fewer jobs. She said Trump was "punishing Michiganders" for a trade conflict he began. Canada's trade agreement with China will only happen because President Trump kicked Canada in the teeth over the past year.
Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat representative, claimed that Trump had endorsed the bridge back in 2017. "Nothing's changed. Dingell stated, "We cannot forget Canada as our friend and ally." We must stop these cheap insults. It hurts the economy and doesn't help anyone.
Detroit will be the largest U.S. border freight port in 2023. It is the second-largest U.S. cargo port by value. Commercial trucks are expected to trade $126 billion worth of goods.
The Ambassador Bridge will handle truck traffic. According to a University of Windsor report, the Gordie Howe bridge will reduce crossing times by 20 minutes, saving truckers $2.3 Billion over 30 years.
In his second term, Trump has threatened Canada and dramatically increased tariffs against the U.S. neighbor to the north. He said last month that he would impose 100% tariffs on Canada if they follow through with a deal with China.
In January, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China to restore the countries' strained relations and to reach a trade agreement with Canada's second largest trading partner behind the U.S.
Trump said that the U.S. will decertify Bombardier Global Express jets in January and threatened to impose 50% import tariffs until Ottawa certifies a number planes made by U.S. competitor Gulfstream. Trump's administration has not taken any action against Canadian aircraft. Reporting by David Shepardson and Ryan Patrick Jones, both in Washington: Editing and proofreading by Caitlin webber, Lincoln Feast, and Thomas Derpinghaus.
(source: Reuters)