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Documents show that Niger intends to reduce the number of Chinese oil workers
Documents seen by us on Friday show that Niger has requested that Chinese employees who are working on oil projects in the country leave. This could impact dozens of people and strain bilateral relations. Niger, like other West African nations, has tried to gain greater control over natural resources while promoting local employment. Two letters show that the Oil Minister Sahabi Oumarou asked the China National Petroleum Corporation and its refinery SORAZ, to terminate the contracts with expatriates working in Niger since more than four years. A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said that China has "always adhered to principles of truth and friendship, sincerity and the correct view on righteousness and benefit when carrying out cooperation with Africa." He added that CNPC made economic and socio-economic contributions in Niger, "for many years." The spokesperson stated that "friendly negotiation" can resolve any issues that might arise. In a May 21 letter to SORAZ, Oumarou said that there would be flexibility. He explained that he understood the necessity to keep certain employees within the country. Decisions on departure would be taken case-by-case. In a letter to CNPC dated 20 May, Oumarou stated that he would not accept a meeting in private with the CEO of the company who asked to discuss tensions. In the same letter, Oumarou accused CNPC for not complying with local regulations. Niger expulsed three Chinese oil executives from the country in March over a dispute involving disparities in salaries between foreign employees and local workers. Sources close to CNPC said that following the dismissal of the executives, the top officials at CNPC have tried to negotiate with the government. Source: If the May 20-21 letters are implemented, Chinese workers would have to return home. (Reporting and writing by Anait Miridzhanian, Portia Crowe and Liz Lee; Additional reporting and writing by Liz Lee and Robbie Corey Boulet in Beijing; Editing and proofreading by Robbie Corey Boulet, Susan Fenton, and Tomaszjanowski)
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Police investigate possible arson attacks as parts of Southern France and Cannes suffer power cuts
The French police are investigating a possible arson as the cause of a power failure that hit the Alpes Maritimes region, in southern France, on Saturday. This includes Cannes where the world-famous film festival is being held. A spokesperson for the French National Gendarmerie said that they were investigating the possibility of the fire being deliberately started. At this point, no arrests have been made. RTE France is working to restore power in the west part of the region, which includes Cannes. This was announced by the local authority earlier that day. The Cannes Film Festival announced that the closing ceremony will take place on Saturday night as scheduled. In a press release, it stated that "The Palais des Festivals switched to an independently powered supply allowing all events and screenings to continue as scheduled and under normal circumstances." (Reporting and editing by Tomasz Januaryowski and David Evans; Sudip Kar Gupta and Michaela Cabrera, respectively)
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Six people confirmed dead in plane crash in San Diego
An official of the National Transportation Safety Board announced on Friday that all six passengers on a private plane which crashed in San Diego's neighborhood had died, but no one on the ground suffered serious injuries. According to NTSB Investigator Dan Baker, the twin-engine Cessna Citation was on its approach for landing at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport early Thursday morning when it clipped power lines and crashed into a military community called Murphy Canyon. This is located just west of a nearby golf course. Baker said at a press briefing that the aircraft crashed into a road and instantly burst into fire, destroying it and damaging nearby homes and cars. Baker said that no one survived the crash, but added that nobody was injured or killed on the ground. Baker didn't give a number, but authorities previously stated that six people, including the captain, were on board the plane. Candace Hadley of San Diego Fire-Rescue said that eight people were treated for minor injuries at the scene or nearby. She also noted that residents played a key role in evacuating neighbors safely as the fire spread. Local media reported that two people were aboard the plane: music industry agent Dave Shapiro and Daniel Williams, former drummer of The Devil Wears Prada. Reporting by Steve Gorman, Portland, Oregon. Editing by Sandra Maler
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United Airlines and its Flight Attendants reach tentative contract agreement with union, says
United Airlines' flight attendants have tentatively agreed to a new contract with the airline, according to their union. The Association of Flight Attendants - CWA, which represents United Airlines' flight attendants, stated that the agreement provides an industry-leading compensation package and retroactive pay. It was also noted that the agreement would result in a 40% financial gain for flight attendants within the first year of their new contract. United's cabin staff, who filed for federal mediator in 2023, demanded a two-digit increase in base pay, higher pay for all time spent at work, including time on the grounds, retroactive payment, schedule flexibility, and improvements to work rules in their new contract. The union had been authorized to strike if the negotiators could not reach an agreement. United's cabin staff has not received a pay raise since 2020. The union has said that its leaders will be meeting next week to go over the details of the contract. The tentative agreement will be sent to a vote for ratification if the union's leadership approves it. (Reporting and editing by Nia William; Rajesh Kumar Singh)
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US Judge strikes down Trump Order against Law Firm Jenner & Block
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned the executive order that President Donald Trump had issued targeting Jenner & Block. This is another blow to his administration’s efforts to crackdown on law firms who represented Trump's political opponents or hired lawyers who investigated him previously. Trump's order suspended Jenner's attorneys' security clearances and restricted their access government buildings, federal officials and federal contractor work. U.S. district judge John Bates, a Republican-appointed judge, ruled the directive violated the core rights of the U.S. Constitution. This ruling mirrors a May 2, 2015 ruling that invalidated a similar executive orders against the law firm Perkins Coie. The Justice Department may appeal Bates's order to the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit. Trump's order towards Jenner accused her firm of engaging what it called "partisan lawfare" as well as taking cases that were detrimental to U.S. interest. The letter referred to Andrew Weissmann's previous employment at the firm. Weissmann was a federal prosecutor who had been involved in Robert Mueller's investigation, which detailed Russian contacts during Trump's presidential campaign of 2016. Trump has called Russia investigation "hoax", "witch-hunt" The order also attacked Jenner’s internal diversity policies as well as its free legal services, including those on transgender issues and immigrants' rights. Jenner filed a lawsuit to block Trump's orders, arguing that it violated First Amendment protections from government abridgment and Fifth Amendment guarantees of due process. This is a requirement of the government to follow a fair legal procedure. Two other firms, WilmerHale & Susman Godfrey, have also sued the administration in order to permanently block any executive orders issued by him against them. Nine law firms including Paul Weiss and Milbank, Simpson Thacher, and Skadden Arps have pledged almost $1 billion worth of free legal services for causes that the White House supports. They also made other concessions in order to avoid being targeted as targets by Trump. The Justice Department has defended Trump’s executive orders against Jenner, and other law firms by claiming that they are consistent with the wide reach of presidential power. (Reporting and editing by David Thomas, Nia Williams and David Bario)
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US Justice Department strikes deal with Boeing that allows planemaker to avoid prosecution
The U.S. Justice Department announced on Friday that it had reached a deal with Boeing in principle to allow the company to avoid prosecution for a fraud case arising from two fatal crashes of 737 MAX aircraft, which killed 346 people. Boeing will not be branded as a felon, and the agreement is a blow for families who have lost loved ones in crashes and had asked prosecutors to bring the U.S. aircraft manufacturer to trial. The Justice Department was urged by a lawyer representing family members as well as two U.S. Senators to continue its investigation. However, the government rejected their requests. Boeing agreed to pay $444.5 in addition to the $243.6 million in fines into a fund for crash victims. The money would be distributed evenly among each crash victim. The Justice Department anticipates filing the written agreement with Boeing before the end of the next week. Boeing will no long be subject to independent monitoring under the agreement. The Justice Department announced that Boeing would pay a total of over $1.1 billion, including the fine, compensation for families, and over $455 millions to strengthen its compliance, safety and quality programs. The department stated that Boeing must improve its anti-fraud compliance program, and retain an independent consultant. "We are confident this resolution will have practical benefits and is just," said the department. Boeing has not yet commented. First reported on 16 May that Boeing had reached an agreement to not prosecute with the government. The agreement will prevent a trial scheduled for June 23 against the planemaker over a charge that it misled U.S. regulatory authorities about a critical flight control system in the 737 MAX jet, the company's best-selling model. Boeing agreed in July to plead guilty in a criminal fraud charge following the two fatal 737 MAX crash in Indonesia and Ethiopia spanning between 2018 and 2019. The company will pay a maximum fine of $487.2 Million and be subject to independent oversight for three years. Prosecutors told the family members of crash victim during a last-week meeting that Boeing would no longer plead guilty. Prosecutors told family members that the company's attitude changed after a December judge rejected an earlier plea agreement. Judge Reed O'Connor, a Texas judge, said in 2023: "Boeing's crimes may be properly considered as the deadliest corporate crimes in U.S. history." Boeing is under increased scrutiny by the Federal Aviation Administration, since January 2024 when a MAX 9 that was missing four bolts in a critical area suffered an emergency mid-air and lost a door plug. The FAA limits production to 38 planes per monthly. DOJ officials found last year that Boeing violated an agreement reached in the final days of the Trump administration, which shielded Boeing from prosecution. This conclusion was reached after the in-flight incident that occurred on an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024. In response, DOJ officials decided that they would reopen an older fatal crash case and negotiate with Boeing a plea deal. (Reporting and editing by Chris Reese, Diane Craft and David Shepardson)
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France claims it diverted a British fishing boat to French waters without the correct license
The regional French authority in the English Channel region said that a British fishing boat had been escorted out of French waters on Friday morning after it was discovered to be fishing without the proper licence. The issue of fishing rights has been an ongoing source of contention in negotiations between Britain and the European Union following Brexit. In fact, the EU took Britain to court for its ban on sandeels being fished in UK waters. According to the French authorities, the incident occurred between Thursday evening and Friday morning. The French local authority for English Channel and North Sea said, "This operation demonstrates how the French government will protect seafood resources while ensuring that all laws are followed." This week, Britain and the European Union struck a wide-ranging agreement that gave British and EU vessels 12 years of access to each others' waters. Nigel Farage, the leader of the pro-Brexit Reform UK right-wing party, called the deal "abject submission - the end for the fishing industry." Reporting by Sudip K. Gupta. Editing by William Maclean & Alistair Bell.
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India will discuss IndiGo's Turkish Airlines Partnership with security agencies
India's civil aviation minister announced on Friday that it will consult with the security agencies about IndiGo's codeshare pacts and leasing agreements with Turkish Airlines, and then decide what to do next. This move comes after growing anger in India over Turkey's support of Pakistan in a recent conflict that was sparked by a terrorist attack in Indian Kashmir on tourists. "We're taking input from IndiGo and with the necessary agencies and would like to see what we can do with that," Rammohan Naidu, Minister of State for External Affairs in New Delhi told reporters at the sidelines an event. IndiGo and Turkish Airlines have not responded to our requests for comment. IndiGo previously defended this partnership by stating that it provides multiple benefits for Indian travellers and boosts aviation jobs and growth. It has also enabled IndiGo's presence to grow in long-haul European and U.S. markets. IndiGo entered into a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines, allowing the airline to offer its customers many international destinations. IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline, has had a leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines since 2023. Turkish Airlines has provided two aircraft with pilots, crew and other equipment to IndiGo for use on the New Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul routes. There has been a growing demand to scrap the two agreements. Last week, it was reported that Air India had lobbied Indian officials in order to stop IndiGo's leasing deal with Turkish Airlines. They cited business impacts as well as concerns about security sparked by Istanbul’s support of Pakistan. In a recent decision, the Indian government revoked the security clearance for the Turkish ground handling services firm Celebi citing national safety. This led to a lawsuit by the Indian branch of the Turkish company. The boycott includes small Indian grocery stores and major online fashion retailers. The boycott was a result of the Turkish President Tayyip Erdoan's public declaration of solidarity with Pakistan following India's military strike in response to the deaths and injuries of tourists. Abhijith Ganahapavaram reported from New Delhi, Nandan Mandayam contributed additional reporting in Bengaluru and Lisa Shumaker edited the article.
Libya reports oil leak south of Zawiya
The National Oil Corporation (NOC), which operates in Libya, announced on Saturday that an oil leak had forced the closure of a pipeline located south of the city of Zawiya.
Libya's largest refinery is located in Zawiya (40 km/25 miles west of Tripoli), with a daily capacity of 120,00 barrels. The refinery is connected to the country's 300,000-barrels-per-day Sharara oilfield.
The NOC published a photo showing a flow of oil leaking in the desert. The company announced in a press release that the flow of oil from the Hamada fields through the affected pipe was immediately stopped.
"A team of experts is investigating the cause of the leak in parallel to the maintenance work. The company said that arrangements and coordination were also in place to recover any oil spilled and deal with any environmental pollution. Reporting by Ayman al-Warfali, Ahmed Elumami and Cynthia Osterman; Editing by David Gregorio and Cynthia Osterman
(source: Reuters)