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Genoa dockers protest against Israel as Italian unions walk out
Dockworkers on strike in Genoa, northern Italy, blocked the access roads to its port Monday as part of protests over Israel's offensive against Gaza. A group of unions called strikes in solidarity with Palestinians, which led to the closure of a number schools and disruption of transport services. In Genoa in north-west Italy, protesters waved Palestinian flags during early morning gatherings near the port. Workers protesting in Livorno on the Tuscan coast blocked an entrance to the harbor. Italian dockworkers claim they want to stop Italy being used as an intermediate staging point for arms and supplies going to Israel, which is fighting Hamas on Gaza. "The Palestinians continue to teach us another lesson in dignity, and in resistance," said Ricky a protester from Genoa who belongs to a group called Autonomous Port Workers' Collective. He added, "We try to learn from their mistakes and do our part." Many Italian cities are planning demonstrations for Monday. The strike affected regional train services in Rome, but the underground metro railway was unaffected. The Metro in Milan, Italy’s financial capital, was also running. The airlines were not affected. In Europe, the right-wing Italian coalition led by Prime Minister Giorgia Melons is traditionally a strong supporter of Israel. However, in recent months there has been growing unease within the coalition over the ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Matteo Salvini, the Transport Minister, played down the impact that the protests had on him. He said they were organized by a far left union group. (Reporting and writing by Roberto Mignucci, Angelo Amante; editing by Barbara Lewis.)
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After a cyberattack, European airports are working to restore normal check-in procedures.
Hackers have still caused disruptions at several of Europe's largest airports, affecting dozens and thousands of flights. The disruptions The EU's cybersecurity agency confirmed Monday that the attacks were the result of a cyberattack. This highlights the increasing risks of these attacks on critical infrastructures and industries. The agency ENISA stated in a press release that law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation, but did not provide any details about where the cyberattack came from. Cyberattacks have targeted governments and companies in the last few months, including luxury automaker Jaguar Land Rover This forced the company to stop production. Collins announced on Monday that they were working with affected airports including London Heathrow and Brussels, Europe's most busy airports. They are in the final stages to complete updates and restore full functionality. Berlin airport The Berlin Marathon brought more passengers than usual to the airport on Monday, but its check-in system was still not working. It reported delays of up to an hour in departures. One passenger compared the boarding procedure to that of the early years of commercial air travel with handwritten boarding cards. The airport used iPads and laptops for online check-in. It said that 60 flights out of 550 arriving and departing flights had to be canceled on Monday. Dublin Airport The manual processes were in place and the "minimal impact" was minimal. Bitkom, a German industry group, surveyed 1,000 companies and found that ransomware (malicious software that locks data until the victim is paid to restore access) was the most prevalent form of cyberattack. One in seven companies had paid a ransom.
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As power bills rise, governors want more control over the largest grid in the United States.
The governors of over a quarter of U.S. States are seeking greater control of the nation's largest power grid, PJM Interconnection. Electricity prices are rising as the demand for data centers driven by AI outpaces new supply. The rising power bills of PJM (which operates the grid that covers 13 states plus the District of Columbia), or one fifth of Americans, has led to a backlash in the political arena over the past year, and some governors have threatened to abandon the regional grid. A person familiar with plans said that the group of state leaders will announce the "PJM governors' collaborative" during a summit on Monday in Philadelphia. The goal is to promote their interests within PJM. PJM is a member-run organisation in which the states have no vote. The source stated that "historic reforms will be discussed at the summit by the PJM Governors' Collaborative to give states a greater role in future decision-making." The soaring prices at PJM are due to a combination of factors including the high cost of producing and transporting electricity, and a surge in data center demand from Big Tech. PJM has the highest concentration of data centers that are energy-intensive in the world. In the region, power bills include capacity payments. These are payments made to operators of power plants to ensure they are running during times of high demand in order to avoid blackouts. These payments, which are determined by energy auctions every year, have increased by 1,000% in the last two auctions due to the expected rise in data center demand and the stagnant power supply. PJM's board of directors is made up of transmission line owners, independent power plant operators and other members who have the right to vote. While the states do not have a say in PJM, they still exerted influence over it. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was successful in his efforts to set a ceiling and floor price for PJM’s latest capacity auction. A source said that governors want to play a formal role in shaping PJM, which could be modeled on similar groups in the Midwest and New England grids. Shapiro, who runs the biggest electricity-producing state in the PJM region, plans to discuss issues including the PJM stakeholder process, market reforms, connecting new power supplies faster and increasing transparency in PJM, according to a release by the governor's office.
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Russia asks UN Aviation Agency ICAO to ease restrictions over safety concerns
According to a working paper and a source with knowledge of the issue, Russia has urged the U.N. Civil Aviation Agency to ease the sanctions on spare parts as well as overflights. It dismissed its response to Ukraine's war as "unlawful measures." Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022 Western sanctions have restricted access to aircraft and spare parts made abroad, forcing Russian airlines to import parts for over 700 Airbus and Boeing jets, mostly via indirect routes. Sources in the Russian aviation industry say that Russian authorities are currently trying to negotiate relief of sanctions, especially on spare parts which are, they claim, critical for flight safety. RUSSIAN MOVES a CHALLENGE for ICAO Assembly The Russian efforts will be a challenge to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is meeting this week in Montreal. This organization sets safety standards worldwide for civil aviation, and has condemned Moscow's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty over its airspace and dual registration of aircraft. The Russian request was made to the ICAO following the lifting of sanctions by the United States last week on Belarusian national carrier Belavia, which had been imposed after Minsk supported Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Moscow's working papers, which will be presented to the ICAO triennial assembly beginning on Tuesday, claim that the sanctions are against global law. Russia also tries to get elected to ICAO’s 36-state governing body after failing to gain enough votes in 2020 following the invasion of Ukraine. Recent incidents indicate that Russia's commercial fleet is deteriorating. A Soviet Antonov An-24 built in 1976 crashed in the far east of Russia in late July. All 48 passengers on board were killed. A few days later, Russian flag carrier Aeroflot halted dozens of flights after a devastating cyberattack. In a Russian working document, it was stated that "unlawful coercive actions violate the human rights to freedom of movement without regard to nationality or citizenship". The ICAO must take all necessary measures to stop states from applying discriminatory, coercive and politically biased measures in international civil aviation. RUSSIA HAS A FLEET OF AGING AIRCRAFT The documents criticise also the closing of 37 state's airspace for flight operations by Russian Airlines, suspension of certificates of Airworthiness (Certificates of Airworthiness) for aircraft operated and maintained by Russian Airlines and bans on maintenance and insurance. The Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsiya has not responded to a comment request, and the Transport Ministry has declined to make one. Ukrainian authorities did not respond to a request for comment. The Russian aviation source said that the fleet of Boeing and Airbus planes in Russia is old and not all parts could be imported via so-called grey schemes. This means a large number of Western aircraft may be grounded. What happens if a Russian Boeing, or Airbus, crashes in the future and kills people? The source stated that sanctions would be blamed in any event. Reporting by Gleb Stlyarov, Allison Lampert and Timothy Heritage. Editing by Robert Harvey & Timothy Heritage.
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New York Times Business News - September 22,
These are the most popular stories from the New York Times' business pages. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports. Fox Corporation may invest in the popular video app TikTok to avoid a U.S. Ban. Fox Corporation, a conservative media giant that owns Fox News and Fox broadcast network, is considering making a potential investment. After a cyberattack on major European hubs at the weekend, Brussels Airport cancelled half of its scheduled flights for Monday. Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, said that there was no need to avoid talks with Washington if Washington stopped demanding his country to give up its nuclear weapons. However, he would not abandon the arsenal just to end the sanctions. (Compiled from Bengaluru Newsroom)
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India's top court requests government response to plea for independent Air India crash investigation
The Supreme Court of India on Monday ordered the government to respond in a petition seeking an independent investigation on the Air India plane accident on June 12, which killed 260 people. The top court responded to a public-interest litigation filed by the NGO Safety Matters Foundation. This was its first review of the investigation being conducted by Indian authorities. Lawyers for the NGO in a Monday hearing questioned the inclusion on the panel of the officials of the aviation safety regulator, saying that it created a conflict of interest. The NGO said that "the investigation must include a critical review of DGCA’s own regulatory actions, and any possible lapses", in its plea. Air India's Boeing 787 crashed in Ahmedabad, killing all but one person on board. The plane also killed 19 people on the ground. The Indian government released a preliminary report on the investigation. It showed confusion among the pilots in the cockpit just before the crash. This was after the fuel engine switches were switched from run to off almost simultaneously, shortly after takeoff. Some family groups criticised the investigation and press for focusing too much on the pilots’ actions. Prashant Bhujan, the lawyer for the NGO, told the judges that "three of the members were serving officers of Directorate General of Civil Aviation" (flight safety regulator), creating a serious conflict of interests. The court has said that it will examine the request for an "impartial, independent, fair, and swift" investigation. It has also asked the government to provide a response. This case is just days after four families of passengers filed a separate lawsuit in the United States against Honeywell and Boeing, who made the switch.
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Global Times reports that a company has launched a China-Europe shipping line.
The Global Times reported that Chinese-controlled Sea Legend would launch its first direct China-Europe via the Arctic route this week. This move is expected to reduce express shipping time between the two locations by almost half. The state-run paper reported that Sea Legend would send its first vessel via the North Sea Route on September 24. It cited a statement by the Ningbo Zhoushan Port. It said the journey would take 18 days. The NSR is now more accessible to goods from China, which have traditionally taken at least 40 days to travel around the Cape of Good Hope. In the last four decades, the Arctic region has warmed up four times faster than global average. This has led to a dramatic decrease in sea ice, and created seasonal windows for shipping. The Global Times reported that the container ship Istanbul Bridge is scheduled to leave Ningbo Zhoushan this Wednesday, and arrive at Felixstowe - Britain's biggest container port - on 10 October. It added that the shorter trip is expected to reduce emissions of carbon by around 50%, citing a port. Ningbo Zhoushan port did not respond immediately to a comment request. Climate experts warn that increased traffic in Arctic waters can increase environmental risks and disturb marine mammals. Extreme weather conditions and limited infrastructure can make it more dangerous. According to the newspaper, which cited the port, the previous fastest route between China and Europe was 26 days, from Ningbo Zhoushan in China to Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The route was launched last year. Reporting by Farah Masters and Jessie Pang from Hong Kong, editing by Kate Mayberry
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Super Typhoon Ragasa barrels into northern Philippines and triggers alerts throughout region
The Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered all government agencies to be mobilised and put on high alert as Super Typhoon Ragasa approached the northern part of the country. Ragasa, which had winds up to 215 kph and gusts as high as 295 kph and 160 mph, intensified slightly before it reached Babuyan Island. It could land on Calayan Island. This increased the risk of storm waves exceeding 3 metres (9 feet). Residents were advised to avoid coastal areas and riverbanks. Videos shared by the disaster agencies show that Cagayan's northern province was pounded by strong winds and heavy rainfall, which caused trees to sway violently and triggered waves. As outer rainbands lashed the region, warnings were issued of power outages and landslides as well as floods and dangerous seas. The ports have suspended ferry service. Airlines have cancelled more than 20 domestic flights, mainly serving Luzon, and have canceled a dozen others. While Ragasa won't directly hit Taiwan, it is expected that its outer bands will bring heavy rains to the island’s sparsely-populated east coast. Taiwan has issued land-and-sea warnings and cancelled 146 flights within the country. More than 900 people have been evacuated from mountainous areas in the south and east. The Vietnamese defence ministry ordered its forces monitor the storm, and prepare for an eventual landfall this week. Chinese authorities have activated flooding control measures in several provinces of the south, warning that heavy rain will begin Tuesday night. Hong Kong announced a 36 hour airport closure starting Tuesday night, and Macau and Zhuhai have already begun preparing for the impact with school closings and evacuation plans. Residents in Hong Kong began stockpiling everyday necessities as early as Monday morning. Witnesses reported long queues at supermarkets, where milk and other products were already sold out. Vegetables at fresh markets were sold at prices more than three times their normal value.
Slovak Prime minister Fico will meet Xi and Zelenskiy in the next week
Fico announced on Monday that the Slovak prime minister Robert Fico would hold bilateral meetings this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at China's World War Two Anniversary celebrations in Beijing.
In a Friday statement, he announced that he would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the eastern part of Slovakia. Fico has had tense relationships with Zelenskiy, who is the leader of a NATO member and EU country, but opposes Western sanctions against Russia. Fico has also broken ranks with European Allies. In December, he met Putin in Moscow. Fico is the only European Union leader who will attend the celebrations of Xi's birthday in Beijing. Xi, along with the leaders of North Korea and Iran and Myanmar, will be flanked in a display of solidarity by the West.
Fico stated in an email that he "respects every victim of the struggle against fascism" and has stood in the past with respect before memorials in Moscow or Washington.
"I regret and admit that I don't understand why only Slovakia is going to be in Beijing." "A new world order, new rules for multipolarity, and new balance of power are being created, which is very important for world stability."
He stated that it was important to take advantage of the chance to meet world leaders and that he informed EU officials about his trip.
He did not specify his agenda for the meetings with Zelenskiy or in Beijing. The Slovakian government reacted angrily when Ukraine refused to renew the contract for Russian gas shipping to Slovakia at the end last year. This forced Slovakia to look for alternative suppliers and use other routes to get Russian gas.
The Slovakian government is also keen to continue the imports of Russian crude oil via the Druzhba pipe, which temporarily stopped in the last two weeks following Ukrainian attacks against the pipeline in Russia. (Reporting and editing by William Maclean in Prague and Rod Nickel.)
(source: Reuters)