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Maduro is willing to have direct discussions with Grenell, the Trump envoy.
The Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has offered to have direct talks with Donald Trump's administration, days after the U.S. first strike on a South American boat that Trump claims was carrying drug traffickers. In a letter sent to Trump, Maduro refuted U.S. allegations that Venezuela was involved in the drug trade. He noted that only 5% of Colombian drugs are transported through Venezuela, and that 70% of those were neutralized or destroyed by Venezuelan officials. Maduro wrote, "President I hope we can overcome the falsehoods which have sullied the relationship that must be peaceful and historic," in his letter. "These issues and others will always be available for a direct, frank and open conversation with your special representative (Richard Grenell), to overcome fake news and media noise." He said that Grenell helped quickly resolve previous allegations that Venezuela refused to accept migrants. "To date, the channel has worked flawlessly," he added. Sources familiar with the situation said that despite the U.S. strike, the twice-weekly flights deporting illegal migrants from the U.S. to Venezuela continued unabated. Maduro’s letter is dated September 6, just four days after the U.S. struck a vessel which, according to the Trump administration, carried drug traffickers. Trump claimed that the strike killed 11 members of Trump's Tren de Aragua drug-trafficking gang. White House has not yet responded to the immediate question. Trump stepped up his pressure campaign Saturday. In a post to his Truth Social platform, he warned that Venezuela would pay a "incalculable price" if it did not accept the return of the prisoners Venezuela had allegedly forced into the U.S. Trump announced on Friday at least the third attack against alleged drug ships from Venezuela, amid a large U.S. Military buildup in southern Caribbean which includes seven warships and a nuclear-powered sub. Trump claimed that the strike "killed 3 male narcoterrorists on board the vessel" without providing any evidence. The Venezuelan Government, which claims to have deployed tens and thousands of troops in order to combat drug trafficking, as well as defend the country, said that none of those killed during the first strike were members of Tren de Aragua. The Venezuelan government also denies allegations of links between high ranking Venezuelan officials and drug gangs. Maduro claims that the U.S. has tried to remove him from power. Trump denied this week that he is interested in regime-change, but Washington doubled the reward last month for information leading Maduro to his arrest, to $50 million. It accused him of connections to drug trafficking, criminal groups, and other criminal activities. Maduro's letter to Trump reiterates his denial. In his letter to Trump, he said: "This is an outrageous instance of disinformation that has been used to justify escalation into armed conflict which would cause catastrophic damage to the entire continent." Trump's administration is divided over Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Grenell, former acting director of the national intelligence department during Trump's second term, are pushing for diplomacy. In his letter Maduro stated that he has and will continue to communicate directly with Grenell who organized the deportation flight, some of which went to Caracas, and others to Honduras. An official in the administration said that more than 8, 000 Venezuelans had been removed from the U.S. through the flights. The numbers were not verified. Grenell worked with the Maduro government to secure the release seven U.S. Citizens, including Air Force veteran Joe St. Clair who was released in May and whose family claimed he had wrongfully been detained in Venezuela from November 2024. Grenell did not respond to a request for comment. Geoff Ramsey is a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council. He said that Maduro was clearly making overtures. The White House must ask itself, "How can they win this battle?" Maduro will not want to give his head to the Venezuelans or the Americans on a silver platter. Ramsey claimed that the U.S. was building up to encourage the opposition in its efforts to topple Maduro. However, this strategy has been used unsuccessfully over the past decades. Henry Ziemer is an associate fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He noted that Trump was averse to getting involved in entanglements but predicted more targeted attacks. Ziemer stated, "I do not think Trump wants war and Maduro does not want war." "But the greater the number of assets in the region, the more chances there are to make a mistake." We could end up in a situation where Maduro and Trump are unable to back down. (staff in Washington and Bogota, edited by Mary Milliken & Andrea Ricci).
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Sources: The regional transport chief of Deutsche Bahn will become CEO
Two people with knowledge of the matter confirmed on Saturday that Evelyn Palla will be the new CEO at the German state-owned railroad operator. Both the Transport Ministry and Deutsche Bahn declined comment. Palla, the first female CEO of Deutsche Bahn, joined in 2019 after previously working for the chipmaker Infineon and energy group E.ON, as well as Austrian railway operator OeBB. The German transport ministry announced last month that the current CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Richard Lutz, would be leaving the company. This announcement marked the end of a challenging tenure as the leader of a company plagued by delays, underinvestment and public frustration. The German tabloid Bild reported Palla’s appointment first, and added that Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder will announce it Monday. Reporting by Christian Kraemer, Ralf Böde. Christoph Steitz wrote the article. Mark Potter (editing by Christoph Steitz)
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Cyberattack disrupts airports in Berlin and Brussels
Cyberattacks targeting service providers for check-in systems and boarding system have disrupted the operations of several European airports. Flight delays and cancellations were reported at airports including Berlin and Brussels. According to Brussels Airport, the attack rendered automated systems unusable, only allowing manual check-ins and boarding procedures. The operator stated in a website statement that the situation has had a significant impact on flight schedules and would unfortunately result in delays and cancellations. The service provider is actively working to solve the issue. It is advised that passengers with flights scheduled on Saturday confirm their travel plans with the airline before going to the airport. There are longer wait times at the check-in due to a technical problem at a provider of a system that operates across Europe. Berlin airport stated in a banner posted on its website that it was working to find a quick fix. (Reporting and editing by Kirsten Doovan; Sabine Siebold)
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Two robotaxi groups flag services for Singapore
Two Chinese firms announced on Saturday that they would partner with local companies to launch robotaxi service in Singapore as the city-state expands its autonomous driving. Grab, a ride-hailing service operator in China, announced that it will partner with WeRide next year to launch services. Pony.ai, ComfortDelGro and others said they would be partnering for similar services. They were waiting on regulatory approval. Grab announced in a press release that it had been chosen by the local authorities to run two autonomous shuttle services in the Punggol region. WeRide will start taking passengers in five- and eight seater vehicles from early 2026, after an initial phase of familiarisation for the vehicle to study the route in detail. WeRide received a permit in July from the Shanghai Municipal Government to operate an autonomous robotaxi ride hailing service. Pony.ai stated in a press release that it plans to launch autonomous services with fixed routes in Punggol before expanding into other areas. The company said that services would begin within the next few months, after receiving regulatory approval. Pony.ai has now launched commercial robotaxis across four of China's biggest cities: Beijing, Shanghai Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. After raising $260 millions from its Nasdaq listing, in November, the Toyota-backed company began exploring the deployments of its driverless services in South Korea. The company has stated that it will increase its robotaxi fleet by 1,000 vehicles by the end this year. Singapore has explored autonomous driving technologies. Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow visited several autonomous driving companies located in China in the month of June. Singapore has already created smaller test zones to test the technology.
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Tesla gets approval to test autonomous robotaxis at Arizona Test Site
The state transportation department approved Tesla to begin testing autonomous robotaxis with a safety monitor on Friday. The Arizona Department of Transportation stated in an email that Tesla applied for a permit in June to start trials for an autonomous ride-sharing service. It now plans to test roboticaxis using safety drivers in the Phoenix Metro Area. Tesla has not responded to our request for comment. It wasn't immediately clear when or for how long the trials would take place. Tesla's Chief Executive Elon M Musk stated previously that Tesla planned to launch an automated ride-hailing services to approximately half of the U.S. populace by the end this year. Tesla launched a test of its robotaxi in Austin, Texas in June. The service was limited to a few dozen vehicles and a selected group of passengers. There were also many restrictions including the presence of a safety monitor on the front passenger's seat. (Reporting and editing by Tom Hogue, Preetika Parshuraman, and Chris Kirkham)
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Trump: Merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern sounds good
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, said that he thought it was a good idea to merge Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern for $85 billion. The Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena and President Trump met in the Oval Office last week to discuss the railroad’s plan to buy out Norfolk Southern. Trump told reporters Friday in the Oval Office that "Union Pacific is an excellent railroad." The announcement in July of the merger of two of the major U.S. railroad operators shocked the market, which was already highly concentrated. Under the Biden administration's aggressive antitrust policies, such a proposal was unthinkable. Trump's backing could speed up the review process in an agreement that is facing opposition from rivals, and pushback by shippers worried about reduced competition. If approved, the tie-up could transform the U.S. rail freight industry, creating the first coast to coast single-line network. It would streamline operations and eliminate interchange delays at key hubs such as Chicago. Union Pacific is the dominant freight rail carrier in Western United States. Norfolk Southern, on the other hand, is the leading carrier in Eastern United States. Together they make up two of the major U.S. class I railroads along with BNSF Railway, CSX Corp, and BNSF. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, which owns BNSF Railway sent a strong message last month against more consolidation, and said he wasn't interested in buying another railway. BNSF and CSX are the two major U.S. railroads that do not operate a transcontinental network. Last week, the White House announced that it would nominate Surface Transportation Board member Michelle Schultz to a second term, and Richard Kloster, a transportation consultant who runs a private company, for an open seat in the agency. Last month, the White House fired Surface Transportation Board Member Robert Primus. Primus was appointed by former President Joe Biden.
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The death toll in the tanker truck explosion that occurred in Mexico City has risen to 25
MEXICO CITY (Sept. 19) - The death count from an explosion that occurred in the capital of Mexico involving a truck transporting liquefied petrol gas (LPG), has now reached 25, according to the city's Health Ministry. The truck carrying about 50,000 liters LPG overturned and crashed into a wall. A rupture released gas which ignited and caused an explosion. The fire then consumed around 30 cars. Since last Wednesday, the number of fatalities has increased. The truck exploded and burst into fire while driving on a busy highway near Iztapalapa in Mexico City. Mexico City Health Ministry: "In relation to the Iztapalapa accident, we can confirm 21 people are still hospitalized. 38 people have been discharged and 25 tragically died." The incident has sparked frustration about safety conditions on Mexico’s highways and led to calls for tighter supervision of hazardous cargo transportation and road maintenance. Residents expressed frustration with the challenges they face on the outskirts of the city, where commutes can be long and difficult. The driver of the truck died this week. One of the youngest victims is a two-year old girl who was transported last week to an American hospital in Galveston Texas. At least 11 minors were also injured by the explosion and treated locally. Initial investigations by the city authorities indicated that excessive speed and lack skill of the driver caused the accident. The investigation is ongoing. Reporting by Diego Ore, Writing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez, Natalia Siniawski and Editing by Richard Chang
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US lawmakers want to sanction Russia's "shadow fleet"
On Friday, a group of Republican senators and Democratic senators in the United States introduced legislation that would increase sanctions against Russian energy. The legislation specifically targets a collection older oil tankers which lawmakers claim are used to avoid existing U.S. sanctions on energy. The "Sanctioning Harbors and Dodgers of Western Sanctions" or SHADOW Fleets Act is a response to President Donald Trump's statement that he wanted to discourage other countries from buying Russian oil. This fuels Russia’s economy and pays for its war in Ukraine. The bill was sponsored by Senators Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho and Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Seven other Republican and Democratic Senators also signed the bill. The bill targets the shadow fleet by providing the U.S. with a list that can be used to identify vessels supporting Russian naval forces. It also establishes strict sanctions liability on any ship involved in a transfer involving a sanctioned ship. It also sanctions Russian Arctic Liquid Natural Gas Projects and the development of new Russian LNG projects. The Nord Stream II pipeline from Europe would also be terminated. This measure would also bring U.S. sanctioning more in line with the European Union. EU officials announced on Friday that the bloc intends to ban Russian LNG exports one year earlier than anticipated, as part a 19th set of sanctions against Moscow. Prospects for the bill were unclear. The prospects of a separate bill to impose tough sanctions on Russia were not clear. While the world was reacting to the Russian incursion in Estonian airspace that raised concerns of increased instability, several groups of senators introduced separate bills Friday to increase security in Eastern Europe as well as use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine.
Dallas airports are back to normal after FAA details the problem that caused the outage
Flight operations returned to normal at two Dallas area airports on Saturday after the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that a Verizon Communications unit had suffered telecom failures which caused more than 2,000 flights to be disrupted.
American Airlines, Dallas Fort Worth Airport's largest carrier, reported that more than 100,000 passengers had been affected by telecom problems which began around 2 pm CT on Friday and continued until the morning of Saturday.
American Airlines said that it had to cancel 530 flights on Friday and 160 flights on Saturday. It also had to divert 65 other flights bound for Dallas.
Southwest Airlines, Dallas Love Field's largest carrier, has delayed or cancelled more than 1,100 flights on Friday. Southwest Airlines reported 580 extreme delays Friday.
American Airlines, which has also experienced a delay of more than 350 flights in the last week, warned that there may be additional operational impact.
The FAA reported that "multiple failures of telecommunications services provided by Verizon Communications Frontier unit" led to the outage which affected the FAA's Dallas Terminal Radar Approach Control (which handles operations at both Dallas airports).
The FAA stated that the oversight by L3Harris contractor failed to ensure the redundancies of the system worked properly.
A Frontier spokesperson said that a third party contractor in Argyle (Texas) accidentally cut the fiber lines of their company, affecting communication systems at Dallas airports. She said that her team coordinated with the FAA, the airports, and worked over night to stabilize the system. As a result, the airports were back up and running by today.
American Airlines explains the events leading to flight disruptions. Two fiber optic cables were cut on Friday, affecting data that supports FAA radars and radio frequencies, as well as computer systems.
David Seymour (American Airlines' Chief Operating Officer) wrote in an email sent to its employees that the efforts of L3Harris, Frontier and other airlines to restore service were not moving fast enough. He also said that the airline was working on determining the financial impact.
Seymour, along with the airline's chief executive officer, Robert Isom had difficulty "reaching leaders at Frontier and L3Harris". "We are extremely disappointed that neither of the providers seems to be in a hurry to resolve this issue," Seymour wrote in an email.
L3Harris didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment.
In recent years, the FAA has been plagued by a series of technical issues that highlight the fragility of the U.S. Air Traffic Control System. Congress awarded $12.5 billion in July to revamp the system. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Lucia Mutikani and Leslie Adler; editing by Leslie Adler).
(source: Reuters)