Latest News
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Amazon cancels drone delivery plans in Italy
Amazon announced on Sunday that it would not pursue plans to deliver goods by drones in Italy. The company said it made progress with the aerospace regulators but business regulations were against it. Italian civil aviation ENAC described the decision as unexpected. In a statement issued on Saturday, the company said that the move was motivated by a change in company policy and related to "recent financial events involving Group". The company had announced that initial drone delivery tests would be completed in San Salvo in central Abruzzo in December 2024. Amazon released a statement on Sunday. "Following an?strategic assessment, we have decided that?our plans for commercial drone deliveries in Italy will be discontinued". Amazon said that despite positive engagement and progress with Italian aerospace regulators, the regulatory framework for business in the country does not support the longer-term goals of this program at this time. (Reporting and editing by Frances Kerry, Alvise Armelli)
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Winter weather in the Northeast US leads to thousands of flight cancellations and delays
Snow and ice plowed into the U.S. Northeast on Saturday morning, disrupting the post-holiday weekend?airline traffic. New York and New Jersey officials declared weather emergencies even though the storm had subsided by mid-morning. New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency due to the treacherous road conditions. In a press release, New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that "the safety of New Yorkers is my number one priority and I will continue to urge caution for the duration of this hurricane." Bob Oravec, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center near Washington, D.C., stated that by early Saturday, six to ten inches (15 to 25 cm) of snow had fallen in an area extending from Syracuse, in central New York, to Long Island, in the southeast part of the state, and also Connecticut. Oravec reported that Central Park received the most snow since 2022, with 4.3 inches. He said, "The good thing is that most of the heavy snow has melted." "Only a couple of flurries are left this morning, and they will fade by afternoon." The effects of the storm were felt by passengers. FlightAware, which tracks flights, reports that more than 9,000 domestic U.S. flight cancellations or delays occurred on Saturday. Many of these were in the New York region, at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LaGuardia) and Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark Liberty). American Airlines, United Airlines, and JetBlue Airways representatives told passengers that they waived the change fees usually charged for rebooking in cases where weather-related delays may have affected their travel plans. Winter weather advisories and ice storm warnings were posted in most of Pennsylvania, as well as in much of Massachusetts. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have issued restrictions on commercial vehicles for certain roads, including interstate highways. Tahesha way, acting governor of New Jersey, said that the storm would cause hazardous road conditions and impact holiday travel. "We urge travelers to avoid traveling during the storm to allow crews to maintain roads." Rich McKay reported from Atlanta. (Additional reporting by Maria Tsvetkova, Steve Gorman and Dan Levine in Washington; editing by Sergio Non & Mark Potter.)
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Winter weather in the Northeast US leads to thousands of flight cancellations and delays
Snow and ice blanketed the U.S. Northeast on Saturday morning, causing disruption to airline traffic after the holiday weekend. Officials in New York and New Jersey declared weather emergencies even though the storm had subsided by midday. New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency due to the treacherous road conditions. New York Governor Kathy Hochul made a statement saying, "The safety and well-being of New Yorkers are my highest priorities. I will continue to urge caution for the duration of this hurricane." Bob Oravec, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center in Washington, D.C., says that by early Saturday, six to ten inches of snow (15 to 25 cm) had fallen in an area spanning from Syracuse, in central New York, to Long Island, in the southeast, and Connecticut. Oravec reported that Central Park received 4.3 inches of snow, the highest amount since 2022. He said, "The good thing is that most of the heavy snow has melted." "Only a couple of flurries are left this morning, and they will fade by afternoon." Travelers were feeling the effects. FlightAware reports that more than 14,400 domestic U.S. flight cancellations or delays occurred on Saturday morning. The majority of these flights were in the New York region, at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LaGuardia) and Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark Liberty). FlightAware reports that another 2,100 international flights scheduled to leave or land the U.S. Saturday have been canceled. American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines representatives said that they waived the change fees usually charged for rebookings in cases where weather disruptions may have affected travel plans. Winter weather advisories and ice storm warnings were also posted in?most Pennsylvania and most of Massachusetts. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have issued restrictions on commercial vehicles for certain roads, including interstate highways. Tahesha way, acting governor of New Jersey, said that the storm would cause hazardous road conditions and affect holiday travel. We urge travelers to avoid traveling during the storm to allow crews to maintain roads. Rich McKay reported from Atlanta. Steve Gorman and Maria Tsvetkova contributed additional reporting from Washington, while Steve Tsvetkova reported from New York. Sergio Non, Mark Potter and Sergio Non edited the article.
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Waymo's San Francisco outage raises doubts over robotaxi readiness during crises
The widespread power outage that caused Waymo robotaxis to stall and snarl traffic in San Francisco earlier this month has raised concerns over the ability of autonomous vehicle operators (AVOs) to handle major emergencies such as earthquakes and flooding. Videos posted on social networks showed driverless taxis of Alphabet's?Waymo unit, a common sight on the streets, stuck at intersections, their hazard light on, as?traffic signals?had stopped working after a PG&E fire that had knocked out electricity to about one-third the city in December 20. Waymo suspended operations and resumed them a day after. The incident has renewed the call for tighter regulation in a nascent, but rapidly growing industry. Other companies such as Amazon's Zoox and Tesla are racing to expand robotaxi service across several cities. "If you get a response to a blackout wrong, regulators are derelict if they do not respond to that by requiring some sort of proof that the earthquake scenario ?will be handled properly," said Philip Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University computer-engineering professor and autonomous-technology expert. Waymo stated in a Tuesday statement that, while its robotaxis were designed to handle nonoperational traffic signals as four-way stop, they sometimes request a verification check. The vehicles were able to successfully navigate more than 7,000 dimmed signals on Saturday. However, the "outage" caused a spike in confirmation requests which "led to response delay contributing to congestion on already overcrowded streets," Waymo stated. Robotaxi operators use remote control by humans in various degrees around the world to monitor and operate vehicles. This is known as "teleoperation". Waymo has, for instance, a team human "fleet responses" agents that?respond to the questions of the Waymo driver, its robot, when they encounter a specific situation. Missy Cummings of George Mason University Autonomy and Robotics Center and a former advisor to the U.S. Road Safety regulator said that such remote assistance had its limitations. She said that the whole purpose of remote operations was to have humans available when the system did not respond as it should. Cummings stated that the federal government should regulate remote operations. Cummings said that the federal government should regulate remote operations. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulate and issue licenses for the testing of robotaxis and their commercial deployment, are investigating the incident. The DMV stated that it was in contact with Waymo, and other automakers about emergency response. The DMV also stated that it was formulating rules to ensure remote driver "meets high standards for safety and accountability, as well as responsiveness." "A SHOT ACROSS BOW" The deployment and commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles has been "harder than anticipated" with high investments being made to ensure that the technology is safe, and public outcry following collisions forcing some to close their doors. After a high-profile incident in 2023, when a robotaxi of?General Motors Cruise dragged a person, regulators revoked the permit. The company eventually ceased operations. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has promised rapid expansion. Waymo has also expanded rapidly, after a slow and steady growth since it was launched as Google's autonomous driving project in 2009. Waymo has a fleet that includes more than 2,500 cars. It operates in San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles as well as Metro Phoenix, Austin, Atlanta, and Atlanta. The company stated that the confirmation processes it follows were developed during its early deployment, and they are now fine-tuning them to fit its current scale. Waymo has implemented fleet-wide updates to provide vehicles with a "specific power outage contextual, allowing them to navigate more effectively." Cummings, as well as Koopman, said that robotaxi operators would need to meet additional requirements when their fleets reach a certain size. This is to ensure they are equipped to handle large-scale problems. Koopman stated that "if this had been a quake, there would have been problems." This is just a warning shot. Reporting by Abhirup in San Francisco, Editing by Sayantani and Alistair Bell
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Spanish family missing following boat sinking off Indonesia
Spanish authorities and an Indonesian media agency reported on Saturday that a Spanish family of four was missing after a boat with?eleven passengers sank in severe weather off the coast of Indonesia. Antara, a state-run news agency, reported that the 'other passengers' - including two?tourists?from?Spain and four crew members - were rescued in safety late on Friday. Antara reported that the vessel capsized due to waves up to three metres high in the Padar Strait, near Labuan Bajo Island, a popular tourist destination. Spain's Foreign Ministry said that Indonesian rescue teams were searching for the missing family. (Reporting and editing by Andrew Cawthorne; Victoria Waldersee)
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California drops lawsuit against Trump's revocation of high-speed rail funding
California has dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration's decision to?cancel over $4 billion of federal grants for California's high-speed railway project. The state announced this late Friday. California High-Speed Rail Authority said that Tuesday's decision to drop the lawsuit reflects the state's "assessment" that the federal government was not a trustworthy, reliable or constructive partner for advancing high-speed railroad in California. The agency stated that it will move forward without federal funding. It added that only 18% program expenditures have been funded by federal funds. A judge rejected an attempt to dismiss the lawsuit?this month. The U.S. Transportation Department or White House did not respond immediately to comments. The latest 'headache for a project plagued by delays and cost overruns' Governor Gavin Newsom said that the termination of grants by Republican President Donald Trump was "petty political retribution" motivated by Trump's personal animus towards California and the high speed rail project. The funding cuts are just the latest obstacle in the 16 year effort to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco with a three hour train ride. This project would provide the fastest passenger rail service available in the United States. The project, originally planned to be completed by 2020 and cost $33 billion is now estimated to cost between $89billion and $128billion, with service expected to begin by 2033. California voters approved the first bond issue in 2008. Since then, more than 50 major structures have been built, including bridges overpasses undercrossings viaducts. The project has also completed almost 80 miles of guideway. In August, the Transportation Department canceled $175 million in funding for four projects in the high-speed train program. This was after the federal government canceled $4 billion in grants. California's agency announced this week that it would begin a process of attracting private investors and developers before summer 2026. The agency stated on?Friday that the loss of federal funds will not derail construction and the project. It added it was making progress. The agency stated that rather than continue to spend money and time fighting the termination, it is moving ahead without them. In June, the Federal Railroad Administration released a 315 page report that found the project plagued with missed deadlines. It also revealed budget shortfalls as well as questionable projections of ridership. Trump withdrew $929 million of federal grants during his first term. The state challenged the move, which led to a settlement under Democratic President Joe Biden in 2021, restoring the entire amount. Reporting by David Shepardson, Washington
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Winter storm wreaks havoc on the Northeast of the United States, causing airline travel to be disrupted
Winter storms - a mix of ice and snow - swept through the U.S. Northeast early on Saturday. This caused disruption to airline traffic after the holiday weekend and led officials in New York and New Jersey declare weather emergencies. The National Weather Service issued ice storm and Winter Storm Warnings in New York State and Connecticut. They forecasted some of the highest snowfall totals, up to one foot locally. According to a Friday emergency declaration by Governor Kathy Hochul warning of dangerous?road conditions, New York City may see its largest accumulations since 2022 with peak snowfall rates?of 2 or more inch per hour. Forecasts for many areas predicted that snow would be covered or mixed with sleet, freezing rain and a mixture of the two. Hochul issued a statement in which he urged residents to "avoid any unnecessary travel." Winter weather advisories and ice storm warnings were also posted in most of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Jersey. A state of emergency was also declared. The storm was expected to bring high winds. On Friday night, snow began to fall in the western part of New York State and New York City. It was expected that it would intensify on Saturday. FlightAware, a flight tracking service, reported that more than 1,600 commercial flights were cancelled on Friday. Another 7,800 or so flights were delayed due to weather conditions worsening. Flight cancellations on Friday were mainly caused by three airports in the New York City region: John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. All three airports issued alerts via social media platform X, warning travelers of possible disruptions. FlightAware reports that another 650 flights scheduled to leave or land in the U.S. this Saturday have been canceled. The representatives of?American Airlines United Airlines and JetBlue Airways said that these carriers waived the?change fee normally charged for re-bookings to passengers whose plans could be affected by weather related disruptions. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have issued restrictions on commercial vehicles for certain roads, including interstate highways. Tahesha way, acting governor of New Jersey, said in a press release that the storm would cause hazardous road conditions and affect holiday travel. We urge travelers to avoid traveling during the storm to allow crews to maintain roads.
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China tightens safety regulations and revises its aviation law
China has passed a revised bill that, for the first time, regulates unmanned aircraft. This will reshape China's drone industry and low-altitude economic sectors. On December 27, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress voted to approve the changes made under the Civil Aviation Law. The amendments include a provision for airworthiness certification of drones, which fills in a regulatory gap. According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University, China's Civil Aviation Administration, China's low altitude economy (a national strategic initiative focused on commercial activities under 3,000 meters) is expected to grow from 1.5 trillion yuan to 2 trillion yuan by 2030. All entities that are involved in the production, importation, maintenance, operation, and design of drones will be required to obtain an 'airworthiness certificate' under the new rules. According to national regulations, drone manufacturers will have to assign each unit a unique code for product identification. China's "interim regulations" on unmanned aircraft will be implemented in 2024. They stipulate that civil unmanned planes must be registered using their real names. Micro, light and small civil unmanned airplanes do not need airworthiness certificates, but medium and large aircraft must submit an application to CAAC for certification. China's drone industry has grown rapidly, but oversight has been lacking. In recent years, flight delays have been reported in several cities due to illegal drone operations. These flights were penalized with fines and other penalties. These new requirements will impact manufacturers like DJI, the world's largest consumer drone manufacturer, and EHang which makes passenger drones. According to data from the transport ministry, drone logistics has become a major driver in China's low altitude economy. 2.7 million packages, containing everything ranging from hamburgers and sandwiches?to lifesaving medicine, will be delivered by 2024. JD.com, Meituan and other e-commerce leaders have long discussed investing in drone logistics as a way to improve supply chain efficiency. JD Logistics tested drone delivery networks across Jiangsu and Shaanxi. They claim that drones can cut shipping times by as much as 70% for rural customers. (Reporting and editing by Shri Navaratnam, Casey Hall)
Ukraine's DTEK claims that power has been restored to one million households in the Kyiv area
Ukraine's largest?private energy company said on Sunday that it had restored power to more than one million households around Kyiv, a day after an air strike by Russia had caused emergency outages.
Two people were killed and power was knocked out in large areas of the capital area and surrounding region by a combined?missile-and drone attack? that occurred early Saturday morning.
DTEK announced in a statement that it restored electricity to 748, 000?households?in Kyiv as well as 347,000?outside the city.
The report said that the situation on Kyiv’s left bank was "more difficult", as emergency power outages were still in place.
DTEK reported that two districts in the Kyiv region were still experiencing emergencies.
In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its massive strikes on Ukraine's energy systems as it continues to?press ahead with a military offensive in the face of a U.S. led peace effort aimed at ending the war that is now nearly four years old. (Reporting and editing by Hugh Lawson; Reporting by Dan Peleschuk)
(source: Reuters)