Latest News
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US Safety Board opens investigation into Waymo robotaxis that pass stopped school buses
The?U.S. The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Friday that it will 'open an investigation' into the self-driving company Waymo after a robotaxi passed stopped school busses in Austin, Texas at least 19 different times since the beginning of the school term. Alphabet recalled over 3,000 vehicles in December to update software that caused the vehicles to 'drive past stopped school busses that were loading or removing students, increasing the risk of a collision. In October, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began an investigation into Waymo's vehicles when they were near school buses. Waymo stated that there were no accidents in the incidents. It said its self-driving technology, the Waymo driver, "safely navigates thousands of school bus encounters across the United States each week and is constantly improving." Waymo said it was "confident" that its safety performance around busses is superior to humans. The NHTSA posted a letter on November 20 from the Austin Independent Schools District stating that five incidents occurred in November following software updates by Waymo to fix the problem. The school district asked the company not to operate around schools at pick-up or drop-off hours until they could be sure the vehicles would not break the law. The school district reported to Waymo in December that the company refused 'to stop operations around schools. A lawyer for the district wrote, "We cannot let Waymo continue to endanger our students as it attempts to fix the problem." The lawyer said that a Waymo had been "recorded" driving past a school bus moments after the student had crossed in front and was still on the road. (Reporting and editing by Lisa Shumaker in Washington, David Shepardson from Washington)
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Politico reports that the Trump administration is considering a naval blockade against Cuba to stop its oil imports.
Politico reported that the Trump administration was considering imposing an 'all-out blockade' on oil imports into Cuba, as a possible new tactic to bring about a 'change of leadership in Cuba, according to three sources familiar with the plans. Politico reported that while no decision had been made, a similar move was sought by some critics of Cuban government within the Trump administration, and supported by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The White House did not respond immediately to a comment request on the report. If the reported plan is implemented, it will be a further step in Trump's efforts to bring regional powers into line with the United States. It would also underscore the seriousness of Trump's administration's desire to dominate the Western Hemisphere. Trump had earlier in January promised to prevent oil and money - from Venezuela, the country's longtime ally - from reaching Cuba following the January 3rd operation that captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Analysts say this could have catastrophic effects on Cuba's already failing?fuel supply and electrical grid, and its economy. Trump, whose eviction of Maduro and securing?control over that country's oil has given him a sense of confidence, has spoken of taking action against Cuba and Colombia. He suggested that Cuba should "strike a bargain" with Washington to increase pressure on this long-time U.S. enemy and provoke defiant statements from the Communist-run Island's leadership.
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Delta Air Lines encourages passengers to rebook flights as Winter Storm Fern threatens the weekend flights
Delta Air Lines advised passengers to reschedule flights this weekend as Winter Storm Fern could disrupt operations and force cancellations. Winter Storm Fern disrupts air travel in the United States. Airlines cancel flights, issue delays, and offer travel waivers. As the storm threatens to disrupt travel over the weekend, the?airline operator warned customers that they should expect cancellations of flights across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. This includes Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. Delta Air Lines cancelled flights in several airports across five states, warning that slower operations could lead to more cancellations and delays, complicating rebookings during the most busy winter travel period. Cirium, a firm that provides aviation analytics, reports that two-thirds (or 815) of the 815 flights scheduled to leave Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport this Friday have been cancelled. Airlines have urged passengers to monitor their flight status closely and to use airline websites or mobile apps for quick rebooking as the storm progresses. Travelers are already adjusting their plans to prepare for the storm.
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California sues Trump administration for Sable oil pipeline restart
California's Attorney General announced on Friday that the state is suing the Trump administration because it asserted federal authority over two state pipelines and allowed Sable Offshore to resume pumping oil. This lawsuit is part of a dispute that has been raging between Sable and California officials for a while over a 'drilling project' off the coast Santa Barbara, which was shut down after an oil spill in 2015. This is one of the many conflicts between U.S. president Donald Trump, a Democrat, who wants to boost domestic 'fossil-fuel production', and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom is a Democrat, but he has been a harsh critic of Trump. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a?statement that the administration had broken the law when it reclassified the Las Flores pipelines as "interstate", even though they ran between two California counties. This reclassification enabled the federal Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (which regulates interstate pipelines) to issue an urgent permit for restarting operations. The attorney general's office announced that the petition?will go to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.
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The French Navy diverts a suspected Russian shadow fleet to Marseille-Fos port
Sources close to the investigation said on Friday that the French navy diverted the Grinch tanker they?detained Thursday to the port of Marseille-Fos in order to?further investigate?. The tanker had been intercepted by the navy after it had left Murmansk, a Russian port, in early January. It was suspected of being under a false guise and of belonging to'shadow fleet,' which allows Russia to export oil, despite sanctions. The ship was sailing under the Comoros flag. In a statement released on Thursday, the French maritime police stated that the interception took place on the high seas between the southern coasts of Spain and Morocco. The statement added that?navies from other countries, such as Britain, supported the operations. The Marseille prosecutor's office, which is in charge of maritime law matters and is investigating this case, announced on Friday that the vessel had been "diverted", but did not specify to where. The EU has imposed sanctions on Russia in 19 different packages. However, Moscow has adjusted to the majority of these measures and continues selling millions of barrels of crude oil at discount prices to countries like India and China. A large?part of the oil is transported by a'shadow fleet' of vessels that operate outside the 'Western maritime industry. In October, France arrested another sanctioned oil tanker, the Boracay. It was released after a couple of days.
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Ship data shows that US naphtha is arriving in Venezuela, reviving heavy oil production.
Ship tracking data revealed that the first naphtha shipment for Venezuela, as part of an oil deal reached between Caracas & Washington in this'month', arrived Friday on Venezuelan waters aboard a tanker chartered a trading house Vitol. Caracas, Washington and Venezuela agreed on a $2 billion oil deal this month after the U.S. captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. The agreement covers up to 50,000,000?barrels Venezuelan oil that is in storage. The agreement gives traders Vitol &?Trafigura first access to Venezuelan oil to resell to refineries worldwide. It also includes a?supply? of heavy naphtha, needed to dilute Venezuela's extra-heavy output. According to documents and shipping data from the state company PDVSA, the United Kingdom flagged tanker "Hellespont Protector" was approaching Venezuela's Jose port on Friday. The tanker was due to discharge in the next few days. The documents show that PDVSA has not received any new naphtha cargos since late December. PDVSA imports approximately 100,000 barrels of light crude and naphtha per day to "dilute" its heaviest crude production. Last year, PDVSA's principal joint venture partner U.S. Chevron supplied the last cargo under?U.S. authorization. Washington's strict ban on all vessels sanctioned from entering and leaving Venezuela's waters has stopped many suppliers including Russia from sending cargoes to Venezuela. Sources in the industry said that Venezuela reversed its oil production cuts last week. However, the reversal was not very successful due to a lack of diluents, and the slow draining of its crude stockpiles. (Reporting and editing by Julia Symmes Cobb and David Gregorio; Marianna Paraga)
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Boeing orders will increase US Commerce-aided contracts to $244 billion by 2025.
U.S. firms signed contracts with foreign governments worth $244 billion in 2025, almost triple what they did in 2024, as Boeing saw a huge increase in orders for jetliners, according to the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Commerce Department. ITA stated that the 121 contracts will also be aided by the foreign spending?commitments?"in recent trade agreements negotiated by Trump administration. The contracts contain approximately $206 billion of U.S. Export Content and will support around 844,000 American Jobs. In 2024, in the final year of the Biden Administration, ITA signed $87 billion worth of contracts, a significant increase from the COVID era low of only $17 billion that was reached in 2021. BOEING ORDER SURGE 2025's jump is due to a huge increase in Boeing net orders, which jumped from 377 in the year 2024 to 1,075 in the last year. Boeing's 2025 order volume was its sixth best ever, and it surpassed Airbus for the first time in seven-years. The U.S. Export Champion recovered from years full of production and safety challenges. According to the Trump administration's estimates, Boeing planes and GE Aerospace engines accounted for $215 billion out of a total ITA-assisted contract value of $205 billion, including $187 billion from exports. Commerce valued the widebody jetliner contract with Qatar Airways at $96 billion including engines. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and Qatar's Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani signed the contract during Trump's May visit to Doha. Trump has boasted about being the "greatest Boeing salesman ever." "Commerce's Support to Boeing was a Differentiator in Our Achievement of Record Deals in 2025," Ortberg said in a?statement, adding that?teams from the agency provided "timely advocacy" and "insightful recommendations that advanced U.S. Jobs and Manufacturing." Commerce's aircraft total includes a $50 billion deal with Korean Air Lines, which was part of an investment and trade deal between the United States and Asian exporter. The deal also included $350 billion worth of other investments. Estimates of the value of announced aircraft orders often are based on the list price. However, the final sale prices can vary greatly depending on a variety factors such as customer loyalty and size, timing for delivery, long-term agreements on maintenance, order volume, and terms for escalating materials costs. Planemakers receive most of their money when a jet is actually delivered. Boeing won't see much of this money until 2029, several years after Trump ends his term. Focus on US interests An ITA spokesperson said that the Commerce Department totals include only signed contracts. Therefore, a number preliminary Boeing purchase commitments made?last year in trade negotiations by Malaysia, Bangladesh, and other countries would be included in the 2026 totals if they are finalized. Howard Lutnick, Commerce Secretary, said in a press release that "we are laser-focused" on promoting manufacturing, investment and new opportunities for American workers and companies. "While 2025 marked a historic moment, it was only the beginning. We will continue to usher a "new era" of American manufacturing, and prosperity. The ITA Advocacy Center provides advice to companies about bidding on foreign government contracts and arranges meetings between high-ranking U.S. official and foreign decision makers in order to promote American companies, marshaling the resources of various U.S. agencies. WABTEC MADE ITS LARGEST OUTSIDE SALE U.S. railroad manufacturer Wabtec signed a $4.2 Billion contract in September to supply 300 heavy haul locomotive kits?to Kazakhstan after an advocacy campaign which included a telephone call between Trump, and Kazakh president Kassym Jomart Tokayev. ITA reported that the Wabtec deal was its largest ever foreign sale and was part of $8.3 billion worth of global infrastructure and supply-chain projects that U.S. firms will win by 2025. The agency stated that the $244-billion total includes $10 billion worth of contracts in the defense sector, $7 billion worth in contracts in the energy sector, and $3.4 billion dollars in contracts in technology sectors, such as AI, cybersecurity and fintech.
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AirAsia is close to a deal with Airbus to buy around 100 A220 aircraft, according to sources
Airbus is close to a deal with AirAsia to sell 100?A220 narrowbody jets, marking AirAsia's first venture into regional aircraft. Sources, who asked not to be identified, said that if confirmed, a deal, including options, for about 50 additional aircraft could be announced in the next few days, as Asia's biggest low-cost airline pursues a turnaround. Both companies declined comment. AirAsia's spokesperson stated that they had no news to announce at the moment. The first discussions to become the exclusive buyer of a high-density 160-seater version?of Airbus' A220 appeared ahead of the Paris Airshow last year. Brazil's Embraer was also competing for the chance to break Airbus’ exclusive hold on AirAsia. Airbus redoubled its efforts last week to reach a deal with AirAsia, which could be reached as soon as this month. AirAsia, with over 350 jets of the larger A320 family already ordered, is one of the biggest customers for European planemakers. In July, it ordered 50 A321XLR long-range aircraft. AirAsia's co-founder Tony Fernandes said in June that the airline is ready to expand its fleet, by selecting smaller planes for new destinations. Farouk kamal, the deputy CEO of Group?, said that AirAsia continues to work with aircraft manufacturers for regional-type planes, and is considering ordering 150 more jets. AirAsia has led the boom of low-cost carriers across the region over the last two decades as incomes have risen. Capital A's parent company was crippled by pandemic travel restrictions, which led Malaysia's stock market to declare it 'financially distressed' in a measure called PN17. Fernandes, the CEO of Capital A said that in a Friday statement, the group has completed its PN17'regularisation plans and is "working towards the uplift". Capital A will focus on reviving the finances of its airline, AirAsia X. The consolidation of all AirAsia branded aviation businesses into AirAsia X allows AirAsia to concentrate on expanding operations while reducing costs. (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; Additional reporting by Danial Azar; Reporting by Tim Hepher)
US energy sector prepares for winter storm, as crude and natural-gas output falls
As a winter storm accompanied by?cold temperatures' began to sweep the United States on Friday, U.S. crude oil and natural gas production dropped and spot electricity prices soared.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm system named Fern will bring heavy snow and?sleet to large parts of the U.S., from the southern Rockies up to New England, through Monday. Travel disruptions are expected, as well as downed powerlines and extended electricity outages.
According to analysts and state regulators, the U.S. crude production is expected to fall as cold weather and stormy conditions force operators to stop production in certain basins. Energy Aspects said that this could result in a loss of up to 300,000 barrels a day.
Energy Aspects reported that the storm could reduce natural gas production by 86 billion cubic foot over the next two week, and noted that the Appalachia area could lose up to 35 bcf.
According to Energy Aspects, freezing temperatures will reach the Permian Basin this weekend. This could cause a decline of 200,000 barrels per day in that oilfield. According to the Energy Information Administration, this area - which straddles Texas & New Mexico - is expected to produce 6.63m bpd in January.
The state regulator reported on Friday that North Dakota crude production is down between 80,000 and 110,000 barrels per day, or 5 to 10%. This is because operators have shut down their operations due to the cold weather.
The latest data from the Industrial Commission of North Dakota showed that North Dakota was the third largest oil producing state. Its output increased by 12,000 bpd, to 1.189 millions bpd, in November.
The associated gas production of the state is currently down 0.24 billion cubic foot per day, to 0.33 BCFD.
Prepare for the POWER GRID Operators
Chris Wright, the U.S. Secretary for Energy, asked power grid operators on Thursday to have backup generators available at data centers – which are sensitive even to minor disruptions – and other major facilities as needed.
According to the Department of Energy, there are still 35 GW of backup generators that have not been used in the United States. This could reduce blackouts, and potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars for Americans in the event of a winter storm.
Southwest Power Pool (SWPP), a regional grid operator spanning 14 states from North Dakota to Louisiana reported that spot wholesale prices in real time were above $200 per megawatt hour due to congestion on high voltage power lines that brought electricity from the South to the upper Midwest.
A surplus of wind power generated as the storm tore through New Mexico and Oklahoma caused wholesale prices to fall. Wind generators were forced to pay for the grid to accept their excess electricity to avoid having to shut down their own production.
PJM, the largest U.S. grid, has warned that temperatures could cause it to set a 'new all-time peak winter load on Tuesday, 27th January. It is taking extra precautions in preparation with its transmission and generation owners. CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy and other U.S. utilities issued a joint statement on Friday informing consumers that they are preparing to reduce the impact on power supply.
Fuel Markets Brace for Cold Blast
Diesel prices are rising because it is used for heating and electricity generation.
Tom Kloza is a veteran oil analyst. He said that there is a potential for soaring demand for distillate fuels, as trucks are loaded with fuel?that must be used because natural gas is not available.
The possibility of refining disruptions also pushed U.S. ultra low-sulfur Diesel futures up to their highest level since November on Friday. ULSD futures rose 3% last to $2.44 a gallon.
TACenergy, a U.S. distributor of fuel, said that major fuel delivery hubs along the Colonial Pipeline - the largest fuel conduit in the U.S. - are expected to remain covered with ice and snow over the next few days.
This has caused the price of shipping gasoline along Colonial's Line 1 to fall, and demand for these delivery hubs is expected to be affected. TACenergy stated that the worst of this storm is expected to pass over most of the refinery origins. Reporting by Georgina Mcartney in Houston and Arathy Sommesekhar in New York; Tim McLaughlin and Nicole Jao, in Boston, and Tim Gardner, in Washington. Editing and rewriting by Nathan Crooks, Rosalba o'Brien, and Nathan Crooks.
(source: Reuters)