Latest News
-
Telstra outage disrupts Australian train services, taxi payments
Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications company, suffered a?outage on Wednesday. The issue affected?taxi payments?systems, and certain train services. Due to communication problems, the operator suspended train services between Melbourne, Australia's largest?city, and regional towns. Passengers were advised to postpone travel if possible. Australian media reported that some passengers were unable to pay for their taxis, while drivers lost jobs due to the failure of their payment systems. In a press release, Emergency Management Minister Kristy McCain stated: "We are aware that Telstra is working to resolve the issue and arrangements are currently being made for rail passengers affected." Telstra stated that it was investigating a problem affecting data and mobile calls. Telstra urged customers to "try again" as?it might work if you retry. The company has not confirmed if the issue is related to mobile calls or data, nor when it will be resolved. Telstra stated that they were "on it" and would share an update as soon as the problem was resolved. Reporting by Renju Jose, Sydney; Nikita Maria Jio, Bengaluru. Editing by Jonathan Ananda & Sonali Paul
-
Cuba restores its grid, but power shortages persist amid US fuel embargo
Cuba said that it had reconnected the majority of the country with the national grid by late Tuesday night, but millions of people remained without electricity as the island nation struggled to meet even one-third the current demand due to an ongoing U.S. oil blockade. The cause of the nationwide blackout on Monday has not been fully explained by authorities. This is the third blackout in Cuba this year, and it has left a population of almost 10 million people without power overnight. The grid operator of the country, UNE, announced late Tuesday that it had reconnected grids from Pinar del Rio in western Cuba to Holguin in eastern Cuba. Authorities said that Santiago de Cuba, Cuba's second-largest city, was still without power and disconnected. By late Tuesday evening, power had been restored to about?two thirds of Havana's capital. However, another widespread outage occurred around 6 pm ET. Havana residents are accustomed to power outages lasting 30 hours or longer. They have resigned themselves to yet another night of mosquito swatting and little sleep. Amauri Gonzales, a resident of Havana who had just stepped out to get some fresh air, said: "I do not see a solution for this problem." "Our power plants have become obsolete, and there is no fuel." UN DEBATE In an attempt to choke Cuba's communist government, the U.S. cut off its fuel supply and imposed 'fresh sanctions' that led to a mass exodus of businesses from abroad and a near-total collapse of tourism. Cuba and the United Nations have said that President Donald Trump's sanctions are a violation to international law and human rights. Both Cuban and U.S. government officials claim that the talks between the two countries have stagnated. In a meeting held at Havana’s request, the UN General Assembly voted Tuesday overwhelmingly to discuss U.S. Sanctions against Cuba. U.S. Michael Waltz, ambassador to the United Nations, said that Cuba was responsible for the electricity shortages. "Change your ways, and turn on the lights for your people," Waltz said during the U.N. discussion. The majority of countries that spoke at the U.N. debate called for Washington to reverse the sanctions and end the six-month fuel blockade that has crippled the economy on the island. Reporting by Dave Sherwood in Havana and Ayose Naranjo; editing by Andrea Ricci, David Gregorio
-
Trans Mountain Pipeline reaches agreement with oil shippers over toll dispute
Trans Mountain announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with oil shippers following 18 months of negotiations. Trans Mountain, owned by the Canadian Government, has said that the deal represents "a substantial majority" of the contracted shipping volume and was submitted to Canada Energy Regulator. Trans Mountain has said that as part of the deal it negotiated, it would seek permission from the regulator for an increase in the percentage of its total capacity contracted, from 80% to 90%. That means the proportion of ?the 890,000-barrels-per-day pipeline that is currently reserved for spot shipments ?will drop to ?10% from 20%, if approved. Trans Mountain is Canada's sole east-west oil pipe, providing direct access to China as well as other Asian markets. This is at a time when Canada is looking to diversify its oil exports and move away from the United States. The Canadian government completed a major expansion of the pipeline in 2024. However,?oil firms have protested against the increased?tolls that Trans?Mountain charges to cover the cost overruns on the C$34 billion project. Trans Mountain - which has proposed to add up to '300,000 BPD of capacity by 2028 through various optimizations projects - announced on Tuesday that it will launch an open'season' on July 13, allowing shippers to bid for 90,000 BPD of this new capacity, expected to be available before the end of the year. (Reporting and Editing by Bill Berkrot.)
-
After a technical problem, a cargo plane with five people on board lost contact near Karachi
Five crew members aboard a Pakistan registered Boeing 737 cargo aircraft lost contact with air traffic control on Tuesday night after reporting a navigational problem while on the way from Sharjah, Pakistan to Karachi. This prompted search and rescue efforts, according to Pakistan aviation authorities. Pakistan Airports Authority reported on Facebook that the 27-year old aircraft, operated by K2 Airways?, had a navigational issue?at 2118 Pakistan Standard Time? (1618 GMT), while flying towards?Karachi. The authority stated that local air traffic control attempted to guide the aircraft, but after three minutes, radar systems showed the aircraft rapidly descending and communication was lost. According to the statement, the flight was 155 nautical mile west of Karachi. Flightradar24, a flight tracking service, said on X that preliminary data indicates a possible accident in the sea southwest of Karachi. Geo News, a local Pakistani media outlet, reported that the?aircraft disappeared while flying near Ormara?in Balochistan. K2 Airways and Boeing didn't?immediately reply to a request for comment. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey from Mexico City, and MubasherBukhari from Lahore. Editing and rewriting by Franklin Paul and Deepababington.
-
South Sudan oil ban relaxed after BB Energy awarded 3 cargoes
The BB Energy commodities trading company has announced that it will relax a court order against South Sudan's prepayments of oil. showed. The?agreement follows BB Energy being awarded three crude oil cargoes between August and November, according to the company. It is the latest step in the legal challenge it has brought against South Sudan for allegedly failing to deliver the oil that BB Energy paid for. According to a consent ordered filed on July 3, BB Energy received?600,000.0-barrels of Dar Blend crude for August and November, and a Nile 'Blend cargo the same size for September. The agreement allows prepayments for South Sudan Dar and Nile Blend Oil under certain conditions, except if BB Energy receives the cargoes. In consideration of?these award, BB Energy agreed to relax existing injunctions that prevented the Republic of South Sudan accepting advance payments for crude-oil cargoes," a spokesperson from the company said. The relaxation will remain in place until November 30. Court documents confirmed the agreement. London's High Court ruled first in May that South Sudan'may not enter any new prepayment contract for Dar Blend - or Nile Blend - crude oil until it clears outstanding debts with BB energy and pending further proceedings. BB Energy stated that the three 'cargoes' will help to pay down the outstanding amount owed by BB Energy. The amount of oil or cash outstanding was not specified. BB Energy shipped a 'first cargo' in February of this?year, as part of a prepayment contract for 2025. BB Energy stated that the multi-party legal problem was resolved by discussions with Republic of South Sudan, other market participants and BB Energy.
-
Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific defend proposed $85 Billion Merger
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have told an U.S. government agency that they are willing to sell?stakes? in smaller railroads, as part of the $85 billion proposed?merger. The deal will create the first U.S. coast to coast?freight railroad?operator. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have said that they will not be able to control the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, Kansas City Terminal Railway or TTX Company following the merger. The railroads, which are owned jointly with other major carriers, are operated by independent management. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have said that they will divest their ownership in these smaller lines, if ordered by the Surface Transportation Board. They claim that other major carriers use the smaller railroads to delay or stop the merger, in particular?TRRA. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have stated that they plan to complete the transaction in the first half of 2027. The carriers claim that the deal will save shippers approximately $3.5 billion per year, improve service reliability and divert freight away from trucks onto rails, while retaining shipper options, as well as deliver broad public benefits, all while protecting union jobs. Attorneys general in several states, as well as freight shippers, who are concerned about higher rates, raised concerns regarding the merger. Railroads predicted that the new network would take?approximately 2,1 million trucks off of the road. This will result in savings for consumers. The deal could reshape America's freight rail sector, allowing for a more efficient operation and reducing interchange delays at hubs such as Chicago. The opposition to the deal is still active. This includes lobbying efforts from BNSF and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, two major rivals. Donald Trump, who publicly supports the merger, removed Robert Primus from the STB Democratic board, which could oppose the consolidation. He then appointed Republican Patrick Fuchs to the position of chairman. This move was seen as a way for the regulator to be more open-minded about approving the deal. (Reporting and editing by David Shepardson, Sabrina Valle)
-
Panama Canal could reduce Neopanamax draft from 44 feet to 44 inches in 2027 according to incoming official
At a Tuesday event, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), the new administrator, Ilya Espino, said that the ACP could reduce the maximum vessel draft for its largest locks from 44 feet to 44 feet in the summer of 2027 depending on rainfall levels. She added that the canal does not plan to reduce the number of vessels allowed to transit each day. As part of its water conservation measures, the authority said that it would reduce the maximum draft for ships transiting through its larger "Neopanamax" locks. The authority informed shippers that the maximum draft would be reduced by 49.5 feet from July 3 to 49 feet on?July 24?and to 48.5 feet in August 15 as part of water-conservation measures. These measures are part of a water management strategy to protect operations from the threat of El Nino later in this year. The draft restrictions will limit the depth of the water that vessels can sit, forcing some ships to reduce their cargo before transiting the Canal. Espino said that the authority, which is expected to assume the post from?2026-2033, was still assessing the anticipated rainfall levels. She said: "We need to prepare for the summer of next year." If El Nino impacts rainfall through December we could end up with a situation similar to?2023. A severe drought in that year forced the canal authorities to drastically reduce the vessel?draft limit and the traffic on the waterway. The Middle East conflict has caused disruptions to?shipping in the Suez Canal, which have increased demand for a?passage via Panama this year. Espino stated that the canal 'currently handles 36 to 37 transits daily through its locks compared to 40 to 41 transits a few months ago. (Reporting and editing by Elida Moreno, Marianna Parraga)
-
US airline fuel costs rose by $3 billion to $1.5 billion in May
Fuel costs in the?U.S. Fuel costs for?U.S. In May 2025, airlines spent $3.62 Billion on fuel, compared to $6.66 Billion in the same month of this year. USDOT said that the cost of fuel per gallon in May was $4.09 - up $1.88 from May 2025. In recent weeks, jet fuel prices have dropped sharply as tensions between Iran and the United States eased. Fuel prices in April rose by 80%, to $6.5 billion. The price of jet fuel is?down by around 40% compared to their April highs, but the oil price rose on Tuesday more than 2% after reports of attacks against vessels near the Strait of Hormuz rekindled fears of "disruptions" in shipping along the vital energy transit route. The cost of air travel has risen significantly since the Iran 'war' began. However, it is not yet down as a result of falling jet fuel prices. U.S. Airlines raised ticket prices, added bag fees and cut schedules as fuel costs rose. However, these steps offset only a portion of the increase. About 80% of domestic flights in the United States are operated by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines?American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines.
Bahrain reports limited power outage in Bahrain; Kuwait restores some power after outages
Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy announced on Wednesday that power was restored to a number of affected areas?by electrical outages? after several transmission lines?went out of operation.
The ministry stated that emergency teams are continuing to work to restore electricity as soon as possible to all the?affected areas?.
Earlier, the ministry said that several power lines were out of service and causing "electricity outages" in various parts of the country. The ministry said that 'teams are working under an approved emergency?plan to identify the cause and restore power supply.
Bahrain's Electricity and Water Authority (BNA) reported that it had also monitored a limited outage of power in?several parts of the kingdom. (Reporting and editing by Nia William and Lincoln Feast.
(source: Reuters)