Egyptair orders six additional Airbus A350 aircraft
June 18 (Reuters) - Egyptair ordered six additional Airbus A350-900 airplanes, taking the airline's total order for the type to 16, its chief executive said on Wednesday.
"It will enable us to meet rising demand for long-haul travel, support our network expansion plans over the next five years' Egyptair CEO Ahmed Adel said.
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- Reuters
Russia and Mali sign trade deals, eye nuclear energy cooperation
MOSCOW, June 23 (Reuters) - Russia signed agreements to bolster trade and economic ties with Mali on Monday and President Vladimir Putin told the visiting leader of the West African country's military junta that there were specific areas where cooperation could be ramped up. Putin received Colonel Assimi Goita in the Kremlin, where the two spoke for two hours, Russian state media said. Putin said relations with Mali had a "good upward trend" even if bilateral trade was currently "modest", according to a Kremlin readout. "There are good areas for future cooperation: these are geological exploration, natural resource development, energy, logistics and the humanitarian fields," Putin said. One of the deals Putin and Goita signed concerned cooperation in nuclear energy, the Kremlin said. Mali and Russia have in the past discussed what they have called a strategic project to build a Russian-designed low-power nuclear power plant. Construction began earlier this month in Mali on a new Russian-backed gold refinery, which Goita, who seized power following coups in 2020 and 2021, has said would give the Western African country greater control over its natural resources. Mali is one of Africa's top gold producers, but currently lacks a functional and globally certified refinery. Russian mercenary groups have also supported Goita's government with deployments of fighters after the Malian army kicked out French and U.N. troops that had been involved in fighting the Islamist insurgents for a decade. Russia's Wagner mercenary group announced earlier this month it was withdrawing from Mali, but the African Corps still operates there.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Niger miners say output will continue at nationalised uranium mine
DAKAR, June 23 (Reuters) - Niger's main mine workers' union has thrown its support behind the military government's planned nationalisation of Somair, one of the world's largest uranium mines, saying output will continue, despite tensions with French operator Orano. Niger, which seized the Somair mine in December, announced its plan to nationalise it last week, accusing Orano of taking a disproportionate share of production. Its action follows measures by other West African governments to increase earnings from their natural resources. French state-owned Orano did not respond to a request for comment on the allegations that it has taken more than its fair share. It has previously said it opposes Niger's plan and that it reserves the right to take legal action. The National Union of Niger Mine Workers, or SYNTRAMIN, said in a statement on Saturday that it backed the "sovereign decision" by Niger's military rulers, who seized power in a coup in 2023. "For more than 50 years... the benefits of this strategic wealth have never fairly benefited Niger," it added, denouncing "decades of pillaging organised for the benefit of foreign interests," without providing evidence. Orano holds a 63% stake in Somair, while Niger's state-owned Sopamin owns the remainder. The government said last week that Orano had taken 86.3% of production between 1971, when the mine was launched, and 2024, without elaborating. SYNTRAMIN also pledged to "mobilise to ensure the continuity of production and optimal valorisation of our resources" under new state management. Niger is the world's seventh-largest uranium producer and Somair plays a critical role in global nuclear fuel supply chains.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
India's watchdog to start Air India annual audit, days after deadly crash
NEW DELHI, June 23 (Reuters) - Ten officials from India's aviation safety watchdog will visit Air India headquarters on Tuesday for an annual audit, a government memo showed, just as the airline is facing intense scrutiny after a plane crash killed 271 people. The audit is unrelated to the accident, but Air India has been getting warning notices for compliance lapses in recent days, and has also reduced its routes citing "operational stability" needs after the June 12 deadly crash of its Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab 787-8 Dreamliner in India's Ahmedabad. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials will inspect documents related to Air India operations, previous audit findings and action-taken reports during the visit, according to a government memo seen by Reuters. The 10-member DGCA team will include many flight operation inspectors and will be led by Adhiraj Yadav, a deputy chief flight operations inspector. Two officials to check on cabin safety norms are also in the team. The "annual surveillance and regulatory audit" will last from June 24-26, and mandatorily requires top Air India executives to be present, the memo stated. Air India and the DGCA did not respond to Reuters queries. The watchdog on Saturday issued a warning to Air India for "repeated and serious violations" related to pilot duty scheduling, and directed the airline to remove three company executives from crew scheduling roles. Air India said it has complied with the order. Air India was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022 and faces many challenges in its attempts to rebuild its image, after years of criticism from travelers for poor service. Last week, Reuters also reported the authorities had also warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue for checks on emergency equipment of escape slides. The cause of the June 12 incident is still under investigation.
