Latest news with #DavidShepardson
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Politics
- Time of India
US senator wants Musk to block use of Starlink by financial fraud groups in Southeast Asia
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON: A Democratic senator on Monday urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to block transnational criminal groups in Southeast Asia from using Starlink satellite internet service to commit fraud against Americans. Senator Maggie Hassan cited recent reports that Starlink is being used to facilitate fraud against Americans by a broad range of transnational criminal organizations operating "scam compounds" in Southeast Asia. The U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said these groups defrauded Americans out of billions of dollars, she added. "Scam networks in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, however, have apparently continued to use Starlink despite service rules permitting SpaceX to terminate access for fraudulent activity," Hassan wrote in a letter to Musk seen by Reuters. "SpaceX has a responsibility to block criminals from using the service to target Americans." SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For years, criminal networks have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam compounds across Southeast Asia, including many along the Thai-Myanmar border, where victims are forced to work in illegal online schemes, according to the United Nations. "While most people have probably noticed the increasing number of scam texts, calls, and emails they're receiving, they may not know that transnational criminals halfway across the world may be perpetrating these scams by using Starlink internet access," Hassan wrote. Since February, Thailand has halted electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five Myanmar border areas, including Myawaddy, in a bid to disrupt the scam centers, which have become an escalating regional security concern. International pressure to shut down the scam centers intensified following the abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was kidnapped after arriving in Thailand in January. He was later rescued by Thai police, who located him across the border in Myanmar. Criminal networks, mainly emanating from China, are known to run several of these scam centers, including those in the Myawaddy region, according to the United States Institute of Peace.
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Two Southwest flight attendants injured after jet moved to avoid another aircraft
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Two flight attendants on a Southwest Airlines flight departing from Burbank, California, were injured and being treated on Friday after pilots took evasive action to avoid another aircraft, the airline said. Southwest Flight 1496 sharply descended nearly 500 feet, according to flight tracking websites. The airline and the Federal Aviation Administration said pilots took action after receiving alerts of a potential collision. The Southwest Boeing 737 continued on to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully. The FAA is investigating. No passengers were injured, but a passenger identified as Caitlin Burdi told Fox News Digital the sharp descent stirred panic onboard. "We really thought we were plummeting to a plane crash," she was quoted as saying. According to a statement from Southwest, the incident began when its crew responded to "two onboard traffic alerts" while taking off from Burbank, "requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts." The incident came a week after a SkyWest Airlines jet operating as a Delta Connection flight from Minneapolis reported taking evasive action to avoid a possible collision with a U.S. Air Force bomber during a landing approach over North Dakota. The FAA said on Monday it was investigating last Friday's near-miss incident involving SkyWest Flight 3788, an Embraer ERJ-175 regional jet, which landed safely at Minot, North Dakota. The Air Force confirmed a B-52 aircraft assigned to Minot Air Force Base had conducted a flyover of the North Dakota State Fair last Friday and that military investigators were looking into the matter. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese)
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
FAA to examine Boeing supply chain before clearing 737 output hike, Reuters says
FAA Administration Bryan Bedford said that Boeing (BA) has not yet asked the agency to remove a 38-jet per month cap on 737 MAX output and will review the company's supply chain before making any decision, Reuters' David Shepardson reports. 'We're going to want to look at the entire supply chain,' FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters on the sidelines of an air show. 'I believe it's real, but it's still embryonic,' Bedford added, referring to Boeing's improvements. 'We want to see long-term trends, healthy workforce, healthy safety culture. And then we want to see real factory improvements.' Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FCC license approval clears way for $8 billion Paramount-Skydance merger
By Dawn Chmielewski and David Shepardson (Reuters) -The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media, clearing the way for an $8.4 billion sale of some of the most prominent names in entertainment, including the CBS broadcast television network, Paramount Pictures, and the Nickelodeon cable channel. The FCC agreed to transfer broadcast licenses for 28 owned-and-operated CBS television stations to the new owners after Paramount paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris that aired in October. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has said the agency's review of the proposed merger was not connected to the civil suit. The approval came after Skydance and its investment partner, RedBird Capital, assured the FCC of their commitment to unbiased journalism that represents diverse viewpoints. Skydance said it would appoint an ombudsman to evaluate complaints of editorial bias or other concerns about CBS in an effort to promote transparency and increased accountability. Paramount also eliminated its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to align with the Trump administration's view that such affirmative action policies are discriminatory.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FAA to review Boeing supply chain before approving hike to 737 MAX production
By David Shepardson OSHKOSH, Wisconsin (Reuters) -The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Boeing has not yet asked the agency to remove a 38-plane per month cap on 737 MAX production and will review the planemaker's supply chain before making any decision. The FAA imposed the production cap shortly after a January 2024 mid-air emergency involving a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 missing four key bolts. "We're going to want to look at the entire supply chain," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters on the sidelines of an air show, praising Boeing's efforts to improve its culture and adding he would not be surprised if Boeing asks to raise the rate. "I believe it's real, but it's still embryonic," Bedford said of the planemaker's improvements. "We want to see long-term trends, healthy workforce, healthy safety culture. And then we want to see real factory improvements." Boeing did not immediately comment. The FAA in May extended by three years a program that allows Boeing to perform some tasks on the agency's behalf like inspections, saying the planemaker had made improvements. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in May the planemaker is "pretty confident" that it can increase production of its best-selling 737 MAX jets to 42 a month. Bedford also notes that the FAA is currently considering certifying the smallest and largest MAX variants -- the MAX 7 and MAX 10. Bedford said Boeing realizes getting the job done right the first time "actually is the cheapest way to make the plane.... I think they see real value in changing the culture on the shop floor, getting the defect rates down." But he is not ready to ease oversight. "It's all trending in the right direction. It's all very encouraging, but we're a long ways away from saying we can let our guard down," Bedford said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
