Uber Eats and Starship Expand Robotic Deliveries to New UK City
Uber Eats and Starship Technologies are extending their autonomous food‑delivery robots from Leeds to Sheffield, targeting roughly 50,000 residents. The rollout follows a successful pilot that demonstrated operational reliability and customer acceptance. Industry analysts cite Prysm Global’s study, which estimates robot‑delivery services could generate about $1.65 bn in gross value added for the UK economy. To boost local buzz, the partners introduced a jingle competition, letting composers create the soundtrack for each robot’s journey.
So Long, Farewell: Saying Goodbye to Audi's Best Car, the 2026 RS6 Avant
Audi has halted production of the 2026 RS6 Avant, marking the end of its high‑performance wagon line. The model, priced around $130,700, delivers 621 hp from a twin‑turbo V8 and can reach 190 mph, while offering 30 cu ft of cargo space. Production shifted...
Uber Debuts Safety Ride Program for Female Customers
Uber has launched the "Women Preferences" safety ride program nationwide in the United States, enabling female riders to request a female driver on‑demand or via advance reservation. The feature, which began as a pilot in 2019 and expanded to 26...
Volvo EX30 Cargo Revealed as 423bhp Van
Volvo UK has transformed its subcompact EX30 into a dedicated cargo van, the EX30 Cargo, aimed at business fleets. The conversion removes rear seats, creating a flat‑floor cargo bay with 1,000 litres of space and a 390 kg payload capacity. Buyers can...
Volvo Delivers 22 Electric Buses to Transport for NSW
Volvo Bus Australia has delivered 22 BZL electric buses to Transport for NSW, bolstering the state’s Zero Emission Buses Program that targets roughly 1,700 electric units by 2028. The vehicles, built on Volvo’s BZL platform and bodied locally by Volgren,...
As Asim Munir Pitches Peace, Iran Stops Pakistan's Cargo Ship at Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps halted the Pakistani container ship SELEN in the Strait of Hormuz, citing a lack of clearance and hinting at a possible $2 million transit fee. The incident coincides with Pakistan’s overture to mediate between Iran, the...
AI and Volatility Reshape Airfreight Industry
At the World Cargo Symposium, IATA Director General Willie Walsh and LATAM Cargo CEO Andrés Bianchi warned that geopolitical tensions and shifting trade lanes are compressing air‑freight capacity, which has fallen more than 20% due to regional constraints. Despite this,...
WCAworld Launches China International Logistics Conference
WCAworld announced that its long‑running SINO Conference will be rebranded as the WCAworld China International Logistics event. The 22nd edition returns to Shanghai from 20‑23 June 2026, expanding the audience beyond members to the global logistics community. The change underscores...
Japan Launches Bullet Train for Freight
Japan’s JR East has converted a Shinkansen E3‑2000 series passenger train into a high‑speed freight carrier, removing seats and installing autonomous loading carts. The train completed a 540‑kilometre Tokyo‑Aomori run in 3 hours 15 minutes, traveling up to 275 km/h while hauling 1,000 boxes...
UK Chamber of Shipping Names Shell Executive as New President
The UK Chamber of Shipping elected Shell executive Karrie Trauth as its new president, succeeding JB Rae Smith after a turbulent two‑year term. Trauth brings over three decades of experience in ship design, digitalisation, decarbonisation and maritime safety, having joined Shell’s senior...
Trams Are Making a Comeback in Major Cities
European cities are reviving tram and light‑rail networks as congestion worsens and subway projects become financially prohibitive. Swiss transport experts at the ASST forum highlighted tram‑train concepts in Lugano and emerging plans in Romania’s Oradea region. Funding mechanisms, rather than...
Signs of Jet Fuel Hoarding Emerge in Asia on Iran Oil Shock
Asian airlines are increasingly hoarding jet fuel as the Iran‑Russia war drives crude prices above $120 per barrel. South Korea’s transport ministry is debating redirecting export‑bound jet fuel to the domestic market, while Philippine Airlines warns of imminent fuel rationing....
EU Launches Trade and Digital Skills Projects to Strengthen the Lobito Corridor
The European Union has committed €11 million (about $12 million) to two development projects along the Lobito Corridor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A €6 million trade‑facilitation programme will streamline customs and regulatory procedures, while a €5 million digital‑skills initiative will train...
Design Contract for the Signalling System on the Wessex Line
AtkinsRéalis has secured a £98 million (≈ $124 million) design‑build contract from Network Rail to upgrade signalling and telecommunications on 43 km of the Wessex Line near Portsmouth over the next three years. The project will deploy the firm’s Advanced Signalling Method – the...
Didi’s Overseas Push Stays on Track as LATAM Expansion Accelerates
Didi reported fourth‑quarter and full‑year 2025 results showing its international segment accelerating, especially in Latin America. International gross transaction value hit $5.3 billion in Q4, up 47% year‑on‑year, and $17 billion for the year, while order volume surpassed 1.26 billion trips. The company...
BYD Says It “Can’t Compete” In Japan with EV Subsidy Gap
Chinese automaker BYD announced that its four EV models sold in Japan received no increase in government subsidies, leaving them at ¥350,000‑¥450,000 (approximately $2,200‑$2,800). In contrast, Toyota and Tesla saw their subsidies rise to the new ceiling of ¥1.3 million (about...
TfN Lays Out Six Priorities for Transpennine Route Upgrade
Transport for the North (TfN) sent a letter to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander warning that the current investment in the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is insufficient for rail freight needs. TfN outlined six priorities, including gauge‑enhancement works costing £55‑£60 million (approximately...
China Cashes in on Taiwan’s Mideast Evacuation Fumble
After US‑Israel strikes on Iran triggered widespread airline cancellations, China Eastern repatriated over 70 Taiwanese stranded in Turkey. Beijing used the operation to showcase its claim that Taiwanese are Chinese citizens and to criticize Taipei’s evacuation capabilities. Taiwan’s foreign ministry...
‘Supermajor’ Hires Flex LNG’s Vessel on Multi-Year Gig
Flex LNG has secured a new time charter for its 2020‑built Flex Aurora LNG carrier with an unnamed supermajor. The agreement guarantees a minimum two‑year firm period and includes optional 2‑year extensions that could stretch the contract to eight years,...
Croatia Unveils Hybrid Train for Zagreb–Split Line
Croatia’s state rail operator HŽPP announced the rollout of six hybrid diesel‑electric multiple units for the Zagreb–Split corridor, funded by a €57.3 million (≈$62 million) European Investment Bank loan. The first unit will enter service in July 2026, with monthly deliveries through...
Vietnam Airlines Seeks to Lease 12 Widebody Jets for 2028 Delivery
Vietnam Airlines announced a request for proposals to dry‑lease 12 widebody aircraft, targeting Airbus A350‑900XWB and Boeing 787‑9/10 models, with deliveries slated for 2028‑2030. The carrier plans an eight‑year lease term to reinforce its long‑haul capacity and expand its international...
Nokia Completes First 1900 MHz 5G Live Call on Deutsche Bahn Test Track Supporting FRMCS Radio
Nokia has achieved the world’s first live 5G call on a 1900 MHz (n101) rail network, conducting the test on Deutsche Bahn’s outdoor test track in Germany. The demonstration used Nokia’s AirScale 5G radio equipment and a standalone 5G core, confirming...
Ukraine Targets Ust-Luga
Ukraine’s armed forces escalated their campaign against Russian energy infrastructure by launching drone strikes on the Baltic Sea port of Ust‑Luga. The attack sparked a large fire and video footage released by the Leningrad region governor shows significant damage to...
Hitachi Rail Is Leveraging AI for Railway Operations and Maintenance
Hitachi Rail announced at NVIDIA’s GTC conference its AI‑driven HMAX for Rail platform, which fuses data from trains, signalling and infrastructure using edge computing on NVIDIA IGX Thor. The suite enables automated onboard functions, predictive maintenance and energy‑consumption reduction, aiming to...
EHub Launches Pack, Inventory, and Orchestrate API to Power the Next Era of Carrier Orchestration
eHub, a leader in carrier orchestration, unveiled three platform upgrades—eHub Pack, eHub Inventory, and the eHub Orchestrate API. Pack adds dynamic cartonization that blends real‑time carrier rates, packaging constraints and shipping rules to select optimal packaging, cutting costs and boosting...
Data in Action: Why Airports Can’t Afford to Get This Wrong
Airports are betting on data to drive efficiency, resilience and passenger experience, yet many still stumble on turning raw information into actionable insight. At the International Airport Summit in Berlin, senior leaders highlighted that reliable data, strong governance and clear...
HD Hyundai to Export Know-How in Pivot From Building Ships to Building Shipyards
HD Hyundai announced a strategic shift to commercialize its shipyard expertise, adding digital engineering and manufacturing platforms to its corporate purpose. The company will offer end‑to‑end shipyard construction services and smart‑factory solutions, including AI‑driven design tools, real‑time monitoring, and robotic...
Sany Launches World’s First Intelligent Hybrid Pump Truck
Sany unveiled what it calls the world’s first intelligent hybrid pump truck, alongside an electric mixer truck and a 33‑metre pump truck, at a China product event attended by 600 industry guests and viewed online by over one million. The...
MapUp and Lyft Renew Six-Year Toll Intelligence Partnership
MapUp and Lyft have renewed their strategic partnership, extending the toll‑intelligence service that began in 2019 across the rideshare giant's U.S. and Canadian operations. The renewed agreement spans six years and keeps MapUp’s platform handling upfront toll pricing and automated...
Kia Teases Second-Gen Seltos Ahead of New York Reveal
Kia has dropped the first teaser images of the all‑new 2027 Seltos, previewing a second‑generation compact SUV that will debut at the New York International Auto Show on April 1, 2026. The concept showcases a squared‑off, upright silhouette, sharp angles,...
Turntide’s Semi‑integrated Electric Drive Powers Off‑highway Electrification
Turntide unveiled a semi‑integrated Electric Drive Unit (EDU) that pairs an axial‑flux motor with a gearbox and a flexible inverter placement for off‑highway vehicles. The motor’s pancake shape delivers two‑to‑four times the power density of conventional radial‑flux designs, while thermal‑fluid...
CK Hutchison’s Damages Claims Against Panama Expand to over $2bn
CK Hutchison’s Panama Ports Company has expanded its International Chamber of Commerce arbitration claim against the Republic of Panama to over $2 billion following a Supreme Court ruling that declared its container‑terminal concessions in Balboa and Cristóbal unconstitutional. The Panamanian government...
Opinion: We All Know How ‘Low Fares’ Work but Ryanair’s Treatment of a Grieving Woman Was Cruel
Ryanair’s ultra‑low‑fare model has long been praised for price, but an incident involving a grieving woman highlighted a stark lack of empathy. The airline reportedly refused to accommodate her after a family tragedy, prompting criticism of CEO Michael O’Leary’s cost‑first...
The Ships Capitalising on the Chaos of War
The outbreak of war in the Red Sea corridor has forced global shippers to abandon traditional routes, driving a surge in demand for vessels that can navigate alternative passages such as the Cape of Good Hope. Freight rates for container...
How Smarter Freight Networks Can Cut Costs and Carbon Footprint for Retailers
Freight is where cost control, customer expectations and environmental performance intersect. The post How smarter freight networks can cut costs and carbon footprint for retailers appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.
KR Publishes Guidance to Support Industry Ahead of 2028 IGC Code Amendments
Korean Register (KR) has finished assessing the upcoming International Code of the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) amendments and released technical guidance for the maritime sector. The IMO plans to approve the revisions...
Lamborghinis Stranded in Sri Lanka as War Disrupts Asia's Used-Car Trade
The U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have choked the Strait of Hormuz, causing severe port congestion that left more than 500 Japanese‑exported cars idle at sea before finally off‑loading in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port ten days late. Japanese firm...
Coffee, Chilli Crab – and Electric Cars
BYD by 1826 opened its sixth Singapore outlet at IMM, merging an electric‑vehicle showroom with a pet‑friendly café that serves locally inspired dishes. In 2025, EVs accounted for over 40% of new car registrations in Singapore, highlighting rapid market adoption. The venue’s...
The World's Largest Truck Stop Has Served Over 23 Million Eggs (And Counting)
Iowa 80, billed as the world’s largest truck stop, has been operating nonstop since 1964 on a 225‑acre site in eastern Iowa. Its flagship Iowa 80 Kitchen alone has served more than 23 million eggs, feeding roughly 6,000 visitors each day. The complex...
ENR's 2026 Texas & Louisiana Owner of the Year: TxDOT
The Engineering News‑Record named the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Owner of the Year for 2026, recognizing its $104.2 billion Unified Transportation Program. The program includes the $1.3 billion Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, the longest concrete segmental cable‑stayed bridge in North...
Air Europa’s Codeshare with Chilean LCC SKY Airline: Good for Both (and for Turkish Airlines)
On March 10, 2026 Air Europa announced a codeshare with Chilean low‑cost carrier SKY Airline. The agreement lets Air Europa’s flight numbers appear on SKY’s services from Lima to Santiago and to five Peruvian domestic cities, with additional Latin American...
Grab Eyes Growth Amid Fuel Crunch
Grab Thailand is preparing for a “mini‑crisis” as fuel prices climb, planning a possible passenger surcharge while continuing aggressive promotions to keep demand high. The company will also roll out “Grab Quick Cash,” a digital‑lending product offering loans up to...
Oil Shipping Costs Ease as Tankers Divert to Atlantic Basin
As the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, oil tankers are increasingly diverting to the Atlantic Basin, boosting vessel traffic there. The rerouting eases regional freight rates, offering lower shipping costs for crude moving to Europe and the Americas. Traders note...
Exotec Rolls Out Skyfleet Program to Scale Decathlon Warehouse Automation Across Europe
Exotec has launched the Skyfleet program, rolling out standardized robotic warehouse solutions to seven Decathlon logistics sites across five European countries. Each site features 150‑200 Skypod robots, up to 200,000 items processed daily, and full automation of inbound and outbound...
Iran Is Testing a Selective Strait of Hormuz Strategy that Could Deliver Another Shock to Oil Markets
Iran is testing a selective passage strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only certain vessels to transit the waterway. Analysts describe the approach as a calibrated tactic that balances political leverage with economic self‑preservation. By targeting specific ships, Tehran...
Foreign Vessels Operating Under the Jones Act Waiver Should Consider What Other US Laws May Apply
The Trump administration issued a 60‑day Jones Act waiver covering 659 product categories, permitting foreign‑flagged vessels to operate on U.S. domestic routes. The waiver’s authority is limited to navigation and vessel‑inspection laws, leaving open whether other U.S. statutes such as...
EasyJet Selects Mirus Aircraft Seating Kestral Economy Seat
easyJet has placed an order for Mirus Aircraft Seating’s next‑generation Kestrel Economy seats for its future A320neo and A321neo fleet, beginning with deliveries from 2028. The lightweight seats are over 20% lighter than current models and provide up to two...
Increasing Diesel Prices Are Driving up Livestock Transportation Costs
Diesel prices have climbed to $5.15 per gallon, up from $4.89 a week earlier and $1.57 above the month‑ago average, marking a $1.69 year‑over‑year increase. Ag economist Charley Martinez warns that the higher fuel cost is inflating livestock trucking expenses,...
FedEx Launches Two-Hour and End-of-Day Delivery Options
FedEx announced FedEx SameDay Local, a new parcel service that lets shoppers choose two‑hour or end‑of‑day delivery at checkout. The offering is built on a partnership with Florida‑based last‑mile platform OneRail and taps a national network of more than 1,000...
FAA Expands Swift 100R Engine STC
The FAA has amended Swift Fuels' Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its 100R unleaded avgas, expanding the list of approved engines to include a broad mix of Continental, Lycoming, Franklin and other models. The amendment references updated fuel specifications dated...