Author: The Tundra Drums Staff

CEO Ben Minicucci confirmed that Alaska Airlines will launch its first  European route from Seattle in 2026. The route marks the airline’s first European expansion and follows its \$1.9 billion merger with Hawaiian Airlines. Finalized in September, that deal has jumpstarted Alaska’s international ambitions and widened its access to long-haul infrastructure. The company plans to add 12 international nonstop routes from Seattle by 2030, using widebody aircraft to access new markets. Flights to Seoul and Tokyo have already been announced and are scheduled for September and this week. Hawaiian’s prior experience and airport presence in Asia made these routes possible.…

Nissan confirmed Friday that it would eliminate 11,000 more jobs and shut seven factories as it faces mounting losses. The Japanese automaker is restructuring aggressively after weak sales in China and heavy discounting in the U.S. severely hurt earnings. Nissan’s newly appointed CEO, Ivan Espinosa, announced the latest layoffs, totaling about 20,000 job losses over the year. That figure represents roughly 15% of Nissan’s 133,500-person global workforce, including 6,000 employees at the Sunderland plant in the UK. Company officials have not confirmed if these global job cuts will directly affect the Sunderland factory. Espinosa, formerly Nissan’s chief planner and motorsports…

President Donald Trump landed in Riyadh on Tuesday to kick off his Middle East visit, spotlighting business deals while navigating a major international crisis. Trump’s trip includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, where he plans to focus heavily on economic ties.  His first engagements include a Saudi state visit, a summit with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders, and a US-Saudi business forum. Senior White House officials confirmed that Trump will prioritize investment, regional stability, and cooperation with US allies in the Gulf. Officials emphasized that a stable Middle East boosts mutual prosperity for regional powers and…

A shooting in Alaska on late Friday night left a woman seriously injured after she pointed a realistic BB gun at an officer. At around 10:26 pm, Alaska State Troopers responded to a home in the Meadow Lakes area west of Wasilla for a welfare check. The woman had made multiple 911 calls, prompting the trooper’s arrival at the residence to assess the situation. Troopers said the officer made contact with the woman at the front door and asked her several times to come outside unarmed. Instead of complying, the woman raised what appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun and…

Plans to accept a Qatari jumbo jet as a temporary substitute for the presidential Air Force One were defended by US President Donald Trump. Despite possible moral and legal objections, Trump told reporters Monday that turning down the offer would make him a “stupid person.” Officials from Qatar have made it clear that they are just negotiating the short-term transfer of a high-end 747 aircraft, not the transfer of permanent ownership. Ali Al-Ansari denied a formal agreement and emphasised that legal reviews by both defence departments remain ongoing without final decisions today. The luxury plane’s approximately four hundred million dollars…

US citizen Edan Alexander ended his 18-month captivity when Hamas handed him over to the Red Cross on Monday morning. Alexander returned swiftly to Israeli-held territory, arriving at a military base for a medical evaluation and a family reunion. His mother, Yael, described hearing her son’s voice on the phone as the greatest gift imaginable after springing into action at Mother’s House. Hamas announced Alexander’s release following several days of indirect negotiations involving US mediators, Qatar, and Egypt. President Donald Trump claimed credit on social media, calling the American hostage release in Gaza a monumental step for peace efforts in…

140 miles from the Arctic Circle, Fairbanks has long battled severe air pollution during the cold months. However, recent data show a promising shift. Since 2015, Fairbanks’ winter air pollution levels have dropped by about 50% on the worst days.  Most of this pollution comes from wood-burning stoves, which release fine particulate matter into the air. These tiny particles, less than 2.5 micrometres wide, can enter the lungs and bloodstream, posing serious health risks. Despite challenges from natural geography like long-lasting temperature inversions and a lack of sunlight, the borough has taken practical steps. Burning practices have taken root from…

The India-Pakistan ceasefire appears to be holding, days after intense military exchanges killed dozens along the disputed border. Fighting erupted after gunmen killed 26 civilians, including tourists, in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam region on April 22.  India blamed a Pakistan-based group and responded with a military operation targeting nine locations across Pakistan and its part of Kashmir. Pakistan denied involvement in the Pahalgam attack but launched counterstrikes, claiming to hit 26 military sites in India, including its capital, Delhi. On Wednesday, India reported destroying multiple militant camps and said it killed over 100 fighters in retaliatory precision strikes. As the conflict…

US President Donald Trump proposed an 80% tariff on Chinese imports just days before critical trade negotiations with Beijing began. On Friday, Trump announced on social media, signaling a strong stance ahead of the talks in Switzerland. China’s Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying responded by expressing confidence in Beijing’s ability to handle trade disputes with the United States. The announcement comes after Trump imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese goods in April, which rattled global markets and reduced bilateral trade. Recent government data showed that China’s exports to the US declined more than 20% yearly in April, although exports rose 8.1%.…

A new study published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment suggests that a permafrost thaw in Alaska could damage roads and buildings by midcentury, costing between $37 billion and $51 billion. The findings highlight the growing financial toll of climate change on Alaska’s infrastructure. Lead author Elias Manos of the University of Connecticut said the study’s estimates surpass earlier projections thanks to more comprehensive data. Improved satellite imagery enabled researchers to inventory more roads, buildings, and structures, like storage tanks. A 2023 Arctic infrastructure study had previously pegged Alaska’s thaw-related transportation costs between $14 billion and $24.5 billion, plus $3…

A state judge has ruled that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game cannot proceed with its controversial bear killing plan this spring. Superior Judge Christina Rankin declared the agency’s predator control program unconstitutional despite an emergency authorization from the Alaska Board of Game.  The program designed to increase caribou numbers in the Mulchatna region has eliminated 175 brown bears, five black bears, and 19 wolves since spring 2023. Officials aimed to remove predators threatening the declining caribou population, but critics argue bears are not responsible for the herd’s collapse. On Wednesday, Judge Rankin responded to the Alaska Wildlife Alliance’s…

Apple has asked a federal appeals court to pause a judge’s ruling that threatens the company’s lucrative App Store model. The iPhone maker submitted its request on Wednesday after US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found Apple deliberately violated her earlier injunction. That 2021 orders customers to use external payment systems beyond the App Store. Epic Games originally filed the antitrust lawsuit in 2020, accusing Apple of maintaining an illegal monopoly through its 15-30% commission fees. Judge Gonzalez Rogers rejected monopoly claims but agreed Apple unfairly blocked developers from offering cheaper outside payment options. She ordered Apple to change its…