Virginia Adds 2 New Amtrak Round Trips To Washington

New round-trip Amtrak routes will start Monday between Washington and two Virginia cities: Norfolk and Roanoke.

The additions will bring to eight the number of state-funded round trips from the nation’s capital, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

“We’re adding more options for people at the right time,” said Michael McLaughlin, chief operating officer at the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. “Capacity on the trains is getting full, and ridership is at record-high levels.”

The extra train to Norfolk will be the third round trip to the area, according to the newspaper. It will depart Norfolk at 1 p.m. and arrive in Washington in a little over 4.5 hours. A new southbound train will depart Washington at 12:05 p.m.

Amtrak already runs one morning trip from Roanoke to D.C. and an evening return trip. Starting Monday, a new train will leave Washington for Roanoke at 8:05 a.m., and a Washington-bound train will leave Roanoke at 4:30 p.m., arriving shortly before 9:30 p.m.

Amtrak, which expanded service to Richmond last year, said the additions will give riders more options to travel in Virginia and boost connections to the Northeast.

Virginia is among 17 states that have state-sponsored Amtrak service, the Post reported.

Canada: Outage Leaves Many Without Mobile, Internet Service

TORONTO (AP) — A widespread network outage left many Canadians without mobile and internet service for most of Friday, disrupting police, business and court services as crowds flocked to work at coffee shops with Wi-Fi.

Rogers Communications Inc. said it started restoring service late in the day and said its teams “are working hard to get everyone back online as quickly as possible.”

The outage began early in the morning and stretched into the evening, interrupting services across retailers and credit card processors, police and courts, airlines and train networks.

The company offered no explanation for what caused he outage, how many customers were impacted or where they were located.

“We know how much you rely on our networks. Today we have let you down. We are working to make this right as quickly as we can. We will continue to keep you updated, including when services will be back online.″

Toronto’s Go Transit said in a tweet that s parts of its system were affected by the outage and fares could not be purchased using debit or credit cards. E-tickets may also be unavailable, it warned.

Police in Toronto and Ottawa warned of connection problems when Canadians called 911.

“If your call fails, please try again, or call from a landline or cellphone with another provider,″ Ottawa Police said on Twitter.

The outage forced the postponement of The Weeknd’s tour stop at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The Toronto date was one of only two set for Canada.

Scarborough Health Network, which operates three hospitals and eight satellite sites in Toronto, requested physicians and staff to head to their workplaces for any on-call shifts until the disruption is resolved.

In Quebec, Peter Nygard’s Montreal court appearance on sex-related charges was put off because the fashion mogul, who is detained in a Toronto jail, couldn’t connect by video conference. His bail hearing will now take place next week.

Service Canada tweeted it too was impacted by outage, with call centers and offices, including ones that issue passports, affected. The outage stands to exacerbate passport delays that have left Canadians lined up outside Service Canada offices for lengthy periods of time as the government works through a backlog.

Canada Border Services Agency warned that people may not be able to complete submissions through the ArriveCAN app — a mandatory requirement for all cross-border travelers.

Many retailers and businesses had trouble accepting payments because Interac, which processes electronic financial transactions, said its online and checkout debit offerings and e-transfer services were impacted.

As a result, the Confederation Bridge, which links the provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, was unable to accept debit cards Friday morning. Canada’s Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, said amusement park goers could only pay with credit cards.

Downdetector, a website that tracks outages, showed people started reporting problems with Rogers’ service around 4:30 a.m. EDT and by 7 a.m. 20,000 reports had been logged.

Many Rogers customers scrambled to find internet service, heading to coffee shops to connect and trade tales of the outage.

Kathryn Bowen, 30, an independent fashion designer, spent Friday morning on the floor of a Starbucks in Toronto’s financial district, videoconferencing with clients.

“I don’t really know where to go because if I go home, I don’t have internet,″ said Bowen. ”I can’t even step outside and text anyone because Rogers doesn’t work on my phone either, so I’m just sitting here until my phone dies basically.″

Roseanna Chen, 27, relied on a coffee shop as well, after her workplace’s internet was hit by the outage, but found the cafe’s wireless network became unstable as it filled with people.

“We’re trying to see if (the office Wi-Fi) comes back,″ said Chen, an accounting associate at Imperial PFS Canada. ”If it doesn’t, we’ll probably try and head back home, but my internet at home is also out.″
T
he country’s telecom sector is dominated by three large carriers — Rogers, BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. — and their hold on the industry has long been a concern of academics, who have called for regulators to increase competition for mobile and internet services in Canada.

“The outage is illuminating the general lack of competition in telecommunications in Canada,″ said Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University’s master of public policy program.

Federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement that the government was monitoring the situation closely and had told Rogers “how important it is that this matter be resolved as soon as possible and for the company to provide prompt and clear communication directly to those impacted.”

Meanwhile, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre called on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to launch an inquiry under the Telecommunications Act into the outage. The commission said it was reviewing the request.

Telus wasn’t impacted by the outage, but the Rogers rival warned that some customers may experience “slower than normal″ data speeds because of increased usage by customers without access to home internet.

A Hajj Closer To Normal: 1 Million Muslims Begin Pilgrimage

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — It is a scene that stirs hope — and relief — for Muslims around the world.

A million pilgrims from across the globe gathered on Thursday in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the initial rites of the hajj, marking the largest Islamic pilgrimage since the coronavirus pandemic upended the annual event — a key pillar of Islam.

The hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for all Muslims physically and financially able to make the journey, which takes the faithful along a path traversed by the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago. Pilgrims spend five days carrying out a set of rituals intended to bring them closer to God.

That includes praying around the cube-shaped Kaaba, the holiest shrine in Islam. At the center of the Grand Mosque’s courtyard on Thursday, thousands of unmasked pilgrims circled the Kaaba.

The crowds, visibly thinner than usual, moved counter-clockwise around the granite building in a blur, their hearts tilting toward the structure meant to symbolize the oneness of God in Islam. Wherever they are in the world, observant Muslims face the Kaaba to pray daily.

Pilgrims appeared to throw COVID-19 caution to the wind this year as they thronged the Grand Mosque — in sharp contrast to the social distancing and mask requirements of the past two years.

“This year the number of pilgrims is huge, thank God,” said Mohammad Qabbani, a pilgrim from Sudan. “There are no high numbers of COVID-19 cases. The situation is good.”

But there were still signs of vigilance. Typically, worshippers would fight the crowds for a chance to touch and kiss the black stone on the Kaaba’s eastern corner, but the government has again banned this practice, for the third year. Saudi authorities also distributed bottles of water from the holy Zamzam well instead of allowing pilgrims to drink from cups at the mosque. Thousands of medical workers were on hand to assist those in need.

This year, the hajj is open to just 1 million foreign and domestic pilgrims who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, tested negative for COVID-19 and are between 18 and 65 years old. Authorities estimate 85% have arrived from abroad.

While this year’s attendance is far below the pre-pandemic influx of 2.5 million pilgrims, it represents a significant step closer to normal after the kingdom restricted the event to a small number of Muslim residents for the past two years.

The ritual was almost scrapped in its entirety in 2020, when as few as 1,000 residents of Saudi Arabia were permitted to take part. Some 60,000 residents attended last year. The unprecedented restrictions sent shockwaves through the Muslim world and devastated many believers, who often save up and wait for years to make the pilgrimage.

Although no longer in the shadow of the pandemic, this hajj is taking place amid Russia’s war on Ukraine — a conflict that may be thousands of miles from the homes of many Muslims but that has sent the prices of staple foods soaring and spread misery across the world.

This year’s hajj also showcases de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s latest efforts to loosen social restrictions and transform the kingdom. Saudi Arabia officially began allowing women to perform the hajj without a male guardian, or “mahram,” last year.

The hajj in Islam is meant to be a great equalizer and unifier among Muslims. Pilgrims wear simple clothing: For men, it’s typical to wear a white draping garment, while women wear conservative dress and headscarves, forgoing makeup, nail polish and perfume to draw closer to God.

But even Mecca cannot escape the world’s wealth gaps: The well-heeled may pay some $3,000 a night for five-star hotels overlooking the Kaaba. For most people, however, the pilgrimage means sleeping in simple accommodations or on the ground around the mosque to perform daily prayers ahead of the hajj.

With many more people applying to perform the hajj each year than the kingdom can accommodate, the Saudi government controls the flow of visitors through annual quotas based on each nation’s Muslim population.

The visa regulations have grown stricter after deadly incidents in recent years. In 2015, several thousand pilgrims were crushed to death in a stampede. This year, those quotas were sharply reduced. Indonesia sent just over 100,000 people, the world’s largest contingent. The United States sent over 9,500.

Shiite powerhouse Iran, Saudi Arabia’s regional foe that in 2016 barred its citizens from making the pilgrimage amid an escalating sectarian rivalry, sent 39,000 worshippers — less than half of its attendance in 2019. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s special envoy for the hajj did not receive a visa because he is over 65, Iranian media reported.

As tensions eased between the rivals amid regional negotiations and a cease-fire in Yemen, hajj officials from the countries met last month for the first time in years.

Although the pandemic is far from over, with hundreds new infections a day in the kingdom, the government is glad of the influx. The event is a critical source of prestige and tourism for Saudi Arabia.

By Thursday evening, most pilgrims were arriving in Mina, a small village east of Mecca, where they will spend the night in a sprawling tent city grouped according to the part of the world they come from. On Friday, they rise at dawn to march to the sacred hill of Mount Arafat, where they ask for forgiveness for their sins.

On This Date In History – July 7, 1952 America's Flagship – The SS United States Passes Bishop Rock During Her Maiden Voyage To Set The Transatlantic Speed Record That Still Stands

America’s Flagship, the SS United States, departed New York seventy years ago on July 3, 1952 with great fanfare -- and high expectations. She was the epitome of American post-war innovation, engineering, and design. A new global ambassador for the nation, she was conceived by noted naval architect William Francis Gibbs, whose firm had been the designers of major World War II era warships.

Steaming to Europe on the SS United States’ maiden voyage were notable Americans, including Bob Hope and Margaret Truman.

On July 7, 1952, three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes after she left New York, at 6:16 a.m. Greenwich time the 53,000-ton superliner passed Bishop Rock, smashing the transatlantic speed record. She besting the previous record, held by the Queen Mary, by 10 hours 2 minutes.

About the SS United States Conservancy

A national nonprofit organization, the SS United States Conservancy leads the global effort to save and repurpose America’s Flagship, the SS United States. The Conservancy raises public awareness and financial resources for the maintenance, restoration and ultimate reuse of this iconic vessel and works to ensure that the fastest ocean liner ever to cross the Atlantic remains an inspiration for generations to come. For more information about the SS United States Conservancy and America's Flagship, visit ssusc.org

Spirit Wins Takeoff And Landing Rights At Newark-Liberty International Airport

Spirit Airlines will get valuable takeoff and landing times that Southwest Airlines is abandoning at busy Newark-Liberty International Airport near New York City.

The U.S. Transportation Department said Tuesday that Spirit “is most likely to provide the lowest fares to the most consumers” at the airport in Newark, New Jersey.

JetBlue Airways — which is locked in a bidding war with Frontier Airlines to buy Spirit — also tried to get the 16 available slots, and Alaska Airlines applied for four of them.

Southwest acquired the takeoff and landing rights at the congested airport in 2010, after the Justice Department required United Airlines to give them as a condition of buying Continental Airlines. United is still the dominant airline at Newark. Southwest dropped Newark in 2019 to consolidate its area service at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

Federal officials limit takeoff and landing rights at big airports in New York and Washington in an attempt to avoid gridlock.

The Transportation Department said that because of concern about canceled and delayed flights, it will require Spirit to report more than the usual amount of information about any disruptions at Newark.

Travelore News: SAS Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection In US

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Scandinavian Airlines on Tuesday filed for bankruptcy in the United States, warning a walkout by 1,000 pilots a day earlier had put the future of the carrier at risk.

The move adds to the likelihood of travel chaos across Europe as the summer vacation period begins.

The Stockholm-based SAS airline group said it had “voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S., a legal process for financial restructuring conducted under U.S. federal court supervision.”

Filing for Chapter 11 in New York puts civil litigation on hold while the business reorganizes its finances.

SAS said that its operations and flight schedule will be unaffected by the announcement.

CEO Anko van der Werff said that the pilots’ strike accelerated the move. “I think we have been very clear that this could happen,” he said.

“The important thing is that this is about bankruptcy protection, it is not about a bankruptcy, but it is about financial reconstruction,” van der Werff said.

The carrier said it is “in well advanced discussions with a number of potential lenders ... to support its operations throughout this court-supervised process.”

A rescue plan presented in February was aimed at securing long-term competitiveness. SAS shares dropped more than 9% to 0.56 kronor ($0.05) on Tuesday.

The pilots reacted strongly to the news of the Chapter 11 filing. Roger Klokset, head of the SAS pilots union, said the group “had stretched negotiations and mediation from November last year until the day before the application, without ever having the intention of entering into an agreement with the SAS pilots.”

The pilots in Denmark, Sweden and Norway walked out on Monday, citing inadequate pay and working conditions and expressing dissatisfaction with the decision by the carrier to hire new pilots to fill vacancies at its subsidiary airlines, SAS Link and SAS Connect, rather than rehire former pilots who were laid off due to the pandemic.

Van der Werff said the strike was “devastating for SAS and puts the company’s future together with the jobs of thousands of colleagues at stake.”

The walkout is estimated to lead to the cancellation of approximately 50% of all scheduled SAS flights and impact around 30,000 passengers per day. Flights operated by SAS Link, SAS Connect and SAS’ external partners are not affected.

The airline is part-owned by the governments of Sweden and Denmark. In 2018, Norway sold its stake but holds debt in the airline, and has said it might be willing to convert that into equity.

“Right now, it is difficult to assess the significance of the Chapter 11 request for duration of the pilot strike,” chief analyst Jacob Pedersen of Denmark’s Sydbank said. However, “it’s doubtful whether it will bring (the pilots) back to the negotiating table.”

The move by SAS was “not surprising” but came “faster than we expected,” Pedersen said in an analysis. “Although SAS is now under bankruptcy protection, it is not a beach holiday for the company.”

Coney Island’s Luna Park To Expand, Introduce 3 Attractions

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step right up and witness Coney Island’s Luna Park like you’ve never seen it before.

The beachfront tourist destination will soon be introducing three new attractions and pedestrian plazas on several acres along the iconic Coney Island, New York, boardwalk as part of Luna Park’s expansion.

“Coney Island been this great, rich place with so much legacy and emotions and memories for all — not just New Yorkers, but Americans,” said Alessandro Zamperla of Central Amusement International, which operates the park.

Of the three new attractions are two intertwined rides: a roller coaster called “Tony’s Express” and a log flume ride called “Leti’s Treasure.” The two rides are designed to pay homage to classic, 19th century Coney Island rides, as well as Zamperla’s family, which has been involved in circuses, carnivals and amusement parks for generations. The rides are named after Zamperla’s late grandparents, Antonio and Letizia.

Tony’s Express is modeled after America’s first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway, which opened on Coney Island in 1884. Leti’s Treasure is a throwback to Shoot the Chutes, another Coney Island classic, which opened a year later in 1885.

As part of the expansion, Luna Park will also introduce a 50-foot (15-meter) Sky Chaser Ropes Course and pedestrian plazas that will increase the size of the park by 50%, using land that has been vacant for almost half a century.

Coney Island’s original Luna Park was destroyed by a fire and then sold in the 1940s, but the park was reborn in 2010 with the construction of a new Luna Park, which has been evolving and expanding since then.

“We’ve been blessed to be in the amusement park industry and overall entertainment for more than five generations,” Zamperla said. “So for us to be here and to be really associated with the revitalization and really kind of rebirth of Coney Island is extremely exciting and a great honor.”

The new attractions, excluding Tony’s Express, are still under construction, but Zamperla said he hopes the new rides and plazas will be open to the public by the middle of summer.

By JOSEPH FREDERICK