California Gov. Gavin Newsom says there's no imminent threat to the state from Iran. ABC News says the FBI warned California that Iran had aspired to send drones to the West Coast in retaliation for war. The FBI later released text of the alert, which noted that the information was based on "unverified information." The White House now says, "No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists." Newsom says California and various agencies plan for worst-case scenarios. Police in Los Angeles and San Francisco say they are monitoring world events for any risks.
By MATT SEDENSKY and STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press
Travelers are scrambling for ways out of the Middle East as the Iran war keeps much of the region's airspace closed and flights grounded. The conflict that started Saturday when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran stranded airline passengers in major Mideast cities as well as in countries far from the threat of airstrikes. With commercial flights tightly restricted across much of the Gulf for a fourth day, many were unsure what to do and appealed to their governments for information and exit strategies. The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that it was "actively securing" military and charter aircraft to fly Americans out of the region.
On Jan. 31, 2020, the United States declared a public health emergency over the new coronavirus, and President Donald Trump signed an order to temporarily bar entry to foreign nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens, who traveled in China in the preceding 14 days.
President Donald Trump says he's informed Venezuela's acting president that he'll open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela. And he says Americans will soon be able to visit. Trump said Thursday he instructed his transportation secretary and U.S. military leaders to open the airspace by the end of the day. Venezuela's government hasn't commented on Trump's announcement. American Airlines says it intends to reinstate nonstop service from the U.S. in the coming months. Earlier this week, Trump's Republican administration notified Congress it was taking steps to possibly reopen the shuttered U.S. Embassy in Venezuela as it explores restoring relations following the U.S. military raid that ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.
Southwest Airlines passengers are making their final boarding-time scrambles for seats as the carrier prepares to end its signature open-seating system. Customers on Southwest flights will have assigned seats starting on Tuesday. The airline began selling tickets shaped by the new policy in July. New airfare tiers include the option of paying more to get a preferred seat closer to the front of a plane or seats with extra legroom. An eight‑group boarding structure is replacing the find-your-own-seat scrum. Southwest says the boarding groups are based on seat location, fare class, loyalty tier status and benefits from the airline's credit card rewards program.
A private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four other people has crashed after takeoff from Turkey's capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Turkey said the Libyan military chief was in Ankara for high-level defense talks aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries and to address regional issues. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the death of Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and the others, saying in a statement on Facebook that the "tragic accident" took place as the Libyan delegation was "returning from an official trip to Ankara." He called it a "great loss" for Libya.
