Tuesday on the News hour, New York City officials released documents that raise new concerns about air quality following the Sept. 11 attacks, authorities in Miami say all five people killed by a plane crash this weekend were in a van used for cleaning crews that service planes and more than 600 flights were cancelled in the UK due to a problem with the country’s air traffic control system.
Geoff Bennett:
In the day’s other headlines: New York City officials released thousands of documents today that raise new concerns about air quality following the September 11 attacks. More than 170,000 documents from across government agencies were made public via an online portal.
They suggest that authorities were aware of the health risks at the time, despite public assurances about the air being safe to breathe. At a news conference, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that families, survivors, and first responders deserve transparency.
Zohran Mamdani (D), Mayor of New York City: As the years pass and the human toll grows, we reckon with the cost of September 11 whenever another New Yorker is stolen from us too soon. People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air.
Geoff Bennett:
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum says at least 49,000 first responders and survivors have been diagnosed with cancer as a result of the attacks.
Miami-Dade authorities say all five people killed by an Amazon cargo plane crash this past weekend were in a van used for cleaning crews that service airplanes. At a news conference this morning, officials shared the names of the deceased, who ranged from 47 to 75 years old and expressed sympathy for the lives lost.
Rosie Cordero-Stutz, Miami-Dade County, Florida, Sheriff:
One leaves their House to go to work, to visit family, to do what we normally do, and without ever thinking that this is even a possibility, what occurred. For those families, they are going to be living with this for the rest of their lives as well.
Geoff Bennett:
Five other people were injured Sunday when the Amazon jet arriving at Miami International Airport overran the runway. City officials say the plane’s two pilots have been released from the hospital. Two other people remain in critical condition, while a third is stable.
In the U.K., more than 600 flights were canceled today due to a technical problem with the country’s air traffic control system. At London’s Heathrow Airport, crowds waited for updates as canceled signs appeared on information boards. Flights were also grounded at Gatwick and Stansted airports, among others.
Britain’s National Air Traffic Services cited a problem with its flight processing system. The agency says the problem is now resolved and officials are working to clear the backlog of flights.
The British government says it’s banning trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing what officials called settler terrorists of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Speaking in the House of Commons today, the U.K.’s foreign secretary said the ban would include all imported goods, along with services ranging from construction to advertising.
Ed Miliband, British Foreign Secretary:
The government believes the unlawfulness of the occupation should be reflected in the economic relationships we choose to have with the occupied territories.
Geoff Bennett:
France and Canada were among the nations joining the U.K.’s ban, which will likely have a limited economic impact, given the small volume of the West Bank’s exports. But Israeli officials were quick to condemn the move, calling it morally distorted and announcing the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem.
Gideon Sa’ar, Israeli Foreign Minister:
Unfortunately, a hostile Labor government is in office, systematically acting against the state of Israel. And it has left us with no choice but to finally respond to its hostile actions.
Geoff Bennett:
The Israeli government also barred Britain from participating in U.S.-led Gaza peace efforts based in Israel and banned a dozen British lawmakers from entering the country.
A U.S. official confirms to the “News Hour” that the U.S. carried out strikes on Iranian tankers near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf today, as well as in the Gulf of Oman. It’s in response to the latest Iranian attacks on U.S. warships.
Separately, Saudi Arabia vowed to retaliate against Yemen’s Houthi rebels after the militia group struck oil facilities and other sites inside the kingdom. Saudi authorities say more than 70 people were injured, including women and children. Houthi military officials say the strikes were in retaliation for recent Saudi attacks, including one on a prison that killed at least seven people.
It marks a major escalation in fighting between the Saudis, an important U.S. ally in the region, and the Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen.
The Kremlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin reassured President Trump today that Moscow has no aggressive plans toward Europe. A senior Kremlin official says the two leaders spoke by phone for about an hour, during which Mr. Trump told Putin he wants a swift end to the war in Ukraine and for U.S.-Russia ties to be restored.
That follows a weekend visit from U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to both Kyiv and Moscow, during which the fighting briefly paused. But, in Kyiv last night, Russia’s air assault resumed. Ukrainian officials say the strikes killed at least seven people in the capital and the surrounding region.
On Wall Street today, stocks ended lower following the long holiday weekend. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 600 points. The Nasdaq fell about a third-of-1-percent. The S&P 500 also closed in negative territory.
