It was perhaps the first royal wedding of its stature to have been filmed in the Middle East.

The year was 1939, when Princess Fawzia of Egypt tied the knot with Iran’s Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, interlocking the royal households of two of the Middle East’s most prominent nations in a strategic alliance.

Thousands of people had gathered for the event at Cairo’s Abdine Palace, where the wedding was marked with fireworks and a parade showcasing the two nations’ civilizations.

Princess Fawzia was the eldest sister of King Farouk I – Egypt’s last monarch – and was just 17 years old when she married Pahlavi, who two years later ascended to the throne and became Shah of Iran. Fawzia filed for divorce in 1945, and the divorce was recognized by Tehran in 1948.

Forty years after the wedding, Pahlavi was overthrown in an Islamic revolution that changed the course of Iranian relations with Arab states, and sent Iranian-Egyptian ties in particular on a downward spiral from which the two nations have never emerged.

The feud became the longest between Iran and an Arab country in modern times. But it may soon be coming to an end.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week publicly endorsed normalizing ties with Egypt, the most populous Arab country, saying that Iran “welcomes Egypt’s interest in restoring relations.”

“We have no problem in this regard,” he tweeted.

Media reports have touted a potential détente between the two countries after Oman’s Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq visited both last month in what was seen as an attempt to broker a reconciliation.

Khamenei’s recent comments come as Saudi Arabia normalizes ties with Iran after nearly eight years of a diplomatic freeze. Iran reopened its embassy and consulate in Saudi Arabia last week.

A ‘prize’ for Tehran

“Even if not accurate, the narrative would be that Tehran is strengthening its own position at the expense of the United States,” he said, noting that for Egypt, interest isn’t as high on the agenda as “Tehran doesn’t really provide much to Cairo.”

The wider region has been witnessing a series of rapprochements between states that were once at odds with one another. Apart from Saudi Arabia and Iran, Egypt has reconciled with both Turkey and Qatar, and the Arab League last month welcomed Syria back as a member after more than a decade of isolation.

Having failed to normalize ties with the West, Iran considers stronger ties with other countries in the Middle East as an alternative now, said Trita Parsi, vice-president of the Quincy Institute think tank in Washington, DC.

Much of this, added Parsi, is driven by the regional belief that the role of the US in the region, and in turn its protection of it, is waning.

Analysts say that while this round of normalization with Egypt is unlikely to be a difficult one, it may still come with complications as the two states share a unique history pitted with unsavory memories.

“On paper, perhaps this should be an easier one because the countries are not actually in a direct conflict in the same way that Saudi Arabia and Iran were,” Parsi said. “They are on the opposite sides of different issues, but that’s different.”

While ties between Egypt and Iran witnessed some tensions before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, they took an abrupt turn with Tehran’s new clerical rule.

Gamal Abdel Nasser, who suffered a crushing defeat in 1967 at Israel’s hands, was at odds with an Iranian Shah who was friendly with the Jewish state. Ties between Cairo and Tehran however improved after Nasser’s death as President Anwar Sadat sought to reach out to the Shah.

But Pahlavi, having ruled Iran since 1941, was toppled in the Islamic Revolution soon after, and it was Sadat’s Egypt that gave him refuge, infuriating the new clerical rulers in Tehran.

The Shah lived in Cairo until his death in 1980 at the age of 60. He was buried next to the Cairo Citadel, at Al-Rifa’I mosque where King Farouk is also buried, and a shrine was built for him.

Sadat was assassinated one year later by an Egyptian army officer named Khaled Islambouli, who opposed the president’s signing of a landmark normalization treaty with Israel in 1979. Iran’s Islamic Republic named a street in the capital after the assassin.

Weight of historical symbolism

As the years passed by, Egypt and Iran only grew apart, with little desire to reconcile from either party.

Ties partially improved under former President Hosni Mubarak, when chargé d’affaires were exchanged, but relations never reached the ambassadorial level. And in 2004, Tehran’s Islambouli street was changed to Intifada, referring to a Palestinian uprising against Israel.

Attempts at normalization failed. There were brief hopes of a reconciliation when the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings led to the ouster of Mubarak and gave rise to a Muslim Brotherhood-led government that indicated a desire to mend ties with Iran.

Islamist President Mohamed Mursi even traveled to Tehran in 2012 to attend a Non-Aligned Movement summit. Ater a year in power, he was toppled in a coup led by incumbent President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi.

“The history of it is filled with symbolism that carries a lot of political weight,” Parsi said, noting that these symbolic differences in the past prevented “the rather careful attempts at normalization that took place.”

Opposing interests proved too strong, Parsi said, and normalization never took place. But today, he said, “the value of normalization is greater, and the cost of not normalizing, because of these regional shifts, is also much higher.”

One regional state whose interests an Egypt-Iran reconciliation won’t serve is Israel.

Israel is unlikely to see any normalization with Iran as positive, Parsi said, as it only helps Iran extract itself from the isolation imposed on it by the West and its allies that has been championed by Israel.

“Israel wants an isolated and contained Iran,” he said, adding that the détentes taking place today with Iran are particularly problematic because they “pop the balloon of the Abraham Accords.”

The Abraham Accords are a series of normalization deals between Israel and Arab nations, signed in 2020, which Israel hopes will lead to its full integration in the region. Most Arab states continue to reject recognition of Israel.

Ultimately however, an Egyptian-Iranian détente could have little impact beyond symbolism.

“The absence of Iranian-Egyptian normalization didn’t mean all that much, and the presence of it, I suspect, won’t either,” said Hellyer.

As the early stages of Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian invaders is unfolding on the battlefield, hundreds of warplanes from some of Kyiv’s biggest supporters are in the skies over Germany as NATO holds its largest aerial war games ever.

“Air Defender 2023” is bringing together 250 warplanes – including 190 fighter jets – and 10,000 troops in drills designed to boost the alliance’s preparedness and ability “to protect against aircraft, drones and missile attacks on cities and critical infrastructure,” according to a NATO press release.

Though the German-led exercises have been in the works for several years, their timing as Moscow unleashes punishing air attacks on Ukrainian cities as part of the now 16-month invasion of its neighbor sends a timely message, especially to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Early Tuesday alone, Russian missiles attacked the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing at least 11 people and injuring 28, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih city military administration.

Three more people were killed in the Black Sea port city of Odesa after Russia fired four “Kalibr” cruise missiles, according to Ukraine’s Operational Command South.

Since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, the worry in NATO is that the destruction Moscow has wreaked on Ukraine’s cities could spill beyond the country’s borders.

NATO members’ military support for Ukraine, including tanks, armored vehicles and other weaponry being used in Kyiv’s current offensive, has consistently produced threats of retaliation from Russia.

Alliance members are making plans to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets of the same variety that are participating in the current war games.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in the aftermath of World War II to defend Western nations from the Soviet Union and the alliance contains a mutual defense clause where an attack on any one member is considered an attack on all.

NATO nations say Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has made that defense clause all the more vital.

“Air Defender is necessary because we live in a more dangerous world. As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our countries and our people safe,” NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said in a statement.

“I would be pretty surprised if any world leader was not taking note of what this shows in terms of the spirit of the alliance, which means the strength of this alliance, and that includes Mr. Putin,” United States Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann said before the drills began.

Formidable ‘hodge-podge’ of weapons

That NATO territory includes five members participating in the exercises that share a border with Russia – Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Two of those – Estonia and Latvia – will host small portions of the drills.

Other participants are NATO members Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, plus NATO applicant Sweden and Japan, which has been increasing its ties with the alliance.

Fighter planes include US F-35 stealth jets and F-15s; F-16s from the US, Turkey and Greece; Eurofighters from Spain and the UK; German Tornadoes; US and Finnish F/A-18s; Hungarian Gripens; as well as US A-10 ground-attack jets.

That’s a large range of participants and aircraft that could present coordination difficulties in any actual conflict. But analysts say that is what makes Air Defender so important.

It “accurately captures the hodge-podge of weapons systems designed by different nations that would have to operate together as part of an air defense campaign,” said Brynn Tannehill, an analyst at the RAND Corp. think tank and former US Navy pilot.

Aviators involved also noted the importance of practice.

“Training like this is important because in the next conflict where we may be called upon to defend NATO, it’s not going to get a practice round,” said Maj. Adam Casey, a US A-10 pilot.

Tannehill said exercise planners have been able to incorporate real-time scenarios from the conflict in Ukraine into the training.

“It reflects some of the tactical problems seen in Ukraine, such as missile interception and tactical air support of troops,” she said.

Peter Layton, a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and former Royal Australian Air Force officer, said Air Defender 2023 should give Russian military planners a lot to think about.

“The scale of the exercise and the complexity of the training is well beyond the capabilities the Russian air force has demonstrated in the Ukraine. The exercise is evidence of very sophisticated air power capabilities that the Russians don’t appear able to match,” he said.

Overall, the US has the largest contingent of planes involved in Air Defender 2023 – 100 aircraft from 42 different states – with most of those drawn from Air National Guard units.

The analysts say using Air National Guard, rather than regular Air Force planes, enables planners to be more certain the exercises can come off as expected.

Air National Guard “units can be committed for the long haul reasonably confident that they will not be diverted into a contingency operation at the last minute,” Layton said.

“If you have active duty units participating, it means they’re not doing their normal job,” Tannehill said.

The two-week NATO exercise concludes on June 23.

Two record-breakers, a pair of hole-in-ones, and a sea of low scores: Los Angeles Country Club served up a Hollywood blockbuster with a thrilling first round at the US Open on Thursday.

Rickie Fowler became the first golfer in the major’s 128-year history to shoot 62, only for American compatriot Xander Schauffele to match the feat and tie him for the tournament’s lowest single round score just 22 minutes later.

The duo, both chasing their first major titles, top the leaderboard at eight-under overall, two shots ahead of fellow American pair Dustin Johnson and Wyndham Clark.

LIV Golf’s Johnson made a strong start to his pursuit of a second US Open crown, while Clark – who missed the cut on both previous appearances at the major – opened with an eagle and closed with a birdie to keep pace with the former World No. 1.

Spectators who stayed planted at the 15th tee were rewarded with a pair of hole-in-ones, as France’s Matthieu Pavon hit the opening ace of the tournament on the 124-yard par-three before American Sam Burns followed suit.

The pair of hole-in-one’s highlighted a day of widespread low scoring, as birdies rained down around the North Course. Thursday’s 71.34 scoring average marked the lowest ever recorded in a first round at the US Open, beating the previous low of 72.29 at the 1993 tournament.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is the only non-American inside the top five, as he shot five-under 65 to end the day level with Brian Harman. The 2011 champion was on track to beat Fowler and Schauffele’s record after making the turn at five-under par but could only add one more birdie on the closing nine holes.

A loss of pace looked in danger of sliding into full-on reverse at the last hole when McIlroy’s attempt to escape the rough near the green went nowhere, but the four-time major winner recovered superbly to putt from 11 feet and escape with a bogey.

American quartet Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, Harris English and Sam Bennett join Korea’s Kim Si-woo and France’s Paul Barjon in the group bunched at three-under overall.

Going low

Schauffele and Fowler’s historic rounds saw the duo join Branden Grace as the only players to shoot 62 at a men’s major championship.

The South African had stood alone since his record-breaking third round at the 2017 Open Championship, though the American pair will be hoping their record-breaking rounds ends better than Grace’s eventual tied-sixth finish.

Fowler’s 10 birdies marked the most ever recorded in a US Open round. Schauffele, who went bogey-free, attributed the low scores to an abundance of moisture in the greens.

“I think it made the greens that more holeable speed, and then coming into greens you’re able to pull some wedges back,” he told reporters.

“Then the fairways are a little bit softer, too, because of that overcast, and without the sun out it’s not drying out much. I think fairways are easier to hit and greens are a little bit softer.

“I’m anticipating the sun to come out just as much as every West Coast person out here … you just wait until this place firms up. It’s going to be nasty.”

Schauffele’s observations were echoed by Scottie Scheffler, who trails the leading duo by five at three-under. Like his compatriot, the World No. 1 expects scores to rise heading into the weekend.

“I joked a bit earlier, I think the USGA will be a bit frustrated that the number was that low today,” Scheffler told reporters.

“It’s one of those golf courses where I think if you can pick up some momentum and capitalize on some really difficult holes all of a sudden it starts to open up and you see those easier holes.”

Ace duo

The 15th tee was the place to be for crowds, as Pavon and Burns sent nearby stands wild with their respective aces.

There were empathic celebrations from both players after the first hole-in-ones of their PGA Tour careers, Pavon taking off his cap to salute the fans and Burns launching his club skyward.

“Sharing this with the crowd today was just a moment I would never forget,” Pavon told reporters.

“it was just an unbelievable feeling. I’m just seeing now how I reacted because I didn’t know I was that emotional. Things happen and I can’t remember what I did at that moment.”

World No. 173 Pavon ended the day one-over par, two shots behind Burns, who is seeking to add a first major title to his five PGA Tour victories.

The WNBA has expanded its travel protocol to allow teams to use a public charter service called JSX for all games.

The move comes less than a week after Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was freed from Russia late last year after being wrongfully detained, was harassed by a man described as a social media “provocateur” at a Dallas airport.

JSX says it operates out of private terminals making it possible for passengers to avoid lines and crowds at the airport.

Since JSX isn’t available in most WNBA cities, the league told teams that airline flights have to be regularly scheduled JSX routes and times and cannot be custom routes.

Previously, unlike in the NBA, WNBA teams were not permitted to use charter planes for travel.

The WNBA announced in April that the league would expand its charter flights program for all postseason games and select regular season games where teams have back-to-back games on the schedule.

The confrontation got so heated that the man was tackled and law enforcement was involved, according to the source.

In December, Griner was released in a prisoner swap involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout – nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” – after spending nearly 300 days in Russian custody.

The US Department of Justice is to investigate the planned partnership between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns LIV Golf, over antitrust concerns, according to the Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.

The reported DOJ probe into the surprise partnership casts doubt over the new, as yet unnamed commercial enterprise between the organizations and the Europe-based DP World Tour.

The Justice Department had previously opened an investigation into the PGA Tour due to its battle with LIV Golf.

On Thursday, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to PGA Tour leadership asking a variety of questions to seek clarification and evidence associated with the deal.

Earlier this week, Wyden and fellow Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren called on the Justice Department’s antitrust division to inspect the controversial partnership, saying it would allow Saudi Arabia to “sportswash” its “egregious human rights record” and would violate multiple provisions of antitrust law.

The state of Texas as well as cities and counties surrounding the Panhandle town of Perryton are sending aid after a deadly tornado ripped through the area Thursday afternoon.

The town’s fire department took a direct hit from the tornado, and “many of our trucks are pretty badly damaged,” Dutcher said.

As many as 200 homes may have been damaged by the tornado, the chief said, with the area impacted stretching up to a mile and a half in length.

An estimated 50 to 100 people have been treated for injuries at Ochiltree General Hospital, according to hospital CFO Debbie Beck.

The National Weather Service in Amarillo confirmed that a tornado struck the town and images of extensive damage have been circulating on social media.

Homes and businesses have been damaged, including the local fire department and EMS, Beck said, and multiple mobile homes sustained heavy damage.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office and the state’s Division of Emergency Management are mobilizing resources, State Rep. Four Price of District 87 said in a Facebook post.

“TDEM is moving everything that way. Search and Rescue, medical, etc.,” Price said. Multiple structures are damaged and “the state is engaging additional medical help to triage,” according to Price.

“This is a serious situation. Again, please lift that community up in prayer,” he added.

The city of Stinnett, Texas, about 56 miles from Perryton, is sending officers and EMS crews, and the Hutchinson County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that they are also assisting with rescue and emergency operations following the “devastating tornado.”

The Borger Police Department, Booker Fire Department and officials with the City of Fritch are all responding to Perryton to assist with tornado damage.

Meteorologists had warned that severe weather capable of producing wind gusts up to 90 mph, hail up to 5 inches in diameter and tornadoes was expected Thursday – the sixth day in a row for portions of the South and Plains.

The latest round of storms comes on the heels of more than 300 storm reports Wednesday, continuing a long streak of active weather.

The area under threat Thursday covers a large swath from Colorado to South Carolina, with the greatest potential across portions of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

The Storm Prediction Center has placed a Level 4 of 5 moderate risk of severe weather for the area, which includes Oklahoma City and Norman, Oklahoma.

Two tornado watches have been issued by the Storm Prediction Center for western and central Oklahoma and portions of northwestern, northern and central Texas. The watches include the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Oklahoma City and both are in effect until 10 p.m. CT.

“Intense supercell development is expected this afternoon from the eastern Texas Panhandle into western Oklahoma and northwest Texas, and storms will spread eastward through late evening,” the SPC said. “The initial, more discrete supercells will be capable of producing giant hail (4-5 inches in diameter) and a few tornadoes. Upscale growth into a cluster or two is possible this evening, with an increasing threat for intense outflow winds of 80-90 mph.”

Extremely large hail is another threat.

“Be prepared for hail up to the size of baseballs and winds up to 80 mph with the stronger storms, as well as a medium risk for tornadoes,” warned the National Weather Service office in Norman. “The severe window will start in western Oklahoma between 3pm and 5pm and continue until storms exit the southeastern parts of the forecast area by 3am.”

SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING

Ingredients will be in place for large hail up to baseball size, wind gusts near or exceeding 80 mph, and the potential for a few tornadoes. Please stay weather aware later today! #okwx #texomawx #txwx pic.twitter.com/0ys2c4aNcJ

— NWS Norman (@NWSNorman) June 15, 2023

Know the difference between a tornado watch vs tornado warning

Areas around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex are under a Level 3 of 5 enhanced risk of severe weather.

“The areas most susceptible to another round of large hail and possibly some damaging winds will be eastern North TX down into far eastern Central TX east of I-45 could get into the mix as well,” the weather service office in Dallas said.

A much broader area of severe weather extends from western Kansas, south to central Texas and east to the Florida Panhandle. The Level 2 of 5 slight risk of severe weather covers more than 10 million people and includes places like Tulsa, Oklahoma; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Tallahassee, Florida.

Lastly, a widespread area of a Level 1 of 5 marginal risk of severe weather covers from eastern Colorado to South Carolina.

While it is not in the main threat area, people should not let their guard down because of the potential for damaging winds and very large hail. An isolated tornado could spin up as well.

In addition to the severe weather threat, the same areas should also monitor the potential for flooding. With days of rain over the same areas, the ground is becoming quite saturated.

“A continued threat of heavy rain through the day with potential for several inches to fall within bands of training convection,” is being warned by the weather service office in Mobile, Alabama.

The multiday severe threat will continue Friday and through the weekend, as storms continue to develop each day along a stalled frontal boundary draped across the South.

At least 10 reported tornadoes on Wednesday

Wednesday’s severe threat brought more than 300 storm reports across the South and Plains.

There were at least 100 hail reports and more than 200 wind reports, which knocked out power to more than 100,000 homes.

Baseball to tennis ball-sized hail was reported in Alabama and hail greater than 5 inches was reported in Mississippi.

Of the 10 tornado reports, five were reported in Georgia, two in Texas and three in Alabama.

Extreme temperatures

Not only will millions face severe weather, but more than 30 million people are also under heat alerts, including large portions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Florida.

Most will see temperatures running at least 10-15 degrees above normal, with the potential for nearly 100 high temperature records to break during the next week.

Texas is expected to get hit exceptionally hard, with heat indices reaching as high as 120 degrees.

Heat indices are the “feels like” temperature, when you factor in the humidity.

The Texas power grid could reach a record high for usage next week, as temperatures stay in the triple digits for at least the next week.

Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder has died aged 26 following a crash on the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, his Bahrain Victorious team announced on Friday.

Almost 200 kilometers into the race, Mäder crashed at high speed with American rider Magnus Sheffield, race organizers said in a statement on Thursday. They were descending the Albula Pass towards La Punt, where the stage ended.

“On Friday 16th June, following a very serious crash during stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his battle to recover from the severe injuries he sustained,” Bahrain Victorious said in a statement.

“Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

In a statement, the Tour de Suisse said it was “heartbroken,” paying tribute to an “excellent rider” and “wonderful person,” while the UCI, cycling’s global governing body, called Mäder a “promising young rider who was destined to be part of important chapters of our sport.”

Mäder fell into a ravine and was found motionless in the water, organizers said Thursday, before being resuscitated and transported to hospital in the city of Chur by air ambulance.

Mäder, who has been riding for Bahrain Victorious since 2021, previously won stages of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de Suisse. He also placed fifth in the general classification of the Vuelta a España two years ago.

“We are devastated by the loss of our exceptional cyclist, Gino Mäder,” said Milan Erzen, managing director of Bahrain Victorious.

“His talent, dedication, and enthusiasm were an inspiration to us all. Not only was he an extremely talented cyclist, but a great person off the bike. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.

“Bahrain Victorious will race in his honour, keeping his memory on every road we race. We are determined to show the spirit and passion Gino displayed, and he will always remain an integral part of our team.”

The 21-year-old Sheffield, who rides for Ineos Grenadiers, was found responsive with bruises and a concussion after the crash, race organizers said on Thursday. He was transported to Samedan hospital.

Ineos Grenadiers later said that Sheffield was kept in hospital overnight on Thursday for observation after suffering concussion and soft tissue damage.

More than 50 million people across a large swath of the US are under a severe weather threat Friday, one day after storms cut a deadly path across Texas and Florida.

And a person in Florida died after being trapped under a tree that fell on their home, Escambia County officials said.

The county, which includes Pensacola, was hit with flash flooding emergencies overnight, leading to high water rescues, the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, reported early Friday, citing local rescuers.

“Widespread and significant” flash flooding was continuing in West Pensacola, Warrington and Gulf Breeze, Escambia County Emergency Management said. “Numerous roadways remain flooded with water entering several structures,” emergency officials said.

Warrington, just south of Pensacola, got nearly a foot of rain in just three hours. Radar estimates indicate as much as 16 inches of rain fell overnight, and more is expected Friday. A flash flood watch is in effect for the area until 7 p.m.

Many of the areas that saw severe conditions Thursday could see storms return as a level 2 of 5 slight risk of severe storms is in place for parts of the South, Mid-Atlantic and Southern Plains.

Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes are possible in the slight risk areas, which include Montgomery and Mobile in Alabama, Little Rock, Arkansas; Jackson, Mississippi; and Tallahassee, Florida.

A marginal, level 1 of 5 risk is in place from South Dakota to Florida and for parts of the Mid-Atlantic – a huge zone that includes hard-hit Perryton. Other cities in the marginal risk area, which could see large hail and damaging winds, include Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Denver, and Jacksonville, Florida.

The storm that swept through Perryton damaged homes and businesses in the town of some 8,000 residents, including the local fire department and EMS, as well as multiple mobile homes, Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said, noting many of the department’s trucks were damaged.

“There was a time I thought I was going to die,” she said. “Everything went crazy. Dumpsters were flying, hailstones hitting the car.”

James’ home is still standing but the structure next to it is destroyed. She said the tornado is a devastating blow to the city she’s lived in for 15 years. “So many good people in this town. … We look out for one another.”

The city’s power facilities were shutoff for safety purposes, according to Xcel Energy.

“Transmission lines supplying the city with electricity have sustained damage and many lower voltage distribution lines are down in the city,” said Wes Reeves, a spokesperson for Xcel Energy.

“Xcel Energy personnel are working to ensure the safety of Perryton residents and first responders. An estimated time of restoration is not yet available,” he added.

As of 3 a.m. CT, more than 220,000 homes and businesses across Texas were in the dark, according to the tracking website Poweroutage.us. In neighboring Louisiana, more than 130,000 were without power, and outages were also reported in Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has deployed state emergency resources to “meet urgent life-safety needs in Perryton, Texas,” according to a news release from his office.

“We remain ready to quickly provide any additional resources needed over the course of this severe weather event,” the governor noted in the statement.

Resources from surrounding areas have poured into the city to provide much-needed assistance.

Officials in Beaver County, Oklahoma, sent fire, law enforcement and EMS units to help, according to the county’s emergency manager Keith Shadden.

Neighboring city officials in Stinnett, Texas, also began sending officers and EMS crews. The sheriff’s office in Hutchinson County — which includes Stinnett — also sent rescue and emergency operations following the “devastating tornado,” according to a Facebook post from the office.

Medical help also came from staff at nearby hospitals who swiftly aided up to 100 people after the tornado struck, Ochiltree General Hospital Interim CEO Kelly Judice said.

“A few of them took patients to their hospitals, most of the staff just stayed here and worked,” she added.

On Thursday, there were two tornado reports in Texas, four in Oklahoma and one in Michigan, according to the National Weather Service, with the tornado in Perryton being the most significant.

‘People lost everything today’

The tornado, which was confirmed by the NWS, cut through some of Perryton’s main sections.

The worst damages he saw were in the northwest part of town, where the tornado barreled toward a mobile home park directly in its path, Emfinger explained.

“The storm produced a wall cloud very quickly, and that wall cloud tightened up very rapidly, and then it just went to the ground very quickly,” Emfinger added.

“We have the gym space, and we have the capabilities to help the people that have lost everything and we’re more than willing to do that,” he said. “Sadly, there’s just not a list of things. … You think about that you need on hand, but people lost everything today.”

US Rep. Ronny Jackson, who represents Perryton, said the community needs help.

“If you are in the area, I ask that you do whatever you can to help your neighbors. Food, fuel, water, generators – anything you can.”

The rain-lashed isle of Islay off Scotland’s west coast is not always easy to get to. Temperamental ferries run three times a day from the mainland port of Kennacraig and frequent sea mists can disrupt the small passenger planes that fly daily from Glasgow.

Even so, the island attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world each year. What do they come for? Whisky.

Despite its small size and a population of just 3,000, Islay is home to nine – soon to be 11 – of Scotland’s 145 active distilleries. The distinctive smoky flavor of its single malt has won it fans globally. A single page from the visitors’ book at Ardbeg distillery on the south of the island lists addresses from the UK, US, Australia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Taiwan.

Jackie Thomson, who has worked in Ardbeg’s visitor center for more than 25 years, describes these visits as “pilgrimages” – as if there is a spiritual connection between the people and the whisky. She recalls arriving at the distillery one morning to find a man from the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra playing his violin by the waterfront; other fans from overseas have chosen to get married there.

Part of the reason is that when it comes to an Islay single malt, the place and the taste are so deeply intertwined. The salty breeze that blows in from sweeping white sand beaches settles in ancient peat bogs, which are harvested to fuel the kilns that dry the barley, giving the whisky its smoky, earthy flavor.

“It’s a liquid that runs through people’s veins,” says Thompson. “It’s very much part of the lifeblood and the real beating heart of Islay – you just have to go to the pub on a Friday or Saturday night and you’ll feel that very strongly.”

As well as being central to the island’s identity, whisky also underpins its economy – and represents a significant portion of Scotland’s international exports. More than £6 billion-worth ($7.5 billion) of Scotch whisky was sold across 174 markets last year, according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), accounting for three quarters of the country’s food and drink exports and almost a quarter of Britain’s. Whisky tourism has also rocketed, with distilleries receiving more than 2 million visits annually, making them collectively the country’s third most popular attraction.

Islay’s own whisky production, though relatively small (according to the SWA, it accounts for around 6% of the total Scotch malt distilling capacity) is hugely valuable. Last summer, a cask of rare whisky from Ardbeg’s distillery sold for a staggering £16 million ($20 million) to an unnamed female collector in Asia – the highest sum ever paid at auction for a cask of single malt. It contained enough spirit to fill 440 regular bottles, making each one worth more than $45,000.

In a place like Islay, the news traveled fast. “There was a buzz about the island,” says Thompson. “It was talked about in the local supermarket. There was a feeling of real pride and honesty about it, that somebody wanted to pay that much for a beautiful lot of liquid from 1975.”

Boom and bust

Islay’s whisky industry has not always been a boon for the island. Its early history is steeped in stories of illicit home distilling and smuggling from dark coves. Once whisky making became a legal activity in the early 1800s, distilleries were built near the coast so that they could export their wares – hence the tradition of the white walls facing out to sea with the distillery’s name painted in black.

It’s a liquid that runs through people’s veins.”

Jackie Thomson, visitor center manager at Ardbeg Distillery

Periods of boom were followed by bust. In the 20th century, world wars, US prohibition and the 1929 Wall Street Crash took their toll and a global economic recession in the 1980s resulted in over-supply against demand, which led to a number of distilleries closing down – including Ardbeg for almost a decade. But these days the industry is thriving, with multinational companies such as Diageo and Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) buying up some of Islay’s historic brands.

This new dawn of whisky distilling has also brought some new contenders. Kilchoman, founded in 2005, was the first distillery to be built on Islay in 124 years. It was followed by Ardnahoe in 2018, and this year or next, Portintruan and Port Ellen distillery, both currently under construction, are expected to open.

Initially, the response to the newcomers was one of surprise and skepticism, says Anthony Wills, founder and CEO of Kilchoman: “People’s mindset was: ‘Who is this guy? He must be bloody mad. Why do you need another distillery in Scotland?’” But Wills stuck to his guns, believing that there was a gap in the market for a smaller, family-run and more bespoke distillery.

So far, time has proved him right. In 2021, Kilchoman produced more than 600,000 liters of alcohol and 90% of this was exported to more than 60 markets, according to Wills. Despite being a new player, it prides itself on the revival of traditional farm distilling methods. Most Scottish distilleries use barley grown and malted elsewhere in the country, but Kilchoman is located on a 2,300-acre farm and its annual barley crop goes towards whisky production, while discarded husks are fed to a herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle. The barley is malted in the traditional way, much of the peat is hand-cut from a local bog, and the fiery liquid is distilled, matured and bottled on site. In fact, Kilchoman’s “100% Islay 12th Edition” claims to be the only Scotch whisky to be entirely made on one farm.

“It’s taking it back to how it was done in the old days,” says Wills. “You can trace everything right back to the fields here at Kilchoman.”

As the whisky industry continues to grow, keeping production local will be key to its survival, believes Kilchoman’s general manager, Islay Heads (who is named after his father, who was named after the island). “To keep traditions alive, you need people,” he says. “Traditions are things that are handed down from one generation to another.”

Everybody’s connected to the whisky industry.”

Islay Heads, general manager at Kilchoman Distillery

Like most people on Islay, Heads has strong links to the spirit. He was brought up within a stone’s throw of Lagavulin distillery, where his father worked and where he used to play as a child. His brother also works at a local distillery, and his son works in the stillhouse at Kilchoman.

“Everybody’s connected to the whisky industry,” he says. “It’s such a big employer, it’s a very important part of the Islay economy, and it drives a lot of very positive things that are happening on the island.”

There are some downsides, explains whisky consultant Blair Bowman. Tourism has swallowed up much of Islay’s housing stock in holiday lets, with some locals being priced out. But he notes that the industry has also created a number of jobs, which attract young islanders to stay and work there – more than can be said for neighboring Hebridean islands that struggle with declining populations.

To keep locals happy, distilleries need to invest back into the island, Bowman says, referencing Ardbeg’s decision to donate more than $1 million to the community after its record-breaking sale. “It was a good opportunity for them to show that they couldn’t have achieved this massive milestone without the island and without the people,” he says.

On a visit to Islay, it is hard to ignore the overwhelming sense of pride locals have in their craggy isle’s global reputation. Today, a wee dram of Islay’s single malt can be ordered at most bars in most cities around the world – and a sip of it will transport you right to where it came from.

“I’m very proud to be ‘Ileach’ (somebody from Islay),” says Heads. “I’m very proud of what Islay brings to the world through its whiskies.”

Most sustainability experts will scoff at the idea of “sustainable” and “airlines” in the same sentence.

“Today, at this moment, it’s not yet realistic to fly fully sustainably,” says Pedro Piris-Cabezas, a global transportation expert and economist at the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.

Yet that doesn’t mean the airline industry isn’t showing growing self-awareness around its environmental impacts and the increasingly urgent calls for transformation in the face of an intensifying climate crisis.

“In the past few years, public awareness of aviation’s climate impact has definitely put pressure on airlines to strengthen their sustainability strategy,” says Sola Zheng, an aviation researcher at the nonprofit International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). She says that combined pressure from consumers and investors, along with expanding climate regulations, has given the industry “a strong push towards airline decarbonization efforts.”

And environmentalists say that shift is coming not a moment too soon. Commercial aviation, which transported more than 4.5 billion passengers annually pre-pandemic, is behind 2.5% of global CO2 emissions each year, with significantly increased flight demand – and related emissions – forecasted.

“If aviation were a country, it would be one of the world’s top 10 sources of greenhouse gas emissions,” says Piris-Cabezas.

In response, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a global trade association representing some 300 global airlines, approved a resolution in 2021 to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 – meaning it would remove from the atmosphere at least as much planet-warming pollution as it emits – in line with high-stakes UN-set targets laid out to ensure a “livable climate.”

New and proposed government regulation is also trying to sculpt the industry’s transition, particularly in Europe, where some short-haul flights have already been banned, while Denmark and Sweden plan to eliminate fossil fuels on domestic flights by 2030.

“The industry and regulators are in agreement that net-zero needs to be reached by 2050,” says Nicolas Jammes, spokesperson for IATA. “The industry doesn’t have a choice. It has to be sustainable if it wants to carry on growing, or keep operating the way it does.”

“Let us not fool ourselves,” he said. “We will not even reach the targets we have for 2030, I assure you. Because there is not enough raw material to get the volumes of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel).”

The biggest part of the problem: aviation’s continued reliance on fossil fuel-powered planes. “Flying sustainably requires the use of alternative energy,” says Zheng.

Accordingly, airlines are banking big on a patchwork of greener alternative fuel sources to slash carbon emissions from future flights, including next-generation technologies like electric, hybrid, and, further out, hydrogen.

“There are a set of emerging technologies that have great potential to decarbonize the sector, but they are in the early stage,” says Zheng.

Offering more immediate adoptability – and the backbone to the industry’s broader decarbonization goals – is low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, a biofuel alternative made from waste products and renewable biomass that can cut emissions by as much as 80%. Currently being tested on dozens of airlines, with SAF mandates upcoming in the European Union, the fuel is projected to meet 65% of commercial aviation’s 2050 net-zero targets.

“It’s a critical element – the reason being is that it’s the only proven solution at the moment to decarbonize,” says Jammes. Yet SAF faces supply limitations, hefty expense and environmental concerns around low-integrity production; it only made up 0.1% of the world’s total jet fuel consumption in 2021, according to data from ICCT.

Ultimately, environmentalists advise that aviation’s decarbonization overhaul is in its infancy, and that for the time being, eco-conscious travelers – who are showing increasing concern around the hefty carbon footprints of flying – need to choose to fly less and consider alternative, more climate-friendly means of transportation and travel.

Zheng says travelers who do fly should seek out less-emitting flights, noting that travel search engines like Google Flights and Kayak can now display projected per-passenger CO2 emissions alongside flight search results. She also advises against purchasing an airline’s controversial carbon offset programs, which she says are oftentimes unvetted and allow for a business-as-usual approach, and instead look into verified SAF airline credit buy-ins as they become available.

If aviation were a country, it would be one of the world’s top 10 sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Pedro Piris-Cabezas, Environmental Defense Fund

Piris-Cabezas cautions that industry greenwashing abounds, and that consumers should also strive to check the credentials of airline claims and to press airlines for greater transparency around sustainability. “Airlines’ ‘green claims’ are often multiplying more quickly than their fact-checking departments care to back up with substantive evidence,” he says.

Zheng concurs, adding, “Until we see actual decarbonization happen and have the rate of decarbonizing overtake the growth in traffic, it is very misleading to label anyone in the aviation industry sustainable.”

Yet Jammes says air travelers can expect to see a rapidly improving landscape around airline sustainability. “It won’t come without challenges, that’s for sure,” and customers must “understand that it can’t happen overnight,” but he says that when it comes to new sustainability-minded technologies, “the future is going to be exciting.”

While airlines have much work to do yet, these seven carriers have introduced an array of sustainability measures including the early adoption of alternative-fuel technology, plastic and food waste-reduction programs, SAF credits, eco-friendly materials, and more.

United Airlines

United plans to introduce a regional US flight service aboard 100 30-passenger hybrid-electric planes, from Swedish startup Heart Aerospace, by 2028.

It’s one of several innovative electric- and hydrogen-technology development partnerships that the airline is backing, while it’s also invested in the production of 5 billion gallons of SAF, including biofuel sourced from microalgae – the largest airline commitment worldwide.

United also recently rolled out a Sustainable Flight Fund that allows passengers and corporate partners to buy into SAF development, while its website now displays estimated CO2 emissions alongside flight search results.

Widerøe

Norway-based Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, says it is on track to become one of the world’s first fully emissions-free airlines.

An all-electric aircraft-development partnership between the airline, engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and Italian aerospace company Tecnam is set to replace the airline’s entire domestic fleet by 2028, with the first flights on 11-passenger electric commuter planes poised for 2026. (Norway plans for all short-haul domestic flights to be electric by 2040.)

SAS

While many airlines have been teasing electric flights, Scandinavian airline SAS is the first to take seat reservations for commercial hybrid-electric flights in 2028, aboard 30-passenger Heart Aerospace planes on routes in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

The airline has ambitious targets that include slashing CO2 emissions by 25% by 2025, before phasing them out entirely in Scandinavia by 2030.

The airline is backing various other clean-energy and SAF development projects, and has recently begun offering passengers dedicated fares that bundle in the direct purchase of biofuels, too.

Wizz Air

European low-cost carrier Wizz Air claims one of the industry’s lowest carbon emissions-impact per passenger, thanks to its younger, fuel-efficient fleet (most of its Airbus A321neo planes are less than five years old), high-occupancy flights and direct route network that omits carbon-emitting connecting flights.

The sustainability award-winning airline is also investing heavily in SAFs and pursuing hydrogen propulsion aircraft with Airbus. Onboard, Wizz Air passengers can expect biodegradable service items and recycled materials, like the waste-leather seating.

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways, one of two national carriers for the United Arab Emirates, has slashed CO2 emissions by a quarter since 2019 thanks to improved operational efficiencies, and has also reduced single-use plastics by 80%.

The airline additionally partners with Boeing as part of the decarbonization-focused “Greenliner” program, using the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners as testbeds for SAF and other eco-friendly technologies.

Etihad has a similarly themed “Sustainable50” program dedicated to its Airbus A350s.

Looking ahead, the airline is hoping to integrate SAF sourced from CO2, while it has planted tens of thousands of carbon-absorbing trees as part of its Etihad Mangrove Forest project.

The innovations have not gone unnoticed: Etihad was named the “Environmental Airline of the Year” for both 2022 and 2023 by rating agency AirlineRatings.com.

Alaska Airlines

While most major global airlines are targeting 2050 for net-zero carbon emissions, Alaska Airlines intends to meet that target as soon as 2040.

To do so, the airline is laser-focused on fuel efficiency and has invested heavily in SAF (including CO2-derived versions). It’s also announced a partnership with the US-headquartered hydrogen-electric aircraft developer ZeroAvia to retrofit one of their regional aircraft as a hybrid hydrogen-electric plane.

Customers will also notice single-use plastics reduction on board, like boxed water instead of plastic water bottles and paper cups instead of plastic ones; the line also composts select food waste like coffee grounds.

Air Canada

Canadian flag carrier Air Canada is targeting 2028 for electric flight, with a purchase agreement in place for 30 of Heart Aerospace’s 30-passenger hybrid-electric planes, which will service regional routes.

The airline has also made sizable investments to accelerate the production of SAF in Canada, and has significantly reduced single-use plastics onboard (in line with Canada’s move to ban most single-use plastics by year’s end).