Latest News
-
Australia warns China against 'unsafe flare drops' in an aerial encounter
The Australian Defence Department said Monday that it had raised concerns with Beijing following an incident in which a Chinese fighter plane dropped flares near a maritime patrol aircraft of Australia. It called the incident "unsafe" and "unprofessional". In a press release, the Australian defence department stated that the Chinese jet had released flares close to an Australian patrol plane conducting surveillance in the South China Sea. This posed a danger to both the aircraft and crew. It added, "This was a dangerous and unprofessional maneuver." "Australia expects that all countries, including China to operate their military in a professional and safe manner." The Australian Air Force reported that no injuries were reported during the collision between the P-8A patrol aircraft and the People's Liberation Army Jet. Richard Marles, the Australian Defence Minister, said that the Chinese jet had fired flares twice. He said that on two occasions the flares were released very close to P-8. "The proximity of the flares is what has caused us to consider this unprofessional and unsafe." Marles stated that the Australian government has raised concerns about the Chinese Embassy in Canberra as well as the Australian Embassy in Beijing. An email request for comment was not immediately responded to by the Chinese Embassy. This is just the latest in a long line of incidents involving China, which Australia has publicly condemned. It also criticized as "unsafe" and "unprofessional" in February the actions of a Chinese jet fighter that dropped flares less than 30 m (100 feet) from a maritime surveillance plane. (Reporting and editing by Clarence Fernandez in Sydney)
-
Vietnam targets a 10% GDP growth by 2026
Pham Minh Chinh, the Vietnamese prime minister, said that the government will aim for a record-breaking GDP growth of 10 percent in 2026. He added that the Southeast Asian economies have proven to be resilient despite external pressures. Chinh, who spoke at the opening of the parliamentary session, said that the growth this year is estimated to be 8%. He added that the government will stick with its goal of aiming for a growth rate above 8%. The GDP grew by 7.85% annually in the first nine-month period of this year. The World Bank estimates a 6.6% increase in GDP this year. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund predicts a 6.5% growth. Chinh, in a speech to the parliament, said that the Vietnamese economy had proven to be one of the strongest and fastest growing economies in the world. Chinh said that the value of Vietnam’s goods trade is expected to reach $900 Billion in 2025 despite a tariff of 20% which has slowed down exports to the United States. He said that Vietnam would sign new free-trade agreements with countries from the Middle East, Latin America and Africa next year to diversify its export markets. He said Vietnam plans to start construction on its multi-billion dollar North-South high speed railway next year and launch satellite Internet services.
-
FAA: Staffing problems in US air traffic control cause flight delays
As the U.S. Government shutdown entered its 19th day, the Federal Aviation Administration reported late Sunday that staffing problems in air traffic control were causing delays at airports such as Dallas, Chicago Atlanta and Newark. Flights could be delayed due to air traffic controller absences in Las Vegas or Phoenix. FlightAware reported that more than 5,800 flights were delayed on Sunday. Flights were also affected by weather issues and the Formula 1 race held in Austin. FlightAware reports that more than 20% of American Airlines flights and Southwest Airlines flights were late on Sunday. The government shutdown is forcing 13,000 air traffic control officers and approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to work without pay. More information about the upcoming month is available. More than 23,000 flights have been delayed Over the past week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said that 53% of all flight delays are due to staffing problems, as opposed to 5% in normal circumstances. However, staffing problems have improved largely. The debate about the shutdown has shifted to air traffic control, with both sides blaming each other. Both unions and Airlines have called for a swift end Standoff at the border The Trump Airports are airing videos about their administration Airports blame Democrats for security checkpoints They have refused to run. The number of controllers and TSA agents absented during the 35-day shutdown in 2019 increased as employees missed paychecks. This led to longer waits at checkpoints. The authorities were forced to reduce air traffic in New York City and Washington to put pressure on legislators to end the standoff. Even before the shutdown, many air traffic controllers were working six-day weekends and mandatory overtime. (Reporting and editing by Kim Coghill, Diane Craft, and David Shepardson)
-
Airport operator: Cargo plane slides from runway in Hong Kong
The airport operator of Hong Kong International Airport said that a cargo plane from Dubai skidded into the sea when landing on the runway at the airport. Local media reported the death of two people. Hong Kong International Airport announced that the northern runway was closed following the incident. The south and central runways will continue to be operational. The incident occurred at 3:50 am Hong Kong time, Monday (1950 GMT Sunday). The airport confirmed that the aircraft carried an Emirates flight number. Emirates did not respond immediately to a comment request. In a statement, the airport international said that the four crew members aboard were rescued. Another member of the ground crew was also rescued, but another is still missing. South China Morning Post reported that two men died aboard the vehicle. Flightradar24 is a flight tracking service. According to a post on social media, the aircraft that left the runway in Hong Kong, was a Boeing freighter. FlightRadar24 reported on X that the plane was owned by AirACT, a Turkish carrier which provides extra cargo capacity for major airlines. AirACT did respond to a comment request outside of normal business hours, but it took a few days.
-
Fire at airport cargo facility disrupts Bangladeshi garment exports
Industry leaders stated on Sunday that a massive fire at Dhaka Airport's import cargo complex has caused extensive damages to goods and materials belonging major garment exporters. Losses and impacts on trade are likely to be in the millions of dollars. The fire broke out in the cargo village of the airport on Saturday afternoon, forcing the suspension of flights. On Sunday, smoke continued to rise as firefighters and airport officials assessed damage. The fire destroyed storage areas that housed imported raw materials, ready to export apparel, and sample products, all of which are essential for Bangladesh's $47 Billion garment industry. Inamul Haq Khan is the senior vice-president at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. "High-value and urgent air shipments were destroyed, including garments ready for shipment, raw material for production and, most important, product samples." He warned that losing samples could affect future business. These samples are crucial for securing buyers and increasing orders. "Our members could miss future opportunities if they lose these samples," he said. ESSENTIAL SAMPLES BURNED in FIRE BGMEA is now gathering information from exporters affected to assess the extent of losses. Khan said that the BGMEA has asked its members to provide detailed lists of damaged products and launched an online portal to accelerate data collection. The airport cargo village, one of Bangladesh's most important logistics hubs handles more than 600 tons of dry goods daily. This figure doubles in the peak season from October to December. Khan stated that "everyday, between 200 and 250 factories ship their products via air." The financial impact of this scale is substantial. An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of this fire. This is the third major fire in Bangladesh reported this week. On Tuesday, a fire at a Dhaka garment factory and adjacent chemical warehouse killed 16 people and injured many others. Another fire destroyed a seven-storey building of a garment factory in Chittagong's export processing zone on Thursday. Bangladesh is the second largest apparel exporter in the world after China. This sector, which supplies global retailers like Walmart, H&M and Gap, has about 4 million employees and generates $40 billion per year. That's more than 10% of Bangladesh's GDP. Fire, which occurred during peak export season is expected to cause delays in shipments, and make it more difficult for international deliveries to meet deadlines.
-
EU Naval Mission says LPG-laden Tanker is on Fire Off Yemen
In a press release, Aspides, the European Union naval force, said that the LPG-laden vessel MV Falcon, was on fire off the coasts of Yemen on Saturday after its crew reported an explosion which forced them to abandon ship. Aspides stated that the cause of explosion was not clear but it most likely an accident based on initial indications. Aspides said that at least 15 percent of the Cameroon flagged vessel was on fire. Aspides warned vessels to maintain a safe distance because the tanker, which was loaded with liquefied gas, could explode. Aspides stated in a press release that "the fire onboard is growing." "MV Falcon is a navigational danger." "Everyone in the area should exercise caution." The 26 crewmembers were being rescued by an operation. Two merchant ships sailing in the area have recovered 24 seafarers so far. Two merchant vessels, one of which was the MV Veda took the seafarers rescued from the ship to Djibouti escorted a Greek frigate. Aspides reported that two crew members have been reported missing. Ambrey, a British security company, said that the MV Falcon was traveling from Oman's Sohar Port towards Djibouti. The explosion happened as the ship was sailing 113 miles south of Aden, Yemen. According to maritime security sources, neither unmanned aerial vehicles nor missiles had been detected. Ambrey stated that the tanker did not match the profile of the Houthi militants in Yemen who are Iran-aligned. According to the Houthi news agency Saba, an official in the Houthi Defence Ministry said that the group has no connection with the incident. Since 2023, Houthi militants claim to have carried out numerous attacks against vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in response to Israel's Gaza war. The attacks disrupted the flow of trade through the Red Sea, the Suez Canal and one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Reporting by Enas Al Alashray and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Jan Harvey, Barbara Lewis and Renee Maltezou
-
At least 15 people are killed in a bus crash that occurred in the northeastern region of Brazil
In a statement, the Brazilian Federal Highway Police reported that a bus accident occurred in Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil on Friday evening. The driver of the bus lost control and caused the crash. Accident occurred just before 8 pm. The driver lost control, went into the opposite lane and hit rocks along the side of highway. He then crashed with a sand embankment, overturned, and collided. According to the Federal Highway Police, the Federal Highway Police is investigating the causes of the accident. According to the police list, there were 30 passengers aboard. So far, half have been confirmed as dead, 11 women and 4 men. Total number of injuries has not been revealed. The driver suffered minor injuries. According to the statement, he underwent a test of breathalyzer, and received a normal result. The police said that there were indications some passengers might not have worn seat belts during the accident. (Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier. (Writing by Luciana Magnalhaes Editing Marguerita Choy.
-
Fire at Dhaka Airport cargo terminal causes flight delays and diversions
Officials said that flights out of Bangladesh’s main airport on Saturday were either delayed or diverted after a large fire broke out at the cargo terminal. Talha Bin Zassim, an officer with the Fire Service and Civil Defence Media Cell said that 36 firefighting units were working to put out the flames. Airport official Masudul Hasan informed reporters that operations at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport have been suspended. He added that all aircraft were safe. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. The problem affects both domestic and international flights. Air Arabia from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, diverted a flight from Delhi bound for Dhaka to Chittagong and IndiGo from Delhi bound for Dhaka to Kolkata. Officials said that a Cathay Pacific plane from Hong Kong circled in the air after it failed to land at Dhaka Airport. The fire service, army, navy and air force all worked together to put out the fire. This is the third fire in Bangladesh reported this week. The fire that broke out at a Bangladeshi garment factory and adjacent chemical storage facility on Tuesday killed four people. At least 16 people Others were injured. Another fire destroyed a building of a Chittagong export processing zone garment factory on Thursday.
Takaichi is on the verge of becoming Japan’s first female Prime Minister after a coalition deal.
Sanae Takaichi, a conservative hardliner, is likely to become Japan's 1st female Prime Minister on Tuesday after the opposition Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), a right-wing party, announced that it would support her.
Hirofumi Yushimura, Osaka Governor and Ishin leader Hirofumi's representative in western Japan, told reporters that he had told Takaichi we should work together. He added that he will meet Takaichi to finalize the alliance at 6 pm (0900 GMT). Yoshimura, Ishin's boss Fumitake Fumita and party legislators met earlier at 2 pm (0500 GMT) in order to discuss the alliance. Investors' expectation of a deal which could lead to increased government spending has weakened the yen. Stocks in Japan have reached a new record high. The blue-chip Nikkei index rose almost 3% during afternoon trading.
The agreement would result in a total of 231 seats for the dominant lower house. Takaichi would still fall two seats short of a majority but it will ensure that he is likely to win a vote on Tuesday in the parliament for Japan's new prime minister. In a run-off vote, she will need only a majority rather than all votes cast.
She will need the support of all other opposition groups to govern. This includes a supplementary budget that is coming up.
The deal expected with Ishin comes after the LDP's 26 year coalition with Komeito ended when the ruling party chose Takaichi to be its new leader.
The sudden withdrawal of Komeito sparked talks between opposition parties including Ishin (the second largest), which could have derail her ambitions to become premier and put her party out from power for the very first time in over a decade. Ishin's choice to join the LDP has ended that possibility.
FISCAL DOVE AND SECURITY HAWK
Takaichi is a fiscal dove who has urged higher spending and tax reductions to cushion the consumer from rising inflation. He has also criticised Bank of Japan’s decision to increase interest rates.
Fumika Shimizu, Nomura Securities' strategist, said that expectations for Takaichi’s economic policies - which include fiscal expansion, monetary ease, and an increase in share prices - appear to be encouraging a stronger yen and higher share prices.
Analysts say that Takaichi could be restrained from spending if Ishin, a small-government and spending-cutting movement, is implemented.
Takaichi is calling for a revision of Japan's postwar constitution, which was pacifist and ignored the military. She is a frequent visitor to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo. This shrine, which some Asian neighbors view as a symbol for wartime aggression by Japan, wants to increase defence spending to deter China.
She also calls for stricter immigration laws and opposes policies such as allowing married women to keep their surnames, which, she claims, undermine traditional values.
Yoshimura, in an interview with television, said that for the time being, Ishin won't take up a position in Takaichi’s government until it becomes clear whether the partnership between the LDP and Takaichi is working.
"Right away, we are still a group consisting of legislators with no government experience. He said that rather than seeking a ministerial position, they wanted to focus first on implementing their policies within the ruling coalition. (Reporting from Tim Kelly, Rocky Swift and Makiko Yazaki)
(source: Reuters)