Latest News
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Due to torrential rainfall, offices and schools in southern Taiwan have been closed
On Monday, torrential rains in southern Taiwan caused offices and schools to close. Some rail services were also disrupted. Officials are bracing themselves for a typhoon that is expected to hit the northern part of the island at the end of the week. Over the last few days, a low-pressure system hovered above southern Taiwan, causing heavy rains and flooding. Local governments in Kaohsiung, Tainan and Pingtung, which are home to a total of?more than four million people, closed offices and schools. The Kaohsiung Government said that it expects the cumulative rainfall to exceed 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) over the five-day low-pressure period, nearly half of what the city usually receives in an annual cycle. Taiwan Railway announced that there would be delays on the east coast main line, and on trains going to and from Kaohsiung or Taitung. Express services will not run and local trains are dependent on weather conditions. April Yao, Taitung's county chief, wrote on her Facebook page: "If you have nothing to wear for goodness sake do not go out." Taiwan's Central Weather Administration stated separately that Typhoon Saudel is currently?heading toward Japan's southern Okinawa area and?is expected?to pass by the northern part Taiwan on Friday morning before reaching the east coast of China. Ben Blanchard, reporting; Lincoln Feast, editing.
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Indian rescuers are searching for 22 missing people after a cargo ship sinks
Indian coastguards and navy carried out search-and rescue operations on Sunday off the eastern coast of India after a Panama flagged?bulk ship?carrying a crew of 24 sank. Two Chinese nationals were rescued. Shyam Jagannathan of India's Maritime Administration told Shyam that the two Chinese seafarers claimed the vessel called Ocean Winner developed a list and sank in eight minutes. This forced the crew to abandon the ship. Jagannathan stated that the chances of finding survivors usually fall after?the initial 12 hours. However, rescuers continued their search. Sarbananda Sonowal said, in a post on social media, that "all agencies are coordinating closely and actively doing search and recovery efforts." MISSING CREW MEMBERS According to India's Coastguard, the missing crew members includes 18 more Chinese, three Myanmarese and one Bangladeshi. In a recent post, the Indian Navy stated that it is working closely with the Coastguard to find?the missing sailors. A coastguard spokesperson confirmed that two coastguard vessels were sent from Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), the capital of India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. According to an initial report by India's Maritime Administration, the Ocean Winner carried?iron ore bound towards China after leaving India's eastern Paradip Port on Friday. According to government sources, it sank 240 nautical miles from the port. The cause of this sinking wasn't immediately known. Disha Mishra, Bengaluru (additional reporting); Mayank Bhardwaj (writing); Raju Gopalakrishnan & Helen Popper (editing)
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Iran announces that the Pakistani army chief will visit Tehran on Monday
Esmaeil baghaei, the'spokesperson' for the Iranian foreign ministry, said that Asim Munir, the Pakistani army chief, will visit Tehran on Monday in order to continue his 'efforts' to bring peace and stability to the region. Pakistan has assumed a role as a mediator in the negotiations between Iran, the U.S., and Israel to end the war that began in February with the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran. Two sources in the Pakistani government confirmed Munir’s visit. First source: Iran and Pakistan are in direct contact. Second source: The 'talks' would also cover recent developments, such as the threat by Donald Trump to impose tougher sanctions on Iran. "He (Munir) will discuss peace under Islamabad's MoU, Trump's ?warning and the ?situation after the Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi Arab Agreement and Houthi issues with Iranian leaders," the source said. The visit coincides with heightened tensions, as Iran threatens to respond militarily to U.S. sanctions plans that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic’s already-ailing economy. The announcement will be made on Monday, when U.S. officials are expected to announce details about the planned sanctions that they have described as "the most severe sanctions in history" against?Iran. Trump has warned of the economic consequences for any country providing "any kind of lifeline" to Iran as he seeks to isolate it. The Strait of Hormuz is a virtual standstill for oil shipments. Tehran has threatened to hit unauthorized oil tankers who try to?transit the vital waterway. Iran's economic situation is already being impacted by sanctions.
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Search for 22 people after Bulker sinks off India
India's Coast Guard &?Navy conducted search and rescue operations on Sunday off the east coast of India after a cargo vessel?flagged by Panama sank with a crew of?24. Two Chinese nationals were rescued. Shyam Jagannathan is the director general of India’s Maritime Administration. He told reporters that two Chinese seafarers were rescued. They said their vessel began to list and sank in eight minutes. This forced crews to abandon ship. Jagannathan stated that the chances of finding survivors usually fall sharply after 12 hour, but rescuers are continuing their search. According to the Indian Coast Guard, 22 crew members are still'missing' from Ocean Winner. These include 18 Chinese nationals, 3 Myanmar?nationals, and 1 Bangladeshi. In a recent post, the Navy stated that the Indian Navy was working closely with the Coast Guard in order to locate the rest of the crew. A Coast Guard spokesperson said that two vessels were sent from Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) to help with the search and rescue operation. According to an initial report from India's Maritime Administration, the Ocean 'Winner' was carrying iron ore bound towards China when it left India's eastern 'Paradip' port on Friday. According to government sources, the cargo ship sank 240 nautical miles away from the port. It was not known what caused the sinking. (Disha Mishra, Bengaluru, contributed additional reporting; Mayank Bhardwaj wrote the article; Raju Gopalakrishnan edited it)
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India launches rescue operations after bulk carrier sinks near east coast
The Indian Coast Guard reported that India's maritime rescue agency had lost contact with a cargo vessel flying the Panamanian flag, which sank near the eastern coast of India. According to Commandant Amit?Uniyal?, a spokesperson for Coast Guard, the vessel was manned by 24 people, 20 of whom were Chinese, three Myanmarese and one Bangladeshi. Uniyal reported that the Coast Guard dispatched?two vessels from Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly known as Port Blair) for a search and rescue mission. The Coast Guard has rescued two people from life rafts. The agency reported that a search and rescue mission was underway for seafarers aboard the vessel. According to government sources the Ocean Winner was carrying ore from India to Singapore after leaving India's eastern Paradip Port on Thursday. They added that 240 nautical mile away, the ship sank. The cause of the sinking is unknown. Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo said that he hoped for the best and prayed for the safety of all the crew on board. Reporting by Nidhi verma, Saurabh sharma, Jatindra dash, and Disha mishra from Bengaluru. Editing by Sharon Singleton, Rod Nickel, and Rod Nickel.
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Two US tanker planes leave Bulgaria one month after their deployment infuriated Iran
Bulgaria's defence ministry announced on Saturday that two U.S. aircraft, tankers, had departed the Bezmer base in Bulgaria. This comes nearly a month after their deployment angered Iran. The United States has been at war against Iran since February 28 and requested that their temporary deployment be made under an agreement governing the?joint use of military installations. Sofia rejected the charge made by Iran that their deployment would be complicity in "aggression" and "war crimes". Defense Minister?Dimitar?Stoyanov informed reporters that two U.S. KC-135 aircraft left Bulgaria 'on Friday. It was not possible to reach the U.S. authorities for comment immediately. Residents in the area protested the deployment of the aircraft approved by Bulgarian parliament on July 22. They feared that the planes could be attacked by Iranian missiles and drones. Stoyanov stated that all of the aircraft's flights during their temporary deployment were training missions over other countries, and that Bulgaria had "no direct threats to our national safety." He said: "We work in full coordination with the U.S. Government?and have prior?information. This is why our decisions are well-founded." (Reporting and editing by Timothy Heritage, Aleksandar Vasovic)
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Seven people killed in UK when vehicle traveling the wrong way strikes police car
The local police said that seven people, including two police officers, died in a crash on Saturday in the?northeast of England after a vehicle driving 'the wrong way' down a major highway hit a marked police vehicle. The incident took place around 3:39 am (0239 GMT), near the South Bank area, east of Middlesbrough. All occupants of both vehicles died on the spot. Cleveland Police Chief Constable, Victoria Fuller said: "This tragic incident will be felt throughout Cleveland and our communities as well as the entire policing community." The police force said that it was still investigating and working to identify all of the victims. As is standard in these cases, the Independent Office for Police Conduct will review the incident. Ireland's chief of police warned this week that following two recent head on crashes near Dublin in which five people died, some young drivers were driving wrong way on the motorway "for social network likes". A?parliamentary committee in Ireland has asked TikTok how it removes "content that appears to glorify dangerous and illegal behavior?on our streets". Ireland's media regulator issued a similar demand on Tuesday. (Reporting and editing by Alexandra Hudson, Joe Bavier, and David Milliken)
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South Korea ships test Arctic commercial route amid Western concern
On Saturday, a South Korean container vessel set sail?for Europe via arctic in the nation's first commercial trip on the route. The?nation is testing its viability and hopes to turn the southeastern port of Busan into a maritime hub. The PanStar Acro is expected to sail north hugging the eastern Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, crossing the Bering Sea and taking the Northern Sea Route. It will stop in Felixstowe, Britain, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Poland's Gdansk before returning in a trip that should take between 40 and 45 days. President Lee 'Jae Myung made Arctic shipping for South Korea a priority, making it a "shipping powerhouse". Officials claim that this could transform Busan, and make the Arctic a regular trading route by 2030. The project could cause friction with Western allies who want to?keep Russia isolated? during its war in Ukraine. Seoul has spoken to Moscow about the trip, including whether or not the ship needs help if it gets stuck in the ice. The Oceans Ministry of South Korea and the Foreign Ministry of Russia did not respond when asked for comments. According to Norway's Center?for High-North Logistics, last year?88 ships made 103 transits along the route. This is up from 97 vessels in 2024 and 42 in 2022. These vessels were primarily from countries such as Russia and China. Scientists say that melting Arctic ice makes it easier to travel through the north, and the increased shipping speeds up global warming. PanStar, a South Korean container ship operator, has secured 837 TEU cargo on the government-backed trip. This includes auto parts and chemical products as well as 100 empty containers. A government official stated that the PanStar?Acro will flag off at around 8 pm (1100 GMT), depending on loading and other preparations.
Worldwide tech outage hold-ups flights and interferes with services around the globe
An international tech blackout that appeared to be associated with problems at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and Microsoft on Friday affected operations in sectors including airports, airline companies, media and banks.
Below is a list of disturbances that have been reported:
AIRLINE COMPANIES, AIRPORTS
Airports and airlines around the world have actually warned of delays and cancellations or changed to manual check-in, with some halting flights.
- Berlin airport temporarily stopped all flights, a. representative informed . Lufthansa's Eurowings stated. it was halting domestic German flights in addition to flights to and. from Britain until 3 p.m. (1300 GMT).
- Spanish airport operator Aena reported a. computer system systems incident while Lisbon airport, Portugal's. greatest, also skilled interruption. Amsterdam's Schiphol. Airport and apparently Brussels airport were impacted too.
- Top Dutch airline KLM said it might not handle. flights on Friday and that it suspended most of its operations. Air France, KLM's parent company, said that its operations were. interrupted.
- Turkish Airlines is experiencing problems with ticketing,. check-in, and reservation, it stated in a post on X. Budapest Airport. said several airline check-in systems ran out operation.
- Major U.S. carriers consisting of American Airlines,. Delta Airlines and United Airlines halted. flights on Friday morning pointing out communication problems. American. Airlines later stated it had actually re-established operations. Frontier. and Spirit too cancelled regulations to ground airplanes.
- A SAS representative said the Scandinavian airline company was. anticipating hold-ups. Australia's national airline company Qantas. and Sydney airport said planes were delayed however still flying.
- Swiss air traffic control company Skyguide said it had. momentarily lowered Swiss air traffic capacity by 30%.
- Indian airlines, consisting of SpiceJet, Indigo,. Akasa Air, Vistara, Air India and Air India Express were likewise. dealing with concerns on Friday.
FINANCIALS
- Australia's biggest bank, Commonwealth Bank, stated. earlier problems affecting PayID instant transfers had actually been. dealt with. Services including Netbank, the CommBank app, CommBiz,. merchant payments and ATMs are readily available.
- A number of major oil and gas trading desks in London and. Singapore were struggling to perform trades, six market. sources informed .
- Macquarie Capital was unable to offer liquidity for. unexpired warrants on HKEX.
- South Africa's Capitec said card payments, ATM and app. services were fully brought back following substantial nationwide. disturbances.
- LSEG Group's Work space news and information platform. suffered an outage that affected user gain access to worldwide, triggering. disruption throughout monetary markets. It said in a client memo. that technical problems on FX spot and forward rates have actually been. dealt with and services brought back.
- Some brokerages in India are dealing with technical. problems, traders at the brokerages told .
- German insurance provider Allianz stated it was experiencing. a significant outage that is affecting workers' capability to go to to. their computers.
- Some German banks are facing disturbances, a representative. for the Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft monetary market. association, said on Friday, without offering additional details.
- Barclays said its digital investing platform. Smart Investor was impacted.
- Brazilian lender Bradesco said its digital platforms were. not available on Friday.
MEDIA
- Britain's Sky News resumed broadcasting after an. hours-long interruption, but running at minimal capacity and without. much of its usual services.
- Australia's state broadcaster ABC said it was experiencing. a significant network outage, without offering a factor.
- Regular programs at Sky News Australia was interfered with.
EMERGENCY SERVICES, HEALTH CARE
- England's National Health Service (NHS) said reservations of. physicians' appointments and patient records were disrupted, but. emergency situation services had actually not been affected.
- A number of hospitals in the Netherlands needed to scale down. their operations, Dutch press company ANP reported.
- Victorian state authorities in Australia stated some internal. systems had actually been hit however emergency services were running. typically.
- Copenhagen's fire department stated on X it was experiencing. problems receiving instantly transmitted fire alarms, and. prompted individuals to call 112 in case of a fire.
- Two medical facilities in the northern German cities of Luebeck and. Kiel have actually cancelled elective operations arranged for Friday.
OTHER
- Vital infrastructure in Germany has been impacted, an. interior ministry representative said.
- New Zealand's parliamentary computer systems were. affected, according to Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, head of the. parliamentary service.
- Australia's Telstra Group was facing disruptions. to some of its systems, a spokesperson for the telecom firm told. .
- The Baltic Hub container terminal in the Polish city of. Gdansk said it was struck by the global outage in Microsoft systems. and was working to solve the issue.
- The Paris Olympics arranging committee said the cyber. interruption was slowing its operations, however the impact was restricted. and ticket sales were untouched.
- The United Arab Emirates foreign ministry stated its. electronic systems were operating normally again.
- Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, stated it. quickly halted production and despatch operations. It has. resumed operations and does not anticipate any material effect from. the event.
(source: Reuters)