Latest News
-
Philippines evacuates 100,000 as Fung-wong intensifies to super typhoon
Over 100,000 people were evacuated from the Philippines' eastern and northern regions on Sunday as Fung-wong intensified into a super typhoon, ahead of its arrival expected later that day. It is threatening to unleash torrential rainfall, destructive winds and storm surges. The Philippines has been flooded with storm alert signals. Signal No. The highest alert, Signal No. 5, was raised in southeastern Luzon including Catanduanes, coastal areas of Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur. Metro Manila and its surrounding areas were under Signal No. 3. Super Typhoon Uwan (185 kph) is expected to land in Aurora Province in central Luzon on Sunday evening at the latest. Already, parts of Eastern Visayas are experiencing power outages. Images shared by the Philippine Coast Guard showed evacuees transferring from narrow, long passenger boats to trucks waiting for them during preemptive rescue operations. 300 Flights Canceled According to the Civil Aviation Regulator, more than 300 domestic flights and international flights were cancelled. The video, shared by ABS-CBN News X, showed a stormy Catanduanes Province, with an overcast skies, violent tree branches swaying in the wind and heavy rain falling visibly and pounding on the area. Its intensity was audible. Fung-wong arrived in the Philippines only days after Typhoon Kalmaegi devastated the country, killing 204 and leaving a trail destruction. It then slammed into Vietnam where it killed five more people and destroyed coastal communities. On Saturday, in the central Vietnamese fishing village of Vung Cheo, hundreds of lobster farms were washed or damaged. Fishing vessels were piled in wrecks on the main road. Reporting by Karen Lema, Additional reporting by Minh Nguyen, Thinh Nguyen (both in Vietnam) Editing by Rod Nickel
-
FAA bans MD-11 flights after UPS jet crash
After a deadly crash of a UPS MD-11 freighter in Louisville, Kentucky, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued an order on Saturday prohibiting MD-11 aircraft from flying until further inspection. At least 14 people were killed. UPS and FedEx have grounded their combined fleets of more than fifty McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighters following a Boeing recommendation. The FAA stated that its emergency airworthiness instruction was prompted after the Tuesday crash in which the left motor and pylon separated from the aircraft during takeoff. The cause of detachment will be investigated. The U.S. regulator stated that "this condition could result in a loss of safe flight and landing". UPS stated that it was complying with the directive as it had grounded 26 MD-11 aircraft, which represents about 9% its fleet. Boeing announced on Saturday its support for the FAA's order. FAA Likely to Require Comprehensive Inspections Boeing acquired the MD-11 Program through its 1997 merger McDonnell Douglas. The FAA will likely require thorough engine and pylon checks before allowing planes to return to service. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board leads the investigation into the crash at the airport of a 34-year old MD-11 freighter. The plane soared to about 100 feet (30 meters) before bursting into flames and destroying nearby businesses. As the plane rolled down the Louisville Airport runway, one of its three engines separated from the left wing. Safety investigators in the United States said on Friday that three UPS pilots tried to take control of the aircraft just before the crash. Reporting by David Shepardson, Washington DC; Allison Lampert, Montreal; Editing Sergio Non and Rod Nickel
-
US airlines cancel 1,330 flights due to shutdown
U.S. Airlines canceled 1,330 flights in the United States on Saturday as part of the government-mandated flight cutbacks. The industry is bracing for further cancellations if the shutdown continues. Federal Aviation Administration has instructed airlines to reduce 4% of their daily flights at 40 major airports starting Friday due to safety concerns regarding air traffic control. Air traffic controllers are in short supply because they haven't been paid for several weeks. On Tuesday, the reductions will reach 6% before reaching 10% on November 14. Flights Delayd in at Least 12 Major Cities The FAA reported on Saturday that there were staffing problems at 25 airports, and other centers. This caused delays in flights at least in 12 major U.S. Cities, including Atlanta, Newark and Chicago. The FAA implemented ground delay programs on Saturday at several airports, with average delays of 337 minutes at Atlanta, the busiest U.S. Airport. On Saturday, 5,450 flights were cancelled and 7,000 delayed after Friday's 7,000 delays. Friday morning, at 6 a.m. ET (1100 GMT), the cuts began. About 700 flights were affected by the cuts on Friday morning (1100 GMT). These include flights operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines (Southwest Airlines), United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. On Saturday, these airlines cancelled roughly the same number flights. In an interview earlier this week, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that 20% to 40% controllers had not shown up for work in the last few days. During a U.S. Senate discussion on Friday, Ted Cruz blamed air traffic control issues on the shutdown. Cruz, a Texas Republican and chair of the Senate Commerce Committee said that since the start of the shutdown, more than 500 pilots had filed voluntary safety reports regarding mistakes made by air-traffic controllers due to fatigue. The record-breaking 39-day shutdown of the government has forced 13,000 air traffic control operators and 50,000 security screening workers to work without pay. This has led to an increase in absenteeism. On Thursday, many air traffic controllers learned that they wouldn't be paid for the second consecutive pay period in the coming week. Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation secretary, said he might require a 20% reduction in air traffic if controllers don't show up to work. Duffy said, "I evaluate the data." We're going make decisions based upon what we see on the airspace. Trump's administration has cited problems with air traffic control as Republicans attempt to pressure Senate Democrats into supporting what they refer to as a "clean" funding bill for the government without any strings attached. Democrats blame Republicans for refusing to negotiate on health insurance subsidies which will expire by the end of the year. (Reporting and editing by Thomas Derpinghaus, Rod Nickel, and David Shepardson)
-
Minister: Hungary's exemption from US sanctions against Russia energy is permanent
Hungary claimed on Saturday that it had received an indefinite waiver of U.S. sanctions for the use of Russian oil and natural gas. However, a White House representative reaffirmed that this exemption was only valid for one year. Last month, U.S. president Donald Trump imposed sanctions related to Ukraine on Russian oil firms Lukoil & Rosneft. These sanctions carried the threat of additional sanctions against entities who buy oil from these firms. Viktor Orban met Trump, a Trump ally for many years, at the White House last Friday in order to push for a reprieve. Hungary heavily relies on Russian energy, and Orban faces an election in close proximity next year. The prime minister was very clear. Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian foreign minister, said on Facebook that he had agreed with President Obama to obtain an exemption from sanctions for all time. There are no sanctions indefinitely on the oil and gas exports to Hungary. In an email sent on Saturday, a White House official reiterated that the exemption was for a year. HUNGARY IS EXPECTED BUY U.S. LNG Officials added that Hungary will also diversify their energy purchases, and have committed to buy U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas with contracts worth around $600 million. Hungary's continued reliance on Russian Energy since the start of the conflict with Ukraine in 2022 has prompted criticism from several European Union allies and NATO members. Orban said that Hungary has received a permanent exemption from energy imports through the TurkStream pipeline and Druzhba pipeline. Orban said that there are no sanctions in place to restrict or increase the cost of supply for Hungary through these routes. Orban stated that this exemption was general and had no time limit. According to figures from the International Monetary Fund, Hungary purchased 74% of gas and 86% oil in 2024 from Russia. The IMF warns that a cutoff of Russian gas across all of Europe could cost Hungary over 4% of GDP. Orban stated that without the agreement energy costs would have soared, hitting the economy as a whole, increasing unemployment, and causing "unbearable price increases" for both households and businesses.
-
Delhi Airport operator confirms that all flight operations are back to normal following glitch
Delhi International Airport announced on Saturday that all flight operations are running as usual at the airport, following a technical problem which caused hundreds of delays over the last two days. Delays were caused by a malfunction in the software used to create flight plans. India's airports authorities had announced late Friday night that the system is "up and working" following a technical error. In a press release, the Indian government stated that the system, called Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), was back in automatic mode on Saturday afternoon. The government reported that Ram Mohan Naidu, minister of civil aviation, has instructed officials to prepare for system upgrades including the addition of additional servers or fallbacks to improve air traffic operations.
-
Minister: Hungary's exemption from US sanctions against Russia energy is permanent
Hungary announced on Saturday that it has been granted an indefinite exemption from U.S. sanction for its use of Russian oil and natural gas. This is contrary to a White House official, who claimed it was only granted a year-long exemption. Last month, U.S. president Donald Trump imposed sanctions related to Ukraine on Russian oil firms Lukoil & Rosneft. These sanctions carried the threat of additional sanctions against entities who buy oil from these firms. Viktor Orban met with Trump, a longtime ally of Trump, at the White House last Friday in order to push for a reprieve. Hungary heavily relies on Russian energy, and Orban faces a tight election in 2019. The prime minister was very clear. Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian foreign minister, said on Facebook that he had agreed with President Obama to obtain an exemption from sanctions for indefinite time. There are no sanctions indefinitely on the oil and gas exports to Hungary. The White House official noted that in addition to the exemption from sanctions, Hungary had also committed to buy U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas with contracts worth around $600 million. Hungary's continued reliance on Russian Energy since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine 2022 has prompted criticism from several European Union allies and NATO members. Orban said that Hungary has received an exemption indefinitely for energy imports via TurkStream and Druzhba pipelines. Orban said that there are no sanctions in place to restrict or increase the cost of supply for Hungary through these routes. Orban stated that this exemption was general and had no time limit. According to figures from the International Monetary Fund, Hungary purchased 74% of gas and 86% oil in 2024 from Russia. The IMF warns that a cutoff of Russian gas across all of Europe could cost Hungary over 4% of GDP. Orban stated that without the agreement energy costs would have soared, affecting the economy as a whole, increasing unemployment, and causing "unbearable price increases" for both households and businesses.
-
Trump calls on lawmakers to give healthcare funds 'directly' to the people
The President Donald Trump floated on Saturday a possible compromise amid the impasse surrounding the U.S. Government shutdown. He urged Republicans to redirect federal funds that are currently going to health insurance companies in accordance with the Affordable Care Act to give them to individuals. Trump said in a post on social media that he recommended to Senate Republicans to send the hundreds of billions of dollars currently going to Insurance Companies to save the poor Healthcare provided by ObamaCare directly to the people so they can purchase their own, much better, healthcare and still have money leftover. He added that the "worst healthcare anywhere in the world, ObamaCare, is the one provided by the BAD, BIG Insurance Companies. Take it from them and give it to people. Trump's remarks on Truth Social were made just hours before the U.S. Senate reconvened at noon (1700 GMT), after rejecting legislation that would have reinstated pay for hundreds of thousands federal workers who had been without pay during the longest U.S. shutdown in history. The two sides are still at odds on how to reopen government. Democrats want to include in a funding measure the healthcare subsidies for 24 million Americans that will expire at the end of this year. Republicans, however, say Congress should first pass a bill with no strings attached to allow government reopening. White House representatives did not respond immediately to a comment request on Trump's tweet. The representatives of U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senate majority leader John Thune did not respond immediately to a comment request. (Reporting and editing by Alistair Bell, Sergio Non, and Jonathan Landay)
-
Tornado in southern Brazil kills six, injures hundreds
The state government reported that a tornado, accompanied by high winds and heavy rainfall, struck Parana in the south of Brazil, killing six. Rio Bonito do Iguacu, the town that was hardest hit, suffered multiple structural failures and roof collapses. The state's civil defence agency reported that more than half of the city area had been affected. The power lines and roads were damaged. The authorities reported that 437 people received treatment for injuries, and approximately 1,000 were forced to relocate. Guarapuava, a nearby city, was also affected. According to the Parana Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring System the winds of the tornado reached speeds between 180 km/h (111mph) and 250 km/h (155mph). Gleisi-Hoffman, the Institutional Relations Minister, said that she will travel to the affected area with Adriano Massuda, acting Minister of Health and other federal officials on Saturday to assist in relief and reconstruction efforts. "We will continue our assistance to the people of Parana, and provide any help that is needed," wrote President Luiz inacio da Silva on X. He also expressed condolences to families of the victims. (Reporting and editing by Alistair Bell; Marcela Ayres)
UK companies flag over $1.2 bln in labour costs from increase in national insurance coverage, wages
British business have flagged an boost of 973.5 million pounds ($ 1.23 billion) in labour expenses associated to an increase in employers' social security contributions and minimum incomes following Finance Minister Rachel Reeves' maiden budget in October.
They also expect the increase in National Insurance coverage Contributions (NIC) and the minimum salaries to fuel inflation.
Here's what some companies across sectors have stated so far:
RETAILERS
British merchant Pets in your home Group stated it anticipated expenses to increase by about 18 million pounds in fiscal 2026 due to increased NIC.
British bicycle and car items merchant
Halfords Group
projection its future costs to increase by around 23 million pounds in financial 2026 due to greater employer social security contributions.
Tile seller
Topps Tiles
stated it estimated a 4 million pound expense impact on a yearly basis from April 2025, out of which 2 million would impact the 2025 fiscal year.
Home enhancement merchant Kingfisher, which employs more than 78,000 individuals, stated the boost in NIC would cost it about 31 million pounds in fiscal 2025/26.
British grocery store chain Sainsbury's, which uses around 150,000 individuals, stated it was dealing with headwinds of 140 million pounds from the national insurance change.
Marks & & Spencer stated the national insurance boost would cost it around 60 million pounds in its next financial year, which begins in April. A 6.7% increase in minimum wage will add another 60 million pounds.
Asda, Britain's third-largest supermarket, stated the national insurance modification would cost it 100 million pounds next year and alerted it would most likely be inflationary to some degree.
Primark-owner Associated British Foods stated the national insurance coverage modification would cost the clothes merchant, which employs 40,000 individuals in the UK, 10s of millions of pounds, though the rise in the base pay was prepared for.
Cooking area and joinery retailer Howden Joinery said the anticipated annualised expense effect of higher contributions to companies' nationwide insurance coverage and the increase in the nationwide minimum wage was around 18 million pounds.
LOGISTICS
International Circulation Solutions, the owner of Royal Mail, which employs nearly 130,000 individuals in Britain, said changes to the NIC will cost around 120 million pounds a year.
TELECOM
BT, a company of more than 100,000 people, stated the NIC change would increase its expenses by close to 100 million pounds next year, about 0.5% of its total expense base.
PUBS & & RESTAURANTS Bar group Mitchells & Butlers flagged the NIC & modification to increase its expense to 23 million per year. It also stated the minimum wage walking would include another 42 million every year. JD Wetherspoon, a significant British
bar operator that utilizes more than 40,000 people, stated its annual expenses would boost by about 60 million pounds in 2025, with its NIC increasing by an estimated two-thirds. British pub group Young & Co's Brewery, which uses about 7,700 & people, cautioned that increasing NIC and minimum salaries will increase its yearly expenses by about 11 million pounds, starting April. HOMEBUILDERS Persimmon anticipates costs from a hike in nationwide insurance
to be about 5 million
pounds over the next year. Vistry also estimated a 5-million-pound effect in fiscal year 2025 from the boost in
company NIC. OUTSOURCERS Serco Group stated the UK federal government's nationwide insurance tax changes would increase its direct
labour expenses
by around 20 million pounds per year which it was checking out ways to balance out these costs. Mitie Group anticipates NIC-related costs to have to do with 60 million pounds, but the business approximates that it would be able to recuperate 35 million pounds of
those expenses through contractual healings and industrial settlements in financial 2026. SERVICE PROVIDERS Office providers Restore Plc which employs almost 2,700 people, stated it estimates about 3 million pounds in costs from the NIC change and base pay walking.
Veterinary providers CVS Group, which uses more than 8,800 people, stated it approximates an expense effect of about 8 million pounds in 2026 from the NIC modifications. British rail market services provider Tracsis likewise said the NIC modification and base pay boost are expected to effect 2025 core earnings by about 500,000 pounds. Legal and expert providers Knights Group stated it expects a yearly expense impact of about 2 million pounds in financial 2026 due to the NIC boost. Business healing and residential or commercial property services consultancy Begbies Traynor estimates the NIC modifications to
increase employment costs by about 1.25 million pounds per annum . British legal and professional services group Gateley stated it was anticipating the NIC changes to affect its expenses by about
1.8 million pounds in fiscal 2026. Equipment rental professional VP Plc stated it approximated the NIC and wage walkings would cost the group about 4 million pounds in the next financial year. Expert property companies Kinovo said it anticipated a cost of effect of about 500,000 pounds from the NIC and wage increase. CHEMICALS British chemicals maker Johnson Matthey said the effect of the boost
in UK employers' NIC on the group would be in about the mid-single digit millions. MAKER Genuit Group anticipates the NIC and minimum wage walkings to add almost 5
million pounds to its expense base in 2025. Structural steel company Severfield stated it estimates the NIC trek to
increase costs
by 2 million pounds per annum starting financial 2026. MEDIA COMPANY Media production company Zinc Media anticipates the NIC modifications to increase its expense base by about 400,000 pounds each year.
(source: Reuters)