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The death toll from the Vietnam floods has risen to 13 with 11 other missing
The government announced on Friday that the death toll in the central Vietnam floods has reached 13, and 11 other people are still missing. In the last few days, floods triggered from record rainfall levels have inundated a wide swath of Central Vietnam. The former imperial capital Hue as well as the ancient town Hoi An were the worst affected. Images circulated on state media showing that the floodwaters were still covering much of both locations, with many houses being submerged to their roofs. Vietnam is susceptible to violent storms, which can be deadly. Flooding and storms are also common in Vietnam. This causes widespread damage to property. In a recent report, the government disaster agency stated that floods had also inundated over 116,000 homes and 5,000 acres of crops. They have also damaged roads and rails, causing traffic to be disrupted and electricity to be cut off in many areas. According to a report, heavy rains are expected to continue throughout central Vietnam. Daily rainfall in some areas will exceed 500 millimetres from early Friday to late Saturday.
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Xi will meet with Canadian and Japanese leaders following Trump's trade truce
Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, will be at the forefront of an annual gathering in South Korea of Pacific Rim Leaders on Friday. He will hold talks with his Canadian and Japanese counterparts following a fragile truce reached with U.S. Donald Trump. This agreement, reached just before Trump left South Korea and skipped the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, will suspend any further restrictions on China's rare earth exports, which threatened to clog global supply chains. The APEC meetings in Gyeongju, a historic city, this year focused on strengthening supply chains. The 21-member club's goal is to reduce barriers to trade and investment and encourage cooperation. However, decisions taken at meetings are not binding and consensus has become increasingly difficult. XI MEETS JAPAN'S NEW HAWKISH LEADER Xi is now expected to have his first meeting with Japan's newly-elected leader Sanae Takayichi. Although relations between the two historic rivals are on a better footing, Takaichi’s elevation as Japan’s first female president may strain ties because of her nationalistic views. Her first act since taking office last Monday was to speed up a military buildup aimed at defending Japan's island from a China that is becoming more assertive. Japan is also home to the largest concentration of U.S. forces abroad. The agenda is likely to include sensitive topics such as the detention of Japanese citizens in China, and Beijing's restrictions on Japanese beef and seafood imports. CANADA WANTS TO RESTART CHINA ENGAGEMENT His office announced that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would meet Xi Jinping on Thursday, April 4, at 4:00 p.m. local (0700 GMT). The meeting is intended to restart a broad engagement with China following years of bad relations. Canada, embroiled in an intense trade war with the United States, its largest trading partner is looking to find new markets and wean itself from this overwhelming dependence. China is Canada's largest trading partner. Canada's security agencies concluded that China had interfered with at least two federal election under the leadership of Justin Trudeau's predecessor, Carney. Xi publicly scolded Trudeau for leaking their conversations to the media. China announced preliminary antidumping duties on Canadian Canola imports, one year after Canada announced it would levy 100% tariffs on the imports of Chinese Electric Vehicles. Both sides' senior officials met earlier this month to discuss these issues, but there was no sign of a breakthrough. BESSENT STANDS UP FOR TRUMP Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury secretary, will be acting in place of Trump at the opening session, when South Korean Premier Lee Jae Myung is hosting a discussion about "restoring the desire to cooperate in Asia-Pacific". Cho Hyun, South Korean Foreign Ministry, said that even though negotiations are still ongoing on a statement for the ministerial summit itself he is hopeful that it will be adopted along with a declaration from the leaders when the summit concludes Saturday. He told a press briefing that "we are very close." Two diplomats from APEC members nations privately expressed skepticism about the substance of any statement, given the fractures in world politics. APEC did not adopt a joint statement in 2018 or 2019 during Trump's presidency. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is scheduled to speak this afternoon at a parallel gathering of executives to the APEC Summit. The week has been a whirlwind for Huang, as Nvidia became the first company in the world to reach a valuation of $5 trillion. However, the sale of AI chips by the U.S. chipmaker to China seemed to be left out of the Xi-Trump Summit on Thursday. (Reporting from Jihoon Lee in Gyeongju, Ju-min Park in Seoul and Eduardo Baptista at the Xi-Trump summit; Writing by John Geddie with editing by Michael Perry.)
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Bloomberg News: Air India wants $1.14 billion from SIA and Tata to survive, reports Bloomberg
Bloomberg News reported that Air India was seeking financial support of at least 100 billion rupees (about $1.14 billion) from its owners, Singapore Airlines and Tata sons. The report cited people who were familiar with the situation. This follows the deadly Air India crash that claimed more than 240 lives in June, plunging it into its worst crisis. It also complicates its efforts to restore its reputation as well as modernize its fleet. Reports said that the Tata Group's carrier, Air India, is seeking funds to revamp its systems and services and develop in-house engineering departments and maintenance departments. Bloomberg stated that any financial support will be proportional to the ownership. The owners can decide whether the funding is an interest-free equity loan or a loan. Tata Group owns 74.9% of Air India, the airline it bought in 2022. Singapore Airlines holds the remaining 25%. The report could not be verified immediately. Air India, Singapore Airlines, and Tata Sons have not responded to requests for comment. Air India's CEO pledged to improve internal practices earlier this week. ($1 = 87.8950 Indian Rupees) (Reporting and editing by Rashmi aich and Alan Barona in Bengaluru)
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JetBlue flight diverted to Tampa after flight problem, reported injuries
JetBlue Airways Flight 93, which was en route to New Jersey from Cancun in Mexico on Thursday, diverted after a flight-control issue. Some passengers were injured, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. JetBlue Flight 1230, an Airbus 320, departed Cancun International Airport and was heading to New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport at the time of its landing around 2:19 p.m. ET at Tampa, Florida. The FAA is conducting an investigation. JetBlue reported that the aircraft dropped in altitude. "Medical personnel evaluated passengers and crew members, and those who needed additional care were taken to a nearby hospital." The airline has not yet revealed how many people have been injured. The airline has announced that it will investigate the incident thoroughly to find out what happened. JetBlue stated that "the safety of our passengers and crew members is our top priority and we will support those involved." (Reporting and editing by Diane Craft, Leslie Adler, and David Shepardson)
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FAA delays flights at Dallas, DC Airports due to air traffic staffing
As the government shutdown enters its 30th day, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has been delaying flights in Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as well as Dallas Fort Worth International Airport because of staffing problems. Staffing problems are expected to cause delays in Orlando. The FAA reported that flight delays at Reagan were on average 91 minutes and at Dallas 21 minutes. The government shutdown has resulted in tens of thousands flights being delayed or cancelled. The FAA issued a groundstop for Reagan Airport earlier on Thursday due to staffing issues. In the northeast of the United States, bad weather also delays flights. Over 13,000 air traffic control officers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents are working without pay. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, said that air traffic controllers' absences were responsible for 44% of Sunday delays and 24% of Monday delays. This is compared to an average of 5% before the shutdown. Even before the shutdown, many air traffic controllers were working six-day weekends and mandatory overtime. Reporting by David Shepardson, Doina chiacu and Andrea Ricci; editing by Katharine Ricci and Andrea Jackson
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The demand for sanctions is greater than the supply of uranium
The differentials between Brent and Urals crude were unchanged on Thursday, despite a relatively quiet trading session. Western sanctions also weighed heavily on the demand for Russian grades of crude oil. Traders said that buyers of Russian oil from China, India, and Turkey had studied the new restrictions imposed by US, EU, and UK. Traders said that some of them had already looked for alternatives to oil grades on the market. According to traders and a report reviewed on Thursday, Indian Oil, the state-run refiner, is looking to buy more crude oil from Americas. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals has purchased Abu Dhabi crude oil to replace Russian oil. PLATTS WINDOW On Thursday, there were no bids or offers reported for Urals BTC, CPC Blend or Azeri BTC crudes in the Platts window. * Lukoil announced on Thursday that it accepted an offer by global commodity trader Gunvor for its foreign assets. Russia's second largest oil company wants to sell these assets after Washington imposed sanctions against it last week. Reporting by
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Globe and Mail reports that Canadian National Railroad has laid off 400 managers.
The Globe and Mail reported that Canadian National Railway laid off 400 managers from its rail offices in Canada and the United States due to a drop in freight caused by the trade war. In August, Donald Trump announced that he would increase tariffs against Canada by an additional 10%. Sector tariffs of 50 percent on all steel and aluminum imports have hurt the economy in the region. The company did not disclose the number of affected employees. Could not verify immediately the number of affected people. On October 31, the railroad company that connects Canada's Eastern, Western and Gulf coasts to the U.S. Midwest, will report its third-quarter earnings. In its second-quarter forecast, CN retracted its 2024-2026 projection, citing a high level of macroeconomic volatility and uncertainty related to changing trade and tariff policies.
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Lithuania closes Vilnius Airport again due to weather balloons
The airport in Vilnius, Lithuania, temporarily closed its doors on Thursday because weather balloons were flying near it. This was the sixth incident of this kind in the month. Lithuania said that the balloons were sent by smugglers who are transporting contraband cigarettes. But it also blamed Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko for not stopping this practice. Lukashenko is a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The airport reported on Thursday that "according to preliminary information a balloon or balloons were flying in the direction (of Vilnius Airport)" when the decision was taken to restrict airspace. The airport's traffic was suspended until 2100 GMT, the statement added. Baltic Nation has already Close In response to airspace disruptions and balloons, it has announced that it will shoot down balloons. Lukashenko Tuesday The word "that" is a phrase that means, "that which". Lithuania He called a border closure a "crazy sham" and accused the West for waging a hybrid conflict against Belarus and Russia, which was ushering a new age of barbed wire division. (Reporting and writing by Andrius Sytas; editing by Terje Solsvik).
Feeding Gaza: Traders run onslaught of bullets, bombs and kickbacks
Mohammed describes a shipment job from hell.
I get screwed on every delivery, the Gazan trader informed . He stated he has to hand over more than $14,000 for each truck of food he brings into the besieged enclave to pay sky-high transport expenses, kickbacks to intermediaries and security from looters. That's up from $1,500-$ 4,000 before the war began in October.
It's hardly worth my while. But I require food, my neighbours require food, the whole of Gaza requires food.
Mohammed said he doesn't like it, but he's required to hike prices of some fresh food like dairy items, fruit and chicken to 10 times their normal worth just to break even, though he understands this puts them out of reach of many hungry Gazans.
He and 17 other individuals interviewed , most of them traders and aid employees in Gaza with direct knowledge of the supply situation, described a chaotic system that frequently makes it too hazardous or costly for entrepreneur to import food, even as aid agencies alert of the growing risk of famine.
A lot of the people requested their complete names be withheld to speak freely about delicate matters, with traders like Mohammed saying they feared reprisals by regional gangs or being blacklisted by the Israeli armed force for speaking up.
The bulk of the cash spent on importing food goes on swelling trucking costs, according to the people talked to.
Chauffeurs in Israel have increased their rates by as much as threefold due to the fact that of attacks by Israeli protesters on trucks heading towards Gaza, they said. Cargoes likewise frequently have to wait for days, either near their departure points in the occupied West Bank or the Kerem Shalom border crossing from Israel into southern Gaza to be examined by Israeli soldiers and authorized to go into the enclave, they included, even more increasing expenses.
Once the items finally make it into Gaza, the sources told , the hairiest part of the journey begins.
Another trader, Hamuda, who imports pickled vegetables, poultry and dairy products from the West Bank, stated he either pays off regional criminal gangs or employs his own armed males to stand on top of the cargoes and fend off looters.
It's anywhere from $200 to $800 for this. It's worth it for a cargo that can be worth as much as $25,000, he stated. The guys I. hire are pals or relatives, I require about 3-5 per truck.
Meanwhile, none of the private-sector goods have made it to. northern Gaza, where aid firms state appetite is most intense,. because the Israeli armed force has closed that location off to their. commercial deliveries, all eight traders said.
2 help workers validated the only food readily available in. northern Gaza is help, with no industrial items for sale. The. Israeli military didn't talk about the accessibility of food for. sale in the north, a location dominated by Gaza City and its. environs.
The military, which manages coordination of aid in Gaza,. says it lets enough food in from Israel and Egypt for the entire. population. It acknowledged aid agencies face troubles in. transporting food once it has entered through crossing points. consisting of Kerem Shalom, without defining what the obstacles. were.
Dispersing help in Gaza is a intricate job considered that it is. an active war zone, a spokesperson told . Israel is. dedicated to allowing humanitarian help to get in Gaza for the. advantage of the civilian population ... it will facilitate it. while sticking to operational factors to consider on the ground.
The military stated Palestinian militant group Hamas, Gaza's. ruling group, was exploiting humanitarian infrastructure for. its military needs, without elaborating.
Hamas denied exploiting help and stated it doesn't interfere. with food deliveries. It validated that traders were employing. armed guards to protect their deliveries however stated none of those. males were linked to Hamas.
Our utmost goal is to relieve the suffering of our. people, said Hamas federal government spokesperson Ismail al-Thawabta.
' TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF LAW'
Getting food to the Gaza Strip's mostly displaced population. of 2.3 million has been beleaguered by bureaucracy and violence since. war broke out on Oct. 7, when a Hamas attack on towns in. southern Israel activated an Israeli bombardment and invasion. that has desolated the seaside area.
There are two main tracks of food entry: global help,. which is largely U.N. or U.N.-distributed products of. non-perishables, like rice, flour and tinned items and has made. up the bulk of imports throughout the war; and business. shipments, which include fresh fruit and vegetables important to fending off. malnutrition.
The Israeli military enabled commercial food deliveries from. Israel and the occupied West Bank to resume in May after its. assault on Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah - an essential gateway. from Egypt - considerably decreased the flow of U.N. help to the. ravaged Palestinian territory.
, which reported the business resumption, is likewise. the first news outlet to information the occurring expenses and mayhem. faced by Gazan traders that have actually hindered their efforts to import. fresh food for sale in the enclave's markets and stores.
Attacks on food trucks have risen given that Israel introduced its. May 7 Rafah offensive, which has actually deepened the chaos in Gaza by. scattering the 1.5 million individuals who had been sheltering in. tent camps there, according to the traders and help employees.
The U.N. materials that are still getting through to Gaza,. via Kerem Shalom or northern crossings, are even more vulnerable. to criminal gangs because, unlike personal businesses, U.N. agencies can't pay for armed protection, according to 6 aid. employees associated with coordinating food shipments. One approximated. that about 70% of the food trucks were being assaulted.
We are faced with a near total breakdown of law and. order with truck chauffeurs being routinely threatened or. assaulted, Philippe Lazzarini, head of U.N. relief company. UNRWA, told . Far a lot of trucks have actually been looted.
The difficulties faced by aid agencies imply the commercial. track has started to comprise a bigger proportion of food going into. Gaza, though the circulation remains erratic, according to the 8. traders interviewed.
They stated private-sector supplies has made up between 20. and 100 trucks a day - each carrying up to 20 tonnes of food -. because the Rafah assault was released. During this period,. Israeli military information reveals approximately 150 aid and commercial. food trucks a day have gone into in overall.
That is well short of the 600 trucks a day that the U.S. Company for International Development says is needed to attend to. the threat of famine.
The business food being available in is likewise costly, and little. replacement for global help that has actually already been spent for. by donor countries and organizations, according to the 6 aid. workers.
Some items have actually increased at least 15-fold in expense, said. Majed Qishawi, of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Gaza. Fundamental. items ... have actually disappeared from the market since of an extreme. drop in aid and commercial trucks arriving.
ISRAELI PROTESTERS ATTACK
Traders explained a long and perilous process to provide. food from their providers in Israel and the West Bank to their. designated destinations in Gaza, a 100-mile journey at the majority of, with. difficulty looming far before items reach the war-torn enclave.
Numerous Gaza-bound freights, transferred by Israeli drivers. or by Palestinian drivers who have consent to work in Israel,. were obstructed or assaulted by Israeli protesters in May in a spree. of violence which triggered Washington to sanction one involved. group with links to Israeli inhabitants. The protesters stated they. were preventing supplies from getting to Hamas.
Israeli drivers in specific have actually hiked their transportation. costs due to the fact that of the attacks - in some cases by 3 times, stated. another trader, Samir. A $1,000 trip can cost $3,000.
Cargoes then often get stuck in lines of trucks before they. can enter Gaza, with long waits costing importers about $200 to. $ 300 per day per truck, he added.
The hold-ups are triggered by a general stockpile in getting food. into Gaza, according to the 18 sources interviewed who also. consist of Palestinian and Western officials.
couldn't individually verify the logjam at the Gaza. border as Israel mostly bars reporters from Gaza and its. crossing points.
The traders and help employees stated that for two weeks at the. start of June, the Israeli military suspended all entry for. industrial items while a stockpile of humanitarian aid was. cleared. One trader shared a text message from an Israeli. military planner for materials into Gaza on June 9 informing. him that industrial circulations were on hold up until additional notice,. though could not confirm its credibility.
The industrial track opened up again around the Muslim Eid. al-Adha vacation start on June 15, individuals said.
BRIBES & & DEFENSE RACKETS
Once food cargoes are permitted to cross into Gaza, the items. are filled onto different trucks with regional drivers to be. dispersed to vendors in the enclave, the traders stated.
They are now in a battle zone.
Stretches of road in Rafah and the southern city of Khan. Younis that were thought about relatively safe before the Rafah. invasion are now infamous for attacks, the traders stated.
Three of the help workers stated truck lootings were an everyday. occurrence while Hamuda, the trader, approximated that about 6. times as many trucks are being raided now compared to. before the Rafah attack.
Some trucks are attacked for freights bring rarer. commodities such as meat or fresh fruit, Hamuda stated. Lots of. others are assaulted by gangs who have actually secretly organized to. smuggle items inside food shipments, specifically tobacco.
One Gazan trader shared a photo of cigarettes smuggled. inside a hollowed-out watermelon, though couldn't validate. its credibility.
Another challenge is continuous Israeli operations, according to. the traders who stated they have no military official to contact. in genuine time while their trucks are inside Gaza.
If a road is closed by combating or bombardment, they have no. method of figuring out a safe option, or relaying this. information to their motorists who are typically outdoors mobile phone. protection, they added.
3 traders said that last month they started paying larger,. better-connected Gazan entrepreneurs who have routine coordination. with the Israeli military to protect the entry of their cargoes. and protection for their trucks to their destinations.
The traders, who decreased to recognize the middlemen, stated. this service alone can cost approximately $14,000 to get the goods to. their location safely.
One of the traders, Abu Mohammed, stated he had to weigh up. just how much he could offer his cargo for. After treking my prices to. make up for the transportation costs, possibly I make a couple of. hundred dollars. Perhaps I break even, he said.
I also run the risk of losing everything, he added. If the delivery. is ransacked, my cash's been lost..
(source: Reuters)