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As Typhoon Wipha heads towards mainland China, Hong Kong is battered by rains.
Hong Kong was drenched in rain on Sunday, as Typhoon Wipha skirted the south, with winds of 167 kph. (103 mph). This caused 400 flights to be cancelled, public transport disrupted, hundreds of trees were felled, and a construction site damaged. After 4 pm on Sunday, the weather authorities in the Asian financial center lowered the typhoon warning to 8, from the maximum 10, which was hoisted for almost seven hours. Meanwhile, more than 110mm (4 inches of rain) fell within three hour. The city's observatory warned of more rain to come. In a press release, the government reported that 26 people sought medical treatment at public hospitals while 253 people flocked to shelters and 471 trees fell. North Point, near the harbour of the city, saw large sections of scaffolding swept from a residential building onto the road. State-run broadcaster CCTV reported that as Wipha moves westwards across the South China Sea, it will likely make landfall between Zhuhai Zhanjiang and Guangdong province in southern China later on Sunday. TDM reported that authorities in Macau, which is the world's largest gambling hub, have also reduced the typhoon warning to 8 from 10. They warned of flooding in the inner harbour and encouraged residents to remain safe. Hong Kong's Airport Authority said that 80,000 passengers were affected by the cancellation of 400 flights due to the typhoon. Cathay Pacific Airways has cancelled all flights to Hong Kong between the hours of 5 am and 6 pm on Sunday. It waived the ticket change fee and arranged a rebooking. In the face of high seaswells, most public transportation in Hong Kong has been suspended. This includes ferries. Reporting by Colleen howe, Farah master, Joyce Zhou, and Amy Lv, Editing by Christopher Cushing, Clarence Fernandez
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Vietnam searches for four missing tourists after a sudden storm capsizes a tourist boat
Authorities said that dozens of rescuers in Vietnam were searching for four missing persons on Sunday after recovering the bodies of those killed by a storm which capsized a boat at Halong Bay. Rescuers from border guards and police to divers and navy personnel were struggling with limited visibility despite a calm sea hours before Typhoon Wipha was expected to land in the northern Vietnam. The typhoon is now heading towards Hong Kong. Officials fear that the death toll may still increase. The government reported on Saturday that rescuers were able to recover the sunken vessel and revised the initial death toll down to 35, from 38. Vietnam News Agency reported that all the passengers were Vietnamese, and included several children. "My brother is a good swimmer, but everything happened so fast," Tran Trung Tu told a funeral parlor on Sunday. His sibling, Tran Trung Tu was 32. The accident is one of the most serious in recent memory in the UNESCO protected archipelago, a group of thousands limestone islands located about 200 km (125 mi) northeast of Hanoi. This area attracts tens and thousands of tourists each year. In a matter minutes, the sudden thunderstorm covered the sky in darkness, causing trees to fall in Hanoi. Officials at the Noi Bai International Airport said that nine flights had been diverted, and three departures were temporarily halted. Do Thi Thuy, an insurance agent, said: "This is the first accident I've ever seen with this many victims." In 2011, a tour boat that was carrying foreign tourists sank on Halong Bay, killing 12 people. The government claimed that the accident was due to a "sudden storm". Around the time of the accident, which occurred at 2 pm on Saturday, there were reports of strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning. Do Van Hai (42), a resident of Halong, said, "I was informed that life vests were readily available, but the announcement was too abrupt." "Hopefully the missing ones will soon be found." Reporting by Thinh Nguyen and Phuong Nguyen, Halong; writing by Francesco Guarascio and editing by Edmund Klamann and Clarence Fernandez
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The death toll in the Vietnam tourist boat crash has risen to 38
Rescuers continue to look for survivors as they prepare for Typhoon Wipha's approach. One of the worst boating incidents in recent years occurred in a popular tourist area when a vessel carrying 48 tourists, five crew members and a captain capsized Saturday afternoon. In a press release, the government stated that "at least 38 people on board were confirmed dead" and 10 others had been rescued. Vietnam News Agency, the official news agency of Vietnam, reported that all tourists are Vietnamese including children. Rescuers from all sectors, including police, border guards, naval personnel and professional divers have been mobilized. Despite the calm sea, poor visibility made rescue operations difficult. The government reported that rescuers were able to recover the sunken vessel. The accident occurred around 2 pm local time (0700 GMT), on Saturday, shortly after Typhoon Wipha had entered the South China Sea. Authorities reported heavy rain, strong winds and lightning at the time, but said that the conditions were not caused by the approaching Typhoon, but rather were a result of wind patterns in the northern region. Halong Bay is located about 200 km (125miles) northeast of Hanoi and attracts thousands of tourists every year. The boat tours are especially popular. In 2011, a tourboat in Halong Bay sank, killing 12 people. Among them were foreign tourists. The third typhoon to hit the South China Sea in this year is expected to land on the northern coast of Vietnam early next week. (Reporting and editing by Edmund Klamann; Phuong Nguyen)
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Hong Kong issues the highest level of storm warning as Typhoon Wipha approaches
Hong Kong issued the highest storm warning Sunday, as Typhoon Wipha brought wind and rain to the territory with winds exceeding 167 km/h (103 miles/h). More than 200 flights were cancelled. The city's meteorological observatory increased its storm warning to No. The city's weather observatory raised its storm signal to No. 10 at 9:20 am (0120 GMT). It said that it expects it to stay at this level "for a while". The warning indicated that Wipha would skirt 50 km south of the observatory. The observatory reported that a hurricane-force wind was affecting southern Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific Airways has cancelled all flights departing or arriving at Hong Kong Airport between the hours of 5 am and 6 pm on Sunday. It waived the ticket change fee and made arrangements to allow customers to rebook. On Sunday, most public transportation was suspended including ferries due to high sea swells. (Reporting and editing by Christopher Cushing; Colleen howe)
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Azerbaijan's leader wants Russia to acknowledge that it accidentally shot down a passenger plane, killing 38
Ilham Aliyev said on Saturday that he wants Russia to publicly admit it accidentally shot down a passenger plane from Azerbaijan in December of last year. The 38 people aboard were killed. He also wants Russia to punish the responsible parties. At the time, President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev over what the Kremlin referred to as a "tragic event" in Russia where an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft crashed after Russian air defenses opened fire on Ukrainian drones. He did not say that Russia shot down the plane. Aliyev made it clear at a press conference held in Khankendi, during an event titled The Global Media Forum that he expected more from Moscow, whom he blamed for inaction after the downing the airliner. "We can prove that we know what exactly happened." "We are also confident that Russian officials know what happened," Aliyev added. The real question is, "Why didn't they act like any neighbour would?" Azerbaijan expects the incident to have been formally acknowledged and that those responsible will be held accountable. Compensation should be paid to the families of victims and injured and Moscow should reimburse the cost for the destroyed aircraft. He said that "these are normal expectations within the frameworks of international law and good neighbourly relations." After diverting from southern Russia where Ukrainian drones had been reported attacking several cities, flight J2-8243 crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan. The flight crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. The ties between Moscow and Baku have deteriorated significantly in recent months, after Russian police arrested a group ethnic Azerbaijanis who lived in Russia and accused of them of historical crimes. Aliyev, speaking at the same conference, said that he wanted to open a transit route between Azerbaijan's exclave Nakhchivan and Armenia. Aliyev stated: "We're talking about an unhindered state access between Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan. We take this literally - we're talking about connecting parts of a country. He stated that, when and if it is established, Azerbaijani passengers on trains should not be in danger of being attacked by Armenians who he claimed threw stones at these trains during the Soviet period. He also called for "reliable, verifiable and transparent" security assurances. Aliyev stated that the demand was "absolutely legal and fair". On July 16, Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian prime minister, said that the U.S. offered to manage a potential transport corridor. Baku wants to secure the potential corridor that would run approximately 32 km (20 miles), through Armenia's southern Syunik Province, connecting Azerbaijan's majority to Nakhchivan (an Azerbaijani enclave bordering Baku's Turkish ally). The transit link is just one of many obstacles to a deal for peace between Azerbaijan, a neighbour in the South Caucasus who has fought wars with Armenia since the 1980s. In March, the countries announced that they had completed a draft of a peace agreement. However, it is unclear when this will be signed. (Reporting and editing by Andrew Osborn.)
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US threatens Mexican airlines flights over airline competitive issues
The Trump administration announced Saturday that it will take a number of actions against Mexico in response to the Mexican government's decision to cancel some flight slots for U.S. airlines and to force U.S. freight carriers to relocate their operations to Mexico City. Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation secretary, said that if Mexico fails to respond to U.S. concerns about decisions made in 2022 or 2023, the department may disapprove Mexican flight requests. Department of Transportation also proposes to remove antitrust immunity for the joint venture between Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico in order to address issues with the competitive market. Mexico is the top international destination for American airline passengers. Delta did not respond to a request for comment. The Transportation Department stated that Mexico has been non-compliant with a bilateral agreement on air travel since 2022, when it abruptly cancelled slots and forced U.S. cargo carriers to relocate their operations in 2023. The Mexican Transport Ministry was asked to comment on the orders. Duffy stated that Mexico was supposed to allow construction at Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport to relieve congestion, but this has not yet materialized three years after the announcement. The Department of Transportation said that Mexico had broken its promise by restricting slots and mandating all cargo operations to leave MEX. This has disrupted the market and cost American businesses millions. The Transportation Department has issued two orders that require Mexican airlines to submit schedules to the department for their U.S. operations. They also need to obtain prior U.S. approval to operate any charter flights of large passenger aircraft or cargo aircraft to or from the United States. The department stated that Mexico has changed the competitive landscape for airlines, allowing dominant competitors to gain unfair advantages in the U.S.Mexico market. Mexico's actions hurt airlines that are looking to enter the market as well as existing competitors, air travelers and companies who rely on air cargo shipments between the U.S. and Mexico, and other stakeholders of the American economy. The U.S. could revoke antitrust approval of Delta and Aeromexico. They would have to cease cooperation on common pricing and capacity management. However, Delta would still be able retain its equity stake and fly as usual in the U.S. Mexico market. (Reporting and editing by Diane Craft; Additional reporting by Kylie Madry)
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Officials say that Poland has fixed the fault that temporarily disrupted flights.
Polish authorities confirmed that they have fixed the fault in their air traffic control system which briefly disrupted Saturday morning take-offs from Warsaw and several other cities. Operations are now back to normal. By midday, the Chopin Airport in Warsaw reported that take-offs & landings had resumed as normal. Outages earlier forced the authorities to restrict flights in Polish airspace. There were also problems reported at airports in Krakow and Katowice, as well as Gdansk. The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, PANSA, wrote in a press release that the temporary problems were due to a fault which was quickly resolved. It did not provide any further information on the fault. The agency reported that the "primary air traffic management system" was fully restored after all the necessary procedures were implemented. It added that backups kept safety systems operating during the outage. The Interior Ministry had earlier stated that the security agency investigated the outage, and conducted routine checks to look for sabotage. Russia has denied the accusations. (Reporting and editing by Karol Badohal, Jason Hovet and Andrew Heavens; with reporting by Karol Bádohal and Jason Hovet)
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Fire department: At least 30 people injured after car crashes into crowd outside Los Angeles nightclub
The Los Angeles Fire Department and local media reported that at least 30 people were hurt early Saturday morning after a car drove into a crowd in front of a club along Santa Monica Boulevard. The fire department released a statement online stating that at least seven people are in critical condition, and six other serious injuries. I was not able to immediately contact the police department of the city. Fire department reported that the incident happened just before 2 am local time (0900 GMT). ABC News reported that Captain Adam VanGerpen of the fire department, who is a spokesman for his department, said a paramedic was assessing a victim when he found a bullet wound. He was unable confirm that the driver of the vehicle was responsible for hitting the crowd. He said that the car first crashed into a taco van outside of the venue, then it smashed through a valet station and into a large crowd of people. Video posted on X shows roads being closed and patients being transported in ambulances. The authorities did not immediately provide any information on the cause or identity of the driver. Reporting by Jonathan Landay, Rajveer Pardesi, and Angela Christy, in Bengaluru. Editing by Donna Bryson and Aiden Lewis.
US dismisses lawsuit against Southwest Airlines for chronically delayed flights
The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped a lawsuit filed against Southwest Airlines by the Biden Administration in its final days. It accused the airline of operating flights that were chronically delayed.
Southwest Airlines was sued by the Department of Transportation in January for allegedly operating unrealistic schedules. The suit sought maximum civil penalties.
USDOT announced in January 2022 that Southwest Airlines would operate two flights with chronically late arrivals: one between Chicago Midway Airport and Oakland, California and another between Baltimore Cleveland.
Southwest on Friday applauded the USDOT's decision to drop its lawsuit.
Southwest Airlines said that the two flights in question were delayed by issues beyond its control, including the COVID-19 Pandemic.
USDOT has not yet commented on Friday.
In January, under Biden's leadership, the department fined Frontier Airlines $650.000 for running multiple flights that were chronically late. Frontier Airlines was fined $325,000, and it will be required to pay the remaining amount if any chronically late flights are operated in the next 3 years.
Southwest Airlines said that it has flown more than 20 millions flights since 2009 without any other violations.
According to USDOT regulations, a flight that is delayed chronically is one that is at least 10 flights a month late and more than 30 minutes at least 50% of time.
Southwest will provide $75 travel vouchers or more in December 2023 to passengers who are delayed by at least three-hours due to an airline issue or cancellation. This is part of the USDOT settlement for December 2022's holiday meltdown.
In January, the Biden USDOT imposed a penalty of $2 million against JetBlue Airways because it operated four flights that were chronically delayed on domestic routes. This was the first time an airline had been fined for a prohibited scheduling practice.
JetBlue has agreed to pay $1 million in fines and give vouchers of at least $75 each for any future cancellations or delays exceeding three hours. (Reporting and editing by William Mallard, Sonali Paul and David Shepardson)
(source: Reuters)