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Trump says the airspace above Venezuela and around it should be closed
The U.S. president Donald Trump stated on Saturday that airspace surrounding Venezuela and above it should be "closed completely", but did not provide any further details. Washington is increasing pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Trump stated in a Truth Social posting that "All Airlines, Pilots, Drunk Dealers, and Traffickers, Please consider the entire airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed." Venezuela's Communications Ministry, which is responsible for all government press inquiries, didn't immediately respond to a comment request on Trump's tweet. The U.S. Defense Department didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. U.S. attacks against alleged drugs boats in the Caribbean are ongoing for months. A U.S. buildup of military in the area is also underway. Trump has authorized covert CIA missions in Venezuela. The President said to military members that "very soon" the U.S. will begin land operations in order to stop suspected Venezuelan drugs traffickers. The U.S. Aviation regulator warned major airlines last week of a potentially hazardous situation when flying over Venezuela because of the "worsening situation in security and increased military activity around or within" the South American nation. Venezuela revoked the operating rights of six major international carriers that had suspended flights after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration warned. The Trump administration accused Maduro, who has denied the charge, of being involved in drug trafficking. Maduro has been in power since 2013 and has stated that Trump wants to remove him. He also said that Venezuelans and the military would resist such an attempt. The U.S. military in the region has focused so far on counter-narcotics, despite the fact that the firepower assembled far exceeds what is needed for them. Since September, they have conducted at least 21 attacks on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean or Pacific region. At least 83 people were killed. Reporting by Mrinmay dey in Bengaluru and Lucia Mutikani, Washington, and Idrees Al; editing by Kirby Donovan and Sergio Non, and Alexander Smith
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The death toll from Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka has risen to 153
Officials said that at least 153 people were killed and 191 missing in Sri Lanka due to landslides, flooding and Cyclone Ditwah. More than half a milllion people are affected across the country. The Disaster Management Centre reported that more than 78,000 people were moved into nearly 800 centres of relief, most of which are located in schools. Thousands of army, navy and police personnel are clearing roads, distributing food and moving families trapped in the mud to safety. The worst floods in a decade Mallika Kumari's home, which was submerged to the roof Friday morning, is among those who sought refuge in relief centers. She packed her three children and her husband into a rented truck, then spent the night on the roadside. Kumari, her 554 neighbors, and the Kelani River are located in Malwana in Colombo's 20 km (12 mile) distance. They face the worst floods in the last decade. Rescue boats transport stranded family members, including Kumari who wanted to retrieve her children's clothing and schoolbooks from her home. "I heard the flood warnings on television, but we didn't expect the river to overflow that quickly. "We just ran out of the home without anything," Kumari said. "We haven’t even eaten breakfast." My two sons are sick. I need to buy them medicine. I have brought some garbage bags to collect the clothes. In her hurry, Kumari forgot to bring her cat with her. A navy boat later found it and brought it back on dry land. Homes Under Water and Without Power Authorities said that the flooding in Malwana, and other low-lying parts of Colombo left many homes underwater and without electricity. Meteorological authorities forecast rain to continue over the weekend. This has sparked fears about further flooding in areas already affected by flooding. Some residents chose to stay in the upper floors, protecting their possessions. The flooding has caused local businesses such as pharmacies, fabric shops, and supermarkets to be overwhelmed, causing financial losses for shop owners who worry about the long-term recovery. Volunteers prepared rice parcels containing chicken curry and dhal for flood victims at the Dalugala Thakiya Mosque. They hoped to increase their capacity by Sunday. Risham Ahmad, an organizer of the meals, said that people working daily jobs are having difficulty finding work and have low savings. They are concerned about how they will put their lives back together.
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Security official: Ukraine drones hit two tankers in the Black Sea that are part of a shadow fleet
An official of the SBU said that Ukraine had used marine drones to hit two Russian tankers in the Black Sea which were exporting oil and avoiding Western sanctions. An anonymous official confirmed that the SBU, along with the Ukrainian navy, conducted a joint operation against the vessels of the so-called "shadow fleet". Turkish authorities said two shadow fleet tanks were damaged by explosions near Turkey's Bosphorus Strait, causing them to catch fire. Rescue operations for the crews aboard were also launched. SBU officials said that both tankers – identified as the Kairos & Virat – were empty, and they were on their way to Novorossiysk a major Russian oil port. The video (footage), which shows the damage done to both tanks, is shocking. They were taken out of service. The official stated that this will be a major blow to Russian oil transport. The strikers did not specify when they took place. Ukraine has repeatedly called for stronger international measures against Russia's "shadow fleet", which, it claims, is helping Moscow to export huge quantities of oil while funding its war in Ukraine. (Reporting and writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Toby Chopra and Kirovan).
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CPC: Drones have damaged equipment and stopped oil exports.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which manages more than 1% global oil production, announced on Saturday that it had halted its operations following an attack by Ukrainian drones to a mooring in the Black Sea terminal. In a statement, it stated that further operation of the mooring point 2, one of three important pieces of exporting machinery, was not possible. CPC exports from Kazakhstan mainly via Russia and Black Sea terminal. CPC is owned by Chevron, Exxon Mobil and other major U.S. companies. It's not looking too good. It was badly damaged. A trader said that they were going to launch a third mooring, which was under repair. The attack on the terminal did not result in any injuries among CPC employees or contractors, according to the consortium. The emergency protection system had shut down all pipelines at the time of the explosion. According to preliminary reports, no oil spilled in the Black Sea. CPC stated that "shipments will be made at the terminal in accordance with the established rules as soon as the threat of unmanned boats and drones has been eliminated."
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Airbus A320 major recall affects global airlines
Airbus, Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer, ordered the immediate repair of 6,000 A320 jets. The recall affected more than half of the world fleet and threatened disruption during the busiest weekend for travel in the U.S. According to a notice sent to airlines, the fix involves mostly reverting back to older software. However, it is necessary to do this before planes can be flown again. The repairs may cause flight cancellations or delays, according to several airlines. The following are the major disruptions reported by airlines at 0733 GMT, in alphabetical order. Aer Lingus Aer Lingus, the Irish airline, said that only a small number of aircraft had been affected. Air France The airline announced that it would cancel 35 flights. Air India Air India has finished the software fix for 42 of its 113 affected aircraft. It anticipates some delays, but no cancellations. Air India Express India's aviation regulator has said that 25 aircraft require software updates. Air New Zealand Air New Zealand expects some cancellations of its services. American Airlines, the world's largest A320 operator, said that it expected some operational delays. However, it reduced the number of aircraft in need of the software fix from 340 to 209 as it had predicted earlier. ANA Holdings The Japanese airline cancelled 65 flights Saturday. Avianca The Colombian airline said that the recall affected over 70% of its fleet and would cause "significant" disruptions in operations for the next 10 working days. Avianca has closed the sales of tickets for travel dates up to December 8. Delta Airlines Delta Airlines, the U.S. carrier, expects that any operational impact will be minimal. Flynas, the Saudi Arabian low-cost airline, expects some delays. IndiGo, India's biggest airline, has finished the software fixes on 143 of its 200 aircraft. IndiGo warned that there may be some delays. Korean Air According to the South Korean airline, work will be completed on 10 aircraft by Sunday. Latam Airlines According to the carrier, a small number of aircraft required software fixes. Lufthansa The German airline anticipates that there will be a few flight delays or cancellations over the weekend. Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines said that eight A320 aircraft will return to service once it has completed the necessary actions. United Airlines United Airlines expects a minor disruption on a few flights, after stating that six aircraft are affected by the recall. A software update will affect the Mexican airline's fleet, but there is no set time for when the aircraft can fly again. Wizz Air The European budget carrier said that the software update was implemented overnight on its A320s. No further disruption is expected. Reporting by Jubybabu in Mexico City and Parth Chandna, in Bengaluru; Abhijithganapavaram in Bengaluru; Ben Blanchard, Tim Kelly, Arun Koyyur, editing.
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Inside London's largest lost property office: From mobile phones to frogs cooked,
The 6,000 items that are delivered weekly to Transport for London’s lost property storage facility include mobile phones, wallets (including rucksacks), spectacles, keys, and rucksacks. There are also some surprises, such as a bag of frogs cooked and an urn containing ashes. Diana Quaye, manager of Transport for London said that the frogs were not kept. The frogs, flies, and other perishables are thrown away along with the sandwiches left on the Victoria Line of London Underground, or the chocolate bars on the top decks of buses. Everything else, however, is sorted, labeled, and logged in Transport for London’s east London warehouse. The biggest lost property office in Europe Transport for London reports that the warehouse is slightly smaller than a soccer pitch and packed with rows of sliding shelving. It has 45 staff. The umbrella handles are protruding from one shelf and books are overflowing from another. Meanwhile, hundreds of children's stuffed toys, such as a giant St Bernard dog toy, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and other stuffed animals, wait for collection. A section is dedicated to interesting finds over the years. The flea market has a variety of treasures, including a wedding gown, a fox taxidermy, and an artificial limb. Only a fifth of the items that are lost in London's underground, overground, black cabs, and buses, are ever recovered. Transport for London holds items for a typical three-month period before deciding whether they will be auctioned or donated to charity. At Christmas, they give new toys to a charity for children and sports equipment to the local school. Transport for London kept the urn of cremated remains, which was in a bag, for seven years, before returning it to its German owner. Quaye stated that the most common culprits of lost property are commuters on buses. She said, "I don’t know if they get a little relaxed on the bus but they tend leave things on there." (Reporting and writing by Vitalii Yalahuzian, Marissa Davison, Sarah Young. Editing by Conor Humphries.)
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Climate protests in Australia force ship to abandon arrival at coal port. 11 people charged
On Saturday, a climate-change demonstration off the coast of Australia forced a ship inbound to return from one of Australia's biggest terminals for coal imports. This led to 11 arrests. The police in New South Wales said that those arrested at the protest near Port of Newcastle, located 170 km from Sydney, the capital of the state, were accused of "alleged maritime-related offenses". According to the state, the port is Australia's largest bulk shipping facility on the east coast. Port of Newcastle spokesperson stated that one vessel had been prevented from entering, but "shipping will continue to be carried out as planned". Rising Tide, an activist group for climate change, said that a coal-burning ship was forced to abandon its arrival when kayakers, small boats and swimmers were seen entering the shipping channel. Rising Tide, who carried out a similar demonstration last year, released a statement. Climate change is an issue that divides Australians, as coal and iron ore are the top commodities exported.
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Japan's ANA cancels a total of 65 flights this Saturday following the Airbus A320 Recall
ANA Holdings says that it has cancelled 65 flights after the Airbus A320 was recalled, forcing it to ground aircraft. Airbus single-aisle aircraft such as the A320 are the most popular in Japan, and the carrier is one of the largest operators, with Peach Aviation and other affiliates. ANA's main rival, Japan Airlines, is a Boeing-only carrier and does not operate the A320. The recall of Airbus A320 jets affects over half of its global fleet, including the A320 family, which is the backbone of Asian aviation for short-haul flights, especially in China and India. About 11,300 single-aisle aircraft are in service worldwide, including 6,440 A320s. Fixing the problem involves going back to older software. Although relatively easy, this must be done before planes are able to fly again. Asiana Airlines, a South Korean airline, said that only 17 aircraft were affected by the recall. (Reporting and editing by Tom Hogue, Maki Shiraki and Tim Kelly)
Moldova claims that Russian drones have again entered its airspace, posing a threat to aviation.
The Moldovan authorities reported on Saturday that Russian drones entered the country's skies, posing an aviation threat. This is the third incident of this kind in nine days.
The president of Moldova, Maia Sandu has condemned the Russian war in Ukraine, and accused Moscow for trying to destabilize the ex-Soviet country, located between Ukraine and EU Member Romania.
The interior ministry of Moldova said that it had identified the drones as Russians and they had flown above Moldovan territory. This led to the closure of Moldova's airspace.
The report added that they later flew onto Ukrainian territory.
The civil aviation authority ordered that the Moldovan airspace be closed from 22.43 until 23.53 (from 2043 to 2153 GMT).
Moldova, which had complained about a similar intrusion in November and earlier this week as well, has described the latest incident in the context the conflict in Ukraine. It also denounced the "illegal and danger actions" posing a risk to civil flights and the lives of people.
Oleg Ozerov has been summoned repeatedly to the Foreign Ministry of Russia over these incidents.
Ozerov questioned this week whether the drones displayed outside the ministry were involved in any intrusion. He suggested that the incidents were meant to worsen the already bad relations between Moscow and Chisinau.
Since Sandu's first election in 2020, Moldovan relations with Russia are under strain. Moscow accuses it of being behind unfriendly acts and stirring up anti-Russian feelings.
The Moldovan parliament ordered this week the closure of an Russian cultural center in Chisinau. They said it could be used to promote narratives that pose a threat to national safety. (Reporting and writing by Alexander Tanas; editing by Alexander Smith).
(source: Reuters)