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One person dead and 172 people rescued when Indonesian ferry from Bali caught fire
Officials said that 172 Indonesians were rescued on Wednesday, after a 'ferry' travelling from Bali to Lombok caught fire in the waters near the island. The'search continues for any missing passengers. Muhammad Hariyadi is the head of local rescue agency. The KM Putri Yasmin left Padangbai Port in Bali to Lembar Port in Lombok, in the province West Nusa Tenggara. Hariyadi said the incident occurred in the Lombok strait at 4:39 am on Wednesday morning (2039 GMT Tuesday). Hariyadi reported that by Wednesday afternoon one Indonesian was confirmed dead, and 172 people had been evacuated from the Lombok Strait to Bali and Lombok ports. One of the survivors was Australian and the others were Indonesian. Hariyadi stated that "we have deployed some boats to carry out the 'evacuation' and coordinate with other nearby boats," adding that over 200 personnel were deployed for the operation. The cause of the fire is unknown, nor was it known if overcrowding played a role. Heri Wiyanto told Kompas TV earlier in the day that the manifest of the ferry only listed 114 passengers and 17 crew. This incident occurred less than a month after KM Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire near Madura Island, killing five people. The ship was carrying a greater number of passengers than the manifest indicated. Indonesia is an archipelago consisting of over 17,000 islands. Ferries are a major mode of transport, as they're more accessible and affordable than flying. Safety standards are not always strictly enforced. This results in a high accident rate.
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NZ's Luxon survived party vote but challenge exposed cracks before election
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has survived a vote of confidence by National Party legislators on Wednesday. However, the second "challenge" this year exposed party divisions which commentators say could undermine his authority with less than three months to go before an election scheduled for November 7. Luxon convened National’s caucus following media reports that members of the party were seeking support for a change in leadership. This highlighted tensions within National, which is struggling to gain ground in opinion polls. Luxon, flanked by senior Ministers Erica Stanford, Chris Bishop and both touted to be potential successors, delivered a statement of 75 seconds after leaving the meeting. Luxon stated, "I have the support of my caucus and there was a vote of confidence in me this morning at our caucus." Luxon then left the room without answering any questions. Luxon won the confidence vote in April, which he had called. These votes are uncommon in New Zealand politics where disputes over leadership do not often surface publicly. Luxon's leadership was again under scrutiny following a series public missteps. These included floating the idea of an possible referendum on New Zealand’s electoral system, without consulting colleagues. Former Air New Zealand chief executive, 56-year-old Michael National has struggled with improving National's reputation or his own popularity in a sputtering economy. A 1News Verian poll published on Wednesday put Luxon's preferred-prime-minister rating at 17%, down 1 percentage point. He was still ahead of Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins whose rating dropped one point to 15 percent. Former Labour Party employee Neale Jones is a political commentator who says that survival will not be enough to undo the damage. Jones stated that "this further undermines the Prime Minister's authority and makes it harder for National." Jones said Labour’s "worst case scenario" was National replacing Luxon, and giving it an opportunity to reset its campaign prior to the election. Luxon became Prime Minister in 2023 after National formed a coalition with New Zealand First and the libertarian ACT Party. Luxon, a millionaire father of 2 with several properties, has struggled at times to connect with voters. This is especially true when he uses corporate rhetoric. His government has pursued a reform agenda that includes planning and water reforms. Tax cuts, tighter spending on public services, increased defence spending and an active foreign policy are also part of this ambitious plan. It has also strengthened bilateral relations, including by signing a free-trade agreement with India. The?economy is still the main political battleground. Luxon was elected on a promise to control inflation and reduce debt. However, growth is 'weak', unemployment has reached an 11-year peak, and inflation is outside the central banks 1% to 3 percent target range. National is only narrowly behind Labour in most polls, but the complexity of New Zealand's electoral system makes the November election too close to call. Simon O'Connor, a former National legislator, said that the party can recover from the damage caused by the leadership contest but must focus on its policies and campaign. He said: "National can't afford any more distractions of this nature. The troublemakers need to either be encouraged or pushed aside." "They can't have another day like this." Reporting by Lucy Craymer, in Wellington, and Alasdair pal in Sydney. Editing by Jamie Freed & Shri Navaratnam.
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Travel company TUI misses quarterly profit view as bookings fall
London, 12 August - Europe's largest travel company TUI missed its third-quarter operating profit expectations on Wednesday as bookings dropped and the price of jet fuel remained high due to a U.S.-Iran war. TUI's operating profit was EUR234.6m ($270.6m), down 27% compared to last year, and below the EUR274m projected by LSEG analysts. Europe's airlines have warned that booking windows are being shortened as travellers hesitate to book their holidays due to ongoing uncertainty linked to the Iran War. IAG, Lufthansa, and Air France-KLM are among the major?carriers that have announced they will either cut capacity or keep it flat in order to reduce a broader impact on their bottom line. "2026 will not be an ordinary year. TUI has done well to survive in a challenging global environment. Our business model has proven to be resilient. The importance of travel in people's lives remains high, but the timing has changed," stated Chief Executive Sebastian Ebel. The 'German firm confirmed that it expects to make an operating profit of between EUR1.1 billion and EUR1.4 billion in the financial year 2026. However, they said their third quarter was characterized by geopolitical uncertainty, weakness on European markets, and customer caution. TUI cut its profit projection and suspended revenue guidance for the year 2026 in March due to spiraling jet fuel prices and uncertainty over the Iran War.
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Mayor of Novorossiysk in Russia says drones killed a child and hit businesses at the Black Sea port.
On Wednesday, Mayor Andrei Kravchenko revealed on Telegram that an overnight drone attack in Novorossiysk killed a child and damaged over two dozen residential structures. Veniamin kondratyev said that eight people were injured, including a young child. Another person was killed in the attack, and several others were wounded throughout the region. Unverified Telegram posts purported to show photos of smoke and flames rising somewhere in Novorossiysk. This is a major oil export hub. Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Telegram that more than 30 drones had been shot down in Sevastopol, a city located in the Crimea occupied by Russia. The attack damaged a few houses, but no one was injured, the governor said. Ivan Fedorov, the regional governor, posted pictures of an ablaze building on?Telegram. Fedorov said that the attack had cut power to 1,200 Zaporizhzhia consumers. Serhiy Lysak, the head of Odesa's military administration on Telegram said that a'separate' Russian attack, which targeted Ukraine's biggest seaport, had damaged infrastructure. Moscow intensified its strikes on Ukraine's warehouses, food and agriculture facilities in response to Kyiv attacks against Russian energy, ports and logistic hubs. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's president, said on Tuesday that Kyiv has submitted a proposal to U.S. negotiators to put an end to the war. The conflict began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine at full scale in February 2022. (Reporting and editing by Edwina G. Gibbs, Stephen Coates and Jekaterina Golubkova)
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BBC: UK PM Burnham promises help for business in a 'difficult financial outlook'
In an interview on Wednesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the British government would do everything it could to help lower business costs. However, this was against a backdrop of a "difficult" financial outlook. Burnham told?BBC Radio?s?Wake Up To?Money??programme that his government would examine business rates, a tax levied against shops, offices, and other commercial premises, more broadly in its budget due on October 28. He said that he would also look at redesigning Britain's railway fares to the benefit of the public and reiterated?his goal to increase state control over housing, water and energy services to lower costs for households. Burnham stated, "I'm aware that the cost of doing a business is high for many businesses. I would not want to make promises and claim everything can be fixed because I think people understand I have a challenging financial outlook. I won't propose anything I can't fully finance." "I am signaling that I will be going further with business rates. There are things we can do and we will do all that we can. "But I'm sure everyone understands that my room for maneuvering is limited." Recent opinion polls show that Burnham's first few weeks as Prime Minister were marked by "relatively modest but overwhelmingly popular reforms". These include cracking down on high-priced?street vape? shops, capping the bus fare, reducing sales tax on electric bills, lowering rates for pubs and music venues and curbing misleading product discounts and subscribing traps. Burnham said that this strategy, which involves "accumulating smaller things", could help to ease household financial pressure. He had previously ruled out tax increases on workers, but hasn't ruled them out for other tax increases to enact social care reforms. He and John Healey have pledged to adhere to government fiscal rules to limit the scope for borrowing. (Reporting and editing by Andy Bruce)
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Trump claims his plane was at greater risk in secret flight changes
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he secretly changed planes last month in Turkey at the direction of U.S. Secret Service. However, the plane he flew on is still more vulnerable than Air Force One. U.S. media revealed that Trump, after a NATO summit held in Ankara was transferred to a military aircraft via a caterer truck, in a deception inspired by an Iranian threat of assassination. The White House didn't disclose the change, and it was kept a secret until Monday when the Washington Post reported on it. Some media commentators questioned if the operation put Trump's aides or journalists who were traveling with him on the plane that was presumed to carry?the President at risk. Trump said to reporters that he believed the plane he flew in was at greater danger. "I believe it was at greater risks?because I think they would more likely go for that plane." After a day in which social media memes depicted Trump hiding out in a catering truck, image-conscious President, who often promotes himself as a courageous and bold leader, said that he was following directions from the Secret Service, an agency that protects him. "Well, that's up to the Secret Service." Trump said that he follows what the Secret Service and military want to do. "I suppose?there was an outside threat. I didn't ask about it too much. Trump said, "I get a lot threats." At the time, the White House claimed that the president would be flying on Air Force One to Britain from Turkey. The Post reported on Monday that, moments after Trump boarded, he secretly left the plane via the catering truck to board another aircraft. Trump took a newly renovated Qatari jet to Ankara, Turkey for the NATO summit. But he announced unexpectedly that he would be using an older Air Force One on his way out of the country. This prompted concerns about the security of the newer aircraft. The NATO trip was the first international flight for the new plane. Its rapid 'upgrades' prompted questions about its cost and safety, as well as the hostilities with Iran which borders Turkey. (Reporting from Kanishka and Jasper Ward, Washington; Additional reporting provided by Humeyra Pamuk & Christian Martinez; Writing and editing by Daniel Trotta.
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The mayor of Novorossiysk in Russia’s Black Sea port says that drones have hit residential buildings.
According to the mayor of Novorossiysk in Russia, six residential buildings have been damaged by drone debris. On Telegram, Mayor Andrei Kravchenko stated that the injured received medical attention and that a commercial property was also damaged. Unverified posts on Telegram claimed to show photos of an enormous?tower? of flames rising from Novorossiysk. Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Telegram that more than 30 drones had been shot down in Sevastopol, Crimea. The attack damaged a few houses, but no one was injured, the governor said. Ivan Fedorov, regional governor of the region, posted pictures of the burning building on Telegram. Fedorov said that the attack had cut power to about 1,200 Zaporizhzhia consumers. In response to Kyiv’s attacks on Russian energy, port, and logistic hubs, Moscow has recently intensified its strikes on Ukraine’s food and agricultural facilities. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's President, said on Tuesday that Kyiv has submitted proposals to U.S. negotiators regarding a plan for ending the 'war' which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine at full scale in February 2022. (Reporting and editing by Edwina G Gibbs in Tokyo)
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US freight railroads lose their appeal against the new rule that requires at least two-person crews
Six U.S. railways and a pair of industry groups have lost their appeals against a new rule requiring many 'trains to operate with at least two crew members. This ruling was issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit. The Federal Railroad Administration has imposed crew requirements on freight railroads. This includes Union Pacific, Berkshire Hathaway's BNSF and other rail companies. This rule was enacted after organized labor fought for crew levels in the face of a heightened scrutiny on railroad safety, following a derailment that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio?in 2023, which caused cars containing toxic vinyl chloride and other hazardous chemicals to spill out and catch fire. The railroads, among other things argued that the rule on crew size fell outside of the FRA’s general rulemaking powers. The agency also refused to take into account the costs that the rule would have on railroads who would have otherwise switched to a single-person crew. They said that the final rule was arbitrary and capricious because it didn't consider a major cost category. The court denied the railroads? petitions for review of the rule. One judge dissented from the ruling, stating that the FRA's analysis and research did not support the minimum crew size rule and that its cost-benefit analysis had failed to account for the labor costs railroads would face if they were required to comply with the rule. Reporting by Lisa Baertlein, Editing by Chris Reese
Ukraine halts strike on tankers using Russian ports at US request, FT reports
The Financial Times reported?on Wednesday that Ukraine had halted drone strikes on oil tanks using Russia's port at the?Black Sea, Novorossiysk, after receiving a request by U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
The paper reported that the request was made last month after U.S. concerns that Ukraine destabilised oil markets and harmed U.S. companies by targeting tankers transporting crude oil piped from Kazakhstan into a Caspian?Consortium terminal at this port.
The newspaper reported that Ukraine had agreed to not target CPC infrastructure or non-Russian ships as long as they were not subject to Ukrainian sanctions, and did not carry Russian oil or cargo.
Outside of business hours, the White House, State Department and Vance's Office did not respond immediately to requests for comment. ? Could not verify the report immediately.
Ukrainian forces have recently intensified their strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, among other sites. Kyiv claims that this is part of an effort to deprive Russia of resources it needs to fund its military.
Four sources familiar with?data say that Black Sea drones took out as much as one fifth of CPC's oil loadings during July. The Russia-Ukraine conflict spilled into the oil sales by Kazakhstan and western oil majors.
Sources claim that Kazakhstan, which depends on the CPC route to export crude oil, saw a drop of 14% in its oil production from June to July. Chevron, Exxon Mobil and other Western oil companies are active in Kazakhstan.
The?paper was told by a U.S. official that the administration warned Ukraine not to attack non-Russian vessels on the Black Sea. (Reporting and editing by Christian Schmollinger, Clarence Fernandez, and Anusha Sha in Bengaluru)
(source: Reuters)