strikes

WASHINGTON — The Navy admiral who oversees military operations in the region where U.S. forces have been attacking alleged drug boats off Venezuela will retire in December, he and the Defense Secretary announced Thursday.

Adm. Alvin Holsey became the leader of U.S. Southern Command only in November, overseeing an area that encompasses the Caribbean Sea and waters off South America. These types of postings typically last between three and four years.

The news of Holsey’s upcoming retirement comes two days after the U.S. military’s fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean against a small boat accused of carrying drugs. The Trump administration has asserted it’s treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with military force.

Frustration with the attacks has been growing on Capitol Hill. Some Republicans have been seeking more information from the White House on the legal justification and details of the strikes, while Democrats contend the strikes violate U.S. and international law.

Holsey said in a statement posted on the command’s Facebook page that it’s “been an honor to serve our nation, the American people and support and defend our Constitution for over 37 years.”

“The SOUTHCOM team has made lasting contributions to the defense of our nation and will continue to do so,” he said. “I am confident that you will forge ahead, focused on your mission that strengthens our nation and ensures its longevity as a beacon of freedom around the globe.”

U.S. Southern Command did not provide any more information beyond the admiral’s statement.

In a post on X on Thursday afternoon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Holsey for his “decades of service to our country, and we wish him and his family continued success and fulfillment in the years ahead.”

“Admiral Holsey has demonstrated unwavering commitment to mission, people, and nation,” Hegseth wrote.

Officials at the Pentagon did not provide any more information and referred the Associated Press to Hegseth’s statement on social media.

The New York Times first reported on Holsey’s plans to leave his position.

Toropin and Finley write for the Associated Press.

ONE popular airline was forced to stop flights this week after a ‘freak’ maintenance issue.

Thousands of passengers have had their flights cancelled or delayed due to an unusual safety problem.

According to Finnair, the issue that caused the cancellation was aircraft seat covers being cleaned incorrectly.

A statement from the airline revealed that the “seat cover cleaning method (water washing) on fire protection has not been properly verified”.

It continued to add that safety is its “top priority” and it would be acting on the “manufacturers’ maintenance instructions as well as the guidelines and recommendations of the authorities”.

The airline said that it would make daily aircraft type changes to minimise the number of cancellations, but that this would likely “lead to overbookings”.

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It added that “several flights between 13 and 17 October 2025” had been cancelled and it would be likely that there would be more “flight cancellations, delays or changes in the operating airline”.

On October 13-14, the airline cancelled 40 services, with a further 18 more services grounded on October 15-16, according to FlightAware.

Today, four flights have been cancelled travelling from London Heathrow to Finland‘s capital, Helsinki.

Finnair is one of Europe‘s largest airlines and the cancellations have affected around 10,000 passengers.

Passengers caught up by these cancellation mishap may be due up to £520 in compensation for the inconvenience caused, as outlined by AirAdvisor.

Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor, said: “From a compensation perspective under UK and EU law passengers whose flights were cancelled as a result of this operational error could be due up to £520 in compensation.”

Anton continued: “It remains to be seen how Finnair will frame the cause of the cancellations, but the issue appears to have originated from a maintenance procedure rather than a regulatory safety order.

“If your flight is delayed by over two hours, airlines should offer affected passengers free food and drink vouchers to make the delay more comfortable.

“Equally, if your flight is moved to the following day, you can seek overnight accommodation from your airline.”

There were also problems in Belgium airports this week as thousands of passengers had their journeys interrupted due to strikes.

Brussels Airport and Brussels South Charleroi Airport on Tuesday cancelled all their flights on October 14, due to a national strike being held by several unions

Belgium has as many as 120 flights a day, according to finance experts at Dot Dot Loans.

This means as many as 72 flights to and from the UK saw disruption, affecting nearly 13,000 passengers.

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Flight compensation rules

A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.

If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.

You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.

So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.

But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.

When am I not entitled to compensation?

The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.

Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.

Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?

If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.

Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.

Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.

If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.

For more on Finnair, one Sun Writer checked out their business class pods – and called them a game-changer.

Plus, the major airline launches first lie-flat beds in premium economy.

The US has struck another vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing six people, President Donald Trump has said.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the vessel belonged to “narcoterrorists” and that it was “trafficking narcotics.”

This is the fifth strike of its kind by the Trump administration on a boat accused of trafficking drugs on international waters since September. In total, 27 people have been reported killed, but the US has not provided evidence or details about identities of the vessels or those on board them.

Some lawyers have accused the US of breaching international law, and neighbouring nations like Colombia and Venezuela have condemned the strikes.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said “intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known” route for smuggling.

He also posted an aerial surveillance video showing a small boat on water that is struck by a missile and explodes.

Trump did not specify the nationality of those on board, or what drug smuggling organisation they are suspected of belonging to. He added that no US military personnel were injured.

The strike comes after a recent leaked memo sent to Congress, and reported on by US media, that said the administration determined the US was in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels.

The US has positioned its strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels as self-defence, despite many lawyers questioning their legality.

WASHINGTON — The United States struck another small boat accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, killing six people, President Trump said on Tuesday.

Those who died in the strike were aboard the vessel, and no U.S. forces were harmed, Trump said in a social media post. It’s the fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean as Trump’s administration has asserted it’s treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with military force.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the strike Tuesday morning, said Trump, who released a video of it, as he had in the past. Hegseth later shared the video in a post on X.

Trump said the strike was conducted in international waters and “Intelligence” confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with “narcoterrorist networks” and was on a known drug trafficking route.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an email from the Associated Press seeking more information on the latest boat strike.

Frustration with the Trump administration has been growing on Capitol Hill among members of both major political parties. Some Republicans are seeking more information from the White House on the legal justification and details of the strikes. Democrats contend the strikes violate U.S. and international law.

The Senate last week voted on a war powers resolution that would have barred the Trump administration from conducting the strikes unless Congress specifically authorized them, but it failed to pass.

In a memo to Congress that was obtained by The Associated Press, the Trump administration said it had “determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations” and that Trump directed the Pentagon to “conduct operations against them pursuant to the law of armed conflict.”

The Trump administration has yet to provide underlying evidence to lawmakers proving that the boats targeted by the U.S. military in a series of fatal strikes were in fact carrying narcotics, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The strikes followed a buildup of U.S. maritime forces in the Caribbean unlike any seen in recent times.

Last week, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino told military leaders that the U.S. government knows the drug-trafficking accusations used to support the recent actions in the Caribbean are false, with its true intent being to “force a regime change” in the South American country.

He added that the Venezuelan government does not see the deployment of the U.S. warships as a mere “propaganda-like action” and warned of a possible escalation.

“I want to warn the population: We have to prepare ourselves because the irrationality with which the U.S. empire operates is not normal,” Padrino said during the televised gathering. “It’s anti-political, anti-human, warmongering, rude, and vulgar.”

Price and Toropin write for the Associated Press. AP writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.

As many as 48,000 airline passengers are set to be affected by a nationwide strike on Tuesday

Tens of thousands of passengers are facing travel chaos as a nationwide strike brings Belgium to a standstill.

Two of the country’s main airports have confirmed mass cancellations for Tuesday, October 14, with flights grounded and severe delays expected.

At Brussels Airport – the country’s biggest – all departing flights have been cancelled, while around half of all arrivals have been scrapped. Brussels Charleroi Airport, which is a key base for budget airlines like Ryanair, has also confirmed that all flights – both arrivals and departures – will be cancelled on Tuesday.

The strike was called by Belgium’s trade unions in protest against government austerity measures. Metro, bus and tram services across the country are also expected to be severely disrupted.

Brussels Airport spokesperson Jeffrey Franssens said on Monday that 115 of 238 scheduled arrivals have been cancelled. Two weeks ago, the airport announced that all 234 departures had been scrapped due to a planned walkout by “a large number” of G4S security staff.

The airport warned of “major disruptions” on the day of the strike, adding that both Monday and Wednesday would be particularly busy as passengers try to rearrange travel plans.

Charleroi Airport said on its website: “Passengers affected scheduled to fly via Charleroi on 14 October will be contacted in the coming days by their airline for a rebooking or refund.”

A total 48,000 passengers will be affected by the strike – 33,000 of whom were scheduled to depart and 15,000 of whom were scheduled to arrive – The Brussels Times reports.

Union representatives said they expect a massive turnout at their demonstration in Brussels. “We want to send a strong signal,” said ACLVB spokesperson Kurt Van Hissenhoven.

Russian drone and missile strikes have wounded at least 20 people in Kyiv, damaged residential buildings and caused blackouts across swaths of Ukraine, authorities have said.

In the latest mass attack targeting the energy system as winter approaches, electricity was interrupted in nine regions, and more than a million households and businesses were temporarily without power across the country on Friday.

In southeastern Ukraine, a seven-year-old was killed when his home was hit, and at least 20 people were injured. In Kyiv, an apartment block in the city centre was damaged by a projectile, while on the left bank of the Dnipro River that divides the capital, crowds waited at bus stops with the metro out of action, and people filled water bottles at distribution points.

“We didn’t sleep at all,” said Liuba, a pensioner, as she collected water. “From 2:30am, there was so much noise. By 3:30, we had no electricity, no gas, no water. Nothing.”

According to Ukraine’s energy ministry, more than 800,000 customers temporarily lost power in Kyiv.

Moscow’s attack overnight and into Friday fell on the third anniversary of Russia’s first large-scale attack on energy facilities, months after Moscow invaded in February 2022, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia’s latest strikes a “cynical and calculated attack”, and urged allies to respond with concrete measures.

“What’s needed is not window dressing but decisive action – from the United States, Europe, and the G7 – in delivering air defence systems and enforcing sanctions,” he said in a statement on X.

The Kremlin has escalated aerial attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and rail systems over recent weeks, building on earlier bombing campaigns over the previous three winters that left millions without heating in frigid temperatures. Russia said its forces had hit energy sites supplying power to Ukraine’s defence industry.

The Ukrainian air force said the Russian barrage comprised 465 drones and 32 missiles, adding that 405 drones and 15 missiles were downed.

A source in Ukraine’s energy sector told the AFP news agency that the intensity of attacks was higher compared to last year, and that cloudy weather overnight had allowed drones to evade Ukrainian air defence systems.

Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russian forces had targeted “critical infrastructure”.

“This was one of the largest concentrated strikes against energy facilities,” Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.

It was the fourth attack in a week against the facilities of Ukraine’s biggest private electricity provider, DTEK, its CEO Maxim Timchenko said.

Late on Friday DTEK said it had restored power to at least 678,000 households and companies in Kyiv after the massive Russian aerial attack.

“DTEK power engineers continue to intensively restore electricity to Kyiv residents,” the company said on Telegram.

Children ‘rejoined’ with families

The Russian attack came as United States First Lady Melania Trump announced that eight children displaced by the war had been reunited with their families following negotiations between her team and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s.

Trump said that Putin had responded to a letter sent via her husband, President Donald Trump, at a summit in Alaska in August.

“My representative has been working directly with President Putin’s team to ensure the safe reunification of children with their families between Russia and Ukraine. In fact, eight children have been rejoined with their families during the past 24 hours,” she said in a short, six-minute speech from the White House on Friday.

US President Trump’s own efforts to broker an end to Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine have stalled, as a series of direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations this year ended.

Trump said on Thursday that Washington and NATO allies were “stepping up the pressure” to end the war in Ukraine.

But the Kremlin said that momentum towards reaching a peace deal had largely vanished.

A MASSIVE earthquake of magnitude 7.4 has rocked a southern island of the Philippines.

Thousands of people have been told to evacuate after authorities warned of a “destructive tsunami” in the aftermath of the quake.

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The tsunami threat has now passed, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. 

One official in Manay said there were initial reports of damage to homes, buildings and bridges.

A video of the quake from the Philippine city of Davao showed office workers holding on to desks, with the creaking noises of structures.

Another showed toppled cabinets and evacuated workers gathering outside.

The governor of Davao Oriental province confirmed that several buildings have been damaged.

Ferdinand Marcos, the Philippines’ president, said his government was working “round the clock” to help with the situation.

He said: “We are now assessing the situation on the ground and ensuring that everyone is safe.

“Search, rescue, and relief operations are already being prepared and will be deployed as soon as it is safe to do so.”

The quake was among the strongest in recent years to hit the Philippines, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences more than 800 quakes each year.

The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat immediately after the quake, saying hazardous waves were possible for coasts within 186 miles of the earthquake’s epicentre.

The earthquake came two weeks after the Philippines experienced its deadliest quake in more than a decade, with 74 people killed on the island of Cebu. That was a magnitude of 6.9 and also struck offshore.

A tsunami warning was also issued in Indonesia for its northern Sulawesi and Papua regions.

Authorities warn that some coasts in Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau could see waves of up to 1 metre.

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Oct. 9 (UPI) — A strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the southeastern coast of the Philippines on Friday morning, according to seismologists. The extent of potential damage was not immediately clear.

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami is not expected for the western U.S. coast.

However, it warned of waves of up to nearly 10 feet for parts of the Philippines.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, known as Phivolcs, is warning of waves of more than a meter, or 3.2 feet, to affect enclosed bays and straits.

Residents along coastal areas in eight provinces are “STRONGLY ADVISED TO IMMEDIATELY EVACUATE to higher grounds or move farther inland,” it said.

The quake struck at 9:43 a.m. PHT Friday about 27 miles off the coast of Manay in the southeastern province of Davao Oriental, according to a statement from Phivolcs, which said damage was expected. It had initially rated it a magnitude-7.6 earthquake.

The agency said it struck at a depth of 12 miles.

The U.S. Geological Survey rated the quake at magnitude 7.4 and the depth 36 miles.

Aftershocks were expected, with 11 having struck within an hour of the original temblor, the strongest being a 5.2 magnitude temblor.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a statement that the situation on the ground is being assessed, and that federal agencies, including the military, have been deployed to conduct evacuations in coastal areas and activate emergency communication lines.

“Search, rescue and relief operations are already being prepared and will be deployed as soon as it is safe to do so,” he said in a statement.

“We are working round the clock to ensure that help reaches everyone who needs it.”

The provincial government of Davao Oriental has ordered the suspension of all public and private classes and work in public and private offices.

The city government of Davao similarly canceled all classes at both private and public schools and suspended all government work until further notice except for services in security, health, social services and disaster and emergency response due to the temblor. Private offices are encouraged to follow suit.

The earthquake struck two weeks after more than 70 people were killed in a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu Province late last month.

Oct. 5 (UPI) — Israel continued its airstrikes on Gaza on Sunday, even as negotiators headed to Egypt for talks on a U.S.-proposed peace plan that calls for Hamas to release all hostages and seeks new governance for the Palestinian territory.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Sunday that 63 Palestinians were killed and another 153 wounded in bombings carried out by Israeli forces in the last 24 hours, reported Haaretz. The strikes come despite Israeli officials agreeing to ease their offensive on Gaza City and President Donald Trump calling for the bombings to halt as his peace plan to end the two-year conflict is put to the test.

Israeli officials believe there are still 20 living hostages being kept in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas militants that triggered Israel’s military campaign in the Palestinian enclave, which has drawn growing international condemnation.

Negotiations will begin Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, focusing on the first phase of the plan that calls for Hamas to release the remaining hostages and for Israel to withdraw its troops in Gaza to a line agreed upon with Hamas.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told ABC News Sunday that “this is the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released.”

“But there’s a lot of pitfalls along the way,” he added.

The initial talks will be “technical” and will focus on working out specific details of the negotiation’s first phase, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said in a video posted to X.

But she added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the talks will last for just a few days and he will not tolerate Hamas attempting to delay the release of all hostages past the 72-hour deadline.

“The prime minister is in regular contact with President Trump, who stressed Hamas must move quickly ‘or else all bets will be off,'” she said.

The Palestinian militant group signaled Friday that it was ready to release all Israeli hostages living and dead, but said it needed more than 72 hours to arrange their release.

Hamas is eager to end the conflict and begin a prisoner exchange with Israel, a senior Hamas official told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. The official added that Israel’s occupation of Gaza must not obstruct the implementation of the peace plan.

President Donald Trump said in a social media post Sunday that there had been positive discussions with Hamas and other countries on ending the war.

“I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” he said.

Israel and Hamas are preparing for indirect negotiations in Egypt, amid hopes for a possible agreement on ending the Gaza war based on Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan.

Palestinian group Hamas said on Sunday that its delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayya, had arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh and would begin the negotiations on Monday “on the mechanisms for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of [Israeli] occupation forces and a prisoner exchange”.

The Israeli delegation, led by top negotiator Ron Dermer, will leave on Monday for the talks, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Hopes for a possible ceasefire in Gaza grew after Netanyahu said on Friday that he was hopeful a deal to release all the remaining captives could be announced this week.

United States President Trump said the talks were advancing quickly. “These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly. The technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details,” he said in a social media post on Sunday. “I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST.”

Despite a call from Trump for Israel to pause its Gaza offensive, the Israeli army has continued its bombing campaign. At least 24 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops on Sunday, sources told Al Jazeera Arabic. Among the victims were four asylum seekers who were shot near an aid distribution centre north of Rafah, the Nasser Medical Complex said.

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from the town of az-Zuwayda in central Gaza, said attacks were continuing both in the areas where people have been displaced to and in Gaza City, where the majority of Israeli military assaults and the ground offensive have taken place in recent weeks.

“The Palestinians were hoping for a good night’s sleep, but that didn’t happen,” Mahmoud said.

Gaza’s Government Media Office said more than 2,700 families, comprising more than 8,500 people, have been wiped off the civil registry in two years of conflict. At least 1,015 children under one year old have been killed, along with 1,670 medical staff, 254 journalists, and 140 civil defence rescue workers.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that the war in Gaza had not yet ended despite the situation being “the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released”.

Rubio urged Israel to stop bombing Gaza ahead of the discussions in Egypt. “You can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop,” he told US broadcaster CBS. “There can’t be a war going on in the middle of it.”

According to Trump’s plan, Hamas would release the remaining captives and Israel would pull back troops in Gaza to the “yellow line”, where it was in August.

Despite the terms of the deal clearly stipulating Israel’s withdrawal, Israeli media quoted Defence Minister Israel Katz, saying that Israel would remain in control of the Strip. “Hamas will be disarmed, the Gaza Strip will be demilitarised, and the [Israeli army] will remain in controlling areas to protect the communities,” he said.

Arab backing for Hamas in negotiations

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement on Sunday, in which they welcomed the steps taken by Hamas on Trump’s Gaza plan, including the release of all Israeli captives and the immediate launch of negotiations on implementation mechanisms.

“The Foreign Ministers also welcomed President Trump’s call on Israel to immediately stop the bombing and to begin implementation of the exchange agreement, and they expressed appreciation for his commitment to establishing peace in the region,” the joint statement said.

They also welcomed Hamas for stating “its readiness to hand over the administration of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian Administrative Committee of independent technocrats”.

Izzat al-Risheq, a senior member of Hamas’s political bureau, said the statement marked an “important support” for efforts to end the war. He also welcomed the “clear backing for the Palestinian position in the negotiations, [which] strengthens the chances of reaching a lasting ceasefire agreement”.

“We look forward to further Arab and Islamic support in order to stop the aggression and genocide being inflicted on our people in the Gaza Strip, leading to an end of the occupation and the realisation of our Palestinian people’s aspirations to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” al-Risheq said.

Trump has dispatched two envoys to Egypt, according to the White House, sending his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his main Middle East negotiator, Steve Witkoff.

The US president has told Hamas that once it agrees to Israel’s initial military withdrawal line in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire would be triggered.

The talks are being held after Hamas agreed to release the Israeli captives and accept some other terms in Trump’s Gaza plan, but questions surround vexing issues, such as Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip and Hamas’s disarmament.

Asked by reporters whether there was any flexibility on his 20-point Gaza plan, Trump suggested on Sunday that some changes would still be possible. “We don’t need flexibility because everybody has pretty much agreed to it. But there’ll always be some changes,” he said.

The US has launched four attacks on the Caribbean region in recent weeks as part of what it says is a war on drugs.

Russia has condemned a US strike on a boat allegedly carrying illegal drugs off the coast of Venezuela that killed four people on Friday and warned of potential escalation in the entire Caribbean region.

In a phone call to his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil, on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the attack, which took place in international waters.

“The ministers expressed serious concern about Washington’s escalating actions in the Caribbean Sea that are fraught with far-reaching consequences for the region,” said a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry following the conversation.

“The Russian side has confirmed its full support and solidarity with the leadership and people of Venezuela in the current context.”

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News in an interview on Sunday that he had “every authorisation needed” to conduct military strikes on vessels off the coast of Venezuela. He did not provide more details about what the authorisation granted his office permission to do.

In a post on X following Friday’s strike, Hegseth claimed the vessel was transporting “substantial amounts of narcotics — headed to America to poison our people”.

“These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!,” he said.

In a nearly 40-second video of the strike shared by Hegseth, a vessel can be seen moving through the water before a web of projectiles falls on the boat and the surrounding water, causing the boat to explode on impact.

He claimed that the intelligence “without a doubt” confirmed that the vessel was carrying drugs and that the people on board were “narco-terrorists”. He disclosed neither the amount nor the type of alleged drugs aboard, and he did not release any evidence to support his assertion that the targets of the strike were drug smugglers.

US war against drug cartels

The latest strike brings the number of such United States attacks to at least four, leaving at least 21 people dead.

US President Donald Trump notified Congress on Thursday that his administration had determined that members of drug cartels are “unlawful combatants” with whom the US is engaged in “non-international armed conflict”.

Trump on Sunday told reporters at the White House that the US military build-up in the Caribbean had halted drug trafficking from South America. “There’s no drugs coming into the water. And we’ll look at what phase two is,” he said, without providing more details on his plans.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly alleged that the US is hoping to drive him out of power. Venezuelan Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino said on Thursday — when the country blasted an “illegal incursion” near its borders by US warplanes — that US attacks were “a vulgarity, a provocation, a threat to the security of the nation”.

Washington has cited the US Constitution, war powers, designation of drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations”, the right to self-defence and international law on unlawful combatants as the legal basis for the strikes.

Some legal experts and lawmakers argue that using military force in international waters against alleged criminals bypasses due process, violates law enforcement norms, lacks a clear legal foundation under US and international law, and is not justified by the cartels’ “terrorist” designation.

Warsaw says ground-based air defence, radar reconnaissance systems also brought to the ‘highest state of readiness’.

Polish and allied air defences have been deployed to secure the country’s airspace, its military said, as Russia launched new deadly air strikes on neighbouring Ukraine.

The latest deployment on Sunday comes as the transatlantic security bloc NATO steps up its air patrols across the region in response to suspected Russian airspace incursions and drone sightings in several member states.

“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” Poland’s operational command said in a post on X early on Sunday.

“These actions are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing the airspace and protecting citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened region,” the statement added.

The Polish military said it is monitoring the current situation, stating that its forces under its command “remain fully prepared for immediate response”.

Poland shares an estimated 530km (329 miles) with Ukraine.

As of 02:10 GMT, all of Ukraine was under air raid alerts following Ukrainian Air Force warnings of Russian missile and drone attacks.

In a statement posted on Telegram, Ivan Fedorov, head of the southeastern Zapoprizhia region, said that a Russian “combined strike” killed a woman and wounded six other people, including a 16-year-old girl.

In late September, Poland was forced to briefly close part of its airspace southeast of the capital, Warsaw, after Russia launched a major attack across Ukraine.

Earlier that month, Polish and NATO forces also intercepted Russian drones which entered Poland’s airspace, marking their first direct military engagement with Moscow since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

On Sunday, NATO member Lithuania reopened its main airport after shutting it for hours following sightings of a “series of balloons” in its airspace.

Airports in Germany, Denmark, Norway and Poland have also recently suspended flights due to unidentified drones, while Romania and Estonia have pointed the finger at Russia, which has dismissed the allegations.

Oct. 3 (UPI) — Typhoon Matmo struck northern Philippines on Friday, three days after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit the central part of the Asian nation hundreds of miles away and weeks after two other cyclones hit the country.

Matmo, which is locally named Paolo, had maximum sustained winds of 81 mph with the eye at San Guillermo in Isabela Province, the national weather agency Pagasa said.

Pagasa warned of “lightly stronger/enhanced in coastal and upland/mountainous areas exposed to winds. Winds are less strong in areas sheltered from the prevailing wind direction.” Also, rough seas are forecast.

More than 8 inches of rain are predicted on Isabela, Aurora and Quirino provinces.

Because of the storm, government agencies and schools were closed in the northern provinces’ main Luzon island, GMA News reported. Also, more than a dozen domestic flights were canceled, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

After crossing Luzon, Matmo is forecast to re-emerge into the South China Sea and will strengthen because of warm ocean waters and weak cross-winds, according to the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

A second landfall is expected in southern China’s Leizhu Province, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

Caritas Philippines is providing relief to victims of Matmo and the earthquake.

“We are constantly faced with various risks and disasters, but it is through fraternal cooperation and unity among our dioceses that we find strength,” Jeanie, the humanitarian head of the organization, said. Together, we continue our humanitarian mission — to save lives, reduce suffering, and uphold the dignity of every human person.”

Caritas noted in Masbate and Romblon, homes, schools, parish buildings and infrastructure were badly damaged. Electricity, water supply and telecoms remain down in many areas with slow road access.

“Displaced families are facing increasing challenges as daily life becomes more difficult,” the nonprofit said. “Across affected areas, people are living in makeshift conditions, unable to return safely to their homes, and are struggling with disrupted livelihoods and a lack of basic hygiene. The uncertainty of recovery continues to weigh heavily on communities.”

The Philippines has been struck by 16 cyclones this year.

Typhoon Bualoi hit the Philippines on Sept. 25. Bualoi caused at least 37 deaths and displaced thousands in the Philippines before hitting Vietnam, where 49 people died.

Three days earlier, Super Typhoon Ragasa, which at one time was the world’s strongest tropical cyclone of the year, struck the Philippines before landfall in southern China.

The Philippines are struck by 20 cyclones each year, Bloomberg News reported. In 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people in the Philippines.

The earthquake affected a different part of the nation where more than 80,000 families affected out of about 366,000 people. Some families are “sleeping outside in unsafe conditions,” Caritas said.

“I still couldn’t process what has happened to us,” Arguel Estalicas told the BBC outside her home in Medellin, near the quake’s epicenter, where she slept with her family. “I am overwhelmed with the things we experienced in the last two days.”

Search and rescue are continuing.

Analysts have criticized officials for poor disaster management, though the geographical location makes it vulnerable to extreme natural hazards.

“We are in the Pacific Ring of Fire, and we’re exposed to earthquake hazards,” Mahar Lagmay, a geologist from the University of the Philippines and the executive director of Project NOAH, a disaster risk reduction, told the South China Morning Post. “That’s something we should take advantage of … the earthquake per se does not kill.”

He added: “We should be looking at all of the hazards together … we should prepare and anticipate for the worst-case events, including climate change scenarios that are bigger than what we have experienced.”

He advocates creating maps documenting disasters.

“Our ancestors and we have been surviving in this area for quite some time,” Ven Paolo Valenzuela, a research fellow at Singapore Management University’s College of Integrative Studies who is an expert in climate change, told the the South China Morning Post. “These are not new risks.”

The United Nations estimates every $1 invested in disaster prevention would lead to $7 to $8 saved in disaster response. Valenzuela asked if the Philippines has “been investing in that dollar. And once a disaster strikes, how sure are we that the $8 is actually going towards proper response and building back better?”

There has been an ongoing flood-control scandal of allegations of corruption, ghost projects and substandard infrastructure.

Gaza’s civil defence agency has reported that Israel conducted dozens of air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City – despite United States President Donald Trump’s demand to halt bombardments following Hamas’s partial acceptance of a ceasefire deal.

“It was a very violent night, during which the (Israeli army) carried out dozens of air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City and other areas in the Strip, despite President Trump’s call to halt the bombing,” civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told AFP.

Basal, who works for a rescue force, said 20 homes were destroyed in the overnight attacks.

Gaza City’s al-Ahli Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, reported receiving casualties from a strike on a home in the city’s Tuffah neighbourhood, including four deaths and multiple people injured.

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, officials confirmed two children were killed and eight people were wounded when a drone struck a tent in a displacement camp.

The proposal for Gaza, unveiled by Trump this week with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s support, outlines a ceasefire, the release of captives within 72 hours, disarmament of Hamas, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

On Friday, Hamas expressed willingness to release captives held in Gaza under the Trump plan but requested negotiations on some specifics and participation in decisions regarding the Palestinian territory’s future.

Airlines will not know exactly how many flights they need to cancel until the action is confirmed and almost underway, but Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said he expects Ryanair to be told to cancel up to 600 daily, affecting up to 100,000 passengers.

Ryanair and easyJet have issued warnings to passengers ahead of a run of disruptive strikes that could impact more than 100,000 passengers.

The main French air traffic control union, SNCTA, has announced a strike scheduled from 7 to 10 October 2025, which is expected to trigger a large number of flight cancellations and delays throughout western Europe.

Airlines will not know exactly how many flights they need to cancel until the action is confirmed and almost under way, but Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said he expects Ryanair to be told to cancel up to 600 daily, affecting up to 100,000 passengers.

He said: “We cannot have a situation in the EU where we have a single market yet we close that market every time the French go on strike. They have the right to strike, but if flights are to be cancelled they should be flights arriving to and from France. They should not be overflights.”

Have you been impacted by the strikes? Email [email protected]

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The union’s reasons for striking include concerns over air traffic control governance, highlighting “mistrust, punitive practices, and harsh managerial methods,” along with demands for pay increases to offset inflation.

Kenton Jarvis, CEO of easyJet, said: “While this is outside of our control, we will be doing all we can to minimise the impact this will have on our customers. Our passengers and crew have been impacted by ATC related disruption for too long and so a solution must be found.

“We are calling on the new head of the French aviation authority to urgently address this issue by building more resilience into the system and crucially, by protecting overflying on strike days to ensure the travel plans of passengers whose flights do not take off or land in France are not needlessly ruined.

“We need action on this now, so the rest of Europe is not held hostage when French Air Traffic Controllers go on strike.”

This industrial action is likely to cause major disruptions, especially affecting flights crossing French airspace, with past strikes having resulted in thousands of cancellations and substantial costs for the aviation sector.

By law, airlines must reroute passengers and provide accommodation and meals for cancelled flights, regardless of the strike’s cause—though managing these obligations becomes difficult during widespread disruption.

Latest analysis by AirAdvisor shows the strike will impact over 129,600 UK passengers, with mass cancellations expected on routes to Spain, Italy, France, and beyond. AirAdvisor expects a 50-60% disruption rate, which means 240 UK flights per day or over 720 flights to and from the UK will be disrupted, affecting 129,600 Brits over three days.

According to AirAdvisor, the routes that are most vulnerable to being disrupted are:

UK to Spain (all routes except northern Spain via the Bay of Biscay)

UK to Portugal (including Madeira and Azores)

UK to Italy (especially southern Italy)

UK to Greece (western routes)

UK to the Canary Islands

UK to Morocco and Tunisia

French airspace acts as Europe’s bottleneck. More than 30% of all UK-to-Mediterranean flights, and a huge chunk of UK-Spain, UK-Italy, and UK-Portugal routes, are about to face either outright cancellation or one to four hour delays. The disruption isn’t limited to French airports, but will affect every hub from Barcelona, Madrid, and Palma to Amsterdam and Brussels.

Airlines cannot simply fly around France as alternate, oceanic or North African routes add time, cost, and complexity. Fuel, crew, and slot constraints mean not every flight gets an alternative path.

Travellers headed to Spain and Portugal from London, Manchester, and Bristol are expected to be especially hard hit, with flights being axed at the last minute and others rerouted hundreds of miles out of the way, resulting in arrivals creeping into the early hours or simply overnighting at hubs.

WASHINGTON — President Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and says the United States is now in a “non-international armed conflict,” according to a Trump administration memo obtained by the Associated Press on Thursday, following recent U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean.

Congress was notified about the designation by Pentagon officials on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The memo, startling in scope, signals a potential new moment not just in the Trump administration’s willingness to reach beyond the norms of presidential authority to wage war but in Trump’s stated “America First” agenda. It also raises stark questions about how far the White House intends to use its war powers and if Congress will exert its authority to approve — or ban — such military actions.

The move comes after the U.S. military last month carried out three deadly strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. At least two of those operations were carried out on vessels that originated from Venezuela.

Those strikes followed up a buildup of U.S. maritime forces in the Caribbean.

“Although friendly foreign nations have made significant efforts to combat these organizations, suffering significant losses of life, these groups are now transnational and conduct ongoing attacks throughout the Western Hemisphere as organized cartels,” according to the memo, which refers to cartel members as “unlawful combatants.” “Therefore, the President determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States.”

Pentagon officials could not provide a list of the designated terrorist organizations at the center of the conflict, a matter that was a major source of frustration for some of the lawmakers who were briefed, according to the person.

Lawmakers have been pressing Trump to go to Congress and seek war powers authority for such operations.

The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment. Multiple defense officials reached Thursday appeared to be caught off guard by the determination and would not immediately comment or explain what the president’s action could mean for the Pentagon or military operations going forward.

What the Trump administration laid out at the closed-door classified briefing was perceived by several senators as pursuing a new legal framework that raised questions particularly regarding the role of Congress in authorizing any such action, the person familiar with the matter said.

As the Republican administration takes aim at vessels in the Caribbean, senators and lawmakers of both major political parties have raised stark objections. Some had previously called on Congress to exert its authority under the War Powers Act that would prohibit the administration’s strikes unless they were authorized by Congress.

The first military strike, carried out on Sept. 2 on what the Trump administration said was a drug-carrying speedboat, killed 11 people. Trump claimed the boat was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, which was listed by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.

The Trump administration had previously justified the military action as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

But several senators, Democrats and some Republicans, as well as human rights groups questioned the legality of Trump’s action. They called it potential overreach of executive authority in part because the military was used for law enforcement purposes.

By claiming his campaign against drug cartels is an active armed conflict, Trump appears to be claiming extraordinary wartime powers to justify his action.

Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committees, said the drug cartels are “despicable and must be dealt with by law enforcement.”

“The Trump Administration has offered no credible legal justification, evidence, or intelligence for these strikes,” said Reed, a former Army officer who served in the 82nd Airborne Division.

The Trump administration has yet to explain how the military assessed the boats’ cargo and determined the passengers’ alleged gang affiliation before the strikes.

Madhani and Mascaro write for the Associated Press. AP writer Konstatin Toropin contributed reporting.

The budget airline has warned passengers of impending strikes in France that could disrupt the plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers heading to destinations including Greece, Italy and Spain

Ryanair has delivered a stark warning to passengers planning to travel in October that hundreds of flights could be cancelled.

The budget carrier is alerting customers about looming strikes in France that threaten to wreck the holiday plans of tens of thousands of travellers. France’s biggest air traffic controllers’ union, Syndicat Majoritaire des Contrôleurs Aériens, is preparing to down tools from October 7 to 10. The union members are taking action over their current working conditions.

Initially planned for September 17-18, the industrial action was delayed due to political turmoil across the country. Now rearranged for October 7 to 10, one travel company is forecasting ‘chaos’. The walkout won’t just hit flights bound for France but also those travelling through French airspace.

Now Ryanair’s chief executive has warned that 100,000 passengers could see their flights disrupted next week as a consequence of the strike. Michael O’Leary estimated that the industrial action would cost Ryanair around £20m.

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The budget airline CEO called for overflights to be protected from strike action, saying disrupting them is an abuse of the free single market. Countries including Spain and Greece already do that, but France doesn’t offer such protections.

Mr O’Leary said that Ryanair was expecting to be asked to cancel about 600 flights, with almost all of them overflights. “That’s about 100,000 passengers who will have their flights cancelled needlessly next Wednesday and Thursday,” he told Sky News.

“On any given day at the moment, we operate about 3,500 flights and about 900 of those flights cross over French airspace and about two-thirds of those, around 600 flights, are cancelled every day there’s an air traffic control strike. The UK is the country whose flights get cancelled most because of the geographic proximity to France.”

The airline voiced its exasperation earlier this summer when a Belgrade ATC strike held up 99 flights and affected more than 17,800 passengers in merely two days. The French strikes could cause significant disruption.

During the peak travel season in October, Charles de Gaulle Airport alone typically sees over 200,000 passengers daily, and France recorded roughly 1m overnight stays by international tourists between October 9-11 in 2024.

Holidaymakers are being urged to check with their airlines 48 hours before departure to learn of any disruption. They are also advised to brace themselves for a longer-than-expected wait at the airport and arrive well ahead of their flight.

Downloading airline apps can also help you stay updated, and be prepared for delays on things like trains and coaches as affected passengers seek alternative means of transport.

If your flight has been delayed or cancelled as a result of strike action by cabin crew or pilots, then you are entitled to compensation by law. That’s because the airline could have foreseen and preempted this problem.

However, strikes by airport staff and air traffic controllers are not considered to be within the control of the airline, so no compensation would apply. If strikes have an impact on your airport then get their early or follow the advice from your airline. Problems with airport staff strikes can result in major queues to check in bags, so if this kind of industrial action is announced, you might want to think about reducing your baggage to just carry-on cabin bags in order to cut out one queue.

Oct. 1 (UPI) — Chinese military researchers recently reported that multiple nuclear strikes on a single target will produce greater damage than a single blast from a larger warhead to destroy hard targets.

The researchers examined the effect of three nuclear strikes on a single target in rapid succession in a laboratory study published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The study examined how three successive nuclear strikes on the same target would create a greater destructive force than when using a single nuclear weapon, according to Interesting Engineering.

The Chinese military researchers are assessing ways to magnify the damage caused by multiple shock waves produced by nuclear weapons, they said in an article that recently was published in the peer-reviewed journal Explosion and Shock Waves.

Xu Xiaohui, an associate professor at the People’s Liberation Army Engineering University in Nanjing, led the lab experiment that NextGenDefense said is based on the U.S. military’s 1965 Palanquin experiment.

Researchers in that experiment detonated a 4.3-kiloton nuclear device 279 feet beneath the Earth’s surface.

“Until now, most nuclear earth-penetration studies had examined only single warhead impacts based on the long-held belief that one powerful bunker-buster would be enough to collapse or destroy hardened underground facilities,” Xu, et al., said, as reported by PressTV.

The Chinese experiment simulated nuclear blasts within a lab setting by using a high-pressure gas gun that shot tiny particles at glass spheres containing a simulated blast gas to trigger a rapid release of energy that mimics a nuclear explosion, Interesting Engineering reported.

The study indicated surface damage expanded from 71,000 square feet in a single blast to more than 860,000 square feet after three blasts.

The study suggests a rapid triple strike would quadruple the damage caused by a 5-kiloton detonation 65 feet beneath the Earth’s surface and produce a much larger crater.

The results suggest multiple strikes could be effective at destroying hard underground targets, such as nuclear refinement facilities and other locations associated with national security, Interesting Engineering reported.

The Chinese researchers concluded that the use of precision-guided bombs using low-yield warheads deployed in clusters would be more effective at destroying hardened underground targets than a single blast.

KEIR Starmer is set to announce an “online hospital” that will deliver millions of appointments a year as a “new chapter” for the NHS begins.

The Prime Minister will use his leader’s speech at Labour’s conference to set out plans for NHS Online which will connect patients to specialist clinicians.

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The scheme, which will begin operating in 2027, will deliver up to 8.5 million extra NHS appointments in its first three years, Labour claimed.

In his speech in Liverpool Sir Keir will say “a new world is coming” and “in decades to come, I want people to look back on this moment as the moment we renewed the NHS for a new world”.

The online hospital will be accessible through the NHS app and will allow patients to choose between the digital service and their local hospital.

And those who use the service will be able to access and track prescriptions, be referred for scans and tests, and receive clinical advice on managing their condition.

Patients who require a physical test or a procedure will be able to book them on the app, at a nearby hospital, surgical hub or community diagnostic centre.

Sir Keir will describe it as “a new chapter in the story of our NHS, harnessing the future, patients in control”.

“Waiting times cut for every single person in this country. That’s national renewal, that’s a Britain built for all.”

The Prime Minister will stress the need for continued NHS modernisation, insisting it is Labour’s responsibility to make the health service fit for the years to come.

Sir Keir will say: “I know how hard people work in the NHS – I see it my family – and I celebrate it at every opportunity.

“But the responsibility of this party is not just to celebrate the NHS, it’s to make it better.”

The scheme builds upon ideas already being used in some NHS trusts to reduce waiting times and allow patients to get treatment or advice quicker.

NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey said: “This is a huge step forward for the NHS and will deliver millions more appointments by the end of the decade, offering a real alternative for patients and more control over their own care.

“Patients who choose to receive their treatment through the online hospital will benefit from us industrialising the latest technology and innovations, while the increased capacity will help to cut demand and slash waiting times.

“The NHS can, must and will move forward to match other sectors in offering digital services that make services as personalised, convenient, and flexible as possible for both staff and patients.”

NHS Providers chief executive Daniel Elkeles said: “The online hospital could be a very significant development, transforming the way many patients receive their care.

“The way the NHS provides outpatients services hasn’t changed much for decades, but during Covid we learned a lot about opportunities for new approaches using digital technology.

“It’s sensible they are taking the time to plan this properly because there are a lot of factors to consider.

“These include the handling of patient data and the need to avoid ‘digital exclusion’ of people who can’t access the service.

“It’s important there’s new funding and it will be an NHS organisation with NHS staff.

“This is a bold, exciting initiative, but the benefits should not come at the cost of destabilising vital services patients will continue to rely on.”

In his speech, The PM will also say there is “nothing compassionate or progressive” about letting illegal migrants cross the Channel as he stakes his political life on bringing an end to the small boats crisis.

He is under pressure to give a storming conference speech to silence his growing number of critics in both the party and across the country.

Delivering hard truths to his party faithful, the Labour leader will say beating Reform will require “decisions that are not cost-free or easy — decisions that will not always be comfortable for our party”.

Sir Keir sees stopping the migrant boats, maintaining economic discipline and taking another stab at slashing Britain’s bloated benefits bill as vital to winning re-election.

Channel crossings are at record levels under Labour, while use of asylum hotels has also increased.

It has seen Reform open up a ten-point lead, according to some polls, and become the bookies’ favourite to form the next government.

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