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Gale-Force Winds Ground Flights, Disrupt Transport Across Beijing and Northern China

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Small Plane Crashes Into Lake Malawi, One Survivor Rescued, Two Missing

 

Severe gales battered Beijing and parts of northern China on Saturday, grounding hundreds of flights, halting rail services, and prompting widespread closures of public spaces and tourist sites.

As of 11:30 a.m. local time (03:30 GMT), 838 flights had been cancelled at the capital’s two major airports, according to Reuters. The disruption comes amid powerful wind gusts reaching up to 93 mph (150 kph)—the strongest recorded in Beijing in more than 50 years.

The extreme weather, driven by a cold vortex system over Mongolia, is forecast to persist through the weekend. In response, authorities issued an orange alert—the country’s second-highest warning—for high winds, the first of its kind in a decade.

Public transport was heavily affected, with services on the airport express subway and several high-speed rail lines suspended. Parks across the city were closed, and preventive measures were taken to secure older trees. Despite these efforts, nearly 300 trees were reported toppled, damaging multiple vehicles. No injuries have been reported.

Residents were urged to remain indoors, and many heeded the warnings. “Everyone in Beijing was really nervous. Today, the streets are nearly empty. Still, it wasn’t as bad as I feared,” one resident told Reuters.

A traveler from Zhejiang province described being stranded after his return flight was cancelled. “All flights last night and today were suspended due to the winds. I’ll probably have to rebook in a few days,” he said.

State media also issued unusual warnings, advising that individuals weighing under 50 kilograms (110 pounds) might risk being blown over in the open.

China’s wind force scale ranges from level 1 to 17. According to the China Meteorological Administration, winds at level 11 can cause “significant damage,” while level 12 and above are classified as “extremely destructive.” This weekend’s conditions are expected to fall between levels 11 and 13, with a gradual easing by Sunday.

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Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations

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US Congress to Review Relations with South Africa, Sudan

Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations

 

US House Democrats have threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her handling of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, unless President Donald Trump removes her from office.

 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that Democrats could proceed “the easy way or the hard way,” describing the actions of Noem’s department as “disgusting.”

 

The crisis follows the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti by a federal agent, which has triggered backlash in Minneapolis and led to the planned departure of Border Patrol Chief Gregory Borvino and some agents from the city.

 

Trump has deployed his “border tsar,” Tom Homan, to take charge of on-the-ground operations, while a Minnesota judge has ordered acting ICE director Todd Lyons to appear in court over alleged violations of court orders.

 

Trump has distanced himself from claims by senior adviser Stephen Miller that Pretti was a “would-be assassin,” saying he did not believe the victim was acting as one.

 

Video footage shows Pretti holding a phone while filming agents, not a gun, although police say he was a legal firearm owner.

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UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief

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Trafficking: Libya Deports 700 Sudanese Migrants

UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief

 

The United Nations has expressed concern after South Sudan’s Deputy Army Chief, Gen. Johnson Oluny, was heard urging troops to “spare no-one,” including children and the elderly, ahead of military operations in opposition-held areas of Jonglei State.

 

In a video posted on Facebook, Oluny, addressing members of his Agwelek militia, called for total destruction during the deployment.

 

The UN Mission in South Sudan condemned the remarks, describing them as “utterly abhorrent,” and warned that inflammatory rhetoric targeting civilians must stop immediately.

 

South Sudan’s government, however, said the statement did not amount to an official order, insisting it remains committed to protecting civilians.

 

Minister of Information Ateny Wek Ateny said civilians were being warned only to avoid being caught in crossfire.

 

The development comes amid escalating fighting in Jonglei, where forces loyal to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar have seized several areas.

 

The military has ordered civilians, UN personnel and aid workers to evacuate three counties—Nyirol, Uror and Akobo—ahead of an imminent operation.

 

The UN says more than 180,000 people have been displaced by the renewed violence.

 

Meanwhile, tensions remain high as opposition forces threaten to advance towards the capital, Juba, a claim dismissed by the army.

 

South Sudan has been unstable since a 2018 peace deal ended a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people, but lingering political rivalry and ethnic tensions continue to threaten fragile peace.

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Diplomacy

Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments

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Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments

 

The Rwandan government has initiated arbitration proceedings against the United Kingdom, seeking payments it says are owed under the now-abandoned asylum partnership agreement between both countries.

 

Rwanda has filed the case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, arguing that the UK failed to honour financial commitments contained in the deal signed under the former Conservative government.

 

The agreement, designed to relocate some asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, was scrapped in 2024 by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with the Home Office saying about £220m in future payments would no longer be made.

 

UK authorities insist the policy was costly and ineffective, pledging to defend the case to protect taxpayers’ funds.

 

Rwanda, however, says the arbitration concerns unmet treaty obligations and is seeking a legal determination of both parties’ rights under international law.

 

The PCA lists the case as pending, with no timetable yet announced for hearings or a ruling.

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