Rio de Janeiro state authorities said on Tuesday that at least 64 people, including four police officers, were killed in the raids
International News via Reuters:
More than 40 dead bodies were seen on a street in Rio de Janeiro’s Penha favela complex early on Wednesday, according to a Reuters witness, a day after the most lethal police operation in the city’s history targeting a major gang.
Rio de Janeiro state authorities said on Tuesday that at least 64 people, including four police officers, were killed in the raids. An updated death toll is expected later on Wednesday.
The bodies were brought to the street by residents who went looking for their missing relatives after the raid, according to people at the scene.
The police operation happened days before Rio hosts global events related to the United Nations climate summit known as COP30, including the C40 global summit of mayors tackling climate change and British Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.
Police have often conducted large-scale operations against criminal groups ahead of major events in Rio, which hosted the 2016 Olympics, the 2024 G20 summit and the BRICS summit in July.
Reporting by Janaina Quinet and Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Chizu Nomiyama
Despite progress on the 737 MAX, the planemaker continues to face setbacks with its 777X program
International News via Reuters:
Boeing reported a charge of nearly $5 billion related to delays in its 777X jet program on Wednesday, but its quarterly loss narrowed on improved production and deliveries of commercial aircraft.
Despite progress on the 737 MAX, the planemaker continues to face setbacks with its 777X program. It said on Wednesday the first delivery of the 777X has been pushed to 2027, delaying the timeline further from the previously expected 2026 launch.
The aircraft was originally slated for delivery in 2020 when the program was launched in 2013.
Last month, CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company was behind schedule in certifying the jet, saying a “mountain of work” needed to be done.
He, however, said no new technical problems had been identified.
Including charges disclosed on Wednesday, Boeing has taken about $15 billion in charges related to the 777X program.
After years of grappling with quality issues and production delays on its flagship 737 MAX, Boeing cautiously ramped up monthly output in 2025.
Earlier this month, the company received the long-awaited approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to increase 737 MAX production to 42 jets per month, easing a cap of 38 that had been in place since January 2024.
That cap was imposed following a mid-air panel blowout on a nearly new aircraft.
The planemaker posted a net loss of $5.34 billion, or $7.14 per share, for the quarter through September, compared with a loss of $6.17 billion, or $9.97 per share, a year earlier.
Boeing delivered 55 jets in September, marking its strongest performance for that month since 2018. This was a significant jump from the 33 deliveries recorded a year earlier, when a strike involving 33,000 factory workers in the Pacific Northwest disrupted production.
Deliveries are closely watched by Wall Street, as planemakers typically receive the bulk of their payments upon handing over the jets to customers, making deliveries a key indicator of revenue and cash flow.
Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila
The group in HSBC’s commercial bank was established in 2023 after it hired dozens of employees from failed Silicon Valley Bank
International News via Reuters:
HSBC has expanded its innovation banking business to Singapore, pledging to allocate $1.5 billion in the city-state as part of a global push to lend to startup companies, the bank said on Wednesday.
The group in HSBC’s commercial bank was established in 2023 after it hired dozens of employees from failed Silicon Valley Bank. It has since grown to include more than 900 bankers serving clients in the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Europe, India, Hong Kong and mainland China.
“We have our own credit policy, our own credit approach to support the needs of these cash-burning businesses” in sectors such as technology and healthcare, Dave Sabow, HSBC’s global head of innovation banking, told Reuters in an interview.
“We’re working with the most liquid part of the global economy, so you think about the capital being raised in technology, when you think about the IPOs that are happening… our balance sheet is a great place, a stable place for you to park that capital.”
In the first half of this year, HSBC’s innovation banking business grew its active clients by almost 60%, the bank said, without providing specific figures. Deposits rose by about 50% and loan commitments by roughly 25%, it added.
Reporting by Lananh Nguyen in New York; Editing by Jamie Freed
The allies unveiled a deal in late July under which Seoul would avoid the worst of U.S. tariffs on its imports
International News via Reuters:
Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung finalised details of their fraught trade deal at a summit in South Korea on Wednesday, and the U.S. president also sounded an optimistic note about a looming summit with China’s Xi Jinping.
“We made our deal, pretty much finalised it,” Trump said at a dinner with Lee and other regional leaders on the sidelines of an Asia Pacific forum.
The allies unveiled a deal in late July under which Seoul would avoid the worst of U.S. tariffs on its imports by agreeing to pump $350 billion of new investments into the United States in return for lower tariff rates.
But talks over the structure of those investments had been deadlocked and both sides had played down expectations for a deal during Trump’s visit.
“Prospects were not bright even last night, and there was dramatic progress on the day,” Kim Yong-beom, South Korea’s top presidential policy chief, told reporters, without providing further details.
AGREEMENT ON INVESTMENTS IN US
Trump and Lee agreed that Seoul can split its promised $350 billion investment fund into $200 billion in cash to be paid in instalments and capped at $20 billion per year, Lee’s aides said. The other $150 billion is to be spent on investments in shipbuilding, which South Korea has promised to help Trump restore.
The South Koreans said the two sides agreed to split profits 50/50 before the initial investments are recouped, and to only pursue commercially viable projects. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick would head an investment committee to assess potential projects.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the details of a Korea trade deal, which needs to be ratified by South Korea’s parliament.
Arriving from Tokyo hours after North Korea test-fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile, Trump was given a lavish welcome by Lee in Gyeongju, a historic city hosting this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
His talks with Xi are set for Thursday in the port city of Busan.
TRUMP PREDICTS ‘GOOD OUTCOME’ FROM XI TALKS
Speaking to reporters en route to South Korea, Trump dismissed the North Korean missile test and said he was squarely focused on his meeting with Xi, leader of the world’s second-largest economy.
“I think we’re going to have a very good outcome for our country and for the world, actually,” Trump said.
He added that he expects to reduce U.S. tariffs on imports of Chinese goods in exchange for a commitment from Beijing to curb exports of fentanyl precursor chemicals.
The United States could halve the levies of 20% on Chinese goods it now charges in retaliation for the export of such chemicals, the Wall Street Journal said.
China’s foreign ministry said the meeting of the two leaders would “inject new momentum into the development of U.S.-China relations”, and Beijing was ready to work together for “positive outcomes”.
Skipping the main APEC summit, Trump attended a dinner on Wednesday with Lee and other countries’ leaders. He was due to meet Xi before departing on Thursday.
Negotiators from the world’s top two economies hashed out a framework on Sunday for a deal to pause steeper American tariffs and Chinese rare earths export controls, U.S. officials said. The news sent stocks to record peaks.
Beijing has been more circumspect about the prospect of an agreement, but in a possible sign of thawing, China bought its first cargoes of U.S. soybeans in several months, Reuters reported exclusively on Wednesday.
EXTRAVAGANT WELCOME
Lee wooed Trump with gifts and praise, presenting him with a gold crown and the “Grand Order of Mugunghwa” medal, South Korea’s highest decoration.
At the start of a working lunch topped off with a “golden dessert”, Lee pledged to spend more on defence, seeking to head off a Trump concern that U.S. allies are not pulling their weight militarily.
He also asked that the U.S. allow the country to reprocess nuclear fuel to power submarines that could track North Korean and Chinese vessels for longer periods. Seoul is barred from reprocessing without U.S. consent, under a pact between the countries.
Trump pledged to help “straighten out” South Korea’s problems with its nuclear-armed northern neighbour. The two are still technically at war after their 1950-53 war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
Trump, who has repeatedly called for a meeting with reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to take place during this trip, said on Wednesday the timings would not work out.
Lee’s aide, Kim, said a factsheet on South Korea’s agreements with the U.S. on security and trade would be ready within several days, while a memorandum of understanding that contains details of the trade agreement was close to complete.
In contrast to the official welcome, hundreds of protesters gathered near the summit venue for anti-Trump rallies and there were some scuffles with police.
“World leaders and governments are busy flattering Trump and displaying every possible act of diplomatic charm just to persuade him to lower U.S. tariffs by a few percent,” said Kwon Young-guk, a former presidential candidate from a minor South Korean left-wing party attending the rally. “How absurd is it.”
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Jihoon Lee and Ju-min Park in Gyeongju, South KoreaWriting by Josh Smith and John GeddieEditing by Lincoln Feast, Clarence Fernandez and Frances Kerry
Melissa hit the southern coast of eastern Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph)
International News via Reuters:
Hurricane Melissa slammed into Cuba early on Wednesday, hours after causing devastation in neighboring Jamaica as the strongest-ever storm on record to hit that Caribbean island nation.
Melissa hit the southern coast of eastern Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
“Life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and landslides, and damaging hurricane winds are ongoing this morning,” the center said.
Around 735,000 people were evacuated from their homes in eastern Cuba as the storm approached, authorities said. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel warned on Tuesday the storm would cause “significant damage” and urged people to heed evacuation orders.
Melissa had weakened to a still dangerous Category 3 hurricane after roaring ashore near Jamaica’s southwestern town of New Hope on Tuesday packing sustained winds of up to 185 mph, well above the 157 mph threshold for Category 5, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.
‘SOME LOSS OF LIFE EXPECTED,’ JAMAICAN LEADER SAYS
In southwestern Jamaica, the parish of St. Elizabeth was left “underwater,” an official said, with more than 500,000 residents without power.
“The reports that we have had so far would include damage to hospitals, significant damage to residential property, housing and commercial property as well, and damage to our road infrastructure,” Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said on CNN after the storm had passed.
Holness said the government had not received news of any confirmed deaths from the storm, but given the strength of the hurricane and the extent of the damage, “we are expecting that there would be some loss of life.”
As daylight returned to Jamaica early on Wednesday, eyewitness reports and videos on social media showed swaths of downed trees, washed-out roads and roofs tossed about fields and roadways.
Video of the airport in Montego Bay showed inundated seating areas, broken glass and collapsed ceilings.
Meteorologists at AccuWeather said Melissa ranked as the third most intense hurricane observed in the Caribbean, after Wilma in 2005 and Gilbert in 1988 – the last major storm to make landfall in Jamaica.
Scientists say hurricanes are intensifying faster with greater frequency as a result of warming ocean waters caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Many Caribbean leaders have called on wealthy, heavy-polluting nations to provide reparations in the form of aid or debt relief to tropical island countries.
Melissa’s winds subsided as the storm drifted past the mountains of Jamaica, lashing highland communities vulnerable to landslides and flooding.
Local media reported at least three deaths in Jamaica during storm preparations, and a disaster coordinator suffered a stroke at the onset of the storm and was rushed to hospital. Late on Tuesday, many areas remained cut off.
“Our country has been ravaged by Hurricane Melissa but we will rebuild and we will do so even better than before,” Prime Minister Holness said early on Wednesday.
In the Bahamas, next after Cuba in Melissa’s path to the northeast, the government ordered evacuations of residents in southern portions of that archipelago.
Farther to the east, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic had faced days of torrential downpours leading to at least four deaths, authorities there said.
CUBA BRACES
The storm’s center, churning with violent wind gusts over 125 mph and heavy rain, slammed into Guama, a rural, mountainous area 25 miles west of Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second most populous city.
Authorities had shut down power to virtually all of eastern Cuba, evacuated vulnerable areas and had asked residents to shelter in place in the provincial capital Santiago, a city of 400,000 people.
Scarce videos posted by local media showed torrents of brown rainwater rushing down roads through dark towns at the base of Cuba’s Sierra Maestra mountains not far from the city.
Authorities reported widespread flooding of lowland areas early on Wednesday from Santiago to Guantanamo, where upwards of 35% of the population had been evacuated.
The timing could not be worse for the communist-run Caribbean island. Cuba is already suffering from food, fuel, electricity and medicine shortages that have complicated life for many, prompting record-breaking migration off the island since 2021.
President Diaz-Canel said Cuba had nonetheless mobilized 2,500 electric line workers to begin recovery immediately following the storm’s passage across the island later on Wednesday.
The hurricane was not expected to directly affect the capital Havana.
Reporting by Dave Sherwood in Havana, Zahra Burton in Kingston, Sarah Morland and Brendan O’Boyle in Mexico City, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Emma Farge in Geneva and Anmol Choubey and Ishaan Arora in BengaluruWriting by Andrew HeavensEditing by Frances Kerry and Peter Graff
No evidence found at the scene to substantiate reports of gunshots fired on Monday night
Police statement:
Shortly before 11:50 p.m. on Monday, October 27, 2025, the Bermuda Police Service (BPS) received several reports of gunshots heard in the area of Town Hill Road and Harrington Sound Road, Smith’s.
Officers attended and conducted area searches.
However, no evidence was found to substantiate, or indicate, exactly where the shots could have been fired. Checks were made at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, with negative results for anyone attending with gunshot injuries.
Officers this morning conducted further searches along Town Hill Road and Harrington Sound Road, but again, found no evidence of a firearm having been discharged.
Checks of CCTV cameras also did not turn up anything to substantiate the reports of gunshots heard.
The BPS urges residents of the areas mentioned, to review their CCTV and door-cams for any suspicious activity which may have been captured between the hours of 11:30 and midnight last night.
Anyone with information is asked to call the main police number, 295-0011 or the non-emergency reporting number 211.
Reducing gang violence is a long-term mission, says Pastor Leroy Bean, providing insight into the work of the GVRT
The Gang Violence Reduction Team engages with fifteen-hundred people a month – from school students to work placement participants, from from incarcerated clients to the families of victims of violence.
In the second part of our extended interview, Pastor Leroy Bean provides detailed insight into the work of the GVRT. (SCROLL down for an overview of their work)
In this clip from the interview, the Gang Violence Reduction Coordinator says we must not judge the success of their programmes just by numbers, but also by the stories of those they have helped.
Ultimately, Pastor Bean says, gang violence will not stop without a change of mindset – and their job is to do their best to reduce the violence. (WATCH above)
In the upcoming final chapter of our interview with Pastor Bean, he acknowledges the money going into the GVRT – and says that they couldn’t pay enough for the work they do. Gary Foster Skelton also asks Pastor Bean on a theme that runs through his book – that Bermuda needs independence from the UK to truly address gang violence.
Gang Violence Reduction Team (GVRT)
avg. monthly activity & outcomes (supplied by GVRT)
School Outreach & Youth Engagement
High Schools
• 20-30 students supported monthly through one-on-one and small-group sessions • 40-60 small-group/individual mentoring sessions conducted monthly • 16-20 family meetings and parent interventions • 6-12 student mediations and 6-12 restorative circle meetings • Daily lunch-time visits and mentoring presence • 3-5 monthly incident management interventions
Middle Schools
• 2 school visits per month across all three middle schools and parish schools • “I Am” Program pilot launched at Dellwood in 2019, ongoing expansion • 2-3 monthly targeted interventions, small-group sessions, or incident supports
Primary Schools
• 2 school visits per term to all primary schools • 2-3 monthly targeted interventions or small-group support sessions
I AM Program
• Over 400 students served since 2022 • 30 program cohorts delivered • More than 240 sessions completed • 2 full student summits hosted
After-School Monitoring
• Daily presence maintained at bus terminals and community areas • 1 after school incident response per month on average
GED / Bermuda College / Workforce Development
• 8 students currently enrolled in GED programs • 1 student enrolled at Bermuda College • 2 students participating in Workforce Development placements
Redemption Program
• Since 2019, 96 participants have completed the program (15-18 per cohort) • 10-15 resume and job-coaching sessions held monthly • 90% of participants since 2022 have avoided anti-social or criminal behavior
Community Supervision
• 8-10 clients annually supervised during court-ordered community service placements
Work Placement & Mentoring Program
• Since 2019, 110 participants have completed the program (15-18 per cohort) • 110 job-coaching sessions delivered each July-August intake • 90% of participants since 2022 have remained free of anti-social behavior
Outreach & Case Management
• 20-35 high-risk clients (ages 18-35) actively supported monthly • 70-85 mentoring and check-in sessions • 15-18 inter-agency coordination meetings • 10-14 family support meetings • 8-18 clients receive court advocacy and guidance through the legal system
Employment & Resource Support
• 8-10 clients assisted with employment readiness and resume development • 7-8 clients employed or placed in work programs (e.g., Workforce Development, Transportation, Bacardi Bartending) • 1-2 clients supported through community service placement • 8-12 clients receive food, financial assistance, or social support resources
Prison Outreach
• 2-4 prison visits each month (Co-Ed and Westgate facilities) • 4-6 incarcerated clients engaged in ongoing personal development and reintegration planning
Crisis Response (CCRT)
• 3-7 hospital-based activations per month following violent incidents • 6-8 follow-up meetings per family for post-incident victim support • 10-13 emergency safe-house relocations annually • 4-8 monthly family safety-planning sessions conducted to prevent retaliation and restore peace
The deal includes 5 billion pounds in export finance from UK Export Finance for projects in Saudi Arabia which will help British companies win contracts
International News via Reuters:
Britain said on Tuesday it had unlocked 6.4 billion pounds ($8.6 billion) in trade and investment agreements with Saudi Arabia, following finance minister Rachel Reeves’ meetings in Riyadh aimed at deepening economic ties with Gulf nations.
The deal includes 5 billion pounds in export finance from UK Export Finance for projects in Saudi Arabia which will help British companies win contracts, the government said. There were also multi-million-pound investment deals involving Aberdeen Investcorp, Barclays, HSBC and UK artificial intelligence firm Quantexa, the statement added.
($1 = 0.7451 pounds)
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by Sarah Young
As of Tuesday, no decisions yet made on closures ahead of the storm’s approach
Minister Weeks chairs EMO meeting this afternoon. Photo supplied
Government of Bermuda press release:
The Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) Executive met this afternoon to discuss preparations for Hurricane Melissa, which is now officially considered a threat to Bermuda.
The EMO advised that no decisions regarding potential closures or emergency measures were made during today’s meeting.
However, the EMO will meet again tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon.
And any decisions regarding possible service interruptions will be considered after further consultation between local forecasters and the National Hurricane Centre (NHC). Residents will be advised of any service updates shortly after the meeting.
In the meantime, residents are urged to use the time they have available to prepare.
As of the 12.00 p.m. update from the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS), Hurricane Melissa is a Category 5 hurricane located approximately 1,117 nautical miles southwest of Bermuda.
The storm is moving north-northeast at 8 knots (9 mph). Melissa is currently impacting Jamaica and is forecast to cross eastern Cuba tomorrow before accelerating northeastward toward Bermuda. Maximum sustained winds are near 160 knots (184 mph) with gusts up to 190 knots (219 mph).
The official forecast track brings Melissa just west of Bermuda early Friday morning (1.00 a.m.) at 37 nautical miles west of the Island.
The BWS notes there may be sustained winds of 40 to 60 knots with gusts potentially up to 80 knots (92 mph) late Thursday night into Friday. Seas are expected to build to 20 to 30 feet offshore.
A Tropical Storm Watch may be issued later this evening, followed by a Tropical Storm Warning and possibly a Hurricane Watch within 12 hours after that. The EMO will continue to monitor developments closely and will provide updates as the forecast evolves.
Following today’s EMO Meeting, the Minister of National Security, Michael Weeks said, “We have all seen how fast things can change with these storms. One day they look like they are not coming our way, the next thing, they are knocking on our doorstep. Melissa is already an unprecedented powerful storm. Right now, it looks like it will pass very close to Bermuda. We have time to prepare, but that window will close quickly. We cannot afford to take this lightly.”
The Minister acknowledged that after a long hurricane season, many may feel storm fatigued or think Melissa will weaken before reaching Bermuda.
He said, “I know some people are tired of hearing about storms, but this one is different. It is strong, it is moving our way, and if we let our guard down, it could catch us off guard like storms have done before. We have to use these next few days wisely, secure our homes, check our plans, and make sure our families are ready. The hurricane season is not over until 30 November. We have to stay ready.”
The EMO and the Government of Bermuda will continue to issue updates as the situation develops. The public can stay abreast of weather updates at www.weather.bm.
The strikes in the Pacific come against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, and a nuclear submarine
International News via Reuters:
A series of U.S. strikes against suspected drug vessels in the eastern Pacific killed 14 alleged drug traffickers and left one survivor, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, the latest operation in President Donald Trump’s counter-drug campaign.
The strikes in the Pacific come against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops. The administration has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to the region, and it is expected to reach the Caribbean in the coming weeks.
In a social media post, Hegseth said Mexican authorities took over the search-and-rescue operation for the lone survivor from the three strikes, which took place on Monday.
“The four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics,” Hegseth said, without providing evidence.
ADMINISTRATION SILENT ON DETAILS
But Hegseth posted a roughly 30-second video, which appeared to show two vessels close together in the water before exploding. Another part of the video showed a vessel moving in the water before exploding.
Mexican authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The strikes followed at least 10 others in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September, in a campaign that has raised U.S. tensions with Venezuela and Colombia. Trump has also authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.
The Pentagon has provided little information about any of the strikes, including the quantity of drugs the boats allegedly carried and the identities of those killed.
The strikes have raised alarm among some Democratic lawmakers, who question whether they adhere to the laws of war.
Legal experts have questioned why the U.S. military is carrying out the strikes, instead of the Coast Guard, which is the main U.S. maritime law enforcement agency, and why other efforts to halt the shipments were not made before resorting to deadly strikes.
Reuters has previously reported that two alleged drug traffickers survived a U.S. military strike in the Caribbean earlier this month. They were rescued and brought to a U.S. Navy warship before being repatriated to Colombia and Ecuador.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly alleged that the U.S. is hoping to drive him from power.
Washington in August doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups that Maduro denies.
Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart. Additional reporting by Brendan O’Boyle, Editing by Franklin Paul and Rod Nickel
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