The World Meteorological Organization created a review task force this week during a meeting in Geneva aimed at improving early-warning systems for deadly climate disasters

International News via Reuters:

The U.N. weather agency plans to cut some posts and is reviewing its priorities as dozens of countries, including the United States, are late with their fees, a spokesperson said on Friday.

The World Meteorological Organization, set up in 1951 to coordinate global data for weather forecasts, created a review task force this week during a meeting in Geneva aimed at improving early-warning systems for deadly climate disasters.

The WMO, whose budget is separate from the United Nations’, began restructuring in August to cut costs amid broader U.N. reforms, even as accelerating man-made climate change increases the risk of weather-related deaths, especially in developing countries where early-warning systems are lacking.

The WMO envisages cutting 26 posts and reducing travel, according to a budget document seen by Reuters.

“We do need to make sure we are fit for purpose and that we can face the future,” spokesperson Clare Nullis told a press briefing on Friday.

She said a task force would begin in January to “tweak” the WMO’s work based on current funding constraints as well as new opportunities such as the use of artificial intelligence in weather predictions.

Outstanding late payments to the WMO amount to around 48 million Swiss francs ($60 million) as of the end of August, a WMO document showed, equivalent to two-thirds of its annual budget.

The U.S. owes over 30 million francs.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said that the administration was focused on ensuring that any U.S. taxpayer dollars at the U.N. advance U.S. interests. U.S. delegates participated in the congress.

Under President Donald Trump, Washington has announced it is quitting some U.N. bodies, as well as the U.N.-backed Paris Climate Accord on slowing climate change, and is late in paying others.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness, cost and accountability of international bodies, arguing they often fail to serve U.S. interests.

($1 = 0.7931 Swiss francs)

Reporting by Emma Farge. Editing by Kevin Liffey and Mark Potter

The unofficial tally by Rete l’Abuso, Italy’s largest church abuse victims’ group, is based on victims’ accounts, judicial sources and cases reported by the media

International News via Reuters:

Nearly 4,400 people have been abused by Catholic priests in Italy in cases reported since 2020, a victims’ group alleged on Friday, renewing pressure on bishops to confront a crisis that has long plagued the world’s largest Christian faith.

The unofficial tally by Rete l’Abuso, Italy’s largest church abuse victims’ group, is based on victims’ accounts, judicial sources and cases reported by the media, the founder of the association Francesco Zanardi said.

Rete l’Abuso did not say how far back the alleged abuse cases occurred.

The Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), which was criticised by the Vatican’s child protection commission last week, had no comment on the findings, a spokesperson said.

MOST ALLEGATIONS CONCERN ABUSE BY PRIESTS

The global Catholic Church has been shaken for decades by scandals involving paedophile priests and the cover-up of their crimes, but local church leaders in Italy have been less forthcoming in confronting the issue.

New Pope Leo, who met survivors of sexual abuse by clergy for the first time this week, has told the Church’s newest bishops not to hide misconduct allegations. His predecessor, the late Pope Francis, made addressing the issue a priority of his 12-year papacy, but with mixed results.

In an unusually critical report on the issue published on October 16, the Vatican’s child protection commission said only 81 of Italy’s 226 dioceses responded to a questionnaire about safeguarding practices it had drafted.

Rete l’Abuso said it had documented 1,250 suspected cases of abuse – some with multiple victims – including 1,106 allegedly committed by priests, with the rest attributed to nuns, religion teachers, lay volunteers, educators and scout members.

Its report contained cases related to 4,625 victims – or survivors, as the association calls them – including 4,395 abused by priests.

The report said 4,451 of the survivors were under 18, and an almost equally large number – 4,108 – were male, Rete l’Abuso said, adding that five nuns, 156 vulnerable adults and 11 people with disabilities were also among the victims.

According to the association, out of the 1,106 suspected predator priests, only 76 were subjected to church trials, with 17 temporarily suspended, seven moved to other parishes and 18 were defrocked or resigned from the priesthood. Five died by suicide, it added.

Reporting by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Muvija M

In a statement, the Commission also said that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram do not appear to provide a user-friendly and easily accessible mechanism for users to flag illegal content

International News via Reuters:

The European Commission said on Friday that U.S. Big Tech giant Meta and Chinese-owned social media app TikTok breach their obligation to grant researchers adequate access to public data under the Digital Services Act (DSA) according to its preliminary findings.

In a statement, the Commission also said that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram do not appear to provide a user-friendly and easily accessible mechanism for users to flag illegal content, such as child sexual abuse material and terrorist content.

The EU has cracked down on Big Tech companies with the Digital Services Act, which requires large platforms such as social media sites and search engines to have robust measures to mitigate the spread of illegal and harmful content.

“The Commission’s preliminary findings show that Facebook, Instagram and TikTok may have put in place burdensome procedures and tools for researchers to request access to public data”, the EU executive said about the transparency issue.

“Allowing researchers access to platforms’ data is an essential transparency obligation under the DSA, as it provides public scrutiny into the potential impact of platforms on our physical and mental health.”

On Meta hindering the reporting of illegal content, the Commission said the company currently has mechanisms that impose several unnecessary steps and additional demands on users and use “deceptive interface designs”.

“Such practices can be confusing and dissuading. Meta’s mechanisms to flag and remove illegal content may therefore be ineffective. Under the DSA, ‘Notice and Action’ mechanisms are key to allowing EU users … to inform online platforms that certain content does not comply with EU or national laws”, it said.

The Commission added the companies now have the possibility to examine its findings and take measures to remedy the breaches, adding that the preliminary findings do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation.

But if the findings of the Commission are confirmed by relevant consultations, it may impose a fine on the companies of as much as 6% of their annual global sales.

Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Alessandro Parodi

Mohamad Hasan also said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc could not stop a general election in Myanmar set for December

International News via Reuters:

ASEAN’s four-year-old plan for peace in war-torn Myanmar is not difficult to implement and the ruling junta should adhere to it and allow humanitarian aid to be distributed, Malaysia’s foreign minister said on Friday. 

Mohamad Hasan also said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc could not stop a general election in Myanmar set for December but its foreign ministers want the contest to be fair and inclusive.

ASEAN agreed on a “Five-Point Consensus” peace plan with Myanmar’s top general a few months after protests against a 2021 coup morphed into a broader rebellion against military rule, but the junta has been accused of ignoring it.  

“The Five-Point Consensus is not too difficult (to implement). It would be good to have a dialogue, to allow aid to reach people and go back to dialogue with all parties,” Mohamad told reporters after a meeting with his ASEAN counterparts in Kuala Lumpur ahead of a leaders summit this weekend. 

The peace plan has largely been a failure, with the military government unwilling to engage in dialogue with opponents it views as “terrorists”. 

It denies Western allegations it has committed atrocities against the civilian population and insists it is committed to peace.  

The junta is holding an election over several phases from December while the civil war rages, but opposition parties have been decimated, and what remains of them have either been barred from taking part or are not willing to do so.

The election, which has been widely dismissed as a sham designed to extend military rule through proxies, will not be held nationwide due to the ongoing fighting.

“We cannot stop it but we want the elections to be fair, transparent, and inclusive,” Mohamad said. 

“All the people must participate. We don’t want elections where only some of the people of Myanmar can participate but the rest can’t. We will discuss that and bring it to the heads of states’ summit the day after tomorrow.”

Reporting by Danial Azhar; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by David Stanway

The results mark a turning point for Intel, which has struggled to maintain relevance in the face of fierce competition and manufacturing setbacks

International News via Reuters:

Intel shares surged nearly 9% in premarket trading on Friday as investors rallied behind CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s aggressive cost-cutting measures that helped the chipmaker surpass quarterly profit estimates and regain stability amid a flurry of high-stakes bets on future growth.

The results mark a turning point for Intel, which has struggled to maintain relevance in the face of fierce competition and manufacturing setbacks.

After a bruising 2024 that saw its first annual loss in nearly four decades, the company is now leaning on strategic investments and operational discipline to rebuild investor confidence.

STEADYING THE SHIP

Intel also drew support during the quarter from multi-billion-dollar investments by Nvidia and Japan’s SoftBank as well as a U.S. government stake, moves that offered a financial cushion as it works to revive growth.

These investments, along with Tan’s turnaround efforts, have offered a lifeline to the stock, which has rebounded by more than 90% in 2025, outperforming AI chip leaders Nvidia and AMD. Intel trades at a 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio of 71.51 versus 30.49 for Nvidia and 40.14 for AMD.

“Intel has turned a corner and is steadying the ship,” said Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies. “It feels like a strong setup for 2026.”

TURNAROUND FAR FROM OVER

Intel said demand for its chips was outpacing supply, particularly in data centers where operators are upgrading central processing units (CPUs) to support AI workloads.

However, finance chief Dave Zinsner cautioned that yields for its advanced 18A manufacturing process will remain below industry standards and won’t reach “acceptable levels” until 2027.

Tan has also sold a majority stake in Altera and shifted Intel’s capital strategy to rely more on external commitments, following criticism of his predecessor’s spending-heavy approach. He has pared back Intel’s manufacturing ambitions and cut over 20% of the workforce.

“We understand the desire to claim victory for the embattled company, but this fight is far from over; perhaps it’s better to call it a draw for now,” analysts at Bernstein said.

Reporting by Rashika Singh and Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Alun John in London; Editing by Joice Alves and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty

The Prime Minister has earlier said he plans to dissolve parliament by the end of January, with a general election to follow in March or early April

International News via Reuters:

The likely date for a general election in Thailand is March 29, a senior government official told Reuters on Friday after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul discussed the issue with the country’s Election Commission.

The Prime Minister has earlier said he plans to dissolve parliament by the end of January, with a general election to follow in March or early April.

“The government and the Election Commission have discussed the timeframe for holding the election,” said Paradorn Prissananantakul, a minister attached to the prime minister’s office.

“The most likely date is March 29,” he said.

Paradorn also said that a referendum on a new constitution and another to decide whether to revoke two agreements concerning border demarcation with Cambodia will likely take place alongside the general election.

The Election Commission has yet to formally set the election date but its chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said the details will be worked out on both the poll vote and the two referendums, which will likely take place on the same day. 

The estimated budget for the election and referendums will stand at 9 billion baht ($274.81 million), and about 53 million Thais are eligible to participate, Ittiporn said.

Anutin won a parliamentary vote in early September to become Thailand’s third prime minister since August 2023, after having withdrawn his Bhumjaithai party from a ruling coalition led by the Pheu Thai party.

To win power, Anutin secured the backing of the largest grouping in parliament, the opposition People’s Party, but calling an election within four months of taking office and holding a referendum on a new constitution were two of the conditions of its support.

($1 = 32.7500 baht)

Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um; Writing by Orathai Sriring; Editing by David Stanway