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Trump promises to defend Hungary’s finances amid Orban-EU tensions and to sign $600m gas deal, says Hungarian leader.
Published On 9 Nov 20259 Nov 2025
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Hungary has struck a deal for what Prime Minister Viktor Orban called a “financial shield” to safeguard its economy from potential attacks following talks with US President Donald Trump.
Orban, a longtime ally of Trump and one of Europe’s most outspoken nationalist leaders, met the US president at the White House on Friday to seek relief from sanctions on Russian oil and gas. Following the meeting, he announced that Hungary had secured a one-year exemption from those measures.
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“I have also made an agreement with the US president on a financial shield,” Orban said in a video posted by the Hungarian outlet index.hu on Sunday. “Should there be any external attacks against Hungary or its financial system, the Americans gave their word that in such a case, they would defend Hungary’s financial stability.”
A White House official said the deal also included contracts worth roughly $600m for Hungary to buy US liquefied natural gas. Orban gave no details of how the “shield” would work, but claimed it would ensure Hungary would face “no financing problems”.
“That Hungary or its currency could be attacked, or that the Hungarian budget could be put in a difficult situation, or that the Hungarian economy could be suffocated from the financing side, this should be forgotten,” he said.
The move comes as Orban faces economic stagnation and strained relations with the European Union, which has frozen billions of euros in funding over what Brussels calls Hungary’s democratic backsliding. Critics accuse Orban of using his ties with Washington to sidestep EU pressure and secure new financial lifelines.
Orban said on Friday that Hungary also received an exemption from US sanctions on Russian energy after a meeting with Trump.
Hungary’s economy has struggled since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but its currency, the forint, has shown some recovery this year, supported by high interest rates.
Trump, meanwhile, has extended his support to another far-right leader, Argentina’s Javier Milei, pledging to strengthen the country’s collapsing economy through a $20bn currency swap deal with Argentina’s central bank. Trump said he would also buy Argentinian pesos to “help a great philosophy take over a great country”.
Milei, who has made more than a dozen trips to the US since taking office in December 2023, including to attend Trump’s second inauguration, is battling inflation, debt, and dwindling reserves. Argentinian bond prices plunged in late September as the central bank scrambled to stabilise the peso.
Davie’s exit caps a week of attacks on Britain’s public broadcaster, with Trump’s press secretary describing BBC as ‘100 percent fake news’.
The director-general of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has resigned after a row over the editing of a speech made by US President Donald Trump on the day of the 2021 attack on the United States Capitol.
Sunday’s joint resignations of Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness capped a turbulent week of accusations that the broadcaster edited a speech Trump made on January 6, 2021, to make it appear as if he encouraged the riots that followed his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.
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Davie said he took “ultimate responsibility” for mistakes made, saying that quitting his role at the helm of the public broadcaster after five years was “entirely my decision”.
“I have been reflecting on the very intense personal and professional demands of managing this role over many years in these febrile times, combined with the fact that I want to give a successor time to help shape the charter plans they will be delivering,” he said.
A documentary by flagship programme Panorama aired a week before last year’s US election, splicing together clips of Trump’s speech uttered at different points.
The edit made it seem as if Trump said: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell.”
Critics said it was misleading as it cut out a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
‘Buck stops with me’
Turness said the controversy about the Trump documentary “has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC – an institution that I love”.
“As the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, the buck stops with me,” she added.
Earlier on Sunday, UK Culture, Media and Sport Minister Lisa Nandy called the allegations “incredibly serious”, saying there is a “systemic bias in the way that difficult issues are reported at the BBC”.
Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands noted that the BBC has always been in a difficult position.
“It is pilloried by the right, who perceive it to be a hotbed of liberal bias. It’s pilloried by the left, who think that it kowtows to the establishment and pumps out government lines when it comes to things like Gaza, particularly, not holding the powerful to account as it should do as a broadcaster.”
Accusations of anti-Israel bias
The controversy, whipped up by UK right-wing media, reached the other side of the Atlantic with Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt describing the BBC as “100 percent fake news” and a “propaganda machine” on Friday.
The story broke on Tuesday when The Daily Telegraph cited a memo complied by Michael Prescott, a former member of the BBC’s editorial standards committee, which raised concerns over the Trump edit, as well as criticising perceived anti-Israel bias in the BBC’s Arabic service.
On Saturday, the newspaper reported right-wing lawmaker Priti Patel, of the Conservative Party, demanded the UK Foreign Office review its funding of BBC Arabic through its grant for the BBC World Service, alleging “pro-Hamas and anti-Israel bias”.
The broadcaster has also been accused of giving Israel favourable coverage in its reporting of the war on Gaza, coming under criticism from its own staff.
Davie’s resignation was celebrated by Nigel Farage, leader of the populist hard-right Reform UK party, which is soaring in opinion polls.
“This is the BBC’s last chance. If they don’t get this right there will be vast numbers of people refusing to pay the licence fee,” Farage said on X.
BBC director general Tim Davie and his head of news, Deborah Turness, have resigned.
The BBC had come under fire over a Panorama documentary that was accused of misleadingly editing a speech by Donald Trump to make it look like he was urging people to attack the US Capitol.
Tim Davie was appointed director general of the BBC in September 2020. He is in charge of overseeing the corporation’s services and was its editorial, operational and creative leader.
He was not a new figure to the BBC; prior to becoming director general, he had been chief executive of BBC Studios for seven years.
Before joining the BBC, Davie worked for organisations such as Procter and Gamble, and PepsiCo.
Deborah Turness had been the CEO of BBC News since 2022, overseeing BBC News and current affairs programmes
In her role, she had responsibility for a team of around 6,000 people, broadcasting to almost half a billion people across the world in more than 40 languages.
She was previously CEO of ITN and was president of NBC News from 2013.
Why have they resigned?
Their departures come after controversy over a Panorama documentary called Trump: A Second Chance?, which was broadcast last year.
In her statement, Turness said: “The ongoing controversy around the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC – an institution that I love.
“As the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, the buck stops with me – and I took the decision to offer my resignation to the director general last night.”
She added: “While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.”
Davie did not mention the Panorama documentary in his statement, although said: “While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision.
“Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility.”
The memo came from Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to the broadcaster’s editorial standards committee. He left the role in June.
The memo suggested that the one-hour Panorama documentary had edited parts of Trump’s speech together so he appeared to explicitly encourage the Capitol Hill riots of January 2021.
In his speech in Washington DC on 6 January 2021, Trump said: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
However, in the Panorama edit he was shown saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
The two sections of the speech that were edited together were more than 50 minutes apart.
The “fight like hell” comment was taken from a section where Trump discussed how “corrupt” US elections were. In total, he used the words “fight” or “fighting” 20 times in the speech.
According to the Telegraph, the document said Panorama’s “distortion of the day’s events” would leave viewers asking: “Why should the BBC be trusted, and where will this all end?”
When the issue was raised with managers, the memo continued, they “refused to accept there had been a breach of standards”.
The BBC has come under scrutiny over a number of other different issues in recent weeks.
The Telegraph also reported that Mr Prescott raised concerns about a lack of action to address “systemic problems” of anti-Israel bias in the coverage of the Gaza war by the BBC Arabic news service.
The report also said Mr Prescott had raised concerns about the BBC’s coverage around trans issues.
And on Thursday, the BBC upheld 20 impartiality complaints over the way presenter Martine Croxall earlier this year altered a script she was reading live on the BBC News Channel, which referred to “pregnant people”.
Why did Davie resign now?
Tim Davie has weathered many scandals and crises during his five years at the helm of the BBC – including the Gary Lineker furore, Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, the Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary, and the transgressions of a string of high-profile presenters.
Davie was nicknamed “Teflon Tim” by some in the media because nothing seemed to stick.
He had tried to ride out the latest controversy, too, but it has gathered steam and the BBC was expected to issue an apology tomorrow over the Panorama documentary.
This comes at a sensitive time for the BBC, with the government set to review the corporation’s Royal Charter – which essentially gives it the right to exist – before the current term expires in 2027.
In his statement, Davie said: “You will ask why now, why this moment?”
He said he was “BBC through and through”, and cares deeply about the corporation and wants it to succeed.
“That is why I want to create the best conditions and space for a new DG to come in and positively shape the next Royal Charter. I hope that as we move forward, a sensible, calm and rational public conversation can take place about the next chapter of the BBC.”
He added: “This timing allows a new DG to help shape the next Charter. I believe we are in a strong position to deliver growth.”
How will the BBC choose Davie’s replacement?
The director general is appointed by the BBC Board, which is responsible for ensuring it delivers the corporation’s mission and public purposes.
The BBC Board is led by chair Samir Shah and he is one of 10 non-executive members, plus four executive members, including the director general.
When Davie was appointed in 2020, the process for choosing who would get the role was led by the BBC Board’s nominations committee.
The director general’s appointment is made under the terms of the BBC’s Charter.
Davie’s successor will be the 18th director general in the BBC’s 103-year history.
Names who have been rumoured as potential contenders in the running include Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s recently-departed chief content officer who was in charge of all programming except news, overseeing hits including The Traitors, The Wheel and Happy Valley.
Other names include Jay Hunt, one of the most experienced executives in British TV, and James Harding, the BBC’s head of news from 2013 to 2018, who has experience dealing with difficult journalistic matters.
As typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi, internationally) left over 200 Filipinos dead while affecting nearly 2 million people, President Marcos Jr declared “a state of national calamity.”
After the super typhoon Uwan (Fung-Wong) will add to the devastation, mass protests against huge flood control corruption are expected in the country.
In 2022, the Marcos Jr government pledged it would build on the legacy of the Duterte years and make Filipinos more prosperous and more secure. Critics claim both objectives have failed.
Billions of dollars lost to corruption
On July 27, Senator Panfilo Lacson warned that half of the 2 trillion pesos ($17 billion) allocated to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for flood control projects may have been lost to corruption in the past 15 years.
And yet, almost in parallel, President Marcos Jr stated his administration had implemented over 5,500 flood control projects and announced new plans amounting to more than $10 billion over the next 13 years.
Ever since then, Manila’s political class has been swept by allegations on corruption, mismanagement, and irregularities in government-funded flood management projects. In August, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee launched a high-profile investigation into the irregularities, focusing on the “ghost” projects, license renting schemes and contractor monopolies.
Corruption has long been pervasive in Philippine politics, economy and society. In the Corruption Perception Index, the country has consistently scored among the worst in the region. Even in peacetime, it is at par with the civil war-torn Sierra Leone and oil-cursed Angola.
In the era of former President Duterte, corruption fight was spotlighted. Now it thrives again. According to surveys, 81% of Filipinos believe corruption has worsened since martial law was declared 53 years ago. It is compounding misguided economic policies.
Rising trade deficits, slowing investment
In the Duterte era, exports were led by electronics, with significant growth in tourism and business process outsourcing. Those times are now gone.
In the Duterte era, the effort was to attract multinationals, particularly Chinese firms, to serve as anchor companies that would foster Philippine suppliers. But due to the government’s geopolitics, Chinese – and increasingly Western – multinationals see too much economic and geopolitical risk in the country. And so, the investments that could have come to the Philippines have gone to Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand in the region.
In Southeast Asia, Chinese tourism has played a vital role in the post-pandemic recovery. Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists accounted for 40-60% of the regional total.
Subsequently, regional recovery was fueled by Chinese tourism. The only exception? The Philippines.
In 2019, Chinese tourist arrivals in the country soared to over 1.7 million. As of September 2025, the Philippines has reported less than 204,000 Chinese arrivals for the year, a figure that is far, far below the government target. The country was banking on a 2-million visitors from China.
The sharp decline is attributed to geopolitical tensions, the suspension of the e-visa program, even safety concerns.
Even if the 2025 total would climb closer to 300,000, that would be just 15-20% of the 2019 level. It’s a catastrophic missed opportunity.
Sources: Trade deficits: Author, Philippine Statistics Authority; Tourism: Author, National Statistical Coordination Board Philippines; Exchange rate: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
BPO outsourcing at risk
Digital economy is a major component of the GDP. But in the absence of domestic ICT anchor firms, the sector is at the mercy of Western offshoring. And that spells huge trouble at a time, when the West prioritizes trade wars, as evidenced by Manila’s costly losses in US tariff wars.
Meanwhile, geopolitics has alienated investments by Chinese ICT giants, which could have catalyzed ICT ecosystems in the country.
And there’s worse ahead. The Philippine outsourcing sector is a $30 billion industry that accounts for 7% of the Philippines’ GDP and commands 15% of the global market. Yet, one-third of its jobs in the Philippines are at risk from artificial intelligence (AI), with those in the BPO sector most vulnerable. Sadly, college-educated, young, urban, female, and well-paid workers in the services sector will be most exposed.
In addition to AI, US protectionist initiatives could perfect the jobs devastation in the Philippine outsourcing industry. Introduced in July, the bipartisan “Keep Call Centers in America Act” proposes to penalize US companies that offshore a significant portion of their call center jobs. The recent Halting International Relocation of Employment Act (HIRE Act) aims to curb outsourcing by imposing a 25% excise tax on payments to foreign workers.
If these realities kick in, US vulture capitalists can be expected to target and short the Philippines, which could compound challenges, as in the past.
Economic growth, missed opportunities
In early 2024, US news agency Bloomberg asked President Marcos Jr whether the Philippines could achieve an 8% growth rate. “Why not?” the president replied. “Yes, I think it is, I think it is doable.”
Yet, at the time, GDP year-on-year growth decelerated to barely 5.2%.
Have things got better? No.
In 2025, the government’s target was reduced to 5.5-6.5%. Just weeks ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded the Philippine growth projection to 5.4% this year. More recently, economic growth slowed to just 4.0% in the third quarter – the slowest since early 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused a contraction.
Unsurprisingly, critics claim the incumbent economic policies have failed. Here’s a thought experiment about the extent of that failure. During the Duterte era, Philippine GDP increased from $329 billion to $404 billion, despite the pandemic plunge. On the back of that performance, IMF expected Philippine GDP to climb close to $640 billion by 2028.
Current IMF estimates suggest that by 2028, Philippine GDP would be less than $560 billion. So, the government is set to underperform by $80 billion.
That’s the cost of missed opportunities – although the final cost could prove higher.
The military has not gone into details about the sort of equipment or number of personnel that will be sent.
Published On 9 Nov 20259 Nov 2025
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The United Kingdom is sending military equipment and personnel to Belgium after a spate of disruptive drone sightings forced the temporary closures of two major airports.
Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton told the BBC network on Sunday that the military had agreed to “deploy our people, our equipment to Belgium to help them” after a request from Belgian authorities.
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“We don’t know – and the Belgians don’t yet know – the source of those drones, but we will help them by providing our kit and capability, which has already started to deploy to help Belgium,” said Knighton, who did not give details about what sort of equipment would be sent or how many personnel.
In the past week, both Belgium’s main international airport at Brussels and one of Europe’s biggest cargo airports at Liege were forced to close temporarily because of drone incursions. That came after a series of unidentified drone flights near a United States military base in Belgium where nuclear weapons are stored.
Drone sightings also forced the temporary closures of airports in other countries, including Sweden, on Thursday. The Belgian government held an emergency meeting to address the drone sightings.
Knighton said it was not known yet who was behind the drone sightings but noted Russia has been involved in a pattern of “hybrid warfare” in recent years.
Russia has been blamed in some cases, but Belgium has not said who has been operating the drones. Russia has denied any connection with the incidents, and there has been no evidence to directly link the drones to Russia.
Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said he believed some incidents were part of “a spying operation” that could not have been done by amateurs.
Drone incidents have also caused major disruptions across Europe in recent months amid deepening concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine might spill across Europe’s borders. Since September, drones have been spotted near civilian airports and military facilities in countries including Denmark, Germany and Norway.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the incursions “hybrid warfare”. While she did not hold Russia responsible for the incidents, she said it was clear Russia’s aim was to “sow division” in Europe.
Belgium is home to the headquarters of NATO and the European Union as well as Europe’s biggest financial clearinghouse, holding tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets. Many EU countries want to use those assets as collateral to provide loans to Ukraine, but Belgium has so far resisted.
On Monday, Egyptians will head to the polls in the first of a two-phase process aimed at electing a new House of Representatives. Expatriates already voted on November 7 and 8.
Egypt has taken an increasingly proactive role regionally as of late, joining Qatar as a key negotiator for the ceasefire in Gaza. The country has also deployed Foreign Ministry representatives to Lebanon in recent weeks.
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The elections for the House come on the back of last year’s Senate elections and are expected to be the final elections in President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s third term.
So why is this significant? Read on, and find out.
(Al Jazeera)
What is happening?
Monday will see the start of voting for the 596-member House of Representatives.
Of those seats, 284 are individual seats, while another 284 are filled via a closed party list system. Twenty-eight more members are appointed by presidential decree. A quarter of the seats must be held by women.
There are 70 counting committees, and voting will be conducted across 5,606 polling stations, according to Egyptian media. Fourteen governorates vote in the first phase and 13 vote in the second.
Results for the voting may not be fully known before the end of December.
Phase one includes the governorates of Alexandria, Assiut, Aswan, Beheira, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Giza, Luxor, Matrouh, Minya, New Valley, Qena, Red Sea, and Sohag.
Phase two includes Cairo, Daqahlia, Damietta, Gharbia, Ismailia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Menoufia, North Sinai, Port Said, Qalyubia, Sharqia, South Sinai, and Suez.
Phase one results will be announced on November 18.
If phase one requires run-offs, voting will be held internationally over the first two days of December and then in Egypt on December 3 and 4, with results announced on December 11.
Phase-two voting for Egyptians abroad will take place on November 21 and 22. Voting inside Egypt will take place on November 24 and 25, with results announced on December 2.
In case of phase-two run-offs, voting will take place on December 15 and 16 abroad and 17 and 18 inside Egypt, with the final results announced on December 25.
(Al Jazeera)
Who is running?
First, voting has to be broken down by “party-list constituencies” and individual candidates. Each group is competing for 284 seats.
The party-list constituencies in Egypt divide the country into four areas. Cairo and the Central and Southern Delta has 102 seats. North, Central, and South Upper Egypt has 102 seats. The Eastern Delta and Western Delta have 40 seats apiece.
Then, individual candidates are running for another 284 across 143 constituencies.
The electoral lists are closed, meaning that parties must be approved to run.
The current lists include 12 political parties plus the Coordination Committee of Parties’ Youth Leaders and Politicians, who will compete for the 284 party-list seats. The National List for Egypt, the Generation List, the Popular List, Your Voice for Egypt List, and the Egypt Call List are seen as some of the bigger parties running.
How did expat voting go?
Ahram Online reported that it went smoothly.
A total 139 electoral committees were set up in 117 countries. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also set up 24-hour operation rooms in every mission to coordinate with the National Elections Authority in Cairo.
The round two vote is still set to take place in late November.
How long will House members serve?
Members of the House of Representatives serve five-year terms.
The current House was elected in late 2020 for a five-year term that expires in January 2026.
(Al Jazeera)
Why is this vote important?
President el-Sisi is in his third and, constitutionally, final term. In 2019, the Parliament of Egypt changed the constitution to allow him to serve until 2030, and there’s a widely held belief that Parliament could once again amend the constitution, allowing el-Sisi to extend his mandate.
In recent years, el-Sisi has worked to reshape Egypt by liberalising the economy, but many Egyptians are struggling with a rising cost of living and will likely be heading to the polls with the economy in mind.
Other important issues expressed by Egyptians include health and medical care, and a new rental law that threatens to evict millions living in rent-controlled properties.
Analysts say these elections could play a significant role in the country’s future, especially after the end of el-Sisi’s term.
“[T]he 2025 parliament will serve as both a legal and political instrument through which the Egyptian authorities channel key post-2030 decisions,” Halem Henish, a legal associate at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, wrote in October. “The composition of that parliament will directly reflect the Egyptian authorities’ intentions for the future.”
The BBC’s Jonathan Head says the Philippines is braced for an “absolutely massive storm”
Typhoon Fung-wong has made landfall in the Philippines, where more than 900,000 people have been evacuated and two people have died.
The stormwasupgraded to a super typhoon before landfall, with sustained winds of around 185 km/h (115mph) and gusts of 230km/h (143mph).
The eye of the storm hit Aurora province in Luzon – the Philippines’s most populous island – at 21:10 local time (13:10 GMT). The country’s meteorological service warned of destructive winds and “high-risk of life-threatening and damaging storm surge” as the typhoon moves north-westerly across Luzon.
Fung-wong – known locally as Uwan – comes days after an earlier storm, Kalmaegi, left devastation and nearly 200 people dead.
Eastern parts of the Philippines had already begun experiencing heavy rains and winds on Saturday evening, a weather official said.
Residents in Catanduanes, an island in the east of the Bicol region, as well as in other low-lying and coastal areas, had been urged to move to higher ground by Sunday morning.
The storm passed near the eastern Bicol region on Sunday morning, before making its way past the Polillo Islands on Sunday afternoon.
The civil defence office reported that one person drowned and firefighters recovered the body of a woman trapped under debris in Catbalogan City.
The civil aviation regulator has closed several airports, and almost 300 flights have been cancelled.
Fung-wong was expected to weaken after making landfall, but is likely to remain a typhoon as it travels over Luzon.
More than 200mm of rain is forecast for parts of Luzon, with even 100-200mm in the Metro Manilla area. This is expected to cause severe flooding and landslides.
CHARISM SAYAT/AFP via Getty Image
A landslide-hit residential area in Guinobatan town, Albay province, south of Manila
In the Aurora region, in eastern Luzon, BBC News spoke to Hagunoy, 21, who works at one of the dozen hotels which line the coast in Sabang.
He said police had repeatedly visited in recent days to ensure all guests were evacuated ahead of the storm. The hotels were all deserted on Sunday morning.
While the tide had risen sharply, Hagunoy said he would stay as long as he could to guard the property, before riding his motorbike home to safety.
Staff had secured the gates and tied windows shut with rope to try to stop the glass from shattering in the wind.
EPA/Shutterstock
The Filipino Coast Guard undertook evacuations ahead of the typhoon in Quezon province
In central Aurora, more than 200 people arrived at a shelter in a sports centre. Many parents have brought young children, too young to remember Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6,000 people when it struck the Philippines in 2013.
“We felt very worried because of the strength of the typhoon, and we have young children to think of,” Jessa Zurbano told the BBC.
Another evacuee Patry Azul said: “Our house is made of wood and flimsy materials. We live close to the sea so we didn’t feel safe.”
Fung-wong has also forced the suspension of rescue operations following the passage of Kalmaegi, one of the strongest typhoons this year.
Heavy rainfall sent torrents of mud down hillsides and into residential areas. Some poorer neighbourhoods were obliterated by the fast-moving flash floods.
At least 204 people are now known to have died in the Philippines as a result of the earlier storm, while more than 100 are still missing.
Five people also died in Vietnam, where strong winds uprooted trees, tore off roofs, and smashed large windows.
Families gathered at this shelter in a sports centre in central Aurora in eastern Luzon
The Filipino government declared a state of calamity across the country after Typhoon Kalmaegi and in preparation for the coming storm.
It has given government agencies more power to access emergency funds and fast-track deliveries of essential goods and services.
For some Filipinos, the devastation wrought by Kalmaegi has left them even more anxious about the storm to come.
“We decided to evacuate because the recent typhoon brought floods in our area, and now I just want to keep my family safe,” Norlito Dugan told the AFP news agency.
He is among those who have taken shelter in a church in the city of Sorsogon in Luzon.
Another resident, Maxine Dugan said: “I’m here because the waves near my house are now huge.”
The Philippines – located near the area where Pacific Ocean tropical weather systems form – is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to cyclones.
About 20 tropical cyclones form in that region every year, half of which affect the country directly.
Climate change is not thought to increase the number of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones worldwide.
However, warmer oceans coupled with a warmer atmosphere – fuelled by climate change – have the potential to make those that do form even more intense. That can potentially lead to higher wind speeds, heavier rainfall, and a greater risk of coastal flooding.
China announced exemptions to export controls on Nexperia chips for civilian applications, aiming to alleviate supply shortages for the automotive industry.
This decision signals Beijing’s intent to ease pressures from export restrictions imposed after the Dutch government took control of Nexperia, a key producer of chips for automotive electrical systems, which is owned by the Chinese company Wingtech.
Although the Chinese commerce ministry did not define “civilian use,” it follows reports from German and Japanese firms indicating a resumption of deliveries of Nexperia’s chips produced in China. However, tensions between China and the Netherlands, and the broader EU, are expected to persist until disputes over Nexperia’s ownership are resolved.
The Dutch government intervened on September 30, citing concerns over Wingtech’s plans to relocate production from Europe to China, which it perceived as a threat to economic security. In retaliation, China halted exports of finished chips but announced an acceptance of exemption applications following a summit between U.S. and Chinese leaders.
The ministry emphasized its commitment to protecting global chip supply chains while urging the EU to assist in persuading the Netherlands to reverse its decision regarding Nexperia.
After deadly protests and a youth uprising, Kenya’s president defends his record on democracy, rights, and reform.
Kenyan President William Ruto talks to Al Jazeera about the nationwide protests that left dozens dead, accusations of police brutality and enforced disappearances, and whether he’s betrayed the “hustler” generation that helped elect him. He also addresses Kenya’s economic challenges, its leadership role in Haiti, and regional accusations of interference in Sudan’s war. As scrutiny grows at home, Ruto insists Kenya’s democracy remains intact, and his promise of transformation, unbroken.
Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian villagers, activists, and journalists, including Reuters reporter Raneen Sawafta, near Nablus. The assault is the latest in a surge of settler violence across the occupied West Bank during the olive harvesting season, with over 760 attacks recorded in October.
Conflict Analysis Resource Center Director, Jorge Restrepo, says the US must change its domestic strategy on drugs, after President Donald Trump put sanctions on Colombia’s president.
HOME from the pub but don’t want the party to end yet? Behold, five questionable mixers you can make without nipping back out to the corner shop.
Red wine and Irn Bru
Sometimes a bottle of Sainsbury’s own brand Merlot just isn’t cutting it, and you need to add a Scottish edge. WatchingFour in a Bed alone in a drunken haze on your sofa at 3am, you’ll seriously consider serving it up at your next dinner party. If you had dinner parties.
Baileys and Horlicks
Horlicks was once marketed toward infants and invalids, but with winter coming you can give it a festive edge. It’s like drinking a Malteser that gets you even more mashed than you were when you thought of it.
Vermouth and Vimto
Until needs must, it might never have occurred to you to pair a highbrow botanical-flavoured fortified wine with an unbearably sweet berry drink from your childhood. However while drunk you will realise your concoction is a work of art and consider licensing it to London’s most prestigious hotel bars. They will undoubtedly pay hundreds of thousands.
Tequila and dandelion and burdock
F**k knows why you’ve got a bottle of the stuff but it’s a chance to kill two birds with one stone: finish off the dregs of the tequila you did shots of for your 30th and chuck out that poncy glass bottle that’s been staring at you from the fridge for six months. A bottle containing the juice squeezed out of f**king dandelions. It’ll be, er, herby.
Midori and milk
Makes total sense because they both begin with ‘M’. At least it does to your addled brain, with common sense and the ability to remember things long gone. Sure, it sounds as though the flavours might not go together, but it could be a surprise. Waking up to find the bed covered in lurid green puke certainly will be.
Lisa Nandy: ‘We didn’t meet the highest standards – that is on me’
The culture secretary has apologised for breaking rules by failing to declare she had received donations from the man she picked to run England’s new football regulator.
On Thursday, the commissioner for public appointments published a report which found that David Kogan had made two separate donations of £1,450 to Lisa Nandy, when she was running to be Labour leader in 2020.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Nandy said: “We didn’t meet the highest standards – that is on me.”
The Conservatives have said Nandy’s actions were “a serious breach of public trust” and called for a further investigation into Sir Keir Starmer, who also received donations from Mr Kogan.
In a statement, Mr Kogan has said: “As the commissioner states, my suitability for the role has never been in question, and at no point was I aware of any deviation from best practice.”
Mr Kogan, a sports rights executive, was initially longlisted for the football regulator role under the previous Conservative government.
Nandy became involved in the process after Labour won the 2024 general election and she took on the role of culture secretary.
In April, she announced that Mr Kogan would be her preferred pick to fill the £130,000-a-year role.
However, a month later she removed herself from the appointment process after Mr Kogan revealed to a parliamentary committee that he had donated “very small sums” to Nandy in 2020.
In his report, commissioner for public appointments Sir William Shawcross said Nandy had “unknowingly” breached the code and should have checked if Mr Kogan had given her money before choosing him as her preferred candidate.
The contributions were part of total donations worth £33,410 to Labour and the party’s candidates in the five years prior to his appointment, the commissioner said.
Mr Kogan’s donations to Nandy were below declaration thresholds set by the Electoral Commission and by Parliament.
Asked why she had not declared the donation during the appointments process, Lisa Nandy told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg she had not known about the money at the time it was given.
She said that during her leadership campaign she had been “out on the road” doing hustings and interviews.
“I wasn’t involved in fundraising for the campaign, and as soon as I found out I declared it and recused myself and I complied fully with the process.”
She insisted Labour was different from the Conservatives saying: “When we make mistakes – and we will make mistakes, we are human beings- we put ourselves through independent processes, we respect the outcome and we take the consequences.”
In his report, Sir William said: “It need not be true that the donations actually influenced the secretary of state’s decision-making – only that the risk of this perception should have been mitigated by declaration of this financial interest.”
He found the Department for Culture, Media and Sport had breached the rules by failing to declare Mr Kogan’s previous donations to Labour when he was named as the government’s preferred choice for the job.
The department also breached the rules by not discussing the donations to Nandy when Mr Kogan was interviewed for the job, Sir William found.
After the report was published, Nandy wrote a letter to the prime minister saying: “I deeply regret this error. I appreciate the perception it could create.”
In his reply, Sir Keir Starmer wrote: “I know you to be a person of integrity and on the basis of your letter, it is clear you have acted in good faith.”
In May 2024, Mr Kogan donated £2,500 to the prime minister’s local Labour branch of Holborn and St Pancras.
The Conservatives have asked the government’s ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus to investigate whether Sir Keir’s role in Mr Kogan’s appointment broke ministerial rules on transparency.
Downing Street said Sir William Shawcross had already carried out an extensive review and “found no breaches aside from those set out in the report”.
The football regulator role was set up following a fan-led review into the management of football clubs.
The regulator has been tasked with improving the financial sustainability of clubs and safeguarding “the heritage of English football”.
Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim emphasized the island’s growing international support and resolve following her recent diplomatic trip to Europe, addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China’s annual summit in Brussels.
This trip is significant due to its rarity for a high-ranking official, as it risks backlash from Beijing. Despite China’s claims of Taiwan as its territory and refusal to engage with President Lai Ching-te, Hsiao asserted Taiwan’s right to participate in global affairs and highlighted the increasing number of allies willing to support Taiwan.
She expressed confidence in Taiwan’s democracy and commitment to maintaining good relations with like-minded nations. Former President Tsai Ing-wen also recognized the importance of Hsiao’s visit, reiterating Taiwan’s role as a reliable partner in the international community and its solidarity with Europe.
Why is Israel playing in European football? Samantha Johnson unpacks why the Israeli national team and clubs ended up under UEFA, why they’re not the only non-European country playing for Europe and how sport can defy geography
Nearly 1.3 million members of the security forces and more than 26,500 internally displaced people are eligible to vote ahead of Tuesday’s polls.
Members of Iraq’s security forces and its internally displaced population have begun casting their ballots in the parliamentary elections – the sixth since a United States-led invasion toppled longtime ruler Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Polls opened at 7am (04:00 GMT) on Sunday for 1.3 million members of the security forces at 809 polling centres and will close at 6pm (15:00 GMT) before they are deployed for security purposes on the election day on Tuesday.
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More than 26,500 internally displaced people are also eligible for early voting on Sunday across 97 polling stations at 27 places in Iraq, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) said.
Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari told INA that the special voting process is advancing “smoothly and in an organised manner”.
Nearly 21 million Iraqis are eligible to vote on Tuesday across 4,501 polling stations nationwide, the INA said.
More than 7,750 candidates, nearly a third of them women, are running for the 329-seat parliament. Under the law, 25 percent of the seats are reserved for women, while nine are allocated for religious minorities.
The current parliament began its term on January 9, 2022, and will last four years, ending on January 8, 2026.
An old electoral law, revived in 2023, will apply to the ongoing elections, with many seeing it as favouring larger parties. While about 70 independents won in the 2021 vote, only 75 independents are contesting this year.
Observers also fear that turnout might dip below the record low of 41 percent in 2021, reflecting voters’ apathy and scepticism in a country marked by entrenched leadership and allegations of mismanagement and endemic corruption.
There were widespread accusations of corruption and vote-buying before the elections, and 848 candidates were disqualified by election officials, sometimes for obscure reasons, including insulting religious rituals or members of the armed forces.
Past elections in Iraq have been marred by violence, including assassinations of candidates, attacks on polling stations, and clashes between the supporters of different blocs. While overall levels of violence have subsided, a candidate was assassinated in the run-up to this year’s election.
Influential Shia leader Moqtada Sadr urged his followers to boycott what he described as a “flawed election”.
Al-Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in 2021, but later withdrew after failed negotiations over forming the government amid a standoff with rival Shia parties. He has since boycotted the political system.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, elected in 2022 with the backing of pro-Iran parties, is seeking a second term and is expected to secure a sizeable bloc.
Among the other frontrunners are influential Shia figures, including former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Muslim scholar Ammar al-Hakim.
By convention in post-invasion Iraq, a Shia Muslim holds the powerful post of the prime minister and a Sunni of the parliament’s speaker, while the largely ceremonial presidency goes to a Kurd.
Nearly a million people have evacuated their homes in the Philippines as the country braced for another powerful storm, days after a typhoon killed at least 224 people.
The storm, named Fung-wong, started battering northeastern Philippines on Sunday before its expected landfall, knocking down power and prompting warnings from the weather bureau of a “high risk of life-threatening conditions” in parts of the country.
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The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Fung-wong, locally known as Uwan, is forecast to make landfall in Aurora province as early as Sunday night with maximum sustained winds of up to 185 kilometres per hour (115 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 230km/h (143mph).
It raised the highest alert level, Signal No 5, for southeastern and central areas, including Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, and Aurora province, while Metro Manila and nearby provinces were under Signal No 3.
Fung-wong, which could cover two-thirds of the Southeast Asian archipelago with its 1,600km (994-mile-) wide rain and wind band, was approaching from the Pacific while the Philippines was still dealing with the devastation wrought by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left at least 224 people dead in central island provinces on Tuesday before pummeling Vietnam, where at least five were killed.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a state of emergency due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected calamity from Fung-wong, which is called Uwan in the Philippines.
Tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 185km/h (115mph) or higher are categorised in the Philippines as a super typhoon, a designation adopted years ago to underscore the urgency tied to more extreme weather disturbances.
More than 916,860 people were evacuated from high-risk villages in northeastern provinces, including in Bicol, a coastal region vulnerable to Pacific cyclones and mudflows from Mayon, one of the country’s most active volcanoes.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr, who oversees the country’s disaster response agencies and the military, warned about the potentially catastrophic effect of Fung-wong in televised remarks on Saturday.
“We ask that people preemptively evacuate so that we don’t end up having to conduct rescues at the last minute, which could put the lives of police, soldiers, firefighters and coastguard personnel at risk,” he said in a public address.
“We need to do this because when it’s already raining or the typhoon has hit and flooding has started, it’s hard to rescue people,” he added.
Teodoro said the storm could affect a vast expanse of the country, including Cebu, the central province hit hardest by Typhoon Kalmaegi, and metropolitan Manila, the densely populated capital region, which is the seat of power and the country’s financial centre.
More than 30 million people could be exposed to hazards posed by Fung-wong, the Office of Civil Defense said.
In Isabela in northern Luzon, dozens of families were sheltering in a basketball court repurposed as an evacuation centre.
“We heard on the news that the typhoon is very strong, so we evacuated early,” said Christopher Sanchez, 50, who fled with his family.
“We left our things on the roofs of our house since every time there’s a storm, we come here because we live right next to the river,” he told the Reuters news agency. “In previous storms, the floodwaters rose above human height.
“We’re scared,” he said. “We’re here with our grandchildren and our kids. The whole family is in the evacuation area.”
Authorities in northern provinces to be hit or sideswiped by Fung-wong have meanwhile preemptively declared the shutdown of schools and most government offices on Monday and Tuesday. At least 325 domestic and 61 international flights have been cancelled over the weekend and into Monday, and more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded in at least 109 seaports, where the coastguard prohibited ships from venturing into rough seas.
Authorities warned of a “high risk of life-threatening and damaging storm surge” of more than 3 metres (10 feet) along the coasts of more than 20 provinces and regions, including metropolitan Manila.
The Philippines is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year. The country is also often hit by earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
King Charles at last year’s service at the Cenotaph in London
King Charles III will lead the nation in a two-minute silence at 11:00 GMT on Sunday during the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph.
He is set to lay a wreath at the monument in central London as part of the service to remember those who died in conflict.
The King will be joined by other senior royals and political leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, at the London ceremony.
Services will also take place in communities across the UK, including in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.
Some 10,000 armed forces veterans will take part in the Royal British Legion’s march-past through Whitehall, alongside around 20 World War Two veterans.
Events will take place around the country to mark Remembrance Sunday, which is observed on the closest Sunday to Armistice Day on 11 November – when World War One ended in 1918.
The prime minister said the nation would pause “to honour all those who have served our country”.
“We reflect on the extraordinary courage of our armed forces in the world wars and subsequent conflicts, whose service secured the freedoms we cherish today.”
Donald Poole, a 101-year-old who is a veteran of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, will march at the Cenotaph service with the Burma Star Memorial Fund.
“It is a great honour to be able to pay tribute to the poor souls who have died in all conflicts, and I know how lucky I am to still be here thanks to all those who have fought and served, past and present,” he said.
The service will be broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer from 10:15 GMT.
The senior royals attended the annual event organised by the Royal British Legion
The audience stood and a fanfare played as the royals entered the concert hall to commemorate those who lost their lives in service, on the eve of Remembrance Sunday.
Sir Keir andhis wife Victoria also attended the annual event, which this year marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
It also came 25 years after the end of a decades-long ban on gay people serving in the armed forces, and the event reflected on the discrimination faced by LGBT personnel.
It was believed to be 12-year-old George’s first time attending the annual concert. He sat next to his mother, Catherine, whowore a handmade poppy made of silk, glass and other natural materials.
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Princess Catherine was joined by her eldest son George, 12
At the Festival of Remembrance, the Royal Family stood and applauded as the Chelsea Pensioners – retired British Army veterans – entered the auditorium and marched across the stage, while an orchestra performed the Boys Of The Old Brigade.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The U.K. Royal Navy flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, is now carrying 24 F-35B fighters — the largest number of the jets to go aboard either of the U.K.’s two aircraft carriers, or any ship, for that matter. All 24 of the jets are British, a significant achievement for the British F-35 force, which has long faced questions about the feasibility of deploying a meaningful number of the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jets at sea, without U.S. Marine Corps aircraft making up the numbers.
The Royal Navy announced today that the 24 British F-35Bs were aboard HMS Prince of Walesfor planned multinational maneuvers in the Mediterranean, called Exercise Falcon Strike. The service has not so far published photos showing all the jets on deck, instead posting imagery from Operation Highmast, the eight-month cruise that took the carrier to the Indo-Pacific region.
HMS Prince of Wales entered the Mediterranean, via the Suez Canal, around a week ago. Six additional British F-35Bs embarked in the carrier once it had arrived in the Med, flying from their base at RAF Marham in England.
A pair of F-35Bs landing on board HMS Prince of Wales during Operation Highmast in May 2025. Crown Copyright
As part of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group, the conventionally powered HMS Prince of Wales is accompanied by the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, the Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, the replenishment tanker RFA Tidespring, and several allied ships. A Royal Navy Astute class nuclear-powered attack submarine is normally also part of the Carrier Strike Group.
For Exercise Falcon Strike, the U.K. Carrier Strike Group is joined by the Italian frigate Luigi Rizzo, as well as Norwegian warships, for what are Italian Navy-led air and maritime maneuvers.
Commodore James Blackmore, commander of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group, said that Falcon Strike is “a real demonstration of the warfighting readiness” of the group.
The British F-35Bs on the carrier are from the two frontline units, the Royal Air Force’s No. 617 Squadron and the Royal Navy’s 809 Naval Air Squadron, as well as from the training unit, No. 207 Squadron, RAF, which serves as the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).
Well done to everyone at Marham for making this happen. Whilst it did require the rather unprecedented deployment of the OCU to achieve a totemic milestone, it has readily demonstrated that our Carriers can be reinforced anywhere in the NATO region in a matter of hours. https://t.co/eIWNIyKkLX
It’s notable that, in the past, larger F-35B complements on U.K. carriers were assisted by detaching U.S. Marine Corps aircraft during these cruises.
For example, in 2021, HMS Queen Elizabeth deployed with a Marine Corps-augmented air wing. On that occasion, eight F-35Bs from No. 617 Squadron were joined by 10 from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, the “long.” This total is still smaller than the current F-35B complement for Exercise Falcon Strike.
A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B operates from HMS Queen Elizabeth during the U.K. Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment. Crown Copyright POPhot Jay Allen
The number of F-35Bs now on HMS Prince of Wales is also bigger than has been deployed aboard any amphibious assault ship by the Marine Corps. Back in 2022, the USS Tripoli (LHA-7) hosted 20 of the jets during a test of the “Lightning Carrier” concept. This is based upon essentially turning a big-deck “Gator Navy” amphibious assault ship into a light aircraft carrier, packed with F-35Bs.
A J-35 launches from the Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian. PLAN
Having a larger number of F-35Bs on board the British carrier means that HMS Prince of Wales can contribute more to Falcon Strike, which also involves air assets from France, Greece, Italy, and the United States.
More importantly, a carrier deployment with 24 British F-35Bs is a major requirement for the declaration of full operating capability for the U.K. Carrier Strike capability, once planned for 2023, then delayed to the end of this year. A 24-aircraft total is the minimum required for this declaration, with the Queen Elizabeth class having the capacity to embark more jets, if required.
The move toward full operating capability is also welcome, considering recent criticism of the British F-35 program.
Last week, the U.K.’s Public Accounts Committee released its latest report on the program. Among others, this highlighted the effects of a lack of overall investment in the program. According to the report, cost-cutting measures have had an adverse impact on the F-35B’s capability, availability to fly, and value for money.
To date, the United Kingdom has only placed firm orders for 48 F-35Bs. The previous Conservative government confirmed it was negotiating to buy another 27 F-35Bs for delivery by 2033. However, this batch of 27 jets will now be divided between F-35As (12) and F-35Bs (15). The conventional takeoff and landing F-35A offers a number of advantages, including being cheaper, possessing a bigger weapons bay, having a nuclear capability, and improved performance in many scenarios. However, it cannot embark on a carrier.
Most analysts consider that many more than 48 F-35Bs would be required to meet the ambition of 24 jets available for the baseline Carrier Strike mission, across two carriers, as opposed to just one. Considering training and other demands, a figure of 60-70 jets is generally thought to be reasonable. It is for this reason that U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs have been relied upon to make up the required aircraft numbers during carrier cruises.
Officially, at least, the U.K. Ministry of Defense says that it still expects to procure 138 F-35s over the lifetime of the program. However, this total now includes at least 12 F-35As. Having a smaller pool of F-35Bs will also put more strain on the fleet of STOVL jets that are required for missions aboard the carriers.
“The new fast jets will be based at RAF Marham, with the Government expected to procure 138 F35s over the lifetime of the programme.” Everything else aside, this is about as clear a commitment to the UK’s full programme of record as you’re ever going to get……
Whatever the final F-35B numbers, the Royal Navy is increasingly looking to the potential of uncrewed aircraft to bolster its carrier air wings. The Royal Navy hopes that a combination of drones and long-range weapons will help to make a more balanced ‘hybrid carrier air wing,’ as you can read about here.
In 2023, the Royal Navy revealed details of its plan to fit its two carriers with assisted launch systems and recovery gear, enabling operations by a variety of fixed-wing uncrewed aircraft and, potentially, also conventional takeoff and landing crewed types.
“We are looking to move from STOVL to STOL, then to STOBAR [short takeoff but arrested recovery], and then to CATOBAR [catapult assisted takeoff but arrested recovery],” Col. Phil Kelly, the Royal Navy’s Head of Carrier Strike and Maritime Aviation, told the Combined Naval Event conference in 2023. “We are looking at a demonstrable progression that spreads out the financial cost and incrementally improves capability.”
A General Atomics rendering of a catapult-equipped HMS Prince of Wales with a Gambit-series drone ready to launch. The rendering also depicts an air wing that includes carrier-capable MQ-9B drones fitted with a STOL kit, as well as F-35Bs. GA-ASI
By the time a British carrier makes its next scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific, planned for 2029, the Ministry of Defense hopes that it will include some kind of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). This aspiration was laid out by First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins earlier this year, when he said he wanted to “launch the first jet-powered collaborative platform drone as a concept demonstrator off a Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier” before the end of 2026.
Nevertheless, for the foreseeable future, the F-35B remains the cornerstone of the carrier air wing’s strike capability. Putting the largest number of the stealth jets on a Royal Navy carrier is a visible demonstration of the aircraft’s central role and underscores the British F-35Bs’ progress, despite lingering concerns over final aircraft numbers and other criticisms of the program.
Star forward Lionel Messi and Inter Miami advanced to MLS Cup East semifinals with Game 3 playoff win over Nashville.
Published On 9 Nov 20259 Nov 2025
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Lionel Messi scored two goals and assisted two more, and Inter Miami advanced in the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in club history with a 4-0 victory over visiting Nashville SC in Game 3 of their first-round series on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Messi finished the best-of-three series with five goals and three assists, meaning he was involved in all eight tallies for third-seeded Miami. He has scored 15 times against sixth-seeded Nashville in all competitions, by far his most against any MLS opponent.
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By contrast, Messi has never scored against No 2 seed FC Cincinnati, which will host Inter Miami in a one-game Eastern Conference semifinal in two weeks.
Tadeo Allende scored twice after halftime and had an assist as Miami won despite playing without key forward Luis Suarez, who served a one-game suspension for his kickout at Nashville SC’s Andy Najar in Game 2.
Nashville was eliminated in the first round in a third consecutive postseason appearance, having returned to the playoffs in the first full season coached by BJ Callaghan after missing the 2024 tournament.
Messi put Miami in front in the 10th minute on the first clear chance for either side.
Ian Fray’s pressure forced Nashville’s Matthew Corcoran into an ill-advised backward pass, which Allende deflected to Messi’s feet, with time and space to surge forward.
Messi did the rest, dribbling at retreating centre back Jack Maher before firing a low finish from about 20 yards (18 metres) out between goalkeeper Joe Willis and the right post.
Then Walker Zimmerman’s defensive error helped set up Messi’s second in the 39th minute when he reached Jordi Alba’s long, speculative ball down the left flank but failed to clear it.
Instead, it fell to Mateo Silvetti, who alertly spotted Messi running into space and provided the square pass in stride for a much simpler second finish.
Nashville thought it had pulled a goal back only seconds into the second half, only for apparent goal-scorer Sam Surridge to be whistled for a foul on Maxi Falcon.
But eventually, Miami added insurance through Allende twice in the 73rd and 76th minutes.
On the first, Messi and Alba combined on the left side of the box to set up Allende’s low finish through traffic. On the second, it was Messi sending an early through ball, and Allende chipping past Willis on the run.
Messi, centre, scores his second goal against Nashville in the 39th minute [Chandan Khanna/AFP]
