emergency

Rescue teams in Greece are combing through the rubble for survivors after a four-story apartment building in Athens collapsed on Tuesday. Four people have since been rescued from beneath the debris. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the collapse.

June 27 (UPI) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared an emergency in the state on Saturday because of widespread floods that have claimed at least four lives.

The declaration came after two waves of severe storms on Friday that caused flash floods, high winds and a tornado — and ahead of another round of heavy rain expected overnight on Saturday.

Beshear started sounding the alarm ahead of a few days of heavy rain early Friday, warning residents that areas around the Ohio River were likely to flood over the weekend.

In announcing the declaration of emergency, Beshear said heavy rain was expected to continue in the state through at least 11 p.m. EDT on Saturday, with the expectation for dangerous road conditions, limited visibility and up to seven inches of rain in some areas.

Local states of emergency were also declared in five Kentucky counties — Bullitt, Madison, Meade, Mercer and Spencer — the governor’s office said.

“This is a serious flooding event, where teams have already had to conduct multiple water rescues from vehicles and homes across the commonwealth,” Beshear said in a press release.

“As more heavy rain continues through late night, we need folks to remain alert and to avoid driving,” Beshear said. “We’ve sadly already received reports of fatalities that we are working to confirm, and we need everyone to stay alert and do what’s needed to keep each other safe.”

Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison confirmed that three people between the ages of 40 and 59 had died in the county in incidents linked to the storms, with one killed in a car accident and a couple that were killed in their flooded basement, NBC News reported.

Jackson County Executive Paul Hays confirmed to LEX-18 that a person there had also died, in their case because of a car accident linked to the storms.

“We had multiple rescues of people that were in cars on the roadways that had to be rescued, and we’ve had eight or nine rescues from homes that were surrounded by water and flooded,” Hays said.

Hays said the county had received about six inches of rain, as well as seen property damage and debris strewn across roads, which in some cases had displaced residents from their homes.

The National Weather Service in Kentucky forecast multiple rounds of thunderstorms and heavy rain overnight on Saturday, which are likely to result in more flash flooding, and has left a flood watch in effect for entire state until Sunday morning.

Although forecasters predicted total rainfall of about 1 to 3 inches, they said that 3 to 5 inches, or more, is possible in some areas.

The US Federal Aviation Administration recorded 644 lithium battery fires onboard flights in the past 20 years, with the global figure stretching into the thousands

A pilot has urged passengers not to pack an electrical item in their luggage, to avoid potentially disastrous consequences.

Eleven days ago, passengers aboard a British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flying from London Heathrow Airport to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas noticed an acrid smell.

A blaze had broken out in the cabin, triggered – it would later become clear – by a lithium battery. The fire scorched the inside of the jet before crew could extinguish it. Clark County Fire Department responders rushed to meet the singed plane on the tarmac.

The fire was one of 644 such incidents on planes recorded by the US Federal Aviation Administration in the past 20 years, with the global figure stretching into the thousands.

Other incidents are much scarier.

Do you have a story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

OPINION

On January 28 last year, 176 passengers were evacuated from Air Busan Flight 391 when a battery blaze completely destroyed the plane as it taxied for take-off at Gimhae International Airport. Three were injured.

Lithium batteries are used six times more now than in 2020, raising the risk of fire with them. They can ignite due to a process called thermal runaway, where a damaged or short-circuited cell rapidly generates heat. This creates a chain reaction that releases extreme heat, and can be triggered by being crushed and overcharged.

Many of us know of the dangers of lithium batteries on flights and that items containing them such as phones, power banks and vapes must only be stored in hand luggage. However, it’s easy to let less obvious gadgets slip into hold luggage, according to easyJet pilot and head of flight operations at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Glenn Bradley.

“The batteries are in everything, including portable fans. Lithium batteries in the hold are the most dangerous thing,” Glenn explained.

While flight attendants are trained to put out cabin fires, accessing luggage in the hold is impossible during a flight, which is why the prospect of a lithium battery fire is taken extremely seriously.

“We all carry about four of these batteries when we fly, so on a plane there could be a thousand. The fact is, they don’t explode on a daily basis, but if they do, we want to be able to manage them,” he added.

If a passenger realises they’ve left a battery-containing item in their hold luggage, they should immediately tell crew.

When that happened on a UK-bound easyJet flight in May, it was diverted to Rome. The captain judged the power bank charging in a passenger’s luggage to be too dangerous to ignore.

Glenn spoke with the Mirror as part of a CAA safety campaign. Passengers are urged to “pack right for a safe flight” by taking their batteries in the cabin with them.

Passengers should:

• Take items like mobile phones, vapes and power banks on board with you.
• Never charge a power bank on a flight.
• Turn off laptops completely if they’re going to be put in check-in bags.

Getting it wrong could lead to your bags being removed from the flight, causing significant delays or, even worse, result in a fire that may be impossible to contain.

Giancarlo Buono, director of aviation safety at the CAA, said: “Flying is by far the safest way to travel and we want to keep it that way. Pack right for a safe flight, and that means don’t put your batteries in your checked bag. Take them into the cabin with you. This simple tip will make your flight safer for you, and the other passengers you’re flying with.”

CAA figures show reports of overheating or malfunctioning passenger devices nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025, following a 98% year-on-year increase. Cases of lithium battery-powered devices being incorrectly packed in checked baggage also rose by 91% in 2025.

June 22 (UPI) — Bolivia began the week with 11 active roadblocks remaining across the national highway network — a sharp decline from the dozens that had disrupted transportation and commerce for more than 50 days, according to a road accessibility report from the Bolivian Highway Administration.

Local media outlets, including El Deber and La Razón, reported that reopening the country’s main transportation routes occurred shortly after President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency Saturday in response to internal unrest.

Vehicle traffic and essential goods distribution have gradually returned to normal after a joint deployment of the Bolivian National Police and the Armed Forces, officials said. The operation dismantled much of the network of more than 50 critical roadblocks that had pushed the country toward a logistical and economic crisis.

The presidential decree, which the Legislative Assembly backed, temporarily authorized the Armed Forces to support police efforts to maintain order and guarantee freedom of movement.

In key areas such as El Alto and access roads to La Paz, security forces used excavators and other heavy equipment to clear tons of debris, dirt and rocks left on highways.

Negotiations also aided the reduction in roadblocks. Alongside the emergency measures, the government finalized a pacification agreement with the Bolivian Workers’ Center, the country’s largest labor federation.

Authorities also reported the peaceful removal of a 38-day blockade in the strategic municipality of San Julián in the eastern Santa Cruz department. Despite the large-scale demobilization, protests continue in several strongholds.

The remaining roadblocks are concentrated primarily in the Tropic of Cochabamba region and parts of Oruro and La Paz, Diario Libre reported.

Those areas are led by coca growers’ unions and Indigenous and peasant groups aligned with former President Evo Morales. The groups oppose the emergency decree, describing it as repressive, and continue to press political demands against the government.

Authorities reported isolated incidents during security operations, including chemical agents used in high-tension areas such as the Río Seco district of El Alto and roadways leading to Laja.

In those locations, protesters attempted to rebuild barricades and engaged in verbal confrontations with joint police and military patrols.

After the military deployment, Bolivia’s Ombudsman’s Office launched a nationwide monitoring plan. In a report released Sunday, the institution said most roads were reopened without the use of violent force.

With the country’s main transportation corridor restored, hundreds of fuel tankers and cargo trucks carrying food and medical supplies began to enter major cities as part of an emergency logistics effort to mitigate the economic damage caused by the prolonged conflict.

June 20 (UPI) — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Saturday issued a declaration of local emergency as the city continues to fight a major fire at a cold-storage warehouse in the city’s Boyle Heights neighborhood.

The fire erupted on June 17 and has since caused smoke to blanket the surrounding area as the warehouse continues to smolder, leading the city to open 24-hour-per-day smoke relief centers for resident who cannot shelter-in-place.

The fire, which was described by Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jamie Moore as “a very unique challenge,” started around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the 500,000-square-foot building, ABC7 and The Los Angeles Times reported.

Fire officials said that hazardous materials, including ammonia, have been removed from the building, but foam insulation inside of the building’s walls, among other things, continues to burn.

“While the LAFD continues making progress, this is a major, multi-jurisdictional incident,” Bass said in a statement announcing the declaration.

“The City and County have opened spaces for families seeking relief from the smoke, and we will continue working around the clock and doing everything possible to put this fire out completely,” Bass said.

The ammonia at the warehouse has been pumped out and transported elsewhere, Lineage Logistics, which operates the facility, said in a statement.

The company also said that it believes the fire started when a neighboring business tested a solar array on Wednesday.

Aside from the insulation, city officials said that they also concerned about the rooftop solar array and lithium-ion batteries at the warehouse catching fire, as well as eventually clearing out roughly 85 million pounds of decaying — if not also burnt — food products, most of which is meat.

The LAFD has worked since Wednesday to ventilate the building so that firefighters can more safely enter the building to suppress the fire, department spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz said in a series of updates posted on its website this week.

which carried with it warnings for residents in the surrounding area to avoid smoke inhalation.

Although much of the smoke from ventilating the building had started to clear by mid-day on Friday, an anticipated change in the wind on Friday after, which caused the fire to also flare up, made smoke more visible than it had been since Thursday.

“LAFD crews continue to work diligently on the warehouse fire in Boyle Heights,” Lantz said in an update at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

“The smell of smoke has reached most of the city, and we encourage everyone to limit exposure as much as possible.”

Bolivia’s president announces a state of emergency after weeks of nationwide protests and road blockades crippled the country’s economy. Protesters are demanding fuel subsidies be reinstated and increased funding for education.

The “Love Island USA” production team is mourning the loss of executive producer James Barker, who died last week while on set in Fiji.

“Love Island USA” producers ITV America and Peacock confirmed Barker’s death in a media release shared with The Times on Monday. The announcement said that Barker died after “an unexpected medical emergency” but did not provide additional details, including the day of his death and a cause of death. Barker was 40.

“James’ unimaginable loss has been deeply felt across not just the entire Love Island USA production, but throughout all of ITV and Peacock,” the television companies said in a joint statement. “He was a beloved and greatly valued member of our collective family whose kindness, talent and dedication left an indelible mark on all of us and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. We extend our heartfelt condolences to James’ family, friends and colleagues.”

Barker began his tenure on “Love Island USA” in 2020, first working as a story producer. He has worked as an executive producer on the series for the last three seasons and was also a member of the producing team on “Love Island” companion series “Love Island Games” and “Love Island: Beyond the Villa.”

Barker, according to Monday’s statement, also oversaw the hit series’ pop soundtrack. For an interview with Rolling Stone in 2025, Barker recalled watching the original British “Love Island” series and how pop music supplemented the on-screen romances and heartbreak: “I think that is where my brain immediately said, ‘One, this is amazing, and more shows should be like this.’ And two, ‘How do I work on “Love Island”?’”

Barker also noted in the interview that he drew inspiration for the “Love Island USA” villa sound from his pre-TV career as a nightlife DJ and spoke about the process of hand-selecting music from established pop acts and up-and-coming artists.

“In the past, there was such a stigma about reality shows that a lot of artists didn’t want their music associated with reality shows. And that’s starting to turn around now,” Barker told the outlet. “[Artists are] more and more seeing, well, one, the financial aspect of having your music synced in these kind of shows, and also just the wide reach of viewers.”

Before “Love Island USA,” Barker was a producer on reality series “Pawn Stars,” “Counting Cars” and “Forged in Fire.” He later served as a story producer on “Queer Eye,” “Cosmic Love” and “Are You My First?” Outside of his TV work, Barker often performed as DJ Chaotic at gay bar C’mon Everybody in Brooklyn.

“Love Island USA,” which began its eighth season earlier this month, will pay tribute to Barker in Tuesday’s episode.

He is survived by his mother Malinda.

THE Traitors star Diane Carson has revealed she suffered a nasty fall on holiday that resulted in a £280 trip to the dentist.

The keen runner, 65, is on holiday in Lisbon with her son and his girlfriend, Rima.

While exploring the sunny Portuguese city, Diane came a cropper on a jog and it needed a pricey resolution.

She shared a video of her happily bounding through a park before the accident and wrote over the top: “Today’s amazing run — before the £280 worth of dental treatment.”

In the caption she gave more detail, explaining she had two scraped knees, a staved thumb, a severely swollen lip and two chipped teeth; one was so far back she couldn’t close her mouth.

Showing true grit, she completed another 1.5miles after the incident to finish her route.

READ MORE ON THE TRAITORS

end of the road

The Traitors star reveals hit show will end next week after 7 years

new gig

Richard Osman lands new ITV show from team behind Traitors after quitting BBC rival

She wrote: “My tooth was masterfully maneuvered back into place and treatment completed with an orthodontic wire.”

Her followers were quick to comment, wishing her well and praising her strength for returning to exercise so soon after the accident.

One wrote: “Yikes! Not sure I would have carried on after that…”

Diane replied: “I’m a tad bloody minded – matching my face this morning!”

Another said: “Ouch!!!! But obviously finish the run! hope you’re ok.”

The reality star responded: “I’ll live, thank u. Tooth mightn’t though!”

In another exchange, a fan posted: “Poor you! Sounds painful… hope it doesn’t impede the rose enjoyment.”

Diane said: “Rarely impeded – even if I have to use a straw to accommodate a swollen mouth!!!”

The previous day, the retired teacher shared a picture with her son Ross, with whom she appeared in The Traitors with.

She wrote: “Lovely meeting up with Ross and Rima and what a great holiday destination – Lisbon!”

“Plenty of sunshine, running, exploring, shopping, Padel AND the discovery of natural wines! We arrived just in time for the start of Festas de Lisboa – so lots of craic!”

The series two pair were responsible for one of the series’ biggest twists and were both a big hit with viewers.

Their co-stars had no idea they were related until Ross delivered the news after being eliminated at the round table in episode 10.

His parting words were: “I am a Faithful… oh wait, no, I’m a Traitor. But I was a Faithful for most of it. And I do have one more secret… Diane is my mum.”

June 3 (UPI) — Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz sent a bill to Parliament on Wednesday to regulate states of emergency, while two ministers resigned amid a crisis that has entered its fifth week of road blockades.

The crisis, which began in early May with protests over fuel shortages, rising living costs and opposition to economic measures promoted by the government, has left at least five people dead and caused economic losses that exceed $1.6 billion.

Since the inception, more than 100 roadblocks have disrupted the transportation of goods, food and medical supplies, and fuel distribution in different parts of the country.

“This law regulating states of emergency in the nation has already been sent to Parliament, and I hope it will be resolved soon,” Paz said during a public statement.

Paz said the initiative would provide a legal framework for actions the government plans to implement to ensure assistance to the population and distribution of essential supplies.

Bolivia’s Constitution provides for a state of emergency in extraordinary situations that affect the country’s security or normal functioning. However, the newspaper La Razón reported the government considers it necessary to have a specific law establishing procedures, scope and implementation mechanisms for that constitutional tool.

Paz added that any action taken by the police, armed forces and government would be guided by a “logic of humanitarian action” and defended dialogue as the path to resolving the crisis.

“We come from the real, democratic and constitutional culture of dialogue,” he said.

The announcement came the same day defense and education ministers submitted resignations, becoming the most significant cabinet departures since the protests began, according to reports from Bolivian media outlets.

Their departures follow the resignation of Labor Minister Edgar Morales less than two weeks ago.

The resignations represent a new political blow to Paz, who took office six months ago and is facing a growing humanitarian crisis.

The protests, led by labor unions, Indigenous organizations, teachers and groups aligned with former President Evo Morales, have expanded their demands, and some groups have begun to call for the president’s resignation.

According to reports by El País and Infobae based on data from Bolivian authorities and business organizations, the Federation of Private Business Entities of Bolivia warned that the road blockades continue to affect productive sectors, exporters and transport operators, while agricultural producers have warned of growing difficulties in moving goods and guaranteeing domestic supply.

The Legislative Assembly must now debate the proposal on states of emergency as protests continue and pressure mounts on the executive branch to solve the crisis.

The government maintains that road blockades are intended to destabilize the constitutional order, while protesters say the demonstrations are a response to deteriorating economic conditions and shortages that affect much of the country.

JOHANNESBURG — The government in South Africa and Afrikaner advocacy groups on Wednesday rejected the position of the Trump administration that there’s a humanitarian emergency affecting white people in South Africa.

The argument served as the rationale for raising the U.S. refugee cap, but only for white Afrikaners. The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will admit an additional 10,000 white South Africans into the U.S. as refugees this year, increasing its annual cap, but blocking people from other countries from entering through the program.

President Trump’s announcement on the Federal Register that he was increasing the refugee cap because of “an unforeseen emergency refugee situation.” He blamed the South African government for “recent increases in the incitement of racially motivated violence,” but Trump gave no specific information.

The South African government’s international relations department said Wednesday that accusations of systemic persecution of white Afrikaners are unfounded, pointing out that some beneficiaries of an immigration program have chosen to return to South Africa.

“This reality is further corroborated by the actions of individuals who, despite having availed themselves of this preferential immigration program, have since resolved to return home,” spokesman Chrispin Phiri said.

Afrikaner trade union, Solidariteit, argued that refugee status isn’t a viable solution for Afrikaners, who should thrive in South Africa instead. Spokesman Jaco Kleynhans said that the organization hadn’t discussed any “unforeseen emergency refugee situation” with the Trump administration, but respects the autonomy of U.S. refugee policy toward Afrikaners.

The union “is in no way aware of anything that the Trump administration could be referring to,” Kleynhans said.

AfriForum, a lobbying organization for the country’s white Afrikaner minority with more than 300,000 members, said it “does not have information” regarding the specific assertion that there’s an emergency refugee situation.

The organization’s CEO, Kallie Kriel, said the group’s focus is “fighting to create the circumstances in South Africa where there is no need for Afrikaners to leave.”

Trump suspended the U.S. refugee program on his first day in office and, since then, has turned it into a vehicle to allow Afrikaners — a group of white South Africans descended mainly from Dutch settlers — into the United States. Advocates say the decision to focus a decades-old program on one group has left people around the world fleeing war and strife stranded and with few options.

Refugee groups have questioned why white South Africans are being prioritized ahead of people from countries facing war and natural disasters. Vetting for refugee status in the U.S. often takes years.

The Trump administration’s preference for white Afrikaner refugee admissions, according to Dr. Bryony Fox, a social justice researcher at Stellenbosch University, raises questions about selective humanitarianism, inconsistent refugee protection and favoring privileged groups, while ignoring other refugee populations experiencing severe hardships.

“This risks politicizing refugee protection in a way that may ultimately weaken the legitimacy and universality of the refugee regime itself,” she said.

Gumede writes for the Associated Press.

May 23 (UPI) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday declared a state of emergency in Orange County, Calif., in response to a hazardous chemical incident there.

Residents and businesses started to be evacuated on Friday afternoon after a tank containing methyl methacrylate in Garden Grove, Calif., at the GKN Aerospace manufacturing plant started to leak vapor, KABC and The Orange County Register reported.

The tank started to heat on Thursday, started to bulge and reached what is called a “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion,” Craig Covey, an Orange County Fire Authority division chief, told The Los Angeles Times.

More than 44,000 people have been evacuated from the area because officials are concerned that the tank could either explode or fail and begin to leak, though they said if the tank leaks — which is also bad — it means the chemical at least would no longer be at risk of igniting.

“The safety of Orange County residents is the top priority,” Newsom said in a statement.

“We are mobilizing every state resource available to support local responders and make sure the community has what they need to stay safe,” he said.

Methyl metacrylate, or MMA, is stored in liquid form and is used to make plastics.

The tank holds about 7,000 gallons of the chemical, which if it gets into the air can be toxic to people at high concentrations.

The tank also is surrounded by several others containing fuel and other chemicals, which has especially raised concern among the first responders because if it explodes, the others around it may ignite, as well.

If the tank fails and leaks, it will spread thousands of gallons of the chemical through a parking lot and the entire surrounding area, which also poses potential health and safety risks for nearby people.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said that it is coordinating resources between state and local partners to be sure that first responders “have all the resources necessary to safely respond to this dynamic situation.”

Newsom encouraged Orange County residents, and especially those in Garden Grove, to pay attention to potential evacuation requests as the situation continues to develop.

May 17 (UPI) — The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern in reaction to an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republican of the Congo.

Health officials believe the disease, also known Ebola hemorrahagic fever, has killed dozens of people in the two countries in recent days. In the DRC’s Ituri province, there have been 336 cases and 88 deaths possibly linked to the disease. Eight cases have been confirmed.

Cases have also been suspected in Kampala, Uganda.

The WHO declared the public health emergency Saturday, one day after confirming the existence of an outbreak. The international health organization, which is an arm of the United Nations, said the outbreak doesn’t meet the criteria of a pandemic, but the spread of the virus could be bigger than currently known.

“There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time,” the WHO said.

This Ebola outbreak has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus, making it particularly challenging to treat. Unlike the Ebola-zaire strains of the virus, there are no approved approved therapeutics or vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain, the WHO said.

An Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain has killed dozens in Democratic Republic of the Congo and is spreading into Uganda, raising fears of regional transmission. Health officials say instability and shared borders are complicating containment efforts as the World Health Organization declares a global health emergency.

The plane was forced to be diverted and ended up at its target destination several hours behind schedule after refuelling in Tahiti

A Qantas flight bound for Dallas was forced to make an emergency diversion to Tahiti after a passenger allegedly bit a cabin crew member mid-flight.

The dramatic incident unfolded aboard QF21, which had departed Melbourne for the gruelling 18-hour journey to the US.

Crew members and passengers reportedly stepped in to assist the flight attendant after the alleged attack took place in the air.

The aircraft was diverted to Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, where local police boarded the plane and removed the passenger.

Qantas confirmed the man has since been banned from flying with the airline.

A spokesperson for the carrier said: “We have zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behaviour on our flights.”

After refuelling in Tahiti, the aircraft resumed its journey to Dallas but arrived several hours behind schedule.

It is not yet known what sparked the alleged altercation onboard.

It comes after a weekend of flight chaos.

Airports in Japan, China, India, the UAE, Singapore and Thailand have all been impacted, with airlines cancelling 366 flights and delaying a further 2,949 services, according to aviation tracking data reported by Travel and Tour World.

Major airlines affected include China Eastern Airlines, IndiGo, AirAsia and Etihad Airways, with disruption concentrated around major transit hubs including Tokyo Haneda Airport, Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, Kempegowda International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport and Zayed International Airport.

Industry analysts say the disruption is being driven by a combination of heavy storms across parts of Asia, congestion at key airports and the continuing impact of Middle East airspace restrictions, which have forced airlines to reroute aircraft and absorb significantly higher fuel costs.

The wider aviation sector is also dealing with fallout from geopolitical tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran, which has led to airspace closures and longer flight times on major Europe-Asia routes.

It has been reported this week that several carriers have already begun scaling back international schedules because of soaring operating costs.

It was hit shortly after taking off from Gatwick Airport. The moment was captured on camera

An easyJet aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after being struck by lightning shortly following takeoff. Flight U28305 was hit not long after departing from runway 08R at Gatwick Airport on Thursday, 14 May at 2.22pm.

Turbulent weather conditions, including strong winds and heavy rain, were reported in the area at the time. The lightning strike was captured on camera and widely shared across social media platforms.

The aircraft continued to climb briefly before the pilots, having reached 16,000 feet, requested permission to land and turned back to Gatwick for a full inspection. The plane, an Airbus A319 registered as G-EZDH, had been scheduled to travel to Milan, Italy, but touched back down at Gatwick just 27 minutes after taking off.

easyJet confirmed that no passengers or crew were injured, and that the aircraft returned ‘as a routine precaution’. A spokesperson stated: “EasyJet can confirm that flight U28305 from London Gatwick to Milan diverted back to London due to a lightning strike on the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely and was met by emergency services as a routine precaution.”

According to the National Weather Service, aircraft are struck by lightning on average once or twice annually. It notes: “They are designed and built to have conducting paths through the plane to take the lightning strike and conduct the currents.

“Actually, aircraft often initiate the strike because their presence enhances the ambient electric fields typical for thunderstorms and facilitates electrical breakdown through air.”

Aircraft must undergo a compulsory inspection following a lightning strike to assess any potential damage. Numerous planes aren’t required to be built with lightning protection as standard. There hasn’t been a lightning-related commercial transport aeroplane crash in decades.

Travellers have been told ‘not to panic’ if they have flights planned for the summer

Many travellers are worried that their summer flights may be at risk as the jet fuel supply disruptions have left some airlines cancelling and rescheduling flights. Now, hantavirus has also trigger some anxiety as passengers fear they may be facing the same disruptions they experienced during the Covid pandemic.

While health experts have been assured the public that hantavirus is “not like Covid”, according to BBC’s Dr Xand, a travel expert explained exactly what rights you have if your flight is cancelled for these reasons.

Hannah Mayfield explained: “If your flight is cancelled because of a global health emergency or another major disruption outside the airline’s control, passengers are still entitled under UK261 to either a full refund or alternative flight.

“That obligation remains firmly with the airline, even in extraordinary circumstances. What may not apply, however, is additional compensation.

“We saw significant confusion around this during the coronavirus pandemic.”

The travel money expert with specialist travel insurance comparison website PayingTooMuch, urged people to learn the “crucial” distinction between these two as some travellers mistakenly believe that if they aren’t entitled to compensation then they aren’t entitled to anything.

READ MORE: Travel expert issues EES update for Greece, Portugal, and GermanyREAD MORE: Ryanair plane diversion leads to ‘no fly’ warning

Ultimately, the expert assured everyone with upcoming flights: “The key message for travellers this summer is not to panic, but to understand where responsibility sits before problems arise. Knowing your rights in advance makes it much easier to act quickly and avoid unnecessary stress or expense if your faced with disruptions.”

She continued: “Airlines are responsible for passenger rights linked to the flight itself, including refunds, rebooking, and assistance during disruption.

“Travel insurance, by contrast, is there to protect against wider personal financial risks such as cancellation due to illness, emergency medical treatment abroad and repatriation as well as things like baggage lost items and in some cases irrecoverable costs that cannot be recovered from airlines or travel providers depending on the cover.”

Checking your travel insurance and how you paid for the flight before you leave can also add some extra protection. The expert urged: “It’s equally important to read the travel insurance policy carefully before travelling.

“Many people only discover exclusions relating to pandemics, wider disruption, or government travel advisories when they come to make a claim.”

Hannah explained that if you used a credit card to pay for your flight, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can “provide valuable additional protection in some instances”. While those who paid with debit cards may have “less robust” protections.

May 8 (Asia Today) — Japan is expanding imports of Russian Sakhalin-2 crude oil beyond a one-time emergency purchase, extending supply arrangements to multiple refiners and fuel networks around Tokyo Bay as concerns grow over instability in the Strait of Hormuz.

Japanese officials have reportedly asked Fuji Oil, an Idemitsu Kosan affiliate, to accept crude shipments from the Sakhalin-2 project after similar imports were arranged through Taiyo Oil.

The move comes as Japan seeks to reduce risks tied to Middle Eastern oil supplies while continuing to use sanction exemptions that remain in place for Sakhalin-2 energy resources.

The Sankei Shimbun reported Wednesday that the tanker Voyager, carrying crude oil from the Russian Far East project, was heading toward Fuji Oil facilities in Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture.

Fuji Oil became a subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan in November 2025 and operates a refinery that supplies petroleum products to the greater Tokyo metropolitan area.

According to ship tracking data cited by the newspaper, the Voyager departed Prigorodnoye Port in southern Sakhalin on April 24 and arrived near Imabari in western Japan on Sunday. The vessel later conducted unloading operations at Taiyo Oil facilities before departing for Tokyo Bay.

The tanker is expected to arrive in Sodegaura on Friday and leave Tokyo Bay on Saturday.

Idemitsu Kosan acknowledged the shipment was made at the request of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

A company spokesperson told Sankei that the import did not violate sanctions and described it as part of efforts to diversify procurement sources and maintain stable fuel supplies.

Before halting most Russian crude purchases after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Idemitsu sourced roughly 4% of its oil imports from Russia.

Analysts say the significance of the latest shipment lies not simply in Japan buying Russian oil again, but in Tokyo integrating Sakhalin-2 crude into a broader emergency procurement network involving multiple refiners.

Japan had already begun using the sanctions exemption amid rising Middle East tensions, but the latest deliveries suggest the mechanism is evolving into a more permanent contingency supply channel.

The development is also drawing attention in South Korea, which remains heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil imports.

According to Korea National Oil Corp. data, South Korea imported about 1.03 billion barrels of crude oil in 2024, with 71.5% sourced from the Middle East. Saudi Arabia accounted for 32.2% of imports, followed by the United States at 16.4% and the United Arab Emirates at 13.7%.

Although South Korea has steadily increased imports of U.S. crude, its supply structure remains highly exposed to shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz.

Energy analysts say South Korea may eventually need to move beyond reliance on strategic petroleum reserves alone and develop broader contingency planning that includes alternative suppliers, refinery compatibility and supply stability at major refining hubs such as Ulsan, Yeosu, Daesan and Incheon.

Japan’s latest actions suggest governments are increasingly seeking practical emergency supply options within existing sanctions frameworks rather than relying solely on traditional energy security measures.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260508010001814

April 17 (Asia Today) — South Korea will provide 462.2 billion won ($308 million) in emergency support for small businesses and exporters affected by the prolonged Middle East war, the government said Thursday.

Han Seong-sook, minister of SMEs and Startups, visited South Gyeongsang Province to inspect local business conditions and pledged swift policy support for small businesses, exporters and young entrepreneurs.

Han first toured a “glocal” commercial district in Tongyeong, where officials highlighted a local revitalization model that has helped boost sales in the area. The ministry said it plans to expand support for local entrepreneurs and foreign tourism infrastructure beginning in 2026.

Han then visited the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency in Jinju and emphasized special extensions of policy loan maturities and expanded emergency financing. The ministry is pushing to disburse more than 90% of the supplementary budget for logistics support by June to help exporters cope with rising shipping costs.

At Gyeongsang National University, Han discussed expanding the government’s “Startup for All” project with aspiring young entrepreneurs before heading to K-Tech, a defense exporter, for the final stop of the trip.

Companies at the meeting cited soaring raw material costs and higher logistics expenses caused by shipping delays as major difficulties. Han said it could take considerable time for logistics to normalize and for Middle East energy facilities to be fully restored.

“This is a critical moment for a closely woven support safety net to prepare for the fallout from the war,” Han said, pledging to relay companies’ concerns through an inter-ministerial emergency economic response system and to mobilize all available policy tools.

The ministry said the emergency support is part of a broader 1.69 trillion won ($1.13 billion) supplementary budget approved this month, with 462.2 billion won ($308 million) earmarked to minimize damage to export-oriented small and medium-sized firms from the Middle East conflict.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260417010005540