🇵🇭 Second Typhoon in One Week Forces Nearly One Million to Flee as Philippines Faces Climate Crisis
This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.
Today is November 11
This is The Foreign Page, your daily portal into Mencari News's universe as well as our interpretation of the global scene.
Your subscription to Mencari will help to fund our operations as an independent media organisation.
Join over 1000 readers. Sign up here.
We'd love it if you could share the email with your friends! Just (copy the URL here.
Today's reading time is 5 minutes. - Miko Santos
MUST READS
🇺🇦 Ukrainian Strikes Disrupt Power to Major Russian Cities as Energy War Escalates
Ukrainian military operations disrupted electrical power and heating systems in two major Russian cities near the border on Sunday, marking the latest escalation in nearly four years of infrastructure warfare between the two nations.
Drone and missile strikes targeted Voronezh and Belgorod, affecting over 20,000 households and temporarily cutting services to more than 1 million residents. The attacks represent Ukraine’s continued strategy of targeting Russian energy facilities to deprive Moscow of oil export revenue needed to sustain military operations, while Russia responds with systematic assaults on Ukrainian power grids designed to deny civilians access to essential services during winter months.
The infrastructure attacks have raised urgent nuclear safety concerns after Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha revealed that Russian strikes on Friday hit power substations supplying two Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Sybiha accused Moscow of “deliberately endangering nuclear safety in Europe” and called for an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin confirmed it would honor obligations under the global nuclear test ban despite President Vladimir Putin’s recent order to study resuming atomic tests, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed readiness to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss ending the conflict.
🇬🇧 BBC Director General Tim Davie and News CEO Resign Over Trump Documentary Editing Controversy
The BBC faces an unprecedented leadership crisis as Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness resigned simultaneously on Sunday following intense criticism over a Panorama documentary that misled viewers by editing U.S. President Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech. The controversial edit stitched together two segments originally 50 minutes apart, making it appear Trump explicitly encouraged the Capitol Hill riot. Davie, who led the corporation for five years, acknowledged that “mistakes have been made” and accepted ultimate responsibility, while Turness stated the controversy had reached a stage where it was “causing damage to the BBC.”
The resignations represent the first time both the BBC’s top executive and news chief have stepped down on the same day, highlighting the severity of the crisis facing Britain’s public broadcaster. The controversy extends beyond the Trump edit, with leaked internal memos revealing concerns about systemic bias in BBC Arabic’s Israel-Gaza coverage, censored reporting on trans issues, and multiple editorial guideline violations. UK political leaders from across the spectrum expressed hope the departures would catalyze meaningful reform, while President Trump declared vindication, calling the BBC “100% fake news.” The BBC board now faces the critical task of appointing new leadership ahead of crucial Royal Charter negotiations set to conclude by the end of 2027.
🇵🇭 Second Typhoon in One Week Forces Nearly One Million to Flee as Philippines Faces Climate Crisis
A second typhoon in one week has struck the Philippines, killing at least two people and forcing nearly one million residents to evacuate from 11 regions as Typhoon Fung-wong made landfall Sunday night in Aurora province. The storm, known locally as Uwan, follows closely behind Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed almost 200 people in the central archipelago and left entire neighborhoods in rubble. Fung-wong has been upgraded to super typhoon status with maximum wind speeds of 185 kph and a massive circulation spanning 1,800 kilometers—enough to cover the entire country—threatening the nation’s most populous island of Luzon, including Manila.
The back-to-back disasters have pushed the Philippines’ disaster response capabilities to their limits, marking the fourth major typhoon in seven weeks alongside two earthquakes. Recovery efforts from Kalmaegi have been interrupted to concentrate all available resources on Fung-wong preparation, with officials warning that funds are becoming exhausted. The crisis highlights both the immediate humanitarian emergency and systemic challenges facing the Philippines, including a massive corruption scandal involving flood control projects and the accelerating impact of climate change on storm intensity and frequency in Southeast Asia.
In partnership with Podwires
The 5-Minute Newsletter Every Podcast Producer Reads
Stay ahead of the curve with breaking news and insights, and tap into freelance marketplace opportunities tailored for podcast producers like you.
🇲🇾 Migrant Boat Sinks Near Malaysia-Thailand Border: 7 Dead, Hundreds Missing in Rohingya Refugee Tragedy
A boat carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar has sunk near the Malaysia-Thailand border, leaving seven people dead, dozens missing, and only 13 rescued as of Sunday. Malaysian maritime authorities are searching an area of 170 square nautical miles near Langkawi island after the vessel departed Myanmar’s Rakhine state three days earlier carrying approximately 300 people. Police and maritime officials believe passengers were split into three smaller boats as they neared Malaysia to avoid detection, though the timing, exact location, and fate of the other two vessels remain unclear.
The tragedy highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing Rohingya Muslims fleeing years of conflict, hunger, and ethnic violence in Myanmar’s impoverished Rakhine state. More than 5,100 Rohingya have attempted perilous sea journeys between January and early November this year, with nearly 600 people reported dead or missing, according to UN Refugee Agency data. Driven out of Rakhine following a brutal 2017 military crackdown, some 1.3 million Rohingya now live as refugees in densely-packed camps in Bangladesh, where increasingly difficult conditions push desperate families toward dangerous migration routes despite the documented risks.
🇺🇸 US Senate Moves Toward Vote to End Historic 40-Day Government Shutdown Amid Healthcare Debate
The U.S. Senate moved Sunday toward a vote on reopening the federal government amid growing optimism that the historic 40-day shutdown could end within days. Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced plans to vote on advancing a House-passed stopgap funding bill, with amendments combining short-term measures with three full-year appropriations bills. The package must still pass the House and receive President Donald Trump’s signature, a process that could take several days as the shutdown continues affecting federal workers, food assistance programs, national parks, and air traffic control operations threatening Thanksgiving travel.
The path forward remains complicated by healthcare politics, as Senate Democrats resist passing funding measures without agreements to extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that have helped double enrollment to 24 million Americans. Trump continues pushing to replace marketplace subsidies with direct payments to individuals, calling current subsidies a “windfall for Health Insurance Companies.” Without the subsidies, Americans shopping for 2026 health insurance face more than doubling of monthly premiums on average. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett warned that economic growth could turn negative in the fourth quarter if air travel doesn’t return to normal levels by Thanksgiving on November 27.
Check this Out
US airports most likely to see delays this Thanksgiving
Remember last Thanksgiving when airports across the U.S. were swamped with travelers? The TSA screened 3.08 million people in a single day (the Sunday after the holiday), a record, and also a reminder that holiday travel is equal parts reunion and endurance test. Most travelers made it home, but not without a fair share of delay alerts and tired gate crowds across the country.
Watch This
In this special episode of The Listening Post, we examine the rise of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. A democratic socialist and outspoken critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Mamdani has faced a barrage of hostility from US mainstream media, the political donor class and the democratic establishment alike. The press has been particularly relentless, questioning not only Mamdani’s progressive policies but also his identity as a Muslim and an immigrant.
But Mamdani is a digital native with an international following and a double-digit lead in the polls. His victory would reverberate far beyond New York City, shaking up the Democratic Party nationwide.
This episode exposes how the media and the wealthy political class attempted to discredit Mamdani and how, against all odds, he turned their attacks into the foundation of a movement.
Pick of the Day
Is AI powering the next wave of financial scams?
Amidst a flood of artificial intelligence (AI) apps designed to launch humanity to new heights—or cash in before the market bubble bursts—many are debating whether AI is a friend or foe.
In the right hands, AI can produce awe-inspiring results. But in the wrong hands, it can be a powerful tool for stealing our money and data.
Finder.com shares how financial scammers are using AI and how you can protect yourself from their schemes.
SUPPORT MENCARI
The Mencari - Australia's Politics delivers fact-focused reporting to over 1,000 inboxes thanks to readers like you, and your contribution today will strengthen our ability to provide verified, evidence-based journalism completely free from financial or political influence as we work to establish ourselves as Australia's premier independent news organization focused on accountability through thorough investigation.
As well as knowing you’re keeping MENCARI alive, you’ll also get:
Get breaking news AS IT HAPPENS - Gain instant access to our real-time coverage and analysis when major stories break, keeping you ahead of the curve
Unlock our COMPLETE content library - Enjoy unlimited access to every newsletter, podcast episode, and exclusive archive—all seamlessly available in your favorite podcast apps.
Join the conversation that matters - Be part of our vibrant community with full commenting privileges on all content, directly supporting Mencari's
The Foreign Page is edited by Mencari’s Miko Santos
We want to hear from you.
Click below to email us with your questions, ideas and feedback.
The Mencari readers receive journalism free of financial and political influence.
We set our own news agenda, which is always based on facts rather than billionaire ownership or political pressure.
Despite the financial challenges that our industry faces, we have decided to keep our reporting open to the public because we believe that everyone has the right to know the truth about the events that shape their world.
Thanks to the support of our readers, we can continue to provide free reporting. If you can, please choose to support The Mencari.
Not ready to be paid subscribe, but appreciate the newsletter ? Grab us a beer or snag the exclusive ad spot at the top of next week's newsletter.
