Asia

Sihanoukville, Cambodia: Around 200 passengers who paid to live on a cruise ship while travelling the world were abruptly left in a Cambodian port after the company ran out of money, an official said on Wednesday. US-based operator Villa Vie Residences announced on Tuesday it had "suspended operations in Cambodia" as it worked to address "extraordinary increases" in fuel costs following the Iran war. The 200-metre (656-foot) Odyssey left Northern Ireland in October 2024 for a continuous voyage for which residents could buy or rent rooms for a holiday or for life -- some passengers selling everything they had to pay for it. However, passengers were given just seven hours to pack their bags and leave during a scheduled stop in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, according to Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province. He said in a statement 203 guests and 156 crew had arrived aboard the Bahamas-flagged ship from Thailand on October 23, and had been due to go on to Vietnam. "The sudden order to disembark has left many retirees and remote workers homeless thousands of miles from their home countries," he said. Read Also Cyclone eases after lashing India coast, no deaths reported US, Cuba shouting match derails debate at UN MoI warns campers and sea users to stay clear of oil and gas facilities Some passengers took flights out while others remained in the city, he said, adding that the ship itself was due to refuel and leave on October 31. Randy Cassingham, a passenger on board who runs a cruise blog, wrote that the disembarkation order followed a "cascade of problems". Under a post entitled "Abandon Ship!", he said its Belfast launch was delayed by four months, while the ship never reached its capacity of 650 residents, peaking at around 350. He said it was not a "luxury" ship but affordable -- until the company started "begging for money". Villa Vie said in its statement per-cabin monthly fuel expenses had gone from an average of $1,800 to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. "The company cannot simply pass increases of that scale on to residents, and the resulting shortfall has placed its current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure," it said. Cassingham accused the company of doing "absolutely nothing to help" stranded passengers. Villa Vie said it was "working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements". "Villa Vie Residences recognises that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop," it said.

India

Kakinada, India: Ferocious winds and torrential rain lashed India's southeastern coast after a cyclone made landfall on Wednesday, but officials said there were no initial reports of deaths and the storm later began to ease. Cyclone Arnab hit southeastern Andhra Pradesh state as a "very severe cyclonic storm", with winds of 125-135 kilometres (77-84 miles) per hour and gusts reaching 150 kph in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Torrential rain was recorded -- as much as 30 centimetres (nearly 12 inches) in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states, IMD said, with the storm due to weaken into a "deep depression" throughout Wednesday afternoon. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said there had been no reported deaths from the storm, congratulating government officers who had "worked tirelessly throughout the night". Naidu "expressed satisfaction that no loss of life occurred due to the proactive measures taken", his office said in a statement. "We are making every possible effort to minimise the impact of the cyclone... and restore normalcy at the earliest," Naidu added. Around 50,000 people were told to move to safer areas in Andhra Pradesh and another 48,000 in neighbouring Odisha. "Our homes get flooded, and we have to stay in the water," said Rajeshwari, 65, who gave only one name and had been taken to a government-run shelter near Kakinada. Overnight, gales battered trees and heavy rain lashed the port city of Kakinada, close to the heart of the storm, as powerful waves crashed ashore. Residents on Wednesday emerged onto flooded streets to what appeared to be limited damage in the city. 'Safe indoors' Emergency officials were also busy clearing uprooted trees and other debris from affected roads in the coastal region. "Thank God, there was not as much damage this time," said businessman Hussain, 43, who uses one name. "The sea is very rough, several trees have fallen, and sheds and hoardings have been damaged." Sadiq, 40, a Kakinanda city resident, told AFP that the situation had become "very dangerous" on Tuesday night, but early warnings from authorities had helped people prepare. "Many people locked their houses and moved to safer places", he said. Cyclones, called hurricanes in the North Atlantic and typhoons in the Pacific, are a regular menace in the Bay of Bengal and northern Indian Ocean. The storm season, however, has been turbocharged by the El Nino weather phenomenon that has contributed to unprecedented warming. Neighbouring Sri Lanka and Nepal had also issued warnings. Nepal's disaster authority warned that the storm would move inland towards the Himalayas, bringing heavy rainfall and "a high risk of heavy snowfall, snowstorms and avalanches". Nepal is still recovering from a catastrophic August 26 flood triggered by a glacial mountain collapse, which killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing.

Americas

United Nations, United States: A furious shouting match between representatives of the United States and Cuba prompted the temporary suspension of debate at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. The row broke out during debate on a resolution calling for an end to the US embargo on its communist-led neighbor, a non-binding measure which Cuba has put forward every year since 1992. The debate this year, however, is taking place amid a major new pressure campaign by Washington against Cuba, including an oil blockade and broad sanctions that have severely crippled Cuba's economy. As US Ambassador Mike Waltz was addressing the General Assembly, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez objected to the remarks and walked up to the podium, demanding that the speech be halted. Waltz, while arguing for the resolution to be rejected, had been criticizing repression of Cuban citizens by the communist government. "This is the United Nations. This isn't your communist dictatorship. You cannot silence me," Waltz shouted, demanding that Rodriguez and other Cuban diplomats back away. "You are a liar!" Rodriguez shouted back. The chair briefly suspended the session and instructed both countries' representatives to return to their places, after which Waltz was allowed to continue. Cuba has accused Washington of launching an "unprecedented" pressure campaign this year to persuade countries to oppose the resolution, which has traditionally had overwhelming backing. Last year, the resolution received 165 votes in favor, seven against and 12 abstentions, its weakest level of support in two decades. A vote on this year's resolution is expected sometime Wednesday. The row also comes days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cubans to discreetly work with the CIA to end the island's communist government.