- China says will issue special bonds to boost ailing economy
- China offers $325 bn in fiscal stimulus for ailing economy
- Dodgers drop Padres 2-0 to advance in MLB playoffs
- Alexei Navalny wrote he knew he would die in prison in new memoir
- Last-minute legal ruling allows betting on US election
- Despite hurricanes, Floridians refuse to leave 'paradise'
- Israel observes Yom Kippur amid firestorm over Lebanon strikes
- Trump demonizes migrants in dark, misleading speech
- X says 'alert' to manipulation efforts after pro-Russia bots report
- US, European markets rise before Boeing unveils sweeping job cuts
- Small Quebec company dominates one part of NHL hockey: jerseys
- Comoros shock Tunisia, Salah, Mbeumo strike in AFCON qualifiers
- Boeing to cut 10% of workforce as it sees big Q3 loss
- Germany win in Nations League as 10-man Dutch rescue point
- Undav brace sends Germany to victory against Bosnia
- Israel says fired at 'threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- Want to film in Paris? No sexism allowed
- Ecuador's last mountain iceman dies at 80
- Milton leaves at least 16 dead, millions without power in Florida
- Senegal set to announce breakaway development agenda: PM
- UN says 2 peacekeepers wounded in south Lebanon explosions
- Injury-hit Australia thrash 'embarrassing' Pakistan at Women's T20 World Cup
- Internal TikTok documents show prioritization of traffic over well-being
- Israel says fired at 'immediate threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- New US coach Pochettino hails Pulisic but worries over workload
- Brazil orders closure of 2,000 betting sites
- UK govt urged to raise pro-democracy tycoon's case with China
- Sculptor Lalanne's animal creations sell for $59 mn
- From Tesla to Trump: Behind Musk's giant leap into politics
- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- Supercharged hurricanes trigger 'perfect storm' for disinformation
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Djokovic proves staying power as he progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Sheffield Utd boss Wilder 'numb' after Baldock death
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
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- Israel says conducting review after UN peacekeepers wounded in Lebanon
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- Djokovic 'overwhelmed' after 'greatest rival' Nadal's retirement
- Zelensky in Berlin says hopes war with Russia will end next year
- Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
- European Mediterranean states discuss Middle East, migration
- Djokovic proves staying power as progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Hurricane Milton leaves at least 16 dead as Florida cleans up
- Britain face 'ultimate challenge' in America's Cup duel with New Zealand
- Lebanon calls for 'immediate' ceasefire in Israel-Hezbollah war
- Nihon Hidankyo: Japan's A-bomb survivors awarded Nobel
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Boat captain rescued clinging to cooler in Gulf of Mexico after storm Milton
Tourists evacuated from Mexico's hurricane-hit Acapulco
Airlines began to evacuate tourists from Mexico's beachside city of Acapulco on Friday after a scale-topping Category 5 hurricane left a trail of destruction and at least 27 people dead, authorities said.
"Acapulco airport has already been reopened for an airlift," Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval told reporters in Mexico City, adding that the runway had not suffered major damage.
Commercial airlines would bring in doctors and fly out tourists and locals, he added.
Passengers hauling suitcases arrived to catch the free flights, expressing relief to be alive after Hurricane Otis smashed into Acapulco with winds of 165 miles (270 kilometers) per hour.
"We're very happy and content, grateful to be able to continue living our lives" said Clara Elena Albo from Mexico City, who was on vacation with her husband.
Other visitors left by road after the main highway to the capital was reopened.
The storm partially destroyed many buildings, shattering windows and leaving gaping holes in the walls of high-rise towers.
Tourists have said they used beds and mattresses for protection in their hotel rooms.
Others took shelter in bathrooms.
Four people remained missing, including three members of the Navy, according to the government.
Pope Francis sent a message of condolences and prayers for "the eternal rest of the deceased," the Vatican said.
Before hitting land early Wednesday, Otis rapidly intensified within hours from a tropical storm to the most powerful category of the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, taking authorities by surprise.
The World Meteorological Organization described the hurricane as "one of the most rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones on record."
Much of Acapulco remained without electricity or telephone connections on Friday, while food was scarce, leading to looting of supermarkets.
The government said that it had activated an emergency plan to bring essential supplies.
Hurricanes hit Mexico every year on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November, though few make landfall as a Category 5.
J.Oliveira--AMWN