TURKEY: The military has temporarily grounded its C-130 cargo planes as a precaution, the Defence Ministry announced today, following a crash in Georgia that killed all 20 personnel on board.

The plane was flying from Ganja, Azerbaijan, to Turkey when it crashed in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality on Tuesday. The cause of the crash is being investigated.

PHILIPPINES: President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said today that many of at least 37 powerful senators, members of Congress and wealthy businesspeople implicated in a massive corruption scandal involving flood control projects would be in jail by Christmas, as he tried to quell public outrage and street protests. 

Mr Marcos also said that criminal complaints had been filed against 86 construction company executives and nine government officials for allegedly evading taxes totalling nearly nine billion pesos (around £116 million).

UNITED STATES: President Donald Trump has signed a government funding Bill, ending a record 43-day federal shutdown that hit millions of people, generated long queues at some foodbanks and caused financial stress to workers left without pay.

Wednesday night’s signing ceremony came just hours after the House of Representatives passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209. The Senate had already passed the measure on Monday.

SOUTH SUDAN: President Salva Kiir dismissed one of his vice-presidents, Benjamin Bol Mel, today.

In a shock move, Mr Mel, who was tipped as a possible successor to the president, was also stripped of his military rank of general and dismissed from the national security service.

No explanation was given for the dismissals.