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* Takaichi set to become Japan's first female prime minister * Takaichi's policies may cause delay to BOJ's rate hike plans * Euro hits strongest level against yen since single currency's creation * Fed funds futures imply 94.6% chance of October U.S. rate cut By Gregor Stuart Hunter SINGAPORE, Oct 6 (Reuters) – The yen tumbled against the U.S. dollar by the most in five months in early trading on Monday after Sanae Takaichi won the LDP leadership election at the weekend, setting the country on course for more expansionary fiscal policy and complicating the task facing the Bank of Japan. The yen sank 1.5% to 149.73 yen on the dollar, its biggest one-day slide since May 12, wiping out gains it made in the past week as markets resumed trading in Asia. Against the euro, the Japanese currency fell 1.3% to 175.39 yen, nearing its weakest since the creation of the European single currency. A former economic security and internal affairs minister with an expansionary fiscal agenda for the world's fourth-largest economy, Takaichi's victory puts her on course to become the country's first female prime minister. Her expansionist economic policy has reduced bets that the central bank will hike interest rates this month. Takaichi's win "will likely lead to some weakness in the yen," said Mahjabeen Zaman, head of FX Research at ANZ in Sydney. "There's a lot of political and fiscal uncertainty in the near term and maybe the BOJ may be cautious, despite the data supporting a little bit more of a hawkish stance," she said on a podcast. With many markets in Asia closed for holidays, the dollar index was last at 98.073, retracing some recent losses. The dollar has weakened steadily against its major peers this year as traders attempt to gauge the economic impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's policies and attacks on the independence of the Federal Reserve. Market activity signals that easing at the Fed's October meeting is a near-certainty, with Fed funds futures implying a 94.6% probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool. Speculators are also pricing a 70% chance that the government shutdown lasts beyond October 15, according to contracts on the betting website Polymarket. The euro stood at $1.1710, down 0.3% so far in Asia, after French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Sunday named Roland Lescure, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, as finance minister in a new government that political rivals threatened to topple quickly if it failed to break with past Macron policies. The kiwi was 0.1% weaker at $0.5823, reversing a six-day winning streak ahead of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's meeting on Wednesday, where it is narrowly expected to cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.75%. The Australian dollar fetched $0.65909, down 0.1% in early trade. Sterling was changing hands at $1.34325, down 0.3% so far on the day. The offshore yuan traded at 7.14 yuan per dollar, little changed in early trade. (Reporting by Gregor Stuart Hunter Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

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MANILA/SINGAPORE, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Maynilad Water Services Inc said it had submitted a preliminary prospectus for its planned initial public offering to the Philippine Stock Exchange and corporate regulator, moving closer to what could be the country's biggest listing this year. The filing contains details on its business and financial accounts and kicks off preparations for institutional investor roadshows in the coming days, the Philippine water utility said in a statement late on Sunday. The submission of its preliminary prospectus marks another step in its mission to deliver safe, sustainable and reliable water and wastewater services, Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez said in the statement. The company's statement did not say how much it planned to raise in the IPO. Reuters in January reported that Maynilad had enlisted banks, including Morgan Stanley and UBS , to assist with a more than $500 million IPO in the Philippines. The company initially targeted a July debut but later postponed the listing, first to October and then to no later than November 7, according to disclosures on its website. Under its 25-year concession, Maynilad must list shares by January 2027. Majority owned by Metro Pacific Investments, DMCI Holdings and Japan's Marubeni, the utility serves Metro Manila's west zone and Cavite province. The IPO proceeds will fund water and wastewater projects, network expansion and system upgrades, according to its preliminary prospectus. (Reporting by Karen Lema in Manila and Yantoultra Ngui in Singapore; Editing by Jamie Freed)

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Buffalo linebacker Matt Milano is active after being listed as questionable for the Bills' home game against the New England Patriots on Sunday night after missing the previous two contests with a pectoral injury. Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle) is inactive, marking his fourth consecutive game missed contest after getting hurt in the 41-40 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Left tackle Spencer Brown (calf) was upgraded from questionable to playing on Sunday, while defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (knee) went from questionable status to inactive. Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams (ankle) and linebacker Jahlani Tavai (calf) were questionable but are active. Williams was limited at practice on Wednesday and Friday and sat out Thursday's session. Tavai was the team's leading tackler in 2024 and will be on the field for the first time this season after he was activated from injured reserve on Saturday following a full week of practice. Cornerback Carlton Davis (illness) went from questionable to active. New England downgraded linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (knee) to out on Saturday. Other inactives for Buffalo (4-0): wide receiver Elijah Moore, linebacker Dorian Williams (knee), defensive tackle Chase Lundt and cornerbacks Brandon Codrington and Jordan Hancock. Inactives for New England (2-2): Chaisson, defensive tackle Eric Gregory, guard Caedan Wallace, wide receiver Efton Chism and quarterback Tommy DeVito (emergency third QB). –Field Level Media

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Oct 6 (OPTA) – Standings for the MLS on Monday Eastern Conference P W D L F A Pts 1 Philadelphia 33 20 6 7 57 33 66 2 Cincinnati 33 19 5 9 49 40 62 3 Inter Miami 32 17 8 7 72 53 59 4 Charlotte 33 18 2 13 53 46 56 5 NYCFC 33 17 5 11 49 42 56 6 Nashville 33 16 6 11 56 40 54 7 Orlando 32 14 11 7 60 45 53 8 Chicago 33 15 7 11 66 58 52 9 Columbus 33 13 12 8 52 50 51 10 New York 33 12 7 14 47 44 43 11 New England 33 9 8 16 42 49 35 12 Toronto 32 5 14 13 33 40 29 13 Montréal 33 6 10 17 34 57 28 14 Atlanta United 31 5 12 14 37 57 27 15 DC United 33 5 10 18 29 65 25 Western Conference P W D L F A Pts 1 San Diego 33 18 6 9 60 41 60 2 Whitecaps 32 17 9 6 63 35 60 3 Minnesota 33 16 10 7 55 37 58 4 LAFC 30 15 8 7 60 37 53 5 Sounders 32 13 10 9 55 47 49 6 Austin 32 12 8 12 35 43 44 7 Portland 33 11 11 11 41 44 44 8 Dallas 32 10 11 11 49 52 41 9 Salt Lake 32 12 4 16 36 46 40 10 Colorado 33 11 7 15 42 54 40 11 Earthquakes 33 10 8 15 58 62 38 12 Houston 33 9 9 15 43 56 36 13 St. Louis 33 8 7 18 42 56 31 14 Sporting KC 33 7 6 20 46 70 27 15 Galaxy 32 5 9 18 42 64 24

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* Strikes have killed 21 this month, according to the US * Trump says US will now look to operations by land * US has not provided evidence of drug trafficking * Venezuela seeks foreign support, sent letter to pope (Updates with death toll of Friday's strike in paragraph 3, comments from Venezuela in paragraphs 6-9, detail on Hegseth in paragraph 10) NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Virginia, Oct 5 (Reuters) – U.S. forces hit another vessel allegedly carrying illegal drugs off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, adding that the U.S. would also start looking at drug trafficking occurring on land. Trump made the comment during a speech at Naval Station Norfolk, next to the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. It was not immediately clear if he was referencing a strike announced Friday by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. That strike, at least the fourth such attack in recent weeks, killed four people. "In recent weeks, the Navy has supported our mission to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water … we did another one last night. Now we just can't find any," Trump said. "They're not coming in by sea anymore, so now we'll have to start looking about the land because they'll be forced to go by land." Venezuela's communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but President Nicolas Maduro published a video message on Telegram shortly after Trump’s announcement in which he blasted U.S. aggression against Venezuela and said the country counted with diplomatic support. "Our people have never and will never be afraid to defend their right to live and be free," Maduro said, without referencing Trump's latest comments. "We will be ready to face any scenario." Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said earlier on Sunday his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov gave a "full expression of support and solidarity" to Caracas in a phone call between the two. On Saturday, Gil said Maduro had sent a letter to Pope Leo XIV in which he asked for his support to "consolidate peace in Venezuela." Hegseth told Fox News in an interview broadcast on Sunday he has every authorization needed for the Caribbean strikes. (Reporting by Jonathan Ernst, Andrea Shalal and Julia Harte; Additional reporting by Deisy Buitrago in Caracas and Sarah Morland in Mexico City; editing by Diane Craft)

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By Rory Carroll Oct 5 (Reuters) – Shohei Ohtani dug deep after falling behind early in his first postseason start as a pitcher to earn the win against the Phillies, and the effort may have dulled his bat, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Sunday. Ohtani uncharacteristically allowed three runs on the mound and struck out four times, but Los Angeles rallied to beat Philadelphia 5-3 in Game One of the best-of-five NL Division Series. "On days that Shohei pitches, a large amount of the focus is on the pitching," Roberts told reporters. "But last night in particular… trying to weather that three-run inning and stay in there on the pitching side I'm sure had some kind of bleed-in effect on the bat. "But (Phillies starter Cristopher) Sanchez was really good regardless." The Japanese right-hander ran into trouble in the second inning, where he allowed three runs but regrouped, striking out nine batters across six innings to earn the win. Roberts said he was impressed with Ohtani's command and variety against a fearsome Phillies lineup that boasts Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper at the top of the order. "I thought Shohei did a fantastic job of moving the ball around," Roberts said. "You've got to change locations. His curveball was as good as I've seen it, but you have to have those guys honor the fastball. "They hunt locations, they hunt velocities, and you have to keep them guessing. You can't be predictable." What is predictable is Ohtani walking away with his fourth MVP award this season due to his dominance at the plate and on the mound. The 31-year-old hit .282 with 55 home runs and 102 RBI in his second season with the defending World Series champion Dodgers. As a pitcher, he posted a 2.87 ERA while striking out 62 batters across 47 innings in limited action as he worked his way back from elbow surgery. Los Angeles will send Blake Snell to the mound for Game Two on Monday at Philadelphia's rowdy Citizens Bank Park, while the Phillies will counter with fellow left-hander Jesus Luzardo. (Reporting by Rory Carroll in San Francisco; Editing by Jamie Freed)

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Oct 5 (OPTA) – Results and fixtures for the Primera División on Sunday (start times are ART) 2nd Phase —————————————————————- Godoy Cruz (0) 1 Independiente (1) 1 Estudiantes (1) 1 Barracas Central (0) 1 Talleres de Córdoba (0) 0 Belgrano (0) 0 Boca Juniors (3) 5 Newell's Old Boys (0) 0 Rosario Central v River Plate (00:15) Tuesday, October 7 fixtures (ART/GMT) Racing Club v Independiente Rivadavia (0000) Friday, October 10 fixtures (ART/GMT) San Lorenzo v San Martín San Juan (1730) Defensa y Justicia v Argentinos Juniors (1915) Central Córdoba SdE v Unión (1945) Newell's Old Boys v Tigre (2130) Saturday, October 11 fixtures (ART/GMT) Barracas Central v Boca Juniors (1730) Gimnasia La Plata v Talleres de Córdoba (1945) Banfield v Racing Club (2200)

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Oct 5 (Stats Perform) – Standings from the NFL games on Sunday American Football Conference East W L T PF PA PCT 1. Buffalo Bills 4 0 0 133 90 1.000 2. New England Patriots 2 2 0 102 81 .500 3. Miami Dolphins 1 4 0 107 145 .200 4. New York Jets 0 5 0 112 157 .000 West W L T PF PA PCT 1. Los Angeles Chargers 3 1 0 88 71 .750 2. Denver Broncos 3 2 0 117 84 .600 3. Kansas City Chiefs 2 2 0 97 76 .500 4. Las Vegas Raiders 1 4 0 83 139 .200 North W L T PF PA PCT 1. Pittsburgh Steelers 3 1 0 96 98 .750 2. Cincinnati Bengals 2 2 0 61 119 .500 3. Baltimore Ravens 1 4 0 141 177 .200 4. Cleveland Browns 1 4 0 73 123 .200 South W L T PF PA PCT 1. Indianapolis Colts 4 1 0 163 89 .800 2. Jacksonville Jaguars 3 1 0 96 72 .750 3. Houston Texans 2 3 0 108 61 .400 4. Tennessee Titans 0 4 0 51 120 .000 National Football Conference East W L T PF PA PCT 1. Philadelphia Eagles 4 1 0 125 109 .800 2. Washington Commanders 2 2 0 107 91 .500 3. Dallas Cowboys 2 2 1 151 154 .500 4. New York Giants 1 4 0 87 127 .200 West W L T PF PA PCT 1. San Francisco 49ers 4 1 0 106 98 .800 2. Seattle Seahawks 3 2 0 146 105 .600 3. Los Angeles Rams 3 2 0 123 107 .600 4. Arizona Cardinals 2 2 0 82 74 .500 North W L T PF PA PCT 1. Detroit Lions 3 1 0 137 88 .750 2. Green Bay Packers 2 1 1 104 84 .625 3. Minnesota Vikings 3 2 0 123 97 .600 4. Chicago Bears 2 2 0 101 117 .500 South W L T PF PA PCT 1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 1 0 135 132 .800 2. Atlanta Falcons 2 2 0 76 86 .500 3. Carolina Panthers 2 3 0 102 119 .400 4. New Orleans Saints 1 4 0 92 135 .200 Monday, October 6 schedules (EST/GMT) Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars (0015/0015) Thursday, October 9 schedules (EST/GMT) Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (0015/0015)

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* Layoffs depend on shutdown negotiations with Democrats * Democrats demand healthcare assurances in shutdown talks * Next Senate vote on funding bill unlikely to pass (Adds Trump comments on paragraph 4, OMB request for comment in paragraph 5) By Andrea Shalal and Leah Douglas WASHINGTON, Oct 5 (Reuters) – The Trump administration will start mass layoffs of federal workers if President Donald Trump decides negotiations with congressional Democrats to end a partial government shutdown are "absolutely going nowhere," a senior White House official said on Sunday. As the shutdown entered its fifth day, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNN's "State of the Union" program he still saw a chance that Democrats would back down, averting a costly shutdown and federal employee layoffs that have been threatened by White House budget director Russell Vought. "President Trump and Russ Vought are lining things up and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping that they don't," Hassett said. Later on Sunday, Trump was asked by reporters when the administration would begin laying off federal workers. Trump responded, without elaborating: "It's taking place right now." The White House's Office of Management and Budget, which has played a key role in Trump's campaign to sharply scale back the size of the federal government, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NO SIGN OF TALKS No tangible signs of negotiations have emerged between congressional leaders since Trump met with them last week. The shutdown began on October 1, the start of federal fiscal 2026, after Senate Democrats rejected a short-term funding measure that would keep federal agencies open through November 21. "They've refused to talk with us," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told CBS' "Face the Nation" program, saying the impasse could be solved only by further talks between Trump and the four congressional leaders. Democrats are demanding a permanent extension of enhanced premium tax credits to help Americans purchase private health insurance through the Affordable Care Act and assurances that the White House will not try to unilaterally cancel spending agreed to in any deal. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said he is willing to address Democrats' concerns but that they must first agree to reopen the federal government. Trump also expressed an interest in the healthcare question while emphasizing Republican interests in reforming the ACA, also known as Obamacare. "We want to fix it so it works. Obamacare has been a disaster for the people, so we want to have it fixed so it works," the president said. SENATE VOTE MONDAY Rank-and-file Senate Democrats and Republicans have held informal talks aimed at finding common ground on healthcare and other issues in hopes of reaching a deal to reopen the government. Asked if the lawmakers are any closer to a deal, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego told CNN: "At this point, no." On Monday, the Senate is due to vote for a fifth time on the stopgap funding bill that has already passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and on a Democratic alternative. Neither measure is expected to receive the 60 votes needed to advance. With a 53-47-seat majority and one Republican opposed to the House funding bill, Republican leaders need at least eight Democrats to support the measure but have seen only three cross the aisle so far. "It's open up the government or else," John Thune told the Fox News program "Sunday Morning Futures." "That's really the choice that's in front of them right now," the South Dakota Republican said. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Leah Douglas; additional reporting by Jasper Ward, Raphael Satter and David Morgan; writing by David Morgan; editing by Michelle Nichols, Chizu Nomiyama Nand Richard Chang)

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By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) – The New Zealand government said on Monday it would pay the Samoan government 10 million Samoa tala ($3.51 million) following the sinking of a Royal New Zealand Navy vessel off the coast of Samoa in 2024. Manawanui, the navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu in October 2024 as it was conducting a reef survey. The ship's crew abandoned the ship, which later capsized and sank. All 75 crew members survived. An initial inquiry into the grounding found it was caused by a series of human errors. New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement the payment follows a request from the Government of Samoa. “We recognise the impact the sinking has had on local communities and acknowledge the disruption it caused,” Peters said. Manawanui remains on the reef but salvors have removed diesel fuel, oil and other pollutants from the ship along with equipment, weapons and ammunition and shipping containers have all been removed. Peters says New Zealand continues to work with Samoa on decisions around the ship and its future. “Working with the Government of Samoa, our focus continues to be on minimising any possible environmental impacts and supporting the response. These are our absolute priorities," Peters said. ($1 = 2.8498 tala) (Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

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