Air pollution in part of Singapore hit the country’s “very high” band on Wednesday while East Timor shut schools, as haze from forest fires raging in Indonesia causes a regional crisis. The blazes in Indonesia have burned through hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest and plantations on Borneo and Sumatra islands, sickened local residents […]
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Fuel shortage triggers queues on resort island Bali
Moldovan tourist Raisa Neagu spent hours on Wednesday waiting to fuel up her scooter, one of many people snared in a petrol shortage on resort island Bali that authorities blamed on supply disruptions. Officials urged people to stay calm, noting there was enough fuel to go around on the island that relies on shipped in gasoline […]
Higher borrowing costs an ‘alarm signal’ for France: finance minister
The higher interest rates on France’s government debt are an alarm signal for the country even though Paris retains the confidence of bond investors, the country’s finance minister said Wednesday, as concerns grow over the sustainability of the French budget.”We have the confidence of the markets in the sense that we have no trouble issuing […]
China-North Korea bridge to open Thursday, 12 years late
A new bridge linking China and North Korea will finally open on Thursday, 12 years after its construction, with Beijing vowing it will spur trade and “enhance the well-being of the two peoples”. China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support for the reclusive nuclear state, […]
Zelensky accuses Putin of disrespecting Trump after latest attacks
Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of wilfully flouting Donald Trump’s purported “energy ceasefire” and passing up an opportunity to ease hostilities, after a renewed wave of deadly strikes across the country that also hit vital power supplies. Kyiv in particular faced a barrage of powerful ballistic missiles and attack drones targeting energy facilities and critical […]
Vietnam mourns 700 war dead in major push to identify missing
Vietnam held funeral rites for more than 700 of its war dead on Wednesday, unearthed in a major push to identify those missing from decades of conflict with France and the United States. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, some holding white flowers or praying as buses carrying terracota […]
AI boom drives record sales at Dutch tech giant ASML
Dutch technology giant ASML, which makes cutting-edge machines to make semiconductor chips, said Wednesday that the huge demand for AI had powered record sales and strong profits, and vowed to scale up production. ASML, Europe’s biggest tech firm by market value, said net profit came in at 5.0 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in the third […]
Top Indian ‘cockroach’ leaders sent to jail after protest
Two leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were remanded in custody for five days on Wednesday, as police racheted up efforts to clamp down on anti-election commission protests. CJP activists and opposition parties have defied a security crackdown to demand the resignation of India’s chief election commissioner, accusing the poll body of manipulating […]
Trump says ‘massive’ oil, gas, mineral exploration to begin in Greenland
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that oil, gas and mineral exploration was preparing to begin in Greenland, and hailed the Arctic island’s position for US and European security. Washington signed a security deal with the leaders of Greenland and Denmark after Trump threatened to take Copenhagen’s strategically important Arctic Circle territory by force. Greenland, […]