BEIJING (AFP) – Chinese authorities said on Tuesday (July 5) they could dip into the nation’s pork reserves, even as they ordered suppliers to slaughter more pigs to rein in the cost of the staple meat, after prices soared by almost a third year-on-year. Beijing’s top economic planner was forced to respond after pork prices […]
Category: Latest News
China plans $104b infrastructure fund in third quarter to revive flagging economy
BEIJING (REUTERS) – China will set up a state infrastructure investment fund worth 500 billion yuan (S$104 billion) to spur infrastructure spending and revive a flagging economy, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday (July 5). China’s economy has started a slow recovery from the supply shocks caused by extensive lockdowns […]
Some Philippines McDonald’s stores can’t serve chicken as demand soars
MANILA (Bloomberg) – Some McDonald’s stores in the Philippines are unable to serve chicken because of a surge in demand, while supplies don’t meet the standards. “We continue to serve chicken”, but there are “certain” stores that temporarily don’t sell chicken, Ms Adi Hernandez, corporate communications director at McDonald’s Philippines, said in a phone interview. […]
Hacker claims major Chinese citizens’ data theft, starts selling at $280k
BEIJING (AFP) – A hacker claiming to have stolen personal data from hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens is now selling the information online. A sample of 750,000 entries posted online by the hacker showed citizens’ names, mobile phone numbers, national ID numbers, addresses, birthdays and police reports they had filed. Agence France-Presse and cybersecurity […]
First-time voters weigh what they’ve never known – Turkey without Erdogan
ISTANBUL (REUTERS) – Six million first-time voters are set to effectively decide whether to extend President Tayyip Erdogan’s rule into a third decade or to opt for something they have never known – Turkey under a different leader. Less than 12 months away from perhaps the biggest election in the country’s modern history, a big […]
Mumbai turns to Twitter for help mapping India’s monsoon floods
MUMBAI (THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION) – When monsoon rains sweep into Mumbai each year, residents of India’s financial hub find their social media feeds awash with flood memes – from Venetian gondolas plying the city’s deluged streets to office workers commuting on inflatable dinghies. This year, a research institute hopes social media can play a more […]
China’s top envoy Wang Yi to meet Philippine president Marcos Jr in Manila
MANILA (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will be the first foreign minister to meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr when he makes an official visit to capital Manila on Wednesday (July 6). The visit was announced by Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian on Facebook, with the Chinese […]
China slams Nasa chief Nelson as race to the moon gets heated
BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) – The competition between the US and China to explore outer space turned prickly after Chinese diplomats blasted the head of Nasa and encouraged neighbouring countries to support Beijing’s plan for exploring the moon. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian on Monday (July 4) accused Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson of lying […]
Heatwaves expected to sweep northern China in next 2 weeks
BEIJING (REUTERS) – Heatwaves are predicted to sweep through northern China in the next two weeks, with more than 250 million people expected to grapple with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. For four to six days, the regions of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia, and the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Gansu and […]
Sri Lanka aims to stop printing money as inflation nears 60%
COLOMBO (BLOOMBERG, REUTERS) – Sri Lanka, which has run out of dollars to purchase fuel and is printing rupees to pay local salaries, aims to stop injecting local currency to quash Asia’s fastest inflation. The inflation rate is estimated to reach 60 per cent, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament Tuesday (June 5) before a […]
Russia’s Lavrov to visit Hanoi ahead of G-20 meeting
HANOI (REUTERS) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will fly to Hanoi on Tuesday (July 5) for a two-day visit to Vietnam before heading to a G-20 meeting later this week in Indonesia, the Vietnamese government said. The visit at the invitation of Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son comes as the two nations mark […]
Stemming electricity leakage: Kathmandu Post
KATHMANDU (THE KATHMANDU POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – The vulnerabilities inherent in power distribution have once again become visible in recent months. Electricity leakage, which plagues a large part of the distribution system and causes heavy financial losses to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), has again shown a slight increase. The level of leakage, which rose […]
Sea level rise will affect coastal communities: Statesman contributors
NEW DELHI (THE STATESMAN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Climate change has stamped its signature on the world’s oceans and atmosphere. A primary contributor to climate change is global warming, which modulates the wind and wave field patterns, sea surface temperature, and sea level pressure anomalies. These changes may result in oceanic warming and hasten the melting […]
Climate link to Sydney floods points to growing disaster risks
SINGAPORE – Climate change is fuelling the weather causing severe floods in Sydney, scientists say, and as the planet heats up, more damaging flooding events in Australia – and elsewhere – can be expected. The present floods, the third and heaviest this year to inundate parts of Sydney, have been linked to La Nina, a […]
Hong Kong considers shorter Covid-19 quarantine for travellers
HONG KONG (REUTERS) – Hong Kong will look into shortening Covid-19 quarantine requirements for travellers, while still aiming to curb the spread of the virus and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, the city’s new leader John Lee said on Tuesday (July 5). Mr Lee spoke at his first weekly news conference as the city’s chief […]
Italy declares state of emergency for drought-stricken north
A fisherman stands on dry sands at the confluence between the Ticino and Po River at Ponte della Becca, near Linarolo, south of Pavia on June 17, 2022. (PIERO CRUCIATTI / AFP) ROME – Italy on Monday declared a state of emergency for areas surrounding the river Po, which accounts for roughly a third of […]
France’s Macron reshuffles cabinet
French President Emmanuel Macron, center, poses with ministers in the gardens of the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 4, 2022. (LUDOVIC MARIN, POOL VIA AP) PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron reshuffled his government on Monday for the second time in six weeks, the Elysee (office of the president) announced. The new government has […]
China says VP Liu had ‘constructive’ meeting with US Treasury chief Yellen
BEIJING (REUTERS) – Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He had a “constructive” exchange over macro economies and global supply chains via a video call with United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday (July 5), China’s commerce ministry said. The two sides had a “pragmatic and frank” exchange of views on topics including the macroeconomic situation and […]
As young blood enters South Korean politics, new and old barriers emerge
SEOUL (NYTIMES) – Mr Jung Seong-hoon, 22, shared the frustrations of young South Koreans looking at a bleak future: Jobs are scarce, rent is high, and debt is climbing. So last month, he ran for a spot on his local city legislature and won. Mr Jung exemplifies the young blood entering South Korean politics in […]
Macau reports 89 new Covid-19 cases taking total to more than 900
HONG KONG (REUTERS) – Macau reported 89 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday (July 5), taking the total to more than 900 infections since mid-June, as authorities in the world’s biggest gambling hub race to contain its largest outbreak since the pandemic began. More than 13,000 people are under quarantine in the Chinese special administrative region, […]