KIRKUK (REUTERS) – Two oil wells were bombed inside a small oilfield on Wednesday (Dec 9) and firefighters are working to put out the flames, oil officials and security sources said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the bombings at Khabbaz oilfield, 20km southwest of Kirkuk, the sources said. The field produces […]
WELLINGTON (REUTERS) – New Zealand on Wednesday (Dec 9) marked the one-year anniversary of the volcanic eruption on White Island that killed 22 people, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern describing the tragic event as “devastating” for the country. The eruption on White Island, also known by its Maori name of Whakaari, left nearly all survivors […]
SEOUL (THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – In his first month as US president-elect, Joe Biden has made steady progress in preparing to take office in January. His first round of high-profile appointments focused on foreign policy and national security. The appointments are respected foreign-policy establishment figures, mostly from the Obama years, who support traditional […]
HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) – Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Beijing’s sweeping crackdown in the city she oversees has strengthened law and order and improved its business environment. “We now have a better and more stable environment for business to flourish,” said Mrs Lam, who spoke in an interview aired Tuesday (Dec 8) at […]
Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Wednesday, Dec 9. Suspected Covid-19 case on Royal Caribbean cruise to nowhere, ship returns to Singapore mid-sail Guests have been told to remain in their rooms for the journey back. READ MORE HERE 3 bars and pubs to reopen for 2 months under nightlife sector pilot […]
SINGAPORE – More than 100 million Indonesians will cast their ballots for regional leaders across the country on Wednesday (Dec 9), after a three-month delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. Voters will elect nine governors, 224 regents, and 37 mayors – collectively known as regional heads – who run with their deputies as a pair […]
LUSAKA (Reuters) – Zambian authorities formally requested a financing arrangement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Fund said on Tuesday, to help the southern African copper producer navigate a debt crisis.FILE PHOTO: Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu attends a signing ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 8, 2016. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/File Photo/File PhotoZambia […]
NEW DELHI — Aligning themselves squarely with India’s angry farmers, opposition leaders on Tuesday accused the government of cracking down on dissent, saying they had been detained while seeking to join broadening protests against the country’s new pro-market agricultural policies. The growing agitation of India’s farmers, which is galvanizing support from nearly all sections of […]
LONDON/DUBLIN (Reuters) -Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that Britain could abandon post-Brexit trade talks, a day after he agreed to meet the head of the European Commission in a last-ditch attempt to avert a chaotic split from the EU at the end of the year.Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks outside Downing Street, […]
MAE SOT, Thailand — The border between Thailand and Myanmar is more than 1,500 miles long, much of it thickly forested. Myanmar has suffered runaway transmission of the coronavirus. Thailand, so far, has not. But over the past couple of weeks, at least 19 Covid-19 cases in Thailand have been linked to migrant workers who […]