Asia

India shifts motor fuel exports towards Asia amid reduced European demand

Lower import orders from Europe, reduced exports by China behind the shift

WHO tells South East Asian nations to intensify efforts to prevent drowning

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries in the South-East Asia region to strengthen measures to prevent drowning, which it says disproportionately affects children and vulnerable populations. According to WHO's first Global Status Report on Drowning Prevention, South-East Asia reported 83,000 drowning fatalities in 2021, accounting for 28 per cent of the global drowning burden. This contributes substantially to the nearly 30 lives lost to drowning every hour globally. Nearly 43 per cent of drowning fatalities in the region involved children aged 14 years or younger, the report said. Drowning is the third leading cause of death for children aged 5-14 years and the fourth leading cause of death for children aged 1-4 years, the WHO report said. "To save lives and ensure equitable safety for all, expanding and scaling up proven drowning prevention interventions across the region is not just essential, but a moral imperative," said Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director

Korean Air completes Asiana takeover to form one of Asia's biggest airlines

Korean Air acquired a 63.88 per cent stake in Asiana on Thursday, making it a subsidiary three years later than the smaller airline had initially anticipated

Oppn tried to destroy country; I will fight to the end: South Korea's Prez

South Korean President said the opposition was "dancing the sword dance of madness" by trying to drag a democratically elected president from power

South Korea opposition party plans to pass government budget bill today

The opposition-controlled parliament last month cut 4.1 trillion won from the government's proposed 677.4 trillion won ($473 billion) budget

India's aid gradually shifting beyond Asia, extending to new regions

These projects span a wide range of sectors like water, power, railways, roads, agriculture, education and health care

India, Vietnam hold 3rd security talks, boost ties against terrorism, crime

Two sides exchanged views on global and regional security and the implementation of aspects of the Action Plan for the India - Viet Nam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Sony Pictures Networks India secures ACC media rights for eight years

Sony Pictures Networks India on Friday said it has bagged the exclusive media rights for all Asian Cricket Council tournaments from 2024 to 2031. This will make the company's cricket calendar even more robust over the next eight years adding to the existing rights for England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) MD & CEO, Gaurav Banerjee told PTI. In a statement, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) said the deal with SPNI "marks more than a 70 per cent increase from the previous media rights cycle, highlighting the growing global stature and appetite for ACC Asia Cup tournaments". According to industry estimates, the previous media rights cycle rights for 2016-2024 period was valued at USD 62 million. Both SPNI and ACC did not disclose the value of the new cycle. ACC said the deal with SPNI encompasses all editions of the men's and women's Asia Cups, men's and women's Under-19 Asia Cups, and the men's and women's emerging teams Asia Cups. "This partnership ..

Tata Power, ADB ink pact for $4.25 bn finance for key energy projects

Tata Power on Thursday said it has signed an initial pact with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to evaluate financing worth USD 4.25 billion for its several strategic projects. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with ADB at Baku, Azerbaijan, Tata Power said in a statement. "The MoU has been signed evaluate financing for its several strategic projects aimed at enhancing India's power infrastructure and promoting renewable and clean energy," it said. The total estimated project cost is about USD 4.25 billion, Tata Power said. The MoU outlines the evaluation of financing for several key ongoing projects such as the 966-MW solar wind hybrid project and pumped hydro storage project and other projects in the pipeline around energy transition, decarbonisation, and battery storage as well as ongoing financing for capex towards strengthening the distribution networks. Tata Power CEO and Managing Director Praveer Sinha said, "Collaboration with ADB is a crucial step as we explore ...

Relief for Asian peers may slightly aid rupee but portfolio outflows weigh

A rally in the dollar and the rise in US bond yields following Donald Trump's victory in the US election has weighed on Asian currencies over the last two weeks, including the rupee

Philippines braces for another typhoon, fifth major storm to hit in 3 weeks

The fifth major storm in three weeks approached the Philippines on Thursday, prompting more largescale evacuations and a United Nations request for emergency funds to help the government ease the plight of hard-hit villagers. Typhoon Usagi had sustained winds of up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph) and was forecast to strengthen further before slamming Thursday afternoon into the coast of Cagayan province at the northern tip of Luzon, the country's most populous agricultural region. Another storm was brewing in the Pacific and may hit the northern Philippines this weekend, according to forecasters. The country's weather agency warned of life-threatening tidal surges of up to three meters (nearly 10 feet) in coastal areas of Cagayan and seven other nearby provinces and clusters of islands, and urged all ships to remain in port or immediately take shelter. Typhoon Toraji blew away from the northern Philippines just two days ago after unleashi

Targets unchanged a year after deal on tripling renewables by 2030: Report

A year after countries agreed to triple global renewable energy capacity to 11,000 gigawatts by 2030, a new report on Tuesday revealed that national targets still only aim for a collective doubling of capacity in the next six years. The report by global energy think tank Ember showed only eight countries have updated their renewable targets in the last 12 months, resulting in just a four-GW increase in overall renewable energy targets globally. The report analysed national 2030 renewable capacity targets for 96 countries and the EU as a bloc. These countries collectively account for 96 per cent of the world's renewable capacity, 95 per cent of global electricity sector demand and 94 per cent of global power sector emissions. Of the 96 countries, 83 have renewable capacity targets for 2030. At the UN's climate conference in December 2023 in Dubai, world leaders reached a historic agreement to triple global renewables capacity by 2030. The International Energy Agency (IEA) and ...

India's aircraft fleet set to increase by over 5 times in 20 yrs: Report

This growth will boost Indian airlines' share of the Asia-Pacific passenger fleet from the current 8 per cent to 18 per cent by 2043, according to a Cirium report

Asia needs to spend more to adapt to climate change, limit damage: Study

Countries in Asia will suffer worse damage from the climate crisis than other regions and are falling far behind in spending on improvements to limit the damage and adapt to changing weather patterns and natural disasters, the Asian Development Bank said in a report released Thursday. The report said financing needs in developing Asian countries to cope with climate change range from USD 102 billion to USD 431 billion a year. That far exceeds the USD 34 billion committed to those purposes in 2021-2022, the Manila, Philippines-based regional development bank said. Developing Asia accounted for nearly half of all global emissions in 2021, the latest year for comprehensive data, with China accounting for two-thirds of that and South Asia nearly 20 per cent, the report said. That's because even though emissions per person remain far lower than in Europe, Japan and North America, it is the world's most populous region, home to about 70 per cent of all human kind. Most countries in the ..

China shuts supply to rebels, backs Myanmar's falling junta in civil war

A year on, rebel forces have ground down the junta, pushing the military out of vital borderlands and making inroads into the contested heart of Myanmar

Sri Lanka's new president faces uphill battle to revive debt-ridden economy

Sri Lanka's new president faces uphill battle to revive debt-ridden economy

Not working on PM's 'Asian Nato' proposal, say Japanese ministers

Shigeru Ishiba made the proposal ahead of his victory in the ruling party leadership election on Friday, arguing that it would bolster security in Asia

Taiwan warns of storm surge from Typhoon Krathon, mobilises 40,000 troops

The rail line connecting southern to eastern Taiwan was closed, though the north-south high speed line was operating as normal, albeit with enhanced safety checks for wind and debris

Strike at Boeing leaves Asian airlines sweating on plane deliveries

Boeing didn't respond to a request for comment on any delays to Max deliveries in Asia

Biden to put personal touch on Asia-Pacific ties in final months in office

President Joe Biden is looking to showcase the Indo-Pacific partnership he has nurtured since taking office as he hosts the leaders of Australia, Japan and India in his hometown Saturday with an eye on his legacy as well. When Biden entered the White House he looked to elevate the so-called Quad, which until then had only met at the foreign minister level, to a leader-level partnership as he tried to pivot U.S. foreign policy away from conflicts in the Middle East and toward threats and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific. This weekend's summit is the fourth in-person and sixth overall gathering of the leaders since 2021. Biden put a personal touch on the engagement potentially the last of the group before he leaves office on Jan. 20 by opening his home in Wilmington, Delaware, to each of the leaders and hosting a joint meeting and formal dinner at the high school he attended more than 60 years ago. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and