Abandoning Jakarta for a new capital in Borneo won’t save the fast-sinking Indonesian megacity from disaster and could even spark a fresh environmental crisis in a region home to rainforests and endangered orangutans, critics have warned. President Joko Widodo announced this week that the Southeast Asian nation’s political heart would
WASHINGTON: Amazon said Wednesday more than 400 US police departments had joined its “Ring Neighbours” network, a programme aimed at curbing crime using video from the company’s smart doorbell that has raised civil liberties concerns. The programme represents an unusual partnership between the US technology giant and law enforcement agencies,
Indoor courts are central to life in tens of thousands of towns and cities across basketball-mad Philippines, hosting everything from funerals and beauty pageants to “circumcision season”. These so-called “covered courts” are essential in remote or poor communities, where they are often one of just a few public buildings. So
THE regulator of global wildlife trade decided Tuesday to impose a near-total ban on sending African elephants captured from the wild to zoos, in a decision hailed by conservationists as “momentous”. Following a heated debate at a meeting of parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
BERLIN Zoo panda Meng Meng is pregnant, with her cub expected to be born within two weeks, it was announced Tuesday. “We are delighted with the news,” said zoo director Andreas Knieriem after an ultrasound scan confirmed the pregnancy. Berlin Zoo says the size of the foetus and the results
NEW YORK: Rafael Nadal launched his tilt at a fourth US Open title Tuesday with a swift defeat of John Millman as other leading seeds in his half of the draw tumbled out in the first round. Four players in the world’s top 10 – Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Karen
NEW YORK: Reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka described her relief at navigating a tricky first round match Tuesday as she was struck by a bout of nerves in a three-set win over Russia’s Anna Blinkova. Osaka suffered a first-round exit last month at Wimbledon and the Japanese star found
WASHINGTON: Tobacco maker Philip Morris International announced Tuesday it was looking into teaming up again with its former parent company, the Altria Group. A merger could help the two companies confront declining cigarette sales and diversify in a consumer market shifting toward newer e-cigarettes and other non-traditional products. The combined
US President Donald Trump is not afraid of surprises but could he take one of the biggest shifts of all in his foreign policy — easing sanctions on Iran? Washington is widely skeptical that Trump will shift course on Iran, with his hawkish advisors long pushing a hard line aimed
TOKYO: Rich clubs owned by massive corporations have attracted a parade of star players to Japan but the unusual set-up hasn’t been a hit with fans, prompting a re-think as the World Cup looms. Sparse crowds for Japan’s Top League, where giants of the game play alongside amateurs for the
