A Jordanian court Sunday sentenced five people to three years in jail for a gas leak in the port of Aqaba last year that left 13 dead, a judicial source said. A tank of chlorine gas fell as it was being loaded by crane onto a ship in the Red …
Read More »Former secretary to deputy health minister faces death over Covid flight scandal
A former deputy health minister’s secretary has been recommended a death sentence, while dozens of others involved in the Covid-19 repatriation flight scandal face up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors at the Hanoi People’s Court on Monday recommended Pham Trung Kien, the secretary, to be sentenced to death for …
Read More »Swiss watchmaker Swatch sues Malaysia for seizure of Pride watches
Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group (UHR.S) has filed a lawsuit against the Malaysian government for confiscating rainbow-colored watches that celebrate LGBT rights, in an act the company says has damaged its reputation. Homosexuality is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia, and rights groups have warned of growing intolerance in the country towards …
Read More »China logs 52.2 Celsius as extreme weather rewrites records
A remote township in China’s arid northwest endured temperatures of more than 52 Celsius on Sunday, state media reported, setting a record for a country that was battling minus 50 C weather just six months ago. Temperatures at Sanbao township in Xinjiang’s Turpan Depression soared as high as 52.2 C …
Read More »Vietnam Airlines flight makes emergency landing to aid French passenger
A French passenger on a Vietnam Airlines flight from London to HCMC on Saturday had breathing difficulties, resulting in an emergency landing at Dubai airport. The VN560 flight took off at around 5 p.m. (London time). About seven hours into the flight, flight attendants saw that a 36-year-old French passenger …
Read More »Vietnamese students win two gold medals at International Physics Olympiad
All five Vietnamese students have brought home medals, including two golds, from the 53rd International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2023 held in Japan from July 10-17. The two gold medals went to 12th grader Nguyen Tuan Phong from Bac Ninh Province, and 11th grader Vo Hoang Hai from Hanoi. Two silver …
Read More »Russian scientists warn of powerful solar flare activity on Monday
Powerful solar flare activity is forecast for Monday which may interfere with short-wave communications, Russian scientists said after three flares were observed on the sun on Sunday. The Fedorov Institute of Applied Geophysics in Moscow said class X flares were possible, including proton flares, and short-wave radio conditions were expected …
Read More »Elon Musk says Twitter’s cash flow still negative as ad revenue drops 50%
Twitter’s cash flow remains negative because of a nearly 50% drop in advertising revenue and a heavy debt load, Elon Musk said on Saturday, falling short of his expectation in March that Twitter could reach cash flow positive by June. “Need to reach positive cash flow before we have the …
Read More »China’s frail Q2 GDP growth puts pressure for more policy support
China’s economy grew at a frail pace in the second quarter, although the annual figure was flattered by base effects, data showed on Monday, with overall momentum faltering rapidly due to weakening demand at home and abroad. Gross domestic product grew just 0.8% in April-June from the previous quarter, data …
Read More »Storm Talim intensifies en route to Ha Long Bay
Talim, the first storm to form over Vietnam’s East Sea this year, is getting stronger on its way to the northern Quang Ninh Province, home to Ha Long Bay. At 7 a.m. Monday it lay 300 km from China’s Leizhou Peninsula packing winds of 133 kph. The National Center for …
Read More »