JAKARTA (XINHUA) – Indonesia registered a trade balance surplus of USD4.47 billion in March, surging from USD870 million in the previous month, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported yesterday. The figure marked Indonesia’s 47th consecutive month with a trade balance surplus since May 2020. The total export value fell 4.19 per cent year-on-year to USD22.43 billion, while […]
UMM AMUDA KABIRA (AFP) – Traditional mud-brick houses that the people of northern Syria have built for thousands of years risk disappearing, as 12 years of war have emptied villages and left the buildings crumbling. Also knowns as “beehive houses”, the conical adobe structures are designed to keep cool in the blazing desert sun, while […]
BERNAMA – The Malaysian Immigration Department busted a syndicate involved in forging documents, including passports, and arrested two African masterminds in a special operation around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said a 46-year-old Nigerian, believed to be the main mastermind, was arrested in Kajang, Selangor, after a two-week investigation, while the […]
TOKYO (XINHUA) – Japan’s weather agency said scorching heat continues to grip the country yesterday, with the number of prefectures with heatstroke alerts in place reaching a record high of 40. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius (oC)or higher are forecast in Kanto, Tokai, Kansai and Kyushu regions, while the […]
ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – China’s economy ended the year in a major slump as business and consumer spending plunged in December, with more disruption likely in the first few months of the year as COVID-19 infections surge across the country. Official data over the weekend showed that the decline in manufacturing worsened in December, while […]