Rural municipalities working with students from urban areas
WorldTOKYO -- In a model project by Japan's internal affairs ministry, municipalities in the countryside are collaborating with university students from urban areas, in order to leverage young people's ideas for regional revitalization.
Swiss face painful task of identifying victims of deadly bar fire
WorldInvestigators on Friday set about the painful task of identifying the burned bodies of a blaze that engulfed a crowded bar and killed around 40 people at a New Year's Eve party in the upscale Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana.
Contaminated water kills 9 and hospitalises 200 in India's Indore city
WorldNEW DELHI - At least nine people have died and more than 200 have been hospitalised in the central Indian city of Indore after a diarrhoea outbreak that officials said was linked to contaminated drinking water, according to a lawmaker and local health authorities.
Canada asks Air India to probe incident of pilot reporting for duty under influence of alcohol, source says
WorldNEW DELHI -- Canada's transport regulator has asked Air India to investigate an incident of a pilot reporting for duty under the influence of alcohol and failing two breathalyzer tests, a person familiar with the matter said.
Fire ravages Amsterdam church on 'unsettled' Dutch New Year
WorldA huge inferno gutted a 19th century Amsterdam church Thursday, as the Netherlands endured an unsettled New Year's Eve with two dead from fireworks and "unprecedented" violence against police.
China taxes condoms, contraceptive drugs in bid to spur birth rate
WorldChina removed a three-decade-old tax exemption on contraceptive drugs and devices from January 1 in new steps to spur a flagging birth rate.
Starlink plans to lower satellite orbit to enhance safety in 2026
WorldStarlink will begin a reconfiguration of its satellite constellation by lowering all of its satellites orbiting at around 550 km (342 miles) to 480 km over the course of 2026, Michael Nicolls, SpaceX's vice president of Starlink engineering, said on Thursday.
Around 40 killed as fire ravages Swiss ski resort New Year party
WorldSeveral dozen people are feared dead and around 100 others injured after a fire tore through a crowded New Year’s celebration at Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, forcing hospitals in Wallis to declare an emergency.
Asia's factories end 2025 on firmer footing as orders pick up
WorldSINGAPORE -- Asia's factory powerhouses closed 2025 on a firmer footing, with activity swinging back to growth in several key economies as export orders picked up, helped by new product launches.
Singapore Q4 GDP up 5.7% y/y, preliminary data shows
WorldSINGAPORE -- Singapore's economy grew 5.7% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, preliminary government data showed on Friday.
