Town Hall News

By Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi SAPPORO, Japan (Reuters) -The Group of Seven rich nations on Sunday set big new targets for solar power and offshore wind capacity, agreeing to speed up renewable energy development and move toward a quicker phase-out of fossil fuels. But they stopped short of endorsing a 2030 deadline for phasing out of coal that Canada and some other members had pushed for, and left the […]

By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudan’s army launched air strikes on a rival paramilitary force’s base near the capital in a bid to reassert control over the country on Sunday after a power struggle erupted into clashes that killed dozens of fighters and 56 civilians. The fighting that broke out on Saturday between army units loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by deputy […]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Fifty climate change activists were charged with unlawful protest near Australia’s biggest coal export port on Sunday after protesters climbed on a coal train. New South Wales state police said 47 activists were charged with “rail corridor offences”, two with malicious damage and one with assaulting a security guard in relation to the “unlawful protest activity” near the Port of Newcastle, some 170 km (105 miles) from […]

DUBAI (Reuters) – Sixteen people were killed and nine were injured in a Dubai residential building fire on Saturday, local newspapers said on Sunday citing the Dubai Civil Defence. The fire engulfed the five-storey building in the Al-Ras neighborhood, one of the oldest parts of Dubai and home to many migrant workers and traders, on Saturday afternoon, according to Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National. Local media said the fire had […]

DUBAI (Reuters) – Sixteen people were killed and nine were injured in a Dubai residential building fire on Saturday, local newspapers said on Sunday citing the Dubai Civil Defence. The fire engulfed the five-storey building in the Al-Ras neighborhood, one of the oldest parts of Dubai and home to many migrant workers and traders, on Saturday afternoon, according to Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National. Local media said the fire had […]

By Ellen Zhang and David Kirton GUANGZHOU (Reuters) – Chinese exporters exhibiting their products at the country’s largest trade fair said the weak global economy was hurting their businesses, with many freezing investments and some cutting labour costs in response. The subdued mood at the Canton Fair in the southern city of Guangzhou suggests China’s unexpected jump in exports in March may have reflected exporters catching up with orders delayed […]

By Rozanna Latiff and Yantoultra Ngui KUALA LUMPUR/SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Malaysia plans to introduce a second 5G network from next year, four sources told Reuters, in the latest policy shake-up aimed at dismantling monopolies and promoting competition by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s six-month-old administration. Malaysia’s 5G roll-out by state agency Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) has seen repeated delays since its launch in December 2021 because of industry concerns over pricing […]

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a day after escaping an apparent attack, vowed to ensure the safety of Group of Seven dignitaries visiting his country, beginning with tighter security for climate ministers gathering in Sapporo. “My security has become even heavier this morning. It’s so tight I think it is going to be difficult to go out into the city,” Japan’s environment minister, Akihiro Nishimura, said at a […]

BEIJING (Reuters) – Beijing’s subway has dropped mandatory mask requirements for travellers, local media reported on Sunday, days after a Chinese health expert said the threat of COVID-19 to humans is no longer at a serious level. The mask move is in line with broader measures by China, which said last week it was now no longer mandatory to wear face masks when using public transport, according to state media. […]