AFP Asia Business

The United Nations called on Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities Tuesday to immediately restore internet and telecommunications in the country, 24 hours after a nationwide blackout was imposed.The government began shutting down high-speed internet connections to some provinces earlier this month to prevent “immorality”, on the orders of shadowy supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.Mobile phone signal and internet …

UN calls for Taliban to restore internet as Afghanistan goes dark Read More »

Searchers in Indonesia raced Tuesday to rescue dozens of people still believed trapped a day after the collapse of an Islamic school building that has already left three dead, authorities said.Tearful families desperate for news of their loved ones crowded around the flattened multi-storey building, as rescuers navigated a maze of concrete rubble in the …

Dozens missing, three dead in Indonesia school collapse Read More »

Global stock markets mostly rose on Monday, shrugging off concerns about a looming US government shutdown as markets eyed key budget talks set for Monday afternoon.Following a mostly positive round of trading in Europe and Asia, Wall Street’s main indices finished modestly higher. US President Donald Trump was expected to meet with congressional leaders Monday …

Stock markets shrug off US government shutdown fears Read More »

Australian telecommunications giant Optus said Monday it had suffered a network outage that prevented calls to emergency services, just over a week after a similar interruption that has been linked to four deaths.Optus — one of Australia’s top telecoms providers — said the outage on Sunday impacted thousands of people in New South Wales and …

Embattled Australia telco giant hit by another major outage Read More »

Vacationing in India, engineer Amrutha Tamanam rushed to return to the United States after Donald Trump abruptly announced a $100,000 fee for the visa she holds.As she scrambled to get back to the country she’s called home for a decade, racially motivated far-right trolls launched coordinated efforts to disrupt flight bookings from India, calling their …

‘Clog the toilet’ trolls hit Indian visa holders rushing to US Read More »

A mining mogul engaged in a years-long dispute with the Australian government over a blocked project had his case thrown out by an international tribunal on Saturday, the attorney general said.Flamboyant billionaire and right-wing politician Clive Palmer had sought to challenge legislation in Western Australia, which prevented him from suing the government over losses related …

Australian magnate loses legal bid to fight govt over mining case Read More »

Stocks climbed Friday as investors digested a new tariffs blitz by US President Donald Trump and data showing a key US inflation metric rose in line with expectations.Wall Street pushed higher after slumping for three straight sessions, with relief about inflation data offsetting the tariff developments and rising concerns about a US government shutdown due …

Stocks rise as traders weigh US inflation, Trump tariffs Read More »

President Donald Trump insists he has found a solution to keep TikTok alive in the United States through a group of investors who will buy the short-video app from its Chinese owners in accordance with US law.But questions remain unresolved about how this will play out and what it means for American users.- Is there …

More questions than answers surround Trump’s TikTok deal Read More »

Moored off a Manhattan pier for New York’s annual Climate Week is one of the world’s first ammonia-powered vessels — a green flagship for an Australian tycoon’s drive to decarbonize his mining empire.Even as President Donald Trump’s second term has triggered environmental backtracking among many corporations, iron ore giant Fortescue — founded by Andrew “Twiggy” …

An Aussie tycoon bets billions on cleaning up iron ore giant Read More »

The United Nations on Friday released a long-awaited update of its database of companies with activities in Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories, listing 158 firms from 11 countries.UN rights chief Volker Turk has condemned as a war crime Israel’s policy of settlements on Palestinian territory in the occupied West Bank.While several companies including Alstom and …

UN identifies 158 firms linked to Israeli settlements Read More »