World

21 July 2022, Bavaria, Essenbach: Water vapor rises behind sunflowers from the cooling system of the nuclear power plant (NPP) Isar 2. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Nuclear energy is at an inflection point. Early exuberance about its potential was undercut by a series of devastating and dangerous accidents: Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979; Chornobyl in Ukraine in 1986; and Fukushima Daiichi in Japan in 2011. But now, thanks to new technology and the increasingly urgent need to fight climate change, nuclear energy is getting a second shot at becoming a prominent part of the global energy grid. That's because nuclear energy generation does not create any of the dangerous greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. In a panel discussion at the United Na...

Thailand's economy likely grew at its fastest pace in a year last quarter, thanks to increased tourism as pandemic curbs eased, but the high cost of living and a slowdown in China pose threats to the outlook, a Reuters poll showed. Growth in the tourism-dependent economy is estimated at 3.1 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, according to the median forecast of 16 economists polled between Aug 8 and 11, up from 2.2 per cent growth in the previous quarter. However, on a quarterly basis, gross domestic product (GDP) grew a seasonally-adjusted 0.9 per cent, slowing slightly from 1.1 per cent in the preceding quarter, the median forecast from a smaller sample of 12 economists showed. Forecasts ranged from 0.1 per cent to 1.3 per cent, highlighting uncertainties surrounding the reco...

In this article NCLH It's one of the most basic laws of economics: When prices rise, demand falls. But despite rising travel costs and inflation, vacationers aren't showing much interest in canceling their summer plans. Yet, they certainly appear open to changing them. Nearly 70% of those planning summer vacations said they anticipated making changes to their itineraries because of inflation, according to a survey by the financial services company Bankrate. Even more (74%) are actively searching for ways to save on travel, according to a survey by the marketing tech company Zeta Global. Here are some tips from industry insiders and savvy travelers. 1. Finding cheaper flights Those who are strategic about saving spend 23% less on flights than those who aren't, according to a survey of...

Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta is seen on smartpone in front of displayed logo of Facebook, Messenger, Intagram, Whatsapp and Oculus in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2021. WhatsApp is already widely popular with U.S. consumers. Now Meta Platforms is turning more attention to building its small business base. The Facebook parent company launched WhatsApp Business in 2018 with free, simple tools to help small businesses keep in touch with customers, offering a way for them to directly interact, search for products and indicate purchasing interest. Soon the company will roll out a premium service to small businesses, and it's doubling down on a newer advertising format called "click-to-message," which allows consumers to click on a company's ad within Facebook or Instagram ...

Let's get you up to speed with the day's stories. The couple at the centre of an alleged multi-million-dollar luxury goods scam has been charged in court. Pi Jiapeng, 26, and Siriwipa Pansuk, 27, had been on the run for five weeks, before being arrested in Malaysia and handed over to Singapore police. Speaking to the court, Pi said it was "not right" for them to have fled the country and that he and his wife were "facing a lot of death threats and pressure" at the time. Fong Soong Hert was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife, Pek Ying Ling, while they were on holiday in Newcastle. The minimum sentence in the UK for murder, and the judge ruled that Fong must serve 12-and-a-half years in prison before being considered for parole. Johnson & Johnson will stop selling talc-...

HONG KONG: Major currencies were holding steady on Wednesday (Aug 17), ahead of another day when central bank policy takes centre stage for traders with a Reserve Bank of New Zealand meeting and the Federal Reserve's minutes from its recent meeting both due. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six main peers, was at 106.46 in morning trade, having ended Tuesday largely unchanged. The index has recovered most of the ground it lost last week after cooler-than-expected US inflation but remains well off its mid July top of 109.29. "The Fed's beef with the market in recent days and weeks has been that they (the Fed) don't subscribe to the market's view that it will be cutting rates in 2023," said Ray Attrill, global head of FX strategy at National Australia Bank. "So if the...

JAKARTA: An Indonesian man jailed for his role in the deadly 2002 Bali bombings that killed hundreds of people could be released on parole in the coming days after the latest reduction in his sentencing, a law official said on Friday (Aug 19) Umar Patek, a member of the Al Qaeda-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, was sentenced to 20 years in jail by an Indonesian court in 2012 after he was found guilty of mixing bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs a decade earlier. A total of 202 people were killed, including 88 Australians. Patek was also jailed for his role in the bombings of several Jakarta churches on Christmas Eve in 2000 that killed at least 15 people. He was granted a five-month reduction in jail time as part of a series of remissions regularly given to inmates on ...

NEW YORK : The dollar fell broadly on Wednesday following a cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation report for July that raised expectations of a less aggressive interest rate hike cycle than previously anticipated from the Federal Reserve. U.S. consumer prices were unchanged on a monthly basis in July as the cost of gasoline plunged, delivering the first notable sign of relief for Americans who have watched inflation climb over the past two years. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a 0.2 per cent rise in the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) on the heels of a roughly 20 per cent drop in the cost of gasoline. The dollar index, which measures the currency's value against a basket of currencies, was down 1.025 per cent at 105.26 at 3:15 p.m. EDT (1915 GMT). "This is good news for FX ...

SINGAPORE :Qatari telecommunications firm Ooredoo is in talks to sell its Myanmar unit in what would mark the exit of the country's last foreign telecoms operator, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The people said Doha-based Ooredoo has informed Myanmar's Posts and Telecommunications Department (PTD), the country's regulator, of its intention to sell a unit that was Myanmar's third-biggest operator with nearly 15 million users in 2020, before the industry was disrupted by February 2021's military coup. The main potential buyers for the company include Myanmar conglomerate Young Investment Group, Singapore-headquartered network infrastructure operator Campana Group, and telecoms company SkyNet, one person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Skynet is owned by...

As the world cheers to the global easing of border restrictions, Princess Cruises is just as elated to welcome back guests with its popular itineraries. “We are thrilled that public confidence is back, with a surge in interest for cruises in Australia, Alaska, the Mediterranean, Europe and other global sailings,” said Mr Farriek Tawfik, country director for Southeast Asia, Princess Cruises. In celebration of this, the company is giving a lucky couple the chance to sail on a complimentary eight-day round trip journey from Sydney to Tasmania. Take in the spectacular mix of city and nature in Sydney before bidding farewell to the iconic harbour views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge on the Majestic Princess. Sail on to Melbourne before arriving at Hobart, Tasmania, and embark on...