PHILIPPINES: As the West and China continue to compete for their strategic pillars, the island states of the Pacific, from the massive Papua New Guinea to the smaller island nations, find themselves in a much more powerful position. Since climate change is the greatest threat to the region, their negotiating prowess may provide them greater leverage to entice foreign funding. …

ENGLAND: FIFA, the world ruling body of football, has begun taking actions to safeguard foreign players directly impacted by the Ukrainian crisis by allowing them to pause their contracts until June 2023. Andriy Pavelko, president of Ukraine’s football federation, disclosed earlier this month details of talks with FIFA and UEFA officials about continuing men’s and women’s games in the country …

SINGAPORE: On Monday, a 61-year-old woman was killed in a taxi accident on Ang Mo Kio Street 21. The event was reported to authorities around 10.25 p.m. A medic declared a 61-year-old female bystander killed in the crash,” police said, adding that the cab driver, 53, was arrested for negligent driving causing involuntary manslaughter. The police investigation is still being …

LONDON: Recent cryptocurrency market explosions indicate that the long-foreseen dangers of decentralized digital money are now manifesting, according to the Bank for International Settlements. The BIS, the global central bank umbrella body, issued the warning in an upcoming annual report, also urging more interest in creating enticing central bank digital currencies. BIS general manager Agustin Carstens cited the recent collapse …

SINGAPORE: Many tenants of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 have stated that the revised criteria under the HDB’s Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) will not affect them because they want to live in their replacement unit till they die. Buyers of refurbished flats under the plan will only be entitled to sell their unit five years after receiving their …

ANKARA: Turkey stated during meetings in Brussels on Monday that talks between Turkey, Finland, and Sweden over the Nordic nations joining NATO will continue, and that the alliance summit in Madrid next week is not a deadline (Jun 20). In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO. However, Turkey has objected to the proposals, …

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz replied to criticism over his idea that floods may be used to promote “voluntourism,” or volunteer tourism, on Monday (June 20). Mr Nazri stated in an interview with Sinar Daily, Sinar Harian’s English portal, on Saturday that instead of wailing over the out-of-control flooding, Malaysia could look for chances by encouraging …

INDIA: Jehan Daruvala will test a Formula One car for the first time this week at Silverstone, as part of his attempt to become only the third Indian to compete at the highest level of motorsport. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Red Bull junior driver, who is now third in the Formula Two standings and has already qualified for a …

NEW YORK: On Monday, Dmitry Muratov, the editor-in-chief of the independent Russian daily Novaya Gazeta, auctioned off his Nobel Peace Prize gold medal for $103.5 million to aid children displaced by the Ukraine crisis. The medal was sold to an undisclosed phone bidder at Heritage Auctions in New York. The auction was lively, with much applause and bidders encouraging one …

BEIJING: After purchasing face masks and ventilators from China in prior months, North Korea unexpectedly ceased importing COVID-19 prevention and control products in May, according to trade statistics supplied by Beijing. Since the isolated government initially announced it was combating a COVID-19 outbreak in mid-May, daily new cases of fever in North Korea have been falling, according to its state …