- Wednesday, 20 August 2025
Reuters
People leave New Zealand in record numbers as economy bites
People are leaving New Zealand in record numbers as unemployment rises, interest rates remain high and economic growth is anaemic, government statistics show. Data released by Statistics New Zealand on Tuesday showed that 131,200 people departed New Zealand in the year ended June 2024, provisionally the highest on record for an annual period. Around a third of these were headed to Australia.
Indonesia holds first cabinet meeting in planned new capital, Nusantara
Indonesian President Joko Widodo held his first cabinet meeting in his planned new capital, Nusantara, on Monday, as the outgoing leader seeks to reassure investors his $32 billion mega-project remains on track before he steps down this October. Years after announcing his flagship infrastructure project, intended to ease the burden on congested, sinking and overpopulated Jakarta, Nusantara has faced multiple problems, including construction delays and a lack of foreign investment.
Second hottest July breaks 13-month record streak, EU scientists say
Last month was the second hottest July for the planet on record, breaking a 13-month period when each month was warmest, which had been in part fuelled by the warming El Nino weather pattern, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Thursday.
Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina lands in India, CNN News18 says
Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina landed in India's northeastern city of Agartala on Monday after fleeing Dhaka, broadcaster CNN-News18 reported.
Rain in Delhi, northern India kills 11, hundreds missing
At least 11 people died after heavy rain lashed various parts of northern India on Thursday and more than 250 people were missing after downpours in the Himalayas, including pilgrims stranded on a famous pilgrimage route. State-run India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 183 mm (seven inches) of rain in the past 24 hours in the famous tourist destination of Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh state.
Hezbollah confirms top commander killed in Israeli strike on Beirut suburb
Lebanon's Hezbollah confirmed that senior commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli strike on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital, making him the most senior figure from the group to be killed in nearly 10 months of conflict with Israel.
India landslide: Search for survivors, death toll 166
Soldiers and rescuers worked through slush and rocks under steady rain, looking for survivors and searching for bodies in the hills of India's Kerala state on Wednesday, a day after more than 165 people were killed in monsoon landslides. Nearly 1,000 people had been rescued from the hillside villages and tea and cardamom estates in Wayanad district and 225 were still missing, authorities said on Wednesday. They said at least 166 people died and 195 were injured, while the local Asianet news TV channel put the death toll at 179.
India landslides update: Death toll rises to 151
Nearly 1,000 people have been rescued after landslides in the hills of Wayanad district in India's Kerala state, authorities said on Wednesday, with at least 151 people dead and many still missing. Heavy rain in one of India's most attractive tourist destinations collapsed hillsides early on Tuesday sending torrents of mud, water and tumbling boulders through tea and cardamom estates and small settlements. It was the worst disaster in the state since deadly floods in 2018.
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the early hours of the morning in Iran, the Palestinian militant group said on Wednesday, drawing fears of a wider escalation in a region shaken by Israel's war in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon.
Extreme heat: How does it affect medicines and those taking them?
The world just experienced the hottest day on record and prolonged heat waves have become more common due to climate change, conditions that can alter medications and their effects on patients taking them.
World registers hottest day ever recorded on July 21, monitor says
Sunday, July 21 was the hottest day ever recorded globally, according to preliminary data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. The global average surface air temperature on Sunday reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit) — slightly higher than the previous record set last July of 17.08 C (62.74 F).
India unveils 10 bln rupee venture capital fund for space sector
India will set up a 10 billion rupee ($119 million) venture capital fund to expand its space sector, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday, as the country sets its sights on a larger share of the global space market. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government allowed 100% foreign direct investment in the manufacture of satellite systems without official approval and eased the rules for launch vehicles.
Bangladesh students to keep up protests despite scrapping of most quotas
Bangladesh appeared calm on Monday amid a curfew, but widespread disruption of telecoms persisted a day after the Supreme Court scrapped some controversial job quotas, as protesters set the government a 48-hour deadline to meet new demands. Clashes between student protesters and security forces killed at least 147 people across the South Asian nation after the high court last month reinstated job reservations removed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government in 2018.
Nuclear wildcard reignites Australia's climate wars
A plan by Australia's federal opposition that would slow the roll-out of renewable power and build a network of nuclear reactors has set the scene for a divisive confrontation on climate policy ahead of an election expected next year. The opposition policy, unveiled last month, would replace the current government's emphasis on accelerating the construction of solar, wind and batteries with one that envisages a greater role for fossil fuels while seven state-owned nuclear plants are built.
Bangladesh army enforces curfew as student-led protests spiral
Bangladesh soldiers patrolled Dhaka's deserted streets on Saturday amid a curfew to quell deadly student-led protests against government job quotas that have killed more than 100 people this week. A suspension on internet and text message services has remained in place since Thursday, cutting off Bangladesh from the world as police cracked down on protests that have continued despite a ban on public gatherings.
