Bhutan cuts daily tourist fee by half to lure more visitors
KATHMANDU — The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is to halve the $200 daily fee it charges tourists in an effort to boost a sector...
US troops rotating into Taiwan for training — sources
WASHINGTON — Small numbers of US special operations forces have been rotating into Taiwan on a temporary basis to carry out training of Taiwanese...
French prime minister flags tax hike on the wealthy
PARIS — Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Sunday opened the door to raising taxes on France’s wealthiest individuals and some big corporations to help...
Israel, Hezbollah agree to ceasefire brokered by US and France
WASHINGTON/BEIRUT/JERUSALEM - A ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah will take effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the...
Gaza suffering has reached ‘unimaginable levels,’ say 26 foreign ministers
LONDON/BRUSSELS — The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached “unimaginable levels,” Britain, Canada, Australia and several of their European allies said on Tuesday, calling...
Australian parliament to return to pass hate speech laws after Bondi attack
SYDNEY — Australia’s national parliament will cut short its summer break to pass laws tackling hate speech after the Bondi Beach mass shooting, Prime Minister...
China maintains defense spending increase at 7.2% amid roiling geopolitical tensions
BEIJING - China will boost its defense spending by 7.2% this year, maintaining a steady growth rate as Beijing faces headwinds from three years of sluggish...
Mexico reports 53% increase in flesh-eating screwworm cases since July
Mexico has recorded 5,086 cases of flesh-eating screwworm in animals as of August 17, a 53% jump from the number of cases reported in...
Nations make new pledges to cut methane, save forests at climate summit
By Jake Spring and Jeff Mason
GLASGOW - Leaders at the COP26 global climate conference pledged on Tuesday to stop deforestation by the end of the decade and cut emissions...
US weighs 2050 target in bid to wean airlines off fossil fuels
US President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.’s administration is quietly discussing a target date of 2050 for weaning aircraft off fossil fuels as part of the White House’s broader push to fight climate change, sources familiar with the matter said.
Investors say Asia a safe place as Fed hikes but premature to jump in
SINGAPORE/HONG KONG — Asia’s emerging economies are better placed than most other regions to weather a bout of turbo-charged US policy tightening, analysts say,...
Vietnam says more US vaccine donations expected after first 5-M doses
HANOI — The United States is considering giving more coronavirus vaccines to Vietnam, its ambassador to the United States said on Sunday, as the Southeast Asian country struggles to control outbreaks of the fast-spreading Delta variant of the virus.