BANGKOK -- Government leaders, city planners and development experts have gathered in Bangkok, calling for stronger regional cooperation to shape resilient and sustainable urban futures.
The call came from the 81st session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which is held in Bangkok from April 21 to 25. (Thailand-ESCAP)
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CANBERRA -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has detailed a plan to establish a strategic reserve of critical minerals if his governing Labor Party wins a second term in power at the general election on May 3.
Albanese on Thursday said that a re-elected Labor government would spend an initial 1.2 billion Australian dollars (765 million U.S. dollars) to establish the reserve by buying agreed volumes of critical minerals from Australian miners through voluntary offtake deals and obtaining options to purchase them at a certain price. (Australia-Election-Campaign)
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PHNOM PENH -- The 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Climate Outlook Forum was convened in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Thursday, with a focus on heatwaves and public health.
The forum was attended by climate experts from ASEAN member states and representatives from the World Meteorological Organization, ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Center, and Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System, among others. (Cambodia-ASEAN-Climate)
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SEOUL -- South Korea's former President Moon Jae-in, serving as president between 2017 and 2022, was indicted by prosecutors over an alleged bribery charge, local media said Thursday.
According to the prosecution, Moon's former son-in-law, surnamed Seo, had worked for a budget carrier, Thai Eastar Jet, between August 2018 and March 2020 and had been paid about 150 million won (104,600 U.S. dollars) in salary and 65 million won (45,300 dollars) in residence benefits. (South Korea-Moon Jae-in-Prosecution) ■
