NEW DELHI -- India's foreign ministry said a lot of people have lost their lives in Thursday's plane crash with 242 people on board an Air India flight to London in the western state of Gujarat.
The Air India flight had 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on board when it crashed shortly after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, about 17 km south of Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat. (India-Plane Crash)
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WELLINGTON -- New Zealand's primary industries are set to drive the country's economic recovery, with food and fiber exports forecast to reach an unprecedented 59.9 billion NZ dollars by June 2025.
The latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) report released on Thursday showed export revenue has climbed 12 percent from last year, driven by robust international demand, rising prices, and New Zealand's strong reputation for producing high-quality, sustainable goods. (New Zealand-Primary-Industries)
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BANGKOK -- Thailand's consumer confidence dropped for a fourth straight month in May, reaching the lowest level in 27 months, due to concerns over global trade tensions and a fragile domestic economic recovery, a survey showed on Thursday.
According to the survey of 2,242 respondents conducted by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the consumer confidence index fell to 54.2 last month from 55.4 in April as all components of the index decreased. (Thailand-Consumer Confidence)
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JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government has increased the target for the share of new and renewable energy in the country's energy consumption to 17-20 percent this year, an official said on Thursday.
The target is higher than last year's realization of 14.68 percent, said Andriah Feby Misna, director of new and renewable energy at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. (Indonesia-Renewable Energy-Target) ■



