THE HAGUE -- Storm Benjamin battered the Netherlands on Thursday, triggering widespread travel disruptions.
The Dutch national weather institute, KNMI, issued a "Code Orange" alert, its second-highest warning, for the country's western coastal provinces, forecasting powerful wind gusts of up to 120 km per hour. (Netherlands-Storm)
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JAKARTA -- Indonesia's Ministry of Public Works is accelerating the completion of 15 dams under construction this fiscal year as part of the government's efforts to strengthen food security.
Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said that dam development must go hand in hand with the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation networks to ensure long-term benefits. (Indonesia-Dams)
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JAKARTA -- Indonesia and Brazil on Thursday signed a series of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen cooperation in a range of sectors, including energy, mining, agriculture, science and trade, according to a statement from the Indonesian Presidential Secretariat.
The signing ceremony, witnessed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, took place at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta during the state visit of Lula. (Indonesia-Brazil-Bilateral Cooperation)
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COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) will launch a comprehensive economic census to gather data on agricultural activities in the country, the department announced on Thursday.
The census, which will cover all 25 districts in the country, will focus on areas like crop cultivation, livestock management, and aquaculture, the DCS said. The department will deploy nearly 16,000 officers to gather data. (Sri Lanka-Agriculture) ■
