SINGAPORE -- Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned on Friday that supply disruptions stemming from the Middle East crisis are likely to persist and could worsen in the months ahead, raising the risk that some economies slip into recession.
"Globally, inflation will rise, spreading from energy to food and then other essentials. Some economies may well slip into recession, and Singapore will feel the impact directly," Wong said in a May Day Rally speech. (Singapore-Mideast-Disruption)
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ISLAMABAD -- Eleven countries, including Pakistan, on Friday strongly condemned what they described as an Israeli assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla, a pro-Palestinian humanitarian convoy, calling it a violation of international law and an obstruction of humanitarian efforts aimed at Gaza.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Türkiye, Brazil, Jordan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, South Africa and Spain denounced the reported attack on civilian vessels and the detention of activists in international waters. (Pakistan-Israel-Condemnation)
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NEW DELHI -- The death toll in central India's boat capsizing rose to 9 on Friday, even as the boat's wreckage was pulled out, confirmed a government official.
The tragedy occurred in the Jabalpur district of the central state of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. There was a total of 29 tourists onboard the ill-fated boat when it capsized at Bargi Dam, built on the river Narmada.
(India-Boat Capsizing-Death Toll)
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TOKYO -- Japan started an additional release of about 20 days' worth of oil reserves on Friday to ensure stable domestic supplies, which have been disrupted by the Middle East conflict.
The move follows an initial mid-March release of some 50 days' worth of oil from reserves held by the state, the private sector, and oil-producing Gulf countries. (Japan-Oil Reserve)
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ISLAMABAD -- Three people were killed and four others injured in a target killing and subsequent crossfire between a local peace committee and unidentified militants in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, official sources said.
The incident happened at around 12:10 p.m. local time (0710 GMT) in North Waziristan district, where members of a local peace committee exchanged fire with unknown militants following the killing of a tribal elder, the sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. (Pakistan-Military-Crossfire) ■
