Guidong County in Hunan is using high-speed rice transplanters to overcome labor shortages and improve efficiency in planting cold-water rice. This mechanization boosts scale and quality, supporting the region's key agricultural industry.
A Thai court sentenced two Chinese nationals of Uyghur origin to death for the 2015 Erawan Shrine bombing in Bangkok, which killed 20 and injured 120. The decade-long trial concluded with convictions for premeditated and attempted murder, though the defendants deny the charges and plan to appeal.
Iksan City has applied the sparse rice planting technique to 90% of its 15,300-hectare rice cultivation area, reducing production costs by approximately 8.7 billion won annually and alleviating labor shortages.
Toby Carvery's owners, Mitchells & Butlers, have apologized for felling a 500-year-old oak in Enfield, London. They will fund 1,000 new trees and contribute to treating the felled tree after reports found it was healthy.
A viral video of LKG student Grace Wangchuk Bhutia from Sikkim, urging for tree planting and nature protection, has inspired millions on World Environment Day, shared by Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia.
Entomologists in England anticipate a significant increase in slug activity, posing a threat to strawberry plants and other garden crops due to recent hot, dry weather followed by rain. The Royal Horticultural Society advises gentle methods for managing slugs, emphasizing their role in garden biodiversity.
Costa Rican nonprofit Costas Verdes has restored deforested Pacific coastlines by planting over 100,000 native trees across 34 beaches since 2011, reviving wildlife habitats and combating deforestation from cattle farming.
The UK and Europe experience record-breaking May heatwaves, prompting concerns over the UK's preparedness for extreme heat, with potential solutions discussed.
Sichuan's spring irrigation is in full swing, with over 18.9 million mu of rice planted by May 20th. Large irrigation districts like Wuyin, Shengzhong, and Yuxihe are employing scientific scheduling and digital technologies to ensure water supply, aiming for full rice planting by the end of June.
North Korea's state media reported on a congratulatory message to Chongryon's 26th general assembly, the success of North Korean athletes at the Asian Weightlifting Championships with 30 medals, and progress in spring tree planting and corn field weeding.
A new space race is underway, distinct from the Cold War's Sputnik era. China is a leading actor, alongside US tech giant SpaceX, which is preparing for a major IPO and planning orbital data centers. This competition focuses on practical utilization of space, impacting global supply chains for metals, chips, and rockets.
Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed concern that Donald Trump might use a war to cancel the 2028 presidential election, citing his past remarks to Volodymyr Zelensky about elections during wartime. Greene believes Trump normalizes the idea by repeating it.
The RSPCA is calling for public help to save dwindling bee numbers in the UK, with one-third of the population lost in 30 years. Initiatives like the Bee Lines project are creating wildflower habitats, but experts stress individual actions like planting native flowers and providing water stations are crucial.
Australian farmers are planting significantly less wheat due to increased fuel and fertilizer costs linked to the Iran war and a dry weather outlook from El Niño. This could lead to a 40% reduction in harvest, impacting global supply and prices.
A 35-year-old shoe seller, Shivaji Rathod, was arrested in Nagpur for allegedly planting a low-intensity bomb at a Pune hospital to extort money for STD treatment. The IED was defused before it could cause harm.
SEOUL, May 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea urged its people to intensify efforts towa...
A Chinese woman who accused a famous chain of milk tea shops of planting mercury in her drink was later found to be the target of poisoning by her boyfriend. The woman, surnamed Zhang, from central China’s Anhui province, initially complained online that a Chagee shop laced her drink with mercury granules. Zhang said her boyfriend bought the drink for her on April 27. The first few sips were fine, but later she felt little granules in her sips that “did not taste like tapioca bubbles”. She...
A Chinese woman who accused a famous chain of milk tea shops of planting mercury in her drink was later found to be the target of poisoning by her boyfriend. The woman, surnamed Zhang, from central China’s Anhui province, initially complained online that a Chagee shop laced her drink with mercury granules. Zhang said her boyfriend bought the drink for her on April 27. The first few sips were fine, but later she felt little granules in her sips that “did not taste like tapioca bubbles”. She...
Malaysia is resorting to cloud seeding to bring much-needed rain to the country’s “rice bowl” north, where a drought has delayed planting of the staple crop and raised supply fears. “This year ... has been affected by prolonged dry weather, low rainfall and reduced dam water levels,” said Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Mohamad Sabu. The conditions mean farmers have missed two of the three usual planting phases for so-called “wet direct seeding” of rice, a technique that...
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsNewsflash: Global food prices have risen for the third month running, as the Iran war drives up the price of energy and fertiliser.The United Nations’ FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) shows that prices of a basket of food commodities rose by 1.6% in April, adding to price rises in February and March.The price increase was further supported by expectations of reduced wheat plantings in 2026, as farmers shift to less fertilizer‑intensive crops amid high fertilizer prices, driven by elevated energy costs and disruptions linked to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.International palm oil prices rose for the fifth consecutive month in April, largely underpinned by prospective higher demand from the biofuel sector, supported by policy incentives in several producing countries and higher crude oil prices. Additional upward pressure stemmed from concerns over lower production in Southeast Asia in the coming months.The drop in April was mainly driven by expectations of ample global supplies in the current season, reinforced by improved production prospects in key Asian producing countries, notably China and Thailand. The onset of the new harvest in Brazil’s key southern growing regions under favourable weather conditions further contributed to the overall decline in international sugar prices. Continue reading...
Conflict in the Middle East is threatening the coming planting season, a UN official has warned, as countries already reeling from fertiliser shortages and surging costs face shocks to food security. The Strait of Hormuz, a major global chokepoint for fertilisers and other agricultural inputs as well as oil, has been under blockade since the start of joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Despite rising concerns over the impact of the conflict on global food production, China – supported...
Rice farmers across Asia face a critical fertiliser shortage as prices surge past 1,100 baht per sack, up from 800-900 baht just a month ago. The crisis stems from China's ban on fertiliser exports in March and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israel strikes on Iran in February. Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines - which depend heavily on Chinese fertiliser - face severe planting decisions that could reduce yields significantly. Food insecurity in Asia-Pacific is expected to rise by 24%.
Migration has been a key driver of Australia's economic growth, helping avoid recession since the early 1990s except during pandemic-related border closures in 2021. The share of overseas-born residents rose to 32% in 2025 from 29.5% in 2022, according to ABS data. However, immigration has become politically contentious as Australia faces its worst housing shortage in a generation.
North Korea is implementing emergency measures to combat an unusually severe drought threatening crop production ahead of rice planting season. Premier Pak Thae-song inspected farming areas in South Pyongan and North Hwanghae provinces as officials from multiple ministries were dispatched to provide farming supplies and secure irrigation water. The country has been on the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's food-deficit list for 19 consecutive years.
