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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) draws much of its support from the densely populated north, and critics say expanding seats in parliament would therefore benefit it the most. — Bernama file pic

India's Modi pushes plan to expand parliament and reserve seats for women, opposition protests

The helicopter, owned by local firm Matthew Air Nusantara, took off from the West Kalimantan province on the Borneo island heading to another destination in the same province, according to the local search and rescue agency. — Pexels.com pic

Search underway for missing helicopter with eight on board in West Kalimantan

Government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said the cabinet had approved measures to mitigate the impact of rising oil prices on the transport sector, covering public buses, freight trucks and for-hire vehicles, with a total budget of about 2.06 billion baht (about 254 million). — Reuters pic

Thailand approves multi-billion baht aid to stabilise transport fares as fuel prices surge

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani

New York mayor condemns police beating video as investigation into viral clip begins

The duo was jailed for “laptop farms” operation, which hosted computers that overseas individuals could remotely log into, posing as US-based workers. — Pixabay pic

Two New Jersey men get prison terms for helping North Korean IT workers exploit US firms

The US is imposing a military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran blocked shipping for over six weeks of war in a conflict which is on hold as a fragile two-week ceasefire remains in place. ― Reuters pic

Iran adviser threatens to sink US ships in Strait of Hormuz amid blockade tensions

US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent said the new punishment targets oil transport infrastructure by slapping sanctions on more than two dozen people. — AFP pic

US ramps up sanctions on Iran oil network as Strait of Hormuz shutdown fuels tensions

The Callisto tanker sits anchored as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman March 10, 2026. — Reuters pic

US eyes second Iran peace talks in Pakistan as Tehran threatens Red Sea trade shutdown

This photo shows the Viva Oil Refinery in Geelong on April 16, 2026, following an overnight fire. — AFP pic

Explosions trigger massive fire at key Australian refinery, raising fuel supply concerns

A concept model of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)'s fighter jet is displayed during the Defence Security Equipment International (DSEI) Japan at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo May 21, 2025. — Reuters pic

Rattled by Trump, US allies eye Japan’s biggest arms‑export shift since WW2

The US blockade on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports adds to uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been all-but-shut since the start of the Iran ‌war. — Reuters pic

Few ships get through Hormuz since start of war — and Malaysia‑bound tankers are among them

Boats of a new humanitarian flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip make a symbolic leave from Barcelona's Port Vell on April 12, 2026 as the departure of the flotilla has been postponed due to bad weather. — AFP pic

Global Sumud flotilla sets sail from Barcelona for Gaza in bid to break Israeli blockade

A case involving a petrol-filled bottle thrown at a house ended with a fine for the accused. — Picture via pexels.com/Francesco Ungaro

Suspected boiler explosion at Vedanta power plant in India kills at least 17

US President Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Fox Business today that he asked China’s leader Xi Jinping not to supply weapons to Iran, and that Xi replied saying he was not doing so. — AFP pic

Trump says he asked China’s Xi not to supply weapons to Iran during Fox Business interview

The US-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry made its way back to the Strait of Hormuz today after exiting the Gulf the day before, shipping data showed, failing to break through a US blockade ‌on vessels calling at Iranian ports. — Reuters pic

Sanctioned China tanker turns back toward Strait of Hormuz a day after Gulf exit as US blockade holds

In this file picture taken May 14, 2015 Rohingya migrants stand and sit on a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea. Families were frantically searching for news of their relatives today after a boat carrying about 280 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi migrants capsized in the Andaman Sea earlier this month. — AFP pic

Families search for hundreds missing after Malaysia‑bound Rohingya boat sinks in Andaman Sea