SUVA -- Pacific nations are facing mounting economic pressure as rising global fuel prices, escalating conflict in the Middle East and worsening climate-related vulnerabilities continue to strain government finances and household budgets across the region, a senior Fijian official warned here on Tuesday.
Speaking at a meeting of the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Center, Fijian Minister for Finance, Commerce and Business Development Esrom Immanuel said that Pacific economies remain highly exposed to global shocks because of their heavy dependence on imported fuel, food and essential goods. (Fiji-Pacific Nations-Challenges)
- - - -
NEW DELHI -- At least 13 people were killed and 25 others injured on Monday after a speeding container trailer crashed into a mini truck carrying a marriage party in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, police said Tuesday.
The accident took place in the Dhanivari area of Palghar district, about 135 km north of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. (India-Traffic Accident-Deaths)
- - - -
BANGKOK -- Thailand's cabinet approved a major revision of its visa exemption policies on Tuesday, effectively cancelling the 60-day visa-free entry scheme for tourists from 93 countries and territories.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the revised measures aim to streamline entry protocols and are driven by considerations of national security, tourism economics, and diplomatic reciprocity. (Thailand-Visa)
- - - -
TOKYO -- Japan's economy expanded an annualized real 2.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026, driven by growth in consumption and exports, government data showed Tuesday.
Quarter-on-quarter, gross domestic product adjusted for inflation increased 0.5 percent in the January-March period from the previous three months, the Cabinet Office said in its preliminary report. (Japan-GDP) Enditem
京公网安备 11010802027341号