CAIRO/RIYADH, June 24 — More than 1,000 people have died during haj this year, according to a Reuters tally, as extreme heat hammered the nearly two million who took part in the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

JAKARTA, June 23 — One person was killed, and two others went missing following a flood in the Parigi Moutong regency, Central Sulawesi province in Indonesia, the national disaster management agency said today, reported Xinhua.

CAIRO, June 23 — Egypt has withdrawn the operating licenses of 16 tourism companies and referred them to the public prosecutor, accusing them of being responsible for the deaths of Egyptian pilgrims in Mecca, a crisis unit tasked with addressing the situation said yesterday.

CAIRO, June 23 — At least 42 people were killed in Israeli attacks on districts of Gaza City in the north of the Palestinian enclave yesterday, said the director of the Hamas-run government media office.

HANOI, June 23 — United States (US) Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink has said the situation in the South China Sea is deeply concerning and that China's recent actions in the disputed waterway are "deeply destabilising".

BANGKOK, June 22 — Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin defended his frequent globe-trotting during his first 10 months as leader of the country, in remarks aired in a television broadcast today.

BEIJING, June 21 — China today threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for “die-hard” Taiwan independence separatists, a ramp-up of pressure, though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the island.

GENEVA, June 21 — The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned today that scorching heat in the Gaza Strip could exacerbate health problems for Palestinians displaced by Israeli bombardment and heavy fighting between its forces and Hamas.

CAIRO, June 21 — Several Israeli air strikes in the central and northern Gaza Strip overnight and into the early hours of today killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens of others, according to medics, while tanks deepened their invasion into Rafah in the south, residents said.

LEIPZIG, Germany, June 21 — France captain Kylian Mbappe should be available for their second European Championship group game against the Netherlands after breaking his nose in their opening 1-0 win over Austria, manager Didier Deschamps said yesterday.

LONDON, June 21 — Deadly heatwaves are scorching cities on four continents as the Northern Hemisphere marks the first day of summer, a sign that climate change may again help to fuel record-breaking heat that could surpass last summer as the warmest in 2,000 years.

HANOI, June 20 — Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wanted to build a "reliable security architecture" in the Asia-Pacific region during a state visit to Vietnam today, part of a trip to Asia seen as a show of defiance to the West.

JAKARTA, June 20 — Indonesia has said it would start regulating the cultivation and export of kratom or ketum, a substance that advocates say can help ease pain alongside other benefits, but is listed in the United States (US) as a drug of concern.

SINGAPORE, Jun 20 — Singapore's banking sector, including wealth management, poses the highest money-laundering risk in the city-state, the government said in a money-laundering risk assessment report published today.

NEW DELHI/DUBAI, June 20 — China is pressing India to restart direct passenger flights after a four-year halt, but New Delhi is resisting as a border dispute continues to weigh on ties between the world’s two most populous countries, officials said.

BANGKOK, June 20 — Thailand hopes to become a member of the BRICS group of emerging economies at the organisation’s next summit in Russia in October, a Foreign Affairs Ministry official said today.

SINGAPORE, June 20 — Singapore authorities are in touch with their Malaysian counterparts to cooperate on efforts to address any further impact of the oil spill caused by an allision between a dredger and a stationary bunker vessel at the Pasir Panjang Terminal (PPT) on Friday (June 14).

JAKARTA, June 20 — The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) of Indonesia has announced that the first commercial nuclear power plant will commence testing and operation between 2030 and 2034, reported ANTARA News Agency.

BANGKOK, June 20 — Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin yesterday proposed a ฿3.753 trillion (RM481.5 billion) budget for the 2025 fiscal year to jump-start the country’s sluggish economy as lawmakers began a three-day debate.

CAIRO, June 20 — Israeli tanks backed by warplanes and drones advanced deeper into the western part of the Gazan city of Rafah yesterday, killing eight, said residents and Palestinian medics.