ISTANBUL, Dec 3 — More than 115,000 Syrians have returned home since the fall of the Assad regime, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said yesterday.

NEW ORLEANS, Dec 3 — A US Army veteran who drove a truck into a crowd of New Year's Day revellers in New Orleans had pledged allegiance to Islamic State, but acted alone in the attack that killed at least 14 people, the FBI said yesterday.

LONDON, Dec 3 — Fast-fashion online retailer Shein, which is hoping to list in London, faces a UK hearing on January 7 where a British parliamentary committee plans to question the firm, founded in China in 2008, about the rights of workers in its supply chain.

SEOUL.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — Factory activity in Asia, Europe, and the United States (US) ended 2024 on a soft note as expectations for the new year soured amid growing trade risks from a second Donald Trump presidency and China's fragile economic recovery.

SEOUL, Dec 2 — South Korean police said today they had raided Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport as part of their investigation into Sunday's crash that killed 179 people in the worst aviation disaster on the country's soil.

BANGKOK, Dec 2 —  Uncertainty around the Thai economy has significantly increased primarily due to the unclear impact of possible US economic policies, minutes of the Bank of Thailand's December 18 monetary policy meeting showed today.

SINGAPORE, Dec 2 — Asian stocks began the year on a dour note today as they struggled for traction after a jittery close to 2024, while the US dollar charged higher and investor sentiment stayed cautious ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House.

JAKARTA, Dec 2 — Indonesia's budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year came in below the government's most recent estimate of 2.7 per cent of gross domestic product, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said today.

WASHINGTON, Jan 2 — The death toll in the New Orleans "terror attack" has risen to at least 15, the FBI announced yesterday, as the bureau identified the suspect as a US citizen from Texas who drove a rented pickup truck loaded with weapons into a crowd celebrating New Year's on Bourbon Street.

SINGAPORE, Dec 2 — Singapore's economy grew 4.0 per cent in 2024, accelerating from 1.1 per cent growth in 2023, preliminary government data showed today.

BATON ROUGE, Jan 1 — A driver crashed his truck into a crowd at high speed in New Orleans' French Quarter in the wee hours of New Year's Day then opened fire, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 35, city officials and police said.

JAKARTA, Jan 1 — Indonesia has begun imposing a 12 per cent Value-Added Tax (VAT) on luxury goods and services today, marking a one per cent hike, reported Xinhua.

TOKYO, Jan 1 — Emperor Naruhito of Japan expressed hope in his New Year's address that 2025, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, would be a year dedicated to efforts to promote peace and to have people recognise each other's differences, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

SINGAPORE, Jan 1 — Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has announced that the country's economy grew by four per cent in 2024, "exceeding expectations", reported Xinhua.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — Leaders across Asean member-states extended their New Year greetings for 2025, urging their citizens to embrace optimism and unity while reiterating commitments to regional progress and global cooperation.

NAYPYIDAW, Jan 1 — Myanmar said its 2024 census found a population of 51.3 million, slightly smaller than 10 years ago, as the junta prepares for promised elections amid ongoing conflict and unrest across the country, the state media reported today.

HOUSTON, Jan 1 — Oil prices fell around three per cent in 2024, slipping for a second straight year, as the post-pandemic demand recovery stalled, China's economy struggled, and the United States (US) and other non-OPEC producers pumped more crude into a well-supplied global market.

BEIJING, Jan 1 — About nine billion inter-regional trips are expected to be made in China during the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush, according to a national teleconference on Tuesday.

ZURICH, Dec 31 — A United Nations Human Rights Office report today condemned Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza, saying they had devastated the Palestinian enclave’s health system and raised serious concerns about Israel’s compliance with international law.