UN panel accuses Trump of ‘racist hate speech’
GENEVA - A UN watchdog warned on Wednesday that “racist hate speech” by US President Donald Trump and other political leaders coupled with intensified immigration crackdowns were fuelling grave rights violations.

Thai oil fund spending B1 billion a day on subsidies
The Thai government is widening efforts to curb demand for fuel, as it burns through cash fighting to keep domestic diesel prices artificially low amid surging global energy costs.

Oil jumps, stocks drop as war keeps markets on edge
LONDON - Oil prices rallied and equities mostly dropped on Wednesday as traders assessed the latest developments affecting global markets as a result of the Middle East war.

DR Congo air strike kills French aid worker
GOMA - A French aid worker for the UN children’s agency has been killed in an air strike in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in a city controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia.

Thai cargo ship attacked near Strait of Hormuz
A Thai‑flagged bulk carrier was struck by Iranian missiles near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, with 20 Thai crew rescued by the Royal Navy of Oman and three still on board, according to the Royal Thai Navy.

Thai exporters on alert after cargo ship attack
Thai exporters are advised to exercise caution after a Thai cargo ship was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, while delays could put perishable goods at risk, the Thai National Shippers’ Council (TNSC) said on Wednesday.

Hard landing at Phuket airport, no injuries
PHUKET - All 140 passengers and crew are safe after an Air India Express jet made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday, but the resulting seven-hour runway closure resulted in many flight disruptions on the tourist island.

Iran’s new supreme leader injured but ‘safe’
Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is injured but “safe and sound”, the son of the president said Wednesday, offering the first official explanation for why the 56-year-old has not been seen since his appointment at the weekend.

G7 leaders closer to tapping oil reserves
PARIS - The Group of Seven advanced economies inched closer on Wednesday to tapping strategic oil reserves to tackle the rise in crude oil prices due to the Middle East war as energy ministers said they stood ready to take “all necessary measures”.

UK braces for release of ‘Mandelson files’
LONDON - Britain’s government was due Wednesday to publish the first tranche of documents relating to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s controversial appointment of a Jeffrey Epstein associate as UK ambassador to Washington.