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Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
UK and Australia deepen AUKUS submarine pact with 50-year treaty
LONDON - Britain said on Thursday it would deepen its AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership with Australia through a new 50-year treaty that it expected to create jobs and boost British exports. Australia, Britain and the U.S. agreed the AUKUS pact in 2021 to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the next decade to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. However, U.S. President Donald Trump launched a formal review of the pact last month to examine whether it met his "America First" criteria. Australia has said it is confident the partnership will proceed. The new British-Australian treaty will underpin each country's submarine programmes and is expected to be worth up to 20 billion pounds ($27.1 billion) to Britain in exports over the next 25 years, its ministry of defence said. The bilateral treaty comes as Britain's defence and foreign ministers travel to Australia to meet their counterparts as well as visit the northern garrison city of Darwin, as Australia hosts its largest-ever military exercise. "AUKUS is one of Britain's most important defence partnerships, strengthening global security while driving growth at home," British defence minister John Healey said. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century." At its peak, there will be over 21,000 people in Britain working on the AUKUS programme, Britain said. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71 Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Stokes the all rounder coming to the fore at right time for England
MANCHESTER, England - Given the injury setbacks, Ben Stokes was set to play a bit-part role with the ball against India, but having earned a first five-wicket haul since 2017 in the fourth test, the England skipper is becoming the all rounder many hoped he would become. Stokes admitted ahead of the crucial India series -- which England can clinch victory in with a win at Old Trafford this week -- that just bowling pain free would be a start. "I can't remember the last time I was able to work so hard on just technical stuff of bowling," Stokes told reporters last month when asked about how he was feeling after his latest injury. "To be able to do some really good technical work and getting myself back to sort of where I feel like I was before I had my injuries is really good. There was naturally quite a few changes that crept into my action due to the injuries." England's talisman only returned to bowling in May after undergoing hamstring surgery for the second time in six months in January, having dubbed himself the "Bionic Man". Despite frontline fast bowler Jofra Archer returning from injury, Stokes bowled more overs than anyone else in the third test at Lord's, before his efforts in Manchester this week ensured he has now bowled more overs than in any other series in his test career. While he remains without a test century since July 2023, Stokes' first five-for in eight years to help put England in with a chance of victory in the fourth test saw him join an elite group of all rounders. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71 Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Stokes is now one of only four cricketers in test history to have scored 10 or more centuries while also amassing five or more five-wicket hauls. The 34-year-old has also never taken more wickets in a test series, with potentially three innings still to play against India. "He is a phenomenal cricketer," England opener Zak Crawley said after his score of 84 helped England close day two on 225-2, 133 runs behind India's first innings total. "Apart from his skills with the bat and the ball it is just his attitude to keep coming and keep coming. "He is a fantastic bowler, which goes under the radar. It is great to see him bowling this much again. He got his rewards today." Stokes' skills with the bat could make all the difference over the coming days, but having avoided further injury setbacks, his impact with the ball is giving England a much-needed boost. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Felipe Perrone enjoys fairy-tale finish to career as Spain win World Aquatics C'ships men's water polo gold
Spain's Felipe Perrone (left) led by example at both ends of the pool in the 15-13 win over Hungary in the World Aquatics Championships men's water polo final at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 24. SINGAPORE – During his 20 days in Singapore, Felipe Perrone picked up an autobiography about the Republic's founding father Lee Kuan Yew to learn more about his leadership, the culture here and how the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) hosts evolved from Third World to First. On July 24, the men's water polo legend capped his illustrious quarter-century-long career with a storybook ending as Spain beat Hungary 15-13 in a record-breaking final on July 24 for their fourth, and his second, world title. Fittingly, in his last match before retirement, the 39-year-old ran down the clock in front of a sell-out crowd at the 3,000 seater OCBC Aquatic Centre, then turned on the afterburners to sprint clear and score his team's final goal of the match to seal victory in the most goal-laden WCH water polo final. Finishing his final match with a perfect two goals from two shots, he told The Straits Times: 'This was really like a movie and I couldn't believe it. I'm so, so happy and so proud of the team.' 'I was crying for the last six months every time the guys said beautiful words about me. These are people whom I spent more time with than with my family, so to finish like this with them next to me was really special.' Even the Hungarians congratulated and appreciated Perrone for his illustrious career as he stayed behind in the pool to receive a standing ovation from his Spanish teammates, before they and the coaching staff dived in, as a video tribute was played for him. Hungary's Vince Pal Vigvari said: 'What's worth more than all the medals and all the achievements is the fact that we always firstly talk about what an amazing person he is – I think that's wonderful.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71 Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Having missed the 2025 World Cup triumph, the stalwart was convinced by his former captain and current Spain coach David Martin to delay his retirement because he would be of value to the team at the WCH. And Perrone truly showed his leadership and ability to augment defence and attack and lead the team to glory. The finalists had already met earlier in a Group B match on July 16 when Spain clawed back a 5-8 deficit to beat Hungary 10-9. The final also started as a tight affair as world No. 1 Spain took advantage of their rivals' exclusions to score the first two goals, but third-ranked Hungary made it 5-5 at the end of the first period. The goals dried up in the second quarter as Spain led 7-6 at half-time before four-time world champions Hungary rallied to edge ahead 10-9 at the end of the third period, although Perrone scored with a brilliant no-look shot for the last goal of the quarter to keep the opponents within sight. While both teams committed to attack, there was an interesting difference in strategy as Spain relied heavily on star attackers Bernat Sanahuja and Alvaro Granados who split 10 goals equally, while Hungary had eight different scorers. The final eight minutes was an expectedly intense finale, but Spain proved to be more clinical when they had one man up – outscoring Hungary 9-5 in the extra-player situations – as they finished stronger. While Perrone leaves the pool for good and is '100 per cent sure' he will not return as coach, he leaves behind a strong legacy and big impact on his younger teammates. Granados said: 'One of the most beautiful things that sport ever gave me was being able to be his friend and his roommate for the last four years. 'He has zero ego despite being one of the best players in history and always puts others ahead of him for the best of the group. We all learnt a lot from him. He's super humble, a super good person and a great friend.' Deservedly, Sanahuja, who scored his five goals from just six shots, was named Player of the Final, while Granados was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player. The top goalkeeper award went to Greek Panagiotis Tzortzatos, while the top scorer was Canada's 26-goal Reuel D'Souza. Meanwhile, world No. 4 Greece recovered from their heartbreaking semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat by Spain to thump Olympic champions and fifth-ranked Serbia 16-7 to collect their third WCH bronze in the past decade. Serbia could not recover in time from their own hangover after losing the other semi-final by a single goal to Hungary, and a run of eight goals conceded across the second and third quarters that left them trailing 2-10 proved fatal ultimately. Greece captain Konstantinos Genidounias said: 'I want to say I'm happy, but the feelings are very mixed right now. We deserved something better. Our team showed in three games, in my opinion, that we're probably the best team here. Today, I don't know if we were that good... but we needed this more, we wanted it more. We don't have too many medals like Serbia, so it was very important for us. ' Serbia skipper Nikola Jaksic acknowledged his team put up a 'disaster' of a performance. He said: 'You could see in the game that we felt not as ourselves, probably because we still hadn't recovered from the loss to Hungary, and Greece was better.' 'I just hope we manage to pull ourselves together, because we have the European Championships in Belgrade in five months. This is not us and if we plan to play like this there, then it's better that we don't.' In the other classification matches, world No. 2 Croatia came from behind to beat eighth-ranked Montenegro 19-13 for fifth place, while world No. 6 Italy pipped seventh-ranked United States 9-8 for seventh place.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Firefighters struggle to contain wildfires as heatwave sears Turkey and Cyprus
BILECIK, Turkey/OMODHOS, Cyprus - Firefighters battled multiple wildfires across Turkey and Cyprus on Thursday that have scorched swathes of land, forced the evacuation of towns and villages and killed 10 firefighters in central Turkey amid a searing Mediterranean heatwave. At least six separate wildfires were burning across Turkey, and Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli warned that strong winds and blazing heat were creating extremely dangerous conditions. Ten firefighters were killed while battling a fire in the central Eskisehir province, Yumakli said late on Wednesday, adding that 14 others were injured. Fanned by strong winds, the fire later spread to another central province, Afyonkarahisar. In the northwestern province of Bilecik, fires raged for a fourth straight day, as firefighters struggled to contain them. Residents were evacuated from fire-threatened areas of all three Turkish provinces, though some residents were later allowed to return to areas in Bilecik that were declared safe. "They couldn't intervene. There is no decent road, forests are thick and it's rocky. Helicopters don't work at night, and because they don't work, they couldn't intervene," said Cemil Karadag, a resident of the village of Selcik in Bilecik. "It engulfed our village from two or three sides ... It spread very quickly with the effect of the wind, but, thank God, (the centre of) our village wasn't damaged that much." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Technology can help efforts to shift healthcare delivery towards the community: Ong Ye Kung Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Another fire in the neighbouring province of Karabuk, where the UNESCO World Heritage City of Safranbolu is located, quickly grew and led to 10 villages being evacuated. 'UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION' On the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, firefighters battled for a second day to control a massive wildfire which engulfed mountain villages north of the city of Limassol. Six countries from Spain to Jordan were deploying aid, officials said. Two people were found dead in their car, trapped by the blaze which started on Wednesday. Scores of homes were destroyed as people fled a towering wall of flames overnight. Although the fire's cause was not immediately known, authorities said they would be looking into the possibility of arson. Authorities were struggling to contain flare-ups that were being stoked by strong winds, cranking up water drops by aircraft to prevent it reaching a state forest and before nightfall. "We are facing an unprecedented situation," said government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis. He said Jordan and Egypt deployed firefighting aircraft on Thursday, while assistance was expected from Spain, Israel, Lebanon and Greece. "When dawn came we saw a catastrophe of biblical proportions," said Kostas Hatzikonstantinou, who struggled to maintain composure as he stood outside his home, hollowed out by the fire which razed his community on Thursday morning. "It's an unspeakable tragedy... Unfortunately, we'll no longer have this paradise that we enjoyed for so many years," he said. The blaze razed an estimated 124 sq km (48 sq miles), officials said, in an area famed for its centuries-old vineyards and wine. Firefighters were struggling to keep it away from the evacuated hamlet of Omodhos, home to a church containing priceless early Christian relics. Ersin Tatar, president of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Turkey and has been split from the island's south, said his government was ready to assist. Although heatwaves and wildfires are common in the region, their impact on human life along with the scale of destruction have become more pronounced in recent years due to shifting weather patterns. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Brazil's top court rules out Bolsonaro arrest, for now
BRASILIA - Brazil's Supreme Court decided on Thursday not to order the arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro for an "isolated" breach of court-imposed restrictions, but warned he could be imprisoned for future violations. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the case in which Bolsonaro is charged with plotting a coup, kept in place the restraining orders he imposed on the former president and clarified he is not forbidden from giving interviews. Moraes last week ordered Bolsonaro to wear an ankle bracelet and stop using social media over allegations he courted the interference of U.S. President Donald Trump, who tied new tariffs on Brazil to what he called a "witch hunt" against his ally. On Monday, the justice threatened Bolsonaro with arrest, saying he breached the restrictions on his social media use - including through third parties - when he talked to journalists in Brasilia. Moraes wrote in his Thursday decision that there is "no doubt" the order has not been complied with, saying that Bolsonaro's son Eduardo, who is in the U.S. to drum up support for his father in Washington, posted the former president's remarks on social media to benefit him. The justice added, however, that given that the breach was "isolated," it did not call for an arrest order. Bolsonaro's lawyers did not immediately comment on Thursday's decision, but the former president has always denied any wrongdoing. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Asia Live: People evacuated from border regions amid deadly Thailand-Cambodia clash Singapore Technology can help efforts to shift healthcare delivery towards the community: Ong Ye Kung Singapore Mice industry will need more manpower in areas like technology, sustainability: Alvin Tan Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B In an interview with Reuters last week, Bolsonaro described Moraes' decision to prohibit his social media use as "cowardice," and said he intended to continue engaging with the press to ensure his voice was heard. REUTERS
