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Indonesia will exceed deficit limit only in ‘very big emergency’ caused by high oil prices, Prabowo tells Bloomberg News
JAKARTA, March 15 — Indonesia would only approve a short-term increase in the deficit beyond 3 per cent of gross domestic product if oil prices stay elevated for a sustained period due to the US-Israel war in Iran, President Prabowo
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Indonesia braces for 143.9 million Aidilfitri ‘mudik’ homecoming travellers
JAKARTA, March 15 — Indonesia is preparing for its annual homecoming tradition, locally known as the “mudik” exodus, as an estimated 143.9 million people are expected to travel during the 2026 Aidilfitri homecoming period, according to government projections. Transportation Minister
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Japan says threshold ‘extremely high’ for sending warships to protect Gulf oil lane after Trump urges allies to help
TOKYO, March 15 — A senior Japanese policy adviser said today the threshold is “extremely high” for Tokyo to send its warships to help protect a shipping lane for oil in the Middle East, hours after US President Donald Trump’s
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Taiwan reports return of large‑scale Chinese military flights after two‑week lull
TAIPEI, March 15 — Taiwan today reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities around the island after an unexplained absence of more than two weeks that prompted speculation in Taipei as to Beijing’s motives. China, which views democratically
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AI‑generated Iran–US war hoaxes of ‘captured US troops’ and ‘ruined Israeli cities’ spread on X despite policy crackdown
WASHINGTON, March 15 — AI-created videos circulating on Elon Musk’s X depict American soldiers captured by Iran, an Israeli city in ruins, and US embassies ablaze — a surge of lifelike deepfakes despite a policy crackdown to curb wartime disinformation.
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Australia deploys troops to assist flood‑hit Northern Territory communities
SYDNEY, March 15 — Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said today that troops would be deployed to help communities hit by a days-long flood emergency in the country’s north. Albanese said the centre-left government had approved deployment of Australian Defence
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US, China economic chiefs meet in Paris to clear path for Trump–Xi summit as tensions persist over tariffs and tech controls
PARIS, March 15 — Top US and Chinese economic officials are set to launch a new round of talks in Paris today to iron out kinks in their trade truce and clear a smooth path for US President Donald Trump’s
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Iran considers allowing limited oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz if cargo traded in yuan
ISTANBUL, March 14 — Iran is considering allowing a limited number of oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on the condition that the cargo is traded in Chinese yuan, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing a media report. A
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Israel says war against Iran enters ‘decisive phase’ as Middle East cities hit, US embassy in Baghdad targeted
BAGHDAD, March 14 — Israel said the war against Iran was entering its “decisive phase” today, as explosions rocked cities across the Middle East, with strikes on the US embassy in Baghdad and a major Emirati energy facility. Black smoke rose
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Explosion damages school in Amsterdam in ‘deliberate attack against the Jewish community’, says mayor
AMSTERDAM, March 14 — An explosion damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam early today, in what the city’s mayor described as “a deliberate attack against the Jewish community”. The explosion at the school in an upscale residential neighbourhood on the
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