While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 8

Updated

Jun 08, 2024, 05:30 AM

Published

Jun 08, 2024, 05:11 AM

Google News Vietnam speeding up South China Sea island-building pace

Vietnam has been increasing its dredging and landfill work in the South China Sea, creating almost as much new land as in the previous two years combined, setting the stage for a record year of island-building, US researchers said on June 7.

Since November 2023, when the Washington-based think-tank issued its last report, Vietnam has created 280 new hectares of land, compared to 163ha created in the first 11 months of 2023 and 140ha in 2022, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies’ Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said, in a new report.

China, which has been building islands in the South China Sea since 2013, claims sovereignty over vast swathes of it, including the areas where Vietnam has been building up islands.

The sea is one of the world’s most contested waterways, where more than US$3 trillion (S$4 trillion) of trade passes each year.

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Google News Denmark PM Mette Frederiksen assaulted, man arrested

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen walked away following an assault by a man in central Copenhagen on June 7 and had no outward signs of harm, a local resident told Reuters.

“Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was beaten on Friday evening at Kultorvet (Red Square) in Copenhagen by a man who was subsequently arrested. The Prime Minister is shocked by the incident,” her office said, in a statement without giving further detail.

Police said on social media platform X they had arrested a man and were investigating the incident but declined to give further detail.

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Google News Aquafarming becomes main global source for fish

For the first time farmed aquatic production has exceeded the catch from traditional captured fisheries, the UN food and agriculture agency said on June 7, underscoring hopes that aquaculture can meet growing global demand for seafood.

In its latest biennial report on the state of world fisheries, the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said global fisheries and aquaculture production in 2022 hit a record 223.2 million tonnes.

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the cultivation of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic plants and algae in controlled environments.

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Google News US household wealth hit another record in first quarter

US household wealth rose to a record of more than US$160 trillion (S$215 trillion) in the first three months of 2024, thanks to the stock market’s record run and gains in real estate, Federal Reserve data showed on June 7.

Household net worth rose 3.2 per cent, or by US$5.1 trillion, with the appreciation of equity holdings accounting for the lion’s share of the gain at US$3.8 trillion, the Fed said, in its quarterly snapshot of the nation’s private and public sector finances.

The benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 10.6 per cent in the first quarter on a total return basis, including reinvested dividends. The index hit another record high earlier this week.

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Google News Zverev downs ailing Ruud to set up Alcaraz final

Alexander Zverev wobbled early on but steadied himself to get past ailing seventh seed Casper Ruud 2-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 on June 7 and reach the French Open final, where he will take on Carlos Alcaraz for an elusive maiden Grand Slam title.

The fourth seed, competing in his fourth straight Roland Garros semi-final, finally broke through to become the second German man to make the title clash in the Open Era and match Michael Stich’s feat from 1996.

“I’m obviously extremely happy. I have so much history on this court, some of my best and my worst memories are on this court,” said Zverev, who sustained a serious ankle ligament injury during his semi-final against Rafa Nadal in 2022.

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