May 13 – Southeast Asian technology firm Sea Ltd, on Tuesday reported a 30% surge in first-quarter revenue, helped by steady growth across its diverse set of businesses, sending its U.S.-listed shares up 10% in premarket trading.

Purchases on Sea’s e-commerce platform, Shopee — available across various Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan — jumped ahead of the summer holiday and travel season.

The platform, which is a market leader in Indonesia, has attracted a large user base and become a significant growth driver for its parent company.

Shopee also offers diverse product categories, integrated digital payments, and interactive features like live streaming and in-app games.

The company had said in March it expects Shopee’s gross merchandise volume — total value of sold goods — to grow around 20% in 2025, with improving profitability.

The strong start to the year gives the confidence to achieve the full-year forecast, CEO Forrest Li said in a statement.

The company’s revenue rose 29.6% to $4.84 billion for the January to March period, compared with analysts’ average estimate of $4.89 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Sea’s e-commerce segment, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the company’s total business, reported a 28.3% jump in revenue in the first-quarter.

Meanwhile, it’s gross merchandise value rose 21.5% in the first quarter to $28.6 billion.

Sea’s per-share profit of 65 cents beat estimates of 63 cents.

The digital financial services segment, reported a 58% surge in quarterly revenue, the biggest jump in two years.

The segment houses Monee, formerly called SeaMoney, which provides digital payment solutions, credit services, and insurance products across Southeast Asia, and is seamlessly integrated with Shopee’s e-commerce ecosystem.

REUTERS

GAZA, May 13, 2025 – Five Palestinian citizens were killed and others injured Tuesday in Israeli airstrikes and shelling across the Gaza Strip.

Medical sources reported that a drone dropped a bomb on a gathering of civilians in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, killing one citizen and wounding others.

The same sources added that one person was killed by a drone strike northwest of the Nuseirat refugee camp.

Three citizens were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Shuja’iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City.

WAFA

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, May 13 – Pakistan’s army said on Tuesday that more than 50 people were killed in last week’s military clashes with India which ended in a ceasefire agreed by the nuclear-armed neighbours, restoring peace to their border.

The arch rivals fired missiles and drones targeting each other’s military installations after India said it struck “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday in retaliation for an attack on tourists.

Pakistan said the targets were all civilian. Its military said the dead in the attacks comprised 40 civilians and 11 of its armed forces.
India has said at least five military personnel and 16 civilians died.

Both agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday, following diplomacy and pressure from the United States.

The Indian military has said its bases are operational, despite minor damage.

REUTERS

KABUL, May 13 – Two children lost their lives as an explosive device left over from past wars went off in Qadis district of western Afghanistan’s Badghis province late Monday, a local police official reported on Tuesday.

The kids found a toy-like object and began playing with it, but the device exploded, killing the children on the spot, provincial police spokesman Sediqullah Sediqi said.

About 1,150 square kilometers of territory in Afghanistan remain polluted with landmines and unexploded explosive devices, authorities from the National Disaster Management Authority reported in April.

The war-torn Afghanistan is one of the most landmine-contaminated countries in the world, with dozens of people, mostly children, being killed or maimed every month due to the blasts of explosive devices left over from wars in the past decades.

XINHUA

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK, Wash. -Three climbers from suburban Seattle were killed in a fall over the weekend in North Cascades National Park, sheriff’s officials said.

Sheriff’s personnel and county search and rescue volunteers responded to the accident late Sunday morning about 16 miles (26 kilometers) west of Mazama in an area of rock formations that are popular with climbers, the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post Monday.

A party of four climbers from Renton was involved in the fall while descending a steep gully in the area of North Early Winters Spire. The post said three people ages 36, 47 and 63, died at the scene.

The fourth person sustained internal bleeding and a traumatic brain injury in the fall but freed himself, walked to his car and drove to a pay phone to call for help, Okanogan County Undersheriff David Yarnell told The Seattle Times. The man was then taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

“He didn’t realize he had as significant of internal injuries as he did,” Yarnell said. His current condition is not known.

A helicopter rescue team from nearby Snohomish County helped recover the bodies from the technical, mountainous terrain.

Anchor failure while rappelling is the presumed cause of the accident, the post said. An investigation is ongoing.

AP

JINAN, May 12 – Four people were killed and two others were injured on Monday in a road accident in Juancheng County, east China’s Shandong Province, local public security bureau said Monday.

The accident happened around 2:13 p.m. when a car collided with an electric bicycle running a red light and then hit two tricycles on the roadside.

XINHUA

JAKARTA, May 12 – At least 13 people were killed when the Indonesian army destroyed expired ammunition in West Java province on Monday, a military officer said.

The incident occurred at 09:30 a.m. Jakarta time in Sagara village, Garut Regency. The victims included four soldiers and nine residents, said Brigadier General Wahyu Yudhayana, spokesperson for the Indonesian Army.

“Four personnel of the Indonesian Army and nine members of the community were killed,” he told a press conference.

“The detonations in two holes were successfully conducted. However, when the team was preparing detonators in the third hole, an unexpected explosion occurred, killing four soldiers and nine residents,” he explained.

Yudhayana noted that the army team had previously inspected all equipment and confirmed they were in safe condition. Additionally, the site had been routinely used for disposing of expired ammunition.

All victims were taken to Pameungpeuk General Hospital, the spokesman said.

An investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the fatal incident, Yudhayana added.

XINHUA

May 12 – Myanmar’s shadow government said an airstrike by the ruling junta had killed at least 17 students and injured 20 others at a school in an opposition-controlled area on Monday, despite a ceasefire being in place after a devastating earthquake.

The school, which is operated by the shadow National Unity Government, is in the central Myanmar town of Depayin in the Sagaing region, about 160 km (100 miles) north of Mandalay and not far from the epicentre of the March 28 earthquake.

“According to the information we have so far, 17 students have been killed and 20 injured,” NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt said.
“Some may have been missing due to bomb damage, so the death toll could be higher,” NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt said.

REUTERS

LOS ANGELES, May 11- One person was killed and dozens were hospitalized after an SUV collided with a tour bus in Southern California’s Los Angeles County on Sunday, authorities said.

Emergency responders were dispatched at 5:07 a.m. local time (1207 GMT) and arrived on the scene on the 60 Freeway in Hacienda Heights within minutes, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The SUV was fully engulfed in flames when the responders got there, but no fire spread to the bus, said the department.

Officials confirmed later that the SUV driver died in the crash. Six passengers with serious injuries on the bus were taken to hospitals for treatment. So were 26 others who suffered minor injuries.

XINHUA

LHASA, May 12 – A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Lazi County in Xigaze City in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region at 5:11 a.m. Monday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CNEC).

The epicenter was monitored at 28.91 degrees north latitude and 87.54 degrees east longitude. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km, the CENC said.

Local authorities in Lazi County told Xinhua that the quake was strongly felt, waking some residents.

Following the earthquake, the county promptly initiated response measures, with its townships assessing the impact. Fire and rescue teams from Lazi County have been dispatched to the epicenter.

As of now, information on building collapses and casualties is still being gathered.

XINHUA

JAKARTA, May 11 – A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s western Aceh province on Sunday, but no large waves were triggered, according to the country’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency.

The tremor occurred at 15:57 local time, with epicenter located 21 km southwest of Aceh Barat Daya regency at a depth of 45 km.

The agency did not issue a tsunami warning, as the tremor was not expected to generate significant waves.

The tremor was strongly felt by residents, but no preliminary reports of serious damage have been received so far, Sofyan, a senior official from Aceh province’s Disaster Management Agency, told Xinhua.

Indonesia, an archipelago, frequently experiences earthquakes due to its location within the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire. The country also has 127 active volcanoes and high tectonic activity.

XINHUA

COLOMBO, May 11 – Eight people were killed and over 30 others injured when a bus plunged off a cliff in Kotmale, located in Sri Lanka’s Central Province, on Sunday morning, police said.

Five of the deceased are men and the others are women, police said.

The injured have been admitted to regional hospitals for treatment, police said.

Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Road accidents are frequent in Sri Lanka, with official data showing that buses are often involved.

XINHUA

BUKAVU, Congo – Heavy flooding following torrential rains in eastern Congo washed away several villages along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, leaving at least 62 dead and 50 missing, authorities said Saturday.

Witnesses described the floods surging at around 5 a.m. Friday and sweeping away the village of Kasaba on the edge of the lake in the Ngandja sector.

The South Kivu provincial health minister, Théophile Walulika Muzaliwa, said by phone that the rescue operation was hampered by a lack of services and a shutdown of telephone lines due to the flooding.

“Sector chiefs, village chiefs and locality chiefs, who are also members of the local government, are on site. The only humanitarian organization currently present is the Red Cross. It is not possible to give an assessment as body searches are continuing,” he said.

Last month, flooding in the capital, Kinshasa, killed 33 people.

Decades of fighting between government troops and rebels in eastern Congo escalated in February, worsening what is already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

AN-AP, 10.5.2025

ISLAMABAD, May 10 – At least four civilians were injured on Saturday in two separate incidents of unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian forces in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, official sources told Xinhua.

The violations took place along the Working Boundary in Sialkot district, which separates Pakistan’s Punjab province from the Indian-controlled Kashmir, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In the first incident, at around 6:00 p.m. local time, an 18-year-old girl sustained a back injury in Pasrur area of Sialkot.

A second incident occurred when Indian forces opened fire between 6:23 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. local time in Harpal section, targeting civilian settlements.

“Three members of a local family from Jangal village were also injured in unprovoked firing from the Indian side,” the sources added.

Ceasefire violations were also reported in Kotli, Bhimber, Chamb, and Keran sections along the Line of Control dividing Kashmir, the sources said.

Earlier in the evening, security sources reported multiple incoming suicide drones from the Indian side, targeting Pakistani cities between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time. The drones were detected and intercepted, the sources added.

Tensions between the two neighbors had appeared to ease earlier in the day after both sides announced a ceasefire agreement. However, the latest violations have raised fresh concerns about the fragility of peace efforts in the region.

XINHUA

NEW DELHI, May 10 – Loud blasts were heard in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Saturday evening, just three hours after India and Pakistan agreed to observe a ceasefire and end military actions, officials said.

The massive blasts were audible in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

According to the region’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, explosions were heard across Srinagar. “This is no ceasefire. The air defense units in the middle of Srinagar just opened up.”

It was reported that in Akhnoor, Rajouri, and R S Pura sections, the two sides exchanged heavy shelling and artillery. The exchange of fire was also reported along the Line of Control (LoC) in Palanwalla section of Jammu.

Immediately after the blasts, a blackout was enforced.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan and India announced that they had agreed on a ceasefire.

The announcement came following four days of military strikes on each other.

On Wednesday, India launched airstrikes on Pakistani targets to avenge last month’s killing of 26 people by gunmen in Pahalgam town, about 89 km east of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

India blamed Pakistan for being behind the incident, a charge denied by Pakistan.

The situation along the LoC dividing Kashmir had been tense as troops of India and Pakistan deployed on both sides of the ceasefire line were engaged in an exchange of fire and artillery.

XINHUA

May 10 – Explosions were heard across the city of Srinagar in Indian Kashmir on Saturday evening, hours after India and Pakistan agreed on a ceasefire, Omar Abdullah, chief minister of the federal territory, said in a post on X.

“What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar,” Abdullah posted.

REUTERS

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, May 10 – Pakistan and India announced on Saturday that they agreed on a ceasefire.

The announcement came following four days of military strikes on each other.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that Pakistan and India have agreed on a ceasefire with immediate effect.

“Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Dar said.

He said that after the recent escalation and military activities on both sides, several countries, including the U.S., Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, were in contact with Pakistan.

Diplomatic efforts were underway throughout the day, following which a ceasefire agreement was reached, he added.

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Saturday that the two countries agreed to observe a ceasefire and end military actions on their borders and Line of Control (LoC).

“Pakistan (Director General of Military Operations, or DGMO) called the DGMO of India at 15:35 local time earlier this afternoon. It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, in the air and sea with effect from 17:00 local time today. Instructions have been given on both sides to give effect to this understanding,” Misri said at a press briefing in New Delhi.

According to Misri, the DGMOs will talk again on May 12 at 12:00 local time.

On Wednesday, India launched airstrikes on Pakistani targets to avenge last month’s killing of 26 people by gunmen in Pahalgam town, about 89 km east of Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The situation along the LoC dividing Kashmir had been tense as troops of India and Pakistan deployed on both sides of the ceasefire line were engaged in an exchange of fire and artillery.

XINHUA

KHARTOUM, May 10 – At least 19 inmates were killed and more than 45 others injured in a drone strike targeting a central prison in El Obeid in western Sudan’s North Kordofan State on Saturday, according to a medical source and eyewitnesses.

A medical source at El-Obeid Hospital, who requested anonymity, told Xinhua that the 19 dead bodies and the 45 injured have arrived at the hospital, and that “the number of casualties is expected to rise.”

An eyewitness near the central prison building told Xinhua that “three drones launched around five missiles at the prison, with about three of them directly striking the building and the inmates’ living quarters.”

Another eyewitness said, “Rescue operations inside the prison are still ongoing, and the number of the dead and injured is higher than what has been announced.”

So far, no official statement has been issued regarding the incident.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified its drone attacks recently on military sites and key facilities in areas controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), including El Obeid.

Local media reported that the RSF continued its drone attacks for the seventh consecutive day on Port Sudan on Saturday, which has become the de facto administrative center of the country since May 2023. The RSF has not commented on the report.

Sudan has been embroiled in a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives, with the exact toll unable to be verified. The International Organization for Migration estimates that over 15 million people have been displaced, both within Sudan and abroad.

XINHUA