A Southeast Portland metal finishing company has agreed to stop using a chemical solvent after the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality determined it exceeded Cleaner Air Oregon health risk levels and posed a potential health risk to the nearby community. Electro-Chem Metal Finishing, located in Portland’s Brooklyn neighborhood, has used the chemical trichloroethylene, or TCE, in a vapor degreasing process to clean metal parts. Air quality modeling by DEQ found that the company’s TCE emissions were many times higher than Oregon’s health-based risk levels. When the agency alerted the company on Thursday, Electro-Chem agreed to immediately stop using the solvent.…
Author: Isla
China’s motorcycle industry is expanding rapidly in global markets despite domestic regulatory restrictions, with Chongqing Municipality’s complete and localized industrial chain serving as its core driving force. In March 2026, domestic brand ZXMOTO claimed a breakthrough victory at the World Superbike Championship, shocking the global racing industry and marking a new milestone for Chinese motorcycle makers’ top-tier global competitiveness. This milestone is rooted in the mature manufacturing ecosystem of Chongqing, known as China’s “motorcycle capital”. While more than 100 major Chinese cities enforce strict restrictions on motorcycle use, the city is home to ZXMOTO and more than 50 other motorcycle…
Japan’s reputation as one of the safest countries in the world isn’t hype. Crime rates are low, lost phones show up at police boxes, and people leave Louis Vuitton bags on cafe chairs while ordering. For solo female travel (or any solo travel), it’s a country where you can generally breathe easy. But “safe” doesn’t mean “no considerations.” Japan’s version of safety comes with its own quirks, unspoken cultural rules, and gendered spaces. Here’s what that really looks like when you’re out there on your own. How safe is “safe?” Lower violent crime, check. Picture: zak / PIXTA(ピクスタ) Japan is…
Police lured the man to a meeting and arrested him after accessing a private WhatsApp group with colleagues Want LBC stories before everyone else? Set us as your Preferred Source on Google Dubai International Airport . Picture: Getty An airline employee was arrested by Dubai police after he shared images with colleagues in a private WhatsApp group of bomb damage caused by the Middle East conflict. Police accessed the closed WhatsApp group chat, saved the evidence and told the man to come to a meeting before arresting him. The offending image showed smoke rising above a building after the March…
The UAE, the first country to formally regulate financial influencers, now counts 171 registered “finfluencers” on its Capital Markets Authority (CMA) registry—just over a year after launching the framework.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don’t!).However, a FinanceMagnates.com review identified inconsistencies across the database, including broken, mismatched, and in some cases non-functional social media links, raising concerns about enforcement quality and verification standards.In response, the CMA said it would review “all available links of the financial influencers,” but did not directly address the specific discrepancies highlighted. Despite these gaps, the initiative has attracted broad…
Southern army chief’s statements about Islamic schools, attack on MP stoke anger Lt Gen Norathip Phoynok, commander of the 4th Army Area, has received support from the prime minister and defence minister, who say the job of overseeing security in the South is very demanding. (Photo supplied) YALA – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the commander of the 4th Army Area have apologised to the public following a controversy over comments by the latter that have triggered calls for his transfer.Lt Gen Norathip Phoynok said on Friday that remarks he made linking some Islamic schools to unrest in the deep…
Reuters reports that the Indian government has given up on its plan to mandate that Apple and other smartphone makers pre-install a state-owned “security” app. Here are the details. India backs down on controversial plan Late last year, the Indian government instructed Apple, Samsung, and other smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi, an undeletable state-run security app that raised privacy concerns. As my colleague Ben Lovejoy explained last December: The government is framing it as a way to help users recover lost and stolen phones, but it ensures that all phones can be tracked by the government, with obvious implications…
Rory Stewart-Cox said Hong Kong would aim to “lay down a marker” when they meet Asian Games hosts Japan at Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday.Earning his third cap, Stewart-Cox scored the pick of Hong Kong’s six tries on Friday as the city team began their Melrose Claymores campaign with a 36-14 demolition of overmatched China.Evading four challenges as he sprinted half the length of the pitch, Stewart-Cox touched down to banish the frustration of an injury-hit past six months.“It’s been an up-and-down time but I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself and when I got the ball I knew…
People ride on bicycles and scooters on a street, in Shanghai China, 10 April 2026. Photo by ALEX PLAVEVSKI / EPA April 16 (Asia Today) — China’s economy grew 5.0% in the first quarter, exceeding expectations despite concerns over the impact of the Iran conflict, official data showed Thursday. The National Bureau of Statistics said gross domestic product rose 5.0% from a year earlier, topping the 4.8% forecast by economists surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg. The stronger-than-expected growth was driven by manufacturing and exports. Industrial production rose 5.7% in March from a year earlier, while retail sales increased just 1.7%,…
Helicopter crash in IndonesiaAll eight people on board an Airbus H130 helicopter were killed after it crashed Thursday in Sekadau regency, West Kalimantan province of Indonesia, authorities said Friday.Mehmet Yaren Bozgun17 April 2026•Update: 17 April 2026 Source link