World News: 08 May 2023

Ukraine war: 'Mad panic' as Russia evacuates town near Zaporizhzhia plant
Meanwhile, Russian paramilitary group Wagner’s boss on Sunday signaled that his men would continue to fight in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, a U-turn from an earlier threat — made in a video filmed alongside dead bodies — to withdraw from there as he criticized Moscow for failing to supply his group with the ammunition it needed.

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Mystery Chinese spacecraft returns to Earth after 276 days
No details were given on what the spacecraft was, what technologies were tested, how high it flew, and where its orbits had taken it since its launch in early August 2022. Images of the craft have also yet to be released to the public.
The test marks an “important” breakthrough in China’s research into reusable spacecraft technology that will provide a more convenient and inexpensive way to mount future space missions, state media reported.

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Australia's big pension funds boost fossil fuel investments, activist group says
Superannuation or retirement funds raised their investment to more than $23 billion in companies most responsible for expanding fossil fuels, Market Forces said.
Commonwealth Super Corp, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super and AMP Ltd - operators of the five largest funds cumulatively managing more than A$1 trillion ($675 billion) - did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

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Brutal heat continues to grip Asia in warning for the world
El Nino — characterized by warmer ocean temperatures across the Pacific — has far-reaching impacts on weather patterns around the world. It could bring relief to drought-parched areas of Argentina and the southern US, while blanketing parts of Asia and Australia with hotter, drier conditions. Coffee, sugar, palm oil and cocoa crops would be especially vulnerable.

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To counter Russia in Africa, Biden deploys a favored strategy
The U.S. has in recent months shared intelligence related to an alleged Wagner plan to assassinate the president of Chad as well as its attempts to access and control key natural resource extraction sites in countries such as Sudan and the Central African Republic, among other initiatives.

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Singapore’s soaring rents are becoming a political problem
Growing anxieties over property strike at a pillar of government policy dating back to the 1960s that has buoyed six decades of PAP rule: The provision of subsidized housing to about 80% of the population, giving Singapore one of the highest home ownership rates in the world. While the Housing & Development Board program has won plaudits around the globe, its eligibility rules generally favor married couples over young singles like Sonam.

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