Two explosions have hit a fireworks facility in Tultepec, Mexico, sending a spectacular mix of flames and explosions into the air. The building was flattened but no injuries were reported.
Published On 26 Aug 202626 Aug 2026
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Pro-Palestine activists from the ‘People Against Genocide’ group occupied a Martin-Baker factory in the UK, accusing the company of supplying ejection-seat components for aircraft used by Israel’s military. The group says the action aims to disrupt Britain’s military support for Israel.
Published On 24 Aug 202624 Aug 2026
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A massive fire tore through a chemical factory in Brazil’s São Paulo metropolitan area, forcing authorities to evacuate around 150 nearby residents.
Published On 5 Aug 20265 Aug 2026
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JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
A fire broke out in a Chinese shoe factory Thursday. It’s not yet known how many have died or been injured. Image courtesy of UPI
July 9 (UPI) — A shoe factory caught fire Thursday morning in China, and it’s unknown how many people are dead or injured.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said there were likely “significant casualties” and ordered an investigation into the cause.
The fire broke out at noon local time Thursday in Janjiang,, a city in Fujian Province. By 5 p.m., it was mostly extinguished. Local fire teams sent 183 people and 35 vehicles to the scene, the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement.
Video on the state news showed flames coming from the top floor windows, The New York Times reported. At least a dozen people appeared to be stuck on the roof.
Xi told local authorities to do all they could to search for and rescue survivors, treat the injured, find the cause of the fire and “hold those responsible accountable,” according to China’s state broadcaster, CCTV.
In a statement, the emergency management officials said there were casualties but didn’t give details.
The factory was owned by Fujian Huiteng Shoes, which employed at least 155 people, The Times reported.
Chinese stocks advanced after fresh manufacturing data pointed to sustained factory expansion and President Xi Jinping reaffirmed his commitment to promoting high-quality economic development. The upbeat market reaction reflected growing optimism over the resilience of China’s industrial sector and the continued strength of technology and innovation-driven industries.
However, investor sentiment remains tempered by concerns over uneven economic growth, with persistent weakness in consumer confidence, the labour market and the property sector continuing to weigh on the broader recovery.
China’s manufacturing sector expanded for a seventh consecutive month, marking its strongest quarterly performance since late 2020. The data reinforced expectations that industrial production remains a key pillar of economic growth despite ongoing challenges in other parts of the economy.
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The stronger-than-expected factory activity provided investors with reassurance that export-oriented manufacturing and industrial output continue to support China’s recovery.
President Xi Jinping renewed his pledge to pursue high-quality development, signalling that Beijing remains committed to an economic strategy centred on technological innovation, industrial upgrading and sustainable long-term growth.
The remarks reinforced expectations that policymakers will continue prioritising advanced manufacturing, strategic industries and innovation rather than relying solely on traditional stimulus measures to support the economy.
Technology-related stocks led gains as investors increased exposure to sectors expected to benefit from China’s industrial and technological ambitions. Chipmaking equipment, biotechnology and software companies posted strong advances, reflecting continued confidence in industries viewed as central to China’s long-term economic transformation.
The rally highlights investors’ preference for sectors with stronger earnings potential and policy support.
Alongside technology stocks, gains also spread to agriculture and property-related shares, suggesting investor optimism is gradually broadening beyond high-growth industries.
Although these sectors continue to face structural challenges, their recovery indicates improving market sentiment and expectations that policy support could help stabilise weaker areas of the economy.
Despite encouraging manufacturing data, investors remain cautious about China’s broader economic outlook. Consumer spending continues to be constrained by weak confidence, labour market pressures and the prolonged downturn in the property sector, creating an uneven recovery across different parts of the economy.
The divergence between strong industrial performance and softer domestic demand continues to shape investment strategies and policy expectations.
Chinese markets are likely to remain supported by resilient manufacturing activity, continued policy backing for innovation and expectations of further measures to sustain economic growth. However, the durability of the rally will depend on whether improvements in industrial production translate into stronger domestic consumption and broader economic recovery.
Investors will closely monitor upcoming economic data and government policy announcements for signs that Beijing can address persistent weaknesses in the property market, employment and consumer confidence while maintaining momentum in high-value manufacturing and technology sectors.
With information from Reuters.
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Volkswagen AG (VWAGY) is considering deeper cost-cutting measures, including eliminating up to 100,000 jobs and closing several factories, as CEO Oliver Blume seeks to improve the automaker’s competitiveness, Manager Magazin reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
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Blast at Ras Laffan Industrial City caused by ‘technical malfunction’, Ministry of Interior says.
Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026
An explosion at Qatar’s main liquefied natural gas processing facility has injured 54 people and left 18 others missing, authorities have said.
The Qatari International Search and Rescue Group were deployed to conduct search operations for those missing following the “internal explosion” at Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior said on Monday.
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The ministry did not provide information on the conditions of those injured in the incident, which it blamed on a “technical malfunction”.
Officials had said earlier that civil defence teams responding to the scene had not recorded any injuries.
The ministry said there was no leakage from the facility that would pose a danger to public safety.
QatarEnergy, which administers the industrial hub, said emergency response teams were immediately deployed after the explosion at the Barzan factory and brought a fire at the facility under control.
Ras Laffan Industrial City, located about 80km (50 miles) north of Doha, is home to the world’s largest LNG export facility, producing about one-fifth of global supply.
In March, the Qatari government announced that the industrial hub had sustained “significant damage” after being targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks.
QatarEnergy invoked the force majeure clause in some of its contracts to free itself from its supply obligations following the attacks, affecting customers in Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China.
Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang, left, and Naver founder and board Chairman Lee Hae-jin greet attendees at Naver’s 1784 headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Monday. Photo by Asia Today
June 8 (Asia Today) — Naver said Monday it will work with Nvidia to build a gigawatt-scale artificial intelligence factory, starting from its hyperscale data center in Sejong.
Naver founder and board Chairman Lee Hae-jin and Chief Executive Choi Soo-yeon met Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang at Naver’s 1784 headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul, to discuss a joint business road map and global expansion strategy.
Huang greeted employees and visitors at the building, saying, “I love Naver.” He also joined a Naver Webtoon event and wrote, “Don’t worry! I have GPUs!” in a blank space on a display.
Naver and Nvidia said they agreed to pursue a joint project to build a large-scale global AI factory. The partnership goes beyond technology cooperation, covering demand development, investment and infrastructure construction across the value chain.
Naver will participate as a core partner sharing business results and risks.
The project will be based at Gak Sejong, Naver’s hyperscale data center. Naver plans to begin operating 55 megawatts of infrastructure in the first half of 2027, expand to 100 megawatts later that year and reach 200 megawatts in 2028. The company ultimately aims to build gigawatt-scale AI infrastructure.
Naver plans to use Gak Sejong to serve AI demand not only in South Korea but also in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
The cooperation centers on combining Naver’s data-center and GPU cluster operation capabilities with Nvidia’s DSX platform. Nvidia DSX integrates chips, servers, software and data-center operating technologies for AI factories. The platform is designed to lower AI model training and inference costs and speed up infrastructure deployment.
Naver plans to use the technology to expand AI infrastructure services for companies, governments and industrial clients.
The companies also plan to broaden technical cooperation. Naver has been improving its HyperCLOVA X AI model by using Nvidia’s open large language model Nemotron. It is also working to develop a “Seoul world model” by combining Nvidia’s Cosmos world foundation model with Naver’s street-view and spatial modeling technologies.
The cooperation is expected to expand into physical AI, robotics and digital twins.
The meeting marked another step in the companies’ existing partnership. Lee and Huang met last year during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju to discuss cooperation on physical AI platforms.
Naver 1784 is considered a showcase for robotics, digital twins and cloud technologies. Huang was expected to review areas for expanded cooperation during his visit.
Naver is seeking to move beyond its role as an internet services company and become a global AI infrastructure provider. Huang recently introduced Naver Cloud as a key partner in the global AI ecosystem during Nvidia GTC Taipei 2026. Naver said it plans to accelerate its sovereign AI and AI data-center businesses through cooperation with Nvidia.
Naver shares also rose Monday. The stock closed at 279,000 won, or about $181, up 9.20% from the previous trading session, according to the Korea Exchange. Market analysts attributed the gain to investor expectations for the large-scale AI factory project and Naver’s global AI infrastructure expansion.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260608010002635
North Korea has released photos of Kim Jong Un inspecting huge munitions at a weapons factory ahead of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit. Pyongyang has ordered missile production capacity to be doubled in the next five years.
Published On 7 Jun 20267 Jun 2026
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NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang delivers his keynote speech as part of the COMPUTEX 2026 AI exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan, 01 June 2026. Jensan Huang officially announced NVIDIA’s new products and various AI integration. Photo by RITCHIE B. TONGO / EPA
June 2 (Asia Today) — Naver Cloud is moving to expand its presence in the global artificial intelligence infrastructure market through a deeper partnership with Nvidia.
The company aims to combine its HyperCLOVA X large-scale AI model and sovereign AI capabilities with Nvidia’s AI infrastructure platform to become a key player in the era of AI factories.
Industry officials said Tuesday that Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yu-won attended the Nvidia Cloud Partner Summit in Taiwan and outlined the company’s strategic cooperation with Nvidia.
The partnership is drawing attention because it goes beyond a simple graphics processing unit supply arrangement and extends across infrastructure, AI models and services.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang introduced Naver Cloud as a major AI-native cloud partner in the global AI ecosystem during his keynote speech at GTC Taipei 2026 on Monday.
The two companies also plan to expand cooperation in large language models. Naver Cloud plans to use Nvidia’s open large language model technology, Nemotron 3 Ultra, to advance HyperCLOVA X. The companies also plan to jointly study model optimization and core technologies.
Cooperation will also continue in physical AI. In March, Naver Cloud unveiled the Seoul World Model, a digital recreation of Seoul built with Nvidia’s Cosmos physical AI platform.
The Seoul World Model was trained on South Korean map data and 1.2 million panoramic images collected across Seoul, allowing it to reproduce real road environments and spatial structures.
Naver Cloud plans to target the global AI market by emphasizing its full-stack capabilities, which combine its own AI models and cloud infrastructure. The company also plans to expand sovereign AI projects that protect national data sovereignty by working with governments and local companies.
Naver board chair Lee Hae-jin and Huang are expected to meet soon in South Korea and disclose specific plans for the AI factory project.
“The AI industry paradigm is shifting from models to inference-focused AI factories that can operate large-scale infrastructure reliably,” Kim said. “Our cooperation with Nvidia is not a simple supply relationship but a strategic decision to expand the global AI ecosystem together.”
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260602010000541
A fire truck exits the Hanwha Aerospace facility in Daejeon on Monday, following an explosion at the company’s factory that killed five and injured two. Photo by Yonhap
SEOUL, June 1 (UPI) — Five workers were killed and two others injured Monday after an explosion and fire at a Hanwha Aerospace defense facility in the central South Korean city of Daejeon, officials said.
The blast occurred around 10:59 a.m. at Hanwha’s plant in Yuseong District, fire authorities told reporters. Some 100 personnel were dispatched and extinguished the blaze shortly after 1 p.m.
All five fatalities were found inside the work area, while two injured workers were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, officials said. One suffered burns over his entire body and remained in critical condition, while the other sustained relatively minor burns to the neck.
Authorities said the bodies of the victims were severely damaged, making identification difficult.
Hanwha officials said the explosion occurred during a cleaning operation involving tools and equipment used in the rocket-propellant manufacturing process. The company said the exact cause of the blast remains under investigation.
A company official said the cleaning process had not previously been regarded as particularly hazardous because it involved washing equipment with water. The seven people involved in the accident were site workers rather than researchers, he added.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered authorities to mobilize all available resources for emergency response efforts and conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident, according to his office.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok issued similar instructions, calling for all available personnel and equipment to be deployed for firefighting and rescue operations and to prevent additional casualties.
Hanwha Aerospace Chief Executive Officer Son Jae-il apologized to the victims and their families following the deadly incident.
“We failed to protect the lives of those who were working at what should have been a safe workplace,” Son said. “As the company’s chief executive, I feel a heavy responsibility for this accident.”
Son pledged full cooperation with authorities investigating the cause of the explosion and said the company would conduct a comprehensive review of its safety systems to prevent a recurrence.
The company said it had established an emergency response headquarters at the site and was working with fire, police and other authorities on response and recovery efforts.
The Daejeon facility is one of Hanwha Aerospace’s key defense production sites and develops propulsion systems and tactical weapon technologies.
The accident was the latest in a series of deadly incidents at the complex. Explosions at the facility killed five workers in 2018 and three more in 2019.