BANGKOK: Myanmar’s ex-junta chief Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Bangkok Thursday for his first visit to Thailand as civilian leader, as he seeks a return to the diplomatic fold for his pariah state. As a general, he led a 2021 military coup that ousted democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering a »»»

The search for climbers swept away by an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak has entered a grim new phase, with three members of a 10-person international expedition still unaccounted for after rescuers recovered seven bodies, including renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja. The latest rec»»»

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: A SpaceX rocket that launched a pair of lunar landers undoubtedly slammed into the moon as predicted on Wednesday after drifting off course for the past year, scientists reported. Although the 5,400-mph (8,700-kph) collision had yet to be officially confirmed, space trackin»»»

The US and Taiwanese militaries are engaged in active but secretive on-site collaboration, according to Taipei’s defense minister, Wellington Koo. The message comes after US President Donald Trump put a hold on arms sales to the self-governed island, which has sparked alarm among pro-US countries i»»»

Uzbekistan, one of Central Asia’s economic drivers, is experiencing a significant expansion of Chinese economic influence.  Bilateral trade during the first half of 2026 grew to $7.7bn, according to official Uzbek government data, making China by far Uzbekistan’s largest trade partner. Be»»»

Manila: Edwin Salas watched as the first of 20 solar panels was installed on the roof of his home, joining a Philippine solar energy boom sent into overdrive by the Middle East war. The country's eye-watering electric bills -- the highest in the region -- were the primary driver of his decision, he»»»

The French publication L’Express has published what it describes as the first comprehensive ranking of European intelligence services, placing Bulgaria among the weakest-performing countries while the United Kingdom's MI6 secured the top position. The assessment is based on interviews with around 1»»»

Europe's fading economic and technological edge, coupled with waning geopolitical clout, is pushing the continent toward the global periphery. The economic data is stark:In 2008, the EU economy was 10% larger than America’sWhen the US banking system triggered a global financial meltdown in 2008, Eu»»»

Laura Loomer’s recent condemnation of multipolarity marks one of the clearest attempts within the American Right to define the emerging new international order as an existential threat rather than an inevitable transformation. Her arguments deserve careful examination, not because they are unique, »»»

BELGRADE - Belgrade Deputy Mayor Vesna Vidovic received a delegation of China's Fujian province at the Old Palace on Wednesday. The parties discussed opportunities for further strengthening of exchange and cooperation in investment, trade and the economy, as well as the significance of direct ties »»»

"The Russian Export Center (REC, VEB.RF Group) has expanded its overseas network by opening an official representative office in Brazil. The office is located in Rio de Janeiro and is headed by Anton Kaunov," the REC press release stated. The new division is designed to accelerate the entry of Russ»»»

The Perfect Storm for Oil Bulls: Hormuz, Bab el-Mandab, and the Sea of Azov - Institute of Energy for South-East Europe About UsMission and VisionBackgroundAnnual ReportArticles of AssociationBoard of GovernorsOrganizationExecutive CommitteeScientific CommitteesResearchInternational Advisory GroupC»»»

Qatar's LNG Crisis Deepens: Why Europe's Gas Market Faces Another Shock - Institute of Energy for South-East Europe About UsMission and VisionBackgroundAnnual ReportArticles of AssociationBoard of GovernorsOrganizationExecutive CommitteeScientific CommitteesResearchInternational Advisory GroupCo-op»»»

GENEVA: UN rights chief Volker Turk said Wednesday he was “alarmed” by the surge in executions in Iran since March, with the death penalty being used by Tehran to “instil fear.” “Since March 19, 2026, at least 56 people have been executed on national security-related charges, including 27 individua»»»

Taiwan on Wednesday launched its annual "Han Kuang" military exercises. The event, which is the island's largest military drill, is meant to prepare the country for a potential Chinese invasion. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and has ramped up military pressure on the island in recen»»»

ISLAMABAD: Search teams backed by military helicopters recovered the bodies of renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja and three other missing climbers on Wednesday, bringing the number of bodies recovered from Broad Peak to seven nearly a week after an avalanche swept away a 10-member int»»»

Dubai: Tourists visiting the UAE can now access VAT refunds through more than 19,300 retail outlets, 100 self-service kiosks and eligible purchases made on the Noon e-commerce platform. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The number of stores connected to the Federal Tax A»»»

SINGAPORE: Shipping traffic at the key Middle Eastern maritime chokepoints of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab El-Mandeb was little changed on Tuesday from the previous day, ship-tracking data showed. Eight vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, including five tankers and three bulk carriers, ship»»»

Cobalt hydroxide exported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to China between 2000 and 2024 may have contained an estimated 2,000–5,000 tonnes of uranium, according to a peer-reviewed study developed alongside an investigation by Lighthouse Reports and the Financial Times. The quantitative e»»»

Some 70 years before the current frenzy of record-breaking fundraising by modern AI giants such as OpenAI and Anthropic, the Rockefeller Foundation made what may have been the first investment in the history of AI. With a $7,500 grant from the foundation in 1956, four eminent mathematicians organis»»»

The Shandong Quality World Wide Shandong Automotive & Auto Parts Industry Promotion Matchmaking Conference was successfully hosted at Sharjah Expo Centre in the UAE on August 4. Organised by the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province, this event marked the inaugural session of the 2026 Industr»»»

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s largest military drills of the year began Wednesday as the island democracy attempts to prepare its population for a potential Chinese invasion. The annual “Han Kuang” exercise, which runs from August 5-14, stages combat scenarios for troops and reservists to practice responding to»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Talks with Oman on Strait of Hormuz Bilateral, Not Linked to Any Third Party: Baghaei 05-08-2026 09:45 AM Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran’s Foreign Mi»»»

From joint exercise and CCG law-enforcement operations to the issuance of measures for nature reserve management, China fired three "arrows" in defense of its sovereignty over Huangyan Dao on August 1, leaving no room for ambiguity in response to the Philippines' provocative and unlawful actions. A»»»

SEOUL: The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday accused Japan of “transformation into a war state” as Tokyo beefs up its military stance in the Pacific. Japan has been gradually moving away from its post-World War II pacifist status — increasing military spending, ramping»»»

South Korean police raided the Starbucks national headquarters Wednesday, the chain's local operator told AFP, following allegations an advertising campaign defamed activists slain in 1980 pro-democracy protests. Starbucks Korea caused an uproar this year when it launched a "Tank Day" promotion on »»»

Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, Erlist Akunbekov, met with Liu Jiangping, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Kyrgyzstan. Following the meeting, the two sides signed an executive agreement for a project to »»»

Damascus, Aug. 4 (SANA) The United Fur Company factory opened on Tuesday in Adra Industrial City as the first facility in Syria specializing in the production of synthetic fur, under a Syrian-Chinese partnership. The inauguration was attended by Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Basel Abdul H»»»

An aerial photograph shows the old Serra Pelada gold mine in Curionopolis, Brazil, in September. The mine, considered the largest artisanal open-pit mine in Brazil's history, aims to resume its previous operations. However, challenges such as disputes among miners, substantial debt and environmenta»»»

Disruptions to key Middle Eastern trade routes have turned sulfuric acid into a strategic commodity, creating an opportunity for Grupa Azoty. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted nearly 47% of global seaborne sulfur exports, while additional export restrictions have tightened supply. S»»»

Volkswagen, long a symbol of German engineering and European industrial strength, is facing a fundamental challenge to its business model. The group employs about 680,000 people, operates more than 100 plants and generates over EUR 320 bln in annual revenue. However, high production costs, technolo»»»

SINGAPORE: Low-sulfur fuel oil supplies at Singapore have tightened on reduced output from refineries and declining sweet crude imports, trade sources and analysts said, driving up refueling costs for shippers at the world’s largest bunkering port. Spot premiums for very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO)»»»

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: The US Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military’s ​readiness for future conflicts. The missiles are principally the Ar»»»

The global textile industry has helped transform economies from Bangladesh to Uzbekistan, creating millions of jobs and driving export growth, but the water-intensive foundations of the trade are exposing some of the world’s biggest manufacturing hubs to rising environmental and economic risks, acc»»»

Ukraine’s drone strikes on Wildberries depots in Russia have run up losses equivalent to tens of millions of dollars for traders from across Central Asia, Belarus, Armenia, China and other countries, according to the founder and CEO of the company known as “Russia’s Amazon”, Tatyana Kim. Kyiv has i»»»

Ukraine’s drone strikes on Wildberries depots in Russia have run up losses equivalent to tens of millions of dollars for traders from across Central Asia, Belarus, Armenia, China and other countries, according to the founder and CEO of the company known as “Russia’s Amazon”, Tatyana Kim. Kyiv has i»»»

Beijing: China has drawn up new safety rules for the growing number of autonomous vehicles on its roads, including a mandatory deactivation override, the government said Tuesday. The standards taking effect July 1, 2027 will cover autonomous vehicles that require a human back-up driver, as well as »»»

Kambar-Ata Hydropower Plant 1 and China—Kyrgyzstan—Uzbekistan railway are the country’s largest strategic projects, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev said in an interview with Kabar news agency. According to him, the launch of Kambar-Ata HPP 1 will allow Kyrgyzst»»»

Kyrgyzstan’s debt to China has decreased from approximately $1.7 billion to $1.4 billion. The Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev said in an interview with Kabar news agency. According to him, the Kyrgyz Republic has not received new loans from China in recent year»»»

Gasoline and diesel fuel prices in Kyrgyzstan will gradually increase. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev stated in an interview with Kabar news agency. According to him, the country imports over 90 percent of its fuel and lubricants, so the domestic market is dir»»»

Russia and Ukraine's tit-for-tat missile and drone war escalated further over the weekend of August 1-2, with another brutal Russian attack on Kyiv that is driving tens of thousands residents into the metro stations every weekend. This attack killed at least nine people and injured dozens more. "Ru»»»

Beijing, August 4 (SANA) Cooperation between China and Arab states has entered a new phase in the green hydrogen sector, driven by the accelerating global transition toward clean energy and the complementarity between China’s industrial and technological capabilities and the natural resources and i»»»

South Korea's Foreign Ministry lodged a protest Tuesday over Japan's territorial claim to the Dokdo islets. This photo, taken Tuesday, shows a model of Dokdo at the Times Square shopping complex in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap The foreign ministry lodged a "strong" protest Tuesday after Japan again laid »»»

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly confirmed that Chinese investments in Egypt have surpassed US$ 10 billion, RT reported on Monday. During the third meeting of the Ministerial Committee for China Affairs, he explained that a large number of companies operating in various economic sectors rep»»»

Tokyo: Japan needs to adapt to the new methods of warfare like drones and artificial intelligence (AI) used in Ukraine and the Middle East and strengthen its defense industry, the government said Tuesday. Japan has bolstered its military capability and spending in recent years and has started deplo»»»

Iran's wartime leadership is showing a united front toward the US, but behind that facade, a potentially consequential struggle is emerging over who controls Iran's strategy — and how far Tehran should go in using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage against Washington. The latest sign came Monday (Aug»»»

The United Nations Security Council is expected to hold another informal poll ​this month as it selects the next UN secretary-general, the council president said on Monday, while indicating that a decision is still some way off. Portugal’s Antonio Guterres steps down as head of the world body at th»»»

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Monday that Chinese investments in Egypt exceeded $10bn, highlighting growing confidence among Chinese businesses in Egypt’s investment climate as the government reviewed new opportunities to deepen economic cooperation with Beijing. Madbouly made th»»»

Emerging-market sovereign ratings have proved largely resilient to the US-Iran war in the first half of 2026, Fitch Ratings finds in its Global Emerging Markets Credit Brief for 3Q26, even as the conflict pushed roughly a third of EM sector outlooks to "deteriorating" following the agency's mid-yea»»»

1 of 2 | President Donald Trump delivers an address on election security from the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 16. Pool Photo by Saul Loeb/UPI | License Photo Aug. 3 (UPI) -- The 2026 midterm elections are fast approaching and President Donald Trump has launched a multi»»»