Children, particularly those under five, heat up faster than adults because their temperature-regulation systems are less developed. Caregivers should provide fluids, encourage rest in cool shaded areas, use loose light clothing and watch for heat exhaustion. Babies may need extra feeds, should not sleep in hot prams, and need good air circulation; newborn rooms should be kept at about 16C to 20C.
Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma are scheduled to execute three inmates by lethal injection on the same day, which would be the first such occurrence in the United States since 2010. All three were sentenced to death for murder. The executions come amid steadily declining US support for capital punishment.
United Statesdeath penaltyTennesseeAlabamaOklahoma
Israel’s military says it will deploy more troops to Qusra in the occupied West Bank after failing to remove settlers who have trapped two Palestinian families in their homes since Sunday. The families say their water and electricity were cut off and food supplies are running low. The incident has renewed scrutiny of settler violence and the military’s response.
Three Palestinian families in Qusra in the occupied West Bank are trapped inside their homes as Israeli settlers block roads and cut off water and electricity. Settlers returned within hours after the Israeli army evacuated a nearby outpost following a two-day standoff.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup during his trip to the Sakhalin Region, touring a fish-processing plant and a school before speaking with residents and meeting the regional governor. It was his first personal visit to the Kuril Islands. Japan lodged a “decisive protest” and reiterated its claim to the southern Kurils.
Vladimir PutinIturupKuril IslandsRussia-Japan relations
Russian state media reported that President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to the far-eastern Kuril Islands, visiting a fish-processing plant on Iturup. Japan strongly protested, maintaining that the Northern Territories are inherent Japanese territory under history and international law. The dispute has long hindered relations and prevented a formal World War II peace treaty.
Vladimir PutinJapanKuril Islandsterritorial dispute
Japan’s Foreign Ministry says it has lodged a “strong protest” over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup in the Kuril Islands. Tokyo calls the southern Kurils, including Iturup, the “northern territories” and claims they are Japan’s “ancestral territory” historically and legally, while Moscow says its sovereignty is not open to debate.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the far-eastern Kuril Islands near Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido for the first time on Thursday. Tokyo responded with a strong protest over the disputed territory, which Japan claims and the Soviet Union seized in 1945.
Russian state media reported that President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands, marking his first trip there. Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the islands are inherently Japanese territory under history and international law, and declared the government’s strong protest. The dispute has prevented Moscow and Tokyo from signing a postwar peace treaty.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup in the Kuril Islands during a trip to the Sakhalin Region, touring the Yasny fish-packing factory. Before the visit, he attended the final stage of Pacific Fleet drills in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Hossein Taeb, head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, said on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz was under Iran’s “control and management,” Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless Washington accepts Tehran’s conditions, rejecting Donald Trump’s claim that the United States has complete control of the waterway. The US says its maritime blockade continues, forcing 59 commercial vessels to reroute. Talks remain deadlocked, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges dialogue and negotiations.
IranStrait of HormuzUS-Iran talksmaritime blockade
President Donald Trump has again insisted that the United States has “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran remains resolute that the US must meet its demands. The two sides are presenting opposing accounts of who controls the strategic waterway. Their conflicting claims underscore the continuing standoff over Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump has again asserted that the United States holds the advantage over the Strait of Hormuz. He said the US maritime blockade is known as an “iron wall” and that Iran can do nothing. A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard official has also made a related statement, leaving the future course uncertain.
More than 2,000 fabric suppliers are taking part in a three-day home textiles exhibition that opened in Keqiao, Zhejiang. The dual-venue event showcases curtains, wall coverings and other products, along with AI design tools that create realistic home décor images from photos.
Iga Swiatek defeated Elina Svitolina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the Toronto final, where she will meet world number two Elena Rybakina. Rybakina overcame Coco Gauff 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
India’s parliament has ended a turbulent monsoon session marked by a fierce government-opposition standoff over student protests. Demonstrations and counter-demonstrations disrupted proceedings, and both houses were adjourned sine die soon after convening on the final day. Karnataka also observed a daylong shutdown over its river-water dispute with Tamil Nadu.
India parliamentstudent protestsNarendra Modipolitical deadlock
Russian stocks declined at the start of Thursday’s main trading session, with the MOEX and RTS indices each down 0.32% at 2,294.07 and 870.72 points. Their losses later widened to 0.56%, while the yuan rose to 12.388 rubles.
President Donald Trump has asked a federal appeals court to pause sanctions imposed on him and his lawyers over their handling of his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service while he appeals the ruling.
Donald TrumpInternal Revenue Serviceappealsanctions
The 400,000-DWT Marshall Islands-flagged VLOC Saham berthed at Zhanjiang Port in Guangdong on Wednesday with an iron ore cargo under maritime escort. Authorities used remote-control systems, drone patrols and escort vessels, along with temporary one-way traffic controls, to support a safe arrival and the steel industry chain.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the US military will target drug traffickers in the same way it targets groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda. The US has been accused of acting illegally by striking suspected drug boats in international waters.
Extreme heat is returning to Europe, with temperatures above 40C expected in parts of Spain and up to 38C in London and Paris. France has placed 80 departments under orange warnings, while the UK government will consider banning disposable barbecues as wildfires continue.
Europe’s fifth heat wave of the summer is expected to peak on Thursday, adding to a run of extreme weather events that have strained health systems and energy networks across the region.
Chinese Olympic snowboarding champion Su Yiming has been appointed the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s Sport4Land Champion for Resilience. He will promote public involvement in land restoration, drought resilience and sustainable land management, saying nature protection preserves opportunities for future generations.
Russia’s Defense Ministry says Russian forces continue striking Ukrainian Navy facilities and port infrastructure used by Ukraine’s armed forces. Overnight drone strikes hit a Ukrainian Navy command post at Reni port and a temporary troop deployment site and military-cargo facilities at Izmail port. Related targets at Odesa, Chernomorsk and Ochakov ports were also reported hit.
Russian forces are continuing strikes on Ukrainian naval facilities and port infrastructure used in Ukraine’s interests, the Russian Defense Ministry said. It reported overnight drone strikes on a Ukrainian naval command post at Reni port, a temporary deployment site for a Ukrainian unit at Izmail port, and facilities used to unload and store military cargo.
Russia-Ukraine wardrone strikesReni portIzmail port
Regional Ukrainian authorities say Russia struck the area around Izmail, Ukraine’s largest Danube port, overnight, damaging infrastructure and sparking a fire. Moscow meanwhile says it shot down 362 Ukrainian drones overnight, while local officials report an attack in Russia’s Salavat area caused a blaze at an oil refinery.
Russian forces struck port infrastructure in Izmail, southern Odesa, causing a fire, Ukrainian authorities said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine urgently needs Patriot interceptors and asked the US to sell 5 percent of its stockpile to get through winter, or 10 percent to destroy Russia’s ballistic missiles.
China will extend anti-dumping duties on single-mode optical fibre imported from India for another five years starting Friday, the commerce ministry said Thursday.
Wang Xiji, a pioneer of China’s space program, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and recipient of the “Two Bombs, One Satellite” Meritorious Service Medal, died in Beijing on Wednesday after an illness. He led work on China’s first sounding rocket and helped design the Long March-1, laying groundwork for the country’s first satellite launch.
Wang XijiChina space programLong March-1Two Bombs, One Satellite
Russian attacks killed at least eight people and injured 50 across Ukraine over the past day, local authorities said. A jet-powered attack drone struck a passenger train in Odesa Oblast, killing the driver and his assistant while passengers escaped injury. Further casualties were reported in Kherson, Sumy, Donetsk and other regions.
A reconnaissance rifleman from Russia’s 9th Reconnaissance Battalion, part of Battlegroup Center, told TASS that two three-man teams operated behind Ukrainian lines for a month and completed their missions without being detected. He said they avoided drones through concealment and communicated only with gestures and facial expressions.
Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia has suffered about 1,462,970 troop casualties since launching its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, including 1,310 over the past day. It also reported extensive Russian equipment losses. Ukraine does not disclose its own losses, citing operational secrecy, while Western estimates put Russian casualties higher than Ukraine’s.
Russia-Ukraine warRussian casualtiesUkrainian General Staff
Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine could destroy all Russian ballistic missiles if the US sold Kyiv 10% of its Patriot interceptor stockpile. He said 5% would help Ukraine survive the winter and save lives, as the country faces a severe air-defense shortage. Kyiv is seeking more US missiles while developing its own ballistic and anti-ballistic systems.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov says Vladimir Putin may be able to “destroy Ukraine, but cannot conquer it.” Muratov warns that nuclear escalation is possible, citing the growing number of public references in Russia to using nuclear weapons.
As China’s summer movie season picks up, Beijing’s Drum Tower, a 700-year-old landmark on the city’s historic Central Axis, is opening to audiences after dark and being transformed into an open-air cinema.
Beijing Drum Toweropen-air cinemasummer movie season
Centuries-old Beijing Drum Tower becomes an open-air cinema
FlashBREAKINGTranslated by Minutes
BREAKING Romania has begun the complete shutdown of its only nuclear plant after water levels in the Danube, used to cool the site, fell to a record low, the national nuclear energy company says
BREAKING Romania has begun the complete shutdown of its only nuclear plant after water levels in the Danube, used to cool the site, fell to a record low, the national nuclear energy company says
Rescuers are working against the critical 72-hour window after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed 265 people, injured about 3,500 and left nearly 500 unaccounted for. Officials say tens of thousands of families have been affected, while teams continue detecting possible signs of life beneath the rubble.
A 30-second AI-generated video showing a traditional Chinese fantasy palace has surpassed 5 million views on overseas social media in four days. Created by Chengdu eyeglasses shop owner Chen Aijun and reposted by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, it has drawn praise for its visual style and discussion of combining Chinese fantasy aesthetics with science fiction.
Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, Hunan, is hosting immersive Tujia folk activities this summer, including traditional dress, toasting songs, lion dances, bamboo pole dances and martial arts. Visitors can also taste rice wine and join in. The site has received 97,000 international visitors since July, up 54% year on year.
Ukraine attacked Russia’s Bashkortostan region with drones, and the governor said falling debris caused a fire in an industrial area of Salavat. Ukrainian channels reported strikes on an oil refinery and a Wildberries warehouse, while local authorities and the company have not commented. No deaths or injuries have been reported.
Bilateral trade between Russia and Malaysia increased 13% in 2025 to more than $3.6 billion, Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov said. He added that businesses in both countries are showing greater interest in expanding trade ties and called for efforts to secure sustainable growth. The countries’ joint commission is also discussing investment, energy, tourism, culture, science and education.
Malawi defeated Algeria 3-1 in the first semifinal, with Tabitha Chawinga scoring twice, while Cameroon overcame Morocco 3-1 on penalties after a goalless draw. The teams will meet in Sunday’s 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final. All four semifinalists qualified for next summer’s Women’s World Cup.
While observing Pacific Fleet exercises, Vladimir Putin held a meeting on security along Russia’s eastern borders. He said the main tasks of the special military operation are being addressed, but stressed the need to secure the Russian state along all borders and across its territories. The exercises began on August 4 and involve nearly 60 vessels and more than 13,000 servicemen.
Ice cream companies may be benefiting from a summer sales lift as temperatures soar, but they are also preparing for consumers to seek indulgent treats that give them fewer reasons to feel guilty.
Tycoons are battling over a tropical retreat aimed at wealthy people. Bond investors are also pulling back from data centers, while New York City’s pied-à-terre tax has hit another obstacle.
wealthy investorsdata centersbond marketNew York taxes
Malaysia and Russia have reaffirmed mutual interest in energy cooperation, including supplies of liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, Malaysian Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said. The two sides also want to finalize a memorandum on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and power generation, while welcoming cooperation in AI, smart cities, information security and high-speed telecommunications.
Elon Musk posted on X that “China is awesome” and strongly encouraged people to visit. His mother, Maye Musk, agreed, while many people who have traveled to China shared positive experiences of its convenient transport, comfortable summer travel and welcoming communities. More foreign visitors are choosing to see the country for themselves.
Lionel Messi returned to action after his father’s death and suggested he was unsure about continuing his football career. He came on at half-time, but Inter Miami lost 3-2 to Mexico’s Leon and were eliminated from the Leagues Cup.
President Donald Trump says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of the month. At 28, Leavitt is the youngest person ever to hold the position. She said the decision was driven by the difficulty of balancing motherhood with the demands of the job.
US politicsWhite HouseKaroline LeavittDonald Trump
Karoline Leavitt says she will step down as White House press secretary at the end of the month to focus on her family. She was the youngest person ever to hold the post.
US President Donald Trump said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of August to spend more time with her young children and family. Trump said she would become one of his top outside advisers and an influential Republican voice as they seek to win the midterm elections.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will step down at the end of the month. Her departure will bring to a close the tenure of one of the administration’s most prominent and trusted advisers. The change comes as the Trump administration moves toward November’s midterm elections.
Donald Trump said Karoline Leavitt will leave her post as White House press secretary before September. He said she will now become one of his top outside advisers. Trump also described her as an influential voice within the Republican Party. The change marks a shift in Leavitt’s role from the White House communications position to a broader political advisory role.
Donald Trump said Karoline Leavitt is leaving her position as White House press secretary. According to Trump, she plans to spend more time with her family after giving birth to her second child. Her departure from the role was presented as a family-related decision.
President Donald Trump says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her position. He says Leavitt plans to spend time with her young children and family. The announcement signals a change among senior White House personnel. No departure date or successor is identified in the report.
President Donald Trump announced that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her position at the end of August. Her departure will mark a major shakeup in the president’s press operation. The change comes with less than three months remaining before the midterm elections.
Donald TrumpKaroline LeavittWhite Housemidterm elections
President Donald Trump says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will depart the administration at the end of the month. Leavitt is the youngest person to have held the position. Trump says she is leaving to spend time with her young family. Her departure marks a change in the White House communications role.
White HouseKaroline LeavittDonald Trumpgovernment personnel
President Donald Trump said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her position later this month. Her departure would remove Trump’s top spokesperson from the role. The announcement points to an impending change among the White House’s senior communications officials.
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of the month. He said Leavitt is departing to spend more time with her family.
Many technologies central to the energy transition use PFAS, a group of persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health risks. Industry says fluoropolymers are crucial for affordable climate action, while environmental advocates and experts warn that their eventual degradation could cause further pollution and harm.
PFASclean energyrenewable energyenvironmental health
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam rejected Israel’s claim that villages destroyed in southern Lebanon were military sites, calling the attacks, incursions, demolitions and systematic destruction of homes a serious violation of international and humanitarian law. Lebanon accused Israel of deliberately destroying civilian homes and infrastructure as the ceasefire grows increasingly fragile.
Israeli strikes in south Lebanon a ‘violation of international law’: PM
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Malawi’s qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup is a result of the investment into African football made by FIFA under president Gianni Infantino and why he will likely enjoy the support of the continent, the country’s football association president Fleetwood Haiya told Reuters.
Malawi’s qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup is a result of the investment into African football made by FIFA under president Gianni Infantino and why he will likely enjoy the support of the continent, the country’s football association president Fleetwood Haiya told Reuters.
A deleted Instagram video of Tamil film star Vikram cuddling and playing with an endangered lar gibbon has prompted Tamil Nadu wildlife officials to investigate how the animal reached a private home and whether possession and transfer rules were followed. Officials have not concluded that it was trafficked or that Vikram owned or brought it to India.
The Chinese film “Dead to Rights,” released in 2025, follows photo-studio staff in Nanjing in 1937 who risk their safety to preserve images documenting crimes committed by Japanese soldiers. The film has drawn attention in China for highlighting civilians’ wartime choices and prompting discussion about helping younger generations understand the past.
Decades later, the photos behind 'Dead to Rights' still speak
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BREAKING US ambassador to Israel, a staunch supporter of West Bank settlements, denounces as "terror" a siege by settlers against Palestinian homes, including one owned by a US citizen.
"No excuse for such thuggish behaviour," Mike Huckabee wrote on X
BREAKING US ambassador to Israel, a staunch supporter of West Bank settlements, denounces as "terror" a siege by settlers against Palestinian homes, including one owned by a US citizen.
"No excuse for such thuggish behaviour," Mike Huckabee wrote on X
War-related damage and delays to Gaza’s legal system are forcing many women to choose between prolonged divorce proceedings and giving up financial rights. Sohair al-Bordani opted for khulu, returning her dowry and relinquishing financial support to secure a quicker separation. Gaza’s religious courts handled more than 8,700 divorce cases from October 2023 through May, despite damaged facilities, staff shortages, power cuts and scarce supplies.
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg said lower-income Australians should accept poorly built homes to help increase housing supply. Opposition leader Angus Taylor rebuked him for departing from Coalition policy, while the Nationals opposed cuts to working holiday visas for rural and regional workers. Bragg also proposed reducing net overseas migration to 180,000 a year.
Australian politicshousing policymigrationLiberal Party
An Israeli bulldozer demolished the Daraghmeh family’s home in Ein el-Hilweh in the occupied West Bank despite what they believed was a Supreme Court injunction protecting it. The family is now sleeping under tarpaulins in heat above 43°C, after losing medication, belongings, solar panels, water and electricity.
Embattled Ohio Rep. Max Miller, who faces an uphill fight to retain his seat after abuse allegations, has been sued by his ex-wife on behalf of their 2-year-old daughter over the accidental release of a nude image of the child.
Three students at Sydney boys’ school The Scots College have been charged over the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in the city’s eastern suburbs last month. Police searched several homes, seized electronic devices and found replica firearms and other items. The teenagers were released on strict bail conditions and are due in children’s court later this month.
Chinese companies are expanding in ASEAN beyond exports into investment, local production, technology cooperation and regional operations. Bilateral trade reached 4.34 trillion yuan in the first half of 2026, up 18.2 percent year on year. An expert’s “ASEAN Synergy” concept calls for countries to use complementary strengths across value chains, while China-Malaysia cooperation could broaden into AI, innovation and talent development.
Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine received 2.5 times fewer Patriot interceptor missiles this year than in 2025 and needs 5% of US stockpiles to get through the winter. He is negotiating for additional missiles and seeking US approval for licensed production in Ukraine, but says he has received no clear acceptance.
The United States has designated Brazil’s largest criminal organisations, Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho, as “terrorist” groups. The article argues the move reflects Brazilian far-right political interests and Washington’s interventionist reach more than a new assessment of the security threat, reinforcing attacks on President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of the election.
United StatesBrazil electionorganized crimeterrorist designation
China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment says air and water quality improved during the first seven months of 2026. Average PM2.5 concentration fell by 1.8 micrograms per cubic meter, or 6.2%, while the share of days with good air quality rose 3.9 percentage points. Class I–III surface-water sites reached 86.5%.
China’s air and water quality improved during the first seven months of 2026, Ecology and Environment Minister Huang Runqiu said. Average PM2.5 concentration fell 6.2% year on year, while the share of days with good air quality rose 3.9 percentage points. Surface-water sections meeting Grade I-III standards reached 86.5%.
The US government is partnering with private-sector firms to launch cyberattacks abroad, broadening national security operations that had largely been carried out by government agencies.
Trump Enlists Private Sector to Expand Cyber-Offensive Arsenal
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Perseid meteor streaks are seen across the sky at Mount Ramon in the Negev Desert, Israel.
The Perseid meteor shower, which occurs annually when Earth passes through the debris cloud left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, reached its spectacular peak overnight on August 12–13
📸 Jack Guez
Perseid meteor streaks are seen across the sky at Mount Ramon in the Negev Desert, Israel.
The Perseid meteor shower, which occurs annually when Earth passes through the debris cloud left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, reached its spectacular peak overnight on August 12–13
Investors in a kitchen built on stilts over Tomini Bay, near Indonesia’s remote fishing village of Torosiaje off Sulawesi, have been left heavily indebted, with loan sharks circling the facility.
Voting has begun in Zambia’s presidential election, with incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema seeking a second term. The contest will test whether his government’s economic reforms can overcome widespread frustration over the rising cost of living. Voters are also electing 226 members of parliament.
Zambians have begun voting in a presidential election that will test whether President Hakainde Hichilema’s economic reforms can overcome widespread frustration over the cost of living.
Zambiapresidential electionHakainde Hichilemacost of living
As Zambia votes, President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second term while his feud with the family and supporters of late former president Edgar Lungu continues. Opposition leader Brian Mundubile and running mate Makebi Zulu have pledged to return Lungu’s body for a dignified burial. The Tonse Alliance also accuses Hichilema’s government of authoritarian campaign tactics, allegations his team firmly denies.
Zambians are voting Thursday in a general election that is widely expected to return President Hakainde Hichilema for a second term. The ballot will test public opinion of his economic record. Voters frustrated by the rising cost of living are expressing discontent, while opposition parties are seeking to turn that frustration into support. Their efforts are complicated by deep divisions among the opposition. The election therefore combines an expected presidential outcome with a broader test of economic satisfaction and political discontent.
Zambiageneral electionHakainde Hichilemacost of living
Hours after India publicly assured consumers last week that ethanol-blended petrol was safe, the country’s main auto industry group withdrew a fuel-contamination complaint it had sent to the government a week earlier. The group said some figures required further checks.
Save the Children says nearly one in 10 Afghan children under five is suffering from acute malnutrition, with the condition affecting 3.7 million children in 2026 after rising 14 percent in four years. Plunging humanitarian funding has forced about 600 essential health facilities to close, worsening access to care.
Afghanistanchild malnutritionhealthcare fundinghumanitarian aid
Former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has taken part in a Boston University study seeking ways to diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy in living individuals.
Matt HasselbeckNFLchronic traumatic encephalopathymedical research
A former law enforcement officer accused of planning a mass shooting targeting Black people at a New Orleans festival was quietly released this summer after a grand jury found insufficient evidence to charge him with a crime.
Nicaragua’s national pavilion opened Wednesday in Wuhan, Hubei Province, as the first specialty venue in China authorized by its embassy to display Nicaraguan products and culture. The China (Hubei)-Nicaragua Economic and Trade Cooperation Center was also established to advance cooperation in areas including agricultural products and new energy.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Washington is considering every option for further action against Cuba, including military measures. He said the United States has “a lot of options” and urged Cuba to heed President Donald Trump’s willingness to assert American strategic prerogatives.
North Korea’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine is believed to have generated exceptionally high revenues, strengthening Kim Jong Un’s rule while benefiting only a small segment of society. Pyongyang’s brighter skyline, new housing and major projects reflect an apparent boom funded by munitions sales, troop deployments, trade, labor exports and alleged cybercrime. Ukraine says North Korea has supplied a large share of Russia’s ammunition and plans further military deployments.
The Wild Elephant Valley in Xishuangbanna held its 11th public awareness event for World Elephant Day on Aug. 12. The event also celebrated Yangniu’s 11th birthday.
Ningbo in Zhejiang Province has surpassed 10 gigawatts of installed distributed photovoltaic capacity, becoming the first Chinese city to reach the milestone. Most systems are on rooftops, with industrial parks accounting for 84 percent. The facilities could generate 10 billion kWh of clean electricity annually and cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 5 million metric tons, while new grid-planning and monitoring tools address the volatility of solar generation.
China’s domestically developed C919 large passenger aircraft safely landed at the new Ulan Bator airport in Mongolia on Wednesday afternoon after departing from Beijing Capital International Airport, completing its first scheduled international commercial passenger flight.
Prosecutors accused Alan Jones’s defence team of intimidating the former girlfriend of complainant J during cross-examination. The judge rejected the claim, ruling that questions about a possible financial motive were relevant to the defence argument that evidence had been fabricated.
Anthropic PBC is negotiating a potential acquisition of artificial-intelligence startup Decart AI for about $6 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
The 24th China-Korea International Youth Art Festival was recently held in Seoul, drawing more than 200 young participants from both countries. Alongside performances in dance, vocal and instrumental music, recitation and fashion, attendees joined K-pop training, broadcaster and university visits, creating opportunities for face-to-face exchange.
China-South Korea relationsyouth art festivalSeoulcultural exchange
South Africa has activated an Electronic Travel Authorization system allowing travelers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico to apply online for entry permission. Successful applicants are expected to receive authorization within 24 hours; the system currently operates at international airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, with plans for expansion.
South Africaelectronic travel authorizationentry rulestravel
China has launched its first large-scale project to recycle and reuse retired wind turbines in Jiuquan, Gansu Province. Engineers are refurbishing 25 turbines that operated for more than 15 years, raising the material reuse rate from 30% to 70%; the upgraded equipment can serve small local power stations and industrial users.
New Zealand’s spy agency said it had thwarted a Chinese state-linked observatory’s bid to put satellite-monitoring equipment on the country’s soil. The episode was singled out in the agency’s annual review, which described the espionage climate as becoming more hazardous.
Rio Tinto has agreed a $2.5bn subsidy package with Australia’s federal and New South Wales governments to prevent the possible closure of the Tomago aluminium smelter. A 10-year below-market power guarantee will begin after its coal-focused contract ends in December 2028, with the plant set to run entirely on renewable energy by 2033.
Rio Tintoaluminium smelterrenewable energyAustralia
The owners of Australia’s largest aluminum smelter, including Rio Tinto Group, have won A$2.5 billion ($1.8 billion) in government support to keep the facility running while dealing with elevated energy costs.
Rio Tintoaluminum smelterAustraliagovernment bailout
Tariffs have defined Donald Trump’s second term, as he uses them to address a range of problems and seeks to strengthen the US economy and production. Yet even economists who support the approach question whether it delivers the intended results.
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