World News

Wildfire smoke from Canada, Minnesota blankets US cities, disrupts life

Dense wildfire smoke blanketed parts of the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, prompting health warnings, disrupting daily life and forcing postponement of a Major League Baseball game

US oil firms sign $60 bn deals with Iraq to reduce reliance on Hormuz route

The agreements include plans to develop alternative oil export routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz, as renewed US-Iran hostilities keep energy markets on edge

Iran targets US military bases, drone depots in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain

Tehran said it carried out drone strikes on US military base in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain under 'Operation Lightning', hours after Washington's seventh consecutive night of attacks on Iranian targets

46 killed, 400 injured in Iran as US widens attacks on Tehran's civil infra

The US targeted Iranian energy infrastructure and a key port, while Iran launched missiles at Qatar and Kuwait, signalling a sharp escalation in the conflict centred on the Strait of Hormuz

China tops US in global favourability, shows Pew Research survey

An area the US continues to get better ratings than China is its respect for personal freedom. However, that gap is also narrowing

Apple narrows gap with Nvidia in race for world's most valuable firm

Apple briefly overtakes Nvidia in intraday trade as investors broaden their focus beyond AI chipmakers, narrowing the gap in the race for the world's top valuation

Xi pitches China as leader of a new global artificial intelligence order

Xi Jinping uses China's premier AI conference to promote open-source technology, strengthen ties with the Global South and position Beijing as an alternative to US-led AI governance

Kuwait reports Iranian attack on key power, water desalination plant

Kuwait said an Iranian attack damaged a power generation and water desalination plant, triggering a fire and affecting a facility vital to the country's drinking water supply

Andy Burnham confirmed as Labour leader, to become UK PM on Monday

Labour's National Executive Committee chair Shabana Mahmood made the announcement at a special party conference in London

Europe's early heat wave led to spike in deaths, may have killed over 10K

Preliminary mortality data point to a sharp rise in deaths during late June as record temperatures swept across parts of the continent

'Groundless accusations': China rejects Trump's election meddling claims

China rejected President Donald Trump's allegations of interference in the 2020 US election, calling the claims fabricated and urging Washington to stop making groundless accusations

Why are scientists raising concerns over China's Brahmaputra dam project?

An active fault line beneath China's Brahmaputra mega dam has raised fresh questions over its long-term stability and renewed concerns about its downstream impact on India

Japan passes law banning national flag desecration despite criticism

Opponents say the ambiguous law only intimidates people from using the flag in art, protests or other forms of expression, and could violate constitutional freedom of speech

Iran confirms attacks on power infra, urges people to use less electricity

Iran said parts of its power infrastructure came under attack during the latest US airstrike campaign, marking the first official acknowledgement of strikes on the country's energy network

British military reports attack on tanker in Strait of Hormuz near Oman

A tanker travelling through the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said, adding that the crew was safe and the vessel continued its voyage

US Senate bill seeks 100% tariffs on India, China for buying Russian oil

A bipartisan bill introduced in the US Senate proposes 100% tariffs on imports from India, China and other major buyers of Russian oil, alongside broader sanctions targeting Moscow

AI should be a global 'symphony', not 'solo performance': Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged global cooperation on artificial intelligence at the World AI Conference and announced AI research, training and cooperation initiatives for developing countries

Asian shares fall; Nikkei plunges nearly 6% amid AI selloff, West Asia war

Heavy selling in AI-related shares and escalating conflict in West Asia pushed Asian markets lower while lifting oil prices

US airstrikes appear to have damaged tower at Iran's Chabahar port

US airstrikes appeared to bring down a surveillance tower at Iran's Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, a key trade route for Afghanistan, as Tehran acknowledged fresh attacks

Bigger electric cars leave China with damaged roads, funding crunch

China's growing fleet of large electric vehicles is increasing road maintenance costs while reducing fuel tax revenues, intensifying calls for new road funding mechanisms