World News

Trump says he would not unfreeze Iran's assets before peace deal is done

Trump says sanctions relief and access to frozen assets will come only after a peace deal with Iran, while signalling openness to talks with its leadership

US sees nuclear renaissance with new micro-reactor, eyes global markets

A US-developed microreactor has achieved first criticality, boosting prospects for small modular reactors that Washington hopes to export to countries including India

Xi Jinping visits North Korea to reassert influence over emboldened Kim

Xi visits North Korea for the first time in seven years as Beijing seeks to reinforce its influence over Kim amid Pyongyang's growing ties with Russia

Ukraine targets St Petersburg after Putin rejects offer for direct talks

Ukraine struck targets near St Petersburg after Putin rejected talks with Zelenskyy, as European leaders push for renewed efforts to end the war

US intel warns Israel 'spied' on US officials during Iran peace push

The Defence Department has increased the counterintelligence threat assessment to its highest level, and Israel is believed to have eavesdropped on American negotiations with Iran

China puts EVs on a diet as battery boom makes cars heavier: Report

The trend is drawing attention as larger vehicles put pressure on existing infrastructure. Some EVs are becoming too large for parking spaces designed under standards introduced a decade ago

Opec+ set for fourth increase in oil output targets since Hormuz closure

Seven core members of Opec+, which groups Opec and allied producers including Russia, have increased their output quotas from April to June by almost 600,000 barrels per day

Palestinians suffer from lack of proper toilets across Gaza's tent cities

There is not a single proper toilet across the vast tent cities housing most of Gaza's 1.7 million Palestinians left homeless by the war

Chennai-born architect of Trump's AI policies to leave White House post

Sriram Krishnan was an architect of the Trump administration's "AI Action Plan", which provided a blueprint to roll back regulation of the emerging technology and promote the build-out of data centres

12 injured in shooting near Ohio festival, police search for suspects

The Toledo Police Department said the shooting happened near the Old West End Festival, an annual gathering of live music and home tours in a historic district of the city

World's hottest market has Korea bulls turning cautious after rally

Hedge fund Golden Horse Fund Management has trimmed exposure and added derivative protection, while M&G Investments has cut memory and foundry holdings to broaden out down the AI supply chain

US likely to use Iranian assets to help Gulf allies recover from war

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also directed a team to assess costs for damage already inflicted on Gulf allies by Iran

US hits Iranian radar sites after drones target shipping near Hormuz

Iran fired ​seven ballistic ​missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain ​hours after Centcom shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that were launched toward ​the Strait of Hormuz

Nepal PM calls for stronger cooperation among Bimstec on climate, trade

In a statement issued on Saturday, he also stressed enhancing connectivity in transport, trade and digital networks to foster deeper integration of economies

Sanctions threat to India would boomerang under PM Modi's leadership: Putin

Putin said that he has been in close talks with Prime Minister Modi for a long period, while recalling the time when the Indian leader was banned from entering the United States

Israeli airstrike kills Lebanese soldiers days after ceasefire deal

Israeli troops have seized around a fifth of Lebanon, pushing further into the country's south than at any time since the end of Israel's 1982-2000 occupation

US energy firms benefit from Strait of Hormuz closure: Rosneft CEO Sechin

Iran blockaded ‌the Strait, the main route for about a ​fifth of world oil supplies and other ​vital goods including fertilisers, after the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February

Fifa World Cup workers threaten strike before $2,000-a-ticket game

Workers are seeking higher wages and stronger protections for personal information from immigration authorities

Business pushback led to soft stance on US green card policy: Report

The US Chamber of Commerce was among industry groups that pressed administration officials for further guidance and warned of the harms to their workforce last week

Millions are being pushed into hunger by Iran war, says UN food agency

World Food Program said an analysis in 3 vulnerable countries found that an additional 2.5 mn people in Somalia, 2.3 mn in Afghanistan and 1.3 mn in Sri Lanka are struggling to meet basic food needs