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Parched and desperate for rain, Kazakhstan turns to cloud-seeding

There were only arid steppes in sight when a small plane took off from an airport in southern Kazakhstan, embarking on a delicate mission: bringing rain for the scorched earth below.

2.4 million girls banned from Afghan schools since Taliban return: UNESCO

Around 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the United Nations said Tuesday, urging an end to such "discrimination".

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US, Japan support yen with first joint intervention since 2011

Japan and the United States said Monday they were ready to act again following their first joint action in 28 years to boost the yen, after the beleaguered currency hit a four-decade low.

Four Al-Fayed survivors told they were trafficking victims

Four women who allege abuse by late Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed were confirmed as victims of human trafficking by the UK's interior ministry, a group representing the survivors told AFP on Monday.

Trump says US support for Japanese yen a 'signal of friendship'

President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed that the United States had intervened to support the Japanese yen, calling the move a "signal of friendship" that would financially benefit the US and world economy.

Brazil's Lula, 80, says 'in great shape' as he launches fourth term bid

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 80, said Sunday he was "in great shape" as he launched his candidacy for October elections, with pressure from US President Donald Trump's administration looming over the campaign.

Handbag tosses and high-heeled sprints: Amsterdam celebrates Drag Olympics

Donning leopard print and fishnets, three drag queens take off from the starting line of a high-heel sprint track as an electrified crowd cheered at Amsterdam's Drag Olympics.

Baltics transform from Soviet stagnation to startup hubs

Stepping into the newly renovated Vilnius airport, visitors are greeted with a slew of billboards advertising products "Made in Lithuania", including cybersecurity giant NordVPN.

AI keeps consumer prices high in 'RAMaggedon' chip crunch

Print-outs of articles about the global memory chip shortage are pinned beside a price list at a Hong Kong computer shop, offering an explanation to confused customers feeling the pinch.

Five of Cuba's 15 provinces without power as grid fails again

Havana and other parts of western Cuba were plunged into darkness Saturday due to the country's latest power grid failure, the state-run electric company announced.

OPEC+ tipped to raise production again but new quotas loom

Saudi Arabia, Russia and five other members of OPEC+ are expected to raise their oil production quotas for September when they meet online Sunday as the Middle East war continues to disrupt global energy supplies.

Amazon surges as US stocks shrug off bond yield worries

Wall Street stocks charged higher Friday behind strong earnings from Amazon that offset the drag from higher US Treasury yields.

Oil giants report blowout profits on war, warn high gas prices could persist

US petroleum giants ExxonMobil and Chevron released blowout profits Friday due to the Middle East war, as executives cautioned that elevated gasoline prices will probably continue to strain consumers.

Hungary to shut nuclear plant as heatwave hits central Europe

Hungary's sole nuclear power plant will be shut down next week because of low water levels in the river Danube, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said Friday as central Europe slogs through the latest in a series of heatwaves.

Google launches new satellite image AI tool, alarming researchers

Google announced a new feature allowing Google Earth users to generate AI visualizations on top of the service's satellite imagery, sparking concerns from researchers and open-source intelligence experts about the potential for disinformation.

Tech-fuelled rally fizzles as oil prices rise

Asian stock markets rallied Friday, led by a record surge of almost 18 percent for Seoul as technology firms performed a blistering recovery from an extended sell-off.

US Fed dissenters call for rate hikes over sustained inflation

All three US Federal Reserve policymakers who dissented from the central bank's decision to keep interest rates steady earlier this week said Friday that rate hikes were needed now in order to avoid entrenched inflation.

New York sues online prediction markets giant Kalshi

New York's attorney general sued betting platform Kalshi on Friday, accusing it of running an illegal gambling operation in a case that could shed a spotlight on the lightly regulated and controversial world of prediction markets.

Commerzbank agrees to talks with UniCredit after two-year standoff

Commerzbank CEO Bettina Orlopp has called for the opening of talks with UniCredit regarding the German bank's future, deeming a "constructive dialogue" necessary after the Italian group secured nearly half of the voting rights.

Profits surge at US oil giant amid Iran war supply shock

US petroleum giants ExxonMobil and Chevron released blowout profits Friday, reflecting a major lift in business conditions from the Middle East war that easily offset negative effects at both companies.

Fornaro Legal Releases Guidance to Help Businesses Maintain Clear Ownership Records During Growth

Fornaro Legal announced the publication of new guidance designed to help business owners maintain accurate ownership records and governance documentation as their companies expand. The guidance outlines practical considerations for businesses preparing for investment, ownership transitions, strategic partnerships, or future acquisition opportunities.

Stock markets rally on tech rebound

Global stock markets rallied Friday, led by a record surge of almost 18 percent for Seoul as technology firms performed a blistering recovery from an extended sell-off.

BP seeks to sell North Sea business as UK faces drilling dilemma

BP has launched moves to sell its North Sea business, the British oil and gas giant announced Friday, as new Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces pressure to ease drilling restrictions in the area.

France, Spain assess scorched terrain as new wildfires threaten other regions

Greek firefighters faced another day of battling flames in high-risk conditions for new ignitions on Friday as France and Spain hoped for reprieve from massive infernos that blackened swathes of terrain.

British oil giant BP aims to sell North Sea business

BP has launched moves to sell its North Sea business, the British oil and gas giant announced Friday, as new Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces pressure to ease drilling restrictions in the area.

Chipmaker Kioxia reports AI-driven 45-fold surge in quarterly net profit

Ferocious AI-driven demand delivered quarterly net profit more than 45 times higher than last year's figure for Japanese chipmaker Kioxia, the company said Friday.

FIFA vows to go ahead with private investor proposal

World football's governing body FIFA vowed on Friday to press ahead with an "open and democratic" consultation on a proposed private investment plan despite widespread opposition to the proposal.

China factory activity slides as leaders seek spending boost

China's factory activity unexpectedly slid in July, official data showed Friday, as leaders in the world's second-largest economy struggle to reignite domestic demand.

Far right and far left battle for power in polarised Berlin

One recent day in Berlin, a few hundred Pride demonstrators with rainbow flags rallied in eastern Marzahn district, a sweep of communist-era residential blocs that is a hotspot of far-right AfD support.

Tech rebound fuels record-breaking rally in South Korean stocks

South Korean stocks soared a record 17 percent Friday as global tech firms performed a blistering recovery from an extended sell-off, with beaten-down chip giant SK hynix rocketing more than a quarter as the AI boom roared back.

Cables and cooling bring AI windfall to Indian suppliers

At a bustling factory in western India, technicians work around the clock to turn glass into hair-thin fibre-optic strands destined for data centres powering the global artificial intelligence boom.

Oil industry sees war windfall but girds for political blowback

US oil giants are set to report blowout profits Friday at a time when lofty gasoline prices are stressing consumers and exacerbating President Donald Trump's worries about upcoming midterm elections.

Amazon beats expectations with cloud and AI growth

Amazon beat analysts' expectations on Thursday when it reported growth in overall revenue and sales, particularly in its cloud, artificial intelligence and chips divisions.

Blowout Microsoft results lift US stocks as oil retreats

Wall Street stocks rebounded Thursday as blowout Microsoft results and moderating oil prices blunted worries about higher US Treasury yields.

The China Mail - Economy (English)