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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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Milei demands expulsion of foreigners expressing 'hate' against Argentina

Argentine President Javier Milei on Thursday imposed a bar on foreigners who express "hate" toward the Latin American country, which he claims is the target of a sinister campaign.

'Beginning of the end': Relief but no party as French wildfire winds down

For the first time since he signed up to join the weeklong fight against France's worst wildfire since 1949, Maxence Cereja said he felt comfortable enough to treat himself to a nice dinner in Bordeaux to "enjoy a bit of civilisation".

Prada profits pinched as growth hard to chase

Prada said Thursday that its net profit slumped in the first half of this year as it integrates its new brand Versace, amid what the luxury fashion company called a "disrupted" macroeconomic environment.

Stocks climb on earnings and rates, oil retreats

European and US stock markets advanced Thursday as traders tracked major earnings and central bank updates, while oil prices retreated after recent volatility caused by the Middle East war.

MEXC Lists Grvt (GRVT) with $60,000 Worth of GRVT and 10,000 USDT in Airdrop+ Rewards

MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, will list Grvt (GRVT) in the Innovation Zone, with the GRVT/USDT pair opening at 12:00 (UTC) and the GRVT/USDC pair opening at 12:20 (UTC) on July 30, 2026. To mark the listing, MEXC has launched the Grvt (GRVT) Airdrop+ event, offering a combined prize pool worth $60,000 in GRVT and 10,000 USDT.

US economic growth slows in second quarter, missing expectations

The United States saw slowing growth in the second quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday, with the fallout from President Donald Trump's Iran war weighing on the world's largest economy.

Russia adds Telegram founder Durov to 'terrorist' blacklist

Russia on Thursday added Telegram founder Pavel Durov to a blacklist of "terrorists and extremists", days after saying it was seeking his arrest over accusations he let his platform be used by Ukrainian intelligence.

MEXC Ventures Supports Alpha Arena's APAC Debut at Coinfest Bali

MEXC Ventures today announced its support for the expansion of Alpha Arena, a global esports-inspired live trading tournament, into the APAC region. As part of the partnership, MEXC Ventures will serve as the Main Sponsor of Alpha Arena S03, with TRIV serving as the Co-host.

Stocks diverge on earnings, as oil steadies

Global stock markets diverged Thursday as traders tracked major earnings and central bank updates, while oil prices steadied after recent volatility caused by the Middle East war.

Eurozone economy grows despite Middle East war

The eurozone economy grew more than expected in the second quarter of 2026, data published Thursday showed, proving its resilience despite the energy shock from the Middle East war.

BMW profit down a third as carmaker plans job cuts

Net profit at premium carmaker BMW fell over a third in the second quarter, the firm said Thursday as it prepares to cut almost 10 percent of its German workforce.

Shell profit surges as Mideast war fuels oil prices

British energy giant Shell said Thursday that its net profit tripled to $10.8 billion in the second quarter as the Middle East war sent oil prices soaring.

Seoul extends losses as most Asian markets drop, oil rises again

South Korean stocks extended their painful retreat Thursday as a promising start gave way to more blood-letting in the tech field, while the rest of Asia also struggled and oil rose further on fresh Middle East worries.

Car maker Stellantis says back in profit in second quarter

Fiat and Jeep maker Stellantis said Thursday it had returned to profit in first quarter of 2026 after a dramatic loss in the same period last year.

Gambling.com Group Is Now Grandstand

New Name Captures Company’s Evolution into the Intelligence Layer of Sports, Gaming and Entertainment.

AI data centre supplier Zhongji InnoLight tumbles on Hong Kong debut

Shares in Chinese data centre supplier Zhongji InnoLight tumbled more than nine percent in its Hong Kong debut on Thursday, after raising at least US$6.8 billion in the city's biggest IPO for seven years, driven by a demand for AI components.

Samsung quarterly operating profit up 1,800% on AI boom

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics posted on Thursday a massive 19-fold jump in second-quarter operating profit from last year, buoyed by frenzied demand for memory chips used in AI data centres.

South Korean stocks bounce after rout, oil holds gains on Mideast woes

South Korean stocks enjoyed a much-needed rally Thursday after a two-day rout as chip giant Samsung reported an eye-watering profit surge thanks to AI-driven demand, though the rest of Asia was mixed and oil held steep gains on fresh Middle East worries.

AI data centre supplier Zhongji InnoLight falls on Hong Kong debut

Shares in China's Zhongji InnoLight fell in the first few minutes of its Hong Kong debut Thursday, after raising at least US$6.8 billion in the city's biggest IPO since 2019.

South Korea's women web sleuths fight AI deepfake porn

Under banners emblazoned "Solidarity" and "We stand together with victims", a group of South Korean women digital detectives dredges the internet for a scourge of illegal AI-enabled pornography.

Samsung operating profit up 1,800% in second quarter on AI boom

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics posted on Thursday a massive 19-fold jump in second-quarter operating profit from last year, buoyed by sustained AI-driven demand for memory chips.

Japanese population below 120 million for first time in decades

The number of Japanese people living in the country has fallen below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, government data showed Wednesday, as the nation confronts a low birth rate and an ageing society.

Meta misses profit expectations, sticks to massive AI spending

Facebook-parent Meta reported profits on Wednesday that fell short of Wall Street expectations, as the cost of staying in the race to deploy artificial intelligence -- along with hefty legal and severance charges -- hurt its bottom line.

Oil prices surge while US stocks fall as Fed keeps rates unchanged

Wall Street stocks finished sharply lower Wednesday after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged despite lofty US inflation as escalations in the Middle East war pushed oil prices skyward.

US Fed holds interest rates steady as 'family fight' sees hawks call for hike

The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, with Chair Kevin Warsh lauding a "family fight" that saw three policymakers dissent in calling for a rate hike to combat surging inflation.

Campari - king of the spritz - hopes to conquer American heartland

Whether made with Aperol, Campari or Sarti, the spritz has rapidly established itself on terraces across Europe -- with Italy's Campari Group now hoping to conquer the heart of America.

US Federal Reserve holds rates steady as inflation hawks call for hike

The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, with surging inflation fueled by President Donald Trump's war on Iran seeing three of the committee's 12 policymakers calling for a quarter-percentage-point rate hike.

Air France-KLM and Lufthansa bid for Portugal's TAP airline

Both Air France-KLM and Lufthansa said Wednesday they had submitted bids to acquire a controlling stake in TAP Air Portugal that is being re-privatised.

Profits soar at Airbus as it delivers more planes

Airbus said Wednesday its net profit soared 47 percent in the first half of the year thanks to increased delivery of aircraft as well as higher sales by its defence unit.

OpenAI says rogue AI agent attack hit other companies

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has revealed that an autonomous artificial intelligence agent which hacked a popular platform for computer programmers also attempted to breach four other companies during the incident.

Rheinmetall shares surge after armsmaker reports record profit

German weapons manufacturer Rheinmetall on Wednesday reported record second-quarter core profit, beating analyst expectations, sending shares in the firm up almost nine percent.

UBS second-quarter net profit up 17% to $2.8 billion

Swiss banking giant UBS reported Wednesday that net profit rose 17 percent to $2.8 billion in the second quarter, driven by investment banking.

The China Mail - Economy (English)