Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that he has instructed security forces to prepare for a "full lockdown" of the occupied West Bank, which he said would take effect later in the day following a shooting attack that injured five Israelis. The announcement came after Israeli troops shot and killed two Palestinians near the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba, near Hebron, after they allegedly opened fire, wounding five Israelis, including two critically, according to Israeli authorities.

As major U.S. airlines reported their third-quarter (Q3) operating results, rising fuel costs put pressure on their profit margins despite strong travel demand. Despite record-breaking revenues and strong travel demand, higher operating costs continue to eat up profit and weaken earnings expectations heading into the final quarter of 2026.

Several loud explosions were heard in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, early Friday. Local residents received alerts via mobile apps.

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate, has published an AI Clinician Framework, a world-first regulatory framework that sets out how AI clinician systems may ultimately be authorized to perform clinical activities that would otherwise require a licensed clinician.

An innovative drug delivery system based on a thermosensitive gel for the treatment of cancer has been developed by researchers at the G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICS RAS). It will enable the drug to be delivered directly to the tumor, increasing the effectiveness of treatment and reducing the toxic burden on the body. This was reported on the website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

The product designed by the Moscow-based Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems team is vegetable-and-fruit puree with tryptophan and antioxidants that may help prevent depression.

South Africa has lowered its economic growth forecast for 2026 to 1.2 percent and announced temporary fuel levy cuts to ease cost-of-living pressures, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said on Wednesday. Godongwana made the announcement while presenting the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement to Parliament in Cape Town, outlining the country's economic outlook, fiscal position and spending priorities amid heightened global uncertainty.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for greater global solidarity and international support to contain the rapidly expanding Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. The urgent call came as the Nigerian government on Tuesday confirmed the first Ebola case in the country's capital, Abuja, following laboratory tests. According to Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda is now in isolation and receiving medical care, amid efforts to prevent community transmission of the hemorrhagic fever.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi marked one year in office on Wednesday amid Japanese media scrutiny of her performance, particularly strained ties with China. Her administration has fallen short on promises of economic revival and social stability, while its lopsided diplomacy and risky push to cast aside Japan's pacifist constitutional constraints are fueling regional tensions and making Japan a source of instability in the region, a Chinese expert said.

On Gaza's shore, I draw my bow across a cello that survived the bombing of our home. Its wooden body bears the scars of war, but it still makes music. I do not want my identity to be reduced to a number in a death toll or to the image of a musician playing among ruins. I am a cellist, a visual designer, a young woman born and raised in Gaza who has spent years learning, creating, and building a life around art.

The BBC reported Tuesday it will close its BBC Three and BBC Scotland television channels in the spring, as the corporation continues to make 500 million pounds (669 million U.S. dollars) of savings over two years. Both services will become online-only, which means that they will continue to produce and host some content on iPlayer, without the need to fill a terrestrial TV schedule, according to the report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed proposals for various ceasefire formats with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo, Norway on Tuesday, Ukraine's state-run Ukrinform news agency reported. The meeting was also attended by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

Protests over the rising cost of living and strained public services swept across Paris and several other French cities on October 17, with violent clashes, looting and arson reported in some areas, according to media reports. The unrest reflects mounting economic and social pressures in France, where sluggish growth, a widening fiscal squeeze and growing public expectations have left the government with limited room to address popular grievances, Chinese experts said.

The commander of the US Space Force component supporting US Central Command said that he expects his force to grow to five times its current size in about three years, an expansion he described as necessary to meet the military's growing demand for space capabilities in operations across the Middle East, according to a report published Monday by the US military publication Air & Space Forces Magazine.

South Korea has decided to withdraw some of its diplomatic staff from Ukraine, multiple local media said on Tuesday, citing the South Korean foreign ministry.

Japan launched an H3 rocket carrying a spacecraft to explore a moon of Mars early Tuesday, beginning a five-year sample-return mission, according to the country's space agency. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft aboard H3 rocket No. 10 at 4:41 a.m. local time from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.

The opening plenary of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) was held here on Monday. The international community has made some progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, but the pace and scale of action remains insufficient to achieve its targets, Astrid Schomaker, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said at the plenary.

Multiple French cities have announced curfews which will start since Monday evening after incidents of looting and violence during weekend protests, French media reported. In Paris, a curfew will be imposed from 11 p.m. Monday (2100 GMT) to 6 a.m. Tuesday (0400 GMT) around the Place de la Republique and in streets surrounding the Les Halles area, French television channel BFM TV reported, citing local authorities.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a monetary offering to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on Monday, local media reported. Takaichi made the offering to the shrine in Tokyo, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression, for its autumn festival through senior officials of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kyodo News reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election, nine days before Israel's parliamentary elections. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was giving Netanyahu his "Complete and Total Endorsement" in the upcoming election. Trump described Netanyahu as a "Great Warrior Prime Minister" and a key U.S. partner in confronting Iran, saying that the United States might have to handle the task itself if Netanyahu were not re-elected.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday vowed legal action against those responsible for violence during protests across the country on Saturday. "Those who destroyed must pay. Those who looted must reimburse," Macron said in a televised address, pledging judicial proceedings over offenses committed during the violence.

More than 2,000 people have been arrested during violent protests across France on Saturday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Sunday.

The US and Japan are set to launch the large-scale "Keen Sword 27" military exercise on Monday amid protests in several parts of Japan, with a Chinese expert warning that the deployment of long-range missiles, coupled with an emphasis on their ability to strike targets along China's coast, constitutes a continued provocation and heightens the risk of further destabilizing the region.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 jolted 76 km northeast of Ozernovskiy, Russia at 0335 GMT on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter, with a depth of 143.2 km, was initially determined to be at 52.01 degrees north latitude and 157.25 degrees east longitude.

Four people, including three children and a teacher, were killed and two others injured in a shooting on Thursday at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, police said. The 16-year-old gunman was also fatally shot. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told a news conference Thursday that the shooting occurred at around 1 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) at Silver Rail Elementary School.

At least three children and one adult were killed Thursday in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, U.S. state of Oregon, CBS News reported, citing law enforcement sources. Bend police spokesperson Sheila Miller said at a news briefing that police received a report at about 12:59 p.m. local time of a person firing shots into a vehicle outside the school.

Attacks on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh have killed 17 people and injured more than 330 others since Oct. 1, with the airport coming under 20 attacks during the two-week period, the Saudi-led coalition said Thursday, amid continued threats posed by Yemen's Houthi group against Saudi Arabia.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on Thursday pleaded not guilty to new U.S. charges of torture. The couple was brought to a Manhattan federal court to face a rewritten indictment, which accuses them of overseeing a violent system that committed torture against victims, including U.S. citizens held in Venezuelan detention.

A team of Russian scientists has charted water-rich deposits on Mars in unprecedented detail, uncovering around 30 "water oases" after analyzing eight years of data from the FREND neutron detector aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.

The IT sector's share of Russia's GDP has more than doubled over the past six years. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Secretariat Dmitry Grigorenko. His remarks are quoted on the government's website.

The UAE space economy recorded a 27.1 percent growth in total spending, reaching AE$5.52 billion, according to the latest Space Economic Survey released by the UAE Space Agency in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre. The results of the 2025 survey, which measures 2024 activity, also highlight the role of commercial investment and a growing workforce in developing a competitive, knowledge-based economy.

Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen's Houthi group continued on Wednesday, with both sides carrying out fresh attacks and the Houthis vowing to continue targeting airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in the coming days.

Loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Wednesday morning.

European leaders on Monday questioned whether Russia would honor an "energy ceasefire" announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying a real halt to attacks on energy infrastructure could offer relief if implemented.

Letter from Mideast: Still waiting for peace near Gaza

The U.S. State Department on Sunday urged "extreme caution" at all major airports in Saudi Arabia, following attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh the day before. The U.S. Mission strongly recommends all U.S. citizens avoid the airport in the Saudi capital and surrounding areas, according to a security alert.

The Hairatan-Mazar-i-Sharif Railway, locally known as the "Hairatan railway," has emerged as an important trade center connecting landlocked Afghanistan with Central Asian countries and other overseas markets. The 75-km single-track freight railway connects Afghanistan with Uzbekistan, facilitating the movement of goods from regional markets to the country and providing access to broader trade networks extending to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, China and Europe.

At least 11 people were killed and 27 others injured on Sunday in a traffic accident involving a tour bus and a tow truck in Türkiye's western Manisa province, local authorities said. The Manisa Governor's Office said the collision occurred at 11:11 a.m. local time (0811 GMT) near the Akhisar highway entrance.

The 14th ministerial meeting of the African Committee of Ten (C-10) on UN Security Council reform opened here on Sunday, with participants discussing ways to strengthen Africa's representation in the international body. In his opening remarks, El-Taher El-Baour, acting Libyan minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, said Libya's hosting of the meeting reflected its commitment to supporting the continent's common position on international issues, according to a statement issued by the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

A serious security incident arose on Sunday when a passenger's personal electronic device, reportedly a power bank, suddenly caught fire midair on a domestic flight operated by private airline IndiGo, local media reported. The fire was doused with the help of a fire extinguisher, and the flight was diverted to the nearest airport. The power bank was said to have been kept inside a bag stored in an overhead bin.

Britain does not support U.S. President Donald Trump's deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase millions of tons of diesel from Russia, British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said on Sunday. "We don't support that decision. As the prime minister set out, we are strengthening sanctions against Russia," Streeting said in an interview broadcast by the BBC.

Fighting between Yemen's Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition showed no sign of easing on Sunday as fresh attacks hit major airports in Saudi Arabia, while the Houthi group claimed new missile and drone operations against Saudi airports and energy facilities and the coalition vowed a firm response.

Blasts were heard Sunday afternoon near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, with smoke briefly seen rising, according to a Xinhua correspondent.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Saturday's attack by Yemen's Houthi group on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Panama declared a state of emergency on Saturday to coordinate relief efforts and assist communities affected by a powerful earthquake that struck the country Friday.

An attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday afternoon has killed 12 people and injured 309 others, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said, as Yemen's Houthi group and Saudi Arabia continued exchanging strikes on major airports.

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Panama on Friday, with its epicenter 39 kilometers northwest of Tonosi, a town in Los Santos province, according to a revised report from the University of Panama's Institute of Geosciences.

U.S. universities on Wednesday saw pro-Palestinian protesters gather at campus gates for demonstrations marking three years since the war in Gaza began. Dozens of protesters gathered Wednesday at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), chanting slogans including "Stop the genocide" and "Free Palestine."

Türkiye will not deploy troops to another country's territory to launch an attack, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, stressing the defensive nature of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. Fidan said in a televised address that the pact is a defense agreement, "not an attack agreement."

The number of dwellings commenced in Australia rose 7.0 percent in the June quarter of 2026, official data showed on Wednesday. In seasonally adjusted terms, a total of 52,201 dwellings were commenced during the quarter, up 14.4 percent from the same period last year, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The Israeli military said Thursday it had killed two members of Hamas' armed wing in separate airstrikes in the Gaza Strip earlier this week, accusing them of planning attacks. The military said one of the dead, identified as Ibrahim Alam, was a Hamas commander who participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Alam was killed Monday in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, the military said.

The ministerial preparatory meeting held ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as the Pre-COP31, concluded Thursday in Nadi, Fiji, with various commitments on practical climate action. The Pre-COP31 brought together Pacific and international leaders, ministers and senior officials to discuss issues such as climate action, resilience, energy security and climate finance.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States would not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, even as a US blockade remained in place, while describing ongoing talks with Tehran as productive. "We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Thursday that global merchandise trade is expected to grow by 3.9 percent in 2026, up from its March forecast of 1.9 percent, driven by supply chain adaptation and strong investment in artificial intelligence (AI). While raising the forecast for merchandise trade growth, the WTO's latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report lowered the outlook for commercial services trade in 2026 due to the impact of the Middle East conflict.

US stocks closed lower on Wednesday as benchmark Treasury yields touched multi-year highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 341.41 points, or 0.66 percent, to 51,179.87. The S&P 500 lost 17.16 points, or 0.22 percent, to 7,801.77. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 61.20 points, or 0.22 percent, to 27,538.69.

Murat Kurum, president-designate of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, on Tuesday called on the international community to accelerate climate action and curb the rise in global temperatures. Speaking at a ministerial preparatory meeting ahead of COP31 (Pre-COP31) in Nadi, Fiji, Kurum said COP31 should mark a turning point at which climate discussions give way to concrete action, and should help establish long-term, implementable mechanisms for climate action.

Yemen's Houthi group claimed it launched a ballistic missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, media reported Thursday. There was no immediate confirmation of the attack from Saudi authorities.

In 1972, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing arrived in the US following then US president Richard Nixon's visit to China, beginning one of the most recognizable chapters in people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Over the decades, giant panda cooperation has grown beyond public fascination with the animals. China has carried out giant panda conservation and research cooperation with zoos around the world, covering breeding, disease prevention, scientific research, personnel training, and the protection of wild populations and habitats.

Buried deep beneath the Antarctic ice, thousands of light sensors wait for flashes left by neutrinos, elusive particles that can travel across the universe almost undisturbed.

Belgian scientist Francis Halzen has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2026 for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Tuesday.

Three scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel won the prize on Monday for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, the Nobel Assembly at Sweden's Karolinska Institute announced.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Monday that Spain will hold an early general election on Nov. 29.

Brazil will hold a presidential runoff on Oct. 25 as official results showed Sunday that no candidate secured a majority of valid votes in the first round.

The Pentagon is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group and additional Marine Corps ships to the Middle East, adding 9,000 to 10,000 more U.S. troops to the region, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The ships, jet fighters, Marines and sailors will arrive in the region by the end of November, the report cited U.S. officials as saying.

The actual toll of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is likely higher than the officially reported figures due to gaps in surveillance and case detection, international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned Thursday, as worsening insecurity further disrupts efforts to contain the epidemic. Since the outbreak began, more than 8,000 confirmed cases and about 4,000 deaths have been reported, MSF said in a statement, describing it as the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the DRC.

NASA and SpaceX launched a new crew rotation mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, sending four astronauts into orbit aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that a pilot aboard a Flydubai flight carrying mostly Israeli passengers stabbed the other pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane before passengers and crew subdued him. The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Brazil and the United States have agreed to form a working group to discuss US tariffs on Brazilian goods and other bilateral trade issues, Brazil's Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services said Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed on Monday that he visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a day earlier at the invitation of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, saying their talks focused on relations between the two countries. "The visit focused on bilateral ties and regional challenges," a statement from Netanyahu's office said, adding that his wife, Sara, joined him during the visit.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Monday opened its 11th annual meeting of the Board of Governors in Doha, Qatar, bringing together governors, senior officials, clients, partners and stakeholders under the theme "Tomorrow's Infrastructure: Impact and Innovation." In her opening remarks, AIIB President Zou Jiayi set out the bank's priorities for its next stage of growth, emphasizing that infrastructure remains central to development, resilience and opportunity in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic ‌announced his resignation on Sunday, ending his second and final five-year term, according to media reports. Vucic also wrote on social media previously that being president of Serbia was the greatest honor for him.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he expects talks with Iran to resume in the coming week, despite rejecting Tehran's proposal for a seven-day truce followed by the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which was put forward by Tehran at the UN General Assembly in New York, media reported on Monday.

Uganda is positioning digital innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) as drivers of tourism growth, President Yoweri Museveni said Sunday as the country marked World Tourism Day. Museveni made the remarks while presiding over a national World Tourism Day commemoration held in the eastern district of Mbale.

Jordan regards China as an important partner in its efforts to modernize the energy sector, given China's advanced expertise and broad technical and industrial capabilities in renewable energy, energy storage and smart grids, Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Al-Kharabsheh has said. Al-Kharabsheh, who accompanied Jordan's King Abdullah II during his visit to China in August, said in a recent interview with Xinhua that the visit provided an opportunity to see China's advances in technology, innovation and the energy sector, particularly in renewable energy, energy storage, smart grids and mining.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic signed and submitted his resignation on Sunday, stepping down as president. "I am now signing the text that reads as follows: 'Pursuant to Article 116, paragraph 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, I submit my resignation from the office of President of the Republic.'...Ana, this goes to the Parliament, and tomorrow you go to the handover," said Vucic.

Türkiye aims to produce 5 million unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within five years and 10 million UAVs within 10 years, Türkiye Today reported Thursday, citing the country's Chief of General Staff Selcuk Bayraktaroglu.

A ceremony was held here in the capital of Kyrgyzstan on Thursday to mark the "C909 Airplane Hospital" charity project.

Rwanda and China have launched the groundbreaking of the Giseke Irrigation Project, a major investment aimed at transforming agriculture, strengthening climate resilience and improving farmers' access to reliable water.

South Africa marked National Heritage Day on Thursday, with President Cyril Ramaphosa calling on citizens to strengthen national unity and uphold the values of ubuntu and human dignity.

Highlights of Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Barbecue festival held at Loftus Stadium of Pretoria, South Africa

The contribution of the creative industries to Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) is set to rise to 7.7 percent by 2036 (it currently stands at 4.2 percent). This is set out in the strategy for the sector's development up to 2036, approved by the Russian government, according to the Cabinet of Ministers' website.

Scientists from the Tyumen State Medical University (TyumSMU) of Russia's Ministry of Health have developed a new method for assessing potential metabolic disorder risks by analyzing daily fluctuations in wrist temperature.

A UAE-developed smart wildlife feeder is using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify animals, monitor their numbers and consumption, and automatically adjust feed quantities based on real-time data.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday urged efforts to increase financial support and strengthen cooperation in global climate action.

Mid-Autumn Festival lantern display lights up in Singapore

World leaders called for stronger international safeguards and oversight on artificial intelligence (AI) on Tuesday during the general debate of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, while also highlighting the need to balance innovation, security and cooperation. United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for stronger global coordination to manage AI risks, including work toward a multilateral AI Risk Management Framework backed by independent oversight.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Tuesday that the country possesses the technological infrastructure to make missiles with significantly longer ranges. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi made the announcement in an interview with the official news agency IRNA, stressing that a political decision needs to be made within the country regarding the production of such missiles.

UN humanitarians said Tuesday they were concerned about escalating violence, growing displacement and worsening food insecurity in Sudan. Clashes in Sudan's East and South Darfur states killed 13 people, hobbled markets and triggered further displacement, while bread prices spiked in North Darfur, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

The General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. Khalilur Rahman, president of the 81st session of the General Assembly, presided over the opening of the debate, which is themed "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all." In his opening speech, Rahman stressed the importance of rebuilding trust.

German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz on Monday called his party's state election defeat in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern a "heavy blow," while ruling out any internal leadership challenge. Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, Merz admitted that the CDU failed to provide satisfactory answers to public concerns.

Preliminary results show the ruling United Russia party won 57.83 percent of the votes in the election for the 9th State Duma, the lower house of parliament, Russian Central Election Commission Chairperson Ella Pamfilova told a press conference Monday. According to CEC data, after 95.18 percent of the ballots were counted, United Russia led with 57.83 percent of the vote, followed by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation with 13.81 percent and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia with 8.98 percent. New People and A Just Russia garnered 7.96 percent and 4.96 percent of the vote, respectively.

High above the thick bushland of South Africa's Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, a drone glided through the sky. On a handheld monitor below, footage revealed several massive rhinos resting close together among the bushes. The operator called the drone an "eye in the sky." At night, it can scan areas beyond the view of rangers on the ground, while during the day, it can help conservation teams locate rhinos for monitoring and veterinary work.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health on Monday launched a nationwide polio vaccination campaign aimed at immunizing more than 12.7 million children under the age of five against the poliovirus.

Scientists from St. Petersburg State University (SPbU) together with specialists from the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute and the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, have tested how accurately modern language models can predict a person's psychological characteristics based on a standard interview. This was reported on the SPbU website.

Researchers in Russia have developed a new method for creating flexible luminescent materials by growing perovskite quantum dots directly inside polymer fibers — protecting them from degradation and simplifying industrial production.

The world economy faces risks from stubborn inflation, higher debt service cost and artificial intelligence (AI) investment though it has proven to be more resilient than many feared, according to Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Speaking in a dialogue at a special edition of the Qatar Economic Forum in New York City on Sunday, Georgieva said, "Inflation is stubborn. We are not anticipating a quick resolution. And that means that many central banks have to tighten."

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he is forming an "AI Force" and will announce an "AI Czar" in the near future.

A senior Iranian security official said Iran has not yet decided whether to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), adding that any decision on the issue will depend on Washington's behavior.

Explosions were heard early Saturday, with local residents receiving alerts via a mobile app. The Saudi Civil Defense said on the social platform X that the national early warning platform had issued an alert warning of danger in Riyadh. It announced 10 minutes later on X that the danger had passed.