Moody's Ratings on Friday slashed U.S. long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings to Aa1 from Aaa citing rising government debt and interest payment ratios.

The Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul agreed on Friday to exchange 1,000 war prisoners each, diplomatic sources told Xinhua.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric posted a video on the social platform X on Thursday, expressing pride in Chile and its people. “In China, we witnessed the tremendous respect that exists for our country,” he said.

Death toll of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on N. Gaza on Friday surpasses 100: civil defense

Delegations of Russia, Ukraine meet in Istanbul -- media

Chinese investments have become an "indispensable engine" of Hungary's economic growth, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Thursday.

India and Japan have recently notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of potential retaliatory measures in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum.

China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, on Thursday called for urgent steps to realize a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian question, stressing that only through the implementation of the two-State solution can the Nakba be consigned to history.

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine were scheduled to sit down on Thursday in Istanbul for their first high-level face-to-face talks since 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin was not on the Russian delegation list published by the Kremlin, and US president Donald Trump, who previously said he may also join the summit in Istanbul, also did not turn up.

The Bryansk Forest Reserve has launched a project aimed at reviving the population of the speckled ground squirrel, which is listed in the Red Book of Russia.

China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sun Lei, on Wednesday called on all parties to ease tensions in the Red Sea, resume political dialogue in Yemen, and scale up humanitarian assistance to address the country's worsening crisis.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha on Wednesday in Türkiye's city of Antalya before the upcoming Russia-Ukraine peace talks scheduled in Istanbul.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday approved the composition of the Russian delegation for upcoming talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, Türkiye, according to a Kremlin statement.

Russia and Ukraine are poised to sit down possibly on Thursday in Turkey's Istanbul for their first high-level face-to-face talks since 2022, according to the Washington Post.

India pushed back against US President's offer to mediate India-Pakistan conflict and his claim that he used trade to prevent a "nuclear war" between India and Pakistan, the Hindustan Times reported Wednesday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday highlighted the role of UN peace operations and called for more support from member states.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday secured a 600-billion-U.S. dollar investment commitment from Saudi Arabia in Riyadh and vowed to lift sanctions on Syria.

Former Uruguayan President Jose "Pepe" Mujica died Tuesday at the age of 89 in Montevideo, President Yamandu Orsi confirmed.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, starting his four-day Middle East trip that will also see him visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as the first official state visit of his second presidency.

The United Nations and the European Union have welcomed the latest trade agreement reached between China and the US, to slash steep tariffs.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, reiterating Türkiye's commitment to facilitating peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, according to a statement by Erdogan's office.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 jolted 20 km NE of 28 de Noviembre, Argentina at 0048 GMT on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has again won the mayorship of Davao City in this year's mid-term elections, according to preliminary results released on Monday evening.

US stocks rallied sharply on Monday after the United States and China announced a temporary rollback of reciprocal tariffs, providing much-needed relief to investors concerned about the escalating trade war's economic fallout.

In response to a media inquiry regarding whether Pakistan had downed Rafale jets and the number of assets lost during a press conference on Sunday, Indian General Air Operations Air Marshal AK Bharti refrained from disclosing specific operational details, such as numbers, platforms used, or exact targets, citing ongoing security concerns, however, the officer tried to assure that strategic goals had been achieved, India Today News Desk reported.

The ceasefire between India and Pakistan appears to be holding on Sunday despite mutual accusations of violations, as media reported signs including airspace reopening in Pakistan and the resumption of businesses in border areas, while both sides reiterated their commitment to the truce.

In a late night address on Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the ceasefire and thanked countries like China, the US and Saudi Arabia for backing peace efforts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed on Sunday the resumption of direct negotiations with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday welcomed the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.

A joint US-Israeli initiative to distribute humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip has triggered strong backlash from Gazans, who say the plan undermines their dignity and sidelines established international relief channels.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed holding direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, hours after Kiev and European leaders called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to start Monday, according to The Moscow Times.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect.

​According to Xinhua News Agency, Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement in the early hours of Saturday, claiming that a cyberattack launched during a military operation against India had paralyzed 70 percent of India's power grid.. In response, the Indian Embassy in China stated on its official Sina Weibo account on Saturday morning that "this information is false."

The Pakistani army's actions constituted provocation, and accordingly, India acted in a measured fashion, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said during a special briefing on Saturday, and the Foreign Secretary added that India does not want any escalation, provided Pakistan reciprocates, Indian media outlet NDTV reported.

Pakistan's Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has hoped that India will not de-escalate to move to dialogue and diplomacy, Pakistani media outlet Geo News reported.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) early Saturday to discuss possible responses involving the country's missile and nuclear capabilities, amid escalating tensions with India, state television reported.

Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stated that Pakistan's armed forces were on high alert and fully prepared in light of recent regional tensions, according to Pakistani media outlet Geo News.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the country's highest decision-making authority on nuclear and missile policy issues, the military said in a statement, according to CNN.

Pakistan on Saturday launched an offensive operation against India amid continuous provocation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan army, said in a statement.

India launched missile and drone strikes in multiple areas of Pakistan, including three airbases of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), and also resorted to unprovoked firing along the international border in eastern Punjab province, Pakistani officials and sources confirmed in the wee hours of Saturday.

Pakistan has launched a major military campaign code-named Operation Bunyanun Marsoos, which means concrete structure, in response to continued Indian provocations, official sources said early Saturday, according to Xinhua.

Pakistan launches operation against India amid continuous provocation: military sources

India launched air-to-surface missiles at three air bases in Pakistan, but all strategic assets of the Pakistan Air Force remained safe in the attack, a spokesperson for the Pakistani army said in the wee hours of Saturday.

Robert Francis Prevost, the cardinal of the United States, was elected the new pope on the second day of secret ballots in the cardinals' conclave held in Vatican City. The name he chose as the new pope was Leo XIV.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced at the White House that the United States and Britain had reached a new trade agreement, which includes partially rolling back tariffs in certain sectors and further expanding market access for each other's products.

Several areas in the Indian-controlled Kashmir, including Jammu and Uri, situated along the international border with Pakistan, came under heavy attack by artillery fire from Pakistan, said TV media reports late on Thursday.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation targeting a list of US imports worth 95 billion euros (107.2 billion US dollars), warning the measures could take effect if ongoing negotiations with the United States fail to produce a deal, according to a EU statement released on Thursday. (1 euro = 1.13 US dollars)

As Russia prepares to celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II on May 9, young Russians interviewed by the Global Times that the hard-won triumph against fascism must never be forgotten and history must not be distorted. They called on youth in both China and Russia to jointly defend historical truth.

Four people were injured when a blast occurred early Thursday morning at a military compound in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, official sources confirmed to Xinhua.

Thirty-one people were killed and 57 others injured in an Indian attack on Pakistani territory and subsequent exchange of fire between Pakistani and Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir, a spokesperson for the Pakistani army's media wing said on Wednesday.

Explosion heard in Pakistan's Lahore - media

Harvard University's distinguished service professor, emeritus and former dean of the Kennedy School of Government (HKS) Joseph S. Nye Sr. died at 88 on Tuesday.

Iran, Egypt, Algeria, and Türkiye on Wednesday urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint to de-escalate their simmering tensions.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that his country is fully capable of defending its geographical boundaries as well as responding to any kind of Indian aggression.

United Nations Secretary-General and multiple countries have voiced deep concern and called for restraint after deadly clashes erupted between India and Pakistan on Wednesday, marking the most serious escalation in over two decades between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

At least nine civilians were killed and over 40 others wounded Wednesday in clashes between Indian and Pakistani troops across the Line of Control in Kashmir, officials said.

"Earlier this morning...India exercised its right to respond and pre-empt as well as deter more such cross-border attacks. These actions were measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible. They focused on dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and disabling terrorists likely to be sent across to India," Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday, when addressing a media briefing, Hindustan Times reported.

Speaking at a press briefing in Islamabad, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said, "Pakistan does not seek war. Our forces are prepared, but we are equally prepared to exercise restraint — conditional on India ceasing its current military campaign. If India stops, so will we," according to CNBC TV18.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for military restraint from India and Pakistan.

At least three Indian jets crashed Wednesday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, a local newspaper The Hindu said quoting government sources.

At least eight people were killed, 35 others injured, and 2 were missing on Wednesday after India fired missiles at six different locations in Pakistan, said the Pakistani military, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.

26 killed, 46 injured as India attacks 6 civilian settlements in Pakistan: official

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday issued a strong condemnation of India's latest military attacks, calling them “blatant aggression” that has “brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict.”

At least three civilians were killed and several others injured Wednesday in skirmishes between the troops of India and Pakistan on the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said.

China finds India's military operation early this morning regrettable. We are concerned about the ongoing situation. India and Pakistan are and will always be each other's neighbors. They're both China's neighbors as well. China opposes all forms of terrorism. We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation. 

Amid escalating tensions, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will hold large-scale military drills on Wednesday in the western state of Rajasthan, along the international border with Pakistan, local media reports said Tuesday.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday he had wide-ranging and constructive discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House, although the two leaders disagreed on tariffs lifting and the "51st state," according to the live broadcast of CBC News.

Oman has brokered a ceasefire between Yemen's Houthi group and the United States, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has shot down another Indian jet in response to Indian missile strikes at six locations in Pakistan that killed at least eight people and injured 35 others, sources from the Pakistani military said on Wednesday.

The Indian government on Wednesday confirmed carrying out air strikes on nine identified "terrorist-training camps" located in the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

8 killed, 35 injured, 2 missing after India strikes 6 locations in Pakistan -- military

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has shot down another Indian fighter jet in response to overnight airstrikes carried out by India at multiple locations in Pakistan, sources from the Pakistani military said on Wednesday.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian fighter jets in response to the overnight airstrikes carried out by India at five locations in Pakistan, state broadcaster PTV News reported early Wednesday, citing security sources.

Friedrich Merz succeeded Tuesday in his bid to become the next German chancellor during a second vote in parliament, hours after he suffered a historic defeat in the first round, according to the Associated Press.

Friedrich Merz from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was elected German chancellor on Tuesday afternoon's second-round Bundestag voting. In the first round, Merz failed to secure a required majority in the parliament.

Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) together with Russian colleagues have made a breakthrough in the treatment of glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. They have developed an innovative technology for delivering drugs directly to the tumour through the olfactory system. This is reported by the official website of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Intensive airstrikes hit Yemen's capital Sanaa on Tuesday afternoon, local residents witnessed, as Houthi-run al-Masirah TV blamed Israel for the airstrikes.

The Israeli military on Tuesday warned it is preparing to launch an airstrike on Yemen's Sanaa International Airport, urging civilians in the area to evacuate immediately.

Friedrich Merz, the Christian Democratic Union's candidate for German chancellor, failed to secure the required majority in Tuesday's Bundestag vote, falling six votes short of the 316 needed to be elected chancellor.

The inaugural Governance of Emerging Technologies Summit (GETS 2025) was launched yesterday in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

An awkward situation arose during the US-Philippines Balikatan joint exercise. A decommissioned vessel meant to be struck by missiles during a joint live-fire event of the Philippine Armed Forces and the US military sank out of its own volition shortly before modern weaponry had a chance to send it to its watery grave, according to Defense News.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Iran will not seek to militarize its nuclear program.

Shares in US media and entertainment companies fell on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he plans to impose a 100 percent tariff on films produced overseas.

US President Donald Trump has taken new tariff move. He announced on Sunday on his Truth Social platform that he has authorized the Commerce Department and US Trade Representative to begin the process of instituting a 100 percent tariff on films that are produced in foreign lands and imported into America.

Reliable and stable Russia-China relations strengthen stability in the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a documentary aired Sunday on Rossiya-1 TV channel.

Yemen's Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a missile attack near Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel in the morning.

PM Albanese's Labor Party wins Australian election: local media

Han Duck-soo, South Korea's former prime minister, on Friday announced his presidential run after stepping down on the previous day.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated his national security advisor Mike Waltz as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2, the highest-grossing animated film of all time, premiered Wednesday evening in St. Julian's, eastern Malta.

South Korea's acting president and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced his resignation on Thursday in a televised address to the nation, amid wide expectations for his presidential run.

S. Korea's Democratic Party leader's election law violation case sent back for retrial

The US economy just had its worst quarter since 2022 as current US administration's significant policy changes unnerved consumers and businesses, the CNN reported.

The US Senate on Tuesday (local time) confirmed David Perdue as the new US Ambassador to China with a vote of 67 in favor and 29 against, CCTV news reported on Wednesday.

During U.S. President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office, California has on average challenged the administration in court more than twice a week, reported The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday.

Scientists from Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in cooperation with foreign colleagues have discovered how coronal holes - giant magnetic windows in the solar corona - eject streams of solar wind at supersonic speeds, shaping its movement throughout the heliosphere. This is reported by the press service of Skoltech, a partner of TV BRICS.

Scientists from Saratov State Medical University have developed a mini-laboratory for non-invasive blood analysis.

Power started returning to parts of the Iberian Peninsula late Monday after a massive outage brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, according to Reuters. Euronews quoted Teresa Ribera, European Commission executive vice president for clean energy promotion, as calling the blackout "one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times."

A recent poll showed that as U.S. President Donald Trump approaches the 100-day mark of his second term, his approval rating has fallen to the lowest level for any U.S. president at this point in office over the past 80 years.

Mark Carney's Liberal Party wins Canada election