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.

The UN Security Council on Friday held its third straw poll on the candidates for the next UN secretary-general. The candidates will be informed of the results through the respective permanent representatives of their nominating member states, Jerome Bonnafont, the UN ambassador of France, told reporters after the conclusion of the secret vote. France holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of September.

US President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States has reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland giving the United States "permanent control" over security and other needs in Greenland.

This summer was the third-warmest recorded in Slovakia since 1931, the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) said on Friday. According to SHMU, June was the fourth-warmest on record for that month, while August was the second-warmest.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has made Australians poorer and is driving upside risks to inflation, the head of the nation's central bank said on Friday. Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock told a parliamentary hearing in Canberra that upside risks to inflation appear to be materializing, with a spike in oil prices due to the conflict in the Middle East expected to add directly to inflation.

At least 16 people were killed and over 50 others injured in a twin suicide attack inside a residential compound of police in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, police and rescue officials said. The incident happened in Kohat district, where one of the bombers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a mosque adjacent to the gate of the compound before detonating it, Inspector General of Police of the province Zulfiqar Hameed told the media. Another bomber blew himself up near a building housing offices of the special branch of police, he added.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday that China's development has not only created opportunities and improved the well-being for the Chinese people, but also played an important role in driving economic growth and development in the region and the world. He made the remarks at a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Thailand at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

U.S. approves sale of 48 F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia A U.S. statement said the proposed sale, with an estimated value of 24.3 bln USD, "will improve Saudi Arabia's capability to deter current and future threats," but "will not alter the military balance in the region." Israel is reportedly the only country in the Middle East to currently operate these jets.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is approaching a critical juncture in the Iran war over whether to resume massive attacks to bring the conflict to a close, U.S. online news outlet Axios reported.

Japan, which continues to ramp up its military buildup, is reportedly considering introducing around 52,000 unmanned assets for long-range strikes and intelligence gathering over the five-year period beginning in fiscal 2027. Going further down the path of militarism, Chinese analysts questioned whether Tokyo can secure funding for such a massive defense outlay, while warning that expanded defense spending could ultimately leave the Japanese public bearing the consequences.

Days after Washington made its most direct acknowledgment yet that it had deployed weapons in orbit, a senior US military official claimed that American forces must prepare to fight around the Moon, indicating an accelerating shift toward space warfare. Chinese experts noted that these actions reflected Washington's attempt to seek unilateral space hegemony and risked fueling an arms race, strategic miscalculations and a widening deficit in global space governance, ultimately undermining humanity's shared interest in the peaceful and secure use of outer space.

India and Pakistan traded blame on Wednesday for a collision at sea between two vessels operated by their navies, summoning each other's top diplomats to lodge “strong” protests. A Chinese expert said that the maritime collision is likely to further strain already tense relations between the two countries, though it is unlikely to escalate into a major confrontation.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reshuffled her cabinet on Thursday, retaining many key ministers while bringing in a newcomer from the Japan Innovation Party, the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Ministers of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet submitted letters of resignation en masse at an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Thursday, ahead of a planned cabinet reshuffle. The new cabinet lineup is scheduled to be announced later in the day.

The death toll from the collapse of a residential building in western Gaza City rose to 21, including 11 children and six women, with more than 25 injured, local officials and residents said Wednesday. The six-story Al-Saada building, previously damaged by Israeli bombardment, collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday near the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), according to civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for de-escalation in the Middle East and Ukraine. He made the appeal at a press conference ahead of this year's high-level week of the UN General Assembly.

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its target federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.75 percent to 4 percent to address persistent inflation, marking its first interest rate hike since July 2023.

A helicopter crashed between two commercial buildings in suburban Los Angeles on Tuesday night, killing at least three people, local authorities said. Four people were assessed, with three pronounced dead at the scene, while another was taken to a local hospital in unknown condition, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) warned Tuesday that failure to modernize the global trading system could leave global GDP as much as 10 percent lower than under a strengthened multilateral system, as trade policy faces its most serious and sustained disruption in decades. The warning came in the WTO's annual flagship publication, World Trade Report 2026: A Critical Juncture for the World Trading System, which examines the achievements of the multilateral trading system over the past 80 years and the challenges it now faces.

The 4th Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) opened in Riyadh on Tuesday, where delegates discussed aligning AI development with safety and responsibility requirements. Co-hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Saudi Arabia, the forum runs until Thursday, bringing together government officials, representatives of technology firms as well as experts and researchers.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note rose to 5.04 percent in early trading on Tuesday, the highest level since July 2007, signaling higher borrowing costs across the broader US economy.

US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink's disclosure that the Space Force has operational “space control weapons” in orbit marks Washington's most direct acknowledgment yet of deployed orbital weaponry, underscoring its drive to maintain military dominance in space amid growing speculation about its declining military strength. Having long cited the so-called anti-space threats posed by China and Russia to justify its militarization of space, Washington's open deployment exposes its pursuit of space hegemony and its deliberate push to fuel a global space arms race, said a Chinese analyst on military affairs.

Three people were killed and 15 others wounded during a shooting incident before midnight Sunday at a polling center in Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Norte province in southern Philippines.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday she hoped Denmark and the United States could find a way forward through peaceful cooperation on issues concerning the Arctic and Greenland.

The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that a super oil tanker seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz via the "forbidden" route south of the waterway exploded and caught fire after hitting naval mines. In a statement on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said efforts to contain the fire on the tanker, identified as "EL GAIA," were futile, and the entire vessel was engulfed in flames.

A ground vehicle collided with a parked passenger plane at Fukuoka Airport in southwestern Japan on Monday, with no injuries reported so far, local media said.

Genta Koja, the candidate backed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), won Sunday's gubernatorial election in the prefecture of Okinawa, Japanese media reported. The election result may boost Tokyo's efforts to expand defense deployments in Okinawa and further erode Japan's traditional exclusively defense-oriented posture, Chinese experts said. This could also deepen local divisions over US military presence there, while Japan's accelerating military buildup across the southwestern islands warrants vigilance from neighboring countries.

Staff at South Ural State University (SUSU) have proposed switching to the construction of multi-storey buildings using prefabricated modular units, which are created using the "lowered concrete" method directly on site. Scientists at the SUSU's Institute of Architecture and Construction have developed and patented a technology involving mobile robotic workshops, which will help reduce the cost of new builds. This was reported on the website of the university.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Syria soon as Damascus and Ankara move to deepen political and economic cooperation, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Sunday.

A Wall Street Journal report on Saturday alleged that Iran acquired high-resolution satellite images from Chinese entities before an attack that killed three US soldiers in Jordan. A Chinese military expert called the attempt to link Chinese entities to the attack flimsy, saying US officials are seeking excuses for setbacks in the conflict with Iran.

US President Donald Trump's comments on Saturday that he would "love" to see British-run Northern Ireland unify with Ireland prompted some criticism from the UK government and Northern Ireland's unionist leaders, media reported. A Chinese analyst observed that UK US relations have grown increasingly delicate, and Washington's rhetoric may function as a way to pressure London.

A passenger ship carrying 243 people that was earlier reported missing in the Java Sea has been found, with around 110 people rescued and one confirmed dead, local media reported Sunday.

An Indonesian passenger vessel carrying about 240 people has lost contact in the Java Sea, the country's search and rescue authorities said Sunday.

Iran and Oman have agreed on the details of new entry and exit routes for the Strait of Hormuz and will brief Gulf countries on the outcome of their consultations at a regional meeting in Muscat on Monday, Iranian officials said on Saturday.

South Korea's former President Yoon Suk-yeol was acquitted of abusing his presidential power to harbor a criminal suspect, according to the Yonhap news agency on Friday.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health provided specialized healthcare services to more than 99,000 cancer patients over the past year, government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced on Wednesday. Addressing reporters while outlining the ministry's achievements over the past year, Mujahid said a 200-bed hospital dedicated to cancer diagnosis and treatment has become operational in the capital, Kabul. Dedicated oncology units have also been established at regional hospitals in Balkh, Herat, Nangarhar and Kandahar provinces.

The prospects for industry-academia-research collaboration between Indonesia and China are vast and hold immense potential for development, said Indonesian Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Stella Christie on Thursday. Cooperation in higher education, scientific research, and talent development constitutes a vital component of the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and China, Stella told Xinhua on the sidelines of the Indonesia-China Education-Industry Collaboration Summit 2026.

Andrew Shearer, Australia's newly appointed ambassador to Japan, on Wednesday backed Japan's military buildup, including plans to test hypersonic missiles in Australia, and accused China of "economic coercion." A Chinese expert said the former intelligence chief's remarks reflected a Cold War mentality that casts China as a common enemy to justify Tokyo's military buildup.

At least five were killed, and 87 remain missing after a vessel caught fire on Wednesday off the waters of a tourist hotspot in Palawan Province of the Philippines, said the local coast guard on Thursday.

The first International Space Summit opened Wednesday in Paris, bringing together heads of state and government, scientists, astronauts and industry representatives. Initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron and co-organized by France and Germany, the two-day summit is expected to attract around 2,000 participants. Discussions will focus on science and space exploration, including exploration of Mars, ocean observation and space research; the global space economy, including access to space, connectivity, industrialization and European competitiveness; and space security and governance.

"The All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants assessed the antitumor potential of the natural compound casuarictin, which is contained in sea buckthorn leaves," the Russian Ministry of Education and Science tells Sputnik.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday inaugurated the second edition of the El Alamein International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport on Egypt's Mediterranean coast. During the opening, Sisi and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides toured exhibition pavilions and the open-air exhibition area before watching aerial performances by the Egyptian Air Force and foreign teams, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

Up to 1,300 flights were canceled to and from airports in Britain on Tuesday, and 177 flights have been canceled so far on Wednesday, nearly all at London's Heathrow Airport, according to air traffic tracker Flightradar24. Flights were disrupted by a technical fault at air traffic control provider NATS, according to multiple media reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered Canadian products removed from U.S. government contract lists in response to Canada's counter-tariffs. "I am hereby directing the GSA (General Services Administration), working with the USTR (United States Trade Representative), to take all necessary steps to REMOVE Canadian-origin products from GSA's Multiple Award Schedules unless Canada restores full and fair reciprocity for American Farmers and Companies," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) welcomes South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Sept. 8, 2026.

The Housing and Urban Development Forum 2026 opened here on Tuesday alongside the sixth edition of the Baiti Building Exhibition, bringing together government officials, investors, developers and companies from Kuwait's housing, real estate and construction sectors. Kuwait's Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Abdul Latif Hamed Hamad Al-Mishari attended the opening.

Two Palestinians were killed Tuesday by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip, according to sources.

Two Iranian oil tankers were attacked by the United States off the country's southern coast Tuesday night, while the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) ordered crews off tankers at Kuwaiti and Bahraini piers, Iranian media reported.

A series of intense explosions was heard in Kiev early Tuesday, as Russia resumed strikes on the Ukrainian capital after a three-day pause, according to Ukrainian air force.

Türkiye will continue to develop its relations with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. "The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, of which we are a dialogue partner, is one of the regional organizations with which our relations have intensified in recent years," Erdogan said, according to a press statement issued by the Turkish Presidency after a cabinet meeting.

A fire tore through a market in Indonesia's Central Papua province early Monday, killing 11 people, including six children, local police said. Henry Manurung, a spokesperson for the Central Papua provincial police, said the fire broke out shortly after midnight local time and quickly spread to nearby shophouses, destroying about 40 buildings.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that talks with U.S. envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were "very substantive." The two sides discussed resuming negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, security and economic guarantees for Ukraine, and a winter support package, Zelensky told reporters at a briefing following the talks.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei has said that his country would announce a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days and place any ship attempting to transit the area on Tehran's sanctions list. In an interview with state-run IRIB TV, which was broadcast Sunday night, Rezaei said that the zone would extend from "the line where the U.S. naval blockade begins to the Strait of Hormuz region and inside the Persian Gulf on the other side (of the strait)."

Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of "highly useful" talks on Saturday with two US envoys seeking a deal to end the Ukraine war, Reuters reported, citing a Kremlin aide who, however, gave no indication ‌of any breakthrough. Some Chinese experts said on Sunday that the main objectives of the US envoys' visits to Moscow and Kiev remain to mitigate the risk of the conflict spilling over.

The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday it had targeted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and three U.S.-affiliated vessels elsewhere in retaliation for the U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers earlier in the day.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on member states to deepen reform under the UN80 Initiative in the upcoming General Assembly session. "As we head into the 81st session, I urge member states not merely to maintain the momentum of UN80, but to deepen it," Guterres said in a briefing to the General Assembly on UN80, a system-wide reform effort that he launched in March 2025 as the world body marked its 80th anniversary.

China and other peace-loving countries will resolutely curb Japan's neo-militarism growth under the guise of "national normalization," Chinese FM spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Thursday in response to media inquiry over Japan's Defense Ministry releasing its 2026 Defense White Paper, which calls for further pursuing strike capabilities, and its record-high 8.89-trillion-yen request for the FY2027 defense budget.