International News

DUBAI, August 5 ------ Iran wants control over inbound shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and visibility over outbound traffic, with the ability to intervene, if necessary, under a temporary plan being discussed with Oman to reopen the strategic waterway, a senior Iranian source told Reuters The source, who is involved in the talks, said this is "the general idea currently being discussed," and specified that the outbound lane would follow a route between Iran and Oman,

TOKYO, August 5 ------ Japan needs to adapt to the new methods of warfare like drones and artificial intelligence used in Ukraine and the Middle East and strengthen its defense industry, the government said. Japan has bolstered its military capability and spending in recent years and has started deploying long-range cruise missiles as a deterrence to China's military activity. The 598-page defense paper adopted by the Cabinet on Tuesday reiterated that China is Japan’s bigg

August 5 ------ Ukraine’s economy expanded 0.6% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, according to a flash estimate published by the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, coming in below the National Bank of Ukraine’s (NBU) own calculation of 0.8% growth for the same period. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, real GDP rose 0.4% from the first quarter of 2026. If one compares these results to the second quarter of 2025, real GDP rose by 0.6%, according t

August 5 ------ Ukrainian soldiers who volunteered to fight out of the country's prison system will be given rights equal to any other service members, according to a new law signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The law guarantees new rights, including 15 days of annual leave, access to proper medical care after injury, and the ability to transfer between units after one year of service or earlier for health reasons. The law also grants female service members the right t

NEW YORK/LONDON, August 4 ------ Oil prices dropped, and major stock indexes gained on signs that U.S.-Iran tensions were easing again, while the yen strengthened after the U.S. and Japan confirmed joint intervention to support the currency and investors watched for signs of further intervention. U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend held off on a fresh attack on Iran. Trump said on Monday that talks with Iran were under way, warning that it was a "last chance" for Teh

WASHINGTON, August 4 ------ US President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran were ongoing despite Tehran's denials and the Islamic Republic was facing a "last chance before decapitation." Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said he agreed to continue to pursue talks with Iran at the request of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other countries. Iran's foreign ministry denied on Monday that negotiations with Washington were taking place, b

August 4 ------ Washington is unlikely to reach an agreement with Ukraine on the joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles before this winter, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in a Fox News interview. "A long-term production agreement will not be concluded before this winter. So we will continue working on it," Whitaker said. Whitaker said PAC-3 Patriot interceptors remain subject to strict U.S. export controls. "We do not allow anybody but U.S. manufactur

August 4 ------ President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Olha Stefanishyna from her post as Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., according to a decree published on the presidential website. The move comes amid a major government reshuffle and a broader rotation of Ukraine's ambassadors. Speculation that Stefanishyna could leave her post has persisted since the government's surprise reshuffle began in mid-July. According to her, she decided to resign for "personal reasons." "Repres