Sri Lanka flies monks over drought-hit areas to seek divine help

Bessent says US, China had successful meeting with focus on trade, AI

NEW YORK — U.S. and Chinese officials focused on trade issues and AI during successful talks in New York on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng ended, Bessent said the two sides agreed to meet again. He gave no further details. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the meeting would lay the groundwork for a successful summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Iran says it has new targets, weapons ready if US launches new attack, Fars news says

DUBAI— Iran would use new weapons and target locations not previously attacked if the United States launched a new offensive against it, Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said on Monday, according to the Fars news agency. "If a new aggression occurs, we will certainly change the weaponry and the geography of the war," Mohebbi said, adding that Tehran was prepared for a prolonged conflict.

Why Japan's average height stopped growing while Korea, China surged

Japan's average height has barely changed since the 1990s, falling behind Korea and China. Researchers and media reports point to a possible combination of factors, including nutrition, maternal nutritional status and a lack of sleep. In a report by Japanese financial daily The Nikkei on Saturday, it cited data published in the medical journal The Lancet in 2020 by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) that the average height of 5- to 19-year-olds in China and Korea increased at the world's fastest pace over the past 35 years, but Japan's remained stagnant. According to the data, the estimated average height of 19-year-old Japanese males in 2019 was 172.1 centimeters and 158.5 centimeters for females. This leaves Japanese 19-year-olds about 3 to 5 centimeters shorter than their Korean and Chinese counterparts, where Korean males averaged 175.5 centimeters and females 163.2 centimeters, while Chinese males averaged 175.7 centimeters and females 163.5 centimeters. Thirty-five years ago, the reverse was true. According to NCD-RisC estimates, Japan led the three countries in 1985 wit

China confirms Xi to visit US this week for Trump talks

BEIJING — China's leader Xi Jinping will visit the United States this week for talks with President Donald Trump, Beijing confirmed on Monday. Xi will be there from Wednesday to Friday, a government statement said. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the two leaders would "have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning China-U.S. relations and world peace and development." Beijing would "work with the U.S. to enrich the substance of the relationship of constructive strategic stability between China and the U.S., strengthen dialogue and cooperation, (and) properly manage differences," he added. Washington had already made clear that the leaders of the world's two biggest economies were due to meet this week, in what is expected to be a bid to ease tensions over trade, technology and broader strategic issues. Trump will personally welcome Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday before their meetings the following day, a U.S. official confirmed. The U.S. leader was welcomed by China's vice president when he landed in Beijing for his state visit in May. "I'll be discussin

Trump decries Democrats as 'communists,' even as he looks to impress China's communist leader

WASHINGTON — Communism, President Donald Trump says, is the greatest threat the U.S. has ever faced. This summer, citing similarly grave concerns, he took the rare step of delivering a primetime address to the nation , accusing China of “sinister election meddling” in 2020 and reviving his yearslong push to dispute his loss in that year's election. Even as Trump seeks to decry Democrats as communists ahead of November's midterm elections, he is rolling out the red carpet this week for Chinese President Xi Jinping , the leader of the world’s most powerful communist country. The state visit comes as the president himself has increasingly directed his administration to take large stakes in private companies to try to stimulate the economy — something even some Republicans decry as corporate socialism. The contradictions between Trump's words and actions risk muddying Republican attack lines on Democrats. “I do think that we’re not offering a clear contrast," said Marc Short, who was chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence and worked in Trump's White House in his firs

US Prepared To Strike Houthis As Saudi Asked For Help. Then, Trump Pulled The Plug

The battle is over how far the US is prepared to go to protect a major Gulf ally without turning another regional conflict into a direct American war

Mystery as Prime Video scraps hit show after just one season

Prime Video chose not to renew ‘Ride or Die’ starring Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer, despite positive reviews and a strong debut performance

Canada faces questions over treatment of Iranian conscripts as U.K, Australia take different approach

Hundreds of Iranian permanent residency applicants received letters in August, informing them they may be inadmissible to Canada due to mandatory military service they served in Iran as young men.

Europe’s worst disease-carrying bug prefers to hunt at night, study reveals

The sheep tick is the main carrier of Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can lead to a range of serious health problems

Guterres enters final UN General Assembly with legacy shaped by a more divided world

It will be Antonio Guterres’ final General Assembly as UN chief before his decade-long tenure ends in December.

‘World Will Be Astonished’: IRGC Says Iran Has New Weapons Ready For Next US Attack

Iran said it would deploy new weapons and target new American facilities in the region if the United States resumes military action.

UK weather forecast: Where temperatures could soar to 24C this week