live Hormuz shipping slows as Iran's Araghchi sets conditions for resumption
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near standstill over the weekend, with five commodity vessels transiting Saturday and none on Sun...
Astana turned into a regional cultural hub as Silk Way Star held its grand finale, bringing months of competition to a close and gathering artists from across Asia on one stage. Mongolia’s Michelle Joseph won the first season, marking the end of a project that drew viewers from around the world.
The evening opened with a message from Kazakhstan’s President Kassym Jomart Tokayev, delivered by State Counselor Erlan Karin. The statement highlighted the project’s mission to strengthen cultural dialogue across Asia and celebrate diverse musical traditions.
The finalists arrived from Malaysia, Georgia, China, Armenia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Each performed in their native language, combining vocal skill with original staging, detailed lighting design and costumes crafted by Kazakh artists specifically for the project. Backstage, choreographers, stylists and technical teams worked continuously to keep the production precise.
The finale was broadcast live on Jibek Joly TV, with additional national broadcasts in Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. Across the season, the combined audience for all episodes surpassed one billion viewers.
One moment stood out during the jury scoring. Azerbaijani jury member Samira Efendi awarded twelve points to Armenian contestant Saro Gevorgyan, prompting a brief exchange of thanks on stage. It was a simple artistic gesture, met with applause from the audience, and reflected the spirit of the evening rather than overshadowing it.
As the show reached its peak, People’s Artist of Kazakhstan Dimash Qudaibergen announced the winner. The award was presented by representatives of the Television and Radio Complex of the President of Kazakhstan and China Media Group, the project’s production partners.
Silk Way Star concluded its debut season as a platform where cultures, vocal styles and personal stories converged, bringing Asia’s musical diversity to a global audience.
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, among the deadliest since a June ceasefire. Meanwhile, Qatar denied holding Iranian pilots. It said it had found the remains of one pilot after an airspace violation and had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near standstill over the weekend, with five commodity vessels transiting Saturday and none on Sunday. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington must meet Tehran's conditions for shipping to resume.
A wildfire in Croatia driven by strong winds descended on the tourist town of Omis overnight, engulfing houses, forcing about 1,000 people to evacuate to safety and injuring dozens, fire brigade and health officials said on Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, who said the sea passage "cannot be seized by tweet."
Residents of villages in eastern Indonesia hit by a deadly earthquake that killed at least 54 people were awaiting aid on Monday as rescuers prepared to comb through collapsed buildings in search of people trapped beneath the rubble.
Iran says it will use all diplomatic and legal channels to determine the fate of three Air Force pilots it believes are being held in Qatar after their fighter jets were downed during the March war.
Kazakhstan has launched a unified digital platform to track coal supplies in real time, giving officials a clearer view of production, shipments, stocks and prices ahead of the heating season.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to end the war in Gaza returned to the diplomatic arena on Sunday (16 August), as his envoys met Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo while Israeli strikes continued across the strip.
At least 11 people, including three children and two women, were killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to Lebanese authorities, in one of the deadliest escalations since a U.S.-mediated framework was agreed between Lebanon and Israel.
As the countries of the Turkic world seek deeper economic integration, the Turkic Investment Fund (TIF) is positioning itself as a key financial vehicle for turning political cooperation into tangible development projects.
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