ADB cuts Pakistan's FY2027 growth forecast as energy costs rise
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered Pakistan's economic growth forecast for FY2027 to 3.7%, down from its April 2026 projection of 4.5%....
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Qatar in Doha have concluded, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi has said.
An explosive-laden drone has hit a camp belonging to an Iranian Kurdish opposition group in Iraq's Kurdistan region, causing a fire.
Iraqi security sources said the incident happened in the Koysanjaq district, east of Erbil. There was no immediate information on casualties or who was responsible for the attack.
Iran's Parliament Speaker and negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, says the International Atomic Energy Agency will not be allowed to visit nuclear sites damaged in recent bombing.
Speaking to Iran’s ISNA news agency, Ghalibaf said the IAEA had only been granted access to two sites in Iran, including the Bushehr power plant.
Positive progress was made on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran in Doha on Wednesday, Qatar's Foreign Ministry has said.
The MOU signed in June brought an end to months of conflict between Tehran and Washington.
Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan held seperate meetings with officials from the U.S. and Iran during the talks on Wednesday.
A Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the next indirect meeting would be "scheduled at the earliest possible time," following the conclusion of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's funeral ceremonies.
Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes at the end of February, which triggered the conflict.
A U.S. service member is missing and three others have been injured, after their MH-60S Seahawk helicopter made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea, the U.S., military has said.
It added that there was no indication the crash was caused by hostile action and that the injured service members are in a stable condition.
"U.S. Navy assets in the region are currently searching for other aircrewman still missing. The cause of incident is under investigation," the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said in a statement, adding that the helicopter was deployed to the region on the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has said that it was decided during discussions in the Qatari capital Doha today that part of the $6 billion in frozen funds would be used to purchase goods based on Iran's needs.
Gharibabadi added that the Iranian delegation's talks were now concluded.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister has said a communication channel will be established to report and discuss breaches of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding signed in June, which ended conflict between the two countries.
An Iranian official has said that direct cargo shipping routes from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Iran have resumed.
“Cargo shipping routes from the UAE to Iran have resumed directly, and goods transport operations are now being carried out directly,” Ali Emami, Director-General of Logistics and Support at Iran's Trade Development Organisation, said in remarks carried by the government sponsored Mehr News Agency.
Donald Trump won't send America's military back to Iran without a "clearly defined purpose," U.S. Vice-President JD Vance has said.
Iran may increase purchases of essential goods from the U.S. if American companies offer suitable proposals, the country’s Agriculture Minister has said.
“The purchase of essential goods from American companies will only take place if Iran’s conditions are met,” Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh said in statements carried by the government backed ISNA News Agency.
“If companies offer suitable proposals and favorable terms for us and Iranian traders, naturally, the volume of transactions could increase,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said talks with Iran in Qatar had gone well and described progress on the country's denuclearisation as positive.
“The denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well,” Trump told reporters, adding that the two sides had held “very good meetings”.
He also said the United States was “getting along very well” with Iran and that Tehran had “come a long way.”
A vessel reported being approached by several small craft carrying armed individuals about 76 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Balhaf port, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
In a separate incident, a small craft approached a tanker operating 85 nautical miles off Balhaf. UKMTO said the crews in both cases were safe, and the tanker continued its voyage.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said talks in Doha have focused on implementing the interim agreement between Tehran and Washington.
According to state media, he also met Qatar's prime minister and joined trilateral talks with officials from Qatar and Pakistan to review progress on the deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would respond "immediately and powerfully" to any threat against its people or leadership, after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was "marked for death".
The comments came as U.S. and Iranian officials held technical talks in Doha on the Strait of Hormuz and efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said a ceasefire in the Middle East must be secured before any discussions on rebuilding the region can begin, stressing that "first of all the fighting must stop".
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it has received a report of an incident 76 nautical miles south of Balhaf, Yemen, where a vessel was approached by several small craft carrying armed individuals.
The crew has been reported safe.
Iranian state media says a foreign container ship has run aground in the Strait of Hormuz after entering shallow waters outside the designated shipping channel.
The Revolutionary Guards reiterated that vessels should use only the approved route south of Larak Island when transiting the strategically important waterway.
Malaysia could spend as much as 40 billion ringgit ($9.77 billion) on fuel subsidies this year if global energy prices remain high, more than double its original budget.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said subsidy costs surged after the outbreak of the Iran war, but pledged continued support to help shield households from rising living costs.
The advantage Asian airlines gained on Europe routes during the Iran conflict is beginning to fade as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad restore flights and lower fares.
While carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air and ANA continue to benefit from strong long-haul bookings, industry data shows passenger load factors are gradually returning to normal as travellers regain confidence in flying via Gulf hubs.
South Korea says the HMM-operated cargo vessel Namu is expected to leave the Strait of Hormuz in mid-July after repairs to damage sustained in a May attack.
Two vessels, including Namu, remain stranded in the waterway, while 21 South Korean-operated ships have transited safely since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire two weeks ago.
Iran has said it will not hold direct talks with U.S. as Tehran insists both sides must first finalise the terms of the deal before moving on to more contentious issues, including its nuclear programme.
While U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Doha for high-level discussions and have met with Qatar's prime minister.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
At least 12 people have been killed in forest fires in Almeria in southern Spain, Andalucía’s emergency agency has said, as firefighters continue efforts to put out the blaze.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
This is the last of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Temperatures above 40°C are scorching parts of Central Asia, prompting the World Health Organization to warn that extreme heat is becoming an increasing public health threat across the region.
This is the third of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered Pakistan's economic growth forecast for FY2027 to 3.7%, down from its April 2026 projection of 4.5%.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday that his recent talks with U.S. President Donald Trump would likely produce a “positive outcome” for Türkiye’s defence sector.
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