WORLD

Johannesberg, South Africa | THE INDEPENDENT | Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of injectable lenacapavir (LEN) for the prevention of HIV as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). LEN, developed by Gilead Sciences, is a twice-yearly injectable PrEP option that showed nearly complete protection against HIV in the landmark PURPOSE 1 and 2 …

SACRAMENTO, the United States | Xinhua | SpaceX’s Starship 36 rocket exploded during a routine ground test, marking the latest in a string of failures that have plagued the company’s ambitious space program throughout 2025. “On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT (0400 Thursday GMT), the Starship preparing …

WASHINGTON, the United States | TASS | US President Donald Trump said he has not yet made a final decision on whether to join the strikes on Iran. “I have ideas as to what to do. I like to make a final decision one second before it’s due,” Trump told …

ASTANA | Xinhua |  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on China and Central Asian countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and forge ahead toward the goal of building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future under the guidance of the China-Central Asia Spirit. Xi made …

This photo taken from Jingshan Hill on Aug. 12, 2024 shows the skyscrapers of the central business district on a sunny day in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin) BEIJING | Xinhua |  Beijing’s spring sandstorms in Xi Jinping’s childhood weren’t just natural phenomena to him; they were a persistent …

DOHA, Qatar | TASS | Iran is considering striking US Navy ships if Washington directly participates in the conflict alongside Israel, a senior Iranian official told Qatar’s Al Jazeera. “Any direct US intervention in the conflict will result in an unprecedented threat to enemy ships,” the official told the TV channel. …

VIENNA,  | Xinhua | The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said on Monday it would keep its forecasts for global oil demand growth unchanged at 2.9 percent for 2025 and 3.1 percent for 2026. In its latest monthly oil market report, OPEC projected a year-on-year increase of 1.3 …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Bank has slashed its 2025 global growth forecast, citing trade tensions and policy uncertainty. The report released during the week said global gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 2.3 down from the 2.7 percent. Focusing to countries like Uganda or Low Income …

CALGARY, Canada | Xinhua | The Group of Seven (G7) summit wrapped up in Canada on Tuesday with no joint communique but some stark frictions. Several statements, or the leaders’ commitments, were issued after the summit, which included driving secure, responsible and trustworthy AI adoption across public and private sectors, …

TEHRAN | Xinhua | Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the country remains steadfast amid its conflict with Israel and will not surrender to anyone amid pressure, according to the Tasnim news agency. In a televised address, Khamenei praised the “steadfast, courageous, and timely” response of the …