International

Just before nightfall on Wednesday, the near-deserted streets of Afghanistan's capital Kabul suddenly filled with people -- mobile phones everywhere had pinged back to life.With phones pressed to their ears or tightly gripped in their hands, Afghans poured onto the streets to check if others were also online."Congratulations, the internet is back!" a shopkeeper shouted, as drivers honked in response.Children were handed balloons, parents bought sweets and friends gathered in restaurants -- all while chatting animatedly on their phones.For 48 hours, Afghans had been offline -- cut off from mobile and internet services -- in a telecommunications shutdown imposed by authorities without warning."It felt we had gone back centuries. We were thinking of sending letters just to get updates from our families," mobile phone shop owner Mohammad Rafi said."The streets were empty -- it felt like a holiday even though it was a weekday. But now, even in evening, it's crowded again," the 33-year-old added.Sohrab Ahmadi, a 26-year-old delivery driver, had sat idle for two days, unable to reach clients through the apps he works for.Now, rows of bikes lined up to collect orders from restaurants lit by neon signs or from juice vendors playing music."It's like Eid al-Adha; it's like preparing to go for prayer," he said.Also visible on the streets was an increase in the number of women, who have faced sweeping restrictions under the Taliban government, including a ban on education beyond primary school."I can't tell you how relieved I am. I'm breathing again," said one young woman, who is studying online and asked not to be named."Online classes are the only hope left for Afghan girls."The United Nations said the shutdown in connectivity threatened economic stability and exacerbated one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.The Taliban government have yet to comment on the blackout.However, it came weeks after the government said it would begin cutting high-speed internet in some provinces to prevent "immorality".Balkh provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid said at the time the ban had been ordered by the Taliban's shadowy supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.The internet was still a relatively nascent technology during the Taliban's first rule between 1996 and 2001, when the country was too war-torn and poor to build infrastructure.But in recent decades, the economy has become increasingly dependent on internet connectivity.Even in rural areas, many Afghans use mobile phones to conduct business."The world has progressed. This is not like 30 years ago," said mobile credit seller Ghulam Rabbani, whose store was packed on Wednesday night."We were hopeful that internet would return. It was a loss for everyone -- including the government."

The French navy was Wednesday on board a tanker from Russia's "shadow fleet" stationed off France, AFP journalists at the scene said, after data showed it was off the Danish coast last month during mysterious drone flights.The Boracay, a Benin-flagged vessel blacklisted by the European Union for being part of Russia's sanction-busting "shadow fleet" of ageing oil tankers, was stationed off Denmark from September 22 to 25, according to ship tracking data analysed by AFP.Drones have been sighted across Denmark, including over military sites, since September 22, prompting brief closures at several airports and a ban on all civilian drone flights until Friday.French military personnel were Wednesday on the deck of the tanker, now stationed off the coast of western France, AFP journalists who overflew the area said.A military source, asking not to be named, told AFP the vessel had been boarded on Saturday.A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP earlier the French navy had boarded the ship.President Emmanuel Macron earlier on Wednesday said France was probing the ship for "serious offences".But he stopped short of confirming reports of a connection to the Denmark drone flights."There were some very serious offences committed by this crew, which justify the current judicial procedure," Macron told reporters at an EU leaders' summit in Copenhagen.Built in 2007 and variously known as Pushpa and Kiwala, the Boracay has been anchored off Saint-Nazaire in western France for several days.According to the specialist website The Maritime Executive, the 244-metre vessel is suspected of being involved in mystery drone flights that disrupted air traffic in Denmark in September.The publication said the tanker and other ships could have been used either as launch platforms or as decoys.But when asked about those claims, Macron said he would "remain very careful", as it was not for him to establish a link between the Boracay and the drone flights.The French operation however underscored the importance of European efforts to stop the "shadow fleet" of vessels aiding Russia to circumvent Western sanctions.The European Union has sanctioned hundreds of ageing tankers used by Russia to circumvent oil export curbs imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.Among them is the Boracay, which was blacklisted in February under the name Kiwala.The public prosecutor's office in the northwestern French city of Brest said it had opened an investigation following a report from the navy.The probe was launched over the crew's "failure to justify the nationality of the vessel" and "refusal to cooperate", Brest public prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger told AFP.The tanker left the Russian port of Primorsk outside Saint Petersburg on September 20 and was scheduled to arrive in Vadinar in northwestern India on October 20, according to data from the Marine Traffic tracking website.The French president said the "shadow fleet", estimated to include between "600 and 1,000 ships", was thought to represent "tens of billions of euros of Russia's budget" and make up "40 percent of the Russian war effort".

China has welcomed and expressed support for all efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions in the Middle East. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during a press conference, commenting on a plan proposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza, that China welcomes and supports all efforts aimed at easing tensions between Palestine and Israel. He added that China calls on all relevant parties to earnestly implement relevant UN resolutions, achieve a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip immediately, release all detainees, and alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip as soon as possible. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that his country supports the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestine" and supports the implementation of the two-state solution. He added that China is ready to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to achieve an early, comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement to the Palestinian cause.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the gravity of the situation at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, following a complete power outage about a week ago. Zelenskyy added, in a video address, that one of the emergency power generators had gone out of service seven days after the external power lines were cut off. "This is the seventh day. There has never before been such an emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant. The situation is critical. Russian shelling has cut the plant off from the electricity network," Zelenskyy said. "We have information that one of the diesel generators has stopped working," he added. The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has been under Russian control since March 2022, about a month after the outbreak of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regularly deploys a team of experts at the site. The plant has previously been targeted by strikes, causing eight power outages. The plant is in a delicate situation, raising fears of a major nuclear accident. Kyiv and Moscow are trading accusations of planning to cause an accident at the site.

Philippine authorities announced Wednesday that the death toll from the earthquake that struck Cebu province in the central Philippines yesterday evening has risen to 60, with approximately 147 injured. The number of victims is expected to rise as search operations continue in the affected area. The search is accelerating in the Philippines for survivors following the violent earthquake, which measured 6.9 on the Richter scale. Over 300 aftershocks have rocked the region, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. The Philippines is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Wednesday unveiled a remarkable image of the Tianwen-2 probe alongside Earth, captured during its deep-space journey. The newly released image, acquired by a monitoring camera mounted on the probe's robotic arm, showcases China's five-starred red flag and the white return capsule against the backdrop of a distant, blue Earth. According to CNSA, the Tianwen-2 probe is currently approximately 43 million kilometers from Earth and 45 million kilometers from the asteroid 2016HO3. The probe has successfully completed a series of in-orbit tests, including the deployment of sampling devices and self-checks of electronic devices. All systems are reported to be functioning normally, while onboard instruments have begun collecting valuable scientific data on the space environment, according to the CNSA. China launched its first asteroid sample-return mission, Tianwen-2, on May 29 — an endeavour to shed light on the formation and evolution of asteroids and the early solar system. The mission aims to achieve multiple goals over a decade-long expedition: collecting samples from near-Earth asteroid 2016HO3 and exploring the main-belt comet 311P, which is farther from Earth than Mars.

The US government shut down early Wednesday for the first time in nearly seven years, after Congress (the primary constitutional institution in the US, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives) failed to pass a funding law to ensure the continued operation of institutions. Following the vote's failure on Tuesday, Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), informed federal agencies that they "should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown." The US has previously experienced four government shutdowns that affected services for more than one business day, the most recent of which was during US President Donald Trump's first term in 2019. A federal government shutdown results in the temporary layoffs of hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Some workers, classified as essential, are required to continue working but will not receive their pay until the shutdown is resolved. In contrast, certain positions that are not funded by annual appropriations from Congress will continue to receive pay during this time. The current crisis involves $1.7 trillion in funding, amounting to one-quarter of the $7 trillion government's budget, with the largest remainder to health and retirement programmes and interest payments on the growing $37.5 trillion debt.

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, stressed that educating children in Gaza must be part of any agreement to end the war in the Strip. Lazzarini said on X platform, "The education of children must be part of any agreement to end the war in Gaza. The proposed plan must offer some hope to more than 660,000 children out of school for the third year." "Bringing them back to learning should be a collective priority to promote lasting peace and stability," he added. "With its unique workforce, UNRWA has the expertise, the infrastructure and the know-how to support a phased return to formal education of children in the war-torn enclave once a ceasefire is in place." Lazzarini explained that before the war, UNRWA provided education in its schools to more than 300,000 children. He called on member states to support UNRWA in safeguarding its mandate and work so that it can continue to make a tangible difference in the lives and futures of Palestinian children. "Without education, children risk falling prey into the cycle of exploitation or extremism," he added. Lazzarini concluded his statement by reaffirming the need for a "ceasefire now." The US President announced a plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip through a comprehensive agreement that guarantees the uninterrupted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid to the Strip, the prevention of the displacement of Palestinians, the release of hostages, the establishment of a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all parties, a full Israeli withdrawal, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the establishment of a just peace process based on the two-state solution, under which Gaza will be fully united with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law, as this is the key to achieving regional stability and security.

South Korea on Tuesday reaffirmed its "consistent" goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. "Denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula is the consistent goal of the international community, including South Korea and the United States," South Korea's foreign ministry said. The ministry stressed that the UN has also been calling for North Korea to denuclearize through a series of Security Council resolutions, according to (Yonhap) news agency. Addressing a general debate of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong reiterated North Korea's position that it will never give up its nuclear program "under any circumstances." He said imposing denuclearization is "tantamount to demanding (North Korea) surrender sovereignty and its right to existence." The ministry said Seoul will continue its diplomatic efforts to achieve peaceful coexistence and mutual growth through comprehensive dialogue under close coordination with the US.

Indonesia's National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB) announced that search and rescue efforts are continuing in Sidoarjo, East Java, to find 38 people believed to be still trapped under the rubble of the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School, which collapsed earlier today.The BNPB explained that rescue teams have been continuing their efforts since the morning hours, using heavy equipment and police dogs, despite difficult conditions that hinder access to the victims.Head of BNPB's Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, confirmed that 38 people were still missing, and 102 others have been evacuated from the area. Of these, 91 managed to escape on their own, while 11 were rescued by joint search and rescue personnel.Muhari confirmed that one of the 11 rescued victims was found dead, while 77 injured people were transferred to nearby hospitals.He stressed that multi-story buildings, especially those used for educational purposes and inhabited by many people, must be subject to strict construction supervision.Preliminary findings indicate that the building's foundation was unable to support the weight of ongoing construction work on the fourth floor, causing the entire building to collapse.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed on Tuesday US President Donald Trump's peace proposal, which aims to end the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza. "I welcome US President Donald Trump's commitment to end the war in Gaza and encourage all parties to now seize this opportunity. The EU stands ready to contribute," she said on X platform. "Hostilities should end with provision of immediate humanitarian relief to the population in Gaza and with all hostages released immediately," she added. The US President has announced a plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip through a comprehensive agreement that guarantees the unimpeded delivery of adequate humanitarian aid to the Strip, prevents the displacement of Palestinians, releases hostages, establishes a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all parties, in addition to a full Israeli withdrawal, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the establishment of a path to a just peace based on the two-state solution. This would see Gaza fully reunited with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law, as a key to achieving regional stability and security.

Four members of the same family, including two children, were killed in a Russian drone strike on a residential building in Sumy Oblast, eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian news agency (Ukrinform) reported Tuesday that the attack occurred overnight in the village of Chernechchyna, located in the town of Krasnopillia. Reports issued by both countries regarding the progress of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, which has been ongoing since Feb. 24, 2022, conflict with regard to field data.

OpenAI is preparing to launch a standalone social app that resembles the TikTok experience, coinciding with the launch of its video generation AI model, Sora 2. According to a report published by Wired magazine, the app will feature a vertical video feed and swipe-to-scroll navigation. However, it will be limited to AI-generated content only, with no option to upload clips from a user's phone, and videos within the app are limited to 10 seconds or less, while the model's limit outside the platform remains unclear, Wired said. The report added that the app will integrate an identity verification feature that allows users to confirm their likeness created by the model, enabling others to tag users and use their likeness when they go to remix one of their videos, with the user receiving a notification immediately whenever their likeness is used by someone else, even if it is not posted. Regarding intellectual property owners, the app will not include copyrighted material, the report said. In this context, the Wall Street Journal said that OpenAI will require property owners to explicitly ask OpenAI not to include their copyright material in Sora 2 content. By incorporating a social aspect into the Sora model, OpenAI may seek to create its own community, making users less likely to migrate to competing platforms. Experts expect the app to be an early test of OpenAI's strategy of combining generative models with everyday user experiences, potentially opening the door to new forms of interaction between AI and social content. OpenAI recently launched ChatGPT Pulse for Pro subscribers, a tool that generates quick daily updates in the form of visual cards based on the user's personal data, including chat history and connected apps like Google Calendar and Gmail. These cards include personalized suggestions such as exercise plans, meal ideas, language lessons, and more.

The Italian government welcomed the proposal announced by US President Donald Trump to end the war in the Gaza Strip, affirming its support for all efforts aimed at ending the war. A statement from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers said that this proposal could be "a turning point, allowing for a permanent cessation of the hostilities, full and safe humanitarian access for the civilian population to be achieved." The Italian government expressed its readiness to play its role in close coordination with the United States, European partners, and regional actors, adding that ending hostilities is also crucial to addressing the dire humanitarian crisis affecting civilians in the Gaza Strip, a tragedy that is unjustifiable and completely unacceptable. According to the statement, the Italian government urged all parties to seize this opportunity and accept the proposal, stressing that a just and lasting peace in the Middle East is possible, with two states living side by side in peace and security.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom (FCDO) has called on the Israeli occupation authorities to halt settlement construction in the West Bank, including the E1 expansion plan. "Israeli annexation of the West Bank cannot be allowed to happen. We also repeat our calls on Israel to halt the expansion of illegal settlements, including the E1 plans, and act decisively against extremist settler violence," FCDO said in a statement. The statement stressed that the two-state solution remains the only viable path to peace.

At Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, the “Robot Experience” is showcasing Hanamoflor—a robot designed to deliver kindness. Already active at Hana House, a nursing home, and at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), Hanamoflor has been tested in environments with both elderly residents and young children, according to its creators.The trials focused on emotional response and trust-building through everyday interactions. The results have been striking: elderly participants began to sing and smile more, while children formed such strong bonds with the robot that some cried when it was time to say goodbye.The “Robot Experience” highlights how robots are being woven into everyday life—supporting people with navigation, cleaning, guidance, security, and a range of other essential services.

Typhoon Bualoi causes severe damage in Vietnam, kills 13 people13 people remain missing, 46 others injuredStorm weakens to depression as it moves into LaosTyphoon Bualoi tore through Vietnam's coast on Monday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 46, the government said, while accompanying strong winds and rains damaged homes, snapped power links and flooded roads.Bualoi weakened into a depression heading for Laos after having made landfall early on Monday, and had whipped up waves as much as 8 m high as it moved along the northern central coast, the national weather agency said.**media[362626]**Among the missing are fishermen whose boats were washed away off the province of Quang Tri, while another fishing boat lost contact, the government's disaster management agency said."I stayed awake the whole night, fearing the door would be pulled off by strong winds," said Ho Van Quynh of Nghe An province.His neighbours said they spent the night trying to protect their homes after their apartment building lost power.**media[362624]**"I've witnessed many storms, and this is one of the strongest," said 45-year-old Nguyen Tuan Vinh.The government evacuated more than 28,500 people before the typhoon hit, while hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled by the closure of four airports in central provinces.Strong winds killed nine people and injured seven in the province of Ninh Binh, the Vietnam News Agency said.**media[362627]**One person died in floodwaters in Hue city, and a falling tree killed another in Thanh Hoa province, the disaster management agency said.Bualoi has damaged more than 44,000 homes, inundated nearly 6,000 hectares of rice and other crops, and cut access to several areas, the government said.It mentioned no major damage to industrial properties, though large factories in or near the typhoon's path included some owned by Foxconn, Formosa Plastics, Luxshare and Vinfast.**media[362628]**Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered the defence and public security ministries to urgently send troops and policemen to help tackle the storm's aftermath.The cyclone has triggered heavy rains across most of Vietnam since Saturday, prompting authorities to warn of a high risk of severe floods and landslides.Water rose to alarming levels in rivers and reservoirs in the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa, the government said, with tens of thousands of families also hit by power blackouts.**media[362625]**Rainfall of 500 mm was forecast in several areas over the period from Sunday night through Tuesday, weather authorities said.With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to typhoons that often form east of the Philippines, where Bualoi killed at least 10 people last week.

A joint scientific study conducted by researchers at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, in collaboration with Imperial College London, the University of Otago, Starship Children's Hospital, and the University of Auckland, has revealed a new treatment for childhood asthma. The study, conducted using a dual anti-inflammatory inhaler that combines two medications, significantly reduces asthma attacks in children compared to the current standard medication, without any additional side effects. 360 children from across New Zealand were randomly assigned to use either the dual inhaler or salbutamol when needed to relieve asthma symptoms. The study lasted for a full year, and found that the dual inhaler did not cause any differences in children's growth, lung function, or asthma control compared to the standard medication, confirming its safety. Results also showed that the inhaler combining an inhaled corticosteroid (budesonide) and a rapid-acting bronchodilator (formoterol) reduced asthma attacks by 45% compared to salbutamol, currently used as a first-line treatment. Furthermore, the attack rate in children who used the combined device was 0.23 attacks per year per participant, compared to 0.41 attacks in the salbutamol group. This means that for every 100 children with mild asthma, the number of asthma attacks could be reduced by 18 per year. Dr Lee Hatter, lead author of the study, said that this study is an important step in bridging the knowledge gap between asthma treatment methods in adults and children. It has been demonstrated, for the first time, that the combined device significantly reduces asthma attacks in children with mild asthma, which could improve asthma treatment outcomes globally. The study's findings conclude that asthma is a serious chronic disease in children that can be life-threatening. Therefore, reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks is a vital medical goal. This study provides strong evidence for updating pediatric asthma treatment guidelines globally, in line with adult guidelines. This could benefit millions of children worldwide with mild and moderate asthma.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called for a firm and prudent response to Russia's repeated violations of NATO airspace over Poland and Estonia. In a statement before leaving Berlin for Poland, Wadephul affirmed Germany's support for Poland, saying that they stand united, maintain calm, and will not allow themselves to be drawn into escalation, leaving no room for doubt about their determination and readiness to jointly confront any threat. He stressed that Moscow's repeated breaches were not accidental mistakes, but rather deliberate attacks, describing them as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's hybrid aggression. Such provocations are extremely dangerous, and their sole purpose is to test determination, Wadephul added. Warsaw announced that numerous Russian drones had violated Polish airspace, meaning NATO airspace, during a Russian air attack on Ukraine about two weeks ago, adding that the Polish air force and other NATO allies shot down some of these drones for the first time.

Russian scientists have developed smart pharmaceutical formulations capable of changing their physical structure from liquid to gel or solid within the body, depending on environmental conditions, such as temperature or pH. Sechenov Medical University of Russia said in a statement that these pharmaceutical innovations aim to increase treatment effectiveness and facilitate the use of medications in targeted areas such as the eyes, teeth, or nasal mucosa. Among the most notable of these innovations are eye drops containing lidocaine for local anesthetic during eye surgery. These drops transform from a liquid to a gel on the surface of the eye, prolonging the anesthetic effect and improving its effectiveness. The innovations also include a product for patients with atopic dermatitis. This product is applied to the skin like oil and transforms into an emulsion when rinsed off, forming a protective layer that helps restore lost protective functions of the skin. In the field of dentistry, scientists have developed polymer matrices for preparing dental implants. These matrices harden in the socket and release therapeutic substances, accelerating the healing process and reducing the risk of complications. Scientists confirmed that these results represent a promising step toward enhancing the efficacy of topical medications and reducing side effects. They also confirmed their current work on developing medications to deliver vaccines through the nasal mucosa. The expertise and achievements of Sechenov University have attracted international attention. This year, scientists from China, Serbia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan visited its laboratories to learn about its achievements and potential applications during training and summer courses, with plans to develop joint projects in the future.