Phnom Penh, Aug 12 (IANS) Cambodia attracted fixed-asset investment of 6.7 billion US dollars in the first seven months of 2025, a year-on-year rise of 84 per cent, said a Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) report released on Tuesday. The Southeast Asian country approved 440 investment projects during the January-July period this year, up 88 per cent from 234 projects over the same period last year, generating about 312,000 jobs, the CDC said.Main projects included an auto garage equi…

Moscow, Aug 12 (IANS) Moscow hopes that the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump could help normalise bilateral relations, local media reported Tuesday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Ryabkov said that the Alaska summit could also help advance the resolution of specific issues, including the resumption of direct passenger flights between the two countries, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the Russian daily Izvestia.”We…

Sydney, Aug 12 (IANS) Climate change-driven heat extremes have wiped out 25-38 per cent of tropical bird populations since 1950, according to a study involving Australian scientists. The study found that while shifts in average temperature and rainfall have some influence, the biggest climate threat to birds, particularly in tropical regions, comes from exposure to extreme heat, according to an analysis released Tuesday on the University of Queensland website.Australian and European researchers …

Sao Paulo, Aug 12 (IANS) Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, who the United States sanctioned for putting former President Jair Bolsonaro on trial, praised Brazil’s constitution on Monday for guaranteeing a strong and independent judiciary by repelling external and internal pressures. “Since 1988, the Constitution has granted independence and autonomy to the judiciary — financial, administrative and operational autonomy — and its members full independence to judge in acco…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) India has expanded the list of imports from Bangladesh that are banned from entry through any land port on the border by including more jute products amid deteriorating relations with the neighbouring country. These additional goods, which have been banned with immediate effect, include bleached and unbleached woven fabrics made of jute or other textile bast fibres; twine, cordage, and rope made of jute; twine, cordage, rope, and cables; as well as sacks and bags made of…

New York, Aug 12 (IANS) At a high-level UN Security Council debate on maritime security held in New York, India strongly reaffirmed its commitment to a free, open and rules-based maritime order, grounded in international law and guided by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The debate, chaired by the Permanent Mission of Panama, brought together global stakeholders to address pressing challenges in maritime governance and security.Addressing the sessio…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on Tuesday hit back at Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi for accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in Palestine and advised her not to buy claims by Hamas.This comes after Priyanka strongly criticised the Central government for remaining silent on Israel’s “genocide” in Palestine, asserting that such inaction amounts to complicity.Reacting to this, the Israeli envoy posted on X, “What is shameful is your deceit. Israel killed 25,000 H…

Quetta, Aug 12 (IANS) After the US designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its front organisation, The Majeed Brigade (TMB), as foreign terrorist organisations (FTO), a leading human rights activist slammed the decision, stating the Baloch are not the terrorists but a victim of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.Baloch human rights defender Mir Yar Baloch stated that Balochistan has endured 78 long years of state-sponsored terrorism, economic plunder, radioactive poisoning from Pakistan’s…

New York, Aug 12 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has extended the tariff moratorium for China that was to expire on Tuesday to November 10 as the two countries continue to negotiate. Trump said on Truth Social on Monday, hours before it was to expire, “I have just signed an Executive Order that will extend the Tariff Suspension on China for another 90 days”.The US will continue to maintain the tariff rate of 30 per cent, and China will keep it at 10 per cent during this period.Earlier, Trum…

Prague, Aug 12 (IANS) The Czech Republic has reported its highest number of hepatitis-A cases in the past 15 years, according to the National Institute of Public Health (SZU).From January to the end of July this year, 1,053 cases were recorded, compared with only 168 in the same period last year. The number eventually rose to 636 cases for the whole of 2024.This year, the highest numbers of cases have been reported in Prague (370), the Central Bohemian Region (181), and the Moravian-Silesian Reg…