Thailand is currently seeking a seat at the China-led BRICS, and its plan has just received approval from Indonesia, a newcomer in the group.

Going to the ocean in the morning with drizzle feels like a unique and different experience. By the time we left the Chinatown area in the old quarter of Hanoi, the drizzle had turned into a steady rain.

Renewable energy plays a key role in the journey to net zero carbon emissions, helping to reduce the demand for fossil fuels by providing cleaner sources of energy.

But as the world derives an increasing amount of its electricity from these renewable energy sources, there’s a growing need for technologies that can capture and store it.

Taninthayi Region will expand its coffee plantations by 1,000 acres in the 2025-2026 financial year, as the crop is recognized as one of the region’s potential commercial crops, according to the Taninthayi Region Agriculture Department.
With suitable water sources, land conditions and climate, Taninthayi Region is not only home to perennial crops such as rubber, oil palm and coconut but also favourable for cultivating Robusta coffee. Due to these advantages, the department is implementing plans to expand coffee cultivation across the region this year.

A village in the middle part of Myanmar has become famous for its children who preserve the traditional San-yit-wine hairstyle (a style of hairdo with a top knot and a circular fringe). Children in this village, both boys and girls, traditionally keep this hairstyle.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says "a decision has been made to create a buffer security zone" along his country's border.

He spoke at an ad hoc videoconference of government officials Thursday.

Putin said the Russian military is working to set up the buffer zone while "effectively suppressing enemy firing points." But he made no mention of exactly where the zone will be established.

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed Ukraine over the phone on Monday. Both leaders said their conversation went well, but no major progress was made on negotiations to reach peace.

GAZA is at “critical risk of famine”, with 22 per cent of the population facing an imminent humanitarian “catastrophe” after more than two months of an aid blockade by Israel, a food security monitor warned Monday.
Gaza’s entire population of around 2.4 million people is at risk of a food crisis “or worse” by September, the UN- and NGO-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in a report.

KEY POINTS

• The research highlights the urgent need for global action to reduce UPF intake through regulatory and fiscal policies that promote healthier dietary environments.

• Lead investigator Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Nilson emphasizes that UPFs, which are largely devoid of whole foods and rich in harmful additives, pose a serious health risk linked to various diseases and should be prioritized in public nutrition strategies.

NATURAL disasters, such as earthquakes, strike without warning, leaving behind devastation, loss, and trauma. Homes are destroyed, families are displaced, and lives are changed forever. In such difficult times, it becomes our moral responsibility to stand together in compassion, unity, and action.
Supporting earthquake-affected communities is not just an act of kindness, it is a duty of humanity.