The Russia-Myanmar Business Forum, jointly organized by the Myanmar Embassy to the Russian Federation, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry-UMFCCI and Myanmar Airways International (MAI), Roscongress Foundation, Fund RC-Investments, Russia-ASEAN Business Council and Russia-Myanmar Business Council, took place at the Business Hall of Radisson Collection Hotel in Moscow yesterday morning.

The Chinese government has announced that its defense spending plan for this year is 7.2 percent larger than last year's.

The defense budget plan, unveiled at the opening session of the National People's Congress that began on Wednesday, is worth about 1.78 trillion yuan, or about 245 billion dollars.

The year-on-year growth rate for the plan was set at the same level as last year and 2023. It reflects Beijing's determination to continue its military buildup amid an economic slowdown.

Russia and Myanmar closely cooperate in the energy area and they are addressing expansion of this partnership, through projects in the sector of renewable energy among other things, Russian President Vladimir Putin said following talks with Prime Minister of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Monday called for the Israeli army to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and allow the State of Palestine to assume its duties.

North Korea has slammed the United States for "political and military provocations" over the visit of a US Navy aircraft carrier to the South Korean port of Busan.

The statement by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea's ruler Kim Jong Un, was published on Tuesday (Mar 4) by the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The Pyu era, spanning from the 2nd century BCE to the 9th century CE, was a golden age in Myanmar’s history, marked by the rise and prosperity of the Pyu city-states. These early civilizations, flourishing in present-day central Myanmar, were not only pioneers of urban culture but also masterful creators of art, particularly in sculpture. The artistic legacy of the Pyu offers a fascinating glimpse into their religious devotion, societal structure, and aesthetic sensibilities.

US President Donald Trump said his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, plans to travel to Washington later this week to sign a minerals deal.

Zelenskyy is reportedly planning to meet Trump in the White House on Friday after officials agreed on the terms of the draft deal. The US aims to jointly develop Ukraine's mineral resources.

Ukraine has previously stated that it seeks security guarantees from the US as part of the deal.

After lengthy negotiations, Ukraine has agreed on the terms of a minerals deal with the US, the Financial Times newspaper, Reuters, and AFP news agency reported, citing unnamed officials. 

The Trump administration had been pushing Kyiv towards an agreement on the deal, which has been a source of tension between Kyiv and Washington as Trump pursues bilateral talks with Russia on ending the war. 

IN the marbled halls of a luxury hotel, leading experts are discussing a new approach to an age-old problem: how to make it rain in the UAE, the wealthy Gulf state that lies in one of the world’s biggest deserts.
Decades of work and millions of dollars have been ploughed into easing endless drought in the oil-rich UAE, whose mainly expatriate population is soaring undeterred by a dry, hostile climate and hairdryer summer heat.
Despite the United Arab Emirates’ best efforts, rainfall remains rare.

February 25, 2025 

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin offered the U.S. the opportunity for joint exploration of the country's rare earth metals deposits, as well as the supply of aluminum to the U.S. domestic market, outlining a future economic deal between the two countries.