WORLD

TEHRAN | Xinhua | Although the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the world’s oil supply, has been declared fully open for commercial vessels, its operational status remains contested. Both Washington and Tehran confirmed on Friday that the strait had been completely open for all commercial vessels. However, U.S. …

  COMMENT | CHIARA CORDELLI  | We live in a world of senseless suffering and impending catastrophe, where it would seem the idea of moral progress has become unintelligible. Two epochal crises afflict contemporary society: the rise of anti-democratic forces and climate change. But what if today’s tragedies turn out to …

  PARIS | Xinhua) |  French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that Iran’s announcement of reopening Strait of Hormuz goes in right direction. Macron made the remarks in a joint declaration following a conference co-hosted by France and Britain in Paris, which brought together 49 countries to discuss securing freedom …

HAIKOU | Xinhua |  The No. 4 exhibition hall at the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) has transformed into a bustling “global village,” vividly illustrating the enduring appeal of the Chinese market. Running from April 13 to 18 in Haikou, capital of China’s island province of Hainan, the …

BEIJING | Xinhua | In late March, the relatively unknown Chinese motorcycle maker ZXMOTO clinched back-to-back titles in the World Supersport category at the Portuguese round of the Superbike World Championship, breaking a decades-long monopoly held by established global brands. Hailed by international media as a testament to China’s manufacturing …

WASHINGTON | Xinhua |  U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House “over the next week or two.” “I think we’re going to have a meeting,” Trump told reporters at the White House, noting the …

CAIRO, EGYPT | Xinhua | No vessel breached the U.S. blockade on Iran in the first 24 hours, the U.S. Central Command said on Tuesday, while ship-tracking data showed that several vessels continued to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on the same day. That raises three questions: What is …

WASHINGTON | Xinhua | U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday morning that the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is “very close to being over.” In an interview with Fox Business, Trump also indicated U.S. strikes would continue as long as necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, repeating threats …

I watched Artemis II lift off — and witnessed the first humans venture to the Moon since 1972   COMMENT | GORDON OSINSKI | Even from a distance of several kilometres, the Artemis II rocket looked huge. Then, there was a moment that felt like an eternity, as around 2,600 metric …

COMMENT | FEDERICO FUBINI | Although one might be hard-pressed to find similarities between the wars in Ukraine and Iran, Donald Trump’s April Fools’ Day speech from the White House has brought the parallel into sharper focus. To be sure, Ukraine is a democracy (however imperfect) aspiring to European integration, …