BEIJING / RankWire.AI / – China introduced new countermeasures against the United States on Wednesday, tightening controls on drone-related exports and restricting business with seven American entities. The measures took effect on August 5. China’s Ministry of Commerce said exporters must obtain approval for controlled drones, major components and related technologies bound for the United States. The order does not halt every Chinese drone shipment. It places covered products under stricter case-by-case review within China’s existing dual-use export system. Exporters can no longer use simplified licensing procedures for covered shipments to the American market. Chinese authorities will examine each product,…
Author: menewscast.com
NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA / RankWire.AI / – Moderna has launched an early-stage trial of a vaccine for Bundibugyo ebolavirus as an outbreak grows in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A volunteer received the first dose of the mRNA-1469 vaccine on August 3 in Truro, Nova Scotia. The study marks the vaccine’s first use in humans. The World Health Organization has declared the Congolese outbreak an international public health emergency. The Phase 1 study will enroll about 80 healthy adults at three locations in Canada. Researchers will examine the vaccine’s safety, tolerability and ability to trigger an immune response. The…
SINGAPORE / RankWire.AI / – Oil prices fell further on Wednesday after a steep two-day selloff pushed Brent and U.S. crude to three-week lows. Brent crude futures dropped 92 cents, or 1.2%, to $78.44 a barrel by 3:30 a.m. GMT. West Texas Intermediate crude lost $1.07, or 1.4%, to trade at $74.70. Brent had declined more than 12% during the week, while WTI had fallen over 11%. The renewed losses followed Tuesday’s sharp retreat across global energy markets. Brent settled 5.3% lower at $79.36 a barrel, marking its first close below $80 since July 13. WTI ended the session down…
PARIS / RankWire.AI / – Annual inflation across OECD economies slowed to 4.2% in June 2026 from 4.6% in May. The decline ended three consecutive months of rising headline inflation. Consumer price growth eased in 20 member countries and increased in six. Inflation remained stable or broadly stable in 12 economies. Nine OECD countries reported rates of 2% or less, including three where inflation stayed below 1%. Lower energy inflation produced the largest change in the overall figure. Annual energy inflation fell four percentage points to 11.7%, compared with 15.8% in May. Energy price growth declined in 24 of the…
GUATEMALA / RankWire.AI / – Guatemala raised the alert to its highest level in three departments as Fuego volcano produced ash, lava and dangerous pyroclastic flows. Authorities placed Chimaltenango, Sacatepéquez and Escuintla under red alert. A nationwide orange alert also remained in force during the emergency. Officials said ashfall affected about 29,000 people across 18 communities, while emergency crews continued evacuations near exposed ravines and settlements. The eruption intensified Monday as columns of gas and ash rose above the crater. Pyroclastic flows moved down five ravines on the volcano’s western and southwestern slopes. Some flows traveled between five and seven…
MICHIGAN / RankWire.AI / – Michigan has confirmed two deaths connected to its 2026 cyclosporiasis outbreak, the first fatalities identified by the state. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 11,234 cases as of Aug. 3. It also recorded 193 hospitalizations through July 30. Medical records showed both people had serious underlying conditions that cyclosporiasis and dehydration may have affected. Officials said they would not release further details about the two individuals. Both people became ill before the voluntary iceberg lettuce recall announced on July 17. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged the Michigan deaths on…
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON / RankWire.AI / – Three wildfires around Spokane have destroyed at least 700 structures, while officials placed about 67,000 people under evacuation orders. The Old Trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview fires have burned more than 8,000 acres since Saturday. Officials reported no deaths or major injuries as of Monday night. More than 1,000 firefighters continued attacking flames and protecting Spokane County neighborhoods. Fire managers ranked the cluster among the nation’s highest-priority wildfire responses. Strong winds and dry vegetation drove the eastern Washington wildfires from open land into residential areas on Spokane’s northern edge. The Old Trails Fire crossed…
NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Oil prices jumped on July 29 as Brent crude settled above $90 a barrel. Renewed Middle East conflict and a steep drop in U.S. inventories drove the advance. Brent gained $6.65, or 7.9%, to close at $90.74 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate rose $5.20, or 6.6%, to $84.46. Both benchmarks recorded their largest daily gains in several weeks. Crude prices had already climbed more than 20% during July. Fresh military activity across the region added pressure to global energy markets. U.S. and Saudi forces carried out strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq. Officials connected…
WASHINGTON, D.C. / RankWire.AI / – President Donald Trump said the United States would cancel a planned attack on Iran if negotiators completed an agreement quickly. Trump said the deal must reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran’s nuclear activities. He also said Israel supported the diplomatic effort. The White House had not announced a signed agreement by Monday. Detailed terms and a formal timeline also remained unavailable. Iran did not endorse Trump’s account that Tehran had asked Washington to halt the planned strike. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said negotiations with Oman on navigation routes had reached their…
WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria set a new July temperature record on July 31 as extreme heat spread across eastern regions. A weather station in Wieselburg, Lower Austria, measured 40.3 degrees Celsius. That reading surpassed the previous July high of 39.7 degrees, recorded in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria confirmed the monthly record. The temperature remained below the national all-time high of 40.5 degrees, set in August 2013. The latest record followed an exceptionally hot June across much of Austria. Of 277 monitored weather stations, 157 registered new June maximum temperatures. Another 66 stations recorded their…