Cambodia, Thailand sign agreement to cement ceasefire

Cambodia and Thailand on Thursday signed an agreement on ceasefire arrangements, representatives of the two countries said after an extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) meeting held in the Malaysian capital.

According to the Cambodian side, the two countries held detailed discussions on ceasefire arrangements, and agreed to establish a regional monitoring mechanism, restore mutual trust, and that captured soldiers could be treated under the international humanitarian law.

China completes its first manned lunar lander landing, takeoff test

China on Thursday announced that it has successfully completed a comprehensive landing and takeoff test for its manned lunar lander at a test site in Huailai County, north China's Hebei Province.

The test, completed on Wednesday, represents a key step in the development of China's manned lunar exploration program, and also marks the first time that China has carried out a test of extraterrestrial landing and takeoff capabilities of a manned spacecraft, the China Manned Space Agency said.

The lunar lander, named Lanyue, which means embracing the moon, consists of both a landing module and a propulsion module. It is a newly developed spacecraft designed to support crewed missions to and from the moon.

The World Games 2025 opens in Chengdu with celebration of culture and unity

Chinese State Councillor Shen Yiqin declared the 12th edition of The World Games open Thursday night at the Tianfu International Convention Center in Chengdu, against a backdrop of the city skyline, tranquil lake waters and lush greenery.

Beneath the "Tianfu Roof" - Asia's largest single wooden structure, stretching 430 meters - around 10,000 spectators erupted in cheers as Shen Yiqin, joined by International World Games Association (IWGA) President Jose Perurena and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board Member Li Lingwei, officially opened the Games.

Putin, Trump meeting to be held as early as next week

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he hopes for a presidential summit with U.S. President Donald Trump as early as next week, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerging as a potential venue.

Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that Moscow and Washington have agreed to hold the presidential meeting in the coming days, with the U.S. side having initiated the push for the high-level bilateral talks.

He echoed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's view that the two leaders now have substantial ground to cover in their talks.

Trump orders U.S. census to exclude illegal immigrants

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has ordered to start working on a new census to exclude people living in the country without legal status.

"I have instructed our Department of Commerce to immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024," Trump wrote in a post on social media platform Truth Social.

"People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS," Trump said.

24 Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks across Gaza

At least 24 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks across Gaza on Thursday, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.

In southern Gaza, nine people, including a child, were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting tents housing displaced persons and gatherings in Khan Younis, Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense, told Xinhua.

In Gaza City, three people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a residential apartment in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of the city, and three others were killed in an Israeli airstrike on an apartment in the Shati refugee camp, west of the city, Basal said.

Limited aid access worsens hunger crisis in Gaza

Despite commercial goods entering Gaza, limited aid access contributes to a deepening starvation and malnutrition crisis, especially among children, said UN humanitarians on Thursday.

"UN partners working in nutrition report that acute malnutrition among children in Gaza has reached the highest levels recorded to date," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The office said that in July alone, nearly 12,000 young children were identified as acutely malnourished out of 136,000 screened. Among them, over 2,500 children suffered from severe acute malnutrition, the most life-threatening form. Forty children required hospitalization.