What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain? UAE trade embargo could shut Iran's key economic escape route: Here's why The United Arab Emirates announced an indefinite trade embargo on Iran on Wednesday, accusing Iranian forces of firing two ballistic missiles at its territory. Iran denied launching missiles and described the reported attack as a "false flag operation" by Israel and the United States. The UAE's embargo has been described as highly significant by analysts, who say Iran is heavily reliant on its neighbour for critical imports and access to financial markets. "In many ways, the embargo being put on by the UAE is even more significant than the embargo being put on by the United States," Mark Kimmitt, a retired US general and former assistant secretary of state, told Al Jazeera, referring to US sanctions and the ongoing American naval blockade of Iranian ports. The recent developments come shortly after the June 17 memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran lapsed on Monday, with little prospect of being renewed.

China's Unitree soars in market debut as investors bet on humanoid robots China's Unitree Robotics has soared in its market debut, a sign of investors' confidence in Chinese innovation in the burgeoning field of human-like robots. Shares of Unitree surged more than 620 percent on Wednesday as it began trading in Shanghai, lifting the Hangzhou-based company's market capitalisation to as high as 445 billion yuan ($66bn). Unitree, whose main competitors include China's AgiBot and US-based Tesla and Boston Dynamics, had priced its initial public offering at 50.8 yuan per share for a company valuation of about 61 billion yuan ($9bn). The landmark IPO marked the first listing of a humanoid robotics company in mainland China. Unitree, founded in 2016 by engineer Wang Xingxing, is one of China's leading makers of humanoid robots, with its demonstrations of human-like figures performing dancing and martial arts routines capturing widespread attention.

Is the war entering a new phase? At least five people have been killed and 11 others injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine, authorities said. A Russian drone attack on a bus in the front-line city of Kherson killed at least four people and wounded four others on Wednesday, Kherson regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. In a post on the Telegram app, Prokudin said the wounded had been taken to hospital. He posted blurred photos of a yellow bus with bloodied steps and shattered windows. Russian forces regularly strike Kherson, which was under Moscow's control from March to November 2022 - the initial months of the war - with drones, in what Ukraine says is the deliberate targeting of civilians.

A record number of aid workers faced violent attacks last year, partly driven by the increased use of armed drones, the United Nations humanitarian office has said. According to an Aid Worker Security Database, a platform that compiles major incidents affecting humanitarian workers, 907 aid workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025 alone. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the level of violence "appalling" and urged states to respect the rules of war and hold perpetrators accountable. "Serving others has become more dangerous than ever," he said in a statement on Wednesday. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the proliferation of cheap and adaptable armed drones in conflicts has increased the risks.

What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain? Crude oil and natural gas supplies have been disrupted worldwide by the United States-Israel war on Iran, but one energy sector appears to be cashing in - coal. This week, South Africa's thermal coal producer Thungela Resources said it had doubled its half-year profits as the war has forced more countries to buy the fuel. Mining it causes water pollution, and burning it releases enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. In recent months, several countries, especially in Asia, have reversed or delayed promises to scale back on coal production.

Is the war entering a new phase? A drone strike close to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in occupied southeastern Ukraine has killed one nuclear specialist and wounded 17, according to Russian reports. Moscow asserted on Tuesday that the drone was launched by Ukraine. The security of Europe's biggest nuclear plant has provoked significant global concern amid the full-scale war on Ukraine that Russia launched in February 2022. Most of those injured by the strike were employees of the plant, according to a Telegram update by the Russian management of the nuclear facility.

Former gang boss Duane'Keffe D' Davis is standing trial over the 1996 murder of US rapper Tupac Shakur, becoming the first person prosecuted in the case. Prosecutors point to his alleged confession in his memoir and interviews, while his defence say his claims were lies. Brazil's president says Amazon oil is'passport to the future' Chinese company unveils new'Superman' humanoid robot

Brazil's president says Amazon oil is'passport to the future' Brazil's president says Amazon oil is'passport to the future' Brazil's President Lula da Silva has praised the discovery of oil off the Amazon coast, despite opposition from environmentalists to drilling in the area. He called the find a "passport to the country's future", saying it would strengthen Brazil's national sovereignty. Chinese company unveils new'Superman' humanoid robot Can Trump limit birthright citizenship?

How many Syrians have returned? A Syrian man died in police custody after his family alleged he was severely beaten despite his wife warning officers about his haemophilia. His death has raised fresh concerns over abuse in detention, while Syria's Interior Ministry says seven officers have been detained. Brazil's president says Amazon oil is'passport to the future' Chinese company unveils new'Superman' humanoid robot Can Trump limit birthright citizenship?

A ninth-grade student opened fire at a high school in Zamboanga, Philippines, killing a fellow student and himself and wounding two others after apparently livestreaming the attack. Chinese company unveils new'Superman' humanoid robot Can Trump limit birthright citizenship?