Beijing reported the world’s largest-ever trade surplus—the value of goods and services sold overseas compared to its imports—at $1.19tn (£890bn). Trade with the US did weaken, but this was made up for by a rise in Chinese exports elsewhere, especially to South East Asia, Africa and Latin America. Wang Jun, the deputy director of China’s customs, said during a press conference that the figures are “extraordinary and hard-won” given the “profound changes” and challenges in glo

US chip giant Nvidia introduced its next-generation computing platform, made of six new chips that were partly developed in Israel. Nvidia’s R&D activities in Israel are the firm’s largest outside of the United States. “The amount of computation necessary for AI is skyrocketing… Rubin arrives at exactly the right moment, as AI computing demand for both training and inference is going through the roof,” said Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang. “With our annual cadence of deli

Although Israel has a relatively high incidence of melanoma compared to many countries—partly due to frequent sun exposure (intentional when getting a sunburn) or unintentional, and the prevalence of unprotected fair skin among many residents—the mortality rates are relatively low thanks to early detection and good treatment outcomes. According to the Health Ministry, there are between 1,700 and 2,000 new diagnoses of this type of skin cancer in Israel every year. Worldwide,

In the eighth and seventh centuries BCE, Assyria was the superpower in the Near East, ruling an empire that stretched from Egypt in the southwest to parts of modern-day Turkey in the north and all the way eastward to parts of modern-day Iran. At the time, the Jewish people were split into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. As Assyria and Egypt faced off, the two kingdoms were forced to choose: would they side with Egypt to the south or Assyria to the no

For decades, Dead Sea Scrolls scholars have sought to uncover the secrets of the 7.34-meter-long (24-foot) artifact, one of the original seven scrolls discovered in Qumran in 1947. Taking the scholarship a step further, Dead Sea Scrolls expert Prof. Marcello Fidanzio of the Università della Svizzera Italiana says his research shows that the incongruities between the two sections stem from the fact that they were created as two separate scrolls and became one at a later point

Oman plans to set up an international financial center in the country, the state news agency reported, as the small oil producer joins its bigger neighbors in seeking to attract foreign companies eager to capitalize on the region’s growth. The financial center would have “legislative, administrative, and regulatory independence, and will be built on a new financial, judicial, and legislative system aligned with global standards,” it said. Oman has followed the lead of other o

A new Israeli study suggests that machine-learning models may soon give growers a far more precise way to predict how much water their crops use each day, while also laying the groundwork for earlier detection of plant stress. Led by Shani Friedman and Nir Averbuch under the supervision of Prof. Menachem Moshelion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the study drew on seven years of continuous, high-resolution measurements from tomato, wheat and barley plants grown in semi-

The GPI, produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace, tracks 23 indicators, from external conflicts and military expenditure to safety and security measures like terrorism and homicide. The countries ranked at the top of the index have been remarkably consistent for nearly two decades, showing the stability that peaceful policies can bring over the long haul. Ranked number one since 2008, Iceland remains the world’s most peaceful nation, leading across all three domains:

With Gen Z facing existential career crises, billionaire OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says that in just 10 years, college grads will be exploring the solar system—jobs that will reel in sky-high salaries. “In 2035, that graduating college student, if they still go to college at all, could very well be leaving on a mission to explore the solar system on a spaceship in some completely new, exciting, super well-paid, super interesting job,” Altman told video journalist Cleo Abram. Whil

A new report by EIT Hub Israel, Planven VC and KPMG maps the growing footprint of Israeli technology companies across Europe and finds a story of deepening integration, resilience and long-term commitment. More than 1,600 Israeli tech companies now employ over 30,000 people across Europe, with a 4.8% annual growth rate over the past three years. “The data highlights the significant presence of the Israeli technology ecosystem in Europe,” said Dina Pasca-Raz, partner and head

The country’s Smart Education of China platform has become the world’s largest high-quality educational resource center, with total visits exceeding 72.6 billion, the Ministry of Education said recently. Covering the entire educational process from preschool to postgraduate studies and encompassing moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education, the platform now serves more than 178 million users in over 200 countries and regions. Daily visits average about 52 m

Swiss voters decisively rejected a call to require women to do national service in the military, civil protection teams or other forms, as all men must do already. Voters also heavily rejected a separate proposal to impose a new national tax on individual donations or inheritances of more than 50 million francs ($62 million), with the revenues to be used to fight the impact of climate change and help Switzerland meet its ambitions to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by

European governments that condemn Israel and announce sanctions still line up for its air defense systems, as fears of Russian drones and other threats override political boycotts. At a joint appearance in Jerusalem, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned against any steps in the West Bank that might amount to annexation, insisting there should be “no formal, political or structural measures” in that direction and reiterating that “recognition of a Palestinian state should c

Stefan Eiriksson, director-general of Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV, said: “There is no peace or joy connected to this contest as things stand now. On that basis, first and foremost, we are stepping back while the situation is as it is.” RÚV said Israel’s participation had “created disunity among both members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the general public.” Israel’s presence at Eurovision has been an increasing source of tension, because of the war in Ga

India’s telecoms ministry has directed smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a government-run cybersecurity app on all new devices, according to a government order, raising concerns of data privacy and user consent in one of the largest handset markets in the world. The ministry said the app, which is available to India’s 1.2 billion smartphone users, was essential in “curbing misuse of telecom resources for cyber frauds and ensuring telecom cyber security.” But privacy adv

Switzerland adopted its first-ever national action plan against racism and antisemitism at the Federal Council meeting. The action plan comes amid surging antisemitism and racism in the country. According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, 17% of the resident population aged 15 to 88 said in 2024 that they had experienced racial discrimination in the previous five years. By integrating four dimensions—structural racism, intersectional discrimination, involvement

The Quebec government plans to enact a series of measures expanding its secularism rules across public institutions, including a ban on prayer rooms in universities and CEGEPs and restricting the offering of religion-based meals. Six years after the CAQ government adopted its landmark secularism law, known as Bill 21, and only a month after adopting a bill which expanded Bill 21’s prohibition of religious symbols, the province is once again taking aim at the intersection of r

Questions over how companies and other institutions will use AI are a near universal concern given its potential to change or replace some jobs done by people with computers and robots. “As a general-purpose technology, AI can lift productivity, spark new industries, and help latecomers catch up,” the report says. Better advice on farming, analysis of X-rays within seconds and faster medical diagnoses, more effective weather forecasts and damage assessments hold promise for r

[The following is commentary from] Bishop Dennis Nthumbi is the Africa director of the Israel Allies Foundation, president of the Golgotha Christian Foundation, and international bishop of the African American Clergy Leaders Association. Decisions on Gaza, Judea and Samaria, and the Golan Heights must remain solely in the hands of Israel’s elected legislature to protect national security and self-determination. Current diplomatic discourse at the United Nations regarding Gaza

There is something deeply Israeli about the road that led here. Israel did not decide in the abstract to dominate an arms race; it was dragged into one. From the first crude rockets fired out of Gaza to the mass barrages launched by Hamas and Hezbollah, by the Houthis in Yemen, and by Iran itself, the country has been forced to innovate or absorb intolerable levels of civilian harm. As Defense Minister Israel Katz has explained, the Iron Beam is a ground-based, high-power las