China
China will hold a large-scale military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The latest types of weapons will be presented, including hypersonic systems and high-precision missiles.
European leaders are skeptical of Donald Trump's peace initiatives, but do not reject them, viewing them as a tool to demonstrate the Kremlin's true intentions. They plan to support American peace efforts so that Trump himself can be convinced of Moscow's unwillingness to make concessions.
The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has discovered a new Russian UAV with LTE communication and remote control capability. It can be a reconnaissance, strike, or decoy target.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused India of profiting from Russian oil purchases during the war in Ukraine. He noted that the share of Russian oil in India's imports increased from less than 1% to 42%.
The Royal Navy of Great Britain successfully tested the remote control system of the underwater vehicle "Excalibur" during the "Talisman Sabre" exercises. The 40-foot drone was controlled from Australia, while the apparatus itself was located in the waters of Great Britain.
Pop Mart's revenue grew by 204% to 13. 88 billion yuan, net profit increased by 396% to 4.7 billion yuan. The Labubu toy brought the company almost 35% of its revenue, and sales in Western markets grew significantly.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China supports dialogue and negotiations as the only ways to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. This was in response to statements by Zelenskyy and Trump regarding meetings with Putin.
Chinese refineries increased purchases of Russian Urals oil, taking advantage of India's refusal of preferential batches due to Washington's increased trade tariffs. Urals exports to China almost doubled in August, while they significantly decreased to India.
Chinese scientists have transformed human stem cells into dopamine neurons, which reduce depressive behavior in mice. This discovery could form the basis for cell therapy for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Latvia, Finland, and Lithuania have banned or restricted real estate purchases by Russian citizens for national security reasons. Estonia, Norway, and the state of Texas are also considering similar measures.
Oil prices were little changed after falling earlier in trading. The US did not put further pressure on Russia to limit oil exports after the leaders' meeting.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham believes that the next step in American diplomacy regarding the war in Ukraine should be economic pressure on Moscow. He proposes imposing tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy resources and calls on China to influence Putin.
Donald Trump proposed holding a trilateral Ukraine-US-Russia summit on August 22. Putin is making demands for territorial concessions from Ukraine and recognition of Russia's sovereignty over captured Ukrainian territories.
The meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska did not yield public results regarding an end to the war in Ukraine. Details of the conversations, particularly in the limousine, remained undisclosed, raising concerns about possible agreements.
Donald Trump said he is not considering immediate tariffs on China for buying Russian oil, but may do so "in two or three weeks. " He threatened sanctions against countries buying Russian oil if the war in Ukraine is not stopped.
About 3,000 foreigners from 86 countries are fighting for the Russian Federation, despite the expiration of their contracts. The vast majority of mercenaries come from Central Asia.
On August 16, the world celebrates a number of holidays, including Homeless Animals Day, International Geocaching Day, World Kite Day, and Men's Beauty Day. Also on this day, the Third Savior, or Nut Savior, is celebrated.
The United States is considering imposing sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil to force Russia to end the war in Ukraine. These measures are aimed at cutting the Kremlin's energy revenues if negotiations fail.
In the first half of 2025, "Rusal" incurred a net loss of $87 million. This was due to rising costs, interest payments, and currency fluctuations.
Intel shares rose 7% after reports that the Trump administration was discussing acquiring a stake in the company. This is related to plans to revive American chip manufacturing and Intel's Ohio plant.
China has banned foreign companies from hoarding rare earth elements used in electric motors. Beijing controls exports to prevent stockpiling abroad, maintaining influence in the sector.
The Chinese MG4 with a semi-solid-state battery went on sale. Prices and specifications will be announced in September, with deliveries expected by the end of 2025.
Russia is facing financial difficulties due to India's reduction in oil purchases. Moscow is offering Urals oil to China at a discount, but Beijing will not be able to fully compensate for the lost volumes.
China is imposing sanctions against Lithuanian UAB Urbo Bankas and AB Mano Bankas. This is in response to EU measures against two Chinese financial institutions that cooperated with Russia.
Ether shows a surge in demand, raising the total market capitalization to a record $4. 2 trillion. Bitcoin is trading above $120,600, Ether is approaching its 2021 record.
In July, global electric vehicle sales grew by only 21%, the lowest figure since January. The reason was the slowdown in the growth rate of the Chinese market, while Europe and other regions showed significant growth.
The US is installing tracking devices on high-tech Nvidia and AMD chips to prevent their illegal diversion to China. The Chinese leadership is urging domestic companies to avoid using American AI chips.
OpenAI's new GPT-5 AI model, released on August 7, has faced a number of problems, including technical glitches and user complaints about deteriorating performance. The release also revealed some users' emotional dependence on chatbots, leading to cases of "ChatGPT psychosis."
In Jianyu, hundreds of people protested after a brutal beating of a 14-year-old girl, accusing the authorities of being too lenient towards the attackers. The incident caused outrage on social media and cast doubt on the credibility of local officials.
China hopes for the participation of all interested parties in peace talks regarding the war in Ukraine. This comes ahead of the summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.