Eco-friendly vehicles lead July export gains
The ministry linked the July export increase to more operating days and continued overseas demand for eco-friendly vehicles and SUVs. Major automakers shifted summer vacation schedules from July in 2025 to August in 2026. That change increased the number of working days during the month. Higher production followed the same calendar effect, with output rising 11.3% year on year to 352,000 vehicles. June production had reached 394,000 vehicles, an increase of 11.6% from a year earlier.
Author: newsplus.me
On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse crossed the Russian Arctic. It then swept into the North Atlantic and continued toward Europe. State Space Corporation Roscosmos said the eclipse began over Russia’s remote northern regions at about 17:00 GMT. The Moon’s shadow moved across Greenland and Iceland before reaching Spain and northeastern Portugal near sunset. Totality appeared only inside a narrow corridor. Surrounding regions across Europe, North America and Africa experienced a partial solar eclipse.
Etihad Airways will launch seasonal nonstop flights between Abu Dhabi and Gothenburg on December 17, 2026. The service will operate four times a week through March 21, 2027. The route will connect the UAE capital with Sweden’s second largest city during the winter travel period.
The UN said economic uncertainty, digital inclusion and climate change rank among major challenges facing younger generations across borders. These pressures often reach beyond national boundaries and require coordinated responses, according to the Secretary-General’s message. Guterres also pointed to the creativity, dynamism and leadership of young people. He described youth as organizers and innovators who already contribute to communities and public life. The message linked youth participation with wider efforts to advance sustainable development. Skills were another focus of the 2026 message. Guterres called for young people to gain stronger access to critical thinking, problem-solving and digital literacy. He said those capabilities will help shape the future and support wider participation in society. The Secretary-General also urged institutions to work with young people as equal partners. He called for greater youth involvement in decisions at local, national and international levels. The UN said investment and inclusion remain central demands for young people around the world.
Diesel prices remained elevated on Wednesday as tighter refined-product supplies kept pressure on fuel markets in the United States and Europe. U.S. ultra-low sulfur diesel futures jumped 7.4% on Monday to settle at $4.19 a gallon. That marked the contract’s biggest daily gain since July 13. Early Wednesday trading put the contract near $4.28 a gallon, while European diesel refining margins remained at historically high levels after rising nearly 10% on Monday.
Thousands of lawsuits accusing major social media companies of fueling harmful and addictive use among young people can continue in federal court. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an early appeal from Meta Platforms and TikTok on Aug. 10. The ruling leaves more than 3,000 consolidated federal cases before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. Plaintiffs allege that platform design features encouraged compulsive use and contributed to mental health problems among children and teenagers.
Europe’s extreme summer heat and drought could cut EU economic output by about 1% in 2026, according to new analysis from Triodos Bank. The estimated loss equals roughly €180 billion and is close to the European Commission’s current growth forecast for the bloc. In May, the Commission projected EU gross domestic product would rise 1.1% this year. The comparison shows the scale of the weather-related damage estimated in the bank’s analysis.
Fujian authorities suspended 686 road passenger routes and 658 train services during the storm response. They also closed 234 major tourist attractions and canceled dozens of cultural and tourism events. In Shanghai, airlines canceled more than 900 flights at the city’s two main airports on Monday. Heavy rainfall caused flooding in parts of the financial center and disrupted public transportation. The measures followed widespread weather warnings across coastal areas exposed to Dolphin’s winds and rain.
The July consumer price index reached 102.92, with 2025 set as the index base of 100. Holiday home rentals and package holidays accounted for 1.24 percentage points of the monthly increase. Food added 0.15 percentage point. Lower clothing, hotel accommodation and footwear prices reduced the monthly rise by a combined 0.34 percentage point. Rent provided the largest positive contribution to annual inflation, adding 0.55 percentage point. Holiday home rentals added 0.51 point, while fuel added 0.39 point. Electricity prices cut 0.68 point from the annual rate. Food prices reduced it by 0.26 point, and package holidays subtracted 0.06 point. The combined movements left headline inflation below June’s 1.9% reading.
DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak has killed 1,916 people and produced 4,209 confirmed cases, according to official data through Aug. 7. That raises the death toll 29 above the 1,887 figure reported in the earlier update. Health authorities also counted 595 patients receiving care in isolation. Another 828 people have recovered from the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.