Author: EchoAsiaNews

LOS ANGELES: Actor Kaylee Hottle, best known for portraying Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has died at the age of 18, according to media reports. Hottle reportedly died following a car accident. Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed her death during a livestream conducted in American Sign Language (ASL). According to TMZ, he said he was travelling to Maryland to identify his daughter’s body after being informed of the accident. The report added that Hottle’s heart stopped while she was being transported to hospital despite efforts to save her. What was Kaylee Hottle known…

MINAB: A funeral procession was held on Wednesday for newly identified victims of the missile strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, with large crowds gathering to pay their respects, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. The school was destroyed in a missile strike on February 28, the opening day of the conflict, killing more than 170 children and teachers. Mourners carried portraits of the victims and offered prayers as the procession moved through the city, according to Tasnim. What are the latest developments in the conflict? Separately, authorities in Bushehr province said US strikes hit an electrical…

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s annual consumer inflation accelerated to 5.0% in June, up from 4.5% in May, exceeding market expectations, official data showed on Wednesday. Statistics South Africa reported that monthly inflation remained unchanged at 0.7%, matching the rate recorded in May. Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast annual inflation to rise to 4.7%. Why did inflation increase? The rise in inflation was driven by higher global energy prices, with analysts pointing to the impact of the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran on fuel costs. South Africa imports most of its fuel, making the economy particularly vulnerable to…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has directed its oil refineries to identify alternative sources of crude oil outside the Gulf region amid concerns over disruptions to regional shipping routes following escalating tensions involving the United States, Iran and Yemen’s Houthi movement. According to officials, the Ministry of Petroleum convened an emergency meeting with the chief executives of local refineries, where they were instructed to secure alternative crude supplies to ensure uninterrupted imports. Refineries have since begun assessing potential supplies from the United States, Singapore, Nigeria and Central Asian countries, while imports through Oman’s ports are also being evaluated. Why are Gulf oil supplies…

KARACHI: A Pakistani expedition has successfully reopened the Phargam An Pass (5,100 metres) in the Hindu Kush for the first time in 27 years, completing a crossing that linked the Laspur Valley in Upper Chitral with the Golain Valley in Lower Chitral. Officials said the expedition, supported by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), also marked the first successful ascent of the pass by women. The team navigated glaciers, steep snow slopes, loose rock and avalanche-prone terrain before descending into the Golain Valley. Why is the reopening significant? The expedition formed part of the KPCTA’s Tirich Mir Project,…

NEW YORK: Nearly 63 million viewers in the United States watched Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, setting a new US viewership record for a men’s World Cup final, according to figures released by broadcasters. Fox’s English-language broadcast attracted 38.9 million viewers, while Telemundo and its Peacock streaming platform drew another 23.9 million for Spanish-language coverage. The combined audience was nearly three times higher than the 22.3 million Americans who watched the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. What does the record audience mean for US soccer? The record viewership underscores soccer’s growing popularity in…

WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that the war against Iran has cost the United States $37.5 billion so far, as the Pentagon sought additional funding to sustain military operations. Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hegseth said the figure includes costs already incurred as well as projected expenses through September 30. He also urged Congress to approve President Donald Trump’s request for nearly $90 billion in supplemental funding, most of it linked to the Iran conflict, alongside the Pentagon’s proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget for 2027. Why is the funding request facing scrutiny? The funding request comes…

NEW DELHI: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was released after being detained by police during a sit-in protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi, where he accused the government of ignoring students’ demands and criticised the police response to demonstrations over the country’s education system. The protests, led by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, have entered their third day, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and broader reforms to India’s examination system. What is driving the protests? The demonstrations follow a series of controversies surrounding India’s examination system, including the…

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has requested a $10 billion bilateral exchange stabilisation facility from the United States to strengthen its foreign exchange reserves and reduce pressure on the rupee, according to a source familiar with the matter. Reuters reported that Islamabad submitted the request to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s visit to Washington. The proposed facility would have a maturity of up to five years and, if approved, would help boost Pakistan’s reserves while reducing its reliance on multilateral financing. The US Treasury declined to comment on the reported request, while Pakistan’s finance ministry did not immediately…

WASHINGTON: The United States is expected to announce a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, according to multiple media reports, marking a significant step in bilateral energy cooperation. According to Reuters and The New York Times, the Trump administration plans to submit the agreement, known as a 123 Agreement, to Congress in the coming days. The pact, signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, would allow US companies to support the development of Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear programme. The agreement is expected to remain in force for 30 years…