Rebooted and ‘vulnerable’: Superman is back on screens

• Director and screenwriter James Gunn said he set out to make the benevolent world-saver "a little less powerful" in what is a tenth silver-screen version of the original
• Gunn's Superman, played by square-jawed David Corenswet in his biggest role to date, appears at times naive and awkward, and has to contend with criticism on social media

European Union says Israel has agreed to ‘expand’ Gaza aid access

• Gaza's two million residents are facing dire humanitarian conditions as Israel has severely limited aid during its devastating war with Palestinian militant group Hamas.
• The current system of aid distribution by a US- and Israeli-backed group has drawn international condemnation.

The $10 mn bag: Original Birkin smashes records at Paris auction

• The modern design classic, owned by a Paris-based handbag collector, sparked a telephone bidding war up to seven million euros, with the final sale price set at 8.58 million.
• The final buyer, who eclipsed eight other rivals, was a "private collector from Japan", the auction house added, without giving further details.

TSMC’s H1 revenue up 40 percent

Demand for crude will continue to expand through 2050, says OPEC

• That rising demand will be "driven by expanding economic growth, rising populations, increasing urbanization, and the new energy-intensive industries like AI.
• The IEA said last month that it expects global oil demand begin to decline in 2030, driven by the rise of electric cars and the shift away from crude to produce power.

Syria rejects federalism, calls on Kurdistan forces to join army ranks

• The Kurds, who control vast swathes of territory in Syria's north, including oil and gas fields, have demanded a decentralised system of governance
• A Syrian government source told the official Alekhbariah television channel on Wednesday that Damascus remained committed to "the principle of 'One Syria, One Army, One Government'

Israeli army says intercepted missile launched from Yemen

• "Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted," the army wrote on social media platform X
• The Huthis said Monday that they boarded and sank another vessel, the Magic Seas, because its owner had done business with Israel and used its ports

Israel’s Bedouin communities use solar energy to stake claim to land

• Tirabin al-Sana in Israel's Negev desert is the home of the Tirabin Bedouin tribe, who signed a contract with an Israeli solar energy company to build the installation
• The deal has helped provide jobs for the community as well as promote cleaner, cheaper energy for the country, as the power produced is pumped into the national grid

Hamas agrees partial hostage release in ‘difficult’ truce talks after Qatar-brokered indirect talks

• group's statement came after four days of indirect talks brokered by Qatar and as the US signalled its belief that agreement for a 60-day truce would be struck this week
• US special envoy Steve Witkoff said part of the deal would be the return of 10 living hostages held by militants since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, which sparked the war

Cricket’s Indian Premier League value surges to $18.5 bn: report

• The world's richest cricket tournament generated an estimated $11 billion a year for the Indian economy in 2020.
• Since it launched in 2008 it has inspired a range of other franchise-based leagues in India in sports as diverse as boxing, badminton, poker and kabaddi.