12 h. ago China and Philippines raise flags on tiny South China Sea sandbank as tensions mount

Tiny Sandy Cay is strategically vital due to proximity to largest island occupied by Philippines in Spratly archipelago

Events

13 h. ago Beijing seizes disputed reef with troops raising flag near military base... before Filipino troops unfurl their own banner on another island amid growing South China Sea tensions

Chinese coast guard officers 'implemented maritime control' over Tiexian Reef, part of the Sandy Cay reef, in mid-April. The Philippine Coast Guard responded with its own photograph Monday.

Events

22 h. ago China and Philippines display competing flags on disputed South China Sea sandbank

Beijing and Manila accuse eachother of illegal activities around Sandy Cay near the Spratly Isles, as joint US-Filipino military drills get underway in regionChina and the Philippines have displayed their national flags in competing photo opportunities on a disputed sandbank in the South China sea, ratcheting up longstanding regional tensions between the two countries.The dispute played out at Sandy Cay, which is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, and comes days after the US and the Philippines launched their annual joint military drills called “Balikatan”, or “shoulder to shoulder”, which this year will include an integrated air and missile defence simulation for the first time. Continue reading...

Politics

35 h. ago China seizes control of disputed reef and plants national flag near Philippine military base

Chinese media says coastguard units entered remote sandbank, known in China as Tiexian Reef, ‘to exercise sovereignty’

Events

3 d. ago New Syrian foreign minister attends UN Security Council in first US appearance since Assad's fall

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani attended a U.N. Security Council briefing after raising his country’s new flag at the international body

Politics

5 d. ago UK private sector shrinks as export orders slump; state borrowing nearly £15bn above official forecast – business live

Eurozone private sector ‘broadly stable’ in April; stocks, dollar, oil prices rise on hopes of US-China trade dealUK annual borrowing exceeds forecasts by almost £15bnThe collapse in confidence and drop in output during April raise red flags for the economic outlook and add pressure on the Bank of England to reduce interest rates again at its May meeting, said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.While recent months have been characterised by UK businesses treading water, broadly stagnating since last autumn’s budget, businesses are reporting more of a struggle to keep their heads above water in April.April’s fall in output was the largest recorded for nearly two and a half years, consistent with GDP declining at a quarterly rate of 0.3%, reflecting falling activity and demand across both manufacturing and services. Continue reading...

Economics

7 d. ago US and Philippines launch ‘Super Bowl’ of military exercises around South China Sea

Biggest edition of annual Balikatan drills sets off protests against presence of foreign troops and ‘militarisation’

Events

9 d. ago ‘Immediate red flags’: questions raised over ‘expert’ much quoted in UK press

News outlets pull articles featuring ‘psychologist and sex adviser’ Barbara Santini amid doubts over her credentialsOver the past couple of years, the Oxford-educated psychologist Barbara Santini has been widely quoted as an expert. She has contributed thoughts on everything from the psychological impact of the Covid pandemic to the importance of vitamin D and how playing darts can improve your health.However, her pronouncements have begun to disappear from articles after concerns that Santini may not be all that she appears. Major news outlets have removed entire articles featuring Santini, or comments made by her, after a series of questions were raised over her qualifications – and even whether her entire identity could be an elaborate hoax. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago EastEnders fans make desperate plea as Sonia Fowler exit raises red flags

Actress Natalie Cassidy told fans she was leaving the soap for the 'very final' time this January, but viewers are unhappy with her exit storyline.

Politics

2 w. ago Bikendrik: The unreal, tiny tropical island like Downton Abbey in the South Pacific

Encircled by jacuzzi-warm water as clear as crystal, the little island is covered by leafy palm trees, frequently dropping coconuts...

Politics

2 w. ago Boat Race collision chaos almost sees team disqualified and leads to delay just minutes in

Umpire Sir Matthew Pinsent, the former Olympic gold medallist for Team GB, raised the red flag after Oxford's boat drifted across toward their opponents.

Events

2 w. ago Celebrity Big Brother housemates risk coming to blows as tension starts to mount already

Two Celebrity Big Brother housemates have already ruffled each others feathers just hours after entering the ITV house as tension is brewing between the celebrities already

Events

3 w. ago In the crosshairs of stiff US tariffs, tiny coral islands in the South Pacific and Arctic outposts

The Trump administration appears to be leaving no stone unturned with its sweeping tariffs around the globe, from rocky outcrops home to polar bears in the Arctic to tiny tropical islands to a former British penal colony

Politics

4 w. ago The tiny south Manchester park with amazing blossom displays

Take some time out of daily life to admire beautiful blossom this spring

Politics