2 h. ago UN Security Council condemns strikes on Qatar – but doesn’t name Israel

The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned strikes on Qatar earlier this week and called for de-escalation, without naming Israel which carried out the attack. The Security Council “underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar”, said the statement, which required the agreement of all 15 council members, including Israel’s ally the United States. The council also “underlined their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar”. On...

Events

5 h. ago Israel’s PM vows there will never be a Palestinian state: ‘This place is ours’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement on Thursday to push ahead with a controversial settlement expansion plan that would cut across land that the Palestinians seek for a state. “There will never be a Palestinian state. This place is ours,” Netanyahu said during a visit to the Maale Adumim settlement in the West Bank where thousands of new housing units would be added. “We will safeguard our heritage, our land, and our security.” Last month, the E1 project, which would...

Politics

6 h. ago Suspect in Trump assassination bid talks Hitler, Gaza, Ukraine as trial opens

A suspect on trial for trying to assassinate US President Donald Trump while he played golf in South Florida last year forfeited his right to continue making an opening statement on Thursday when he veered off topic and talked about Adolf Hitler and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Ryan Routh, who is representing himself, was warned by US District Judge Aileen Cannon to stay on topic. The judge twice asked jurors to leave the courtroom so she could deal with the unconventional turn Routh’s opening...

Politics

7 h. ago EU wins Trump’s focus on China, but can it deliver on ‘impossible’ demand?

For almost a year, European Union officials have been dangling the carrot of joint work on China policy in front of US President Donald Trump in an effort to keep him engaged in supporting Ukraine. For months, their overtures were ignored. Now that the US leader has tuned in – but only on the condition of maximum tariffs – Europe finds itself in a bind. On Wednesday evening, ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states were briefed by the bloc’s sanctions envoy, David O’Sullivan, on his trip to...

Politics

9 h. ago WEEK IN REVIEW: Trump and Xi Could Meet After Fresh U.S.–China Diplomatic Push

WEEK IN REVIEW: Trump and Xi Could Meet After Fresh U.S.–China Diplomatic Push  The China-Global South Project

Politics

11 h. ago Europe’s defence needs threaten push to penalise Israel on Gaza

Amid scenes of destruction and hunger in Gaza and this week’s bombing in Qatar, frustrated European leaders are threatening sanctions on Israel and rethinking ties to their longtime ally. But for all their outrage – including a push for Palestinian statehood and some limited curbs on arms sales – one area they have not touched is Israel’s multibillion-dollar defence industry. European armies are the biggest customers of Israeli-made weapons and defence systems, buying US$8 billion worth last...

Politics

12 h. ago China backs Three Gorges megaproject, hot on heels of giant Tibet dam

China’s top economic planner has flagged a megaproject to expand shipping capacity on the Three Gorges, slated to span the coming five-year plan, while also calling for greater investment to drive strategic initiatives. In a report submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Wednesday, Zheng Shanjie, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), underscored the need to push major infrastructure projects such as the new shipping channel on the...

Politics

12 h. ago China to host Xiangshan Forum next week, with attendees from over 100 countries

China will host defence officials from more than 100 countries next week at the Xiangshan Forum, the country’s largest security conference and widely regarded as Beijing’s answer to the Shangri-La Dialogue, state media reported on Thursday. “More than 100 countries, including Vietnam, Singapore, Russia, France, Nigeria and Brazil, have confirmed their attendance, along with representatives of international and regional organisations,” defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Jiang Bin said. The...

Politics

12 h. ago Over 100 countries to send defence officials to China’s Xiangshan security forum

China will host defence officials from more than 100 countries next week at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, the country’s largest security conference and widely regarded as Beijing’s answer to the Shangri-La Dialogue. “More than 100 countries, including Vietnam, Singapore, Russia, France, Nigeria and Brazil, have confirmed their attendance, along with representatives of international and regional organisations,” defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Jiang Bin said on Wednesday. The broad...

Politics

13 h. ago Britain fires Mandelson as US ambassador over links to Jeffrey Epstein

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer sacked his ambassador in Washington Peter Mandelson on Thursday following fresh revelations about the diplomat’s friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Dubbed the “Prince of Darkness” during his years as a media spin doctor, Mandelson was twice forced to resign from Tony Blair’s Labour government in the late 1990s and early 2000s over allegations of misconduct. In a statement, the foreign ministry said the prime minister had asked Foreign...

Politics

13 h. ago Is China’s rare earths policy frustrating US upgrades to the F

America’s upgrade programme for its F-35 stealth fighter jet is facing further delays and China’s control of rare earths and metals could be a contributing reason, according to industry assessments. The F-35 has consistently improved its combat capabilities through upgrades named blocks, ranging from 1A to 3F. In 2019, the US Defence Department launched its Block 4 upgrade initiative to improve the aircraft’s detection range, air-to-air engagement and precision strike abilities. However, the...

Events

14 h. ago Malaysia calls on China to push C919 jet globally as AirAsia circles deal

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has called on the Chinese state-owned maker of the C919 passenger jet to set its sights on the global market and be more aggressive in boosting its international standing, as AirAsia nears a deal to become its first foreign buyer. Loke made the comments on Wednesday while speaking at a Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and Macau (Maycham) event, where he outlined a series of updates on his country’s transport industry – from air travel to...

Politics

17 h. ago Trump’s pressure on Europe to slap 100% tariffs on India and China raises eyebrows

Trump’s pressure on Europe to slap 100% tariffs on India and China raises eyebrows  CNBC

Politics

27 h. ago Russia needs a China gas pipeline to replace lost European demand—putting Beijing ‘in the driver’s seat’

Russia needs a China gas pipeline to replace lost European demand—putting Beijing ‘in the driver’s seat’  Fortune

Politics

28 h. ago Breaking | China, US defence chiefs, top diplomats talk as possible Xi

Breaking | China, US defence chiefs, top diplomats talk as possible Xi-Trump meeting looms  South China Morning Post

Politics

29 h. ago Prince Harry has tea with King Charles in first meeting in over a year

Britain’s Prince Harry joined his father, King Charles, for tea on Wednesday at his Clarence House home in London, the first time they have met in well over a year. The two have been distant since Harry and his wife, Meghan, left royal life and moved to California in 2020 and then publicly aired grievances about his family. Harry was driven through the gates of Charles’ London home following an earlier engagement at the Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London. The Duke of...

Politics

32 h. ago 9 killed as Israel hits Yemen’s Houthis a day after it targeted Hamas in Qatar

Israel struck the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the northern province of al-Jawf on Wednesday, with the Houthi health ministry saying it killed nine people and wounded 118 others in an initial toll. The strikes are the latest in a series of attacks and counterstrikes between Israel and Houthi militants in Yemen, part of a spillover from the war in Gaza. A large plume of grey smoke billowed above Sanaa as the sound of the attacks echoed across the city, controlled by the Iran-backed Houthis for more...

Events

32 h. ago Israel intercepts missile fired by Houthis after deadly strikes on Yemen

Israel’s army said it had intercepted a missile on Thursday fired from Yemen, a day after Israeli forces carried out air strikes there that killed 35 people and wounded more than 130. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the missile attack on Israel. But the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since their Palestinian ally Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war. “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several...

Events

33 h. ago Grim night on English Channel as 3 die, 3 go missing trying to cross to UK

Three people are believed to have been crushed to death and three others were missing in two separate incidents as migrants attempted to cross the English Channel, French officials said on Wednesday. The latest tragedies, which took place in northern France overnight on Tuesday to Wednesday, bring the number of deaths this year linked to crossings in overcrowded dinghies to at least 23, according to official French data. Laurent Touvet, the top state official for the northern region of...

Events

33 h. ago 10 South Korean soldiers injured in unexpected explosion during military drill

At least 10 soldiers were injured in an explosion during a live-fire simulation drill at a South Korean military base on Wednesday, the defence ministry in Seoul said. The explosion happened at a military base in the northern border city of Paju, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement, where an artillery unit was conducting a drill simulating live-fire procedures but without real ammunition. “At approximately 3.24pm on Wednesday, a mock training round designed to simulate artillery fire and...

Events