66 m. ago Ecuador’s president says he was target of attempted poisoning

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said on Thursday that an unknown assailant had attempted to poison him with chocolate and a jam laced with chemicals, gifted to him at a public event. Noboa told CNN the presence of three “highly concentrated” toxic substances in the sweets “could not have been accidental”, saying his team had proof to back up his claims. The 37-year-old president said the toxic substances could not have come from the products themselves or their packaging. The military body...

Politics

3 h. ago Beijing urges Hongkongers to stay vigilant against bids to foil Legco election

Beijing has called for vigilance against any attempts to jeopardise Hong Kong’s coming Legislative Council election, warning that local law enforcement agencies will not “sit back and do nothing” in the face of such efforts. The central government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office posted the strongly worded commentary under the pen name “Gang Ao Ping” in the early hours of Friday, coinciding with the start of the two-week nomination period for the December 7 race. The article urged the public...

Politics

11 h. ago Two Russian planes make hurried incursion into Lithuanian airspace

Lithuania summoned a Russian diplomat in protest after two Russian planes entered its airspace on Thursday, the Lithuanian foreign ministry said. A Sukhoi SU-30 fighter and an IL-78 tanker from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad passed through Lithuanian airspace for 700 metres (2,300ft) before leaving it 18 seconds later, probably during aerial refuelling training, according to a short statement from the Nato member country’s military. Later on Thursday, the Lithuanian foreign ministry said it...

Politics

11 h. ago 2 Russian planes make hurried incursion into Lithuanian airspace

Lithuania summoned a Russian diplomat in protest after two Russian planes entered its airspace on Thursday, the Lithuanian foreign ministry said. A Sukhoi SU-30 fighter and an IL-78 tanker from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad passed through Lithuanian airspace for 700 metres (2,300ft) before leaving it 18 seconds later, probably during aerial refuelling training, according to a short statement from the Nato member country’s military. Later on Thursday, the Lithuanian foreign ministry said it...

Politics

11 h. ago Nato member Lithuania protests airspace incursion denied by Russia

Lithuania summoned a Russian diplomat in protest over what it said was the entry of two Russian planes into its airspace on Thursday, though Moscow denied any such violation. A Sukhoi SU-30 fighter and an IL-78 tanker from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad passed through Lithuanian airspace for 700 metres (2,300 feet) before leaving it after 18 seconds, probably during aerial refuelling training, according to a short statement from the Nato member country’s military. Later Thursday, the...

Events

13 h. ago Colombian president accuses US of ‘executions’ in Caribbean and Pacific

Colombia’s leftist president on Thursday renewed his criticism of US military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, fuelling a row with US President Donald Trump that has shattered ties between the two nations. Gustavo Petro said Washington was “carrying out extrajudicial executions” that “violate international law” by striking alleged drug-trafficking boats. The Colombian government urged the US to halt the strikes, which have destroyed nine vessels and killed at least 37 people, according to...

Politics

15 h. ago Taiwan’s new opposition leader risks US ire with soft tone on China

Taiwan’s new opposition leader risks US ire with soft tone on China  Financial Times

Politics

16 h. ago Hong Kong to align with national blueprint, seize opportunities: John Lee

Hong Kong will identify its strategic positioning within the national development blueprint and proactively align with the country’s next five-year plan, the city’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Thursday that recommendations adopted at the fourth plenum of the Communist Party’s Central Committee – where the country’s political leadership deliberated on the 15th five-year plan – were of great significance and impact to Hong Kong. “Hong Kong will identify and focus on...

Politics

17 h. ago 5 tenants lose bid to block eviction at Hong Kong estate set for redevelopment

Five residents who are among the last seven refusing to leave an ageing private housing estate in Hong Kong have lost a legal bid against their evictions, after a judge found they had never enjoyed a permanent right to property at the city’s only privately owned low-rent development. The District Court on Thursday handed down the first judgment of two civil trials implicating a total of seven Tai Hang Sai Estate tenants, who refused to move out of the Shek Kip Mei compound and give way for its...

Politics

17 h. ago Is the ‘Big One’ coming? Earthquake mania grips Philippines as fears mount

A spate of powerful earthquakes across the Philippines has triggered widespread panic, sparked a flood of misinformation and prompted officials to take decisions that experts warn could undermine long-term disaster readiness. Analysts say the anxious public reaction – from mass hysteria in schools to viral conspiracy theories about “The Big One” – underscores a pressing need for better science communication and coordination between government agencies, especially in a country highly exposed to...

Politics

18 h. ago Chinese investors grill listed companies with European units after Dutch move

Chinese investors are grilling listed companies with European exposure after the Dutch government seized management control of Nexperia from its Chinese owner Wingtech Technology, in a sign that public trust in European business ties is being undermined. At least seven companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen have been publicly asked by investors about risks stemming from their investments and operations in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France and Italy. The souring sentiment is a...

Economics

18 h. ago Are China’s lithium battery export curbs slowing upgrades to US Abrams tanks?

Weeks after China unveiled its lightweight but powerful Type 100 main battle tank featuring diesel-electric propulsion, the US Army’s pursuit of a similar design for a hybrid-electric next-generation version of the Abrams tank faces a new strategic hurdle. Beijing has imposed export controls on the advanced lithium batteries critical for powering such next-generation military systems, creating a significant and immediate supply challenge for the US development timeline. The Type 100 tank was...

Events

19 h. ago Repairing Trump’s tariff ‘damage’ will take time, warns former US Treasury chief

US President Donald Trump’s “badly misguided” tariff policy is impairing the efficiency of America’s economy despite its short-term resilience, and the damage will need to be repaired down the road, according to a former US Treasury secretary. “It’s a very unwise policy, and yet it seems to be the policy they’re committed to,” said Robert Rubin, who administered the Treasury from 1995 to 1999, during the Democratic presidential administration of Bill Clinton. Rubin, 87, was speaking via video...

Events

19 h. ago China names Zhang Shengmin as new vice chairman of Central Military Commission, country's 2nd

China names Zhang Shengmin as new vice chairman of Central Military Commission, country's 2nd-highest-ranking general  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

Events

20 h. ago China Military Purge Targets Group Who Undermined Xi’s Authority

China Military Purge Targets Group Who Undermined Xi’s Authority  Bloomberg.com

Events

21 h. ago China Makes Maternity Payment Change in Bid To Boost Birth Rate

China Makes Maternity Payment Change in Bid To Boost Birth Rate  Newsweek

Politics

22 h. ago Veteran military leader Zhang Shengmin promoted to China's number two general

Veteran military leader Zhang Shengmin promoted to China's number two general  Reuters

Events

22 h. ago Navy Chief Says China Violates International Law in West Sea

Navy Chief Says China Violates International Law in West Sea  조선일보

Society

24 h. ago Encourage employees to vote in Hong Kong’s coming Legco election: John Lee

Hong Kong’s leader has called on the public and private sectors to encourage employees to vote in the coming Legislative Council election, describing it as their social responsibility. At the ceremony to launch the election on Thursday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu urged both public institutions and businesses to encourage employees to take part in the poll, emphasising that voting was both a right and a civic duty. “I strongly urge all sectors of society, including various institutions,...

Politics

33 h. ago Exclusive: China's military arsenal growing at "breathtaking speed," Sen. Deb Fischer says

Exclusive: China's military arsenal growing at "breathtaking speed," Sen. Deb Fischer says  Axios

Events