61 h. ago Tensions escalate as China conducts a SECOND firing exercise in the Tasman Sea

New Zealand's Defence Minister Judith Collins confirmed the second day of warship exercises in the Tasman Sea on Saturday.

Events

3 d. ago Starmer to tell Trump that UK’s Chagos deal will avoid tensions with China

PM to claim if US rejects Mauritius’s claim to own the islands, Beijing will be drawn into the regional disputeKeir Starmer is to urge Donald Trump to recognise that a US rejection of Mauritius’s legal claim to own the Chagos Islands, including the strategic US military base at Diego Garcia, may stoke tensions similar to those in the South China Sea.Starmer is due to meet Trump next Friday mainly to discuss the future of Ukraine, but also a UK plan for Gaza’s reconstruction under international protection with no need for Palestinians to be required to quit the Gaza Strip. The paper is similar but not identical to proposals being discussed by Arab foreign ministers in Riyadh, which has a strong international component and would prevent Hamas ruling in Gaza. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Australia will ‘watch every move’ of Chinese warships detected off east coast

Ships’ presence off east coast follows incident in South China Sea in which a Chinese fighter jet released flares in front of Australian military planeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia will “watch every move” of three Chinese warships which have been detected off the country’s east coast, the defence minister has said.Three People’s Liberation Army-Navy vessels – the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class cruiser Zunyi and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu – were detected off north-east Queensland last week and have been surveilled since as they have sailed south. The Financial Times reported the ships were about 150 nautical miles off the coast of Sydney.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago China navy helicopter conducts ‘dangerous’ manoeuvres close to Philippine plane

Footage distributed by the Philippine coast guard shows what it has described as a Chinese navy helicopter performing "dangerous" flight manoeuvres on Tuesday, 18 February, close to a government aircraft patrolling a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

Politics

6 d. ago Philippines accuses Chinese plane of flying ‘dangerously’ close to its aircraft over South China Sea

The Philippine coast guard on Tuesday accused a Chinese Navy helicopter of flying "dangerously" close to its patrol plane on Tuesday in a disputed area of the South China Sea.

Transport

6 d. ago Cook Islands releases terms of deal with China amid protests about lack of transparency

Agreement includes sections on deep-sea mining and education, document shows, as opposition accuses PM of risking relationship with New ZealandA strategic partnership deal between China and the Cook Islands spans areas from deep-sea mining to education scholarships but excludes security ties, a document released by the Pacific island nation’s government showed.Western nations that traditionally held sway in the region have become increasingly concerned about China’s plans to increase influence after Beijing signed defence, trade and financial deals with Pacific countries in the last three years. Continue reading...

Economics