80 m. ago Lifeline or trash? Taiwan safety guide sparks fierce debate amid Beijing threat

Taiwan’s updated crisis and war survival guide has ignited fierce political debate, hailed by officials as a lifeline amid Beijing’s mounting military pressure but blasted by critics as costly propaganda prompting fear rather than readiness. Mass distribution of In Case of Crisis: Taiwan’s National Public Safety Guide – quickly dubbed the “little orange book” – began late last month, targeting 9.83 million households. The 29-page comic-style publication explains how to stockpile food and water,...

Events

6 d. ago Russian strikes kill 2 in Kyiv, injure 29, as efforts to end war continue

Russian drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, killed at least two people in the early hours of Saturday, local officials said. The attacks came just before a second round of peace negotiations was set to begin, as a renewed US-led push to end the war gathers steam this week. Writing on its official Telegram channel, the Kyiv City Military Administration said two people were killed in the strikes. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 29 people were wounded, noting that falling debris...

Events

6 d. ago Russian strikes kill 3 in Kyiv, injure 29, as efforts to end war continue

Russian drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and the surrounding area killed at least three people in the early hours of Saturday, local officials said. The attacks came just before a second round of peace negotiations was set to begin, as a renewed US-led push to end the war gathers steam this week. Writing on its official Telegram channel, the Kyiv City Military Administration said two people were killed in the strikes on the capital, and a woman died in a combined missile...

Events

1 week ago Israel steps up strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah official

Israel targeted the chief of staff of Lebanon’s Iran-aligned Hezbollah group in a strike in the capital Beirut’s southern suburbs, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday. The strike is the first on the capital’s southern suburbs in months and is known for housing Hezbollah officials. The target of the strike was military official Ali Tabtabai, according to an Israeli source briefed on the strike and a Lebanese security source. Netanyahu’s office did not say whether...

Politics

2 w. ago Zelensky wants to talk to Trump after receiving new US plan to end Ukraine war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has officially received a peace plan drawn up in the United States to end the war with Russia, his office said on Thursday. “As a result of today’s meeting, we have agreed to work on the points of the plan in such a way that it leads to a dignified end to the war,” Zelensky’s office wrote on Telegram after a meeting with a delegation of senior US military officials. It emphasised that Ukraine has been striving for a peaceful solution since the beginning of...

Politics

2 w. ago Judge orders Trump end National Guard deployment in Washington DC

A US federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to end its months-long deployment of National Guard troops to help police the nation’s capital. US District Judge Jia Cobb concluded that President Donald Trump’s military takeover in Washington DC illegally intrudes on local officials’ authority to direct law enforcement in the district. She put her order on hold for 21 days to allow for an appeal, however. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued to challenge the...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s military mouthpiece hits out at US ‘gunboat diplomacy’ over Venezuela

China’s official military newspaper has accused the United States of “gunboat diplomacy” amid rising tensions with Venezuela. The Pentagon announced on Sunday that a strike group including the US Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, had been deployed to the Caribbean, carrying thousands of service personnel and dozens of aircraft. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had not ruled out sending US troops to Venezuela, while also expressing a willingness to engage in...

Events

3 w. ago PLA heads have rolled but China’s hunt for corrupt military officials isn’t over

Even for the anti-graft era of President Xi Jinping, the wave of investigations into alleged corruption in the Chinese military over the past three years has been exceptional. Last month, nine senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers were expelled from the Communist Party and the military, including He Weidong, formerly China’s second-highest-ranking military officer. They are accused of having “violated party discipline and allegedly committed serious crimes related to their duties” –...

Events

3 w. ago How Xi’s ongoing battle against PLA corruption shapes China’s military future

Even for the anti-graft era of President Xi Jinping, the wave of investigations into alleged corruption in the Chinese military over the past three years has been exceptional. Last month, nine senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers were expelled from the Communist Party and the military, including He Weidong, formerly China’s second-highest-ranking military officer. They are accused of having “violated party discipline and allegedly committed serious crimes related to their duties” –...

Events

3 w. ago Over 3,500 venomous arachnids send spidey senses tingling at US base in Japan

More than 3,500 venomous spiders – including black widows and redbacks – have been exterminated at a US military base in western Japan, alarming residents and officials already struggling with a rise in invasive species across the country. The record number of spiders, found between July and October at the US Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, included three known venomous species and prompted local authorities to demand urgent action to prevent the infestation from spreading beyond the base’s...

Events

3 w. ago Japan caught in web of woe as over 3,500 venomous spiders found at US base

More than 3,500 venomous spiders – including black widows and redbacks – have been exterminated at a US military base in western Japan, alarming residents and officials already struggling with a rise in invasive species across the country. The record number of spiders, found between July and October at the US Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, included three known venomous species and prompted local authorities to demand urgent action to prevent the infestation from spreading beyond the base’s...

Events

3 w. ago ‘Could’ve come from anywhere’: why did spiders appear at a US base in Japan?

More than 3,500 venomous spiders – including black widows and redbacks – have been exterminated at a US military base in western Japan, alarming residents and officials already struggling with a rise in invasive species across the country. The record number of spiders, found between July and October at the US Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, included three known venomous species and prompted local authorities to demand urgent action to prevent the infestation from spreading beyond the base’s...

Politics