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Ukraine

Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe after Russia, gaining independence from the Soviet Union and declaring neutrality in 1991. In February 2022, Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine under the auspices of a "special military operation" to "de-nazify" the country. The move turned Moscow into a global pariah, and the Ukrainian army - backed financially and militarily by the US and western European countries - continues to fight off the invading forces. Nuclear-armed Russia has warned of consequences if Nato interferes in the war, while strategic ally China urges a peaceful, diplomatic solution.

Capital

Kyiv

Head of State

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Head of Government

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal

Flames and smoke rise from an oil storage facility struck in Tehran on Saturday. Photo: ISNA via AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Where things stand after another weekend of war in the Middle East

As Mojtaba Khamenei takes the helm in Tehran, regional casualties climb and oil prices surge in a conflict that enters its 10th day on Monday.

1 hour agovideocam

China's military weapons

Why have China’s arms imports plummeted 72% over the past 5 years?

9 Mar 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Ukraine protests Russia’s participation in Venice Biennale

9 Mar 2026 - 12:58PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran strikes on desalination plants threaten Arab states’ water supplies

In Kuwait, about 90 per cent of drinking water comes from desalination, along with roughly 86 per cent in Oman and about 70 per cent in Saudi Arabia.

9 Mar 2026 - 10:22AMvideocam

Smoke rises from Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on March 1. Photo: Planet Labs PBC via AP

China-EU relations

Opinion | How Europe and China can rise above paralysis and mistrust

Together, Brussels and Beijing can reshape global power into a balance where Europe matters and China gains legitimacy as a responsible power.

7 Mar 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Ukraine war

At least 7 killed in Ukraine’s Kharkiv as Russia strikes apartment building

Moscow struck its neighbour overnight with 29 missiles and 480 drones, President Zelensky said, with hits at 22 locations.

7 Mar 2026 - 5:19PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

‘We are decimating them’: US brushes off Russian help for Iran in war

The White House downplays Moscow sharing information with Tehran on US targets in the Gulf, saying it is not affecting military operations.

7 Mar 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

Smoke and fire rise from the site of air strikes at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Indonesia

DNA confirms mutilated remains found on Bali beach belong to kidnapped Ukrainian

Ihor Komarov, a 28-year-old Ukrainian national, was reported abducted in mid-February while riding a motorcycle with a friend in Jimbaran.

6 Mar 2026 - 8:24PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Ukraine military drone experts ‘due in Gulf soon’

There is said to be interest in anti-drone warfare not only from the US but from private and public channels in Gulf nations too.

6 Mar 2026 - 8:11PMvideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | China waits and watches as the US fights all its tigers at once

Far from freeing up resources to focus on China, Trump’s administration finds itself fighting fires on several fronts, sapping its resources.

5 Mar 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Security forces fire tear gas to disperse a protest against US and Israeli attacks on Iran, at a bridge leading to the fortified Green Zone where the US embassy is located, in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 2. Photo: AP

Ukraine war

Trump’s Iran attack sparks calls in Russia to abandon Ukraine talks

Some Russian hardliners are urging Vladimir Putin to double down on the war in Ukraine.

4 Mar 2026 - 6:37PMvideocam

A billboard in Moscow advertising contract military service in the Russian unmanned systems forces. Photo: EPA

Two Sessions 2026

Will Iran feature in foreign policy talks at China’s ‘two sessions’?

The focus is on economics and the five-year plan but the turmoil could prompt a rethink in some areas, analysts say.

3 Mar 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Indonesia

‘Nothing to them’: Indonesia’s US-Iran peace broker bid faces long odds

Indonesia’s president offered to fly to Tehran in person, but critics say joining Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ cost Jakarta its neutrality.

3 Mar 2026 - 5:55PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | Kim Jong-un’s daughter may well become North Korea’s first female leader

The signs of succession are apparent, from Kim Ju-ae’s growing public appearances with her father to her reported appointment to a new leadership position.

3 Mar 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Kim Ju-ae with her father, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, watching a demonstration flight commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army Air Force at Kalma Airfield in Wonsan, Gangwon province, on November 28. Photo: KCNA via KNS/AFP

Two Sessions 2026

Language as a weapon? PLA academics seek training overhaul, cite Ukraine war

Digitised battlefields demand new breed of soldier, as skilled at data analysis and psy-ops as at wielding a weapon, veteran instructor says.

3 Mar 2026 - 9:00AMvideocam

Coordinated push from military academics reflects a broader recognition within China’s defence establishment as the People’s Liberation Army’s global footprint expands. Photo: Reuters

France

France to boost atomic arsenal, could deploy nuclear-armed jets to allies

France’s Macron says eight European countries have agreed to a ‘forward’ deterrence plan to bolster continental security.

3 Mar 2026 - 4:41PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Long Iran war could hurt Ukraine’s defence, says Zelensky

The president said if military strikes in the Middle East continue, the supply of weapons to fend off Moscow’s long attack could be affected.

2 Mar 2026 - 9:47PMvideocam

Middle East

Asia’s travel sector rattled by Iran attacks, fears of ‘domino effect’ slowdown

Airlines are bracing for higher oil prices, continuous flight disruptions and plunging traveller confidence.

2 Mar 2026 - 5:59PMvideocam

A display board at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi shows cancelled flights to Dubai and Doha on Monday, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran. Photo: Reuters

European Union

Belgium special forces seize Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker

The European Union has blacklisted hundreds of vessels in a bid to sap Moscow’s war chest.

1 Mar 2026 - 7:17PM

Middle East

US says it used drones based on Iran’s own Shaheds in attack: ‘retribution’

Russia has used over 57,000 similar drones built with Iranian technology in Ukraine, transforming modern warfare.

1 Mar 2026 - 5:20AM

Taiwan

Taiwan is buying expensive US weapons systems, but are they the right ones?

The pricey arms packages are already facing legislative pushback. Now critics say they may be addressing the wrong threat.

28 Feb 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

A National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (Nasams), of the kind approved by the US for sale to Taiwan. Photo: Handout

Ukraine war

Opinion | Peace in Ukraine will require pragmatic diplomacy on both sides

To prevent the war from dragging on for a fifth year, earlier proposals such as one floated by China and Brazil should be reconsidered.

28 Feb 2026 - 6:45AM

Firefighters work at the site of a residential building damaged during Russian drone and missile strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 22. Photo: Reuters

War and conflict

Trump puts fate of world’s top conflicts in hands of 2 men

In a frantic 24 hours of shuttle diplomacy, Trump’s hand-picked duo juggled Iran negotiations and Ukraine war talks.

27 Feb 2026 - 12:25PM

Ukraine war

Opinion | Don’t expect Russia’s war on Ukraine to end in its fifth year

Barring Moscow or Kyiv reaching breaking points in their war efforts, neither side will make any steps to end or ‘freeze’ the conflict.

26 Feb 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Poland

Poland tells US it won’t be a ‘sucker’ as Trump reshapes Nato

Foreign Minister Sikorski pledged loyalty to Washington but called for greater EU security responsibility amid Trump’s policy shifts.

26 Feb 2026 - 7:51PM

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski delivers a speech to parliament in Warsaw on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

China affirms ‘no nukes’ position amid claims of European plan to arm Ukraine

While Moscow accuses London and Paris of preparing to give nuclear weapons to Kyiv, Beijing doubles down.

26 Feb 2026 - 3:13PMvideocam

As Russia’s war on Ukraine enters its fifth year, China has restated its opposition to a nuclear escalation of the conflict. Photo: dpa

China-Germany relations

Merz’s China tightrope: German leader has warm words, hard questions for Beijing

German chancellor strikes diplomatic tone in Beijing meetings while pushing his hosts on subsidies, currency devaluation and Russia.

26 Feb 2026 - 4:05PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Zelensky speaks with Trump, says Russia talks should lead to leaders’ meeting

The leader says Russian claims that Kyiv was trying to obtain nuclear arms were an attempt to exert political pressure on Ukraine.

26 Feb 2026 - 5:51AM

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Ukraine

Where things stand after another weekend of war in the Middle East

As Mojtaba Khamenei takes the helm in Tehran, regional casualties climb and oil prices surge in a conflict that enters its 10th day on Monday.

Why have China’s arms imports plummeted 72% over the past 5 years?

Ukraine protests Russia’s participation in Venice Biennale

Iran strikes on desalination plants threaten Arab states’ water supplies

In Kuwait, about 90 per cent of drinking water comes from desalination, along with roughly 86 per cent in Oman and about 70 per cent in Saudi Arabia.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | How Europe and China can rise above paralysis and mistrust

Together, Brussels and Beijing can reshape global power into a balance where Europe matters and China gains legitimacy as a responsible power.

At least 7 killed in Ukraine’s Kharkiv as Russia strikes apartment building

Moscow struck its neighbour overnight with 29 missiles and 480 drones, President Zelensky said, with hits at 22 locations.

‘We are decimating them’: US brushes off Russian help for Iran in war

The White House downplays Moscow sharing information with Tehran on US targets in the Gulf, saying it is not affecting military operations.

DNA confirms mutilated remains found on Bali beach belong to kidnapped Ukrainian

Ihor Komarov, a 28-year-old Ukrainian national, was reported abducted in mid-February while riding a motorcycle with a friend in Jimbaran.

Ukraine military drone experts ‘due in Gulf soon’

There is said to be interest in anti-drone warfare not only from the US but from private and public channels in Gulf nations too.

Opinion | China waits and watches as the US fights all its tigers at once

Far from freeing up resources to focus on China, Trump’s administration finds itself fighting fires on several fronts, sapping its resources.

Trump’s Iran attack sparks calls in Russia to abandon Ukraine talks

Some Russian hardliners are urging Vladimir Putin to double down on the war in Ukraine.

Will Iran feature in foreign policy talks at China’s ‘two sessions’?

The focus is on economics and the five-year plan but the turmoil could prompt a rethink in some areas, analysts say.

‘Nothing to them’: Indonesia’s US-Iran peace broker bid faces long odds

Indonesia’s president offered to fly to Tehran in person, but critics say joining Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ cost Jakarta its neutrality.

Opinion | Kim Jong-un’s daughter may well become North Korea’s first female leader

The signs of succession are apparent, from Kim Ju-ae’s growing public appearances with her father to her reported appointment to a new leadership position.

Language as a weapon? PLA academics seek training overhaul, cite Ukraine war

Digitised battlefields demand new breed of soldier, as skilled at data analysis and psy-ops as at wielding a weapon, veteran instructor says.

France to boost atomic arsenal, could deploy nuclear-armed jets to allies

France’s Macron says eight European countries have agreed to a ‘forward’ deterrence plan to bolster continental security.

Long Iran war could hurt Ukraine’s defence, says Zelensky

The president said if military strikes in the Middle East continue, the supply of weapons to fend off Moscow’s long attack could be affected.

Asia’s travel sector rattled by Iran attacks, fears of ‘domino effect’ slowdown

Airlines are bracing for higher oil prices, continuous flight disruptions and plunging traveller confidence.

Belgium special forces seize Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker

The European Union has blacklisted hundreds of vessels in a bid to sap Moscow’s war chest.

US says it used drones based on Iran’s own Shaheds in attack: ‘retribution’

Russia has used over 57,000 similar drones built with Iranian technology in Ukraine, transforming modern warfare.

Taiwan is buying expensive US weapons systems, but are they the right ones?

The pricey arms packages are already facing legislative pushback. Now critics say they may be addressing the wrong threat.

Opinion | Peace in Ukraine will require pragmatic diplomacy on both sides

To prevent the war from dragging on for a fifth year, earlier proposals such as one floated by China and Brazil should be reconsidered.

Trump puts fate of world’s top conflicts in hands of 2 men

In a frantic 24 hours of shuttle diplomacy, Trump’s hand-picked duo juggled Iran negotiations and Ukraine war talks.

Opinion | Don’t expect Russia’s war on Ukraine to end in its fifth year

Barring Moscow or Kyiv reaching breaking points in their war efforts, neither side will make any steps to end or ‘freeze’ the conflict.

Poland tells US it won’t be a ‘sucker’ as Trump reshapes Nato

Foreign Minister Sikorski pledged loyalty to Washington but called for greater EU security responsibility amid Trump’s policy shifts.

China affirms ‘no nukes’ position amid claims of European plan to arm Ukraine

While Moscow accuses London and Paris of preparing to give nuclear weapons to Kyiv, Beijing doubles down.

Merz’s China tightrope: German leader has warm words, hard questions for Beijing

German chancellor strikes diplomatic tone in Beijing meetings while pushing his hosts on subsidies, currency devaluation and Russia.

Zelensky speaks with Trump, says Russia talks should lead to leaders’ meeting

The leader says Russian claims that Kyiv was trying to obtain nuclear arms were an attempt to exert political pressure on Ukraine.

Opinion | How Europe and China can rise above paralysis and mistrust