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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

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky is seen in an image released in October 2024. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via AFP

Ukraine war

Zelensky sacks Ukraine army chief Syrsky, amid backlash over Fedorov firing

The president’s move comes after days of protests triggered by the removal of his popular defence minister.

6 hours ago

US-Iran tensions

What can China learn from the US sea drone strike on an Iranian submarine base?

21 Jul 2026 - 7:30PMvideocam

China-EU relations

EU lawmakers arrive in China for high-stakes talks to manage mounting tensions

21 Jul 2026 - 8:46PMvideocam

Britain

China’s Li congratulates Andy Burnham on becoming Britain’s new prime minister

Li said strengthening dialogue and cooperation between ⁠China and the UK will benefit ‌the nations and ‘inject stability into global ‌peace’.

21 Jul 2026 - 7:01AM

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has congratulated Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Photo: Reuters

Electric & new energy vehicles

Hungary probes deal with China’s BYD after ex-foreign minister takes job there

Peter Szijjarto’s announcement that he would take a job at the world’s top electric carmaker prompted accusations of a conflict of interest.

21 Jul 2026 - 4:49AMvideocam

North Korea

North Korea paves way for possible Kim trip to Moscow

Pyongyang’s top diplomat met Putin to discuss the Ukraine war, munition shipments and a likely Kim visit, analysts say.

20 Jul 2026 - 3:53PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Lockheed Martin launches cheaper Patriot missile as air defence demand surges

The new missiles will cost less than half that of the current ones, which are about US$4 million each, the US defence contractor says.

20 Jul 2026 - 2:35PM

A man looks at a PAC-3 MSE model by Lockheed Martin at an international military fair in Kielce, Poland, in September 2017. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

Ukraine blames Russia for deadly strike on Turkish cargo ship

Ukraine’s navy said 6 died when Russia launched cruise missiles at the Golden Leo as it was ‘leaving the combat zone with a cargo of grain’.

20 Jul 2026 - 7:43AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Kyiv pounded in Russian missile barrage as air defences run low

At least one person was killed and 16 were wounded, heaping pressure on Kyiv’s foreign partners to accelerate supply of anti-ballistic defences.

19 Jul 2026 - 8:49PM

China-Russia relations

Opinion | Can Russia and China ever have a truly equal relationship?

In a partnership in which one side relies on the other for both export revenues and critical imports, the notion of equality is questionable.

19 Jul 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Did the Ukraine war spark China’s ban on most civilian drone flights in cities?

Strict new rules have disrupted casual users and increased compliance hurdles for industrial applications like power grid inspections.

19 Jul 2026 - 6:04AMvideocam

Malaysia

Malaysian snap poll threatens to chip away at Negeri Sembilan’s tech hub goals

Last year, the state recorded US$4.7 billion in approved investments across 295 projects, almost three times the amount logged in 2024.

17 Jul 2026 - 10:03PM

Russia

Russian activist arrested a day after predicting Putin will end up in handcuffs

Ilya Remeslo faces charges of spreading fake news about the Russian army under censorship laws introduced when Moscow sent troops to Ukraine.

17 Jul 2026 - 8:07PM

Ukraine war

Is Europe’s anti-missile move with Ukraine ‘insurance’ against unpredictable US?

Europe is ‘quietly planning for the day it might have to stand on its own’ while aligning with US calls to do more on defence, analysts say.

17 Jul 2026 - 3:10PM

French President Emmanuel Macron hugs Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris on Tuesday. Zelensky has pressed European allies to boost Kyiv’s air defences before winter. Photo: AFP

Japan

Why Ukraine’s Patriot missile request may be a step too far for Japan

Agreeing to Kyiv’s co-production proposal risks triggering a backlash from Beijing and Moscow, analysts say.

17 Jul 2026 - 7:00AMvideocam

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stands in front of a Patriot missile system during his visit to a military training area in northeastern Germany in 2024. Photo: dpa

Ukraine war

Zelensky faces fury on Ukrainian streets after dropping defence minister

The air force’s deputy commander has resigned in protest, calling Mykhailo Fedorov’s removal ‘a great evil’ for Ukraine’s defence.

16 Jul 2026 - 5:55PM

China-EU relations

EU accuses China of seeking to reshape global order in stark new strategy paper

China trying to ‘reshape the global order in line with their interests’, EU says in some of bloc’s strongest official criticism of Beijing.

16 Jul 2026 - 11:29AMvideocam

Britain

‘End of my political journey’: UK’s Starmer takes last questions session

The prime minister, who steps down next week, says he is leaving Britain ‘in better shape than I found it’.

15 Jul 2026 - 9:29PM

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Photo: UK Parliament/dpa

France

Watch: pomp and colour in Paris as France holds Bastille Day parade

Macron oversees his final July 14 procession as president alongside a host of foreign guests in the French capital.

14 Jul 2026 - 7:34PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US and Iran exchange fire again as UAE tankers attacked in Hormuz

Iran’s Guards target US facilities in the region after Trump says US will be ‘guardian’ of the Strait of Hormuz, for a toll.

14 Jul 2026 - 8:36PMvideocam

Japan

Is Japan a ‘spy paradise’ fuelling Russia’s war machine?

A New York Times article claims Maksim Vladimirovich Filchenkov, a top Russian official, is leading the covert operation in Japan.

14 Jul 2026 - 8:03AM

The entrance to the defence ministry of Japan in Tokyo. Photo: AP

Ukraine war

Kyiv struck by Russian missiles hours after Paris summit

Ukraine capital targeted in early morning attack, but officials confirm no casualties.

14 Jul 2026 - 7:28PM

Kyiv, Ukraine during a Russian aerial attack on July 11. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

Lindsey Graham’s death removes one of Washington’s most influential China hawks

Graham’s sister will fill his Senate seat, but his role as one of Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers may prove harder to replace.

14 Jul 2026 - 5:47AM

Ukraine war

Ukraine allies meet in Paris to boost air defence, pressure Russia to end war

The 37-member Coalition of the Willing aims to develop ‘purely defensive’ anti-ballistic capabilities in Europe.

14 Jul 2026 - 3:40AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Ukraine prime minister steps down as Zelensky shifts strategy amid war

Yulia Svyrydenko resigns after less than a year in office, coming at a pivotal moment in the war with Russia.

13 Jul 2026 - 11:00AM

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko visit the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, which was hit during Russian strike in June. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters

Ukraine war

Ukraine presses allies for resupply as Russia launches ballistic missiles

Russia launched six ballistic missiles, another ‌six cruise missiles and 121 drones, killing two and wounding 19 in Ukraine.

11 Jul 2026 - 7:48PMvideocam

A Ukrainian soldier standing guard beside an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) carrying ammunition, water and provisions in the frontline city of Druzhkivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Friday. Photo: EPA

Russia

Russia’s diesel export ban deals new shock to strained energy market

The move sparked price spikes in Europe and the US, threatening agriculture, power and transport amid tightening supply.

11 Jul 2026 - 10:31AMvideocam

War and conflict

Outside In | How AI is changing the nature of war and conflict

Latest Global Peace Index reflects a world progressively less peaceful as AI enables armies to kill more people more quickly and more cheaply.

10 Jul 2026 - 4:30PM

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Ukraine

Zelensky sacks Ukraine army chief Syrsky, amid backlash over Fedorov firing

The president’s move comes after days of protests triggered by the removal of his popular defence minister.

What can China learn from the US sea drone strike on an Iranian submarine base?

EU lawmakers arrive in China for high-stakes talks to manage mounting tensions

China’s Li congratulates Andy Burnham on becoming Britain’s new prime minister

Li said strengthening dialogue and cooperation between ⁠China and the UK will benefit ‌the nations and ‘inject stability into global ‌peace’.

Hungary probes deal with China’s BYD after ex-foreign minister takes job there

Peter Szijjarto’s announcement that he would take a job at the world’s top electric carmaker prompted accusations of a conflict of interest.

North Korea paves way for possible Kim trip to Moscow

Pyongyang’s top diplomat met Putin to discuss the Ukraine war, munition shipments and a likely Kim visit, analysts say.

Lockheed Martin launches cheaper Patriot missile as air defence demand surges

The new missiles will cost less than half that of the current ones, which are about US$4 million each, the US defence contractor says.

Ukraine blames Russia for deadly strike on Turkish cargo ship

Ukraine’s navy said 6 died when Russia launched cruise missiles at the Golden Leo as it was ‘leaving the combat zone with a cargo of grain’.

Kyiv pounded in Russian missile barrage as air defences run low

At least one person was killed and 16 were wounded, heaping pressure on Kyiv’s foreign partners to accelerate supply of anti-ballistic defences.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Can Russia and China ever have a truly equal relationship?

In a partnership in which one side relies on the other for both export revenues and critical imports, the notion of equality is questionable.

Did the Ukraine war spark China’s ban on most civilian drone flights in cities?

Strict new rules have disrupted casual users and increased compliance hurdles for industrial applications like power grid inspections.

Malaysian snap poll threatens to chip away at Negeri Sembilan’s tech hub goals

Last year, the state recorded US$4.7 billion in approved investments across 295 projects, almost three times the amount logged in 2024.

Russian activist arrested a day after predicting Putin will end up in handcuffs

Ilya Remeslo faces charges of spreading fake news about the Russian army under censorship laws introduced when Moscow sent troops to Ukraine.

Is Europe’s anti-missile move with Ukraine ‘insurance’ against unpredictable US?

Europe is ‘quietly planning for the day it might have to stand on its own’ while aligning with US calls to do more on defence, analysts say.

Why Ukraine’s Patriot missile request may be a step too far for Japan

Agreeing to Kyiv’s co-production proposal risks triggering a backlash from Beijing and Moscow, analysts say.

Zelensky faces fury on Ukrainian streets after dropping defence minister

The air force’s deputy commander has resigned in protest, calling Mykhailo Fedorov’s removal ‘a great evil’ for Ukraine’s defence.

EU accuses China of seeking to reshape global order in stark new strategy paper

China trying to ‘reshape the global order in line with their interests’, EU says in some of bloc’s strongest official criticism of Beijing.

‘End of my political journey’: UK’s Starmer takes last questions session

The prime minister, who steps down next week, says he is leaving Britain ‘in better shape than I found it’.

Watch: pomp and colour in Paris as France holds Bastille Day parade

Macron oversees his final July 14 procession as president alongside a host of foreign guests in the French capital.

US and Iran exchange fire again as UAE tankers attacked in Hormuz

Iran’s Guards target US facilities in the region after Trump says US will be ‘guardian’ of the Strait of Hormuz, for a toll.

Is Japan a ‘spy paradise’ fuelling Russia’s war machine?

A New York Times article claims Maksim Vladimirovich Filchenkov, a top Russian official, is leading the covert operation in Japan.

Kyiv struck by Russian missiles hours after Paris summit

Ukraine capital targeted in early morning attack, but officials confirm no casualties.

Lindsey Graham’s death removes one of Washington’s most influential China hawks

Graham’s sister will fill his Senate seat, but his role as one of Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers may prove harder to replace.

Ukraine allies meet in Paris to boost air defence, pressure Russia to end war

The 37-member Coalition of the Willing aims to develop ‘purely defensive’ anti-ballistic capabilities in Europe.

Ukraine prime minister steps down as Zelensky shifts strategy amid war

Yulia Svyrydenko resigns after less than a year in office, coming at a pivotal moment in the war with Russia.

Ukraine presses allies for resupply as Russia launches ballistic missiles

Russia launched six ballistic missiles, another ‌six cruise missiles and 121 drones, killing two and wounding 19 in Ukraine.

Russia’s diesel export ban deals new shock to strained energy market

The move sparked price spikes in Europe and the US, threatening agriculture, power and transport amid tightening supply.

Outside In | How AI is changing the nature of war and conflict

Latest Global Peace Index reflects a world progressively less peaceful as AI enables armies to kill more people more quickly and more cheaply.

Opinion | Can Russia and China ever have a truly equal relationship?