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United Nations

United Nations
The UN is an international organisation founded after World War II that aims to provide a dialogue platform between countries, fortifying international corporation and preventing future wars. There are currently 193 members led by five permanent members of the Security Council - US, Russia, UK, France and China. The organisation currently has six principal organs: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Secretariat, International Court of Justice, and the Trusteeship Council.
China’s UN envoy Fu Cong warns US sanctions on Chinese firms over Iran risk undermining ceasefire efforts and the rule of law in international affairs. Photo: Reuters
2026 Trump-Xi summit

China’s UN envoy blasts US ‘bullying’ as sanctions widen before Trump-Xi talks

Curbs tied to Iran and a fragile ceasefire cast a shadow over the leaders’ planned Beijing summit as tensions between the powers mount.

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China-Japan relations

Why is China warning the UN of a Japanese ‘nuclear breakout’?

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Diplomacy

Opinion | A world adrift looks to China for institutional anchors. Enter Hong Kong

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US-China relations

UN bloated, costly, but China fears to keep US involved, House committee told

Pulling out of international organisation would see Beijing expand its influence and leave Washington at major disadvantage, lawmakers say.

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Flags of countries at the United Nations’ Headquarters in Manhattan, New York. Photo: Shutterstock
Africa

‘A lot of suicide’: Sudan war’s sexual violence sparks mental health crisis

The horrific scenario includes the shooting and raping of a health worker - with a woman in labour dying - and many suicides to avoid rape.

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US, Israel war on Iran

‘Might over right’ imperils international justice, Wang Yi tells UN’s Baerbock

UN General Assembly president meets Chinese foreign minister in Beijing amid Iran war tensions and global energy crisis.

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US-China relations

US conditions for paying UN dues include China curbs, report says

The US owes billions of dollars in unpaid fees to the organisation, which is facing ‘imminent financial collapse’, according to its chief.

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The United Nations logo is seen at the UN headquarters in New York in December 2023. Photo: AFP
IAEA

Landmark UN nuclear summit opens as world’s warhead count grows

UN chief urges world to ‘breathe life’ into a landmark non-proliferation treaty as nations gather in New York.

US-EU relations

Exclusive | Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’.

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Africa

Mali’s junta in crisis as defence minister is killed in massive coordinated attacks

Rebel-jihadist offensive leaves Bamako on edge as territory falls and junta leader Assimi Goita remains out of sight.

A Malian soldier during an attack on Kati outside the capital Bamako. Photo: Reuters
China-Middle East relations

Iran digs in as US envoys Kushner and Witkoff head to Pakistan for more talks

Trapped in the Persian Gulf, ship crews run low on food, water – and mental health reserves.

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The Epaminondas ship is seen during seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, in this image obtained on Friday. Photo: Reuters
War and conflict

Opinion | Blinding the world with lies makes peacemaking an impossible task

From Iran to the Horn of Africa, disinformation is killing diplomacy. Mediators need facts, not state-sponsored fictions.

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World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO approves first malaria treatment for babies

Up to now, infants have been given formulations for older children – carrying a greater risk of dose errors, side effects and toxicity.

United States

Trump Justice Department adds firing squads for federal executions

Electrocution and gas are also being added as methods, after the US president called for an expansion of the use of the death penalty.

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A firing squad chair (left) and an electric chair are seen in Columbia, South Carolina. The death penalty is normally carried out at the state level, but the federal government can also seek execution for certain crimes. Photo: South Carolina Department of Corrections via AP
US, Israel war on Iran

Why US tanker blockades are raising risks for Southeast Asian strait controllers

The bigger risk is not of the Iran war spilling into their waters, but the strain of operating in more contested sea lanes, analysts say.

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Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy patrols the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade on April 15. Photo: US Navy/AFP
United Nations General Assembly

UN leadership race takes centre stage with first round of interviews

Contenders strike sombre tones during interviews as the next leader faces a huge task to revitalise an organisation in crisis.

France

Second French peacekeeper dies in Lebanon after ambush blamed on Hezbollah

Anicet Girardin is the third French soldier to die since the start of the fighting in the Middle East.

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Singapore

UN alarmed by Singapore executions for drug-related offences

UN rights chief Turk said drug-related offences not involving loss of life did not meet the ‘most serious crimes’ standard by international law.

Singapore at sunrise. The death penalty is mandatory in Singapore for drug trafficking above certain quantities, such as 500g (1.1 lb) of cannabis or 15g of heroin. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

How China’s AI carbon accounting model points the finger at the US

The system factors in both production and consumption, lessening the responsibility of exporters such as China.

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Singapore

Singapore’s Balakrishnan warns Hormuz just a ‘dry run’ if US, China clash

Foreign minister also says Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have a ‘strategic interest’ in keeping the Strait of Malacca open.

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North Korea

North Korea’s Lazarus suspected of stealing US$290 million from KelpDAO

Ethereum was ‘drained’ from KelpDAO in the biggest known cryptocurrency heist so far this year.

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A physical imitation of an Ethereum cryptocurrency token. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

Opinion | It’s time to unlock Hong Kong’s international relations potential

Globally connected and intellectually vibrant, the city can offer cutting-edge research and lead diplomatic debates of global importance.

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Hong Kong’s Central district on January 26. Hong Kong is often described as a “superconnector” between China and the world. Yet in the study and practice of international relations, the city remains intellectually vibrant but structurally peripheral. Photo: Jelly Tse
Singapore

Strait talking: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia unite to secure safe shipping

Together, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore form the world’s busiest corridor for crude oil and petroleum liquids by volume.

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Indonesia

Indonesian rights body, military clash over reports of Papua civilian killings

The National Human Rights Commission said 12 people had been ‌shot dead during an operation against separatists in central Papua.

Crime

LA woman charged in US with trafficking arms to Sudan for Iran

Shamim Mafi is accused ‘brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition’.

Los Angeles International Airport, where Iranian national Shamim Mafi was arrested on Saturday. Photo: AP
China-EU relations

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
North Korea

North Korea launches ballistic missile as UN warns of nuclear advances

The two short-range missiles fired from the Sinpo of North Korea flew about 140 kilometres (87 miles) each towards the country’s eastern waters.

China technology

Letters | Chinese motorcycle brand ZXMOTO’s victory more than a sporting achievement

Readers discuss ZXMOTO’s wins in the WorldSSP class of the Superbike World Championship, and the connection between competition for oil and the space race.

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