Asia

Sunday, 28 September 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Varma helps India beat Pakistan as Asia Cup final ends in controversy

Varma hits 69 not out as India chase 146 after coming into bat at 10-2 in a dramatic end to the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Pro-democracy activist Nathan Law is denied entry to Singapore

Hong Kong has issued a bounty for the arrest of former student leader of the Umbrella Movement protest group

The Independent 🇬🇧

Typhoon Bualoi: Vietnam evacuates thousands as storm nears landfall

NPR 🇺🇸

Stampede at a political rally for popular actor Vijay in southern India kills 36, injures 40

September 28, 2025 • A stampede at a rally for a popular Indian actor and politician in the southern state of Tamil Nadu killed at least 36 people and injured 40 others.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Crowd crush at political rally for popular actor Vijay in southern India kills at least 36

Additionally, almost 60 were reported as injured at the event in Tamil Nadu.

Saturday, 27 September 2025

The Guardian 🇬🇧

At least 40 dead and 124 injured in crush at Vijay rally in India

BBC News 🇬🇧

At least 40 dead in crush at political rally in India

Tens of thousands had gathered at a campaign event for actor-turned-politician Vijay in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

At least 39 killed in crowd crush at Indian actor-politician Vijay’s rally

Vijay, a well-known actor who goes by only one name, launched a political party last year.

The Independent 🇬🇧

South Korea scrambles to restore services after massive fire hits central government data centre

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US soyabean farmers squeezed as China blocks imports and stockpiles rise

Overseas sales of top US export crop plummet as trade talks between Washington and Beijing stall

Le Monde 🇫🇷

UN Security Council rejects Russia and China's last-ditch effort to delay sanctions on Iran

Barring an eleventh-hour deal, the reinstatement of sanctions – triggered by Britain, France and Germany – will once again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran and penalize any development of Iran's ballistic missile program, among other measures.

Friday, 26 September 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Russia is helping train China’s paratroopers, leaked files show

Documents point to deepening Sino-Russian military ties across complex operations

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India beat Sri Lanka in Super Over thriller on eve of Asia Cup final

India take all the way by Sri Lanka in final Super Fours match before Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Pakistan.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

World must deny Israel ‘tools of genocide’, says growing alliance of activist states

The Independent 🇬🇧

Russian warplane makes last flight for India after 60 years of service

BBC News 🇬🇧

Is the US-China TikTok deal done? Here's what you need to know

Donald Trump says a deal on the future of TikTok in the US has been made, but it’s not been confirmed by China or the app’s owner ByteDance.

Thursday, 25 September 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

China launches campaign to keep killjoys off the internet

Pessimistic social media posts may now be targets of a fresh crackdown by the Chinese government.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan to face India in Asia Cup final after defeating Bangladesh

Bangladesh crumble as Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf take three wickets each in Super Fours match in Dubai.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Inside China’s mega iPhone factory: long hours, discrimination and delayed pay

Undercover investigation at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant shows tough conditions for seasonal staff building new Apple device

The Independent 🇬🇧

Typhoon Ragasa weakens in Vietnam after leaving trail of destruction

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Super Typhoon Ragasa batters Hong Kong – video

Friday, 9 May 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump tracker: the latest data on US tariffs, trade and economy

As the president launches a trade war, follow the latest on tariffs and executive orders

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Pakistan says it is committed to Kashmir ceasefire after India accuses it of ‘violations’ – as it happened

The New York Times 🇺🇸

What We Know About the Terrorist Groups India Said It Targeted

India has accused Pakistan of continuing to support Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad. Pakistan has rejected those claims.

The Times 🇬🇧

Pakistan and India move closer to war with wave of strikes

The two nuclear-armed countries have accused each other of targeting military airbases with missiles

BBC News 🇬🇧

The US and China are finally talking. Why now?

Economic pressures are forcing Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to seek an off-ramp in the trade war.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India, Pakistan exchange claims over drone strikes

India and Pakistan have been trading drone and artillery strikes in some of the most intense fighting in nearly 30 years

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Putin and Xi aim to ensure their interests continue to converge

The Chinese president is in Moscow to attend the May 9 military parade alongside his Russian counterpart. While Moscow engages in discussions with the Trump administration, Beijing focuses on strengthening its alliance with Russia.

Wednesday, 24 September 2025

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Typhoon Ragasa slams southern China after deadly sweep through region

Typhoon Ragasa made landfall in China's Guangdong province on Wednesday, unleashing winds and rain after killing at least 14 people in Taiwan and eight in the Philippines.

The Independent 🇬🇧

World’s strongest storm breaks records in China: Live

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China’s Xi sets out conservative climate goal for next decade

President contradicts Donald Trump by calling the green energy transition ‘the trend of our time’

BBC News 🇬🇧

'No warning' - residents reel from deadly flood after typhoon bursts Taiwan lake

People in the path of a deadly wall of water stood little chance - survivors are shocked at what happened.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Shaheen declares Pakistan ‘ready’ to win Asia Cup as India await in final

Pakistan face Bangladesh on Thursday in an eliminator ahead of Sunday’s final of the 2025 Asia Cup, where India await.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

As it happened – deadly cyclone makes landfall in China after devastating Hong Kong, Taiwan and Philippines

NPR 🇺🇸

Typhoon Ragasa batters Hong Kong and southern China

September 24, 2025 • Typhoon Ragasa whipped waves taller than lampposts onto Hong Kong promenades and turned seas rough on the southern Chinese coast after leaving deadly destruction in Taiwan and the Philippines.

Monday, 22 September 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Hong Kong braces for Typhoon Ragasa after Philippines: Live updates

BBC News 🇬🇧

ICC charges Rodrigo Duterte with crimes against humanity

The former president of the Philippines is accused of being involved in the deaths of dozens of people.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan, Sri Lanka seek Asia Cup survival in crucial Super Fours match

A loss in the match on Tuesday will put both teams on the brink of elimination from cricket’s T20 Asia Cup 2025.

NPR 🇺🇸

North Korea's Kim Jong Un ready to talk if U.S. drops denuclearization demand

September 22, 2025 • Kim told North Korea's legislature he's ready to resume talks, adding that he had "good memories" of President Trump, despite ongoing tension over Washington's denuclearization stance.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Vidya Krishnan: 'For five years, India's political prisoners have shown a special dignity'

The investigative journalist draws attention to the plight of opponents of Narendra Modi's regime who have been imprisoned in India. She especially highlights the case of Umar Khalid, a prominent student activist, who has been incarcerated since 2020.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

UN and rights groups condemn reported jailing of Wuhan Covid citizen journalist

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump’s U-turn on China

There has been a discernible shift in how this administration is dealing with Beijing

Tuesday, 23 September 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan wobble but beat Sri Lanka to stay afloat in Asia Cup 2025

The win in Abu Dhabi sends Pakistan second on the Super Fours points table while Sri Lanka are all but out.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Poland restores China’s main overland trade route to Europe

Warsaw had kept border crossing with Belarus shut after Russian drones entered Polish airspace

BBC News 🇬🇧

Typhoon bursts Taiwan lake as strongest storm barrels towards China

Ragasa is the strongest storm anywhere on Earth so far this year.

NPR 🇺🇸

Americans are crazy for shrimp. Much of it came from India — until now

September 23, 2025 • India's shrimp exports to the U.S. were once a success story. Now the industry faces ruin amid President Trump's 50% tariff on imports from the country.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Rodrigo Duterte, former Philippines president, charged with crimes against humanity at ICC

Sunday, 21 September 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Super Typhoon Ragasa forces evacuations in Philippines and Taiwan

BBC News 🇬🇧

South Korea would accept a Trump-Kim deal to freeze nuclear programme, president tells BBC

Lee Jae Myung tells the BBC he wants to restore trust with North Korea.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

UK, Canada and Australia recognise Palestine as an independent state

Move comes as Israel intensifies military action in Gaza and expansion of settlements in occupied West Bank

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Asia Cup: No handshakes but plenty of heat as India beat Pakistan again

Abhishek’s innings helps India chase 172 with seven balls to spare in their Super Fours match against Pakistan in Dubai.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Protesters flood streets of Philippines over state corruption

Le Monde 🇫🇷

UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal recognize the State of Palestine

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a Palestinian state would 'endanger' Israel as several countries, including France, are set to recognize the State of Palestine at the UN on Monday.

Saturday, 20 September 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

India warns new US fee for H-1B visa will have 'humanitarian consequences'

Donald Trump has said those applying for H-1B visas will have to pay $100,000, roughly 60 times the current fee, starting Sunday.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Bangladesh defeat Sri Lanka in Super Fours thriller at Asia Cup

The Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup opens with Bangladesh beating Sri Lanka by four wickets in Dubai.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Trump and Xi set to meet as TikTok deal nears resolution

Following their phone conversation on September 19, the presidents of the United States and China, the world's two leading powers, have signaled a willingness to open dialogue and ease tensions between their countries.

NPR 🇺🇸

Lawyers vs. engineers: Dan Wang sees U.S.-China dynamics in a new paradigm

September 20, 2025 • In a new book, analyst Dan Wang uses "engineering state" vs. "lawyerly society" to explain how China got ahead and America stagnated.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Parliament vulnerable to ‘foreign actors’ after China spying charges dropped, Commons speaker says

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China cracks down on use of live-streaming and AI to sell religion

Rules to curb online activities of money-minded monks and clergy follows scandal at world-renowned Shaolin Temple

Friday, 19 September 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump claims he is talking with Taliban about deal to retake Bagram

BBC News 🇬🇧

How a man's affair with his mother-in-law became a viral film in Indonesia

Norma, a movie based on a viral true story from TikTok, has become a nationwide obsession.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Hong Kong evacuates thousands after 1,000-lb World War II-era bomb found

A total of 6,000 residents needed to be removed from 18 buildings in the city's Quarry Bay neighborhood, police said on Friday after the discovery, determining that the bomb appeared to be 'fully functional.'

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump and Xi to meet in South Korea as US president hails TikTok deal

American leader says Chinese counterpart approved sale of video app’s American operations

NPR 🇺🇸

Trump says talk with China's Xi yielded progress, including on TikTok

September 19, 2025 • Officials have been working on a deal to bring popular video app TikTok under U.S. ownership to avoid shutting it down in the United States.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India avoid Oman upset at Asia Cup with 21-run T20 win

India given scare by Oman but winning run continues after 21-run victory at 2025 Asia Cup.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘Immense joy:’ elderly British couple hug relatives after Afghanistan release – video

Thursday, 18 September 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

China is calling a TikTok deal a win. What's in it for them?

Experts tell the BBC what a final deal might look like, and what Beijing might get in return.

The Independent 🇬🇧

India looking into implications of Saudi-Pakistan defence pact

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump says Afghanistan’s Bagram air base should be returned to US

President says site is strategic due to proximity to China’s nuclear weapons

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Sri Lanka dump Afghanistan out of Asia Cup with six-wicket win

Afghanistan’s 2025 Asia Cup run ended at the group stage following a six-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.

NPR 🇺🇸

Trump suggests U.S. troops could return to Afghan base over China concerns

September 18, 2025 • Trump floated the idea during a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he wrapped up a state visit to the U.K. and tied it to the need for the U.S. to counter its top rival, China.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Zhang Zhan: who is the Chinese citizen journalist facing a second trial?

Le Monde 🇫🇷

'Want to know how the global tech industry is doing? Follow Taiwan's GDP'

Electronic chips produced by Taiwan's tech giants, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Foxconn, are its most powerful weapon against a potential invasion by China, writes Le Monde's Julien Bouissou in his column.

Tuesday, 16 September 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Modi turns 75 – the unofficial retirement age for his ruling party

BBC News 🇬🇧

US officers tied us up and pointed guns at us, South Korean engineers tell BBC

Korean workers who were detained in the US say they were treated like criminals and are still in shock.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India joins Russia-Belarus drills amid nuclear weapons launch rehearsal

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends final day of military exercises, which he says involved 100,000 troops.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Beijing says TikTok’s US app will use Chinese algorithm

Donald Trump extends deadline to shut down social media platform as he promises a deal with China

The Guardian 🇬🇧

From Colombo to Kathmandu, the furious youth movements toppling entrenched elites

Wednesday, 17 September 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Delhi’s toxic air is turning iconic Red Fort black, scientists warn

BBC News 🇬🇧

Fury over corruption and 'nepo babies' as floods paralyse Philippines

An unusually fierce monsoon has derailed daily life more than ever in the South East Asian nation.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

FirstFT: China orders tech companies to stop buying Nvidia AI chips

Also in today’s newsletter, Saudi Arabia signs defence pact with Pakistan, and the Fed cuts rates by quarter point

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Families sue Boeing, Honeywell over June Air India crash

The lawsuit filed in a court in Delaware alleges the accident was caused by faulty fuel switches

The Guardian 🇬🇧

EU calls for closer ties with India despite Modi’s links to Russia

Monday, 15 September 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Rising seas may threaten 1.5m Australians by mid-century

Le Monde 🇫🇷

South Korean minister says US admits Georgia plant raid was 'excessive'

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo made the remarks to reporters on Monday as he arrived in Washington for talks with US counterparts on finalizing a bilateral deal.

BBC News 🇬🇧

They were shot dead for protesting against corruption in Nepal

Many young people were among more than 70 people killed in anti-corruption protests in Nepal.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

'Nothing was left at all': devastating fire displaces 1,100 families in Manila – video

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump signals US and China have struck TikTok deal

US president says talks with Beijing have ‘gone very well’ and plans call with Xi Jinping this week

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

The Muslim world must move from words to action

Pakistan’s top diplomat, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, says the Muslim bloc must move beyond rhetoric to concrete action.

Sunday, 14 September 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Modi calls for peace in Manipur in first visit since violence began

BBC News 🇬🇧

'My wife died giving birth after Trump cut funding to our clinic'

The BBC hears devastating accounts of Afghan mothers and babies dying after US-backed clinics shut.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

China outraged by Mexico's automotive tariffs

The Mexican government announced plans to raise import taxes to 50% on 1,400 products – including automobiles – imported primarily from China, India, and South Korea. Beijing, viewing this as a pro-American maneuver, threatened retaliation.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India thump Pakistan by seven wickets in politically-charged Asia Cup match

Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian spinners star in the Group A cricket fixture in Dubai.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

How India can trump US tariffs

It should unleash the potential of its vast internal market with reform and investment

Saturday, 13 September 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Tariffs and fentanyl question cloud prospect of Trump-Xi summit in Beijing

The US has not yet accepted an invitation from China as progress stalls between the geopolitical rivals

The Independent 🇬🇧

Imran Khan’s son says father in ‘death cell’ as he urges UN to act

BBC News 🇬🇧

Nepal's major parties say dissolved parliament must be reinstated

The House of Representatives was dissolved by the country's president, following deadly anti-corruption protests.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

How India and Pakistan prepared for a politically-charged Asia Cup clash

As teams get ready to take the field, players and staff reveal dressing room chats amid political frenzy.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Pakistan security forces kill 35 militants in raids on Pakistani Taliban

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Sushila Karki appointed as Nepal's prime minister with mission to preserve unity

Four days after violence left 51 people dead and devastated key seats of power, the former chief justice of the Supreme Court was appointed as interim prime minister. Parliament was dissolved.

NPR 🇺🇸

'Chinese Encounters with America' argues U.S. and China lost shared interests

September 13, 2025 • The 12 profiles featured in this edited book highlight the positive aspects of the U.S.-China engagement, which began in earnest after diplomatic relations were established in 1979.

Friday, 12 September 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Nepal gets first female PM after deadly unrest

Former Supreme Court chief justice Sushila Karki is sworn in after a deal with protest leaders.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Nepali former chief justice appointed PM in bid to end turmoil

Sushila Karki sworn in as Himalayan nation’s first female premier, but move raises constitutional questions

NPR 🇺🇸

India's Honk-Happy Drivers Switch To Even Louder Horns

September 12, 2025 • Indian cities are noisy – very noisy. And now drivers are buying louder horns so they can be heard above the din. But that’s adding to noise pollution in cities like Mumbai.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Cricket after conflict: ‘Worst time for an India-Pakistan match’

Ahead of India vs Pakistan at the Asia Cup, fans and experts predict the post-war acrimony to overshadow the cricket.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In devastated Kathmandu, young Nepalese fear old leaders' return

No seat of power was spared in Nepal's capital during two days of unprecedented protest. The army, which has seized control of the country, is negotiating a way out of the crisis after the prime minister resigned and the president disappeared. Yet the young people behind the movement have little say in what comes next.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Nepal appoints its first female PM after historic week of deadly protests

The Independent 🇬🇧

Nepal’s Gen Z protesters lead street clean-up after days of unrest

Thursday, 11 September 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US urges G7 to impose up to 100% tariffs on China and India over Russian oil

Finance ministers to discuss Washington’s proposal aimed at pushing Moscow to agree Ukraine peace deal

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India vs Pakistan at Asia Cup: Three classics to relive before September 14

A low-scoring thriller, a Shahid Afridi special and a last-over six – Al Jazeera picks three matches you must revisit.

NPR 🇺🇸

Hundreds of South Koreans arrested in a U.S. immigration raid are being sent home

September 11, 2025 • U.S. immigration authorities are preparing to send more than 300 South Korean workers home on a chartered flight from Atlanta, a week after detaining them for allegedly working illegally.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Streets submerged in Indonesia after deadly floods – video

BBC News 🇬🇧

Bali's worst floods in a decade kill 14

Authorities say the flash floods on the popular island were caused by heavy rainfall.

Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Mexico to slap 50% tariff on Chinese cars under US pressure

World’s biggest buyer of Chinese autos seeks to preserve US free trade deal

The Independent 🇬🇧

What’s next for Nepal after deadly protests topple government?

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Kuldeep stars as India beat UAE by nine wickets to open Asia Cup defence

India open their Asia Cup defence with a nine-wicket win against host nation United Arab Emirates in Dubai.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Hyundai and LG's giant US plant in shock after massive immigration raid

The South Korean companies' metaplant in Georgia was the target of a vast federal immigration raid on September 4, during which 475 people were detained.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Trump asks EU to impose tariffs of up to 100% on India and China

BBC News 🇬🇧

Nepal protests 'hijacked', Gen Z claim, as army patrols the streets

Fierce protests against corruption and nepotism spiralled into arson and violence on Tuesday.

NPR 🇺🇸

What to know about the mass Gen Z protests in Nepal

September 9, 2025 • At least 19 people have been killed in the protests and more than 200 others were admitted to the hospital due to injuries, according to Nepal's Civil Service Hospital.

Tuesday, 9 September 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Nepal prime minister resigns over deadly anti-corruption protests

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump tells EU to hit China and India with 100% tariffs to pressure Putin

US president makes extraordinary demand in bid to force Russia to end invasion of Ukraine

BBC News 🇬🇧

Nepal parliament set on fire after PM resigns over anti-corruption protests

KP Sharma Oli steps down amid Nepal's worst unrest in decades, with at least 22 deaths reported in clashes.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Nepali PM forced to step down, parliament torched amid deadly protests

KP Oli steps down but mass anticorruption protests continue, with government buildings set on fire.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

'Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin share a communist fascination with combating the decay of the body'

On September 3, during a private conversation caught by a live microphone, the Russian president and his Chinese counterpart discussed the extension of life. Anthropologist Philippe Charlier explains that this exchange echoes the communist project of building a 'new man.'

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Nepal's prime minister quits after deaths at protests sparked by social media ban – video

NPR 🇺🇸

Nepal's prime minister resigns after protests against corruption and social media ban

September 9, 2025 • Nepal's prime minister resigned Tuesday following violent protests against a ban on social media platforms and government corruption.

Monday, 8 September 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Russia’s Rosatom says planning to sell renminbi bonds in China

Confirmation of nuclear monopoly’s plans come as Beijing opens way for first Russian ‘panda bond’ sales since 2017

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Asia Cup: Is politically-charged India vs Pakistan match driven by profit?

Despite strained relations, India-Pakistan matches remain a financial cornerstone for tournament organisers.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba's resignation ushers in a period of political uncertainty

The prime minister stepped down under mounting pressure within his own party, dissatisfied with July's upper house election defeat. He was also criticized for failing to curb the rising cost of living. His Liberal Democratic Party, still the largest force in parliament, is preparing for his succession.

The Independent 🇬🇧

At least 19 killed as Nepal’s Gen-Z protests social media ban

The Guardian 🇬🇧

At least 19 killed in ‘gen Z’ protests against Nepal’s social media ban

BBC News 🇬🇧

Australian triple murderer jailed for life over toxic mushroom lunch

She will serve a non-parole period of 33 years for killing three relatives and trying to kill another.

NPR 🇺🇸

The U.S. is a major importer of Indian products made from Russian oil

September 8, 2025 • The United States imports oil products from India's Reliance Industries refinery, which sources nearly half its oil from Russia.

Sunday, 7 September 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China paves way for renminbi fundraising by Russian energy giants

Russian ‘panda bond’ sales would be first since 2017 and reflect deepening ties between Moscow and Beijing

BBC News 🇬🇧

South Korean worker tells BBC of panic and confusion during Hyundai ICE raid

Some 400 US agents took part in the immigration raid on the Hyundai facility, detaining hundreds of workers, many South Korean nationals.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

How India is weaponising immigration control to silence its diaspora

The Indian government is using the threat of cancelling OCIs to silence critics. This must not remain unchallenged.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Japan’s Shigeru Ishiba resigns as prime minister

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Japan's PM Ishiba says he will resign after historic defeat in summer election

Shigeru Ishiba announced Sunday he will step down Sunday following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July’s parliamentary election.

NPR 🇺🇸

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to resign

September 7, 2025 • Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed his intention on Sunday to step down following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July's parliamentary election.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Japan PM Shigeru Ishiba to resign amid fallout from disastrous elections

Saturday, 6 September 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

How Tokyo became an unexpected haven for China’s middle class

An aspirational generation of Chinese arrivals are beginning to shape Japan’s demographic, social and perhaps even political destiny

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Five people dead as rescue boat overturns in Pakistan floods

More than a dozen rescued after boat capsizes during evacuations in Pakistan’s flood-stricken Punjab.

NPR 🇺🇸

ICE arrests at a Georgia Hyundai plant create new tension with South Korea

September 6, 2025 • South Korea's foreign minister is considering a trip to the U.S. to meet with the Trump administration after hundreds of South Koreans were arrested in Georgia at an electric vehicle battery plant.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

'The Tianjin summit marks the birth of the Global South'

Organized by Chinese President Xi Jinping and attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the event reveals a new international order characterized by China's growing power and the waning of American hegemony, according to researchers Stéphanie Balme and Christophe Jaffrelot in this opinion piece for Le Monde.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Seoul holds emergency meeting after citizens detained in US Hyundai raid

US immigration officials detained 475 workers on Thursday - most of them South Korean nationals - saying they were working illegally.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Japan celebrates first male royal’s adulthood in 40 years

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Japan’s second in line to emperor’s throne comes of age amid succession debate

Friday, 5 September 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

The sunscreen scandal shocking Australia - the world's skin cancer hotspot

It has shaken consumer trust and raised questions about global sunscreen regulation.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

US agents arrest 475 in raid on Hyundai-LG plant

Hundreds of federal agents on Friday descended on a sprawling site where Hyundai manufactures electric vehicles in Georgia and detained 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals.

NPR 🇺🇸

Greetings from Guhagar, India, where newly hatched turtles get some help into the sea

September 5, 2025 • Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Xi Jinping plots a post-American world

Led by China, a growing group of nations wants to change the global order — and they seem increasingly inclined to work together

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Bus crashes off steep cliff, killing at least 15 people in Sri Lanka

A passenger bus veered off the road in a mountainous region in Sri Lanka, killing at least 15 people onboard.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

US Navy Seals killed North Korean civilians in botched 2019 mission, report says

The Independent 🇬🇧

Thailand’s Shinawatra suddenly leaves country ahead of court ruling

Thursday, 4 September 2025

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Afghan earthquake death toll jumps to more than 2,200, say Taliban

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US and Taiwanese defence officials held secret talks in Alaska

Discussions came after a planned higher-level meeting with island’s defence minister was cancelled by Washington

BBC News 🇬🇧

Trump's tariffs are pushing food and drink exporters closer to China

Agricultural brokers tell the BBC there has been a surge of interest from exporters in trade with China.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Afghans displaced by quake live on streets, in farm fields as winter looms

The death toll from an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan is rising and concerns over a homelessness crisis growing.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Afghanistan earthquake death toll reaches 2,200, deadliest in decades

After a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, thousands of poor and now homeless families have been waiting for rescue workers, delayed by the country's failing infrastructure.

NPR 🇺🇸

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping

September 4, 2025 • Experts say Kim likely hopes to restore ties with China, North Korea's biggest trading partner and aid provider, as there have been questions about the bilateral relationship.

Wednesday, 3 September 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Can India retaliate against Trump's 50% tariffs?

Prolonged 50% tariffs could shave off as much as 0.8% of India's GDP - so what are Delhi's options?

The Independent 🇬🇧

Xi is preparing to move against Taiwan – this is how it will happen

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Putin tells Xi organ transplants could offer immortality

Chinese leader noted predictions that humans could live to 150 in this century

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India cuts consumption taxes to boost demand after Trump’s tariff blow

Analysts say the cuts in consumer taxes is aimed at boosting demand in the wake of 50% tariffs on Indian goods.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Nuclear triad and ‘robot wolves’: parade shows off array of Chinese weapons

Le Monde 🇫🇷

There is no 'Global South.' Is there a West?

The world order shaped by the United States is now devalued and faltering, analyzes Le Monde columnist Gilles Paris.

NPR 🇺🇸

China's Xi displays military might and global ambitions at elaborate parade

September 3, 2025 • It was a grand display of China's ambitions as thousands of goose-stepping soldiers marched through Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing, as Chinese President Xi Jinping looked on from above.

Tuesday, 2 September 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Xi hails ‘unstoppable’ China at landmark military parade with Putin and Kim

Beijing sends ‘peace or war’ warning while Trump accuses leaders of ‘conspiring’ against US

The Independent 🇬🇧

Xi hails relationship with Putin despite ‘international changes’

BBC News 🇬🇧

Trump accuses Xi of conspiring against US with Putin and Kim

Donald Trump's comments came as China held a massive military parade attended by the Russian and North Korean leaders.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

At least 11 killed in explosion at political rally in Pakistan’s Quetta

At least 22 killed in three separate attacks in Pakistani border provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Putin hails ties with China as Kim Jong-un arrives in Beijing on eve of parade

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Afghanistan earthquake rescue efforts slowed by lack of resources

The earthquake that struck near Jalalabad, in eastern Afghanistan, overnight from Sunday to Monday has left more than 1,400 people dead and 3,000 injured. The difficulty in accessing some remote valleys and the shortcomings of the Taliban regime have raised fears of an even higher death toll.

NPR 🇺🇸

Battle for history: China's WWII anniversary rekindles legacy debate

September 2, 2025 • A military parade in Beijing marking the end of World War II will draw leaders from around the world. It's an opportunity for the Communist Party to shape the narrative surrounding the end of the war.

Monday, 1 September 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

North Korea's Kim arrives in Beijing with daughter to attend massive military parade

The "Victory Day" parade on Wednesday will see Kim rub shoulders with China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and others.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

China to show off military might in parade attended by anti-west leaders

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Chinese renminbi strongest against dollar since Trump’s election win

Rally comes after years of weakening and is seen as signal that Beijing will allow gradual appreciation

NPR 🇺🇸

Modi and Putin affirm special relationship as India faces steep US tariffs over Russian oil imports

September 1, 2025 • The two leaders held talks after attending the key session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathering in the port city of Tianjin, where discussions focused on regional stability, bilateral trade and energy cooperation.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

How will Pakistan deal with its worst floods on record?

Hundreds of people are dead and millions affected.

The Independent 🇬🇧

At least 800 dead as 6.0-magnitude quake hits Afghanistan: Latest

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Xi, Putin and Modi close ranks against West at regional summit in China

Chinese President Xi Jinping told leaders gathered for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, including Belarus's Alexander Lukashenko and India's Narendra Modi, that the international situation was becoming more 'chaotic and intertwined' and slammed 'bullying behavior' from certain countries.

Sunday, 31 August 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

China's navy is expanding at breakneck speed - and catching up with the US

Beijing's shipbuilding capacity is 200 times that of the US, an expert says, calling the scale "extraordinary".

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Xi and Modi say they are ‘partners not rivals’ in bid to repair ties

Donald Trump’s trade war drives a rapprochement between the world’s two most populous countries

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Two million impacted as Pakistan’s Punjab faces worst floods in its history

While South Asia’s seasonal monsoon brings rainfall that farmers depend on, climate change is making it deadly.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Putin, Modi and Erdoğan among leaders in China for talks with Xi

NPR 🇺🇸

China's Xi and India's Modi vow to resolve border differences at meeting in Tianjin

August 31, 2025 • Modi is on his first visit to China since relations between the two countries deteriorated after Chinese and Indian soldiers engaged in deadly border clashes in 2020.

Saturday, 30 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

One bride, two grooms: Inside the Indian tradition of polyandry

BBC News 🇬🇧

Reeling from Trump's tariffs, India and China seek a business reboot

India's prime minister hopes to draw nearer to some of the world’s largest economies.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

US trade war, India-China ties loom large at SCO summit in Tianjin

The China-led bloc will give members a chance to air common grievances, especially against Washington.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Fire kills three people in Indonesia after protesters torch council buildings

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China’s stock market outpaces global peers as local investors pile in

CSI 300 has rallied more than US and European indices this year, even as foreign investors stay away

Le Monde 🇫🇷

China prepares for major military parade to assert power and commemorate history

The capital will host a spectacular parade on Wednesday, September 3, marking 80 years since the victory over Japanese aggression. Against a tense international backdrop, Beijing intends to showcase its power and revive its historical memory, while strengthening its alliances.

NPR 🇺🇸

3 dead after mob sets fire to Indonesian regional parliament building

August 30, 2025 • An angry mob set fire to a local parliament building in an Indonesian provincial capital, leaving at least three people dead and five others hospitalized, officials said.

Friday, 29 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra removed from office

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Sri Lanka’s crisis shows how debt is devouring the Global South

From Africa to Asia to Latin America, billions go hungry while creditors profit.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Trump's rebuke, Xi's handshake, Putin's oil: India's foreign policy test

India’s foreign policy sits uneasily in the Trump-led order, caught between Russia and strained US relations.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Singapore is worried about a rise in drug-laced vaping. What is happening, and what is the drug etomidate?

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US regulator approves at-home Alzheimer’s drug from Eisai and Biogen

Go ahead for Leqembi shot by Food and Drug Administration could help revive two companies’ sluggish sales

NPR 🇺🇸

In a first, Kim Jong Un will attend a gathering of leaders with both Putin and Xi

August 29, 2025 • When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits China next week for a military parade, it will be his debut at a gathering of foreign leaders for a rare meeting of China, Russia and North Korea.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Thailand's Constitutional Court ousts PM over Cambodia border dispute

In a ruling issued on Friday, the court found that Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her cabinet had failed to uphold ethical standards when dealing with a border dispute with Cambodia.

Thursday, 28 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump aide labels Russia-Ukraine conflict ‘Modi’s war’ amid tariff row

BBC News 🇬🇧

'India put us on the boat like captives - then threw us in the sea'

Rohingya refugees tell the BBC they were flown from Delhi and forced into the sea off the coast of Myanmar.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US warns China-linked groups may be laundering billions for Mexican cartels

Treasury urges US banks to be vigilant to avoid being drawn into such schemes

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Famous Sikh shrine partially submerged after flooding in Pakistan

One of Pakistan’s most famous Sikh temples was flooded after heavy rains submerged parts of Punjab province.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Floods in eastern Pakistan affect 1.2 million, displace nearly 250,000

Rescuers in boats raced to reach stranded families in the populous Punjab province after three major rivers burst their banks because of heavy rain and the release of water from overflowing dams in neighboring India.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Taipei City council in the dog house over Chinese-made patrol robot

NPR 🇺🇸

North Korea's Kim will meet with Xi and Putin at Chinese military parade

August 28, 2025 • With Russia's Vladimir Putin also coming for the parade, the event will underline the three-way alignment among Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang in the face of a U.S. push to bolster its alliances with South Korea and Japan.

Tuesday, 26 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Rohingya refugees face uncertain future 8 years after fleeing Myanmar

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Sri Lanka’s ex-president granted bail in embezzlement case

Ranil Wickremesinghe granted bail on a $16,600 bond after tense court hearing amid protests and tight security.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Trump's 50% tariff on India kicks in as Modi urges self-reliance

The US president's steep 50% tariffs on India have kicked in, sending Narendra Modi's government into firefighting mode.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Temu resumes direct shipping from China to US after Trump truce

Low-cost ecommerce platform steps up American advertising after tentative trade deals to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Australia expels Iranian ambassador over antisemitic arson attacks

Canberra accused Tehran of orchestrating antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne through its Revolutionary Guard, marking its first expulsion of an ambassador since World War II.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

India’s supreme court orders inquiry into giant zoo run by son of Asia’s richest person

NPR 🇺🇸

Australia accuses Iran of organizing antisemitic attacks and expels ambassador

August 26, 2025 • Australian leader Anthony Albanese accused Iran of organizing two antisemitic attacks in Australia, saying the country would cut off diplomatic relations with Tehran. Iran had no immediate reaction.

Wednesday, 27 August 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

The Chinese gadget maker taking on Tesla and Apple

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump’s punitive 50% tariff takes effect in India

BBC News 🇬🇧

Thousands evacuated as 'exceptionally high' flooding devastates parts of Pakistan's Punjab

Some 200,000 people have been evacuated after authorities warned of flooding from three rivers.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Magnitude 6 offshore earthquake rattles Taiwan’s northeast

No immediate reports of damage, island’s fire department says, as buildings shake in capital Taipei.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

How hard will Trump’s 50% tariff hit India, and what is Delhi doing about it?

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Maldives revokes shark fishing ban after decades

The luxury holiday destination and top diving spot in the Indian Ocean previously imposed a total ban on shark fishing in March 2010, following severe restrictions that had been in place since 1998.

NPR 🇺🇸

U.S. tariffs take effect on India, threatening $48.2B in exports

August 27, 2025 • Earlier this month President Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on India due its purchases of Russian oil, bringing the combined tariffs to 50%.

Monday, 25 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Why India’s opposition leader hosted a tea party for ‘dead’ voters

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trade war deepens decline in China’s economic powerhouse province

US tariffs have exacerbated a slowdown in Guangdong, a region crucial to Beijing

BBC News 🇬🇧

How Taiwan is preparing for Chinese attack with acting, fake blood and mock missile strikes

Leaders are strengthening its defence, but most Taiwanese believe it is unlikely China will invade soon.

NPR 🇺🇸

Evergrande's delisting in Hong Kong: key facts to know

August 25, 2025 • At its peak, China Evergrande Group was worth more than $50 billion. But it all came crashing down in 2021. It was massively in debt and unable to complete some existing projects.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Bangladesh issues global call on Rohingya crisis

Dhaka hopes a conference can provide solutions to the aid crisis facing Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Cambodia passes law to strip citizenship from those accused of colluding with foreign powers

A coalition of 50 rights groups issued a statement on Sunday warning the law 'will have a disastrously chilling effect on the freedom of speech of all Cambodian citizens.'

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Japan has opened its first osmotic power plant – so what is it and how does it work?

Sunday, 24 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

India’s top court ordered one million stray dogs be removed from the streets. The backlash was immediate

BBC News 🇬🇧

Floods keep ravaging Pakistan - why can't it protect itself better?

In June of this year alone, monsoon rains have killed at least 750 people across the country.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Labubu craze leads to shortages and surge in counterfeits

Pop Mart, the Beijing-based company behind the collectible figurines, reports record half-year results but struggles to meet demand despite automating its factories.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China’s triple stock markets are too much of a good thing

An ever-expanding cast undermines confidence in exchanges’ longevity

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Week in Pictures: From Israeli-made famine in Gaza to wildfires in Spain

A global roundup of some of last week’s events.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Taiwan referendum on reopening last nuclear plant fails

Friday, 22 August 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China tech billionaire shoots for US-style ‘March Madness’ basketball league

Backed by billionaire Alibaba co-founder Joseph Tsai, Asian competition looks to tap lucrative market for amateur events

The Independent 🇬🇧

China says it stands with India against ‘bully’ Trump’s trade tariffs

BBC News 🇬🇧

'Two laptops, six plugs': The South Korean cafes grappling with students who don't leave

As Starbucks asks some to stop bringing printers into its branches to work, what's going on?

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Deadly monsoon leaves devastation in Pakistan and India: 'It's as if Judgment Day has already come for us'

Since late June, disasters have struck in quick succession across the mountainous regions of northern Pakistan and India. Torrential rains have triggered a series of flash floods, mudslides and rockfalls, wiping entire villages off the map.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Former Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested

Police say the former leader is accused of misuse of public funds in relation to a trip to London.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

India scales back plan to remove stray dogs from streets of Delhi

NPR 🇺🇸

Thai court acquits ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of royal defamation charge

August 22, 2025 • Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was acquitted of a royal defamation charge by a court on Friday, in a case that could have sent him to prison for up to 15 years.

Saturday, 23 August 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

My trip to North Korea's 'Benidorm' - flanked by guards and full of rules

Anastasia, one of the first Russian visitors to North Korea's new resort, tells of "immaculate" beaches, meaty meals and strict rules.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Baidu, China's robotaxi leader, sets sights on Europe

The Chinese tech giant, in partnership with American company Lyft, aims to launch driverless ride-hailing services in Germany and the United Kingdom in 2026. While China and the US are driving the robotaxi revolution, Europe remains a bystander.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Former Sri Lankan president admitted to hospital after arrest

The Independent 🇬🇧

Taiwan votes on recall of opposition MPs and future of nuclear power

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Why an Indian bill removing jailed leaders from office has sparked outrage

Elected representatives jailed for 30 days on serious charges could lose their posts – even without a conviction.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Why learn French when your phone can do it for you?

Learning a foreign language is hard, using AI is easy . . .  but Henry Mance thinks the rewards are worth the effort

Thursday, 21 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Xi Jinping attends controversial anniversary celebrations in Tibet

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Taiwan weighs return to nuclear power amid AI surge and China fears

Referendum on restarting 40-year-old plant comes as energy security concerns and electricity costs grow

BBC News 🇬🇧

The 95-year-old POW who wants to return to North Korea to die

Ahn Hak-sop failed in his attempt to cross the border, after spending most of his life in South Korea.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Explosion at Karachi fireworks warehouse injures at least 33 people

A huge explosion at a fireworks warehouse has injured at least 33 people in Karachi’s Saddar neighbourhood.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Modi and Macron vow closer ties as Trump presses India on Russian oil

India's prime minister said Thursday he agreed with France's president to deepen their partnership, as New Delhi faced US threats of steep tariffs.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

North Korea has secret military base that may pose threat to east Asia and US, new report says

Wednesday, 20 August 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

A fierce war of words keeps Thailand and Cambodia on edge

The two sides are waging an information war to win international sympathy and shore up support at home.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

US court allows Trump to end temporary protections for 60,000 migrants

Appeals court pauses an order that had protected status for Nepalese, Hondurans and Nicaraguans.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

India ‘successfully tests’ nuclear-capable missile able to reach deep into China

The Independent 🇬🇧

China set to debut new advanced weaponry at massive military parade

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Why Trump is really targeting India

Washington is singling out New Delhi in an effort to extract concessions in trade negotiations

Le Monde 🇫🇷

India's Modi meets China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties

The two sides agreed to resume direct flights and issuance of journalist visas and to facilitate business and cultural exchanges, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry.

Tuesday, 19 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Putin calls Brics allies to debrief them on his Trump summit

BBC News 🇬🇧

Netanyahu accuses Australian PM of 'betraying' Israel

Relations between the countries have frayed since Australia said it planned to recognise a Palestinian state.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Labubu frenzy sends Pop Mart profits and shares soaring

Chinese toy company’s better than expected results may allay analysts’ concerns over sustainability of its sales surge

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

At least 71 die in bus crash involving Afghans deported from Iran

Police in western Afghanistan’s Herat province say the accident was due to the bus’s ‘excessive speed and negligence’. 

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Peruvian woman accused of trying to smuggle cocaine into Bali using sex toy

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Monsoon floods in northern Pakistan claim hundreds of lives

Pakistani officials said Tuesday the death toll from flooding and landslides caused by five days of torrential rains in the north of the country rose to nearly 400.

Monday, 18 August 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

'No-one comes for us': The women trapped in Afghanistan's mental health system

Accessing treatment in an Afghan mental health facility is difficult - but getting out can be harder.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Search underway for missing after Pakistan flash floods kill over 330

NPR 🇺🇸

Jimmy Lai: Closing arguments in Hong Kong tycoon national security trial begin

August 18, 2025 • Lai is accused of colluding with foreign forces under the controversial national security law, which Beijing imposed.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Deadly flooding wipes out villages in northwestern Pakistan

A new wave of flooding has swept through villages in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Clive of India isn’t welcome in Shrewsbury either

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Hong Kong’s busy bankers give its office market a lift

The mood has started to turn in the city’s financial markets

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Buffeted by Trump, India seeks to strengthen ties with Russia and China

Threatened by Washington with 50% tariffs, India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has responded by turning to its powerful neighbors. The Indian foreign minister is set to visit Russia soon, while the Chinese foreign minister is expected in New Delhi on Monday.

Sunday, 17 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump rows back threat of ‘secondary tariffs’ against India and China

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

At least 337 killed in Pakistan floods, gov’t defends emergency response

Residents accuse officials of not warning them to evacuate as torrential rain and cloudbursts trigger deadly flooding.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China steps up tax crackdown on overseas investments

Wealthy individuals are rethinking trading strategy as Beijing tries to fill its coffers to counter economic pressure

BBC News 🇬🇧

More than 200 missing in flood-hit district in Pakistan, official says

Hundreds are reported missing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as a result of devastating floods.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Soviet-era relics in Kazakhstan rescued from ruin

The monumental mosaics and frescoes adorning public buildings in the former Soviet republic are at risk of disappearing and initiatives to restore these works of art are proliferating.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Rescue efforts continue in Pakistan as flash floods kill more than 320 people – video report

Friday, 15 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Afghan women feel forgotten by world after four years under Taliban

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Taliban marks fourth anniversary of return to power with internal threats

Four years on, Afghanistan remains an international pariah for its harsh repression of women.

BBC News 🇬🇧

An artist on the run, an exhibition censored: How China tried to silence a Thai art show

The Burmese curators of the show, which contained Tibetan, Uyghur and Hong Kong art, have fled to the UK.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

'Since 2021, the war that has been waged against women is gradually being won by the Taliban'

In four years, the new regime has made Afghan women and girls entirely invisible, aided by the silence of the international community, criticize three human rights activists in an opinion piece for Le Monde.

NPR 🇺🇸

A Secret History of the Japanese Army

August 15, 2025 • On the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in WWII, the legacy of a biological warfare unit still haunts. And human rights activists are alarmed by the Trump administration’s changing focus. 

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Women banned from celebrations as Taliban marks fourth anniversary of Afghanistan takeover

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Data of former UK ministers and Afghan refugees leaked after cyber attack

Action against third-party contractor comes a month after revelations of breach related to resettlement scheme

Saturday, 16 August 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Beyond chow mein: Can a new wave of restaurants help China win hearts?

As an authoritarian China tries other forms of soft power, a sumptuous table may be a useful draw.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

South Korean president confirms closer ties with Japan

Lee Jae-myung used Friday's celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonization to call for increased cooperation, despite ongoing disputes over the historical record.

NPR 🇺🇸

As arms race in Asia intensifies, a-bomb survivors make final plea for peace

August 16, 2025 • While atomic bomb survivors warn the catastrophic risks, leaders of nuclear-armed states and self-proclaimed 'realists' argue that the deterrence of nuclear weapons is what keeps them from being deployed.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

EM companies rush to global debt markets as risk premium falls to near 20-year low

Banks and companies in emerging markets outside China are issuing debt at the fastest pace since 2021

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Photos: Flash floods wreak havoc in northern Pakistan

Rescue efforts intensify in flood-hit villages as thousands remain stranded and death toll rises across Pakistan.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘Now it’s about personal happiness’: popular Granny Wang dating show belies China’s falling marriage rates

Thursday, 14 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump’s foreign aid cuts have ‘strengthened tyranny’ in Myanmar

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Panama ports deal will not close this year, warns CK Hutchison

Conglomerate says the $23bn transaction is taking much longer than expected as it tries to win Beijing’s approval

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Flash flood in Indian Kashmir leaves at least 56 dead and scores missing

BBC News 🇬🇧

'We were never friends': A massacre on the eve of WW2 still haunts China-Japan relations

Eighty years after Japan was defeated, a wave of Chinese films about the occupation are fuelling memory and anger.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Dozens feared dead in Kashmir flash floods

At least 32 people have died and over 50 are missing after flash floods in Indian-administered Kashmir.

NPR 🇺🇸

New details emerge about Japan's notorious WWII germ warfare program

August 14, 2025 • The release of WWII-era military documents this year has given a boost to researchers digging into Japan's germ warfare program. Japan's government has never apologized for the atrocities.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

China shuts down a major lithium mine, triggering a surge in prices

The world's leading battery manufacturer has halted operations at one of its extraction sites, sending shockwaves through the lithium market while failing to dispel concerns over potential overproduction.

Wednesday, 13 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Backlash after authorities in India ban meat sales on Independence Day

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Jimmy Lai trial: closing arguments in Hong Kong delayed by aftermath of Typhoon Podul

BBC News 🇬🇧

Rebel or traitor? Trial of Hong Kong's rebel mogul Jimmy Lai resumes

Lai is accused of colluding with foreign forces under a Beijing-imposed national security law.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Bangladesh officials testify against UK lawmaker at anticorruption trial

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In Japan, the sensitive question of recognizing Palestine

Seeking to balance its alliance with the United States and its ties with Arab countries − which are major suppliers of oil and gas − Japan has hesitated to recognize Palestine, even though it has consistently supported a two-state solution.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Global stocks extend rally after US inflation data lifts sentiment

Latest reading paves way for Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in September

NPR 🇺🇸

Wife of South Korea's jailed ex-President Yoon arrested over corruption allegations

August 13, 2025 • Investigators say the former president and first lady exerted undue influence on the conservative People Power Party to nominate a specific candidate during a 2022 election.

Friday, 8 August 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump’s 100% tariff threat looms over chip sector despite relief for Apple

US probe into semiconductor sector could leave a patchwork of agreements with individual companies and countries

The Independent 🇬🇧

Killer elephant’s rescue in India sparks massive street protests

BBC News 🇬🇧

From underdogs to equals: How India forced England to draw Test series

The India-England test series has been called the greatest in recent years.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Azerbaijan and Armenia sign accord brokered by Trump at the White House

US president says the deal will bring peace and new economic opportunities for the two rivals, but issues remain.

The Wire 🇮🇳

‘Ask the ECI to Answer Opp’s Vote Theft Charge’: An Open Letter to the CJI

The ECI should voluntarily submit itself to scrutiny. But if it does not, sir, I request you to summon the powers the Constitution vests in you and order it to do so without delay.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

India seeks 200 copters to replace ageing Cheetah & Chetak fleet

The New York Times 🇺🇸

What’s Behind the Thailand-Cambodia Conflict

A series of border skirmishes between Thailand and Cambodia escalated into a military conflict in July that killed dozens of people and rattled the region. As negotiations take place, Sui-Lee Wee, The New York Times’s Southeast Asia bureau chief, talks to Katrin Bennhold, a senior writer on the International desk, about the context behind the evolving dispute.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Banker Bao Fan reportedly released from Chinese detention after two years

The Times 🇬🇧

She’s on trial for crimes against humanity — and plotting a comeback

Bangladeshis ousted Sheikh Hasina a year ago and accuse her of ordering massacres. Now from exile she spies a path back to power

Le Monde 🇫🇷

After the arrest of Shaolin's 'CEO monk,' China is cracking down on Buddhist temples

Shi Yongxin, the abbot of Shaolin Temple since 1998, had turned the monastery into a martial arts global brand. Since his arrest, Chinese authorities have launched a large-scale campaign to 'decommercialize' Buddhist temples.

Wednesday, 6 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

‘Children like me had to carry bodies’: Hiroshima - 80 years on

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Is Trump winning the trade war and at what cost to the economy?

Donald Trump’s tariff policy is taking shape and the president is already touting benefits to the US economy.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Trump orders India tariff hike to 50% for buying Russian oil

India, which now faces among the highest tariff rates imposed by the US, called the levy "unjustified and unreasonable".

The Wire 🇮🇳

J&K Admin Bans 25 Books, Including Ones By A.G. Noorani and Arundhati Roy

The order, which allows for the titles to be seized, said the books ‘promoted secessionism’ and ‘incited violence against the Indian state’.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China hits roadblock in drive for ‘national champions’ in chip industry

Beijing wants ‘megamergers’ to help fragmented sector face large US and European rivals

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Trump's 50% tariff shock: How will it impact Indian economy? Explained

The Times 🇬🇧

Trump’s tariffs ‘risk pushing India towards Beijing’

Narendra Modi faces a strategic crossroads — will he buckle under pressure from the United States or keep buying Russian oil?

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Trump’s Tariff Gamble Puts America’s Ties With India at Risk

As the president pursues his goals on Russia and trade, America’s relationship with an important partner in Asia could end up as collateral damage.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In southern China, tens of thousands evacuated after heavy rains, floods and landslides

Torrential downpours have drenched southern Guangdong province, with a landslide in its capital, Guangzhou, trapping 14 people, state broadcaster CCTV said. One person was later confirmed dead, it said.

NPR 🇺🇸

Greetings from Gujarat, India, where a banyan tree is a place for rest, prayers and play

August 6, 2025 • Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international correspondents share snapshots of moments from their lives and work around the world.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

World awaits Trump’s next move as Russia ceasefire deadline approaches

Tuesday, 12 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

New Zealand MP evicted from parliament after passionate Gaza speech

BBC News 🇬🇧

Inside Australia's billion-dollar bid to take on China's rare earth dominance

Recent moves by Beijing have got businesses worried - and Australia is looking to offer an alternative.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China’s new canola tariff heightens trade tensions with Canada

Preliminary 76% duty marks escalation after Beijing applied levies on the sector in March

The Guardian 🇬🇧

South Korea’s former first lady arrested after court issues warrant on corruption charges

The Wire 🇮🇳

A Field Survey by Congress in Begusarai Shows All That is Wrong With Bihar SIR

The party's findings indicate a deliberate attempt by the Election Commission to create hurdles in cross-checking the draft electoral rolls and conceal its own errors.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

No upper hand for US? Why Trump has extended tariff truce with China for another 90 days - explained

The Times 🇬🇧

Robot antelope joins the herd to keep an eye on their health

Chinese scientists have built a furry robot spy that sends data on the far-ranging and remote herds back to conservationists

The New York Times 🇺🇸

India Orders Removal of Stray Dogs

Tens of thousands of stray dogs walk the streets of New Delhi. But after a recent spike in dog bites and attacks, the nation’s top court wants them gone.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Iran says it arrested 21,000 ‘suspects’ during 12-day war with Israel-US

Tehran says it carried out widespread internal arrests as Israel, US launched huge strikes on the country in June.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Trump inserts himself into the South Caucasus

The US president skillfully capitalized on two years of dialogue between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders, backing the draft agreement they reached on August 8 in Washington.

Monday, 11 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

India’s election body faces scrutiny over voter list anomalies

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump extends trade war truce with China

US leader postpones new tariffs on world’s biggest exporter for another 90 days

The Wire 🇮🇳

In Phone Call with Modi, Zelenskyy Presses India on Russian Oil, Calls for Support to Keep Ukraine in Talks

The conversation took place days before a planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

India added to list of countries whose citizens can be deported from UK before appeal

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: Trump’s Washington Crackdown

Also, Israel-Qatar tension.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

US puts Balochistan armed group in Pakistan on ‘foreign terrorist’ list

The designation comes as US President Donald Trump seeks closer ties with Pakistani government.

The Times 🇬🇧

Chinese diplomat becomes the latest victim of President Xi’s purge

The Communist Party’s Oxford-educated discipline enforcer is rumoured to have been led away from his plane after returning from an overseas trip

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Indian court orders removal of thousands of stray dogs from Delhi region

BBC News 🇬🇧

Australia to recognise Palestinian state in September

It follows similar moves by the UK, France and Canada.

Sunday, 10 August 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Nvidia and AMD to pay 15% of China chip sale revenues to US government

Chipmakers agree to unusual arrangement to secure export licences from Trump administration

The Independent 🇬🇧

Why pirate flags are taking over Indonesia

The Wire 🇮🇳

Election Commission Turns on Rahul Gandhi After Ignoring Decade of Red Flags in Mahadevapura

In Bangalore Central’s Mahadevapura, the massive increase in voters, by ECI’s own rule book, should have been seriously investigated, but wasn't.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

What’s the fallout from a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia?

The US brokered the agreement, giving it leverage and business opportunities.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Urgent need': After Op Sindoor, IAF seeks more Rafales; decision when MRFA case comes to DAC

BBC News 🇬🇧

New voters list in Indian state includes wrong photos and dead people

A political row has broken out over India's Election Commission's decision to update the rolls in Bihar.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: North Korea’s Heir Apparent

Also, Europe closed ranks ahead of the Alaska summit.

The Times 🇬🇧

North Korea dismantles propaganda speakers as border tension eases

The move comes as Seoul put in place measure to reduce confrontation with its northern neighbour

NPR 🇺🇸

A new NPR series looks at the forces changing the world order

August 10, 2025 • As the postwar international order continues to evolve, NPR explores its past and the present and asks what the future may look like.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

South Korea’s military shrinks by 20% as low birthrate hits recruitment

Saturday, 9 August 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Largest surface-to-air kill': IAF chief on how S-400 was game-changer in India-Pak face-off

The Independent 🇬🇧

Nagasaki’s twin bells ring for first time in 80 years as Japan marks A-bomb anniversary

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Iran rejects planned transit corridor outlined in Armenia-Azerbaijan pact

Iran is distancing itself from ally Russia as it rejects planned border corridor backed by US President Donald Trump.

The Times 🇬🇧

How to educate 2,800 Afghan girls without the Taliban finding out

Parasto Hakim fled to France two years ago after an assassination attempt and now runs 35 secret schools via WhatsApp and Google Meet

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Iran and Russia stand to lose from US deal with Azerbaijan and Armenia

The Wire 🇮🇳

‘Shot Down Six Pak Aircraft in Op Sindoor, No Restrictions Were Put On Us’: IAF Chief

The IAF chief's speech comes after the Indian Defence Attache to Indonesia, Captain Shiv Kumar, hinted at 'political constraints' on the armed forces.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Rice prices plunge to 8-year low after record harvests

India and other countries have ended export restrictions, flooding the market with supply

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Nagasaki's restored bell rings for first time in 80 years since atomic bomb

On Saturday, the two bells of Nagasaki's Immaculate Conception Cathedral rang together for the first time since 1945, when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

How North Korea Promotes Kim’s ‘Dear Daughter’ as a Worthy Heir

Kim Jong-un’s daughter is rising in status through increasing state media coverage. Experts say that she is perhaps being groomed to take the reins of the isolated, nuclear-armed regime one day.

Thursday, 7 August 2025

The Guardian 🇬🇧

South Korea postpones decision to let Google Maps work properly – again

The Independent 🇬🇧

India hits back at Trump over ‘unfair’ 50% tariffs

BBC News 🇬🇧

India's immigration raids send ripples through slums and skyscrapers alike

An upscale Indian suburb is rounding up some of its most marginalised residents, saying they are illegal immigrants.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Will the Election Commission Wake Up After Rahul Gandhi Presents Evidence of Poll Fraud?

The EC, which has so far been blatantly dismissive of the opposition's concerns, must address them seriously and with interest before they become unmanageable.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Trump tariffs: To beat 50% duty, exporters speed up US consignments

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India’s Modi, Brazil’s Lula speak amid Trump tariff blitz

India is signaling it may seek to rebalance its global partnerships after Trump’s salvo of tariffs on Indian goods.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

FirstFT: China implores officials to cut down bureaucratic excess

Also in today’s newsletter, Modi tells farmers he will ‘never compromise’, and Trump nominates Stephen Miran to Fed board

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: Netanyahu Plans to Fully Control Gaza

Plus, the global response to Trump’s tariffs.

The Times 🇬🇧

Real ghostbusters of Tokyo clear out city’s old haunts

Buyers and landlords of properties where a death has taken place know who to call

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Cambodian PM

After the US assisted Malaysia and China in mediating a ceasefire for the Cambodia-Thailand conflict, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said he had written a letter nominating Donald Trump for the prestigious award.

NPR 🇺🇸

Trump doubles tariffs on India, jeopardizing longstanding ties

August 7, 2025 • Tensions are escalating between the U.S. and India as the Trump administration imposes tariffs and tries to force India to stop buying Russian oil.

Tuesday, 5 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Imran Khan’s party turns to UN as former leader marks 2 years in jail

The Times 🇬🇧

Joy and trepidation in Bangladesh a year since ousting of Sheikh Hasina

At the start of the exiled prime minister’s trial, victims of her brutal crackdown are speaking out

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Investigating Sheikh Hasina’s final days in Bangladesh

Al Jazeera investigates how a powerful student protest movement ended a political dynasty in Bangladesh.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

MoD clears big arms deals, including BrahMos, armed drones, worth Rs 67,000cr

The Wire 🇮🇳

India, Philippines Launch Strategic Partnership, Back South China Sea Ruling

This, as both countries seek to navigate their security concerns due to China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Stay or go? Under Trump, dreams fade for Chinese who trekked to US

Migrants living in unease under President Trump have quietly begun to ask themselves: is America worth it?

Le Monde 🇫🇷

A Hiroshima survivor breaks decades of silence: 'Speaking about it could be seen as shameful, for the person or their family'

Toshiko Tanaka, now 86, kept silent about her trauma for 65 years. Today, she travels the world to campaign against nuclear weapons and is scheduled to speak on Japanese television during the commemoration of the August 6, 1945 bombing.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Netanyahu’s Next Steps in Gaza

Plus, how to break free from your phone.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Footage shows raging flash flood tearing into Indian town of Dharali – video

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Caterpillar warns of $1.5bn tariff hit as trade tensions dent earnings

US industrial bellwether posts lower-than-expected profits as costs rise

NPR 🇺🇸

Their son was shot by police in Bangladesh's 2024 protests. They still want justice

August 5, 2025 • In July and August of 2024 in Bangladesh, student protesters' push for change drove the authoritarian prime minister out of power. Hundreds of demonstrators were killed.

Monday, 4 August 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Disfigured, shamed and forgotten: BBC visits the Korean survivors of the Hiroshima bomb

When the atom bomb was dropped 80 years ago, 140,000 Koreans were in Japan's Hiroshima city, many as forced labour.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump aide says India financing Ukraine war by buying Russian oil

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Tariff war: Why Trump's threat is unlikely to wean India off Russian crude - Explained

The Wire 🇮🇳

After Trump’s Latest Tariff Threat, India Terms US, EU Criticism ‘Unjustified and Unreasonable’

Last week, Trump announced that he would levy a 25% tariff on Indian goods, along with an unspecified penalty on top of it.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

One year after the revolution in Bangladesh, Islamists have resurged

After the fall of Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, the country's largest Muslim party − which had been forced to operate in the shadows for a decade − has returned to the political stage. The next elections have been promised to be held no later than June 2026.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

FirstFT: Trump to ‘substantially’ raise tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases

Also in today’s newsletter, Singapore tycoon pleads guilty in gifts scandal, and Tesla board awards $30bn of shares to Musk

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: Trump’s Tariff Leverage

Also, a hit musical at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Why have relations between Trump and Modi nosedived so quickly?

The United States slaps 25 percent tariffs on a nation long viewed as an ally.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Trump’s demand that India stop buying Russian oil puts Modi in tight spot

The Times 🇬🇧

Why Bali is at risk of becoming a dirty danger zone

Litter-strewn beauty spots are common and residents of the island fear poorly controlled development is allowing a criminal underclass to thrive

Declassified UK 🇬🇧

How Britain held onto Hong Kong’s economic elite

Despite handing the colony back to China in 1997, Hong Kong remains a key hub in Britain’s offshore financial empire.

Sunday, 3 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

India signals it will keep buying Russian oil despite Trump threat

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

England and India Test series heads to Monday morning thriller

England needs 35 more runs to beat India as fifth Test thriller goes to the last day of the five-match cricket series.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Hackers, secret cables and security fears: The explosive fight over China's new embassy in the UK

It will be the biggest embassy in Europe, if approved. But its opponents fear it brings with it certain risks and dangers

The Times of India 🇮🇳

HC stays conviction of vax scientist for wife's suicide; cites 'national interest'

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Starbucks takes aim at Chinese rival Luckin in Manhattan coffee showdown

US chain upgrades stores and offers customers a different approach to revive sales

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: An ‘All or Nothing’ Gaza Deal

Plus, influencers feted by the Vatican.

The Times 🇬🇧

The Japanese women sacrificed as sex slaves to Soviet troops

The painful chapter of WWII betrayal and the silence surrounding the lives of women carrying a heavy burden for the sake of survival is now being told

The Wire 🇮🇳

EPIC Number Cited by Tejashwi Yadav ‘Does Not Seem to be Issued Officially’, Says EC

The Digha ERO has asked the Bihar leader of opposition to provide a copy of his voter ID card for ‘thorough investigation’.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

China's 'Dalifornia,' a bohemian haven for young people searching for meaning

In the southern Yunnan province, Dali is the city of those who say 'no' in silence. This somewhat hipster haven has welcomed more and more young people eager to escape the crushing megacities of a country where growth is sputtering. This gentle form of opposition has not gone unnoticed by the authorities.

Friday, 1 August 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Satellite images reveal alarming scale of China’s military build-up

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Himachal may vanish into thin air if tourist inflows unchecked: SC

BBC News 🇬🇧

Tech manufacturing has powered Asia - now it's a casualty of Trump's tariffs

Trump's tariffs in his first term took aim at China - but this time they are going beyond.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Tariffs on Taiwan stir fears over waning US support against China

Taipei faces 20% levy as it worries Donald Trump is prioritising trade talks with Beijing

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India rock England on Day Two of latest fractious Test

Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj took four wickets each as India fought back in the fifth Test against England.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Rotting Potatoes and Government Silence: A Crisis Is Brewing in Bengal’s Fields

'If the government doesn’t act now, both farmers and small traders will be destroyed.'

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Online hate and rising vitriol: deep divisions amid shaky peace between Thailand and Cambodia

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Astronauts Head to Space Station as Clouds Stay Just Far Enough Away

After a scrubbed launch on Thursday, four astronauts lifted off from Florida and will dock at the International Space Station on Saturday.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Japan's political fragilization

The ruling coalition's loss of a majority in the House of Councillors in the July 20 elections and the breakthrough of the ultra-conservative Sanseito party have triggered an unprecedented crisis.

Saturday, 2 August 2025

The Wire 🇮🇳

Starving Children in Gaza Stirs World Conscience

This will not be the first time that a world community inured and desensitised to the horrors of war has suddenly taken notice. And once more, it is images of starving children that are changing the tide.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Loan fraud case: ED proof confirms use of fake docs; BTPL MD, Anil Ambani may be quizzed together

BBC News 🇬🇧

The mystery of Winston Churchill's dead platypus was unsolved - until now

The platypus was a top secret gift from Australia, found dead in his enclosure as war raged in the seas around him.

The Times 🇬🇧

How British tourists in Thailand are lured into drug trafficking

Hundreds of young Britons are being caught smuggling cannabis back from Thai holidays, often with a street value of hundreds of thousands of pounds

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Siraj strikes after Jaiswal helps India set England daunting target

Yashasvi Jaiswal makes sparkling hundred with Mohammed Siraj striking with last ball of day as India look to tie series.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘She should answer for what she did’: trial of ex-Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina begins

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thais Rally in Bangkok to Denounce Prime Minister Paetongtarn

The protesters say Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra sold out Thailand and betrayed its army in a leaked phone conversation with Cambodia’s de facto leader.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US-India relations fray over Trump’s tariff invective and Russian oil

President imposes 25% levy on New Delhi and draws closer to Pakistan despite once-warm personal ties with Modi

Thursday, 31 July 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

India to ‘secure national interest’ after Trump’ imposes 25% tariff

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India struggle in England Test decider with captain Gill run out

India close day one of the fifth and final Test of their tour of England on 204-6 with skipper Shubman Gill was run out.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Trump outburst may help govt counter ‘surrender’ charge; US stance likely to muddy waters

BBC News 🇬🇧

How a sinkhole revived a debate about migrant workers' rights in Singapore

A group of workers who rescued a driver from a sinkhole have drawn praise - and reignited debate.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

FirstFT: Trade deadline looms as Trump delays higher tariffs on Mexico

Also in today’s newsletter, Nvidia’s alleged ‘serious security issues’ and more US companies shrug off tariffs with strong earnings

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: Trump’s Tariff Day

Plus, our critic’s favorite art places in Rome.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Panama files lawsuits against owner of ports at centre of US-China struggle

The Wire 🇮🇳

Canada Makes First Posting in India Since Diplomatic Row, Envoys May be Appointed This Month

Ottawa has appointed Jeff David to the post of consul general in its consulate in Mumbai.

The Times 🇬🇧

Sotheby’s returns Buddhist gems to India after global outcry

The relics, discovered by a colonial landowner, were due to fetch almost £10m at auction

Le Monde 🇫🇷

'Tsunami! Evacuate': Japan alerts revive memories of 2011 disaster

The earthquake that struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula led to the evacuation order for two million people in Japan, who still remember the 2011 tragedy, in which 20,000 people were killed.

NPR 🇺🇸

What Trump's threat to tariff Russia's trade partners means for India

July 31, 2025 • President Trump said India would pay the price for buying Russian oil and military equipment. Here is a look at how India, with one of Asia's largest economies, is responding.

Wednesday, 30 July 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

US tariff: Trump’s rant against India undercuts his own Op Sindoor ceasefire claims - here's how

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier dies mountaineering in Pakistan

German biathlete and Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier was killed by falling rocks while scaling Laila Peak in Pakistan.

The Times 🇬🇧

South America braces for tsunamis as US downgrades warnings

Waves were caused by an initial 8.8-magnitude earthquake near the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

The Independent 🇬🇧

Tsunami waves hit Hawaii and head for US west coast after massive earthquake strikes Russia

BBC News 🇬🇧

Trump announces deal to impose 15% tariff on South Korea

The agreement comes just a day before a 1 August deadline for countries to strike deals with the US.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

The Changing Map of Palestinian Recognition

In the past week alone, three new countries have said they are ready to bestow recognition on a Palestinian state.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

JD.com launches €2.2bn offer for German electronics retailer Ceconomy

Deal would rank as one of the largest Chinese acquisitions in Europe for years

The Wire 🇮🇳

‘Will Take Steps to Secure National Interest’: India as Trump Announces 25% Tariff, Plus 'Penalty', From August 1

The "penalty" will be imposed for trading with Russia, the US president said without revealing details on what it entails.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Tsunami updates: Easter and Galápagos Islands evacuate coastal areas as tsunami warnings rattle Pacific – as it happened

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Watch: Tsunami warnings sound in Japan after 8.8 magnitude quake off Russian coast

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecasted waves as high as 3 meters could hit the country's coastal cities.

NPR 🇺🇸

India says it killed militants behind the deadly attack on civilians in Kashmir

July 30, 2025 • Three months after militants killed 26 tourists at a scenic meadow in the Himalayas, India said that its security forces had found and killed three gunmen behind the massacre.

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

FirstFT: US markets face ‘pivotal’ 3 days of economic data and corporate results

Also in today’s newsletter, an investigation into Haitian gangs and turmoil at Novo Nordisk

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Country will be shocked': Why PM Modi slammed Nehru's Indus Waters treaty - 'facts kept hidden'

The Times 🇬🇧

‘Don’t fight the wave, ride it’ — the surfer maestro revitalising the Hallé

As the Hallé’s chief conductor, Kahchun Wong, makes his Proms debut, he how his military education — and favourite water sport — inspired him

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: The U.K. May Recognize a Palestinian State

Plus, the Booker Prize nominees.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Father, ex-husband, among 9 arrested in alleged honour killing in Pakistan

Sidra Bibi, 18, was reportedly killed on the orders of a local council of elders in eastern Pakistan’s Rawalpindi.

NPR 🇺🇸

Afghans caught in mass deportations in Iran face an uncertain future at home

July 29, 2025 • Earlier this year, Iran ordered Afghans living illegally in the country to leave. Since then, the government has labeled them Israeli spies, targeted their housing, employment and banking.

The Wire 🇮🇳

No World Leader Asked India to Stop Operation Sindoor Says Modi in Parliament, Skips Naming Trump

In his almost two-hour long speech in the Lok Sabha, Modi also skipped any mention of security lapses behind the Pahalgam terror attack.

BBC News 🇬🇧

India says it killed militants who shot dead tourists in Kashmir

The men carried out the attack that sparked conflict between India and Pakistan, India's home minister says.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

US-Japan trade deal yields differences of interpretation

Less than a week after President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed on a trade deal, the situation has unraveled. Japan's highly export-driven automotive industry is in disarray and there are deep divisions in how the agreement is understood.

The Independent 🇬🇧

At least 30 dead as almost a year’s worth of rain lashes Beijing

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Deadly floods leave trail of destruction in China – video

Monday, 28 July 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

PM Modi to Congress: Stop giving Pakistan clean chit under pressure from 'one family'

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Behind Cambodia-Thailand flare-ups lie deep-seated political rivalries and gambling

The Cambodian and Thai prime ministers announced on Monday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that they had agreed to a ceasefire starting at midnight.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China lays out its AI vision in foil to Trump’s ‘America First’ plan

Beijing plugs global co-operation and open-source models at first industry show since DeepSeek breakthrough

The Wire 🇮🇳

‘Op Sindoor Not Stopped Under Pressure’: Rajnath Tells Parliament, Skips Mention of Pahalgam Attack Probe

With Modi absent, Singh opened the special discussion in the Lok Sabha but skipped naming the US President’s claims of ceasefire mediation. He also said that instead of asking about Indian jets,  opposition should ask how many Pakistani ones were downed.

BBC News 🇬🇧

India's AI-driven tech firings could derail middle class dreams

India's largest IT services company has announced it will reduce its workforce by 2% as it gets future ready for AI.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: Trump Said There’s ‘Real Starvation’ in Gaza

Also, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to stop fighting.

The Times 🇬🇧

Shaolin Temple’s ‘CEO monk’ under investigation for embezzlement

Authorities in China announced that Shi Yongxin is suspected of misappropriating funds and having relationships with women while head of the temple

The Independent 🇬🇧

Thailand and Cambodia reach ceasefire deal after Trump’s trade threat

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire – video

NPR 🇺🇸

Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire. What's behind the conflict?

July 28, 2025 • Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire on Monday, set to start at midnight local time, after attending talks in Malaysia aimed at ending a 5-day border dispute that has left dozens dead.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Three suspected rebels killed in firefight in India-administered Kashmir

Indian media reports claim the men were linked to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, but there is no official confirmation.

Sunday, 27 July 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

BBC uncovers lasting toxic legacy of cargo ship disaster off Sri Lanka

Scientists warn the damage to the environment after the 2021 X-Press Pearl disaster could be much more enduring.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China’s Shaolin Temple says head faces criminal investigation

Abbot Shi Yongxin has been suspended, according to the cradle of Zen Buddhism and home of Chinese martial arts

The Independent 🇬🇧

At least 6 killed in stampede at Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Settled India-Pak, now it's Thailand-Cambodia'; Trump credits trade pressure, calls it 'honour'

The Times 🇬🇧

Fresh clashes before Thailand and Cambodia meet for peace talks

Malaysia to host negotiations, although Trump has claimed credit for forcing the two sides to the table

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘Like my other half’: man mourns wife and children killed buying snacks amid Thailand-Cambodia clashes

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: Ukraine’s Other War

Also, a U.S.-E.U. trade deal.

The Wire 🇮🇳

J&K: Army Official Allegedly Beats Up Nomadic Tribals Accused of Aiding Militants

The incident took place at a new base camp in Srinagar's higher reaches that was set up in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

NPR 🇺🇸

Thai and Cambodian leaders to meet in Malaysia for talks to end deadly border dispute

July 27, 2025 • Thai and Cambodian leaders will meet in Malaysia for talks to end hostilities, a spokesperson for the Thai prime minister's office said on Sunday.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Week in Pictures: From Gaza starvation deaths to Thailand-Cambodia clashes

A roundup of some of last week’s events.

Friday, 25 July 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Cambodia calls for immediate ceasefire with Thailand as death toll rises

Thailand has not yet commented on the proposal, as fighting continues for a third day with 32 confirmed killed.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Thailand warns clashes are escalating and could become all-out war

Le Monde 🇫🇷

UK condemns Hong Kong's reward offers for pro-democracy activists living in Britain

Hong Kong authorities announced Friday that they are offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of 19 pro-democracy activists based abroad, accused of violating the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.

The Times 🇬🇧

Thailand and Cambodia on the brink: ‘I panicked, then the bomb hit’

The bloodiest border conflict between the two countries in more than a decade rages on as both sides blame each other for firing the first shots

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Excessively harsh': Guv returns Bengal rape bill after Centre flags concerns; TMC opposes

The Guardian 🇬🇧

India wrestles with how census can count tribe that shuns contact with outside world

NPR 🇺🇸

Arizona woman to serve 8 years for identity theft scheme benefiting North Korea

July 25, 2025 • Christina Chapman was sentenced to prison this week for her role in a scheme that the DOJ said used stolen American identities in order to help illegally employ North Koreans in U.S. companies.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Root up to second on record Test list as England dominate India

Joe Root becomes the second highest scorer in Test cricket as England takes control against India in fourth Test.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Bengal: With Child Labour Schools Shut, Teachers and Students Return to Low-Wage Jobs

In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared that India would become a child labour-free country by 2025. As 2025 unfolds, the status remains unclear. 

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Monsoons claim hundreds of lives across South Asia

Death toll rises to more than 250 people in Pakistan, with rains destroying crops and stranding tourists

The New York Times 🇺🇸

7 Children Are Killed in School Roof Collapse in India

An official in the northwestern state of Rajasthan said that heavy rain had pooled on the roof before it fell in.

Saturday, 26 July 2025

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Cambodia and Thailand continue fighting despite Trump claim of ‘immediate’ ceasefire talks

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Ladki Bahin scheme: 14k men got benefits, claims Sule; Ajit says will recover money if true

The Wire 🇮🇳

The Bombay High Court Should Know that Prevention of Genocide Is Everyone's Business

A court which truly cared about the dearth of widespread activism about any of these issues would recognise the root cause – the decimation of civil society and spaces for free speech and dissent.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China proposes global body to govern artificial intelligence

Premier Li Qiang warns ‘bottlenecks’ in chip supplies are hindering innovation

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along border as death toll rises

Both sides say they are open to a truce in the combat being fought with jets, tanks and ground troops. At least 33 people have been killed and more than 150,000 displaced.

The Independent 🇬🇧

India temple worker’s chilling confession shakes holy town

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Trump Says He Expects Quick Cease-Fire Between Thailand and Cambodia

President Trump said he had intervened to help stop the deadly strife, now in its third day, after it extended to provinces about 200 miles south of where clashes began.

NPR 🇺🇸

Taiwanese political gridlock endures as China-friendly party survives recall vote

July 26, 2025 • A months-long recall effort to oust lawmakers considered pro-Chinese has failed in the self-governing island's legislature.

The Times 🇬🇧

Her son died in the Air India crash. They sent back the wrong body

Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek’s mother thought she had brought home his remains — then came a test that poses questions about the bodies already buried

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan issues glacial floods alert for northwest, heavy rain forecast

Areas affected include popular tourist destinations, such as Fairy Meadows, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Thursday, 24 July 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

India-UK trade deal sealed, but scotch prices to come down only by next year

The Independent 🇬🇧

Family of Briton jailed in India without trial protest Modi's UK visit

The Times 🇬🇧

This could escalate to war, Thai PM warns as 100,000 told to flee

Conflict breaks out in a contested area known as the Emerald Triangle, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 Thai civilians and one soldier

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Nvidia AI chips worth $1bn smuggled to China after Trump export controls

Roaring black market for US semiconductors operates despite efforts to curb Beijing’s high-tech ambitions

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In Japan, a record number of women elected to the Senate signals a growing female presence in public life

The electoral success reflects a slow shift in attitudes, supported by non-binding legislation that encourages political parties to increase female representation in their ranks.

BBC News 🇬🇧

The fractured friendship behind the fight at the Thailand-Cambodia border

The countries have a history of occasional conflict, but this latest fight comes after an old friendship crumbled.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: France to Recognize Palestinian Statehood

Plus, the global craze for matcha.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Thailand says 12 people killed in latest border clashes with Cambodia – video

The Wire 🇮🇳

As Free Trade Deal With UK Inked, Indian Textiles, Gems, Footwear Slated to Benefit

Apart from the deal – the contours of which have been known for some time – the two PMs also discussed extradition, extremism and terror.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

UK and India sign free trade agreement during Modi visit

The two countries hope the accord will boost trade between them by 25.5 billion pounds.

NPR 🇺🇸

State Dept. cuts China experts as administration says countering Beijing top priority

July 24, 2025 • The State Department has shuttered the team involved in South China Sea security, getting rid of top experts on the subject at a time when the administration says security in the region is a priority.

Wednesday, 23 July 2025

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Thailand reports 14 people killed in clashes at border with Cambodia

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'No place for double standard': PM Modi sends strong Pahalgam message from UK with Starmer on stage

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Starmer and Modi seal UK-India trade deal

Tariffs on more than 90% of British exports to Asian country will be cut, including cosmetics, clothes, food and drink

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump claims he’s made a ‘massive’ trade deal with Japan

BBC News 🇬🇧

Why Filipino couples keep getting married in flooded churches

The submerged weddings are the latest example of a flooding problem that the country can't shake off.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Why Japan is accepting a 15% tax rate with the US

As Donald Trump had previously threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Japanese imports, this new agreement comes as a relative relief for Japan's automotive sector, which accounts for 8% of all jobs in the country.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thursday Briefing: Your Russia Questions Answered

Plus, meet the other great Kurosawa.

NPR 🇺🇸

How China came to rule the world of rare earth elements

July 23, 2025 • The U.S. once controlled the market on rare earth elements, sought after for a range of technologies. But in the last few decades, China has cornered that market and surpassed the U.S.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Gadchiroli, the 'Favourite District' of Devendra Fadnavis, Sees Decline in Maoism, Increase in Mining

For a while now, the presence of Maoists in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra has been diminishing, giving way to mining companies. This entire initiative is being conducted under the supervision of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The Times 🇬🇧

Japanese PM wins US trade deal — but could lose his job

Shigeru Ishiba, who has been in office less than a year, faces a collapse in authority as reports spread of his looming resignation

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Renewable energy hits global tipping point for even lower costs, UN says

UN chief Antonio Guterres says ‘the fossil fuel age is flailing and failing’ as renewable energy becomes cheaper.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Trump says US has struck trade deal with Japan

US importers of Japanese cars will pay a tariff of 15% as part of a wider trade agreement.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US and Japan agree trade deal

Trump announces ‘massive’ deal that lowers levy to 15% from threatened 25%

The Wire 🇮🇳

In Single Day, EC Finds 8.37 Lakh Bihar Voters To Be Deceased or Permanently Shifted

The dramatic surge appears to directly contradict the findings of a comprehensive voter roll clean-up completed just this January.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Dhankhar's surprise visit sent President house staff into a tizzy

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Trump announces Japan trade deal after weeks of fraught negotiations

The Times 🇬🇧

Air India families in Britain ‘receive the wrong bodies’

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to raise the bungled repatriation scheme with the Indian PM when he arrives for a state visit on Wednesday

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Israel Expands Gaza Offensive

Plus, the death of Ozzy Osbourne.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Hero teachers killed trying to save pupils from Bangladesh fighter jet blast

Monday, 21 July 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

At least 27 dead as Bangladesh jet crashes into college campus

BBC News 🇬🇧

'My friend died right in front of me': Student describes moment air force jet crashed into school

Farhan Hasan had just sat an exam when a Bangladeshi air force jet crashed into his school, killing at least 20 people.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Bangladesh fighter jet crashes into school, killing at least 27

More than 170 people, many of them children, were also injured when the Chinese-made F-7 BGI aircraft crashed during a training mission.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Aadhaar, voter ID & ration cards can’t be considered for SIR: EC

The Wire 🇮🇳

Jagdeep Dhankhar Resigns as Vice President of India

Dhankhar, who served a contentious tenure as Vice President and faced an opposition motion for his removal in December, showed no indication of his impending resignation on the first day of the monsoon session.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Students Killed After Fighter Jet Crashes Into School in Bangladesh

The Bangladeshi military said that a mechanical error caused an Air Force training aircraft to crash onto a school campus for students ranging from elementary to high school.

The Times 🇬🇧

China defies neighbours’ fears to begin £1.2bn megadam in Tibet

The world’s biggest hydropower project is expected to produce more power than Britain consumes in a year, but India warns of a ‘ticking water bomb’

Financial Times 🇬🇧

FirstFT: US embassy in China warns that exit bans risk damaging relations

Also in today’s newsletter, Japan’s Ishiba presses for quick US trade talks, and Russia’s drone swarms overwhelm Ukraine’s defences

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Bangladesh plane crash: What happened, what’s the latest

A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 crashed into a school in Dhaka’s Uttara neighbourhood, killing at least 19 people.

NPR 🇺🇸

A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashes into a school in Dhaka and kills at least 20

July 21, 2025 • The Chinese-made F-7 BGI training jet experienced a "technical malfunction" moments after takeoff before it crashed into a school, according to Bangladesh's military.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

At least 20 killed as military plane crashes into Bangladesh school campus

Saturday, 19 July 2025

The Guardian 🇬🇧

How Japan’s hard-right populists are profiting from anti-foreign sentiment and a cost of living crunch

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump says up to five jets shot down during India-Pakistan conflict

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Japan tells its companies in Taiwan: ‘You’re on your own’

FDI has slumped as businesses are warned to take on burden of protecting their staff if Beijing attacks

BBC News 🇬🇧

Dozens dead after Ha Long Bay tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam

The incident happened in Vietnam's popular Ha Long Bay during bad weather, with five people still missing, local reports say.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Op Sindoor: India’s missile hit Pakistan’s N-hub Kirana Hills; satellite images suggest

The Wire 🇮🇳

To Those Who Dared to Show Solidarity With the Palestinian People...

I can only imagine your shock and chagrin when the trouble suddenly came from the very people you were trying to reach with your message of humanity and solidarity.

The Times 🇬🇧

Ailing British couple could die in Taliban custody, UN warns

Peter and Barbie Reynolds were arrested without explanation and their health is failing after months in a notorious Afghan jail

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Tourist boat capsizes during Vietnam thunderstorm, leaving 34 dead

The boat was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members during a tour of Ha Long Bay, a popular destination in the north of the country.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party rallies for fair elections

The South Asian country is expected to head to the polls next year.

NPR 🇺🇸

Tourist boat capsizes during a thunderstorm in Vietnam, leaving 34 dead

July 19, 2025 • A boat carrying tourists capsized during a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam on Saturday afternoon during a sightseeing excursion, killing 34 people.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

At Least 34 Dead After Vietnam Tourist Boat Capsizes, State Media Says

The boat, carrying 48 passengers and five crew members, was on a sightseeing tour of Ha Long Bay when a sudden storm caused it to overturn, state media said. At least 10 people were rescued.

Sunday, 20 July 2025

The Wire 🇮🇳

Reckless, Speculative Commentary After Air Disasters Harms Public Safety

It is time for the media to shut the door on conspiracy theorists and irresponsible experts. Let us not do to AI-171 what was done to the Sushant Singh Rajput case.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Bihar roll revision: 11,000 'not traceables' electors could be illegal immigrants; EC wary

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: Dozens Killed in Gaza

Plus, a film takes us back to the pandemic.

The Times 🇬🇧

Japanese PM under pressure after losing upper house majority

Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party has now lost control of both houses of the Diet, with the far-right Sanseito party making political waves

BBC News 🇬🇧

Japan's PM vows to stay on despite bruising election loss

The result could destabilise Japan's government at a pivotal moment in trade negotiations with the US.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Japan’s PM accepts ‘harsh’ election result after losing upper house majority

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Extreme weather drives food price surges across the globe

Unusual climatic events are directly linked to short-term spikes in cost of basic foodstuffs, study shows

NPR 🇺🇸

Age didn't kill India's beloved centenarian marathon runner. A speeding car did.

July 20, 2025 • Indian marathon runner Fauja Singh was 114 years old when he was killed in a hit-and-run.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Week in Pictures: From Israeli strikes in Damascus to floods in Mexico

A roundup of some of last week’s events.

Friday, 18 July 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Strategic location': Govt plans defence 'takeover' of Lakshadweep island; MP vows to oppose move

BBC News 🇬🇧

North Korea bans foreigners from seaside resort weeks after opening

Tourism authorities say foreigners are "temporarily" not allowed to visit the Wonsan Kalma resort.

The Wire 🇮🇳

India’s Namibian Cheetahs Say That ‘Everything is Fine’, Said PM Modi. But Is It, Really?

Of the eight adult African cheetahs sent to India from Namibia in 2022, five have died; the most recent death was of female Nabha on July 12.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

UN refugee agency warns funding cuts may leave 11 million without aid

Crisis compounded after United States, which provided 40 percent of UNHCR funding last year, slashed its contribution.

The Times 🇬🇧

Children of China’s first communist billionaires fight over wealth

Zong Qinghou’s daughter and heir is facing a challenge from previously unknown illegitimate siblings for her father’s soft drink fortune

NPR 🇺🇸

The Downstream Effects of China's Rare Earth Mining

July 18, 2025 • China has nearly cornered the market in rare earth minerals, which are a necessary component to much of our technology today. But China sources some of those rare earths and other heavy metals from neighboring Myanmar. And the ramped up in production there is causing downstream environmental concerns in Thailand. We go to Thailand to understand the issue.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Heavy Monsoon Rains Kill Dozens in Pakistan

The relentless rain caused flooding across the country’s most populous province. Many of those killed have been children, officials said.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

The Afghanistan data leak will haunt British politics for years

Both this government and the last are implicated in a cover-up that will cost the UK billions

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘We painted, sang songs’: the Russian woman found living in Indian cave with daughters

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Germany announces the deportations of 81 Afghan men convicted of crimes

Germany's deportation operation, the second such one since the summer of 2024, comes at a time when the government is trying to display its determination to toughen its migration policy.

The Independent 🇬🇧

US labels Pakistan-linked group ‘terrorist’ after Kashmir attack

Thursday, 17 July 2025

NPR 🇺🇸

The U.K. government secretly relocated thousands of Afghans to Britain for 2 years

July 16, 2025 • The British government hid a billion dollar plan to rescue Afghans who assisted its troops after a data leak exposed them to Taliban retaliation.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

China's new digital identity system boosts the government's control over citizens online

The system, launched on July 15, was presented as protection against personal data leaks and unwanted advertising, but critics fear it will further increase the surveillance of citizens' activities and opinions.

The Wire 🇮🇳

EC ‘Subjecting 2.9 Cr Voters to Rigorous Exercise to Identify Handful Illegal Immigrants’: Ex-CEC O.P. Rawat on Bihar SIR

Rawat said that the law already provides that the Election Commission can update electoral rolls for dead, migrated or duplicate voters and a separate intensive revision was not required so close to the polls.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Pahalgam massacre: US tags TRF terror group; recalls Trump’s 'justice' call

BBC News 🇬🇧

A furious Chinese internet takes on privilege

Viral scandals have hit two actresses, a Harvard graduate and a doctor from a top Beijing hospital in recent months.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: Bloodshed in a Syrian City

Plus, panic-buying Korean beauty products

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan monsoon rains death toll rises to 159 after 63 die in one day

Torrential rain has triggered flooding, destroyed hundreds of houses, and killed more than 150 people in the past month.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Japan’s troubling fiscal laxity

Politicians are promising voters tax cuts and handouts just as bond yields are pushing higher

The Times 🇬🇧

What a pair of emerald earrings tell us about China’s war on corruption

Huang Yang Tian Tian, the Chinese actress, and her father fell foul of an internet mob determined to sniff out corruption within government

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Air India finds ‘no issues’ with fuel switches on other Boeings after crash

The Independent 🇬🇧

Russian mother defends decision to live in Indian cave with daughters

Wednesday, 16 July 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Afghan special forces abandoned by UK had details leaked in MoD breach

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Compelling dead marriage to go on perpetuates mental agony: Supreme Court

The Wire 🇮🇳

Long Before Modi’s Award Spree, a Belgian Honour for Sonia Sparked Legal Battle

In February 2008, the EC, by a 2:1 majority, issued a notice to Gandhi seeking her response.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Sirens and evacuations as Taipei rehearses to counter China invasion threat

Taiwan's capital is holding one of its largest ever civil defence exercises.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Nvidia chief vows to ‘accelerate recovery’ of China sales as H20 chip ban lifted

Jensen Huang tells Beijing press conference it takes nine months to restart supply chain

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

USAID food for nearly 30,000 hungry kids to be destroyed: Official

Senior US official calls destruction of 500 tonnes of biscuits a ‘casualty’ of the USAID shutdown.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thursday Briefing: Israel Strikes Damascus

Plus, the many takes on Superman.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘When that data falls into the hands of the Taliban it will lead to my arrest, torture and death’

NPR 🇺🇸

Greetings from New Delhi, India, where performing monkeys spark delight -- and ambivalence

July 16, 2025 • Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.

The Times 🇬🇧

Thai woman ‘had sex with monks and blackmailed them for millions’

Politicians have called for sex with monks to be made a crime after Wilawan Emsawat used videos and photographs to extort money

Tuesday, 15 July 2025

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: China’s Economy Grows Despite Tariffs

Plus, “Severance” picks up top Emmy nominations.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Why is South Korea retrying a spy chief who assassinated a president?

Hearings began Wednesday in a retrial of Kim Jae-gyu, who was executed for killing Park Chung-hee.

The Wire 🇮🇳

At SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meet, India, Pakistan Trade Barbs over Pahalgam, Op Sindoor

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar also urged the SCO to adopt an “uncompromising” approach to terrorism.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Shubhanshu Shukla returns safely, next mission: Helping Gaganyaan

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Xi: The father, the son and the party

Given that Xi Jinping's father was a reformer, should his son not have been one as well? In the first English-language biography of the Chinese president's father, the author sees within the current leader's conservatism the cultural mark of absolute devotion to the Chinese Communist Party.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Tesla launches Model Y in India with elevated price tag amid high tariffs

The EV maker also opened its first showroom in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

FirstFT: Donald Trump announces US-Indonesia trade deal

Also in today’s newsletter, China’s GDP grows 5.2%, and Trump asked Zelenskyy if Ukraine could hit Moscow

The Guardian 🇬🇧

UK’s cavalier attitude leaves Afghans facing yet more fear and uncertainty

The Times 🇬🇧

Boeing flight bound for India turned around in mid-air

Plane from Abu Dhabi sent back as countries order airlines to check fuel switches on aircraft following Air India crash

The Independent 🇬🇧

Airlines asked to check fuel switches on Boeing jets

Declassified UK 🇬🇧

Britain trained KGB veteran’s police force after major oil deal

Revealed: Met police officers coached Azerbaijan’s national security ministry amid crackdown on free speech.

Monday, 14 July 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

With big smile, Shubhanshu Shukla waves at camera as he exits Dragon spacecraft

The Independent 🇬🇧

Air India CEO says pilots ‘passed’ tests amid mounting criticism

The Wire 🇮🇳

Bihar SIR: Block Level Officers Under Constant Pressure to Submit Forms and Upload Quick

The responsibility falls on booth level officers, and they have been tasked to fill as many forms as possible and upload them, leaving little room to check if they are fully completed, or if the documents attached are accurate.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Don't vilify Air India crash crew: Indian pilots' association

Earlier, India's aviation minister said not to jump to conclusions and another pilots' group criticised the report.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: More Weapons for Ukraine

Plus, why Hitchcock still scares us

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Why are Afghan refugees being sent back to Taliban rule?

Iran, Pakistan and the US send Afghan refugees back to Taliban rule, where they risk persecution.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

China, the energy transition superpower

Solar panels, wind power and batteries: In just 15 years, China has risen to the top of the global clean energy industry, leaving European countries trailing far behind.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

‘Murky’ Air India crash report deepens uncertainty for owner Tata

Preliminary findings spark debate over actions of pilots ahead of loss of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that killed 260 people

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Indian regulator orders airlines to check Boeing fuel switches after plane crash report

The Times 🇬🇧

Air India rules out mechanical fault as pilots’ association hits back at report

Pressure mounts over a report suggesting the fuel cut-off switches were deliberately triggered moments after take off

Sunday, 13 July 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Air India tragedy: Crash report a ‘cover-up’, say AI171 victims’ kin

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Will China hit its mid-year growth target?

Market Questions is the FT’s guide to the week ahead

The Wire 🇮🇳

Bihar SIR: Many BLOs Take Only Aadhaar, Even From Those Who Have Valid Documents

One ward member from Maner feared that this would lead to chaos and a ‘stampede-like situation’ during the verification phase.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: America’s Brain Drain and the World

Plus, Jannik Sinner wins Wimbledon.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

China says Tibet-related issues a ‘thorn’ in relations with India

Remarks by Chinese embassy spokesperson in New Delhi come ahead of Indian foreign minister’s visit to China.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Air India crash victims’ families not satisfied with ‘vague’ initial report

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In China, Beijing cyclists take to the streets at night

As night falls, a large group of Chinese workers and students set off by bicycle down the capital's main avenue. Their goal: to relieve the day's stress and briefly claim one of the symbols of political power.

Saturday, 12 July 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Why cockpit audio deepens the mystery of Air India crash

Fuel cut-off switches were flipped seconds after take-off, a preliminary report finds.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Air India crash latest: Report hinting pilot error sparks union fury

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US demands to know what allies would do in event of war over Taiwan

Trump administration says it is trying to prevent war but raises eyebrows by calling for commitments from Australia and Japan

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Tennis player murder case: Radhika didn’t own academy; trained aspirants informally

The Wire 🇮🇳

J&K Authorities Seal Mazhar-e-Shuhada After Parties Seek Permission to Commemorate Martyr’s Day

Witnesses said that security forces were deployed in greater numbers around the shrine on Saturday while the worshippers were turned away from offering prayers at a mosque inside the complex.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India level up with England as tempers nearly boil over at Lord’s

India post 387 to match England’s first innings in the third Test but tempers flare before stumps on third day.

The Times 🇬🇧

Sabotage or suicide? Air India report puts pilots in the frame

Sumeet Sabharwal and Clive Kunder were hailed as heroes after the crash of AI 171, but a new report suggests one may be a villain

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Rubio Visits Asia in Shadow of Trump’s Tariffs

Marco Rubio made his first visit to Asia as secretary of state. Edward Wong, a diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times, reports from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to explain how President Trump’s tariffs have upset U.S. trading partners.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘Why did he cut off?’: what the report on the Air India Flight 171 crash found

NPR 🇺🇸

In Myanmar, a rush for rare earth metals is causing a regional environmental disaster

July 12, 2025 • A drastic increase in unregulated production of rare earth minerals in Myanmar is causing serious environmental concerns downriver in Thailand, as China's influence in the sector looms large.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Air India plane crash: Report says engine fuel supply was cut off, confusion in cockpit

Just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat on June 12, the fuel supply switches for both engines suddenly moved to the cutoff position, according to a preliminary Indian investigation report published Saturday. The crash killed 260 people.

Friday, 11 July 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Victims' families demand answers as report says fuel switches cut off before Air India crash

In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he "did the cut-off", the other pilot replied that he didn't.

The Times 🇬🇧

Air India victim families bewildered by crash report

A preliminary investigation into the disaster, which killed 260 people, raises more questions than it answers, experts claim

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Fuel to Air India 171’s engines was cut off seconds before fatal crash, report says

Preliminary findings recommend ‘no actions’ against Boeing or GE Aerospace over incident

The Times of India 🇮🇳

AI171 crash probe: Prelim report details flight's final moments; 'fuel supply cut-off,' says AAIB

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Fuel switches cut off just before deadly Air India crash, early report says

Preliminary investigation does not apportion blame for Boeing 787 crash that killed 260 people in June.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Telangana Government Gears Up to Issue Ordinance Breaching 50% Cap on Quotas

An official said the government would seek the governor's consent for the ordinance, which would hike quotas for BCs from 29% to 42%.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Fuel to Air India Plane Was Cut Off Before Crash, Report Says

The focus on the fuel switches on Air India Flight 171 raised questions about the pilots’ actions.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Engine fuel switches cut off before Air India crash that killed 260, preliminary report finds

The Independent 🇬🇧

A tennis player was shot dead by her father as she cooked breakfast. Police reveal shocking reason behind murder

Thursday, 10 July 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Principal arrested after girls stripped for ‘period check’ in India

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Aadhaar rules tightened: Adults to face tougher checks; UIDAI to tap passport, PAN, ration data

BBC News 🇬🇧

In the country with the world's lowest birth rate, fertility clinics are booming

Growing demand for IVF treatments is stoking some optimism in South Korea's demographic crisis.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: Israel Says Iran Has Some Uranium Left

Plus, toads with psychedelic powers.

The Wire 🇮🇳

UN Expert Sanctioned by Trump Admin for Criticising US, Israel and Pushing ICC Warrants Against Netanyahu

Albanese, who has served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories since 2022, has long been a target of criticism in Washington and Tel Aviv.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Pentagon strikes investment deal with US critical minerals producer

Unusual agreement follows growing concern in Washington over Chinese dominance of crucial weapons materials

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Bangladesh’s ousted Sheikh Hasina charged with crimes against humanity

The Times 🇬🇧

Air India plane crash investigators look to crucial engine switches

Mechanical or design failures have been ruled out as causes of the crash, which killed 260 people, according to industry reports

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Fast fashion and the dark side of textile recycling in India

101 East exposes the dark side of our fast fashion obsession, revealing its toll on India’s environment and workers.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Bangladesh tribunal charges ousted prime minister Hasina over deaths of protesters

The prosecution argued Sheikh Hasina was directly responsible for ordering all state forces, her Awami League party and its associates to carry out actions leading to mass killings, injuries, targeted violence against women and children, the incineration of bodies and denial of medical treatment to the wounded.

NPR 🇺🇸

South Korean court approves new arrest of former President Yoon Suk Yeol

July 10, 2025 • A South Korean court approved the new arrest of former President Yoon on charges related to his imposition of martial law in December. Yoon's lawyers had described the arrest request as excessive.

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Can BRICS challenge the US-led world order?

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose more tariffs on nations aligning themselves with BRICS.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Why is Trump threatening higher tariffs on Brics nations?

BBC News 🇬🇧

India and China strive to reset ties but with caution

Bilateral relations between India and China have improved since the 2020 clash - but larger challenges remain.

The Times 🇬🇧

South Korean president detained again over martial law charges

Yoon Suk-yeol, the leader who was subsequently impeached, has also been accused of sending drones to North Korea to spark a security crisis

The Wire 🇮🇳

Fuel Ban on EOL Vehicles in Delhi and Five NCR Districts Pushed to November 1

An order by the CAQM on July 8 said that the decision to deny fuel to end-of-life vehicles starting from July 1 has now been postponed to November 1 in Delhi and five NCR districts; the ban will apply to the rest of NCR from April next year.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Bihar SIR shows urban-rural divide; Aadhaar accepted in Patna, not in Seemanchal

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Nvidia’s Huang plans Beijing trip ahead of new China AI chip launch

CEO to talk with Chinese officials next week, aiming for September unveiling of processor compliant with US export controls

Le Monde 🇫🇷

South Korean court orders new arrest of disgraced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol

Four months after his release, the former president was sent back to a detention center near Seoul under an arrest warrant tied to his failed martial law bid. The court accepted a special prosecutor’s claim that he poses a risk of destroying evidence.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thursday Briefing: Russia’s Record Drone Attack

Plus, the Bayeux Tapestry’s homecoming.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Ex-South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol returned to prison over martial law bid

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Ex-Bangladesh leader authorised deadly crackdown, leaked audio suggests

Sheikh Hasina authorised lethal force against protesters, according to leaked audio verified by the BBC.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Namibia tour: PM Modi conferred country's highest civilian award; says 'matter of pride for me'

The Independent 🇬🇧

Fears new ID rules could deny millions right to vote in India

Le Monde 🇫🇷

China's 'black decade' for human rights lawyers

On July 9, 2015, Chinese authorities launched a sweeping crackdown on lawyers who dared to defend critics of the regime. Ten years later, the legal profession's room for maneuver has never been narrower.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Rare Earths, Made in Europe?

Plus, Sweden’s secret to well-being.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Dozens missing after monsoon triggers Nepal-China floods

At least eight people died and dozens are missing after monsoon rains caused flooding at the Nepal-China border.

NPR 🇺🇸

What a Long Lost Typewriter Says About Chinese Culture

July 8, 2025 • A typewriter recently discovered in a basement in upstate New York holds important clues about the origins of Chinese computing. And brings up questions about language and culture.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Photos | Over 2,000 Miya Muslim Families Uprooted by Assam Govt’s Proposed Thermal Plant in Dhubri

A 41-year-old resident of Chirakuta village claimed that Jeet Adani, the director of the Adani Group, must be associated with the thermal power project as he had visited the site on April 22.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Five key takeaways from Macron’s speech to UK parliament

French president addresses MPs on topical issues, from commitment to Ukraine, to European connection and US tariffs

Financial Times 🇬🇧

The Hong Kong stock market’s tentative revival

City’s standing as a global financial hub still faces several hurdles

The Times 🇬🇧

How to stop a bear in big city: Japan issues shoot-to-kill guide

A new generation of hunters are given the green light to open fire as deadly attacks increase, but only if there’s a building to stop bullets

Monday, 7 July 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Trump ramps up trade war with tariff blitz targeting 14 countries

Trump threatens to impose tariffs of 25-40 percent from August 1 unless countries make concessions on trade.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Poisoned water and scarred hills: BBC visits the world's rare earths capital in China

China has paid a steep price for mining the rare earth metals the world wants.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump renews threat to hit trading partners with steep tariffs

White House extends deadline for ‘reciprocal’ levies from July 9 to August 1

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump threatens imminent 25% tax on Japanese and South Korean imports

The Wire 🇮🇳

At BRICS Summit, India Warns Against ‘Weaponising’ Critical Minerals Supply

In April, China imposed curbs on rare earth exports in response to the US tariffs, contributing to a shortage of critical inputs used in everything – from cars and consumer goods to advanced weapons systems.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Deal in limbo: Ukraine war, sanctions cast shadow on Indo-Russian joint venture for 200 choppers

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: Trump’s New Tariff Threats

Plus, the beautiful chaos of Rio’s beaches.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Trump threatens key US allies Japan and South Korea with 25% tariffs

In letters to the Japanese and South Korean leaders, the US president said the tariff hikes would apply from August 1 because their trading relationships with Washington were 'unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.' The White House also told reporters that Trump would sign an order later in the day to delay his July 9 deadline for steeper tariffs to take effect.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Dozens missing after flash floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh

Hundreds of homes, bridges and roads washed away in north Indian state after unusually heavy rainfall

The Times 🇬🇧

Silicon Valley v Soham Parekh, the man who had too many jobs

A software engineer from Mumbai trying to clear his debts has become an emblem of the technology sector’s war on moonlighting remote workers

Sunday, 6 July 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Heartfelt tribute': Pak honours Kargil 'hero' it once disowned; had refused to accept body in 1999

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump threatens extra 10% tariff over ‘anti-American’ Brics policies

Washington prepares for end of 90-day pause on steep ‘liberation day’ levies

The Independent 🇬🇧

Dalai Lama marks 90th birthday amid rising tensions over succession

BBC News 🇬🇧

How Trump's tariff chaos could reshape Asia's businesses

The US president's tough stance on global trade is shaking up the region's crucial supply chains.

The Times 🇬🇧

Murder mystery of missing Filipino cockfighters takes new twist

Businessman and actress deny whistleblower, claims as police attempt to search Taal Lake for bodies

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: Floods in Texas Killed nearly 80

Plus, the case of the lost Stradivarius.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Why has Iran stepped up its deportation of Afghan refugees?

Thousands are being forced to go back to Afghanistan as Tehran tightens controls on immigration.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Lion’s owners arrested after woman and children injured in attack in Pakistan

Footage shows animal leaping over wall in Lahore before attack that left victims with face and arm injuries

The Wire 🇮🇳

No, India Is Not the Fourth Most Equal Country. Here’s the Real Data

Whichever way one looks at the data, the picture is clear: India is a highly unequal country, and inequality is worsening.

NPR 🇺🇸

Dalai Lama, a global symbol of Tibetan culture and resistance, turns 90

July 6, 2025 • The Dalai Lama turned 90 on Sunday surrounded by thousands of followers, who thronged the Himalayan town of Dharamshala.

Saturday, 5 July 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Dalai Lama says he hopes to live past 130 as India responds to China

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

‘End is near’: Will Kabul become first big city without water by 2030?

The city of six million people could soon run out water, amid climate change, sanctions and governance failures.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Pocket knife, hair clips, and dhoti: Army doctor helps woman deliver baby; mother, child stable

The Wire 🇮🇳

Raj and Uddhav Thackeray Publicly Reunite After 20 Years on Platform of Marathi Pride

The two cousins did not reveal how they would ‘come together’ but their joint appearance has shifted public sentiment in their favour.

The Times 🇬🇧

The playboy, the Goldman banker and the biggest scam in history

He’s a Harrow-educated businessman who stole billions via a scheme that dragged in Leonardo DiCaprio and Kim Kardashian. The Goldman Sachs partner who helped him has just been jailed. But where is Jho Low?

Le Monde 🇫🇷

The impossible warming of China-EU relations

With no progress on a host of disputes – including rare earths, electric vehicles, and the war in Ukraine – the summit scheduled to mark 50 years of relations between the European Union and China at the end of July in Beijing is expected to be shortened by a day.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Antarctica Faces Tense Future as U.S. Science Budget Shrinks

The continent is dedicated to research and cooperation, but proposed funding cuts in the Trump administration and actions by other world powers may alter the environment.

NPR 🇺🇸

How this long-lost Chinese typewriter from the 1940s changed modern computing

July 5, 2025 • The concepts in the MingKwai typewriter underlie how Chinese, Japanese and Korean are typed today. The typewriter, patented in 1946, was found last year in an upstate New York basement.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Buddhist rebirth v Chinese control: the battle to choose the Dalai Lama’s successor

The spiritual leader has said his inner circle of monks will find an heir, but China believes the choice is in its hands

BBC News 🇬🇧

Australian PM vows 'full force of law' after arson attack at synagogue

“Antisemitism has no place in Australia,” Anthony Albanese said after the latest in a string of attacks.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China, Russia and the ‘Dragon-Bear’ embrace

The partnership seeks to build a new world order along the route of the old Silk Roads. But, asks Peter Frankopan, is this bond as close as it seems?

Friday, 4 July 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Russia becomes first state to recognise Afghanistan's Taliban government

The foreign minister in Kabul called Moscow's decision "courageous".

The Wire 🇮🇳

Five Key Revelations from Army’s Deputy Chief on Operation Sindoor

Lt Gen Rahul R. Singh’s revelations are the first public official acknowledgment of China’s real-time support to Pakistan and of Turkey’s direct involvement in Operation Sindoor.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Promises made, promises kept': Donald Trump signs 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' into law

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Several people killed in multistorey building collapse in Pakistan

Rescuers were searching for trapped survivors after the incident in the impoverished Lyari neighbourhood of Karachi.

The Times 🇬🇧

Singapore’s most powerful family at war over decaying ‘bungalow’

To understand the country’s dynastic feud, look no further than 38 Oxley Road

The New York Times 🇺🇸

British Fighter Jet Takes Unexpected Detour to India, and Is Embraced by Locals

A British F-35B has been stranded for weeks at an airport in southern India because of mechanical issues. The internet, and the region’s tourism agency, are having fun with it.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

France and China make steps to resolve brandy tax dispute, despite 'major issues'

After China announced that, from Saturday, it will require major European brandy exporters to raise prices or risk anti-dumping taxes of up to 34.9%, several brandy producers agreed to 'minimum price commitments.'

The Independent 🇬🇧

Air India accused of mistreating families of Ahmedabad crash victims

Financial Times 🇬🇧

‘Alligator Alcatraz’ policymaking leaves the field clear for China

The contrast between technocracy in Beijing and the pantomime in Washington is impossible to ignore

NPR 🇺🇸

North Korean crosses the heavily fortified border to South Korea

July 4, 2025 • South Korean authorities plan to investigate the border crossing and did not immediately say whether they view the incident as a defection attempt.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Hong Kong code of conduct will oblige legislators to ‘sincerely support’ Beijing

Proposal is latest in a series of rules and legislation that have cracked down on the city’s pro-democracy movement

Thursday, 3 July 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

The curious case of the British jet stuck in India

A state-of-the-art F-35B has been stranded at Thiruvananthapuram airport for nearly three weeks.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Big defence boost: Rs 1L crore for spy planes, naval gear; China-Pak axis stirs urgency

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Russia becomes first country to recognise Afghanistan’s Taliban government

Supreme Court lifted group’s ‘terrorist’ designation in April, as Moscow seeks normalisation in bid for regional clout.

The Wire 🇮🇳

RSS Comes to the Rescue to Pull BJP Out of Limbo Over Nadda’s Successor

The BJP chose nine state chiefs in the last two weeks, all of whom are low profile RSS activists, to fulfill the conditions of an electoral college to elect the party president.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Cramps, fatigue and hallucinations: paddling 200km in a Paleolithic canoe from Taiwan to Japan

The team battled a notoriously strong current and used the stars as their guide to reach an island in an unstable vessel made of Japanese cedar

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Russia becomes first country to recognise Afghanistan’s Taliban government

Moscow aims to co-operate in fields such as energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure with Islamist regime in Kabul

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Russia Becomes First Country to Recognize Afghanistan’s Taliban Government

Afghanistan has remained largely isolated since the Taliban seized power nearly four years ago, despite subtle signs of increased cooperation with countries like China and India.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Russia becomes first country to officially recognize Taliban government in Afghanistan

The decision marks a major diplomatic milestone nearly three years after the group returned to power.

NPR 🇺🇸

China Works to Dominate in AI and EV

July 3, 2025 • The reality of China's efforts to lead in two important tech sectors. In artificial intelligence, control of the data needed to train new models could dictate where the industry is able to expand fastest. And a price war in China's electric vehicle industry.

The Times 🇬🇧

As Azerbaijan arrests Russians, is Putin losing control of his ‘backyard’?

Moscow’s influence over the former Soviet state and others in the region appears to be waning

The Independent 🇬🇧

At least 5 dead and many missing after ferry capsizes off Bali coast

Wednesday, 2 July 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

BBC visits heart of Tibetan resistance as showdown looms between Dalai Lama and China

The BBC speaks to Tibetans as their spiritual exiled leader the Dalai Lama turns 90.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

US defence 'made in China': Is Washington ready for war with Beijing?

The Independent 🇬🇧

Inside the Dalai Lama’s succession and what it means for Tibetan cause

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Dalai Lama defies China by asserting ‘sole authority’ over succession

Tibetan Buddhist leader claims control over reincarnation process contested by Beijing

Le Monde 🇫🇷

'To those rejected by the US, China opens its arms wider'

Xi Jinping is methodically weaving his economic and trade web − particularly in Africa and Brazil − as a counterweight to Donald Trump's United States. But criticism has emerged in these countries over the unequal sharing of value between them and the Chinese giant, says Le Monde's Harold Thibault in his column.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

North Korean Tech Workers Infiltrating Companies Around World, U.S. Says

Using falsified and stolen IDs, prosecutors say, North Koreans secure jobs that help finance the regime by evading sanctions. They also steal corporate secrets, some related to military technology.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Gaga Over Golgappa? The Cultural Roots of Women’s Soft Corner for Pani Puri

The golgappa is more than just a snack – it is a symbol of the delicate bargains women must strike with patriarchy and urban spaces.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Bangladesh ex-PM Hasina sentenced to six months in contempt case

Bangladesh’s interim government says the conviction shows commitment to justice.

The Times 🇬🇧

How will China react to the Dalai Lama’s succession announcement?

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism has long been a thorn in the side of the Chinese Communist Party

NPR 🇺🇸

Trump announces trade deal with Vietnam

July 2, 2025 • The announcement came after President Trump in April proposed a steep 46% tariff on Vietnamese imports; he later paused those tariffs while talks continued.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

EU’s proposed 2040 emissions target signals its retreat as leader on climate action

Tuesday, 1 July 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Dalai Lama confirms he will have a successor after his death

The exiled leader of Tibetan Buddhism issues a landmark announcement as he turns 90, ending years of uncertainty.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Dozens dead in pharmaceutical factory blast in southern India

An explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in India’s Telangana state has killed at least 36 people.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Australia bomb cyclone live: Travel chaos continues

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump threatens to raise tariffs again on Japan

US president not intending to extend July 9 deadline before hitting trading partners with more levies

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Trump announces Israel's agreement to 60-day ceasefire plan; urges Hamas to take deal

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In Japan, a manga artist has predicted a disaster in early July, causing a drop in tourism

The 'prediction' made by a manga author has sparked panic and a decline in bookings around July 5, the day that she claims an earthquake will trigger a massive tsunami. Authorities have reiterated that it is impossible to predict earthquakes.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Senate Passes Trump’s Signature Bill

Plus, a new way to see Cézanne.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Before Second Foreign Ministers' Meet, India Says It Expects Quad to Understand Its Stance on Terror

The “victims and perpetrators” of terrorism “must never be equated”, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said in Washington.

The Times 🇬🇧

Can Beijing’s AI revival of kung-fu classics inspire patriots?

Beijing’s Hollywood plans to remake Hong Kong favourites, focusing on those with a message of Chinese strength and virtue, to attract Gen Z audiences

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Thailand’s PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended over leaked Hun Sen call

NPR 🇺🇸

Court suspends Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra

July 1, 2025 • Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, involving an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed.

Monday, 30 June 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

BBC investigation reveals hidden deaths at India festival crush

The Uttar Pradesh government says 37 people were killed in the Kumbh Mela crush, but the BBC has verified at least 82 deaths.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Two Years After Arrest in Prague, New Files Detail Nikhil Gupta’s First 24 Hours in Custody

What began as a passport check of arriving passengers soon turned into a questioning in a darkened police vehicle, culminating into the first time a US court charged an Indian intelligence official in connection with an international murder-for-hire conspiracy.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

IAF strip, used in 3 wars, secretly ‘sold off’ using fake papers

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Hong Kong’s bull market leaves China behind

Mainland equities are flat in first six months of 2025, while Hang Seng index has gained 20%

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: Senate Votes on Trump’s Big Policy Bill

Plus, Hong Kong protesters are still paying.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Leading Hong Kong pro-democracy party disbands amid legal threats

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Prada accused of cashing in on Indian culture with Kolhapuri-inspired sandals

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Days of heavy Pakistan rains, floods kill 46, including 13 from one family

Authorities say forecasters cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the devastating floods of 2022.

The Times 🇬🇧

South Korea’s ‘Lady Macbeth’ faces corruption investigation

Special prosecutors appointed by the new president are examining allegations against Kim Keon-hee

Saturday, 28 June 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Imran Khan’s wife ‘gravely ill’ in jail, his party warns

The Times 🇬🇧

Who will be the next Dalai Lama? As he turns 90, Tibetan leader is making plans

Tibet’s spiritual leader insists his successor must come from the scattered community living outside repressive Chinese rule

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Husband-wife tiff turns ugly on Delhi-bound flight; man handed over to security

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan facing ‘crisis of injustice’ in fight against climate change

At least 32 killed in monsoon flooding, underscoring Pakistan’s climate vulnerability and insufficient global support.

The Wire 🇮🇳

A Crucial Rule Change in J&K's Marriage Assistance Scheme for Very Poor Women Has Left Many Ineligible

While severe poverty had led many of these women to drop out of school, a rule stipulating an educational qualification now means that they cannot avail themselves of the schemes benefits.

BBC News 🇬🇧

'Proud to be gay': K-pop star on coming out to the world

Only a handful of K-pop artists have come out as gay, but none as publicly as Bain. Is this a turning point?

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Protesters in Bangkok demand resignation of prime minister over leaked phone call

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thai Protesters Vent Their Exasperation With the Prime Minister

The political turmoil set off by a leaked phone conversation shows no sign of easing, in a country where demonstrations have helped oust governments before.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Thousands of protestors demand Thai prime minister's resignation

Paetongtarn Shinawatra faces mass protests and coalition defections after calling a Thai commander her 'opponent' in a leaked conversation a Cambodian elder statesman.

Sunday, 29 June 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

'Every word has come back to haunt me': China cracks down on women who write gay erotica

At least 30 writers have been arrested across the country since February, a lawyer tells the BBC.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Engage, Not Inform: Visual Lessons from Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign

In the US, where politics is increasingly reduced to sanitised marketing, Zohran Mamdani’s campaign visuals hit like a burst of fresh air: bold, disruptive, and impossible to ignore.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Cops fled to save themselves: Puri stampede eyewitnesses, survivors

The Times 🇬🇧

‘Every possible cause’ for India plane crash being investigated

The AAIB is said to be looking at Flight 171’s landing gear, engine thrust and flap settings — but sabotage has not been ruled out

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: The Toll of an Attack on an Iranian Prison

Plus, correcting Captain Nemo.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

The environmental debacle of India's 'Land of the Gods'

'The Himalayas Overheating' (1/6). This is the first part of a series on the Asian mountain range where the continent's main rivers, vital to the survival of nearly 2 billion people, find their source. Climate change and huge infrastructure projects are changing the landscape beyond repair.

NPR 🇺🇸

Deadline nears for Taiwan's Chinese immigrants to prove no China household registration

June 29, 2025 • Amid a wave of national security measures, immigrants from China must prove they've given up their household registration in China by June 30. Many are Chinese women married to men from Taiwan.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

‘Immense pressure’: Hong Kong’s last major pro-democracy party disbands

Founded in 2006, LSD was the latest pro-democracy party to hold street protests amid national security crackdown.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Hong Kong IPO boom challenges the city’s critics

Asian financial hub bounces back to secure $13bn in new listings this year

Friday, 27 June 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Foreign aid cuts hurt the most vulnerable in world’s largest refugee camp

In recent months, healthcare in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh has been badly affected by foreign aid cuts.

The Wire 🇮🇳

India Dismisses Indus Tribunal’s Award Affirming Jurisdiction Despite Treaty ‘Abeyance’

“India has never recognised the existence in law of this so-called Court of Arbitration,” the external affairs ministry said.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Orphaned in bus crash, 10-year-old asks God, 'what was our fault?'

BBC News 🇬🇧

'Commercialising concussion': The Australians taking a backyard collision game global

As hype over the game grows, so do concerns about the potential for brain injuries.

NPR 🇺🇸

Trump says he's terminating trade talks with Canada, 'effective immediately'

June 27, 2025 • The announcement on Canada follows a flurry of updates around trade talks and a suggestion by President Trump that the upcoming July 8 deadline for countries to make deals with the U.S. is moveable.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Pakistan flood sweeps away children and relatives trying to save them – video

The Independent 🇬🇧

Britain’s stranded F-35 fighter jet is a test of its trust in India

The New York Times 🇺🇸

China Confirms Trade Framework With U.S. to Lift Export Controls

The deal involves loosening exports of rare earths to the United States and the lifting of some restrictions on U.S. goods to China, China’s Ministry of Commerce said.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Chinese phonemaker touts 200,000 electric SUV orders in 3 minutes

Xiaomi’s shares soar to all-time high after company launches pre-orders for YU7 sport utility vehicle

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Japan executes 'Twitter killer' who killed nine people he met online

In the country's first enactment of the death penalty since 2022, Takahiro Shiraishi was hanged on Friday for killing and dismembering victims he met on the social media platform now called X.

Thursday, 26 June 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

‘One particular country objected’: MEA on why Rajnath refused to sign SCO statement

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump says US-China trade truce has been ‘signed’

Purported pact follows negotiations in London and Geneva to de-escalate global trade war

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: The Deadly Search for Food in Gaza

Plus, a recap of “Squid Game.”

The Wire 🇮🇳

India’s Social Regression Under Modi’s Eleven Years May Not Be Mendable

While much has been written about the Modi regime’s economic failures and diplomatic missteps, the most insidious damage lies elsewhere – in the corrosion of India’s socio-cultural fabric.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Runaway bear in runway ‘stalemate’ with Japanese airport officials

The Times 🇬🇧

Gucci handbags and water slides: North Korea’s first lady makes rare appearance

Ri Sol-ju made a rare public appearance to stand united by Kim Jong-un’s side for the opening of a tourist attraction

The Independent 🇬🇧

Air India crash authorities give first major update on black box data

BBC News 🇬🇧

Astronaut becomes first Indian to set foot on ISS

Shubhanshu Shukla becomes the first Indian on ISS as the mission docks with the orbiting laboratory.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Japan is questioning its alliance with Donald Trump's United States

Faced with Trump's unpredictable policies, Japanese leaders are considering the need to develop an alternative diplomatic and security strategy to reduce their dependence on the US.

Wednesday, 25 June 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Thailand's 'weed wild west' faces new rules as smuggling to UK rises

A number of British travellers have been arrested and prices have collapsed due to overproduction.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Facing 'Undeclared Emergency' Charge, BJP Marks ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ with Book Starring Modi

Amit Shah spoke about Modi's role as an RSS worker going door to door with pamphlets to protest against the Emergency. The Congress on the other hand said that the BJP was trying to divert attention from its governance failures.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Iran nuke sites 'severely damaged': US spy chief, CIA back Trump's claim; slam 'propaganda media'

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US imposes sanctions on Mexican finance firms over China fentanyl trade

Treasury department orders will block two banks and a brokerage from transactions with American financial institutions

Le Monde 🇫🇷

China has enlisted star influencers to boost its global image

Taiwanese and American influencers recount their travels in the People's Republic on social media, marveling at the comfort of public toilets or the height of skyscrapers. A state-run media outlet even offers an all-expenses-paid trip − provided the influencer has more than 300,000 followers.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thursday Briefing: Trump Says He’ll Meet With Iran

Plus, the importance of baby talk.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Man charged after violently slamming Afghan child to the ground

A Belarusian tourist has been charged with attempted murder after violently attacking an Afghan boy at a Moscow airport.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Pakistan debates Trump Nobel peace prize nomination after US strikes on Iran

The Times 🇬🇧

Dogs are off the menu but still under threat in South Korea

Closure of dog farms as a result of last year’s ban puts half a million animals at risk of being put down if they can’t be rehomed

The Independent 🇬🇧

Brazilian tourist’s dream trek ends in tragedy on Indonesian volcano

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Israel-Iran live: Trump orders Israel ‘do not drop those bombs’

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump signals sanctions relief for China to buy Iran’s oil

Potential policy U-turn comes hours after president declared peace in Middle East war

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Friendly plane wave': Israel defies Trump's ceasefire plan; launches missiles at Iran

BBC News 🇬🇧

UK aircraft carrier in Pacific on rare deployment

The BBC speaks to Commodore James Blackmore, commander of the UK carrier strike group, on deployment in Indo-Pacific.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: New Details About U.S. Strikes on Iran

Plus, Australia’s “Flying Padres”

NPR 🇺🇸

Why is China so concerned about Israel-Iran tensions?

June 24, 2025 • China is closely watching whether Israel and Iran can broker a ceasefire. Beijing gets much of its crude oil imports from Iran through a "dark fleet" of vessels to evade American sanctions.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Maharashtra: Govt Bans Meat Sale For 10 Days in Solapur for Pandharpur Wari Yatra

A complete ban on liquor sales has also been announced in the district during this period.

The Times 🇬🇧

Body found in hunt for tourist on active Indonesian volcano

Brazilian national Juliana Marins, 26, slipped nearly 500 metres down Mount Rinjani while walking with a guided group

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

How much have US wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan cost?

More than 20 years of US wars have directly killed an estimated 940,000 people and cost the US $5.8 trillion.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Thailand’s army closes Cambodia border crossings as territorial tensions escalate

Monday, 23 June 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Middle East crisis: Netanyahu says Israel brought Iran's nuclear programme 'to ruin'

The Independent 🇬🇧

US-Iran latest: Trump calls response ‘weak’ after attack on US base

The Wire 🇮🇳

Iran Launches Missiles on US Military Base in Qatar; Indian Embassy Issues Caution

Airspace closures rippled across the Gulf, from Iraq and the UAE to Bahrain and Kuwait, prompting Indian airlines to announce delays, cancellations and flight diversions.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: Iran Struck a U.S. Base in Qatar

Plus, the 100 best movies of the 21st century.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Ukraine and UK to jointly produce long-range drones, Zelenskyy says

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In South Korea, fans celebrate end of military service for K-pop's BTS

The mandatory military service of the members of the world's most famous K-pop group sparked intense debate in South Korea, even leading to the adoption of a law allowing stars to postpone enlistment until age 30 to protect their careers.

The Times 🇬🇧

Indians should be ashamed to speak English, says Modi’s minister

Amit Shah claims language is legacy of colonial rule and should be stamped out, but critics accuse him of wanting to disenfranchise the poor

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Global protests over US strikes on Iran

Video shows protests across the world in response to US air strikes on Iran.

BBC News 🇬🇧

US asks China to stop Iran from closing Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Press TV had earlier reported that parliament had approved a plan to close the Strait.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Japan’s ruling party suffers record low result in Tokyo poll

PM Shigeru Ishiba’s LDP defeated ahead of upper house vote next month

Sunday, 22 June 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Microwave, toilet, fridge: Inside B-2 stealth bombers that flew 37 hrs for Iran strike

The Independent 🇬🇧

US-Iran live: Trump threatens regime change to ‘make Iran great again’

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Key players tangle at UNSC at ‘perilous turn’ of US-Israel-Iran conflict

Tensions soar at the UN as Iran and its allies condemn US military actions, while the US and Israel reject censure.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Taiwan launches unity drive as China threat looms

President Lai Ching-te makes push as his party campaigns to reclaim control of parliament

BBC News 🇬🇧

How China made electric vehicles mainstream

The world's second largest economy is both the biggest producer and buyer of EVs.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: The U.S. Struck Iran

Plus, a farmer’s fire brigade in Canada.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Alarm in Middle East over US strikes on Iran amid fears of widening conflict

The Wire 🇮🇳

US-Israeli War on Iran: Tactical Success May Not Add Up to Strategic Victory

In choosing bombs over diplomacy, Donald Trump has handed Israel a short-term win while setting fire to decades of global nuclear restraint — a reckless act of war that may haunt the Middle East and the world for years.

Friday, 20 June 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Operation Sindhu: Flight with 285 evacuees from Iran's Mashhad lands in Delhi

The Independent 🇬🇧

Thai PM apologises for leaked phone call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen

BBC News 🇬🇧

BTS is back - but K-pop has changed

While the Korean superstars served in the military, their industry has seen stalled album sales and scandals.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Labubu: the tiny elf doll driving China’s most valuable toy company

Pop Mart’s $40bn market capitalisation has surpassed that of Hasbro and Mattel combined on back of hot-selling collectibles

The Wire 🇮🇳

Trump-Munir Lunch: Why the US Still Courts Pakistan’s Generals, Even as They March with China

Field Marshal Asim Munir’s lunch at the White House may have irked India, but it reaffirmed a long-standing pattern: the US military’s deep-rooted, transactional ties with Pakistan’s army endure, despite geopolitical shifts, public estrangement and Islamabad’s growing proximity to Beijing.

The Times 🇬🇧

Outrage in China after Royal Navy ship sails through Taiwan Strait

Beijing accuses Britain of ‘causing trouble’ and ‘undermining peace’

The New York Times 🇺🇸

His Prison Term Halved, Former Malaysia Leader Wins Another Reprieve

Money-laundering charges against Najib Razak were dropped because of prosecutorial delays, intensifying criticism that he was being treated leniently.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Chinese cities are facing the financial abyss of their subway systems

After high-speed rail, subway lines are now dragging the cities they serve into huge levels of debt. This is due to colossal construction and operating costs, minimal revenues and a toxic relationship with real estate developers.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Amid US-Pakistan thaw, two key challenges: Iran and China

Pakistani army chief Munir’s US trip suggests warming ties after past diplomatic friction. But challenges remain.

Saturday, 21 June 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump says Iranian nuclear facilities ‘totally obliterated’

The Times 🇬🇧

‘We had seconds to decide if India’s missile was nuclear’

A former Pakistani foreign minister whose mother was assassinated says that despite the truce, these neighbours are closer to war than ever

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Giving them two weeks': Donald Trump’s timeless countdown returns; this time with Iran

BBC News 🇬🇧

For 50 years, Sydney Opera House has had one man on speed dial

Terry Harper has been tuning pianos in the iconic venue since he was a teen - a family legacy started by his dad.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Air India C.E.O.’s Comments on Crash Draw Backlash Online

A video statement by Campbell Wilson, Air India’s chief executive, after the June 12 plane crash was nearly identical to one given five months earlier by the head of American Airlines, after a crash in Washington, D.C.

The Wire 🇮🇳

Amit Shah’s Attack on English Betrays India’s Pluralist Foundations

Amit Shah's assertion disregards the historical reality that several foreign languages, including English, have helped transmit the treasures of Indian culture to the wider world.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In India, thousands stretch to celebrate International Yoga Day

Thousands of people gathered in public spaces on Saturday to practice asanas and breathing exercises across the country.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan to nominate ‘genuine peacemaker’ Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Trump has repeatedly said he averted a nuclear war, saved millions of lives – and grumbled that he got no credit for it.

Thursday, 19 June 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Trapped in conflict zone: Scores of Indians still stranded in Iran, Israel; anxiety stalks kin

BBC News 🇬🇧

Adorable or just weird? How Labubu dolls conquered the world

The dolls have almost tripled their maker's profits - and, according to some, energised Chinese soft power.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Serial rapist who drugged and filmed 10 women in London and China jailed for life

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Suchinda Kraprayoon, Thai Leader Who Set Off Bloody Protests, Dies at 91

A top general, he was appointed prime minister in 1992, a short-lived tenure that immediately incited the Black May uprising — and a violent backlash by his military.

The Times 🇬🇧

Rochdale grooming gang leaders may finally be deported to Pakistan

The country has refused to accept Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan after they renounced their citizenship, but the decision could soon be reversed

The Wire 🇮🇳

Canada Spy Agency Flags Khalistani Extremism and Indian Foreign Interference in Public Report

The scope of this report is larger than last year's, which made no mention of Khalistani extremism and limited mention of India.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Why Vietnam should revamp its economic model

Donald Trump’s trade shock is a wake-up call for faster reform

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Putin to visit China for regional summit and WWII commemorations

The Russian president will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, hold talks with Xi Jinping and join September 3 ceremonies marking Japan's WWII surrender.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Trump’s Pakistan embrace: ‘Tactical romance’ or a new ‘inner circle’?

Trump hosts Pakistan army chief Asim Munir for an unprecedented White House lunch, as the US and Pakistan reset ties.

Wednesday, 18 June 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

'Khamenei can no longer be allowed to exist': Israel's direct warning after hospital attack

The Independent 🇬🇧

India and Canada restore ambassadors as Modi and Carney meet at G7

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Nippon Steel says capital raise possible to fund US Steel takeover pledge

Japanese steelmaker has promised to invest $11bn in American rival by 2028

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Lone survivor of Air India crash mourns brother

Viswashkumar Ramesh, the lone survivor of last week’s Air India disaster, wept as his brother’s body arrived.

The Wire 🇮🇳

After Modi’s Call, Trump Still Insists He Helped Stop India-Pakistan Hostilities

“I stopped the war between Pakistan and India,” Trump said even as Modi rejected the president's version of events over a phone call.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

U.S. to Review Social Media Posts of Student and Scholar Visa Applicants

The State Department is restarting the processing of visa applications from students and visiting scholars, but is screening for “hostility” toward the United States.

The Times 🇬🇧

Korean pop star’s cap inflames historic resentment of Japan

Jungkook, a member of the boy band BTS, has issued an apology after wearing a cap with the words ‘Make Tokyo Great Again’

BBC News 🇬🇧

Lone Air India survivor carries coffin of brother killed in crash

A visibly upset Ramesh was overcome with grief carrying his brother's coffin to the crematorium.

Monday, 16 June 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Israel-Iran conflict: Trump claims Iran wants to negotiate, but says ‘it’s very late’

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

China’s Xi Jinping meets Central Asian leaders: Why their summit matters

China is the region’s top trading partner, but Russia and the US both have a presence, too.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Air India plane crash latest: Evidence reveals possible cause of crash

The Wire 🇮🇳

Iran-Israel Conflict: Many Indians in Tehran Bussed Out, Embassy Advises Leaving City

This morning, the Indian embassy urged Indians in Tehran to get in touch with it through the numbers +989010144557; +989128109115 and +989128109109.

BBC News 🇬🇧

What the capsizing and relaunching of a warship tells us about North Korea's regime

The intrigue has less to do with the failure itself and more with how Kim Jong Un reacted.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China retail sales jump while industrial growth slows on trade war turmoil

Strong consumer spending provides ‘bright spot’ for economy grappling with higher US tariffs

The Times 🇬🇧

Age of AI ‘raises risk of nuclear war by accident’

China’s expanding nuclear arsenal and the rise of artificial intelligence in military strategy risk fuelling a new kind of war, experts warn

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: Israel Attacked Iranian State TV

Plus, China’s soft-power toy.

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Le Monde 🇫🇷

China, Iran's main economic backer, remains a bystander to the Middle East conflict

As Chinese diplomacy becomes increasingly active in the Middle East, Beijing, which buys 90% of Iran's exported oil, has continued to leave the role of regional policing to the US.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

How Iran’s Khamenei lost his top commanders and why his axis is crumbling

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump plans to delay TikTok ban for a third time

US president will sign an executive order this week extending deal deadline by 90 days

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Trump Calls for Iran’s ‘Unconditional Surrender’

Plus, Octopuses’ marvelous arms.

The Wire 🇮🇳

No Major Safety Concerns in Air India’s Boeing 787 Fleet Says DGCA

The DGCA said that of the 16 Air India flights that were cancelled on Tuesday,13 were from the Boeing 787 fleet – the same type of aircraft that had crashed carrying 242 passengers on board last week.

The Times 🇬🇧

Bomb survivors criticise ‘creepy’ ceremony for emperor in Hiroshima

Opponents say the mobilisation of schoolchildren to cheer the visit is a throwback to the days of Japan’s pre-war militarism

BBC News 🇬🇧

The teen who filmed the Air India crash video the world saw

Aryan Asari just wanted to film planes flying in the sky - but he ended up capturing one of the country's biggest air crashes.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Cockpit voice recorder recovered from crashed Air India flight

Saturday, 14 June 2025

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Iran state TV hit in Israeli attack; loud explosions heard across Tehran

The Wire 🇮🇳

As SCO Condemns Israel for Attack on Iran, India Dissociates Itself from Statement

The SCO statement did not indicate that any member had dissociated from it. However, India issued a separate statement almost concurrently, clarifying that it was not part of the SCO’s decision-making on this matter.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Wait for bodies deepens pain of families after Air India crash

Officials said on Saturday that 11 victims had been identified so far based on their DNA samples.

The Times 🇬🇧

‘Thrust not achieved. Falling’: 30 seconds and Flight 171 was lost

Questions are mounting for both Boeing and the airline’s owner Tata Group about how a plane carrying 242 people can drop out of the sky

The New York Times 🇺🇸

British Gujaratis Gather to Mourn Those Who Died in Air India Crash

The disaster in the Indian state of Gujarat affected thousands in Britain’s Gujarati diaspora. Some of them came together on Saturday to remember the victims.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Surge in bond yields adds to pressure on BoJ

Policymakers to decide on how to proceed with tapering of massive bond-buying programme

The Independent 🇬🇧

Grief engulfs neighbourhood where Air India crash killed dozens

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

At least 270 bodies recovered from Air India crash site in Ahmedabad

Most bodies are charred or mutilated, and the local authorities are working to identify them by matching DNA samples.

Sunday, 15 June 2025

The Times 🇬🇧

New clues point to engine failure for cause of Air India plane crash

Videos and witness reports indicate that the Boeing 787-8 failed to climb more than 450ft before crashing, killing at least 279 people

The Wire 🇮🇳

As Israeli Missiles Hit Iran, Indian Students in Tehran Are Being Relocated to Safer Areas

Earlier, officials said evacuations were dangerous with ‘bombs and missiles going off’ even as some Indians were keen to be relocated.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Air India plane crash death toll rises to 270

Dr Dhaval Gameti said 270 bodies have been recovered from the site of Thursday's plane crash in Ahmedabad.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Seven killed in helicopter crash in India’s Uttarakhand state

Incident comes days after an Air India plane crashed in the western Ahmedabad city, killing all but one of 242 on board.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: Israel and Iran Traded Missile Strikes

Plus, the Dalai Lama’s succession.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Pune bridge tragedy: Rust, overcrowding or neglect - What caused the collapse?

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Corporate bond defaults disappear from China’s onshore market

Systemic risk prioritised over international norms as country returns to zero failure era

The Independent 🇬🇧

He flew home to bury his father. The Air India crash took his life

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Kazakhstan families search for clues about the 270,000 'missing soldiers' of the World War II Soviet Army

Nearly a quarter of the one million Kazakhs conscripted into the Red Army during the 'Great Patriotic War,' the Russian term for World War II, went missing. Eighty years later, their descendants are getting organized to trace their whereabouts.

Friday, 13 June 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Boeing CEO cancels airshow visit as investigation starts on India crash

This was to be Boeing CEO Ortberg’s first airshow since he was appointed to lead the company out of multiple crises.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

On China, Leo XIV follows in the footsteps of Pope Francis

The new pontiff has implemented an agreement signed in 2018 between the Holy See and Beijing, though some Catholic factions have criticized it.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Aukus: Could Trump sink Australia's submarine plans?

The White House has put the landmark agreement between the US, UK and Australia under review.

The Wire 🇮🇳

As Iran-Israel Conflict Escalates, Modi Speaks of Need for 'Early Restoration of Peace'

Late on Friday, Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel, many of which were seen flying over the coastal city of Tel Aviv.

The Times of India 🇮🇳

Air India plane crash: Toll mounts to 274; 33 on-ground deaths confirmed

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Jane Street takes $4mn a month Hong Kong prime office

New York trading firm has rapidly grown to rival Wall Street’s biggest banks

The Independent 🇬🇧

Air India plane crash: Second black box recovered from wreckage

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Sole Survivor of India Plane Crash Recounts How He Survived

Viswash Kumar Ramesh was one of 242 people on the 787-8 Dreamliner that went down shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, India, and the only known survivor.

The Times 🇬🇧

From dancing robots to DeepSeek, the university helping China to win tech race

Hangzhou has produced some of the world’s most impressive entrepreneurs, securing a top slot in the global technological revolution

Thursday, 12 June 2025

The Times 🇬🇧

Engine failure or crew error? What could have caused the Air India crash

Aviation experts suggest possible explanations after studying footage of the Boeing 787-8 disaster

Financial Times 🇬🇧

UK financial regulators should copy Singapore model, say peers

British watchdogs are too slow and risk-averse, Lords committee states

BBC News 🇬🇧

Indian PM Modi visits scene of plane crash, as search for black boxes continues

All but one of the 242 people on board the London-bound flight died when it crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Air India crash refuels Boeing and airline’s problems

Fatal crash raises new concerns for both firms as they try to revamp after years of problems that marred reputations.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

‘I Don’t Know How I Am Alive,’ Air India Crash Survivor Tells Family

Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 38, who sustained multiple injuries, a doctor said, was the only passenger out of 242 people on board the plane to walk away.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

At least 265 dead in India plane crash, one passenger survives

One passenger survived as Air India's flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, officials said.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Air India plane crash: ‘Many killed’ in London-bound flight crash

Wednesday, 11 June 2025

The Times 🇬🇧

Mongolian PM ‘ousted by Putin ally in smear campaign’

Government sources claim that Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene is the victim of an effective coup by the country’s president

The Independent 🇬🇧

India ramps up deportation of alleged migrants to Bangladesh

The New York Times 🇺🇸

New China Trade ‘Deal’ Takes U.S. Back to Where It Started

If a handshake agreement holds, it will merely undo some of the damage from the trade war that President Trump started.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump’s message to Asian students will hurt US universities

President’s policies risk making it harder for institutions to compete against international rivals

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Fashion brands accused of shortcuts on climate pledges overlooking workers

A new report accuses fashion giants of not considering the welfare of workers affected by climate change.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Gangster tells BBC why India's biggest hip-hop star was murdered

Three years after Moose Wala's murder, the BBC investigates how he found himself an enemy of a feared gang.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Trump touts 'done' deal with Beijing on rare earths, Chinese students

Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US and China had agreed on a deal to preserve a trade war truce, with Beijing to supply rare earth minerals, and the US to allow Chinese students to attend its colleges.

Tuesday, 10 June 2025

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump says US-China deal ‘done’ as two sides restore trade war truce

US president reveals agreement struck with Beijing covers rare earths

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Treasury chief returns to US as China trade talks ongoing

The negotiations, taking place in London, follow talks in Geneva last month, which saw a temporary agreement to lower tariffs. US President Donald Trump told reporters Monday: 'We are doing well with China. China's not easy.'

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Why U.S. Troops Are in Los Angeles

Plus, the travel writer’s dilemma.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan ramps up defence spending by 20 percent after India conflict

Defence spending surges in Islamabad’s new budget, even as overall expenditures shrink.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Two BTS stars finish military service as fans await comeback

RM and V were discharged on Tuesday and all seven BTS members would have finished the requirement by the end of June.

The Times 🇬🇧

Curry crisis as cost of Japan’s comfort dish surges

Rising rice prices threaten curry rice restaurants as the government considers imports to curb inflation

Saturday, 7 June 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Covid surge in Asia sparks concern about more infectious variants

The Times 🇬🇧

White House warns UK not to allow Chinese embassy near City

Senior US officials are ‘deeply concerned’ about espionage risk to sensitive financial data

BBC News 🇬🇧

Body of Thai hostage recovered from Gaza, Israel says

Nattapong Pinta was captured alive and was likely killed during the first months of captivity, the Israeli military says.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Chinese Students Reconsider the U.S. as Republicans Threaten Their Visas

Critics say proposals to restrict or even ban Chinese student visas take a “sledgehammer to a problem that needs highly targeted tools.”

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China fast tracks rare earth export licences for European companies

Beijing has attempted to improve relations with Brussels since Donald Trump returned to the White House

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Rare earths: China's magnet war threatens global industry

Rare earth magnets, which are essential to car manufacturing as well as the defense and home appliance sectors, have started to run short in factories worldwide following China's export restrictions. The country holds a monopoly over their production.

Monday, 9 June 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

‘Not justice’: Father laments as court acquits men accused of killing sons during Delhi riots

BBC News 🇬🇧

China's electric cars are becoming slicker and cheaper - but is there a deeper cost?

The future for EVs will inevitably involve China. But where does that leave the UK and Europe markets – and what of the questions around national security?

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump eyes easing US chip export restrictions to secure Chinese rare earths

Top White House official says a deal could be struck as part of trade talks between the two countries

Le Monde 🇫🇷

US, China trade talks to stretch into second day

The discussions come just a few days after US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first publicly announced telephone talks since the Republican returned to the White House.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: California’s Lawsuit Against Trump

Plus, a triumph at the Tonys for a musical set in South Korea.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India-Pakistan conflict claims an unlikely victim: Himalayan pink salt

The recent trade ban comes on the heels of an armed attack in Kashmir in which gunmen killed 26 people.

Sunday, 8 June 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

‘Open prison’: The forced labour driving India’s $5 trillion economy dream

India has more than 300 million unorganised sector workers. Many suffer from withheld wages, endless toil and coercion.

BBC News 🇬🇧

The forgotten story of India's brush with presidential rule

Indira Gandhi's aides pushed for a presidential system - centralising power and sidelining courts and parliament.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: Tensions Flare in Los Angeles

Plus, the French Open’s stunning finals.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

India’s coal champion reopens dozens of mines

State-owned Coal India chair says company is also preparing greenfield projects as renewables struggle to meet energy demand

The Times 🇬🇧

Why India’s census will ask about caste for first time since the Raj

Officials who have to cross rivers in rafts, dodge wild animals and scale mountains to visit every household will ask a question not posed in decades

Friday, 6 June 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Everything we know about world’s highest railway arch bridge

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump says US-China trade talks to be held in London on June 9

Announcement follows phone call between American president and Chinese leader Xi Jinping

BBC News 🇬🇧

On board the driverless lorries hoping to transform China's transport industry

Driverless lorries are now operating across China - but public concern about these vehicles remains.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Buyer With Ties to Chinese Communist Party Got V.I.P. Treatment at Trump Crypto Dinner

The warm welcome for a technology executive whose purchases of the president’s digital coin won him a White House tour illustrates inconsistencies in the administration’s views toward visitors from China.

The Times 🇬🇧

China surpasses German engineering with world’s tallest wind turbine

Announcement of a 340m turbine, taller than the Eiffel Tower, follows huge economic investment by President Xi’s government in green technologies

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Frequent TikTok users in Taiwan more likely to agree with pro-China narratives, study finds

Survey shows correlation between use of Chinese-owned platform and approval of unification with China

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

At least 11 dead in stampede outside cricket stadium in southern India

Authorities say crowd was ‘uncontrollable’ as thousands gathered celebrating Indian Premier League winners in Bengaluru.

Sunday, 18 May 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Indian Premier League cricket championship sparks deadly stampede

At least 11 people died in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in Bengaluru

BBC News 🇬🇧

Apple boosts India's factory hopes - but a US-China deal could derail plans

The US-China trade "reset" could stall the manufacturing investment coming into India, say experts.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

FirstFT: UK and EU secure post-Brexit reset

Also in today’s newsletter, Europe races to influence Trump ahead of Putin call and Germany drops opposition to nuclear power

The Independent 🇬🇧

Indian professor arrested over post on military operation in Pakistan

The Times 🇬🇧

Indian children taught how to coexist with tigers as numbers grow

Coexistence with the big cat was lesson their parents and grandparents did not need, but a resurgence in numbers has made contact more common

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: Trump and Putin Are Set to Talk

Plus, a Japanese author breaks barriers.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Foreign office supporting British woman after reports of drug-smuggling arrest in Sri Lanka

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Kashmir in the crossfire

Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder takes us through the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.

The Independent 🇬🇧

International Booker Prize 2025 winner announced

BBC News 🇬🇧

An island called Hope is standing up to Beijing in the South China Sea

Pagasa is barely big enough for a plane to land, but it stands tall against an armada of Chinese ships.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

CATL founder Robin Zeng expects China truck market to be 50% electric by 2028

Battery giant’s forecast heralds sweeping disruption of global market in heavy goods vehicles

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘Without time, there is no flavour’: a South Korean grand master on the art of the perfect soy sauce

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Israel’s Allies Tell It to Stop

Plus, the International Booker Prize.

The Times 🇬🇧

Brazil’s first lady ‘upset Xi’s wife’ by chiding TikTok in China

Rosangela da Silva, known as Janja, is believed to have caused a diplomatic spat by bringing up the evils of social media during a state banquet

Thursday, 5 June 2025

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Millions of Afghans living in Iran are threatened with expulsion

The four million Afghans living – undocumented or not – in the territory of the Islamic Republic are at risk of being sent back to their country. Previously tolerated, they are now also facing a violent anti-migrant campaign from Iranians.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Kyrgyzstan court sentences ex-leader Atambayev to 11 years in absentia

Former leader convicted on charges of corruption and participating in mass unrest in the Central Asian country.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Women working for UN in Kabul face stalking and death threats

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump and Xi agree to launch new round of trade talks

Leaders hold phone call amid simmering trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: Trump and Musk Trade Insults

Plus, tips for healthy aging.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘Total discrimination’: Chinese students facing US visa ban say their lives are in limbo

Across the US, hundreds of thousands of Chinese students are now uncertain about their academic future and some are considering moving a

BBC News 🇬🇧

Deadly mushroom cook weighed fatal dose on kitchen scales, says prosecutor

Erin Patterson told the court she didn't believe the mushrooms in photos recovered from her phone were toxic.

The Times 🇬🇧

How some of the world’s rarest trees found refuge in Chinese temples

Religious devotion has resulted in several threatened species finding sanctuary within temple grounds, a study has found

Wednesday, 4 June 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Who was Sana Yousaf, Pakistani TikTok star shot dead by a gunman?

The 17-year-old TikToker was killed in her home in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, on Monday.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Lee Jae Myung vows ‘lasting peace’ with North Korea in first speech

BBC News 🇬🇧

'I was pushed across the border into Bangladesh at gunpoint'

The BBC met people in India's Assam who say they were accused of being illegal immigrants and forced across the border.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Apple and Alibaba’s AI rollout in China delayed by Trump trade war

Partnership between US and Chinese tech groups stalled by Beijing regulator in wake of geopolitical tensions

The Guardian 🇬🇧

In Thailand, where mysticism thrives, AI fortune telling finds fertile ground

The Times 🇬🇧

South Korea’s new president: We will co-operate with Kim Jong-un

Lee Jae-myung tells nation he will seek to ‘win without fighting’ North Korea — but raises fears of a domestic purge after predecessor’s ‘insurrection’

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thursday Briefing: Trump’s Call With Putin

Plus, threatened, ancient trees thrive in Chinese temples.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

The rise of China's vertical factory farms housing thousands of pigs

To prevent another outbreak of swine fever, China has transformed its traditional pig farms into giant factory farms. In Hongqiao, Hubei province, two buildings now house hundreds of thousands of pigs.

Tuesday, 3 June 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Kohli wins first IPL title as RCB beat Punjab Kings in final

Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru win first Indian Premier League title, beating Punjab Kings by six runs.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Xiaomi among Chinese tech groups set to be hardest hit by US chip software ban

Companies may struggle to manufacture silicon in Taiwan with export controls preventing updates to design tools

The Independent 🇬🇧

South Korea’s new president pledges unity after martial law turmoil

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Staggering Casualties in Ukraine

Plus, it’s Pride Month.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Democrat Lee Jae-myung wins a sweeping victory in South Korea's presidential election

Democratic opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung has won South Korea's presidential election, which was held following former leader Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his declaration of martial law. Lee now faces the challenge of pulling the country out of the turmoil triggered by the political crisis and by serious economic difficulties.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘They are in shock’: Indian students fear Trump has ended their American dream

BBC News 🇬🇧

South Korean opposition wins presidency after months of political chaos

Lee Jae-myung was voted in exactly six months after his predecessor made a failed martial law bid.

The Times 🇬🇧

Divisive ‘scrappy fighter’ wins big in South Korea election

Lee Jae-myung, a left-winger, said that ‘power should not to be used for the president’s personal interests’ as his opponent concedes

Monday, 2 June 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

‘Everyone feels unsafe’: Border panic as Indian forces kill Myanmar rebels

An unstated border understanding between India and Myanmar’s government-in-exile has broken down, replaced by fear.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Three things to know about South Korea's snap election

South Korea is voting for a new leader after the former president was impeached for imposing martial law.

The Independent 🇬🇧

China threatens action after accusing US of violating tariffs truce

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Mongolia's prime minister resigns after losing a vote of confidence in parliament

The country has seen frequent protests and unrest, and hundreds of young people turned out in Ulaanbaatar last week, calling for Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene's resignation.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Mongolia PM resigns after losing confidence vote that followed weeks of protests

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Liverpool university’s China JV has links to sanctioned entities, report says

Think-tank highlights how Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has come under scrutiny by the US and EU

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: South Korea Votes

Plus, box office success for “Lilo & Stitch.”

The Times 🇬🇧

‘To understand the horrors of Hiroshima, you had to live through it’

A handful of Japanese ‘memory keepers’ are determined to teach new generation the lessons of 1945 nuclear blast

Declassified UK 🇬🇧

Inside Singapore: From British colony to global finance nerve centre

Protected by British gunboats and Gurkhas, Singapore plays an outsized role in the world’s banking and oil system.

Sunday, 1 June 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan sweep series against Bangladesh as Haris hits 107 in third T20I

Opener scores 107 off 46 as Pakistan chase 197 with seven wickets in hand and 16 balls to spare for 3-0 series win.

The Times 🇬🇧

China warns Britain over Royal Navy aircraft carrier in east Asia

More than 3,000 personnel are involved in the eight-month deployment of HMS Prince of Wales

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: Ukraine bombarded Russian air bases

Plus, the tech bros of “Mountainhead.”

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Scientists accuse New Zealand and Ireland of trying to cover up livestock emissions

‘Accounting trick’ to support methane-emitting sectors undermines fight against climate change, say researchers

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Myanmar junta extends ceasefire again after quake

The junta initially declared a truce in the many-sided civil war after a huge quake in late March killed nearly 3,800 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

The Independent 🇬🇧

China hits back at Trump official Pete Hegseth for ‘sabre-rattling and fear-mongering’

The Guardian 🇬🇧

China accuses Pete Hegseth of sowing division in Asia in speech ‘filled with provocations’

Saturday, 31 May 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

These women helped bring down a president - now they say they feel invisible

A snap presidential election has exposed South Korea's stark gender divide.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Hegseth warns Chinese military action against Taiwan ‘could be imminent’

Beijing says US defence secretary is trying to instigate confrontation and stir up the region

The Times 🇬🇧

How Beijing pursues its ethnic enemies to the ends of the earth

A million Uighurs and other Muslims are packed into re-education camps but the few who leave China are persecuted, threatened and even forced to spy

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Valerie Mahaffey, Actress Who Played Quirky Villains, Dies at 71

She had memorable roles on TV shows like “Desperate Housewives” and “Northern Exposure,” and in the dark comedy film “French Exit.”

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India top general admits aerial ‘losses’ in recent conflict with Pakistan

General Anil Chauhan appears to confirm India lost at least one jet during conflict with Pakistan earlier this month.

Declassified UK 🇬🇧

Empire’s echo: Why Britain cannot ignore Kashmir

As the former imperial power, Britain should not escape its historic responsibility for tensions between India and Pakistan.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Macron says West is losing credibility with Gaza ‘double standards’

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Tourist damages two of China’s terracotta warriors after jumping fence

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Hegseth reassures US support for Indo-Pacific allies against 'imminent' threat of China

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security conference hosted by the International Institute for Security Studies, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said China is no longer just building up its military forces to take Taiwan, it's 'actively training for it, every day.'

Thursday, 29 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Can presidential frontrunner Lee Jae Myung bring stability to Korea?

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Doubts raised over Chinese paraglider’s claim of accidental 8,000-metre flight

BBC News 🇬🇧

Students or spies? The young Chinese caught in Trump's crosshairs

The souring relationship between the nations has already caused issues for students at home and in the US.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Chinese Paraglider Reaches Near-Record Heights, Over 28,000 Feet, by Accident

After video of the incident went viral, showing a face and body covered in ice, the local sporting authority said it had banned the paraglider from the sport for six months.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China vows to open markets to Pacific Island nations as US retreats

Trump’s cuts in foreign aid and global tariffs have created opportunity for Beijing

The Times 🇬🇧

China hails Chagos Islands deal as ‘massive achievement’

The approval of Beijing’s ambassador to Mauritius contradicts Sir Keir Starmer’s claim that China has opposed the deal

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

LIVE: Punjab Kings vs RCB – IPL Qualifier 1

Follow our live build-up, team news, score, photo updates and commentary stream as PBKS and RCB eye the IPL final.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Macron decorates Indonesian leader with France's highest honor

French President Emmanuel Macron also announced a new cultural partnership with Indonesia.

Friday, 30 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

China to resume Japanese seafood imports after Fukushima water row

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan seal T20 series against Bangladesh with 57-run win

Three wickets Abrar by followed fifties by Sahibzada and Nawaz as the hosts took a 2-0 series lead against Bangladesh.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Europe and Asia should form ‘positive new alliance’, says Macron in Singapore

BBC News 🇬🇧

How Bondi mass killer slipped through the cracks in Australia

An inquest is examining whether there were "missed opportunities" to stop Joel Cauchi's stabbing rampage.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Football boot makers jump out of kangaroo leather

Japanese sportswear groups Asics and Mizuno to use alternative materials following decades of activist pressure

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Denying Visas to Chinese Students Could Backfire on America

Protecting the borders from espionage is essential. It’s something else to deny students because they are Chinese and hope to pursue a STEM degree in the United States.

The Times 🇬🇧

Macron calls on Europe and Asia to ‘unite against bullies’

The French president has argued that countries should not have to choose between China and the US — and should build ‘a new coalition of independence’

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Macron calls on Asian and European countries to form 'a positive new alliance'

While speaking at a defense and security summit in Singapore, President Emmanuel Macron also said Western countries must not 'abandon Gaza,' and urged Asian leaders not to see the war in Ukraine as a distant problem.

Wednesday, 28 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Has India really overtaken Japan as world’s 4th largest economy?

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump orders US chip software suppliers to stop selling to China

Move by Washington is latest effort to stymie geopolitical rival’s technological advance

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thursday Briefing: Aid Chaos Grows in Gaza

Plus, the Met’s new wondrous space.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan’s Hasan Ali claims five wickets as Bangladesh beaten by 37 runs

Pakistan win the opening match of the three-game T20 series against Bangladesh by 37 runs in Lahore.

The Times 🇬🇧

Indian paintings reveal what bewitched British colonialists

Exhibition unveils artistic fusion of exotic flora and fauna with western tastes

The Guardian 🇬🇧

How social media lies fuelled a rush to war between India and Pakistan

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In Indonesia, Macron pushes for 'political solution' to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Ahead of the international summit on the two-state solution in New York at the end of June, Paris is seeking a joint declaration with the world's most populous Muslim country.

Tuesday, 27 May 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

How political chaos helped forge South Korea's presidential frontrunner

A political implosion turned controversial politician Lee Jae-myung into a presidential favourite.

The Independent 🇬🇧

China could seize Taiwan’s outlying islands, US report warns

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Chinese solar billionaire steps back as industry turmoil deepens

Longi says Li Zhenguo to withdraw from day-to-day management and focus on research and development

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Peak speed: Sherpas say their traditions are at risk after record Everest ascents

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Chaos at a Gaza Aid Site

Plus, climbing Mount Everest with a performance enhancer.

The Times 🇬🇧

Prince Harry flies from LA to Shanghai to promote greener travel

Duke of Sussex made surprise visit to China to urge travel industry to meet global climate goals

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

‘Everest Man’ breaks own record for climbing world’s highest mountain

Kami Rita, a 55-year-old Sherpa known as “Everest Man”, first climbed the world’s highest mountain in 1994.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In Japan, the spirit of mingei is still alive

Their strength lies in patience and the ancestral skills they bring to the workbench every day, working in the spirit of mingei – a folk art movement launched in 1925, of which they are the heirs. A century later, these lacquerers, potters, weavers and dyers who celebrate the simple beauty of everyday objects stand as resisters.

Monday, 26 May 2025

The Times 🇬🇧

After Pikachu and Pudding, Japan bans ‘flashy’ children’s names

Parents will have to opt for something more traditional after a clampdown on unusual pronunciations

BBC News 🇬🇧

What you need to know ahead of South Korea's snap presidential election

The vote comes after the impeachment and removal of former president Yoon Suk Yeol.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Macron looks stunned after wife shoves his face in ‘squabble’

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Chinese EV shares tumble as BYD sparks ‘rat race’ price war fears

Electric vehicle leader announces fresh round of price cuts for its models

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Emmanuel Macron says video of wife pushing him shows them ‘joking around’

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: U.S. and E.U. Talk Trade

Plus, defining Sweden’s culture.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

In Vietnam, Macron aims to seize on ongoing reforms to boost French investments

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Vietnam on Sunday, the first leg of a Southeast Asian diplomatic tour.

Sunday, 25 May 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Raza the hero as Lahore beat Quetta for third Pakistan Super League trophy

Qalandars chase a record target of 202 against the Gladiators as Raza returns from Test duty to hit the winning runs.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Delegation of Labour MPs arrives in Taiwan in first visit since UK election

BBC News 🇬🇧

Branded a terrorist: Media adds agony to Kashmiri family's grief

Mohammad Iqbal, a teacher in Poonch district, died in cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Shein assembles a lineup of former politicians to defend its interests

In France, former interior minister Christophe Castaner and lawyer and former secretary of state Nicole Guedj are among the figures recruited to lobby for the Chinese behemoth, alongside Günther Oettinger, former European commissioner.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: Russia Bombards Ukraine

Plus, Mexico City’s artistic eras.

The Times 🇬🇧

Cambodian politicians ‘profit from online scammers’

The country generates up to $19bn a year from scams, about 60 per cent of its GDP and a new report claims the state protects the criminals involved

The Independent 🇬🇧

Indian MP slammed for saying widows of Kashmir attack lacked ‘heroism’

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Don’t underestimate the Chinese consumer

Reforms, urbanisation and demographic shifts could all sustainably boost domestic spending

Saturday, 24 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Why fierce rivals India, Pakistan and China are racing to woo Taliban

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Why the future of Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus administration is uncertain

Political discord over when to hold elections and growing tensions with the armed forces have left government hamstrung.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

North Korea detains three over warship launch accident, state media reports

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Hong Kong’s Famous Bamboo Scaffolding Hangs On (for Now)

Metal has begun to replace this distinctive latticework, which is seen on towers across the city. Daisy Pak, a rare female bamboo master, takes pride in the ancient craft.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Love letters to pasta

An ardent enquiry into the world’s most obsessed-over carb

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Tokyo lowers water bills during summer to encourage residents to use air conditioning during heat waves

The Japanese capital has announced that this summer it will cover the fixed portion of residents' water bills to help them cope with increasingly intense summer heat, a consequence of climate change.

Friday, 23 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

India kills leader of Maoist insurgency in major crackdown on rebels

BBC News 🇬🇧

Her daughter was taken and sent abroad - 44 years later, they found each other

Hundreds made damning allegations of fraud, kidnapping and trafficking about an overseas adoption programme.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

As Trump focuses on his trade war, Brazil and China forge closer ties

The Times 🇬🇧

The twins separated by China’s child snatchers — and how they were reunited

Corrupt officials stole children and sold them through orphanages to unsuspecting westerners. In Daughters of the Bamboo Grove, Barbara Demick tells the story of two sisters

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Trump backs Nippon Steel partnership with US Steel

Apparent U-turn from president revives Japanese company’s deal after it was blocked by Joe Biden

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Lahore Qalanders defeat Islamabad United by 95 runs to reach PSL final

Lahore Qalanders beat Islamabad United by 95 runs to reach Sunday’s Pakistan Super League final.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Bangladesh’s Leader Threatens to Resign Over Election Pressure

Muhammad Yunus has struggled to navigate between the army, career politicians and the protest movement that overthrew the country’s authoritarian leader last year.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

India-Pakistan: Nuclear threat looms over conflict between the two countries

The use of nuclear weapons, possessed by both enemy states, casts a shadow over the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. While India's 'no first use' nuclear doctrine is well known, Pakistan's position remains much more ambiguous.

Thursday, 22 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Five killed after torrential rain and flash flooding hits Australia

The Guardian 🇬🇧

G7 members agree to counter China’s global trade practices

BBC News 🇬🇧

Homebound: The Indian film that got a nine-minute ovation at Cannes

The film, shot in India's rural North, follows two men from the Muslim and Dalit communities who form a bond.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: Two Israeli Embassy Staff Killed

Plus, books to look forward to.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Macron tells Xi their nations' companies 'must enjoy fair competition'

President Xi urged China and France to 'strengthen solidarity and cooperation' and told his French counterpart that he was ready to work 'hand in hand with Europe.'

Financial Times 🇬🇧

UK crime agency freezes London properties linked to former Bangladesh regime

Move follows the ousting of former leader Sheikh Hasina amid allegations of embezzlement

The Times 🇬🇧

Watch: US embassy likens China to antisocial neighbour living in flats

Video posted by diplomats in Singapore compares China’s activities in the South China Sea to someone cluttering corridors

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan recommits to China bond amid Trump shadow over India ceasefire

After a four-day standoff with India, Pakistan looks to its trusted partner China for post-conflict support.

Wednesday, 21 May 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

British soldiers make Everest history using new method

The former special forces troops used xenon gas to acclimatise to climbing at high altitudes more quickly.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thursday Briefing: Trump Lectures South Africa’s Leader

Plus, everyone is moving to Chengdu.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Feel it’s all pointless? You’re not alone

China’s workplace terms offer a glimpse into its corporate culture and society, and the ideas are going global

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Russia blames Ukraine war, Europe for delaying arms supply to ally Armenia

Armenia has long relied on Russian weapons in its bitter dispute with neighbouring Azerbaijan.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Former prisoners and hostages urge Starmer to secure release of Jimmy Lai

The Times 🇬🇧

British soldiers conquer Everest using groundbreaking method

Treatment with xenon gas helped them acclimatise in record time and reach the summit less than a week after landing in Kathmandu

Monday, 19 May 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Is China the winner in the India-Pakistan conflict?

Pakistan's Chinese-made fighter jets were battle tested for the first time during hostilities with India.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Taiwan show imagining Chinese invasion warns island needs to prepare

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Chinese defence minister set to skip defence forum in Singapore

Admiral Dong Jun’s absence from Shangri-La Dialogue would come as President Xi Jinping purges high-level officers

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: A Trump-Putin Phone Call

Plus, the return of a spy’s archives.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Young British woman held on drug charges in Sri Lanka could be linked to Culley case

The Times 🇬🇧

India’s richest family under fire over sprawling wildlife park

Allegations have been made about the origins of animals at the Vantara centre, opened by Modi, which it says are there for medical treatment only

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Car bomb in Pakistan’s restive southwest kills four people

The attack is just the latest in Balochistan, which is plagued by insurgency.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Shein, China's fast fashion behemoth, hampered by tariffs

The online retail giant, operating in 150 countries, hoped for a significant debut on the London Stock Exchange this year. However, new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and resistance in Europe against ultra-fast fashion, are threatening its global expansion.

Friday, 16 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Pakistan PM offers peace talks with India as ceasefire extended

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Nvidia plans Shanghai research centre in new commitment to China

US chipmaker considers expanding its presence in the country even as sales are hit by Washington’s export controls

BBC News 🇬🇧

The poison paradox: How Australia's deadliest animals save lives

The public antivenom programme saving lives in a place where, the joke goes, everything wants to kill you.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Overlooked No More, Walasse Ting, Who Bridged Cultures With Paint and Prose

His style as a poet and artist was informed by his upbringing in Shanghai and his years in Paris. He then joined the Pop-fueled studios of New York.

The Times 🇬🇧

Italian cheese masters teach remote yak herders in the Himalayas

Over ten days in a Himalayan community, the dairy experts shared ­techniques for cheese production, pasture management and animal ­welfare

Le Monde 🇫🇷

India-Pakistan: 'The Kashmir crisis embodies the incomplete nature of the partition between the two nations'

In an interview with Le Monde, Jean-Luc Racine, an expert on India, analyzes the historical roots of the conflict between the two regional powers, reignited on April 22 by the Pahalgam attack.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Has India offered Trump zero tariffs? What we know and why it matters

President Trump said India has made an offer to drop tariffs on US goods as part of ongoing trade negotiations.

Saturday, 17 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

India to send MPs abroad to push zero tolerance on terrorism

Le Monde 🇫🇷

The 'Berlin Wall of Asia' between India and Pakistan is a strange site of theater and tears

The only land crossing point between the two countries has been closed since May 1, following an attack in Kashmir that led to the most severe military confrontation between New Delhi and Islamabad in decades.

BBC News 🇬🇧

'You start to go crazy': The Australian who survived five years in a Chinese prison

Matthew Radalj tells the BBC of his time in a Beijing prison, revealing what goes on behind bars.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Iran steps up mass deportation of Afghan migrants

Islamic republic wants to return millions of refugees who entered country before and after the Taliban takeover

The New York Times 🇺🇸

India Is Accused of Inhumanely Deporting Rohingya Refugees

The allegations, which include being pushed into the sea off Myanmar with only life jackets, have prompted a call from the United Nations for an investigation.

Thursday, 15 May 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

How India and Pakistan share one of the world's most dangerous borders

Living along the LoC - the volatile India-Pakistan border - means life in a fragile limbo between war and peace.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US considers adding Chinese chipmakers to export blacklist

Some US officials fear move could jeopardise trade talks with Beijing

The Independent 🇬🇧

Kashmiris ‘feel unheard’ again as Trump wades in to India-Pakistan row

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Japan seeks to catch up in the startup race

Long hindered by its culture of caution and a lack of political will, Japan is multiplying initiatives to develop startups.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Thursday Briefing: Troubled Ukraine Peace Talks

Plus, peace and love at the Eurovision.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Chopra: Nadeem javelin friendship ‘not the same’ after India-Pakistan clash

The recent military escalations have damaged a once exemplary athlete bond between India’s Chopra and Pakistan’s Nadeem.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

British teenager held in prison in Georgia on drug charges – video

Wednesday, 14 May 2025

The Times 🇬🇧

Video of baby elephant’s lorry death sparks outrage in Malaysia

WWF demands traffic calming and wildlife bridges to avoid further deaths of elephants, tigers and tapirs in southeast Asia

BBC News 🇬🇧

Relief on China's factory floors as US tariffs put on hold

A surprise deal in the trade war gives businesses breathing room - but many now want to find new markets.

The Independent 🇬🇧

Imran Khan’s sons call on Trump to intervene and secure his release

The Guardian 🇬🇧

After chaos of the Yoon era, South Korea prepares to pick a new president

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Toy group VTech to move production out of China despite tariff reprieve

Hong Kong-based group pushes ahead with plan to shift US-bound production and warns US consumers face higher prices

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Bayesian Superyacht Sank After ‘Extreme’ Wind Gust, Report Says

An official report into last year’s yacht tragedy, which killed seven, found that the boat could easily capsize in high winds. Its towering mast made it more vulnerable.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Maldives parliament removes two Supreme Court judges

MPs loyal to President Mohamed Muizzu impeach judges in a case a UN expert says undermines judicial independence.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Azerbaijan imprisons its last independent journalists

Two journalists were arrested in early May and suffered abuse from the police. The annihilation of free media continues amid warming relations between the European Union and this gas-rich country.

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

How India and Pakistan walked back from brink of all-out war

BBC News 🇬🇧

How real is the risk of nuclear war between India and Pakistan?

Recent hostilities were a reminder of how easily a crisis could escalate into catastrophe.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

China attacks UK trade deal with US

Security conditions in pact agreed by Trump and Starmer seen as targeting Beijing

Le Monde 🇫🇷

US debt: The rest of the world's bargaining tool against Donald Trump

One-third of the US debt is held outside of the United States. This is significant enough that the Japanese finance minister has mentioned using this as leverage in trade negotiations.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: Israeli Officers Warn of Famine

Plus, a Hollywood takeover at Cannes.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Britain’s bonfire of the atrocities

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India’s ‘new normal’ of perpetual war will damage its democracy

The BJP whipped up war fervour in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. Now it cannot ‘disappoint’ with peace.

The Times 🇬🇧

China woos Latin America days after trade deal with US

‘Trade wars and tariffs benefit no one,’ said President Xi as he offered Latin America a $9 billion investment boost

Monday, 12 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

India denies targeting Pakistan’s alleged nuclear sites

Financial Times 🇬🇧

Who blinked first? How the US and China broke their trade deadlock

Secret meeting in IMF basement paved way for tariff deal seen on both sides as a victory

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Trump administration revokes temporary protections for Afghans, citing an improved security situation

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said that the temporary protected status (TPS) designation for Afghanistan would expire on May 20. Some 11,000 Afghans are currently covered by TPS in the US.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Marcos' hold on senate grows shaky while Duterte wins mayor race from jail

The Philippines' mid-term elections saw fewer than expected senators elected from President Marcos' camp.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Narendra Modi says India has only ‘suspended’ military action against Pakistan – video

The New York Times 🇺🇸

‘We’re Starting to Move Everything’: Trump’s China Deal Frees Up Shipping

The temporary lowering of tariffs may compel some U.S. businesses to order goods that they had held off buying after President Trump raised them to 145 percent.

The Times 🇬🇧

Duterte set to win mayoral election from jail

Despite being detained in the Hague on charges of crimes against humanity, former president of the Philippines is in line for victory in his home town

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India-Pakistan ceasefire brings hope and uncertainty

A ceasefire between India and Pakistan is currently holding, bringing relief to civilians who fled after recent attacks.

Sunday, 11 May 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Philippines: Surprise early results in midterms dominated by Marcos-Duterte feud

President Ferdinand Marcos and his VP Sara Duterte are battling for seats in the powerful senate.

The Times 🇬🇧

Ex-Marine climbs Everest to complete ‘world’s longest triathlon’

Mitchell Hutchcraft swam the Channel, cycled across Europe and Asia and trekked into the Himalayas to finish on top of the world’s highest peak

Financial Times 🇬🇧

US claims ‘substantial progress’ after trade talks with China

Markets rise and gold weakens as American and Chinese officials seek to de-escalate tensions

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Fragile truce holds between India, Pakistan after days of fierce exchanges

Ceasefire halts conflict that was spiralling towards a full-scale war.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: U.S.-China Talks

Plus, crypto bro fight club.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Inside Shein's sweatshops in Guangzhou: 'It's an extreme capitalist race'

Le Monde visited several workshops producing millions of garments for the Chinese fast fashion giant. Employees and managers spoke about the harsh reality of an ultra-competitive system.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

India and Pakistan both claim victory after ceasefire declared

The Independent 🇬🇧

India and Pakistan accuse each other of ceasefire violations

Saturday, 10 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Trump vows to resolve Kashmir dispute after ceasefire holds overnight

The Guardian 🇬🇧

In The Hague, Rodrigo Duterte faces trial, but in Davao he is the top pick for mayor

BBC News 🇬🇧

India-Pakistan ceasefire appears to hold after accusations of violations

Delhi and Islamabad earlier accused each other of breaches, after four days of cross-border attacks.

Financial Times 🇬🇧

India and Pakistan’s fragile ceasefire holds after alleged breaches

Trump says US mediated halt in fighting, but both countries claim violations and differ on what was agreed

Le Monde 🇫🇷

India claims Pakistan violated ceasefire, says it has retaliated

The two neighbors had earlier on Saturday agreed to a ceasefire after days of deadly cross-border attacks.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Reluctant at First, Trump Officials Intervened in South Asia as Nuclear Fears Grew

After Vice President JD Vance suggested that the conflict between India and Pakistan was not America’s problem, the Trump administration grew concerned that it could spiral out of control.

The Times 🇬🇧

How Apple helped China become America’s biggest tech rival

Apple relied on cheap Chinese labour as it become the world’s most valuable company. But there was an unforeseen consequence: the millions of workers it trained would go on to transform the Middle Kingdom into tech superpower

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Will the truce between India and Pakistan resolve differences over Kashmir?

A ceasefire is agreed after four days of their most fierce military conflict in this century.

Wednesday, 7 May 2025

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Here’s the latest.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Pope Francis backed him when he took on a president. Now he's voting in the conclave

"Not even in my wildest imagination did I think this would happen," Cardinal David tells the BBC.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Pakistan PM says India must ‘suffer the consequences’ for ‘cowardly’ attack – as it happened

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan vows retaliation after India launches air strikes

Pakistan’s military says at least 31 civilians killed and 46 others wounded in India’s attacks.

The Times 🇬🇧

Pakistan’s PM says India will pay for ‘cowardly’ attack

Kashmir death toll continues to rise after overnight strikes which India claims targeted ‘terrorist infrastructure’

Le Monde 🇫🇷

India bombs Pakistan, which denounces 'an act of war'

The Indian army said it attacked 'terrorist infrastructure' after an April 22 terrorist attack in India's Kashmir region. Pakistan's army claimed to have shot down five Indian aircraft in retaliation, including three Rafales.

Thursday, 8 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

India says it ‘repulsed’ Pakistan’s drone attacks near border – Live

BBC News 🇬🇧

Behind the smiles: Three things to watch as Xi meets Putin

The BBC’s Laura Bicker explains what to look out for during the Chinese leader's state visit to Russia.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Taiwan faces similar threat to Europe in 1930s, president says

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: The First American Pope

Plus, Tate Modern turns 25.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

India-Pakistan drone war heats up

Pakistan’s military says it brought down 25 Indian drones over cities including Karachi and Lahore.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Military operation in Pakistan reveals weaknesses of India's air force

New Delhi has begun to acknowledge the loss of several fighter jets during 'Operation Sindoor.' Military experts suggest that at least one Rafale may be among the destroyed aircraft. This would mark the first loss in combat for the French aircraft.

The Times 🇬🇧

Pakistan launches attack on Jammu in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Night skies over Jammu’s airport were lit up with orange projectiles and flares amid the deafening sound of air-raid sirens

Tuesday, 6 May 2025

The Independent 🇬🇧

Pakistan warns India must ‘suffer the consequences’ after Kashmir airstrikes kill dozens

BBC News 🇬🇧

Pakistan's PM says it 'made reply' to Indian strikes after Pahalgam killings

Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan responded to India's air strikes by downing Indian jets, a claim Delhi has not confirmed.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Kashmir crisis live: Pakistan PM authorises armed forces to undertake ‘corresponding action’ after India strikes kill 26

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Indian military strikes Pakistan, Pakistan-administered Kashmir

Video captured the moment of an Indian military strike in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Wednesday Briefing: The Conclave Begins

Plus, the world’s must-see gardens.

The Times 🇬🇧

Pakistan accuses India of ‘act of war’ after strikes

Loud explosions were heard in Bahawalpur and Muzaffarabad amid mounting tensions and after a deadly attack in the Indian-administered part of the region

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Modi vows to halt water flow to Pakistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday that India will stop water flowing across its borders, heightening tensions as Pakistan warns any disruption to its rivers would be seen as an act of war.

Monday, 5 May 2025

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Tuesday Briefing: Israel’s Plan for Gaza

Plus, a politically charged Met Gala.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Trump has 'no idea' who Australian election loser Peter Dutton is

The US president also described election winner Anthony Albanese as "a friend of mine".

The Guardian 🇬🇧

India tries to halt auction of Piprahwa gems found with Buddha’s remains

The Times 🇬🇧

Kapow! China turns its back on Marvel movies

Thunderbolts* underperforms as local audiences favour home-grown fare

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Pakistan conducts second missile test since renewed India tensions over Kashmir

The Pakistan military said on Monday it had conducted a missile test with a range of 120 kilometers, two days after it tested a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometers. It did not say where either of the tests took place.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Photos: The last nomads of Nepal

The Raute face sharp population decline as they balance tradition and modern pressures.

Sunday, 4 May 2025

The Times 🇬🇧

Singapore’s voters hand increased mandate to ruling party

Victory for People’s Action Party continues trend for incumbents to outperform their rivals in the wake of President Trump’s trade war

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Monday Briefing: Inside Australia’s Election

Plus, analyzing a scene in “Sinners.”

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Thousands detained, homes blown up: Kashmiris tell of crackdown ‘living hell’

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Erik Prince's art of the pitch

The founder of the infamous private security firm Blackwater is hoping to convince President Donald Trump to let his mercenaries subdue Yemen and transfer the most dangerous American detainees to El Salvador, writes historian Jean-Pierre Filiu in his column.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

The woman braving tigers, crocodiles and pirates in Bangladesh’s mangroves

In the forest where she lives, Mahfuza spends her days navigating rivers where danger lurks.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Australia's opposition left reeling after crushing election defeat

Peter Dutton has been ousted from parliament after Anthony Albanese's landslide win.

Friday, 2 May 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Australian opposition party reeling after Albanese's landslide election win

Anthony Albanese's left-leaning Labor Party has won an outright majority in parliament, according to the latest counting

The Times 🇬🇧

The boy can play: cricket star, 14, bowls over India

Vaibhav Suryavanshi has bowled over India with his play for the Rajasthan Royals

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Voting in a Fraught World, Australians Focus on Cost-of-Living Concerns

Voters will decide who can turn Australia around from the throes of inflation and a housing crisis, and navigate relations with a volatile Washington.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

‘Everyone lives in fear’: Voices of Kashmir after deadly Pahalgam attack

As tensions soar between India and Pakistan, Kashmiris are caught between fear and uncertainty.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Vietnam is haunted by 'dead souls' left over from war

Fifty years after the war, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers' bodies remain unburied. While a Hanoi institute uses mediums to find Northern 'martyrs,' the communist regime has not seen identifying Southern fighters as a priority, as it still considers them enemies.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Auction of ancient Indian gems ‘imbued with presence of Buddha’ condemned

Saturday, 3 May 2025

The Times 🇬🇧

If schools taught the dangers of methanol, my best friend might be alive

Simone White was fatally poisoned by a drink in Laos. Now her backpacking companion wants the risks to be written into a five-minute lesson

BBC News 🇬🇧

Australia PM Albanese makes stunning comeback with landslide win

Donald Trump loomed large over the election, with comparisons drawn between the US president and defeated opposition leader Peter Dutton.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Singapore ruling party wins election by a landslide

The People's Action Party majority has become a norm in Singapore's political landscape. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had urged voters to offer him a strong show of support amid the global economic uncertainties brought on by US President Donald Trump's tough tariffs policy.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

These Contentious Issues Could Determine Who Becomes the Next Pope

As cardinals gather to elect Pope Francis’ successor, they are facing debates over whether the church most needs change or constancy.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Singapore ruling party wins election in landslide

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

The sound and fury of Indian media post-Kashmir

An attack in Kashmir challenges Modi’s ‘normalcy’ narrative.

Thursday, 1 May 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Tracking a smuggler behind deadly Atlantic migrant crossing

BBC Verify tracks a man accused of selling places on a migrant boat which left dozens dead after getting lost at sea.

The New York Times 🇺🇸

Friday Briefing: A White House Shake-Up

Plus, the actors up for a Tony Award.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan airspace ban could cost Air India $591m over 12 months

The airline has asked the Indian government for financial relief equivalent to its estimated losses.

The Times 🇬🇧

Election in doubt as court rules against presidential favourite

The Supreme Court overturns an earlier dismissal of charges against Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the opposition and frontrunner for the presidency

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Japanese police arrest man after alleged car attack on schoolchildren, say reports

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Rare earths: China's fearsome weapon in the trade war with Donald Trump

The Chinese government has implemented export controls on seven strategic rare earth metals, over which China holds a near-monopoly and thus controls the supply chain.

Wednesday, 30 April 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

'We don't care': A defiant China looks beyond Trump's America

Chinese exporters tell the BBC if the US doesn't want their goods, "other countries have money" to buy them.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Trump says US kids may get '2 dolls instead of 30,' but insists China will suffer more in a trade war

The president's remarks came after the Commerce Department reported that the US economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.3% during the first quarter. Behind the decline was a surge in imports as companies tried to front-run sweeping tariffs.

The Times 🇬🇧

Agent Orange’s forgotten child victims suffer from USAid cut

Funding has stalled for children born decades after Vietnam War with disabilities caused by toxins sprayed by American air force

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Rubio urges de-escalation in India, Pakistan calls amid soaring tensions

Islamabad asks the US to help ease tensions with New Delhi after receiving ‘credible intelligence’ of imminent strike.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

The Vietnam war is over: Saigon gives in with a sigh of relief – archive, 1975

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

After deadly attack in Kashmir, what’s next for India and Pakistan?

India-Pakistan tensions grow after attack on tourists in disputed region of Kashmir.

BBC News 🇬🇧

Fifty years after the war, Vietnam faces a new US threat - tariffs

The South East Asian country is on a path to prosperity. The US-China trade war could change that.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Interpol: A tool in China's arsenal of transnational repression

Le Monde, together with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, has investigated China's repression of the regime's opponents overseas. This second chapter shows how Interpol's lack of transparency allows China to use 'red notices' to repatriate its targets.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘Bombs and bullets were like rain’: 50 years on from the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam war

The Times 🇬🇧

Social media fans flames of unrest over Kashmir crisis

Delhi blocks Pakistani accounts after senior politicians in Islamabad claim a terror attack in the disputed region was an Indian false flag operation

Monday, 28 April 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Hope and fear as tourists trickle back to Kashmir town after attack

The escalation in tensions means it could be years before tourism and businesses thrive again in Kashmir.

The Times 🇬🇧

Pakistan is preparing for ‘imminent’ Indian attack

The Pakistani defence minister claimed India’s rhetoric had been escalating in the days since a terrorist attack on tourists in Kashmir

The Guardian 🇬🇧

‘Pakistan is the root of the problem’: Kashmir attack stokes anger in India

Le Monde 🇫🇷

'Ne Zha 2' captures spectacular transformations of a young demon in search of identity

Yu Yang's big-budget feature, which was a phenomenal success in China, impresses with its energetic direction and inventive, meticulous décors.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Kashmir attack: Why Pakistan’s threat to suspend Simla Agreement matters

Analysts believe a Pakistani pullout from the Simla Agreement could dismantle key diplomatic safeguards with India.

Sunday, 27 April 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Myanmar's army vowed a ceasefire after the earthquake. I saw them break it repeatedly

The BBC's Quentin Sommerville witnesses daily attacks on a rebel-held area ravaged by the country's long-running civil war.

The Times 🇬🇧

Children ordered to leave mothers behind in India as border closes

Tensions are high on a border point between the two nuclear powers after a terrorist attack that the Delhi government blames on Pakistan

Le Monde 🇫🇷

With Starlink, Musk extends his grip on the world – and space

Bolstered by its technological superiority, the billionaire's company has become indispensable, particularly for Ukraine. Donald Trump's close associate now holds unprecedented levers of influence, raising questions of a conflict of interest as China seeks to catch up.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Muhammad Yunus: Real reform or just a new ruling class in Bangladesh?

Chief adviser of interim government discusses whether it represents true change or replaces one elite with another.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Chongqing, the world’s largest city – in pictures

Friday, 25 April 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

China has halted rare earth exports, can Australia step up?

Australia has proposed to create a strategic reserve of critical minerals.

Le Monde 🇫🇷

Tesla struggles in China as market share collapses

By focusing on design and performance, the American manufacturer was a pioneer in getting Chinese motorists to adopt electric cars. Although 40% of its sales are now in China, Tesla has become a minor player, constantly forced to adapt.

The Times 🇬🇧

India to deny Pakistan ‘even a drop’ of water after Kashmir massacre

Delhi has threatened ‘unimaginable’ retribution for the attack that killed 26. Islamabad described cutting off water as an act of war

The Guardian 🇬🇧

The domestic pressures shaping India’s response to Kashmir attacks

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

How dangerous is the latest India-Pakistan dispute?

Killing of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir sparks new crisis.

Saturday, 26 April 2025

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan calls for ‘neutral’ investigation into Kashmir attack

Indian and Pakistani troops have exchanged fire across their de facto border for a second straight day.

The Times 🇬🇧

Are India and Pakistan on the cusp of war over water?

Last week’s attack on tourists in contested Kashmir has pushed relations between the nuclear-armed rivals into a new, unpredictable phase

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Fifty years since the sky fell: how the Vietnam war changed Australia

Thursday, 24 April 2025

The Times 🇬🇧

Indian and Pakistani troops exchange fire after Kashmir attack

Relations have deteriorated sharply after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Kashmir and Delhi’s suspension of the Indus water treaty

BBC News 🇬🇧

Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack on tourists

It comes after Delhi's retaliatory measures following a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists.

Aljazeera 🇶🇦

Pakistan announces retaliatory measures against India after Kashmir attack

The tit-for-tat measures come after gunmen killed at least 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday.

The Guardian 🇬🇧

Tensions escalate between India and Pakistan after Kashmir attack – video

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

BBC News 🇬🇧

Deadly Kashmir attack risks India military escalation against Pakistan

India will respond but it's not clear how - or at what cost, experts say.