Escalating Tensions, Shifting Global Dynamicsactive

Warsaw has recorded an unprecedented number of hybrid attacks on its territory since 2024, Poland’s internal security service (ABW) said in a report published this week. Amateur spies once used by Russian intelligence services have laid the groundwork for more complex operations, according to a researcher who has been following the emergence of these “single-use agents”.

Kremlin Spokesman noted that both the path toward a peace agreement on Ukraine and "the path with Iran that the United States still has to go through" are lengthy processes full of highly complex details

Demonstrators are opposed to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s efforts to build up military power and move the country away from its pacifist identity.

The U. S. military on Friday said its forces struck and “disabled” two Iranian-flagged oil tankers to stop them pulling into an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. The attacks on the ships near the Strait of Hormuz cast more doubt on a tenuous ceasefire that the Trump administration insists is still holding. Washington is awaiting Tehran’s response to the latest U. S. proposals on a peace deal. “U. S. forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran,” said U. S. Central Command commander Brad Cooper in a written statement. Recent days have seen the U. S. and Iran exchange fire, despite a monthlong ceasefire which U. S. President Donald Trump maintains is “still in effect.” U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the U. S. was expecting a response from Iran on a peace proposal, with media reports quoting him on Friday as saying: “We’re expecting a response from them today at some point … I hope it’s a serious offer, I really do. … The hope is it’s something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation.” Trump has warned the U. S. would “knock [Iran] out a lot harder, and a lot more violently,” if Tehran does not accept a peace deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday accused the U. S. of opting for a “reckless military adventure” every time a “diplomatic solution is on the table.” “Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire?” he wrote on X. “Whatever the causes, outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure.”

The European Union (EU) has urged the Iranian regime to take "all necessary measures" to ensure that the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Narges Mohammadi, receives "definitive and urgent" medical attention after more than a week of hospitalization in the cardiac care unit of a hospital in Zanjan. "The European Union is deeply concerned by reports indicating the serious state of health of the human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Narges Mohammadi, who is currently detained in Iran," said Anouar El Anouni, the European spokesperson for foreign affairs, in a statement. The spokesperson added that the EU urges "the Iranian authorities to immediately take all necessary measures to ensure that Narges Mohammadi receives, definitively and urgently, the appropriate medical care." He also reiterated that the charges against Mohammadi "are based solely on her legitimate and peaceful defense of human rights, and we continue to call for her immediate and unconditional release." Narges Mohammadi, a journalist and human rights advocate, is serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for various charges. According to her defense team, she has lost approximately 20 kilograms during her imprisonment and is experiencing difficulty speaking. The Mohammadi Foundation, based in Paris, announced that since April 24th, Mohammadi has been experiencing recurrent episodes of intense chest pain, palpitations, and severe fluctuations in blood pressure.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under growing pressure after Labour suffered major setbacks in local elections across England, while also struggling in Wales and Scotland as Reform UK continued to gain support. The results have raised fresh questions about Starmer’s leadership less than a year after leading Labour back into government. France 24’s Gavin Lee speaks to James Lyons, who served under Starmer in Downing Street and previously worked as political editor at the Daily Mirror and The Sunday Times.

USCIS data suggests a rise in visa denials for skilled immigrants, influenced by previous administration policies.

According to him, reaching a peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev is "a very long path filled with very complex details"

PM’s wife, accompanying him to the polls, follows a long line of women to mobilise the jacket when stakes are high Not a white flag but a cream blazer was what Victoria Starmer chose to wear to accompany her husband, the prime minister, to vote on Thursday morning. She follows in a long line of women who have mobilised the power blazer at high-stakes moments. Starmer’s, which looks much like a £1,690 ivory Alexander McQueen crepe design, comes hot on the lapels of another. In episode one of the new series of Amandaland, Amanda wears a beige double-breasted iteration in a high-stakes fictional moment: to give a toe-curling talk about her (not shallow) lifestyle brand Senuous as part of careers week at her kid’s school. Earlier in the week, the Princess of Wales launched the Foundations for Life report wearing a creamy beige high-waisted Roland Mouret suit. Continue reading...

Reaching an agreement, a peace agreement, is a very long path with complex details, the Kremlin spokesman said while commenting on remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the US is ready to mediate Russian-Ukrainian negotiations only if there is progress

The amendment to the charges would allow for a broadening of the investigative methods. The search efforts have resumed.

The "Victory Day" parade on Red Square in Moscow, held on the morning of May 9, lasted around 45 minutes, making it one of the shortest in modern Russian history.

Ankara has voiced alarm at Cyprus’s announcement that France will deploy soldiers on the Mediterranean island. The move has fuelled Turkish fears of encirclement, as Cyprus and Greece continue to deepen defence ties with Turkey’s rival Israel.

I co-commissioned the Gaza Genocide Tapestry which will be displayed at the Venice Biennale. Here's the story behind it.

Labour party loses more than 1,400 English council seats and crashes out in Welsh and Scottish parliament votes • UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, is facing increasing pressure to set a date for his departure after elections across much of the country resulted in massive losses for his ruling Labour party. With the bulk of results now counted after voting on Thursday, Labour had lost more than 1,400 representatives from English councils, the local government structures that deliver many neighbourhood services. Continue reading...

The Russian president said his troops “are resisting an aggressive force that is being armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc.”

The Nobel Peace Prize is currently held. "The charges against Mohammadi are based solely on her legitimate and peaceful activities in defending human rights."

Russia marks downsized Victory Day parade as Putin pledges victory in Ukraine 'special military operation'.

The decisions made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner have negatively impacted staff morale and put his position under scrutiny. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Friday, President Donald Trump has approved a plan to dismiss Marty Makary, the commissioner of the US FDA. This decision follows a series of controversial agency decisions that have placed the FDA head in the crosshairs of the White House and Republican lawmakers. Makary's time at the FDA has been marked by several contentious decisions regarding drugs and vaccines, compounded by declining staff morale due to layoffs and the appointment of divisive officials. Recent political clashes have involved issues such as abortion, drugs, and vaping. However, decisions to retract publications on the safety of shingles and Covid vaccines, among other immunization-related decisions, have also caused significant concern in the public health sector. There have also been concerns raised about the transition from two clinical trials to one, the commissioner's new priority review vouchers, and "data-free" regulatory decisions.

Exclusive social hub planned for renovated vault as NYSE competes with Nasdaq for lucrative tech IPOs

A rapid trip with the prime minister to Armenia highlighted the new era of amity between Canada and the European Union. We examine what that can and can’t do for Canadians.

In Moscow, the capital of Russia, the annual Victory Day ceremony commemorating the end of World War II was held with a reduced scale compared to previous years. President Putin emphasized that "victory is ours," referring to the ongoing military intervention in Ukraine. Prior to this, the former U.S. President Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine would observe a three-day ceasefire starting on the 9th of the month, but whether this ceasefire will actually be implemented remains uncertain.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Friday that he was awaiting a response from Iran to the latest proposal from Washington aimed at reaching an agreement to end the war in the Middle East. "I am supposedly receiving a letter tonight, so we will see what happens," Trump told reporters in front of the White House. When asked about a possible intentional delay by Tehran, the president responded: "We will know soon." Trump stated that, if the agreement is not reached, his administration would consider "a different path," mentioning the "Project Liberty Plus," which would expand the previous initiative with new elements. He also noted that Pakistan, a country acting as a mediator, has asked the United States not to abandon the path of negotiation. For his part, the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Bagaei, stated that the American proposal is still under evaluation. "The proposal is being studied, and once we reach a definitive conclusion, we will undoubtedly announce it," Bagaei said, according to the Tasnim news agency. Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, expressed from Rome that he expected a response from Iran during the day and expressed his hope that it would be "something that can put us on a serious path of negotiation." In other news, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched an attack on the last day against...

Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work! Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support. Polish far-right leader Sławomir Mentzen, who finished third in last year’s presidential election, was reportedly held for hours at a London airport before being released to continue a family visit to the UK. Mentzen claims he was detained because the British authorities wrongly believed he was planning to speak at a political event. He accused the UK of being a “totalitarian state” that implements “pre-emptive political censorship”. “This crumbling state has no problem with being colonised by Indians and Arabs, but it does have a problem with me possibly wanting to say something to someone here,” he declared. Zostałem dziś zatrzymany na ponad trzy godziny na lotnisku w Londynie, ponieważ Brytyjczycy bali się, że będę przemawiał na jakimś spotkaniu politycznym, na które nawet się nie wybierałem. To upadające państwo nie ma problemu z tym, że jest kolonizowane przez Hindusów i Arabów,… — Sławomir Mentzen (@SlawomirMentzen) May 8, 2026 Mentzen is the leader of a far-right libertarian party called New Hope (Nowa Nadzieja), which in turn is part of the broader far-right Confederation (Konfederacja) alliance that has 16 seats in Poland’s parliament. Mentzen himself is an MP. Last year, he was also Confederation’s candidate in Poland’s presidential elections, finishing third with 14.8% of the vote. Confederation is also currently running third in the polls, with support of around 13%, ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections. Last month, during a speech in parliament, another Confederation MP, Konrad Berkowicz, displayed an Israeli flag in which the Star of David had been replaced by a Nazi swastika. He accused Israel of being “the new Third Reich”, a message repeated by Mentzen himself when he shared a video of Berkowicz’s speech. A far-right MP displayed an Israeli flag in which the Star of David had been replaced with a Nazi swastika during a speech in Poland's parliament in which he accused Israel of being the “new Third Reich” and of committing genocide in Gaza https://t.co/jcWPZFG9N1 — Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) April 14, 2026 Late on Friday afternoon, Mentzen announced on social media that he had been held for over three hours at a London airport after flying into the city with his wife and their children. He claimed to have been told by an officer that he had been detained due to being flagged by an unnamed organisation. He was asked the reasons for his visit, where he would be staying, and if he was planning to attend and speak at any events. Mentzen said he was eventually released with no explanation as to why he had been detained nor which organisation had reported him. However, he believes it is clear he was held because of his political views. Click here to help us continue providing news free from paywalls and ads “Only certain views are censored,” declared Mentzen. “If I were an Islamic fundamentalist publicly demanding that gays be thrown from towers, that disobedient women’s faces be burned with acid, and that Israel be destroyed, I wouldn’t have a problem. If I were a rabbi praising genocide in Gaza, no one would have detained me either.” “If I’d simply rowed in here on a dinghy with some Africans, I wouldn’t have had a problem getting in. Illegal immigrants, criminals and basically anyone who wants to come is welcome here. That’s fine by them. What’s not fine is a Polish politician who wanted to spend the weekend with his family in London.” “Of course, every country should have the freedom to decide whom it wants to host,” Mentzen added. “I don’t want immigrants from savage countries in Poland, I don’t want murderers and rapists. The British don’t want people with my views.” "We cannot allow Ukrainians" – Poland's largest immigrant group – "to have representation in parliament," warns far-right leader Sławomir Mentzen. His remarks come amid discussion over toughening the criteria for foreigners to obtain Polish citizenship https://t.co/y86IbrfpcT — Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) October 7, 2025 A few hours later, Metzen posted a further message in which he thanked Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, and consul in London, Agnieszka Fabryczewska, for “promising to forward questions and requests for clarification to the British authorities”. Sikorski, who is a deputy leader of Poland’s main ruling party, the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), and a political opponent of Mentzen, shared Mentzen’s post on his own account on X. Mentzen also thanked two senior aides to opposition-aligned President Karol Nawrocki, who has good relations with Confederation, for “taking an interest in the matter and for their assurance of appropriate action on the part of the office of the President”. Bardzo dziękuję szefowi MSZ Radosławowi Sikorskiemu i Pani konsul Agnieszce Fabryczewskiej za kontakt oraz obietnicę wysłania pytań i próśb o wyjaśnienia do brytyjskich instytucji. Dziękuję też ministrom Marcinowi Przydaczowi i Adamowi Andruszkiewiczowi za zainteresowanie się… — Sławomir Mentzen (@SlawomirMentzen) May 8, 2026 Earlier, the head of the president’s Office of International Policy (BPM), Marcin Przydacz, had criticised Mentzen’s detention and pledged to raise the issue with the British authorities. There has so far been no comment on the incident from the British authorities. However, the UK has previously sought to prevent other Polish far-right figures from entering the country. In 2022, Mentzen’s predecessor as leader of New Hope, Janusz Korwin-Mikke, was prevented from boarding a flight to the UK. Previously, Jacek Międlar, a former priest and far-right figure, was banned from entering the UK. In 2021, a prominent right-wing journalist, Rafał Ziemkiewicz, was also refused entry. Senior foreign policy aide to Poland's president says he will raise his concerns with British authorities regarding the brief detention of Poland's Konfederacja party leader Mentzen at a London airport earlier today; says incident harms Britain's standing in Polish society. https://t.co/YY0KiwFhXg — Jakub Krupa (@JakubKrupa) May 8, 2026 Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support. Main image credit: CzarneckiRadek/Wikimedia Commons (under CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Five Star Movement (M5S) in the European Parliament: "There's not much to celebrate; it has become the home of austerity."

The parade was vastly scaled back compared to previous years, with no military hardware on display for the first time in nearly two decades.

The billionaire failed to respond to a summons from the Paris prosecutor's office for a voluntary interview on April 20. His outburst against the judges on Friday followed earlier comments targeting the left, particularly in the United Kingdom.

Vladimir Putin has praised Russian troops fighting in Ukraine in a speech at Moscow's May 9 parade. The threat of Ukrainian attacks means tanks, missiles and other heavy weapons are absent from this year's event.

Pallegama Hemarathana, the chief prelate of Colombo, is accused of abusing an 11-year-old girl in a temple.

"Lombardy is the region most affected, followed by Emilia-Romagna and Veneto."

As US President Donald Trump prepares to visit Beijing next week after a six-week delay, the cause of the delay – the war on Iran and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz – risks becoming a fresh point of friction in his summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. While both China and the US stand to benefit from the reopening of the strait and a permanent end to the war, Beijing and Washington have viewed the crisis through different lenses and sharply diverged over how to achieve...

He also noted that there had been no discussions about extending the ceasefire, nor any attempts to disrupt Victory Day celebrations

The landlocked body of water has taken on new significance, with Russia shipping military and commercial goods to bolster Tehran’s ability to withstand the U. S. assault.

Republicans are eight seats closer to keeping control of the House, making Democrats’ climb toward reclaiming power in November more difficult.

High prices of fuel, fertilizer and other essentials are forcing farmers in Thailand and elsewhere to skip a planting season to avoid losing money on their harvests.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that his soldiers in Ukraine were fighting an "aggressive force" backed by all of NATO and described his war goals as "just", in a combative address to the annual Victory Day parade on Red Square.

Competition among Hong Kong florists heated up on the day before Mother’s Day as stores slashed bouquet prices and offered more innovative products, with some vendors reporting weaker business and lower profit margins compared with last year. Despite the wet weather on Saturday, vendors at the Mong Kok Flower Market touted colourful bouquets of carnations, roses and other fresh flowers. The price of a medium-sized bouquet at the market ranged from HK$300 to HK$400 (US$38.32 to US$51.10), at...

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday oversaw a military parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II on Red Square. Security was tight in Moscow as Putin spoke at the parade, even as a US-brokered three-day ceasefire eased concerns about possible Ukrainian attempts to disrupt the festivities. Putin, in power for over a quarter of a century, has used Victory Day, Russia’s most important secular holiday, to showcase the country’s military might and rally support for his...

The US ​and Iran appeared no closer on Saturday to finding an end to their war after the two sides traded fire in the Gulf amid a tenuous ceasefire.

Keir Starmer’s main leadership rivals went into Thursday’s local elections weighing a challenge against the prime minister. But Friday’s results showed some of them on increasingly shaky ground in their own constituencies, a factor complicating any potential coup.

In the 1980s, then-Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad launched his "Look East" policy, urging his country and others in Southeast Asia to emulate the state-led economic development models of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, rather than those of market-dominated Western nations. China subsequently emerged as a prime example of state-led development, but Japan is now leaning again towards a more dirigiste model under the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, not only in...

The Russian leader used his annual speech to justify his so-called special military operation in Ukraine.

Oral fish oil intake may not improve and could even speed up cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease, a research team from China’s Army Medical University has found. Many older adults are accustomed to taking omega-3 supplements to help protect cognitive function. However, findings from the Chinese study challenge this view. The study was based on an analysis of more than 800 older adults in North America, around half of whom carry the dementia-risk gene APOEε4. The data showed that those...

Several frontbenchers told the Guardian they agreed the prime minister’s time in office should not go beyond the end of the year 2026 elections mapped: how Labour lost ground in different directions Keir Starmer is under pressure to set out a timeline for his departure after a crushing defeat in elections across Britain prompted senior Labour MPs to call for him to step down within a year. In a disastrous set of results, Labour had lost control of more than 25 councils and more than 1,000 council seats in England by Friday night, many to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which made large gains across the Midlands and the north as well as taking seats from the Tories in the south. Continue reading...

The crime occurred at the victim's residence, where the victim was struck on the head with an object.

Beijing is moving to make green electricity usage a key metric in the operation of new data centre projects, as part of a major push to align the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence with national carbon goals, according to an action plan released Friday. The policy document, jointly released by four bodies – the National Energy Administration, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and National Data Administration – encouraged operators...

Preserving the memory about the events of the Great Patriotic War, its true history and true heroes is a matter of honor for us, Putin stressed

According to the airline statement, the incident happened during takeoff at around 10:15 PM on Friday.

As the ceasefire begins, Zelenskyy says "Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home." Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Europe. A three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine begins today, including "a suspension of all 'kinetic activity'" and a prisoner exchange of 1,000 individuals from each country. Although it was initially announced by Donald Trump on social media, it has since been confirmed by both sides. In recent days, there have been many appeals and signals regarding the arrangements for tomorrow in Moscow concerning our Ukrainian long-range sanctions. The principle of symmetry in our actions is well known and has been clearly communicated to the Russian side. An additional argument for Ukraine in determining our position has always been the resolution of one of the key humanitarian issues of this war – namely, the release of prisoners of war. Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home. Continue reading...

Warsaw is ready to take in more US soldiers, Poland’s defense minister said on Saturday, after US President Donald Trump indicated he may relocate troops from neighboring Germany.

Ukraine celebrates Europe Day not as a mere formality or a slogan, but with a genuine understanding that it is an inseparable part of the European family.

Two new forces are gaining ground, the right-wing populists of Reform and the left-wing radicals of the Greens, drawing support away from the traditional parties. This will necessitate forming governing coalitions involving multiple parties.

The President of the United States: "Hantavirus? It appears the situation is under control."

Support for Israel in the United States continues to weaken — both among all young voters and especially in Democratic circles and even amongst Jewish Americans. Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to reduce Israeli dependence on US military aid to zero within 10 years - is that realistic?

In his speech, Gilinski recounted his personal and professional journey, highlighting his arrival in the United States as a student.

Elon Musk has launched a tirade against French judicial authorities currently investigating possible abuses on his X social network. France opened an inquiry in January 2025 into allegations that X, formerly known as Twitter, was used to interfere in French politics. The investigation has since widened to cover allegations of Holocaust denial, distribution of sexual deepfakes and most recently possible complicity in the distribution of images of child sexual abuse. Responding to a post on the...

Events are set to be scaled back amid security fears and signs of fatigue over the more than four-year war on Ukraine.

The parade is set to be scaled back amid security fears and signs of fatigue over the more than four-year war on Ukraine.

The United States has sanctioned a total of nine mainland Chinese and Hong Kong companies and individuals accused of helping Iran’s military. The decision, which risks complicating Donald Trump’s visit to China next week, was announced on Friday by the Treasury and State departments. A Treasury Department press release said those targeted were “enabling efforts by Iran’s military to secure weapons” or securing “raw materials with applications in Iran’s Shahed‑series unmanned aerial vehicles and...

Yemeni soldiers earn $38 to $116 monthly, but an unstable currency has eroded the value of their salaries.

The increasingly intractable conflict between the U. S. and Iran is revealing American military and strategic vulnerabilities — and offering important lessons to its biggest rival. China is watching as the U. S. fails to cut through an Iranian blockade and expends heavy firepower, the Trump administration struggles to extricate itself from an unpopular war, global gas prices soar and the Pentagon’s strategic documents reveal that warding off Beijing is no longer the top priority. As U. S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to meet for a high stakes meeting next week, the U. S. is caught in an uncertain ceasefire. And with frustrated allies refusing to assist and a war driving political trouble for Trump at home, current and former U. S. defense officials fear China is heading into the meeting holding the cards “The Chinese would be well within their right to say, ‘What do you have left to build deterrence with?’ ” said a former defense official. “In order for a grand bargain to work, you would have to have the muscle to put behind it. You can’t bluff on this question.” The meeting between the two leaders comes two months after Trump postponed the initial gathering in Beijing, citing his need to focus on the then-nascent war. But the U. S. military campaign appears to have shifted from one bent on destroying Iranian nuclear programs to a messier, more protracted conflict focused on who controls the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply flows. “China’s military is absolutely closely studying our operations against Iran to identify vulnerabilities they can exploit in a conflict with the United States,” said a defense official, who like others interviewed, was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. The official said China looks at how U. S. military commanders plot operations and put their plans into action, down to the pace of missile strikes and intelligence gathering. The Chinese Embassy, Pentagon and White House did not respond to requests for comment. Beijing, which has been rapidly building up its long-range missile and drone stockpiles, has almost certainly noticed the U. S. struggles to reopen the strait or stop Iranian attacks on Navy ships and allies throughout the region. The rerouting of ships, air defenses and troops from the Pacific to the Middle East is also a sign that the U. S. arsenal is not unlimited. The Pentagon “is still showing strong tactical performance,” said a defense official. “But without clear policy, strategy, we’re suffering at the operational level of warfare. The question that they have to answer is whether that’s unique to the current [administration] or a broader issue in American warfare.” American defense officials have insisted publicly that the moved assets, which include an aircraft carrier strike group and several Navy ships carrying 2,500 Marines, have not decreased U. S. readiness in the Pacific. “I don’t see any real cost being imposed on our ability to deter China,” Adm. Samuel Paparo, who heads the military team overseeing the Pacific, told lawmakers last month. Paparo has said that the operational and combat experience gained by the U. S. ship crews would prove invaluable, especially compared to Chinese forces that have less experience in having to defend themselves. While Chinese forces are far more advanced than Iran, Tehran has proven especially adept at using cheap, one-way attack drones to conduct large scale attacks and overwhelm some air defenses. The Chinese missile stockpile is likely much larger than the one Iran has on hand, so “they can treat some of their missiles in the way that Iran has treated their drones,” said Becca Wasser, a defense strategy expert who served on the congressionally appointed National Defense Strategy Commission. “They don’t need to use drones to confuse air defense radars and overwhelm systems in quite the same way,” she said. “So there would be no real husbanding of assets, at least in the early phases of potential war with the U. S.” Beijing has its own struggles. China has not fought a war since invading Vietnam in 1979 and is in the middle of an extensive military purge that led to two former defense ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fengh, sentenced to death this week. The crackdown has resulted in the dismissal of more than 100 senior military officers since 2022, according to a tally compiled by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. But just as the U. S. has monitored Beijing’s military growth, the Chinese government has conducted detailed studies of American troops for decades. This dates back to at least Operation Desert Storm when it saw the U. S. use precision-strike weapons for the first time. China began launching its first aircraft carriers after the 2008 global financial crisis, and invested heavily in long-range missiles to keep the American military at bay. “They know how we project power,” said a second former defense official. “They know about our dependence on tankers, on bases, how we conduct our air strikes, our non-kinetic strikes, the use of electronic warfare, the use of cyber warfare. They study all of that very closely. This is an opportunity for them to go to school on the U. S. way of war.” And China is also likely watching how fast America burns through its high-end missiles, from Tomahawks to Patriot air defenses. “They know that every missile being used in Iran is a missile that can’t be used to deter in the Indo-Pacific,” the former official said.

Huaqiangbei, home to the world’s largest electronics marketplace in southern China’s tech hub Shenzhen, is reinventing itself as the world’s artificial intelligence showroom, drawing back foreign traders and tourists hunting for the latest gadgets. For first-time visitors like Abigail Slagveer from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the sheer scale of Huaqiangbei’s electronics market is overwhelming. “I came here one and a half hours ago through that front door,” she said, pointing to an entrance just...

Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region with drones and artillery more than 20 times overnight, killing two civilians and injuring two others.

Amid public apathy and frustration, Labour and Reform are tied for second place behind the SNP, while the Greens claim a significant fourth place. Long before the final votes were counted in Scotland, veteran Labour politicians said it was a defeat orchestrated in Downing Street. When the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, entered the Glasgow counting center on Friday afternoon, accompanied by somber-faced activists, the scene mirrored the same venue in 2024, when his revitalized party won 36 seats from the Scottish National party, playing a significant role in Keir Starmer's landslide victory. Continue reading...

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosts a parade Saturday marking the World War II victory over Nazi Germany, as tensions with Ukraine eased following a three-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump.

Russia's trade surplus with China reached $9.58 bln in the period, which is almost flat year-on-year

Zambia has publicly accused the United States of linking a proposed $2 billion health package to demands over data sharing and access to critical minerals, saying some conditions attached to the deal were “unacceptable”.

Keir Starmer vowed Friday to remain as Britain's prime minister after disastrous local elections saw his centre-left Labour party humiliated across the UK, with disillusioned voters backing hard-right and nationalist parties.

Norway's energy minister says the country has a "responsibility" to address shortfalls caused by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. In response to any doubts about Norway's commitment to maintain—and expand—its production of gas and oil offshore, the energy minister, Terje Aasland, offered a concise statement: "We will develop, not dismantle, activity on our continental shelf." This week, to the dismay of environmental campaigners, he announced that three gas fields off the country's southern coast would reopen by the end of 2028—nearly three decades after they closed—to meet a shortfall caused by the impact of the war in Ukraine and disruptions to supplies from the Middle East.

Israeli PM says he has ‘full coordination’ with US president amid reports that Washington no longer consults him. Benjamin Netanyahu broke a period of unusual silence regarding the Iran conflict this week with a video commentary insisting he had "full coordination" with Donald Trump, with whom he spoke "almost daily." This insistence that the US-Israeli relationship was strong followed weeks of reports in the domestic press that Israel was no longer being consulted about the Iran conflict, and even less about Pakistani-brokered peace talks. Due to skepticism about Netanyahu's trustworthiness among the general public and the independent press, the immediate reaction among observers to his video statement was speculation that the reality could be even worse than they had imagined.

TikTok owner ByteDance is ramping up its spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure, boosting its planned capital expenditure this year to more than 200 billion yuan (US$30 billion), according to two people familiar with the matter. This represented an increase of at least 25 per cent compared with a preliminary plan discussed late last year that proposed AI capex of 160 billion yuan, they said. The increase was necessary because of the company’s growing commitment to AI, as well as...

Disney’s ABC criticized the Federal Communications Commission’s recent efforts to regulate interviews on broadcast talk shows, warning that Chair Brendan Carr’s “unprecedented” actions threaten to “chill” the First Amendment and stifle coverage of political candidates. The regulatory filing marked the latest stage in a confrontation between the broadcasting networks and Carr, who has used his time at the nominally independent FCC to wage a series of fights against perceived foes of U.S. President Donald Trump. In this case, the dispute involves Carr’s efforts to use a decades-old “equal time” rule to demand that broadcast talk shows such as ABC’s “The View” offer equal time to both parties when interviewing political candidates. Such shows had previously relied on the FCC’s exemption for what it calls “bona fide” news interviews—but now, their ability to air those interviews is in doubt, ABC wrote. “Uncertainty as to the scope of broadcast licensees’ editorial discretion threatens to limit news coverage of political candidates and chill core First Amendment-protected speech for years and potentially decades to come,” ABC wrote in the 52-page petition to the agency, unveiled Friday. “As the 2026 midterm election approaches, the American people need more access to political news and more exposure to political candidates, not less.” An FCC spokesperson defended Carr’s approach and told POLITICO that the agency wo…

Satellite images show a large oil spill spreading off Iran’s Kharg Island, a critical oil hub terminal for the Islamic republic. The apparent spill has raised concerns about the state of Iranian oil infrastructure as it faces mounting strain from a US-imposed naval blockade.

The US imposed sanctions on three Chinese firms for providing satellite imagery to Iran, enabling its military strikes on American forces in the Middle East, as Washington ramps up efforts to restrict technological support for Tehran in the conflict.

As geopolitical competition intensifies across multiple regions, countries capable of maintaining working relationships with rival powers are becoming increasingly valuable. While global attention remains centered on major-power rivalry, another category of states is quietly gaining strategic importance: middle powers able to engage competing actors without becoming fully dependent on any single bloc. Pakistan is gradually […] The post How Pakistan became the world’s most useful middle power appeared first on Asia Times.

The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, expressed his concern to the European Union on Friday and threatened to "take measures" following the EU's decision to exclude Chinese companies from critical infrastructure projects within its cybersecurity law. "We are closely monitoring how the review process will proceed, and we are seeking dialogue with the EU. If the revised law discriminates against Chinese companies, China will take resolute measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests," the spokesperson stated at a press conference. In recent months, the European Union has been strengthening its 2026 cybersecurity framework, focused on reducing dependence on Chinese "high-risk" technology providers in critical infrastructure, based on the 2019/881 Cybersecurity Regulation and its subsequent revisions. Meanwhile, China has been closely following the EU's guidelines and has warned of possible countermeasures. The Brussels executive has been pushing for the 27 member states to exclude Chinese providers from 5G networks due to "security risks." However, the unpopular presence of Donald Trump in European society has led some countries to begin reconsidering their relationship with major trading competitors from the East. In Spain, one of the member states, 54.5% of citizens support the European Union strengthening its ties…

Syria's small Jewish community has struggled to maintain kosher traditions after it dwindled in size, relying on imported meat and individual effort to keep centuries-old practices alive in Damascus.

Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces have reported the presence of Russia’s 90th Tank Division in Pokrovsk.

U.S. intelligence: Mojtaba Khamenei plays a crucial role in Iran's strategies.

U. S. President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that the Central African country of Congo released inmates from its prisons and sent them to the U. S. border with Mexico. The president offered no proof or evidence to back up his claim. “They emptied the prisons of the Congo into the area of the southern border, and they told them to just walk in, because stupid Americans are going to accept you beautifully,” Trump said at a Friday Mothers’ Day event at the White House. “And these were hard, mean, vicious criminals they allowed into our country.” The aside was accompanied with no concrete evidence that Congo, a large and impoverished country which has struggled to govern a territory almost the size of Western Europe, intentionally released prisoners and sent them to the United States. Asked to clarify the president’s comments, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said “it’s common knowledge that dangerous criminals from around the world took advantage of Biden’s open border to flood American communities. President Trump has secured our border and is now working to deport all of these sick criminals, despite Democrat opposition.” She did not offer specific evidence that Congo intentionally released inmates. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for additional information supporting the president’s assertions. Congo’s embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. The U. S. has deported migrants from other countries to Congo in recent months, as it has also continued to mediate a conflict between Congo and neighboring Rwanda. The president has previously accused Latin American countries, chiefly Venezuela, of emptying prisons and mental institutions and sending individuals from those facilities to the U. S. border with Mexico. Those claims have undergirded the administration’s reasoning for mass deportations of unauthorized immigrants or immigrants who legally entered the United States under his predecessor but since have been charged with crimes. Customs and Border Protection under the Biden administration did apprehend some Congolese nationals at the U. S. border with Mexico. While a precise figure is unavailable, those numbers are estimated to be in the thousands. The Biden administration also accepted tens of thousands of Congolese nationals through the refugee admissions process. Migrants with known violent criminal records are almost always ineligible to enter the country via asylum or refugee status. But the Trump administration has been quick to note in press releases the handful of instances when it has apprehended unauthorized immigrants who were ineligible to enter the U. S. on those grounds but nevertheless crossed the U. S. border during former President Joe Biden’s tenure.

Exclusive: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is preferred choice of new leader for 42% of those surveyed Full results from England, Scotland and Wales The majority of Labour members say they do not believe Keir Starmer can turn around the party’s fortunes, while 45% say the prime minister should step down. The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was the first preference for 42% of members, who were asked to rank their preferred successor. Continue reading...

Fears over a natural disaster or cyber attack are pushing households into contingency planning, Link survey shows Millions of Britons are “prepping” for a potential “major disruptive event” by keeping a stash of cash at home, stockpiling tinned goods or ensuring they have a battery-powered torch close to hand, new data suggests. With war raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, extreme weather becoming more frequent, and warnings that the UK’s critical infrastructure is at risk from cyber-attacks and power outages, many people feel the world has become a more dangerous and chaotic place. Continue reading...

The US is changing its strategy to fund local African processing and mining infrastructure, recognizing that it cannot yet process the critical minerals it is urgently trying to secure from the continent to counter China. Tom Haslett, managing director of policy for critical minerals at the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), stated that, unlike China, which has "significant industry support for both processing and downstream manufacturing," the US and Europe do not yet have that level of support.

The total combat losses of Russian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, through May 8, 2026, amount to approximately 1,340,270 personnel, including 1,080 killed or wounded over the past day.

For three decades after the Cold War, Washington operated under a dangerous assumption: that military supremacy could indefinitely compensate for diplomatic exhaustion. The United States possessed the world’s most advanced armed forces, unmatched naval reach, and a financial system capable of weaponizing sanctions against adversaries thousands of miles away. From the Balkans to Baghdad, this power often created […] The post When the world’s greatest power can’t win appeared first on Asia Times.

Law enforcement officers in Ukraine’s Ternopil region have uncovered a scheme involving draft evasion and the illegal smuggling of men across the state border, allegedly involving a doctor and two accomplices.

The administration of Honduran President Nasry Asfura continues to strengthen its strategic relationship with the United States, a period marked by a reorientation of the country's foreign policy and the search for new mechanisms of economic and security cooperation. In various recent statements and diplomatic meetings, the Honduran government has reiterated its intention to strengthen bilateral relations with Washington, considering that the United States remains Honduras's main trading partner and one of its most important political allies. The strategy promoted by the Asfura administration focuses on building trust to attract foreign investment, strengthening regional security cooperation, and expanding employment and economic development opportunities. In this context, the Honduran president has stated that his government is working to create a favorable environment for investment, based on clear rules, stability, and international cooperation. "The relationship with the United States is fundamental for Honduras. We want to strengthen trust, attract more investment, and work together on issues that are priorities for the country's development," the government has repeatedly emphasized in various diplomatic and political forums. One of the main objectives of this new phase of foreign relations is to position Honduras as a more competitive and reliable country for international investors, especially in…

As he struggles to force Iran’s capitulation, US President Donald Trump issued what seemed to be yet another threat to commit an act of mass destruction against the country through nuclear warfare. When negotiations have faltered in recent weeks, Trump has on multiple occasions defaulted to genocidal threats—including that the “whole civilization” of Iran would “die,” and that the […] The post Nuclear holocaust threat just another day in Trump World appeared first on Asia Times.

The war in Iran, trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan are expected to be on the agenda. But expectations are modest.

Xi Jinping spent 13 years building a military to rival that of the United States. But the stronger the Chinese forces grew, the less he trusted the generals he had handpicked to run them.

Two years after losing its majority, the BJP is now taking opposition strongholds and paving the prime minister’s way for a fourth term in office

Tehran's hundreds of small, fast boats are crucial in maintaining its control over global energy markets.

The adults in María Zenaida Puliche's house struggle to hold back tears in front of Sofía, who is turning nine. They take turns approaching her and posing for a picture with the strawberry cake. The little girl smiles and hugs her father, her aunts, and her cousins. But not her mother. Daniela Valencia was one of the 22 victims killed in an attack perpetrated by dissidents of the now-defunct FARC on April 25 in Cauca, a region in southwestern Colombia where armed groups have cornered the state and violence lurks every hour of the day. It was the deadliest terrorist attack on civilians in the country since 2003, just a month before the presidential elections.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told earlier that Iran had not yet responded to the US proposal for a settlement agreement

Robust trade surplus shows US tariffs have done little to dent the country’s manufacturing prowess

The US leader also noted that he has excellent personal relations with the Polish leadership

Donal Trumpt noted that the United States could resume Operation Project Freedom to organize the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz if there is no progress in negotiations with Iran

This Friday, the National Consumer Service (Sernac) issued a safety alert regarding the risk of accidents that could be caused by stainless steel bottles from the Thermos brand, due to a defect in their lids. The alert affects the SK3000 Stainless King and SK3020 Food Jar models, which were sold in Chile by the company Importadora y Distribuidora KW SpA between 2018 and 2026. According to the information, there are 2,000 units in the possession of consumers, while there is a stock of 700 bottles, and 5,000 are in transit. Regarding the defect, the company stated that "there are stainless steel bottle lids that do not contain a pressure release valve mechanism. This defect can cause the lid to be ejected forcefully if food is stored for longer than the recommended time, which could lead to accidents." Due to the above, there is a risk of burns, spills, and impacts caused by the lid being ejected with force. According to the information, this defect has resulted in 27 reports of affected individuals in the United States, while no cases of affected individuals have been reported in Chile. However, Sernac clarified that the products affected by this alert, in the case of Chile, are only those imported between 2018 and 2022, as all subsequent imports included models with lids that have built-in pressure release valves. Therefore, it is recommended to stop using the product…

A performative march titled “Ukraine in Memory” took place in central Berlin on Friday, May 8, to honor Ukrainians who died during World War II and to call on the German authorities to create a separate memorial space dedicated to Ukrainian victims.

Until not that long ago, the ability to bring down civilisations was the preserve of a few powerful countries. It is now in the process of being democratised. Leer más