World
China Accuses Pete Hegset...
China’s foreign ministry has retaliated sharply against US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s keynote at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, accusing him of “villifying China with defamatory allegations” and deliberately “sowing division” across the Asia-Pacific region. Hegseth’s address on May 31, 2025, warned regional governments that Beijing might be “credibly preparing to use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific” and urged Asian countries to boost defence spending. In its official response on June 1, China described Hegseth’s comments as “filled with provocations,” decried his alleged “cold war mentality,” and accused the United States of hypocrisy in branding China a “hegemonic power.”
World
Pete Hegseth Urges Asian ...
At the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on 31 May 2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a stark warning about China’s military ambitions and called on Asian nations to significantly bolster their defence budgets. Hegseth described Beijing as “rehearsing for the real deal” regarding Taiwan and stressed that regional deterrence must be strengthened without delay.
World
Legal Showdown Looms Over...
A U.S. appeals court has temporarily stayed a decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) that declared former President Donald Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs unconstitutional. On May 29, 2025, the three-judge panel of the Federal Circuit granted the federal government’s request for an immediate pause, allowing the contested duties to remain in effect while the case moves through the appellate process .
World
Trump’s “Reciprocal” Tari...
A federal court this week dealt a setback to President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy, ruling that his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad “reciprocal” tariffs exceeds the authority Congress granted him. The lawsuit was brought by the Liberty Justice Center (LJC), a libertarian public-interest law firm whose past funders include two of Trump’s wealthiest backers, Robert Mercer and Richard Uihlein.
World
Donald Trump’s Stark Warn...
In recent days, former U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified public criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of recklessness in continuing the war in Ukraine without engaging in ceasefire negotiations. Trump’s latest salvo, delivered via his Truth Social platform, warns that Putin is “playing with fire” and hints at unspecified but dire consequences should Russia refuse to halt its military offensive.
World
Chemical Plant Explosion ...
An enormous blast tore through a chemical manufacturing facility in Weifang city, Shandong province, at around noon local time on Tuesday, leaving at least five dead, 21 injured and six unaccounted for, according to state-run media and the national Ministry of Emergency Management. Witnesses described a deafening roar as windows shattered in nearby apartment blocks and thick plumes of orange and grey smoke billowed over the skyline.
World
Emmanuel Macron and Brigi...
On the evening of May 25, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, disembarked Air France Flight AF274 upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam. As the couple stepped onto the mobile stairway, a waiting throng of photographers and videographers captured an unexpected moment: Brigitte Macron appeared to shove her husband lightly in the face. The gesture startled President Macron, who stepped back, waved to onlookers, and then descended with his arm extended—only to have Brigitte refuse his assistance as they moved off the plane.
World
Dr Alaa al-Najjar’s Final...
In the pre-dawn hours of Friday, Dr Alaa al-Najjar performed her daily ritual: gathering her ten children in a circle for a morning blessing before leaving for the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. As one of Gaza’s few remaining paediatricians, she felt compelled to treat the wounded infants arriving from across the southern governorate. Like any mother, she worried about the safety of her brood in a city under near-constant threat from Israeli air and artillery strikes. She could not have imagined that this routine would become her last goodbye.
World
Russia Launches Major Dro...
In the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv endured one of the largest drone and missile strikes it has faced since Russia’s full-scale invasion began over three years ago. According to Ukraine’s Air Force Command, Russian forces launched 14 ballistic missiles alongside approximately 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in two successive waves. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted six of the missiles and destroyed the vast majority of the drones before they reached the capital. Nevertheless, pieces of missile debris and several drones struck six city districts, injuring at least 15 people, including two children, and causing significant property damage.
World
People Urged to Skip Vivi...
Sydney’s early winter festival, Vivid, kicked off on Friday night under a deluge that has inundated roads, rail lines and ferries across the city. In the 24 hours to 9am, Richmond in the city’s northwest recorded more than 200 mm of rain, Camden in the southwest saw about 90 mm, Katoomba in the Blue Mountains received over 50 mm and Sydney Airport measured at least 75 mm. Further down the coast, parts of the Illawarra—including Clover Hill—were lashed with in excess of 200 mm, triggering localized flooding and landslips. With a further 100 mm forecast for Sydney and the Blue Mountains over the coming day, authorities faced the looming prospect of Warragamba Dam spilling for the first time this season.
World
Trump Administration Acce...
During his first foreign trip of 2025, President Donald Trump visited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar—nations that have each provided significant benefits to his private enterprises. The most eye-opening of these came from Qatar, which offered the United States a Boeing 747 jetliner to serve as a potential replacement for the current Air Force One aircraft. Late Wednesday, the Pentagon confirmed that Defense Secretary Mark Esper had accepted the jet under existing federal regulations and ordered an immediate review to determine how quickly it could be outfitted with the specialized equipment required for presidential travel.