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Chinese authorities are investigating a major transaction involving Hong Kong company CK Hutchison's plan to sell its global ports business, including Panama Canal assets, to US investment firm BlackRock. Multiple Chinese agencies began examining the $22.8 billion deal on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg News. President Donald Trump previously celebrated the potential sale while expressing concerns about Chinese control of the strategic waterway. Following the deal's announcement, China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office shared commentaries criticizing the sale as betraying national interests. The transaction is reportedly being reviewed for security risks and antitrust violations at the direction of senior Chinese leadership. Beijing's Foreign Ministry spokesperson deflected questions about the investigation but emphasized China's opposition to "economic coercion and bullying" that undermines legitimate rights of other countries. Hong Kong's leader John Lee echoed these sentiments, urging foreign governments to provide fair […]

Poland and the Baltic states have announced their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, citing growing security concerns regarding Russia. Defense ministers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland issued a joint statement explaining that threats from Moscow and Belarus have "significantly increased" since they signed the treaty. They emphasized the importance of providing their military forces with "flexibility and freedom of choice" in defending NATO's eastern boundary. The Ottawa Treaty, also known as the Mine Ban Treaty, took effect in 1997 with the goal of eliminating anti-personnel mines globally. While over 160 countries have joined the agreement, major military powers including Russia, China, the US, India and Pakistan never signed. The Baltic nations had all joined the convention by 2005, with Poland following in 2012. Tuesday's joint statement highlighted that the regional security situation has "significantly […]