Politics

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 […]

Chinese state media has welcomed Donald Trump's decision to cut funding for Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, news outlets known for reporting on authoritarian regimes. The executive order has affected thousands of employees, with approximately 1,300 staff at Voice Of America (VOA) placed on paid leave since Friday. While critics call it a setback for democracy, Beijing's state newspaper Global Times condemned VOA for its "appalling track record" in reporting on China, saying it has "now been discarded by its own government like a dirty rag." The White House defended the action, stating it will "ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda." Trump's cuts target the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which receives congressional funding and supports news outlets including VOA, Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio Free Europe. These organizations have […]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become one of the few world leaders to join Truth Social, the social media platform owned by US President Donald Trump. Modi's first post on Monday featured a photo with Trump from his 2019 visit to Houston, Texas, with Modi expressing he was "delighted" to join the platform. Trump launched Truth Social in February 2022 following his loss in the presidential election to Joe Biden and temporary bans from major social networks like Twitter and Facebook, which accused him of inciting violence. As of 03:30 GMT, Modi had accumulated 21,500 followers and was following only Trump and US Vice President JD Vance. On Monday, Trump shared a link to Modi's interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, where the Indian prime minister discussed various topics including his life journey, the 2002 Gujarat riots, and India-China relations. […]

Taiwan's President William Lai Ching-te has warned of China's intensifying espionage and infiltration efforts against the island, announcing plans to counter Beijing's attempts to "absorb" Taiwan. In a Thursday press briefing following security meetings, Lai said China is cultivating relationships with various segments of Taiwanese society, including organized crime groups, media personalities, and police officers. "They are carrying out activities such as division, destruction and subversion from within us," Lai stated. The president emphasized the need for stronger measures against Chinese efforts to undermine Taiwan's defenses, pointing to recent incidents of psychological warfare that fall short of armed conflict. According to government data, 64 people were charged with Chinese espionage last year—triple the number from 2021. Most were current or former military officials. "Many are worried that our country, hard-earned freedom and democracy and prosperity will be lost bit by […]

A divided US Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration's request to maintain a freeze on billions of dollars in congressionally approved foreign aid. The Court did not specify when the funds must be released, allowing the administration to continue challenging the issue in lower courts. The 5-4 ruling saw Chief Justice John Roberts joining Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in the majority. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented. The majority noted that since a court-ordered deadline to disburse the funds had already passed, lower courts should clarify what obligations the government must fulfill to comply with the temporary restraining order. The ruling doesn't require immediate payment of up to $2 billion in foreign aid; it simply allows the district court to potentially compel those payments with […]

New Zealand has dismissed its most senior envoy to the United Kingdom following remarks that questioned US President Donald Trump's understanding of history. During an event in London on Tuesday, High Commissioner Phil Goff compared efforts to end the Russia- Ukraine war to the 1938 Munich Agreement, which permitted Adolf Hitler to annex part of Czechoslovakia. Mr. Goff recalled Sir Winston Churchill's criticism of the agreement, then said, "President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?" New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters called his comments "deeply disappointing" and said they made his position "untenable." Goff's remarks came after Trump paused military aid to Kyiv following a contentious exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office last week. The High Commissioner contrasted Trump with Churchill who, while […]