The China Mail - Politics

Finland starts scheme to improve conscripts' fitness

Finland said on Wednesday it has kicked off a two-year scheme to improve the fitness of conscription-age youths, warning that their physical condition was declining, and this was a serious societal issue.

Magazine publishes full US attack plan shared in Signal chat

US magazine the Atlantic on Wednesday published the full exchange of leaked messages between officials laying out plans for an attack on Yemen, as the White House fought fiercely to defend itself over the slip-up.

Sweden to boost defence spending $30 bn over a decade

Sweden will increase defence spending by about 300 billion kronor ($30 billion) over the next decade, the prime minister said Wednesday, calling it the nation's biggest rearmament push since the Cold War.

French actor Ardant defends Depardieu at sexual assault trial

French actor Fanny Ardant on Wednesday defended 76-year-old screen icon Gerard Depardieu at his trial on charges of sexual assault in Paris, saying she had never known him to behave in a "shocking" manner with a woman.

Trump, Macron and Zelensky lead wave of new 'mobile phone diplomacy'

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky interrupted a press conference he was holding to answer a telephone call from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, he opened a window into a new world of geopolitical diplomacy.

Magazine publishes entire US attack plan mistakenly shared in chat group

The Atlantic magazine on Wednesday published what it said was the entire text of a chat group mistakenly shared with a journalist by top US national security officials laying out plans of an imminent attack on Yemen.

Erdogan takes Turkey to new crossroads with mayor's arrest: analysts

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken Turkey closer to autocracy with the arrest of the elected mayor of Istanbul, but the scale of the ensuing protests could yet shake his grip, analysts say.

Moscow, Kyiv trade blame for strikes endangering truce efforts

Russia and Ukraine accused each other Wednesday of derailing a US-brokered deal that could see the warring countries halt attacks on the Black Sea and against energy sites.

Magazine publishes US attack plan mistakenly shared in chat group

The Atlantic magazine on Wednesday published what it said was the entire text of a chat group mistakenly shared with a journalist by top US national security officials laying out plans of an imminent attack on Yemen.

Lula says Mercosur, Japan to discuss trade deal

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday that he expects talks between South America's Mercosur bloc and Japan on a trade deal to begin in the second half of the year.

Sudan army retakes Khartoum airport from paramilitaries

The Sudanese army said it recaptured Khartoum airport from the Rapid Support Forces and surrounded the paramilitaries south of the capital on Wednesday, marking its latest battlefield gains.

Denmark welcomes US limiting Greenland visit to military base

Denmark welcomed on Wednesday Washington's decision to limit a US delegation's visit to Greenland to a US military base, after previous plans for the unexpected trip sparked criticism.

Israel threatens to seize parts of Gaza over fate of hostages

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Wednesday to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas does not release hostages, while the militant group warned they would return "in coffins" if Israel does not stop bombing the Palestinian territory.

Rubio looks at new path for Haiti on Caribbean trip

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio headed Wednesday to the Caribbean looking for ways forward on violence-torn Haiti and to show support for oil-rich Guyana in its dispute with Venezuela.

Huthis say US warplanes carry out 19 strikes in Yemen

Huthi media said 19 strikes hit rebel-held parts of Yemen, mostly Saada, blaming the United States, with the group later announcing they targeted a US warship and Israel.

China, Beijing's ties with Russia main threats to US: intel report

China remains the main threat to the United States globally but of increasing concern is its closer cooperation with Russia, Iran and North Korea, said an annual US intelligence report released Tuesday.

Turkey protesters defiant despite mass arrests

Protesters were defiant Wednesday despite a growing crackdown and nearly 1,500 arrests as they marked a week since the start of Turkey's biggest street demonstrations since 2013.

China poses biggest military threat to US: intel report

China poses the top threat to American interests and security globally and is making "steady" progress towards having the ability to seize the self-ruled island of Taiwan, an annual US intelligence report warned Tuesday.

US imposes trade restrictions on dozens of entities with eye on China

The United States added dozens of entities to a trade blacklist Tuesday, its Commerce Department said, in part to disrupt Beijing's artificial intelligence and advanced computing capabilities.

Huthis say US warplanes carried out 17 strikes in Yemen

Huthi media in Yemen reported Wednesday at least 17 strikes in Saada and Amran, blaming the United States for the attacks.

Rubio to look at new path on Haiti on Caribbean trip

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads Wednesday to the Caribbean looking for ways forward on violence-torn Haiti and to show support for oil-rich Guyana in its dispute with Venezuela.

Asian stocks rise on trade optimism, but US policy uncertainty lingers

Lingering hopes that Donald Trump's planned tariff blitz next week will not be as painful as feared helped lift Asian markets Wednesday, though uncertainty about the president's policies and the US economy tempered optimism.

Israel releases Palestinian Oscar winner after West Bank detention

Israeli police released Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal on Tuesday, after detaining him a day earlier for "hurling rocks" following what activists described as an attack by settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Hundreds arrested as Turkey protesters defy crackdown

Almost 1,500 people have been detained -- including an AFP photographer -- as tens of thousands continued protests in the Turkish capital Tuesday after the arrest of the main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Trump team splits on message as Iran considers talks

In a matter of days, US President Donald Trump has extended a hand to Iran and bombed Tehran's allies in Yemen. His administration has both demanded that Iran dismantle its nuclear program and offered more flexibility.

Zimbabwe moves army chief to sports docket

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday reassigned the head of the country's army to the sports ministry, the presidency said, without elaborating on the reasons for the move.

Trump downplays firestorm over leaked Yemen air strike chat

US President Donald Trump downplayed a growing scandal Tuesday after a journalist was accidentally added to a group chat about air strikes on Yemen, denying any classified information was shared and defending a top aide over the breach.

Turkey protesters fill streets, defying crackdown

Thousands of protesters returned to the streets of Istanbul on Tuesday after a week of the biggest protests to hit Turkey in over a decade, defying a crackdown that has seen almost 1,500 arrested including an AFP journalist.

US VP to visit Greenland as Trump ups pressure

US Vice President JD Vance said he would join his wife Usha on a trip Friday to Greenland, adding to pressure on the autonomous Danish territory that Donald Trump wants to take over.

What is Signal and is it secure?

Signal is an end-to-end encrypted messaging app that is considered one of the most secure in the world by security professionals, but was never intended to be the go-to choice for White House officials planning a military operation.

Trump, intel chiefs dismiss chat breach

President Donald Trump and top US intelligence officials raced Tuesday to stem a growing scandal after a journalist was accidentally added to a group chat about air strikes on Yemen's Huthi rebels in a stunning security breach.

Boko Haram fighters kill 20 Cameroonian troops: sources

Boko Haram fighters disguised as herders killed at least 20 Cameroonian troops in a Tuesday morning raid on the Nigerian border town of Wulgo, local security sources and residents told AFP.

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