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Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad speaks next to a slide presentation of seized yellow bottles suspected to contain cyanide in waters of Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea, during
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, offers a speech at Tsinghua University, in Beijing, Monday. (Reuters) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Monday said China should take on a more substantial role with issues including climate change, security, defence and the fight against inequality, adding that Europe will also have to redouble its efforts as the US withdraws from leadership roles on many fronts.Sanchez, who is making his fourth visit to China in four years, spoke at Beijing's Tsinghua University.His visit comes as many Western governments seek to maintain engagement with Beijing despite lingering security and trade tensions. It follows visits to China earlier this year by the prime ministers of Britain, Ireland, Canada and Finland.Spain has been one of Europe's loudest proponents of expanding trade and treating China as a strategic ally rather than an economic and geopolitical rival.Sanchez said China could do more in terms of fighting climate change, promoting global health, controlling the development of responsible artificial intelligence as well as nuclear weapons."For example, by demanding as it is doing, that international law be respected and that the conflicts in Lebanon, Iran, Gaza and the West Bank and Ukraine cease," he said."Europe will also have to redouble its efforts, especially now that the US has decided to withdraw from many of these fronts."Sanchez is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping today where they are expected to focus on geopolitics.China accounted for 74% of Spain's total trade deficit, Sanchez said, adding that co-operation was important to build a "balanced, globalised economy that generates shared prosperity."Madrid hopes Sanchez's visit will narrow Spain's trade deficit, which more than doubled in four years to nearly $50bn in 2025. It is looking to boost agricultural and manufacturing exports to offset high volumes of China's imports.China's official news agency Xinhua Monday said Sanchez's visit was set to further consolidate bilateral ties and pointed to a broader pathway for steady engagement between China and Europe at a time of growing global uncertainty. Related Story
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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pose for photographs before their meeting at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, Monday. (Reuters) South Korea and Poland pledged to deepen their defence partnership Monday, as the European country modernises its military following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Warsaw has emerged as a key buyer of arms from Seoul, and the countries signed a weapons deal worth over $40 billion in 2022.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is in Seoul for the first such visit in 27 years, and held a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung Monday."Mutually beneficial defence co-operation between the two countries will be further expanded," Lee told a joint press conference afterwards.He stressed the "steady implementation" of the 2022 agreement, calling it "essential for deepening and advancing our defence industry co-operation".Under the deal, Poland has bought South Korean military hardware including tanks, self-propelled howitzers and rocket launchers.Some of those weapons are now "operating proudly across Poland's vast plains, helping to safeguard the country's territory and protect its people", Lee said in his opening remarks before the summit.Seoul and Warsaw would elevate ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership", he added.Poland, a member of the European Union and the Nato defence bloc, has stood firmly behind neighbouring Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.South Korea has backed Kyiv, especially since North Korea deployed troops to support Russia, but has stopped short of supplying lethal weapons, citing a domestic ban on militarily aiding countries at war.Tusk described South Korea as "Poland's second-most important ally after the United States", according to a Korean translation of his opening remarks.Defence co-operation "remains the core driving force of bilateral relations", he said, adding that Warsaw would encourage South Korean partner firms to shift production lines to Poland.The two leaders also agreed to expand co-operation in non-defence fields, including energy supply chains and infrastructure.Tusk wraps up his visit on Monday and will then head to Tokyo. Related Story
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Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and newly appointed Chief of Army Lieutenant General Susan Coyle pose for photographers after a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Monday. (Reuters) Australia Monday said a woman would lead its army for the first time in history, as part of a reshuffle of the country's defence force leadership.Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, the current chief of joint capabilities, will become chief of army in July, the government said in a statement. She will replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart.Coyle's appointment comes as Australia's military seeks to boost the number of female officers in its ranks. It faces a wave of allegations of systematic sexual harassment and discrimination."From July, we will have the first ever female chief of army in the Australian Army's 125-year history," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.Defence Minister Richard Marles called Coyle's appointment a "deeply historic moment.""As Susan said to me, you cannot be what you cannot see," he said."Susan's achievement will be deeply significant to women who are serving in the Australian Defence Force today and women who are thinking about serving in the Australian Defence Force in the future."Coyle, 55, enlisted in the military in 1987 and has held a number of senior command roles. She will be the first woman to lead any service branch of the military, Marles said.Women currently make up around 21% of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and 18.5% of senior leadership roles. The ADF has set a target of 25% of overall participation for women by 2030.Last October, a class action lawsuit was filed against the ADF alleging it failed to protect thousands of female officers from systematic sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.The government Monday also appointed Vice-Admiral Mark Hammond, the current chief of the navy, as the head of the ADF, succeeding Admiral David Johnston.The current deputy chief of navy, Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley, will replace Hammond as head of the branch.
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The US delegation left Pakistan on Sunday morning after Vice President JD Vance announced that no agreement had been reached with the Iranian side during the talks hosted in Islamabad.Images showed Vance, who headed the US delegation, along with other members, boarding a plane back to the United States, just minutes after a brief press conference in which he announced that the round of negotiations in Islamabad had ended without an understanding.Vance said that the talks concluded after about 21 hours of discussions, noting that the Iranian side had refused to accept US conditions related to not developing nuclear weapons.He added that the discussions were conducted in continuous coordination with US President Donald Trump and officials in the US administration, adding that Washington required a clear commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons or develop the means to acquire them.He added that this demand represents the core objective of the US administration, confirming that the negotiations were an attempt to achieve this goal but ended without an agreement.For its part, Iran’s state broadcasting authority said that what it described as excessive US demands caused the collapse of the Iran-US negotiations in Islamabad aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.A post by Iranian state television on Telegram said that the Iranian delegation had negotiated tirelessly and intensively for 21 hours to defend the national interests of the Iranian people, adding that despite multiple initiatives from its side, citing what it called the unreasonable US demands as the reason for a lack of progress made during the talks, bringing negotiations to an end.
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US Vice President J.D. Vance said that intensive negotiations with the Iranian delegation in Islamabad, which lasted around 21 hours, failed to produce an agreement, pointing to what he described as clear shortcomings in the course of the talks.Speaking to reporters from Islamabad, Vance said the Iranian side did not accept the conditions proposed by the United States, stressing that Washington required an unequivocal confirmation that Iran was not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons as a fundamental condition for any future understanding.He added that the United States had presented what he described as its final and best offer, expressing hope that the Iranian side would choose to engage positively.Vance confirmed that the negotiations did not result in an agreement, noting that the US delegation would return to Washington without reaching an understanding with the Iranian side, and with the lack of positive commitments regarding the nuclear issue.He said that the negotiations were conducted in good faith on the American side, but could not make tangible progress, adding that Iranian nuclear facilities had been destroyed, while Tehran had not pledged to halt its nuclear program.Vance also praised Pakistan’s efforts during the talks, describing them as remarkable in attempting to bridge differences between the parties involved.High-level peace talks between the United States and Iran had begun yesterday in Islamabad, with official delegations from both sides participating as part of diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions and addressing contentious issues, foremost among them Iran’s nuclear file and regional security matters.Following an initial round of talks that lasted 15 hours amid disagreements over several issues, reports had indicated that the two sides would hold further discussions later today before the US vice president announced the failure to reach an agreement with Iran.These talks come after the United States and Iran announced a ceasefire agreement in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East since Feb. 28, in a move aimed at calming the situation and ensuring the stability of energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.A senior US delegation headed by Vice President JD Vance, along with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Islamabad to take part in the talks, while the Iranian delegation, led by Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived last night.
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President Donald Trump ordered the US Navy on Sunday to block the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, furious with Iran's refusal to surrender its nuclear ambitions after peace talks in Pakistan broke down without an agreement.In response to Trump's announcement, Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned they had traffic in the strategic waterway under their full control and would trap any enemy who tried to challenge it 'in a deadly vortex'.In a lengthy declaration on his social media platform, Trump said his eventual goal was to clear the strait of mines and reopen it to all shipping, but that in the meantime Iran must not be allowed to profit from its control of the waterway.'Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,' Trump said. 'Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!'Iran has itself been restricting traffic through the strait -- a key route for global shipments of oil, gas and fertiliser -- while allowing vessels deemed to be working for friendly countries, such as China, to pass. There have been unconfirmed reports that Tehran plans to charge tolls.'THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION,' Trump said. 'I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits.'The US military had said Saturday that two Navy warships transited through the strait to begin clearing it of mines and ensure it was a 'safe pathway' for tankers, a claim denied by Tehran.Iran's Fars news agency reported on Sunday that two Pakistani-flagged oil tankers heading for the strait had turned around.Fears of renewed fighting rattled an already tense region after the US-Iran talks collapsed.'I am worried about the continuation of the situation and the return of attacks again,' said Imam, an Egyptian housewife living in UAE capital Abu Dhabi.'I was making a great effort not to pass my tension on to the children.''Act of extortion' Trump later in a Fox News interview again threatened Iran's energy infrastructure, before warning he would impose a 50 percent tariff on Chinese imports if Beijing tried to help the Iranian military.'I could take out Iran in one day. I could have their entire energy everything, every one of their plants, their electric generating plants, which is a big deal,' he said.The president's latest ultimatum appeared to have been triggered by the failure of talks to secure a deal to end the six-week-old war, which began when the US and Israel launched strikes on Tehran and killed Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.Iran's refusal to give up its right to a nuclear programme frustrated the US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.'I have always said, right from the beginning, and many years ago, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!' Trump said.'The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade,' he added, without specifying.Experts said blocking the crucial waterway in the middle of a two-week ceasefire, after the Islamabad negotiations, would further erode America's global credibility.'Imposing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz right now -- even if it's implementable, which remains an open question -- is bewildering and seems self-defeating,' said Shibley Telhami, a professor of peace and development at the University of Maryland.Vance left Pakistan after the talks -- the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic revolution -- and warned that Washington had made Tehran its 'final and best offer' for a deal, adding: 'We'll see if the Iranians accept it.'Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of his country's negotiating team, said he had 'put forward constructive initiatives' but the US team did not win Iran's trust.Ceasefire efforts The failure of the talks will raise concerns that a return to fighting could drive world energy prices higher and further damage shipping and oil and gas facilities.Pakistan, which hosted the talks, urged both countries to continue respecting the temporary truce.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, and both leaders agreed it 'was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation'.An EU spokesman said diplomacy would be 'essential' to securing peace and hailed Pakistan's mediation efforts, while Russia's President Vladimir Putin called Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to offer his services to the diplomatic effort.'Vladimir Putin emphasised his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict, and to mediate efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,' the Kremlin said, in its readout of the call.
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Taiwan’s defence ministry said yesterday that it spotted 16 Chinese warplanes operating near the island the previous day, around the same time China’s president was meeting the Taiwanese opposition leader. Late on Friday morning, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) in Beijing, where Xi said he “absolutely would not tolerate” independence for Taiwan, which China views as its own territory. Cheng has portrayed her visit as a reconciliation mission to lessen tensions, and told Xi she looked forward to the KMT and Communist Party advancing the “institutionalisation” of peace across the Taiwan Strait.Taiwan’s defence ministry, in its daily report on Chinese military activity in the previous 24 hours, said that 16 Chinese warplanes flew near the island from mid-morning to mid-afternoon on Friday. Xi and Cheng met at 11am (0300GMT). Shen Yu-chung, a deputy minister at Taiwan’s China-policy-making Mainland Affairs Council, told reporters in Taipei on Saturday that using military coercion against Taiwan as a means of applying pressure for political negotiations has always been China’s “go-to tactic”. “So on one hand we see them sending out messages of peace, while on the other hand they continue to use military force to pressure Taiwan without letup,” he added.China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment. In Beijing, KMT Vice-Chairman Chang Jung-kung said that the key to promoting peace lies in offering Taiwan’s people a choice between peace and reconciliation, or war. Engaging with China and promoting cross-strait peace yields “peace with dignity,” not the bowing of one’s head to “shake hands” like Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has said, Chang added, according to a KMT statement. Lai’s office said on Friday night that what the Xi-Cheng meeting sought to highlight was that “Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China” and to advance “the annexation of Taiwan”. “Taiwan’s future can only be decided by the Taiwanese people themselves,” Lai’s spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement.
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Passengers sit next to a logo of Dubai Airport, at the departure hall of terminal one, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Reuters/File Photo) Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to just one daily flight to its airports until May 31 due to the Iran crisis, igniting revenue loss fears among Indian carriers that had planned more flights than airlines from any other country, letters show. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which represents top carriers IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet, has asked India to push Dubai authorities to lift the curbs and, failing that, to consider reciprocal measures on Dubai carriers including Emirates and flydubai, according to a letter it sent to the Indian government on March 31. Indian carriers are already under financial pressure from higher fuel prices and longer routings to Western destinations because they have been banned from using Pakistani airspace since last year following military tensions between the two neighbours. In a private e-mail to airlines on March 27, seen by Reuters, Dubai Airports said carriers would be allowed one round trip per day to Dubai International Airport (DXB), normally the world’s busiest international travel hub, and the smaller Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) during the summer season between April 20 and May 31, extending restrictions implemented after the war began. “Carriers continue to be limited to one rotation per day, until capacity allows more to be facilitated... Additional slots will be allocated if capacity is available,” it said.The FIA told the Indian government the curbs were not being applied to Dubai’s airlines such as Emirates and flydubai, creating an uneven playing field that could lead to “substantial” revenue losses. Dubai Airports and Dubai’s media office did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Flydubai said its flight schedules were approved by the relevant authorities. Emirates did not respond to a request for comment. The measures come after Emirates and other Gulf airlines have long complained about India’s bilateral air service agreements that cap the number of seats that can be deployed between countries. Indian authorities have said such pacts protect Indian airlines in the cutthroat market. India was the largest source of passengers for DXB in 2025, with 11.9mn travellers passing through the hub.The Dubai caps will hit Indian airlines the hardest, according to April and May schedules data from Cirium. Air India and its budget carrier Air India Express have scheduled more than 750 flights into DXB in that period. IndiGo has 481, followed by Saudia and Gulf Air, which planned for 480 and 404, respectively. India’s SpiceJet had planned 61. The one-flight-per-day cap would mean 30 or 31 per month for each foreign airline, versus the hundreds of daily flights being flown by Emirates and flydubai according to Flightradar24 data. IndiGo told Reuters in a statement that the Middle East crisis and the new Dubai extended restrictions “significantly constrained” its operations as it had an approved summer schedule of 15 daily flights from India to Dubai. “As a result, a significant portion of IndiGo’s capacity and aircraft time is currently underutilised,” IndiGo said in its first comments on the crisis.Air India, SpiceJet and Indian authorities did not respond to requests for comment. Air India Express told Reuters the restrictions had “significantly curtailed” its planned services despite relatively high demand on India-UAE routes, limiting options for travellers, particularly from smaller cities, and underscored the need for a “fair and reciprocal operating framework.” Other major airlines such as Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and British Airways had far fewer flights to Dubai than Indian carriers before the crisis began and have cancelled all flights to the city until at least May 31. They are instead adding more non-stop Asia-Europe flights to take advantage of strong passenger demand that has pushed up prices.Federation of Indian Airlines has asked India to push Dubai authorities to lift the curbs and, failing that, to consider reciprocal measures
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People buy food at a curbside canteen in Manila last week.(AFP) Filipinos like their "pares", a traditional beef stew, served hot — but the soaring cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has made that prospect increasingly difficult since war erupted in the Middle East.To save a few pesos 20-year-old Eric Garcia delicately turned a knob to adjust the flame under his warming trays to the lowest setting as he grapples with fuel costs that have nearly doubled in price.While sticker shock at petrol stations has garnered the biggest headlines since the war forced the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the rising price of LPG has hit the import-dependent archipelago's humble street food vendors.A day before speaking to AFP, Garcia said he had been forced to raise the price of a bowl of pares to 65 pesos ($1.08) after fuel costs reduced his daily earnings by a quarter."I'm only earning 1,500 pesos (per day), because the rest is spent on LPG," he said.Garcia, who begins cooking at 3am every morning before hauling his stew to a middle-class neighbourhood on a converted motorbike, said an 11 kilo tank of fuel, which typically lasts four days, that once cost 870 pesos (about $14.50) now costs 1,600 pesos."It's the highest price of LPG that I've ever seen since I started here," said Carlo Manalad, a supervisor at a store selling tanks of the gas, 90% of which is imported."If (our suppliers') prices are high, we also raise our prices. Our profit is still the same," the 64-year-old told AFP.Many of the capital's streetside food sellers, however, have no such luxury."If we raise our prices, our customers will buy from other stalls," said Ronilo Titom, who has run a curbside canteen that caters call centre workers and jeepney drivers, for two years.Even while holding the line on prices, Titom said he had noticed his customer base slowly shrinking since the war erupted."Many of them have started to bring packed lunches instead (to save money)," said the 48-year-old who, like Garcia, is using his LPG ever more judiciously."Sometimes we let the soup get cold," he admitted, noting that the cost of ingredients for his dishes had also been on the uptick since the war broke out.The Philippines revealed on Tuesday war-driven inflation figures that showed food prices had increased nearly twice as fast in March as the month before.French fry vendor John Mark Abella, 25, who has also upped his prices by five pesos to compensate for LPG costs, told AFP he believed inflation was putting the squeeze on his mostly student customers."I think we've got fewer customers... because they're limiting their expenses because of the high prices of fuel and food," he said.Sam Natividad, a 25-year-old call centre worker, said that was no illusion."I'm limiting my expenses because... I also have to pay bills at home. I don't have a big budget for my meals here," she told AFP at a roadside canteen, adding it was "understandable" if street vendors had to raise their prices.Near Garcia's pares stall, Allan Palong, a driver for a motorbike ride-hailing app, said he understood the vendor's need to charge five pesos more for a bowl of stew, even if his own earnings were being crippled by fuel price hikes."It's very difficult for us now, all prices have gone up... the five-pesos mean a lot," he said, while calling on the government to slash the excise tax on imported fuel."What they're doing is not enough... we can't feel it." Related Story
