live UN halts Strait of Hormuz escort operations after reported attack on cargo ship
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near...
China said it is ready to "continuously" boost strategic coordination with Moscow. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday that Beijing is prepared to help safeguard both countries’ security and development interests.
Meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign-ministers’ gathering, Wang said the steady contact between Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin had given Sino-Russian ties long-term direction amid what he called “changes unseen in a century.”
He urged closer cooperation on East Asian platforms, backing an ASEAN-centred, open regional architecture and “the right direction” for the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum. Strengthening consensus, he added, would help turn East Asia into “a major engine for global development.”
Lavrov said the pair’s coordination showed the “global and strategic significance” of the relationship and warned against “certain major powers” seeking to provoke confrontation in the region.
Russia, he added, fully supports China’s upcoming rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and is preparing for further high-level exchanges and BRICS cooperation.
The ministers also discussed the Iranian nuclear file and Middle-East tensions. Wang reiterated that force “cannot bring peace,” praised Tehran’s pledge not to seek atomic arms and called for renewed diplomacy to preserve the non-proliferation regime.
Both sides voiced support for ASEAN’s central role in maintaining Asia-Pacific stability.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near Oman, with two U.S. officials accusing Iran of the attack.
Kazakhstan has not received an official request from Russia for petrol supplies, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said, as fuel shortages and sales restrictions in Russia raise concerns over fuel supplies across Central Asia.
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday (26 June) condemned as "interventionist, irresponsible and provocative" a statement issued following a joint meeting of foreign ministers from the U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Manama, Bahrain.
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo, marking another milestone in the carrier's long-term fleet modernisation programme aimed at improving efficiency, expanding capacity and enhancing the passenger experience.
Pakistan is seeking to revive economic ties with Iran by reopening transport links and reassessing imports of discounted Iranian crude oil, as recent regional de-escalation raises hopes of broader economic cooperation.
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