Chinese tech giants pause stablecoin plans after Beijing steps in, FT reports
Chinese tech giants, including Alibaba-backed Ant Group (688688.SS) and e-commerce company JD.com have halted plans to issue stablecoins in Hong Kong ...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that the United Kingdom, France, and Ukraine have agreed to work together on a ceasefire plan to be presented to the United States.
The agreement comes as Starmer prepares to host a summit of European leaders aimed at strengthening defense and restoring peace talks in Ukraine.
“We’ve now agreed that the United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States,” Starmer told the BBC. He stressed that the focus would be on re-engaging with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and French President Emmanuel Macron, rather than escalating rhetoric.
The summit, set to take place at Lancaster House in London—a historic mansion near Buckingham Palace—will include leaders from across Europe, including representatives from France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Romania. The meeting will also be attended by the Turkish foreign minister, NATO’s secretary-general, and the presidents of both the European Commission and the European Council.
Starmer’s comments come in the wake of a widely publicized exchange at the White House on Friday, when President Trump sharply reprimanded President Zelenskyy for expressing gratitude over U.S. support in Ukraine’s battle against Russia. Despite that incident, Starmer expressed trust in Trump’s commitment to peace. “Do I believe Donald Trump when he says he wants lasting peace? The answer to that is yes,” he said.
The summit is viewed as a crucial step for Europe to back its war-torn ally while enhancing its own defenses. Discussions are expected to include proposals for establishing a European military force—a “coalition of the willing”—that could help underpin any ceasefire agreement. Experts note that, with the United States recently signaling neutrality in negotiations, Europe may need to assume a larger role. Some have even suggested that the release of up to 200 billion euros in seized Russian assets could help fund such efforts.
In addition to the ceasefire plan, European leaders at the summit are expected to discuss increased defense spending. Starmer has pledged to boost U.K. military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, while Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called on European nations to reach at least 3% of GDP. French President Macron, emphasizing the need for a more sovereign and united Europe, also stressed the importance of ramping up defense investments.
As negotiations continue, Starmer reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, noting the enthusiastic public backing evident during recent meetings with Zelenskyy. “We stand with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it may take,” he said.
With the summit underway, European leaders are positioning themselves to play a leading role in achieving a lasting ceasefire and ensuring that Ukraine negotiates from a position of strength, even as challenges remain amid shifting international alliances and defense priorities.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Polls in Bolivia closed on Sunday, with voters awaiting the results of a presidential runoff that marks a significant rejection of the socialist government and points towards a potential shift in foreign policy, likely steering towards the United States after years of tense relations.
On October 19, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the appointment of Mark Savaya, a Michigan-based entrepreneur, as the U.S. Special Envoy to Iraq.
Tufan Erhurman, a centre-left moderate, won the Turkish Cypriot presidential election on Sunday, defeating incumbent hardliner Ersin Tatar in a pivotal vote that could revive stalled U.N.-backed reunification talks on the divided island of Cyprus.
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a White House meeting on Friday to accept Russia’s conditions for ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, warning that Vladimir Putin had threatened to “destroy” Ukraine if it refused to comply, according to FT.
Countries criticized UK, France, Germany for ‘legally and procedurally flawed’ attempt to trigger ‘snapback mechanism’
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment