- Why EU expectations are so low ahead of crunch summit with China South China Morning Post
- Chinese and European Leaders Meet Amid Grievances on Trade The New York Times
- Bound for Beijing, E.U. leaders face two-front trade fight with Trump and Xi The Washington Post
- Exclusive | ‘Rebalancing’ needed in China-Europe relationship, chamber president says South China Morning Post
- Europe and China holding scaled-back trade talks with expectations low for major agreements The Independent
Wednesday briefing: The Conservatives reshuffle in an attempt to stay relevant amid poor polling
In today’s newsletter: A year into opposition, Kemi Badenoch’s party is still searching for its place in UK politics
Good morning. Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative party (remember them?), has announced a reshuffle of her top team a year into her leadership.
The reshuffle itself has not come as a surprise – it was rumoured for months. Badenoch has kept much of her team in place, including the shadow home secretary, Robert Jenrick, shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, and the shadow foreign secretary, Priti Patel.
Israel-Gaza war | Israel’s government is pursuing an “unacceptable and morally unjustifiable” policy in Gaza, the Catholic Latin patriarch of Jerusalem has said after visiting a church in the territory that was attacked by Israeli forces and meeting survivors.
Environment | The world is on the brink of a breakthrough in the climate fight and fossil fuels are running out of road, the UN chief said on Tuesday, as he urged countries to funnel support into low-carbon energy.
Immigration | Officials are to start using artificial intelligence to help estimate the age of asylum seekers who say they are children, Angela Eagle, the immigration minister, said on Tuesday.
UK news | A man has been found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service after handing over personal details of the then defence secretary, Grant Shapps, to two British undercover officers he believed to be Russian agents.
Music | Ozzy Osbourne, whose gleeful “Prince of Darkness” image made him one of the most iconic rock frontmen of all time, has died aged 76. His death comes less than three weeks after his retirement from performance.
Continue reading...Chinese and EU leaders are about to meet — but the U.S. is complicating things – CNBC
- Chinese and EU leaders are about to meet — but the U.S. is complicating things CNBC
- Both targets of Trump’s tariffs, the EU and China still can’t get along CNN
- China’s Hardball Tactics Set Tone for Difficult Summit with Europe The New York Times
- EU-China ties buckle under Trump’s trade pressure politico.eu
- Europe and China’s Tepid Anniversary Foreign Policy
Ministers urged to help students trapped in Gaza with places at UK universities
Forty people who have been offered scholarships unable to travel without biometric data they have no way of getting
Pressure is mounting on ministers to intervene on behalf of 40 students in Gaza who have been offered full scholarships to study at UK universities, but are unable to take up their places this September because of government red tape.
A high-level meeting is understood to have taken place at the Home Office on Tuesday after MPs and campaigners highlighted the students’ plight, calling on ministers to take action to help secure their safe passage to the UK. Some students are reported to have been killed while waiting, while others are said to be in constant danger.
Continue reading...Dover asylum protests pose danger to small boat arrivals, charities say
Home Office orders diversion from usual landing place to Ramsgate to avoid clashes with far right
Charities have warned of the increasing danger to asylum seekers posed by far-right protesters after small boat arrivals were moved from their usual landing place in Dover to further along the coast to avoid clashes.
The Guardian understands that Home Office officials received intelligence that some of those participating in what was billed the Great British National Protest in Dover on Saturday afternoon could have been planning to target Kent Intake Unit, where small boat arrivals are initially processed after being escorted to shore in Dover by the Border Force.
Continue reading...Eurostar calls for ‘credible’ Channel rail strategy as monopoly decision looms
Operator says if rivals are allowed to squeeze into existing facilities it could jeopardise its investment
Eurostar has urged the UK government to choose a “credible long-term strategy” for international rail or risk “falling behind” the rest of Europe, before a crucial decision by the regulator that could end its cross-Channel monopoly.
The high-speed train operator warned that a “premature” ruling from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to allow competitors to squeeze trains into existing facilities could jeopardise its planned investment and expansion.
Continue reading...Zelenskyy defends bill stripping anti-corruption bodies’ independence amid protests
Move by Ukrainian president widely opposed and may prove a setback to hopes of country one day joining the EU
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has defended his approval of a contentious bill that weakens Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies as its passage into law triggered the first serious protests against his government.
The move on Tuesday has put the president on a collision course with civil society activists and some of Ukraine’s veterans, and is likely to dismay Ukraine’s European partners.
Continue reading...FKA Twigs and Shia LaBeouf reach settlement in abuse lawsuit
Their lawyers say details of the agreement will remain private, ending a case that has dragged on since 2020.
Officials in Iran Suspect Sabotage in Wave of Fires and Explosions – The New York Times
- Officials in Iran Suspect Sabotage in Wave of Fires and Explosions The New York Times
- Iranians fear Israel's Mossad is responsible for Iran fires The Jerusalem Post
- NYT: Iranian officials suspect Israel to blame for mysterious blasts across country The Times of Israel
- Mysterious wave of explosions, sudden IRGC death disrupt post-ceasefire calm in Iran Long War Journal
- Iran suspects Israeli role in recent fires and explosions Middle East Eye
Chinese officials warn women comedians that men are no laughing matter
The warning comes after a string of shows by women comedians joking about men went viral
Chinese provincial officials have warned comedians against stirring up discord between the genders, instructing them to criticise constructively rather than “for the sake of being funny”.
The warning came from authorities in eastern Zhejiang province on WeChat over the weekend after a comedian referred to her allegedly abusive marriage in a performance that went viral on Chinese social media.
Continue reading...China ‘clearly’ trying to interfere in Taiwan’s democracy, Taipei says before recall vote – Reuters
- China 'clearly' trying to interfere in Taiwan's democracy, Taipei says before recall vote Reuters
- Total recall? Campaigners employ quirk of Taiwan’s political system to turn on ‘pro-China’ candidates The Guardian
- Taiwan’s once-dominant KMT falls ‘out of step’ with the electorate Financial Times
- Populist overreach in Taiwan is a growing risk for regional security Nikkei Asia
- China rallies for opposition as Taiwan gears up for mass parliamentary recall Yahoo Home
Teeth marks suggest ‘terror bird’ was killed by reptile 13 million years ago
Terror birds could be taller than a human and had powerful legs and hooked, flesh-ripping beaks.
Merz and Macron vowed to restart the Franco-German engine. It’s already sputtering. – politico.eu
- Merz and Macron vowed to restart the Franco-German engine. It’s already sputtering. politico.eu
- Franco-German engine hums as Merz and Macron meet in Berlin Financial Times
- Tariffs and conflicts loom large over Merz and Macron's working dinner Reuters
- Defence and tariffs top the agenda at Merz and Macron working dinner Euronews.com
- Merz, Macron present united front amid EU-US trade row DW
Microsoft servers hacked by Chinese groups, says tech giant
The US tech giant is recommending some users install security updates after the data breach.
Idaho student killer sentenced to life in prison, but mysteries in the case remain
Officials have not stated an alleged motive behind the brutal murders of four students three years ago.
The most powerful passports of 2025: The US and the UK fall, while India rises – CNBC
- The most powerful passports of 2025: The US and the UK fall, while India rises CNBC
- US slips again in passport power rankings CNN
- Which 59 Countries Can Indian Passport Holders Travel Visa-Free To In 2025? NDTV
- Asian Nations Dominate Passport Power Ranking as US and UK Continue to Decline Henley & Partners
- U.S. Passport Drops 2 Places To No. 10 In World’s Most Powerful List Forbes
Deepfake deception: Indian woman’s identity stolen for erotic AI content
Babydoll Archi became an Instagram sensation. And then police arrested its creator.
Protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs bill targeting anti-corruption bodies – BBC
- Protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs bill targeting anti-corruption bodies BBC
- Zelenskyy defends bill stripping anti-corruption bodies’ independence amid protests The Guardian
- Outrage in Ukraine as the government attacks anti-corruption watchdogs The Economist
- Zelenskiy Weakens Anti-Graft Agencies, Sparking Ukraine Protests Bloomberg
- Zelensky Targeted in Wartime Protests in Ukraine for the First Time The New York Times
Videos reveal harsh conditions inside Ice’s New York City confinement center
Footage shows people sleeping on floor next to toilets in facility that agency says is not a detention site
Two videos have surfaced shedding light on what is happening behind closed doors at a New York federal building where people are being confined after being seized by officers on their way out of immigration court on the 12th floor, with the footage offering a rare look inside a controversial and closely guarded space that is part of Donald Trump’s anti-immigration crackdown.
The filming, shared by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), captures one of several rooms at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, on the building’s 10th floor, where accounts have emerged of people being detained in wholly unsuitable conditions with few basic provisions, but there had been no public access to direct evidence.
Continue reading...Ukraine war briefing: Mirage fighter jet crashes after pilot ejects due to technical fault – The Guardian
- Ukraine war briefing: Mirage fighter jet crashes after pilot ejects due to technical fault The Guardian
- French Mirage fighter jet crashes in Ukraine The Telegraph
- Ukraine Russia war latest: Ukrainian military loses first French Mirage fighter jet in crash ahead of peace talks The Independent
- Ukraine suffered its first loss of a French fighter jet after equipment failure forced its pilot to eject Business Insider
- Technical Issue Causes Ukrainian Mirage-2000 Pilot to Eject Mid-Flight united24media.com