Author: Disha Mishra

(Forelines) – On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy in London called Britain to pause “heightening antagonism” in reply to David Lammy’s foreign minister Monday comments about what he described as “dangerous and destabilising” activity in the South China Sea. “We urge the UK to stop heightening antagonism and sowing discord, and stop any words and deeds that undermine regional peace and stability,” stated by a Chinese embassy spokesperson in a written statement. The spokesperson stated the United Kingdom should “respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea”.

Israel said on Tuesday it had agreed to hold talks to demarcate its border with Lebanon, adding it would release five Lebanese detainees held by the Israeli military in what it called a “gesture to the Lebanese president”. A statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel had agreed with Lebanon, the U.S. and France to establish working groups to discuss the demarcation line between the two countries. Lebanese media including the state news agency NNA reported that the released Lebanese hostages had arrived in a hospital in southern Lebanon’s Tyre. In a statement on X the same day,…

Militants have taken 35 passengers hostage after attacking a train in southwestern Pakistan, and nearly 350 other passengers are believed to be safe, local police said on Tuesday. The Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist militant group, said they had 182 hostages in total and threatened to kill them if security forces did not leave the area. The train was trapped in a tunnel and the driver was badly wounded, local authorities, police and railway officials said. “Around 350 passengers, including women and children are save and a relief train will be reaching the area where the train was attacked,” said…

U.S. President Donald Trump will not let up his pressure on tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China related to their handling of fentanyl, Howard Lutnick, United States Commerce Secretary stated on Sunday. “If fentanyl ends, I think these will come off. But if fentanyl does not end, or he’s uncertain about it, he will stay this way until he is comfortable,” Lutnick said of the addictive and deadly opioid in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “This is black and white. You got to save American lives.” United States tariffs of 25% on imports of steel and aluminum will…

Talkings between Hamas leaders and United States hostage negotiator Adam Boehler in current days have focused on the free of an American-Israeli dual national being held by the militant group in Gaza, a senior Hamas official said Reuters on Sunday. A political adviser, Taher Al-Nono, to the leader of the Palestinian group, confirmed the unprecedented, direct talks with Washington, saying the discussions had taken place in the Qatari capital over the past week. “Several meetings have already taken place in Doha, focusing on releasing one of the dual-nationality prisoners. We have dealt positively and flexibly, in a way that serves…

Russian special forces crept miles through a major gas pipeline near the town of Sudzha in an attempt to surprise Ukrainian forces as part of a major offensive to eject Ukrainian soldiers from the western Russian region of Kursk, pro-Russian war bloggers said. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers seized about 1,300 square km of Russia’s Kursk region in August last year in what Kyiv said was an attempt to gain a bargaining chip in future negotiations and to force Russia to shift military forces from eastern Ukraine. In its daily update on the situation in Kursk, Russia’s Defence Ministry said its…

(Forelines) – Israel and Hamas signaled on Saturday they were preparing for the next round of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators pushed forward with talks to extend the fragile 42-day truce that started in January, according to Reuters. Hamas stated there were “positive indicators” for the start of the ceasefire’s second-round talks but did not elaborate. Israel further stated it was preparing for talks. “Israel has accepted the invitation of the mediators backed by the U.S., and will send a delegation to Doha on Monday in an effort to advance the negotiations,” according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office report. A…

(Forelines) – Ahmed Sharaa, Syria’s interim president, stated current developments are within “expected challenges”, according to Arab media reported on Sunday, as clashes continue between forces aligned to the new Islamist rulers and fighters from deposed leader Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect. Ahmed Sharaa also urged for national unity in a video shared by Arab media, including Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya TV, which featured him addressing at a mosque. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated on Saturday that two days of clashes in the country’s coastal region have died over 1,000 people.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday Iran will not be bullied into negotiations, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to the country’s top authority to negotiate a nuclear deal. In an interview with Fox Business, Trump said “there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal” to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. At a meeting with senior Iranian officials, Khamenei said the aim of Washington’s offer for negotiations was to “impose their own expectations”, Iranian state media reported. “The insistence of some bullying governments on…

At least 11 people were died and 30 injured, including five children, in Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s eastern city of Dobropillia overnight, stated by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry on Saturday. Russian forces striked Dobropillia with ballistic missiles, several rockets, and drones, causing damage to eight multi-storey buildings and 30 vehicles, as per the ministry. The attack resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including five children, and left 30 others injured. “While extinguishing the fire, the occupiers struck again, damaging the fire truck,” stated by the ministry on the Telegram messenger app. Photographs of partially destroyed buildings…