Disputes

• China is asserting sweeping sovereignty claims over the South China Sea, leading to intense territorial disputes with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. • The conflict is driven by competition over strategic islands, such as the Spratly Islands, and vast untapped resources including 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. • These tensions matter because a failure to reach a diplomatic resolution threatens to undermine international maritime laws and trigger destabilizing regional arms buildups.

• India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, urged the UN Security Council to clearly distinguish between armed aggression and territorial disputes to better maintain international peace. • India called for reforms to the UN Charter, specifically arguing that Chapter VI interventions lack "perpetual validity" and require periodic reviews to align with current geopolitical realities. • The move highlights India's frustration with global inaction and the perceived stagnation of the UN's conflict resolution mechanisms.

• The South Korean government has formally disputed a U.S. congressional report that alleges Seoul engaged in discriminatory practices against the e-commerce giant Coupang. • The report claims that South Korea's regulatory environment unfairly targeted the company, though specific details of the alleged discrimination remain a point of contention. • This diplomatic friction highlights growing tensions over trade and regulatory oversight between the two allies, potentially impacting future business relations.

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed a Security Council open debate in New York, urging member states to utilize the UN Charter to settle Middle East disputes peacefully. • Guterres highlighted how restrictions on navigational rights in the Strait of Hormuz are destabilizing global energy prices and disrupting critical supply chains. • These disruptions are exacerbating global hunger by increasing fertilizer costs and fueling inflation and debt, particularly within fragile and developing nations.

• The Indian government has notified new rules to establish a National Sports Board and a National Sports Tribunal to overhaul sports governance. • These new bodies are designed to regulate sports organizations and provide a streamlined mechanism for resolving legal and administrative disputes. • The initiative aims to enhance transparency and accountability within India's sports ecosystem, reducing delays in dispute resolution.

Albert Manifold says he was removed without warning and ‘will not allow a false narrative to go unchallenged’The ousted chair of BP, Albert Manifold, has accused the oil company of firing him without warning and disputed reports about his conduct, amid the latest boardroom turmoil to rock the company.In an emailed statement, Manifold said he was “removed without warning and without explanation” by the FTSE 100 company. Continue reading...

It will be the first time a US president has visited China in nearly a decade, with the last visit being Trump in 2017Hello and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to China this week to meet with Xi Jinping, China’s leader. It will be the first time a US president has visited China in nearly a decade, with the last visit being Trump in 2017. But given all that has happened so far in Trump’s second term – a trade war and then an actual war with Iran that has led to oil and gas prices skyrocketing worldwide – the mood of this visit is likely to be quite different. Continue reading...

• Turkey and Greece opened negotiations on Monday in Athens to address longstanding maritime boundary disputes and resource rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, marking the first high-level talks in eighteen months. • Both countries appointed senior diplomats to address competing claims over exclusive economic zones and the status of disputed islands, with the EU facilitating discussions. • U.S. State Department officials welcomed the resumption of dialogue, calling it essential for regional stability and noting that resolution could improve NATO cohesion in Southeast Europe.

• Turkey has recalled its ambassador from Greece in protest over new Greek legislation claiming expanded maritime boundaries in the Aegean Sea, escalating long-standing territorial tensions. • The Greek parliament passed the law Friday with support from NATO allies; Turkey's Foreign Ministry condemned the move as an "aggressive provocation" and violation of international law. • NATO has called for dialogue between the two member states; US State Department officials expressed concern about rising tensions within the alliance.

Defense secretary had said relatives of service members killed in refueling tanker crash told him ‘do not stop until the job is done’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe father of a US military member killed in the Iran war has contradicted Pete Hegseth’s claim that bereaved families urged him to “finish” the job in the Middle East.Hegseth, the defense secretary and a former weekend Fox News host, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday that he had spoken with relatives of all six service members killed in last week’s refueling tanker crash during a “dignified transfer” of their remains at Delaware’s Dover air force station the night before. Continue reading...

Negotiations between OpenAI and Oracle for expanding a massive datacenter in Abilene, Texas, as part of the $500 billion Stargate project, have stalled due to disagreements on financing and capacity delivery speed. The project aims to secure US AI leadership but faces headwinds in the global compute arms race with over $700 billion in datacenter lease volume, up 340%. Resolution could accelerate American AI infrastructure dominance amid bubble concerns.