Canada, Philippines sign defence pact to deter Beijing in South China Sea
China has frequently accused the Philippines of acting as a ‘troublemaker’ and ‘saboteur of regional stability’. By The Associated Press Published On 2 Nov 20252 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The Philippines and Canada have signed a defence pact to expand joint military drills and deepen security cooperation in a move widely seen as a response to China’s growing assertiveness in the region, most notably in the disputed South China Sea. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr and Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty inked the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) on Sunday after a closed-door meeting in Manila. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list McGuinty said the deal would strengthen joint training, information sharing, and coordination during humanitarian crises and natural disasters. Teodoro described the pact as vital for upholding what he called a rules-based international order in the Asia-Pacific, where he accused China of expansionism. “Who is hegemonic? Who wants to expand their territory in the world? China,” he told reporters. The agreement provides the legal framework for Canadian troops to take part in military exercises in the Philippines and vice versa. It mirrors similar accords Manila has signed with the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. China has not yet commented on the deal, but it has frequently accused the Philippines of being a “troublemaker” and “saboteur of regional stability” after joint patrols and military exercises with its Western allies in the South China Sea. Beijing claims almost the entire waterway, a vital global shipping lane, thereby ignoring a 2016 international tribunal ruling that dismissed its territorial claims as unlawful. Chinese coastguard vessels have repeatedly used water cannon and blocking tactics against Philippine ships, leading to collisions and injuries. Advertisement Teodoro used a regional defence ministers meeting in Malaysia over the weekend to condemn China’s declaration of a “nature reserve” around the contested Scarborough Shoal, which Manila also claims. “This, to us, is a veiled attempt to wield military might and the threat of force, undermining the rights of smaller countries and their citizens who rely on the bounty of these waters,” he said. Talks are under way by the Philippines for similar defence agreements with France, Singapore, Britain, Germany and India as Manila continues to fortify its defence partnerships amid rising tensions with Beijing. Adblock test (Why?)
Who killed Shireen?
An investigation into Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing reveals new evidence and cover-ups by Israeli and US governments. This major investigative documentary examines the facts surrounding the murder of Palestinian American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, as she was reporting in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, in May 2022. It sets out to discover who killed her – and after months of painstaking research, succeeds in identifying the Israeli sniper who pulled the trigger. It gets through the smokescreens of both the Israeli and US governments and reveals how the close political relationship between them frustrated efforts to obtain justice at the time. Through interviews with an Israeli former national security adviser, a former deputy assistant US secretary of state for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, Israeli soldiers and Shireen’s colleagues and family, the film challenges official versions of events – and, in doing so, highlights issues of accountability, press freedom and the geopolitical dynamics surrounding the case, particularly in the light of the Israeli killing of Anas al-Sharif and four of his Al Jazeera colleagues in Gaza in August 2025. Published On 2 Nov 20252 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
US military kills three in another strike on Caribbean vessel
BREAKINGBREAKING, Defence secretary says the strike was carried out on Trump’s orders and targeted ‘narco-terrorists’. Published On 2 Nov 20252 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says that US troops have carried out another strike on a ship in the Caribbean, killing at least three men on board the vessel. In a post on X late on Saturday, Hegseth said the attack was carried out on the orders of President Donald Trump and targeted a vessel that “was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling”. He said no US forces were harmed in the strike. Adblock test (Why?)
US, China agree to set up military-to-military channels, Hegseth says
The United States and China have agreed to set up military-to-military channels to “deconflict and deescalate any problems” following the “historic” meeting between the countries’ leaders, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, according to the US defence secretary. In a statement on X on Saturday, Pete Hegseth said he and his Chinese counterpart, Minister of National Defence Dong Jun, made the decision following a phone call the night before. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list There was no immediate comment from Beijing. Hegseth said the pair, who also met in Malaysia following the Trump-Xi summit in South Korea, “agree that peace, stability, and good relations are the best part for our two great and strong countries”. “Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise,” he added. Experts have long advocated direct military contacts between the two superpowers, whose navies operate extensively in the Asia Pacific, saying the hotlines were the best way to avoid unintentional escalation. However, such contacts have remained irregular as tensions between the two nations ebb and rise. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US-based think tank, said in May that most of the more than 90 communications channels between the US and Chinese governments went dormant during Trump’s first term as US president, from 2017 to 2021. China went on to cut the few links with the US military in 2022, under the administration of the US’s then-president, Joe Biden, when the then-speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing claims as its province. Advertisement The development was followed by a series of close encounters between the Chinese and US militaries in the contested South China Sea as well as in the Taiwan Strait. These included the US military accusing a Chinese fighter jet of crossing in front of a US surveillance flight over the South China Sea in May 2023, in what it called an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver”. Days later, in June that year, the US military said a Chinese Navy destroyer sailed across the path of a US destroyer in another “unsafe” manoeuvre. Beijing, at the time, said the US was to blame, and accused its rival of deliberately “provoking risk” by sending vessels near its shores. The tensions eased following a meeting between Biden and Xi in November 2023, with the two leaders also agreeing to resume high-level military-to-military communications. The CSIS said in May that such communications have been “limited” since Trump’s return to office in January this year. It also noted that the US and China have no crisis management channels, further increasing the risk of escalation, as Trump also ratcheted up a trade war against Beijing. Trump and Xi, in their meeting in South Korea on October 30, took several steps to lower the temperature, including the US president easing the tariff rate on Chinese goods from 57 percent to 47 percent. Trump also said that China had agreed to keep the supply of rare earth metals flowing. However, no deal was announced on the sale of TikTok to US investors or on possible plans to sell Nvidia’s advanced semiconductor chips. Trump also announced that he would travel to China in April, and said Xi would come to the US soon after. Hegseth met Dong, the Chinese defence minister, the day after the Trump-Xi summit, on the sidelines of the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia. “I highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and emphasized U.S. concerns about China’s activities in the South China Sea, around Taiwan, and towards U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” he said in a post on X following the meeting. The “United States does not seek conflict, it will continue to stoutly defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities in the region to do so”, he added. The Chinese Ministry of National Defence said that Dong had told Hegseth that the reunification of China and Taiwan is an “unstoppable historical trend” and urged the US to exercise caution in both words and actions on the Taiwan issue. Advertisement It quoted Dong as saying that China was committed to peaceful development while resolutely safeguarding its national security interests. “It possesses the full capability to respond calmly to any infringements or provocations,” the statement added. Adblock test (Why?)
Messi, Inter Miami beaten as Nashville level MLS Cup playoffs
Nashville snapped a two-and-a-half-year winless streak against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and forced a decisive Game 3. By News Agencies Published On 2 Nov 20252 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share An 89th-minute goal from Lionel Messi was too little, too late as Nashville SC defeated Inter Miami 2-1 on Saturday to stay alive in their Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup round one playoff series. It was Nashville’s first win over Inter Miami since May 2023, snapping a 10-match winless streak. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list First-half goals from Sam Surridge and Josh Bauer put Nashville in control at a rainy Geodis Park in Tennessee, and the Miami side, led by Argentinian superstar Messi, could not find a way to respond. Surridge converted a penalty in the ninth minute to put the hosts on top, slotting a low shot to the right of diving Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo. Nashville were awarded the spot kick after Rios Novo hesitated coming off his line against a charging Surridge. Bauer put Nashville up 2-0 on the stroke of half-time, sliding in a left-footed shot off a corner floated in by Hany Mukhtar. Miami opened the second half in determined style, but Luis Suarez’s close-range shot in the 66th minute was parried by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis. Miami regained control of the ball, but Ian Fray’s quick attempt from inside the area was blocked. Messi stepped it up in the waning minutes, his awkwardly angled shot from the right in the 85th minute blocked, and a blast from the centre of the box saved in the 86th before he found the back of the net in the 89th. Rodrigo De Paul found Messi at the top right corner of the box, and the newly crowned MLS Golden Boot winner wrong-footed his defender and fired a left-footed shot into the top right corner to cut the deficit to one. Advertisement Miami had seized control of the series with a 3-1 Game 1 win, fuelled by a Messi brace, but now they will have to host a decisive third game in Florida on Saturday. It is an unwelcome reminder of last year, when Miami went into the playoffs, having posted the best record in the regular season, and won their opening game against Atlanta United, only for Atlanta to win the next two and send them packing. The winner of the series will play either Columbus or Cincinnati. Cincinnati take a 1-0 series lead into their Game 2 on Sunday. Nashville forward Sam Surridge, left, scores a goal on a penalty kick in the ninth minute of Game 2 against Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo [George Walker IV/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
Video: Tanzania president declared winner amid deadly election unrest
NewsFeed Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential elections amid deadly unrest which the opposition say has left hundreds of protesters dead. Published On 1 Nov 20251 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Canada’s Carney says he apologised to Trump over Reagan anti-tariff ad
Canadian PM says anti-tariff ad featuring Ronald Reagan ‘offended’ Trump, who has since cut off trade talks with Canada. Published On 1 Nov 20251 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney says he apologised to Donald Trump over an anti-tariff advertisement that has drawn the United States president’s ire and disrupted trade talks between the two countries. During a news conference in South Korea at the end of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Saturday, Carney stressed that he is responsible for negotiating Canada’s ties with its largest trading partner. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “I did apologise to the president. The president was offended,” the prime minister said of the advertisement, which was produced by the Canadian province of Ontario. “I’m the one who’s responsible, in my role as prime minister, for our relationship with the president of the United States, and the federal government is responsible for the foreign relationship with the US government,” Carney added. “So, things happen – we take the good with the bad – and I apologised.” The US-Canada relationship has deteriorated over the past year amid Trump’s global tariffs push, which saw him impose steep duties on his country’s northern neighbour. Ontario’s commercial, which featured a 1980s speech by former US President Ronald Reagan in which Reagan said tariffs can lead to “fierce trade wars” and unemployment, worsened that already tense situation. The Trump administration suspended trade talks with Canada over the advertisement, which Washington has claimed misrepresented Reagan’s views and sought to unfairly influence a looming US Supreme Court decision on Trump’s tariff policy. Advertisement Last weekend, the US government also announced an additional 10 percent levy on Canadian goods after the commercial was not immediately pulled from broadcasts in the US. On Friday, Trump told reporters that he did not plan to resume trade negotiations with Canada despite getting an apology from Carney. “I have a very good relationship, I like him a lot – but you know, what they did was wrong,” the US president said. “He [Carney] was very nice, he apologised for what they did with the commercial because it was a false commercial. It was the exact opposite; Ronald Reagan loved tariffs and they tried to make it look the other way.” The Ontario commercial used real excerpts of Reagan’s speech, but the statements were presented in a different order than how they were originally delivered. The US and Canada, which share the world’s longest land border, traded $761.8bn worth of goods last year, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. Adblock test (Why?)
Why has the Israeli army’s top lawyer resigned after leaking rape evidence?
The Israeli military’s top lawyer, Major-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, has resigned after admitting to leaking footage showing the gang rape of a prisoner at the Sde Temain prison facility in August last year. The video of the rape had originally been leaked to the press in early August in the midst of a right-wing backlash following the arrest of a number of soldiers for the rape of a Palestinian prisoner. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list In her resignation statement on Friday, Tomer-Yerushalmi blamed pressure from the right-wing on her rape investigation for her decision to leak the footage, claiming that she was countering “false propaganda directed against the military law enforcement authorities”. In the leaked footage, soldiers can be seen grabbing and leading away a blindfolded Palestinian prisoner before surrounding him with riot shields to obscure the rape. “For 15 minutes, the accused kicked the detainee, stomped on him, stood on his body, hit him and pushed him all over his body, including with clubs, dragged his body along the ground, and used a taser gun on him, including on his head,” the original indictment stated. According to medical information obtained by the Israeli daily Haaretz, the victim suffered a ruptured bowel, severe anal and lung injuries, and broken ribs as a result of the assault. He later required surgery. What happened to the soldiers? At least nine soldiers were detained in connection with the man’s rape. All but five were released relatively quickly. In February, the remaining soldiers were indicted for “severely abusing” the detainee, but not raping him. The trial is ongoing. Advertisement A United Nations commission, reviewing the change of indictment and other instances of Israel’s use of sexual and gender-based violence, determined that the decision to downgrade the indictments, despite the evidence, “will inevitably result in a more lenient punishment” if there is a conviction. Why weren’t Israeli politicians calling for accountability? Because they determined that doing so was somehow unpatriotic. A number of Israel’s far-right politicians, including Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, were among those who stormed the Sde Teiman prison in protest at the arrest of the soldiers for rape. Israel’s hard-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared to address Tomer-Yerushalmi directly in July 2024, writing in Hebrew, “The Military Advocate General, take your hands off the reservists!” he said, referring to the soldiers accused of rape. Ben-Gvir’s fellow traveller on the far-right, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, was equally active on social media at the time, writing that the alleged rapists should be treated like “heroes, not villains”. Israeli minister of National Security and far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir called upon Major-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi to halt her investigation into the soldiers accused of rape ([Ahmad Gharabli/AFP] Returning to social media during the furore following the rape, Smotrich chose to ignore the credible accusations of rape and instead called for “an immediate criminal investigation to locate the leakers of the trending video that was intended to harm the reservists and that caused tremendous damage to Israel in the world, and to exhaust the full severity of the law against them”. How have the critics reacted to Tomer-Yerushalmi’s resignation? Many of the loudest voices in defending the alleged rapists were equally vocal in welcoming the resignation of the woman responsible for sharing evidence of that rape. Writing on social media hours after Tomer-Yerushalmi’s resignation, Smotrich accused her and much of Israel’s judicial system of rank corruption, as well as launching what he called an “anti-Semitic blood libel” against their military. Ben-Gvir was no less critical of Israel’s judicial system in the leaking of the footage, writing: “All those involved in the affair must be held accountable.” Both ministers are active supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing attempts to weaken the judiciary and reduce its political oversight. Have other crimes been committed at Sde Teiman against Palestinians? At least 135 of the mutilated bodies returned to Palestinian officials in Gaza by Israel last week as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, had been held at Sde Teiman, documents that accompanied each corpse showed. Advertisement Several of the bodies had been left with blindfolds on, and some had their hands still tied behind their back. One had a rope around its neck. The same UN report that examined the reduced indictment against the soldiers also noted that detainees at Sde Teiman – including children – were regularly shackled, forced into stress positions, denied toilets and showers and beaten. Some were subjected to sexual violence, including the insertion of objects, electric shocks and rape. Adblock test (Why?)
Turkish prosecutors hand 11 people life sentences over ski resort blaze
Thirty-four children were among 78 people killed in the deadly blaze, which occurred during the school holidays. By News Agencies Published On 1 Nov 20251 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A Turkish court has sentenced 11 people to life in prison over a fire that killed 78 people at a hotel in a ski resort in northwest Turkiye’s Bolu mountains in January. Among those sentenced on Friday were Halit Ergul – the owner of the Grand Kartal Hotel, which sits in the Kartalkaya ski resort about 295km (183 miles) east of Istanbul – according to state-run broadcaster TRT Haber. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The court also sentenced Ergul’s wife, Emine Ergul, and their daughters, Elif Aras and Ceyda Hacibekiroglu – all of whom were part of the hotel’s management team. The deadly blaze broke out overnight in the restaurant of the Grand Kartal on January 21, quickly engulfing the 12-storey hotel, where 238 guests were staying. Thirty-four children were among 78 people killed in the fire, which occurred during the school holidays when many families from Ankara and Istanbul head to the Bolu mountains to ski. Another 137 people suffered injuries during the incident, as panicked hotel guests were forced to jump from windows in the middle of the night. Also sentenced on Friday were the hotel’s general manager, Emir Aras, as well as the deputy mayor of Bolu, Sedat Gulener, and the director of another hotel, Ahmet Demir, both of whom were reportedly on the board of directors of the company that owned the Grand Kartal. There are a total of 32 defendants in the trial, 20 of whom are in pre-trial detention, according to TRT. It’s unclear when the remaining defendants will appear in court. In total, the convicted were handed 34 aggravated life sentences for the 34 children killed in the disaster. Those in the courtroom greeted the announcement with applause. Advertisement The fire sparked nationwide anger in Turkiye, with questions raised over safety measures in place at the hotel after survivors said no fire alarms went off during the incident, and they had to navigate smoke-filled corridors in complete darkness. Under pressure to act, Turkish authorities quickly arrested nine people in connection with the blaze, while the government appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation. Speaking to reporters outside the still-smoking hotel, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya pledged that those “responsible for causing this pain will not escape justice”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a day of national mourning, as he served as a pallbearer at a funeral ceremony for the victims the following day. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a funeral ceremony for the victims of the deadly hotel fire at Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu, Turkiye, on January 22, 2025 [Adem Altan/Pool via Reuters] Adblock test (Why?)
G7 slams Russian attacks on energy as Ukraine decries ‘nuclear terrorism’
The group said Russian attacks are inflicting ‘devastating social, environmental, and economic consequences’ on Ukraine. The energy ministers of the Group of Seven nations (G7) have issued a joint statement condemning Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, after authorities in Kyiv described Moscow’s most recent barrage as akin to “nuclear terrorism”. In a Friday statement, the G7 energy ministers – representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – said Russia’s attacks “continue to inflict devastating social, environmental, and economic consequences on the Ukrainian people”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s natural gas infrastructure have created risks to communities and human lives, weakening civilian infrastructure and the energy security of the Ukrainian people,” it said. The G7 statement said it continues to support the reconstruction of Ukraine’s energy sector “through direct financial assistance, credit facilities, risk insurance, policy and resource alignment, as well as setting conditions for long-term private sector investment”. Over recent weeks, Ukraine has accused Russia of repeatedly attacking critical civilian energy infrastructure ahead of the bitterly cold winter months in order to inflict suffering on its population. Most recently, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Moscow’s “goal is to plunge Ukraine into darkness”, after a wave of Russian attacks hit energy facilities in central, western, and southeastern regions of the country on Thursday, killing seven people. “Russia continues its systematic energy terror – striking at the lives, dignity, and warmth of Ukrainians on the eve of winter,” Svyrydenko said. Advertisement “To stop the terror, we need more air defence systems, tougher sanctions, and maximum pressure on the aggressor,” she added. On Friday, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced what it said were “targeted strikes” by Russian forces on substations critical to supplying external power for Ukraine’s nuclear power stations. “Deliberate strikes on civilian energy facilities that directly affect the safe operation of nuclear installations bear the hallmarks of nuclear terrorism and constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law,” it said. Kyiv announced nationwide limits on electricity supplies to retail and industrial consumers following Thursday’s attacks, while water supplies and heating were also disrupted in some regions. The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said three Ukrainian nuclear power plants were forced to reduce output due to the assault. “The dangers to nuclear safety continue to be very real and ever-present,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned. “I once again call for maximum military restraint in the vicinity of nuclear facilities,” he added. Moscow denies it targets civilians. It claims its strikes are simply a response to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure. Moscow and Kyiv regularly accuse each other of targeting one another’s energy sites, as well as engaging in military activity that compromises safety at Ukraine’s four working nuclear plants. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, seized by Russian forces in the early weeks of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has become a prime concern for the IAEA as fighting rages nearby. On October 23, the Russian-installed administration of Zaporizhia said it had repaired a damaged high-voltage line and restored external power to the plant. It had been without external electricity for 30 days and relying on backup diesel generators since September 23, when its last remaining external power line was severed in attacks that each side blamed on the other. Europe’s largest nuclear plant, with six reactors, Zaporizhzhia, currently produces no electricity, but needs external power to cool the nuclear fuel and avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents. Adblock test (Why?)