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United Nations

United Nations
The UN is an international organisation founded after World War II that aims to provide a dialogue platform between countries, fortifying international corporation and preventing future wars. There are currently 193 members led by five permanent members of the Security Council - US, Russia, UK, France and China. The organisation currently has six principal organs: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Secretariat, International Court of Justice, and the Trusteeship Council.
Blockades in the Strait of Hormuz have sent the price of urea – a widely used nitrogen-based fertiliser – soaring in the US and Brazil, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Photo: Handout via Reuters
Science

Will Iran war threaten next harvest? Which countries are most at risk?

As the Hormuz blockade cuts off vital agricultural inputs, Food and Agriculture Organization official views China as key food security partner.

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Disease

Nations race to trace passengers of hantavirus-hit cruise ship

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North Korea

‘Groundless’ claims: North Korea says nuclear status is not up for debate

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United States

CNN founder Ted Turner dies at 87

Aside from business and sports deals, Turner gained attention for his personal life and his ventures in philanthropy and the environment.

Ted Turner at his desk inside the CNN Center in 1982. Photo: via AP
Diplomacy

Opinion | As power flows through submarine cables, law of the sea must evolve

The global commons of the seabed is in effect being governed by private actors with the capital and tech to build and maintain cable systems.

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North Korea

North Korea’s own-brand phone is sleek, colourful – and possibly watching you

Reports suggest North Korean-produced phones periodically capture screenshots that are stored in hidden folders accessible to authorities.

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Central Asia

An Asian alternative to Nato? How Cica is rethinking Middle East security

Chief of lesser-known security forum says it provides ‘architecture for de-escalation’ and allows members to project soft power.

Cica Secretary General Kairat Sarybay speaks to the SCMP on the sidelines of the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan on April 23, 2026. Photo: Handout
Thailand

Thailand scraps 25-year-old agreement with Cambodia on energy exploration

Cambodia ‌will now initiate a compulsory conciliation ‌mechanism under the ⁠UN Convention on the ‌Law of the ‌Sea.

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US-China relations

‘Golden Dome’ defence, new space rivals: 7 US-China relations reads

From a bloated UN to ‘red carpet’ visas for Chinese spies, here are highlights from our correspondents in the second half of April 2026.

Espionage

Austria expels 3 Russian diplomats over signals spying

Vienna, home to a large diplomatic presence, has long had a reputation as a den of spies.

The Russian embassy in Vienna. Photo: AP
Middle East

Israeli raid in West Bank leaves 1 Palestinian dead, 4 wounded

Nayef Samaro, 26, was one of five hit by gunfire; the Israeli military says troops fired after ‘terrorists’ threw rocks.

Israeli soldiers during clashes with Palestinian protesters following an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus. Photo: Xinhua
2026 Trump-Xi summit

China’s UN envoy blasts US ‘bullying’ as sanctions widen before Trump-Xi talks

Curbs tied to Iran and a fragile ceasefire cast a shadow over the leaders’ planned Beijing summit as tensions between the powers mount.

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China-Japan relations

Why is China warning the UN of a Japanese ‘nuclear breakout’?

Beijing asks the international body to prioritise Tokyo’s ‘dangerous tendency to seek nuclear weapons’ as regional row escalates.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | A world adrift looks to China for institutional anchors. Enter Hong Kong

Amid talk of cities like Beijing and Shanghai hosting UN functions as the US withdraws, Hong Kong must ensure it is part of the conversation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
US-China relations

UN bloated, costly, but China fears to keep US involved, House committee told

Pulling out of international organisation would see Beijing expand its influence and leave Washington at major disadvantage, lawmakers say.

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Flags of countries at the United Nations’ Headquarters in Manhattan, New York. Photo: Shutterstock
Africa

‘A lot of suicide’: Sudan war’s sexual violence sparks mental health crisis

The horrific scenario includes the shooting and raping of a health worker - with a woman in labour dying - and many suicides to avoid rape.

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US, Israel war on Iran

‘Might over right’ imperils international justice, Wang Yi tells UN’s Baerbock

UN General Assembly president meets Chinese foreign minister in Beijing amid Iran war tensions and global energy crisis.

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US-China relations

US conditions for paying UN dues include China curbs, report says

The US owes billions of dollars in unpaid fees to the organisation, which is facing ‘imminent financial collapse’, according to its chief.

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The United Nations logo is seen at the UN headquarters in New York in December 2023. Photo: AFP
IAEA

Landmark UN nuclear summit opens as world’s warhead count grows

UN chief urges world to ‘breathe life’ into a landmark non-proliferation treaty as nations gather in New York.

US-EU relations

Exclusive | Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’.

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Africa

Mali’s junta in crisis as defence minister is killed in massive coordinated attacks

Rebel-jihadist offensive leaves Bamako on edge as territory falls and junta leader Assimi Goita remains out of sight.

A Malian soldier during an attack on Kati outside the capital Bamako. Photo: Reuters
China-Middle East relations

Iran digs in as US envoys Kushner and Witkoff head to Pakistan for more talks

Trapped in the Persian Gulf, ship crews run low on food, water – and mental health reserves.

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The Epaminondas ship is seen during seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, in this image obtained on Friday. Photo: Reuters
War and conflict

Opinion | Blinding the world with lies makes peacemaking an impossible task

From Iran to the Horn of Africa, disinformation is killing diplomacy. Mediators need facts, not state-sponsored fictions.

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World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO approves first malaria treatment for babies

Up to now, infants have been given formulations for older children – carrying a greater risk of dose errors, side effects and toxicity.

United States

Trump Justice Department adds firing squads for federal executions

Electrocution and gas are also being added as methods, after the US president called for an expansion of the use of the death penalty.

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A firing squad chair (left) and an electric chair are seen in Columbia, South Carolina. The death penalty is normally carried out at the state level, but the federal government can also seek execution for certain crimes. Photo: South Carolina Department of Corrections via AP
US, Israel war on Iran

Why US tanker blockades are raising risks for Southeast Asian strait controllers

The bigger risk is not of the Iran war spilling into their waters, but the strain of operating in more contested sea lanes, analysts say.

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Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy patrols the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade on April 15. Photo: US Navy/AFP
United Nations General Assembly

UN leadership race takes centre stage with first round of interviews

Contenders strike sombre tones during interviews as the next leader faces a huge task to revitalise an organisation in crisis.

France

Second French peacekeeper dies in Lebanon after ambush blamed on Hezbollah

Anicet Girardin is the third French soldier to die since the start of the fighting in the Middle East.

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