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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.
PLA fighter jets conduct a joint combat training exercise around Taiwan in August 2022. Photo: Xinhua via AP
US-China relations

Taiwan plans, Trump-Xi hopes, stand-up comedy: 7 US-China relations reads

From stand-up success to alleged UN scheming, here are highlights from our overseas correspondents in the second half of March 2026.

Indonesia

Indonesian peacekeepers’ deaths spur calls for Middle East exit plan

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Israel-Gaza war

Israel approves death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis

Israel

Israel suspends military unit that assaulted CNN crew in West Bank

It suspended the Netzah Yehuda, a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers that has been linked to abuses of Palestinian civilians in the past.

Israeli soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda unit during a swearing-in ceremony at the end of their military training, when graduates receive an assault rifle and a Bible (Tanakh), at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem in 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE
Indonesia

3 Indonesians killed in Lebanon while on UN peacekeeping mission

Two peacekeepers were killed on Monday and another Indonesian soldier was killed overnight on Sunday into Monday when a projectile exploded.

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United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

Opinion | Crippled UN Security Council pushing world into instability

The world cannot afford to have a veto-crippled UN reduced to a spectator to global events that affect everyone.

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North Korea

North Korea tests powerful missile engine. Will an ICBM launch follow?

The engine may be used in the Hwasong-20, which analysts say is capable of hitting targets around the globe.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a test of a solid-fuel rocket engine at an undisclosed location in the country. Photo: KCNA via KNS/AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Time to confront folly of Iran war and irrational US spending

Our fate increasingly depends on the state of mind of leaders who are playing a nuclear-scale game of chicken.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran says Hormuz closed for shipping to and from ‘enemy’ ports

The Revolutionary Guards said that they had turned back three vessels seeking to cross the transit point.

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US, Israel war on Iran

UN tells US to swiftly finish probe into ‘visceral’ Iran school bombing

In a video address to the UNHRC, Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi called the bombing a ‘calculated’ assault by the US.

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Mourners dig graves during the funeral for children killed in a US-Israeli strike on a school in Minab, Iran, on March 3. Photo: Iranian Press Centre/AFP/Getty Images/TNS
Defence

Activists push for Cop31 to discuss impact of wars on global climate

Military activities are hampering the transition towards renewable energy, with data transparency lacking among major defence spenders.

A damaged police station in Tehran following Israeli and US strikes on March 3. Global conflicts are hampering climate goals to reduce or end fossil fuel use. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
Human rights

UN designates African slave trade as ‘gravest crime against humanity’

US, Israel and Argentina opposed the UN measure, while Britain and EU member states abstained.

Americas and the Caribbean

US offers US$3 million to breach financial fortress of Haiti’s gangs

US reward announcement marks a shift in tactics as previous bounties have been focused on individual gang leaders.

Middle East

Israel’s military to occupy swathe of southern Lebanon amid widening war

Israel plans to hold south Lebanon up to the Litani River, but Hezbollah vows to resist occupation.

A plume of smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike on the eastern outskirts of Tyre, in southern Lebanon on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
France

France raids bank in probe of diplomat over Epstein links

Investigations follow revelations published in the Epstein files by the US Justice Department.

French investigators have raided the offices of Swiss bank Edmond ​de Rothschild. Photo: AFP
China food security

Global South to bear the brunt of Strait of Hormuz crisis amid food scarcity

Commerce chief warns of ‘heavy collateral damage’ in developing economies as flow of oil, fertiliser and perishable goods is restricted.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump approved Iran order ‘after Netanyahu argued for joint killing of Khamenei’

Sources reveal a phone conversation in the 48 hours before the February 28 strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump’s erratic strategy on Iran raises questions about US war preparation

A confusing combination of actions by Trump deepens a sense that there is no clear strategy for the war.

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US President Donald Trump departing Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Extreme weather

‘Flashing red’: UN alarmed as heat trapped by Earth hits record high

UN chief warns of a state of emergency as 2015–2025 is confirmed as the hottest decade on record.

100 Top Tables: Cities of Gastronomy

International Cities of Gastronomy Fest Macao launches 10-day celebration

As the city hosts the 10-day celebration, its centuries-old fusion cuisine is embracing a new wave of global chefs and bold ideas.

Supported by
Macau Government Tourism Office
100 Top Tables: Cities of Gastronomy

Young chefs are turning food traditions into tools for global change

Flora Igoe of the Youth Culture Programme is mobilising young chefs to safeguard food heritage and drive agrifood systems transformation.

Supported by
Macau Government Tourism Office
Indigenous fats like shea butter provide livelihoods for rural women producers in Africa, but are often unknown to or dismissed by consumers. Photo: Shutterstock
100 Top Tables: Cities of Gastronomy

How Unesco’s Creative Cities are reimagining tomorrow, from food to design

From Macau’s City of Gastronomy status to Unesco’s new focus on architecture, the UCCN is rewriting how cities harness creativity to shape their future.

Supported by
Macau Government Tourism Office
Denise Bax, secretary of the Unesco Creative Cities Network, says the concept of a “creative city” has evolved from an economic driver to a model of culture-driven sustainable urban development. Photo: Handout
Africa

64 killed – including 13 children – in attack on Sudan hospital, WHO says

Healthcare facilities have been a regular target throughout the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

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US-China relations

China, India and why Jeffrey Sachs says the US needs to make the UN great again

The world needs to act like grown-ups and get back to sensible management of global affairs, Sachs says.

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China-France relations

China decries ‘unjust war’ on Iran as it calls for immediate ceasefire

In a call with Paris, Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi urges mediation efforts and an end to the spread of the conflict.

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A woman stands near the grave of her son at a cemetery in Tehran on Monday. Her son was killed during recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Photo: Reuters
Diplomacy

Letters | China’s voice of stability is one many are choosing to heed

Readers discuss Beijing’s diplomatic messaging at the ‘two sessions’ meetings, and the spirit of Eid ul-Fitr.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a press conference on foreign policy and external relations during the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress in Beijing, China, on March 8. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

US claims China manipulating its position at UN to undermine America’s interests

House Select Committee says Beijing using monetary contributions, critical UN posts and strategic troop deployment to expand its reach.

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China food security

China taps reserves as Iran war disrupts 30% of global fertiliser trade

War in the Middle East is causing global disruption – from oil to agriculture – as countries, including China, enter spring planting season.

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