Raising the bar: Taiwan trims draft exemptions to add thousands to armed forces

Pakistan’s contract to buy Chinese Z-10ME attack helicopters covers 30 airframes, according to an image circulating on Chinese social media. The image was shared by a prominent military blogger on Sunday and marks the first time a concrete number for Pakistan’s fleet of the helicopters has surfaced since Islamabad officially inducted them into service in August last year. In the post, the blogger known as Sashoujian said that on July 11 China National Aero-Technology Import and Export...

China’s ruling Communist Party has overhauled its personnel process in its search for clean and battle-tested cadres ahead of next year’s major leadership reshuffle. New rules were included in a resolution adopted at the 20th Central Committee’s fifth plenum last Thursday and published by state news agency Xinhua on Sunday. Analysts said that as provincial and ministerial reshuffles begin ahead of the 21st party congress, the fifth plenum sent a clear message: Beijing wants proven crisis...

China’s top diplomat has again stressed the need for a political settlement to strife in the Middle East, telling a senior Iranian official in Beijing on Monday that armed conflict was not the way out. “As conflicts in the Middle East drag on and risk further spillover, dialogue and negotiation remain the only viable path forward,” Wang Yi told Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. “All parties should … focus on a political settlement in a rational and...

Turkey has signed America’s rule book for the moon, but its first ride to the lunar south pole – the icy region both Washington and Beijing are racing to reach – will probably come from China. A team of more than 120 students and professors at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara has built prototypes of two AI-powered rovers for Chang’e-8, a Chinese mission originally planned for 2028. Turkey is not part of the International Lunar Research Station, a base China plans to build on the...

Beijing is accelerating production of its Type 071 amphibious transport docks by expanding construction to a second shipyard, potentially strengthening its ability to move troops and military equipment across the Taiwan Strait in a conflict. The expansion comes amid long-standing United States assessments that Beijing lacks enough landing ships and logistical support for a large-scale assault on Taiwan, suggesting the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may be moving to address a significant...

China and Oman have called for a peaceful resolution and full ceasefire between the US and Iran, stressing that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz must be restored. The call came during talks in Beijing on Monday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq. In their joint statement, Beijing and Muscat encouraged the United States and Iran to resume dialogue and reach a “comprehensive agreement that includes the nuclear issue”. The two sides also affirmed that...

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola lamented a lack of reward for honesty after his side were denied a penalty in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.

We have put together stories from our coverage of China’s fifth plenum. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Unwritten rules’ become newest target in Communist Party’s war on corruption The Communist Party of China has pledged to vigorously crack down on the “unwritten rules” that enable corruption in the party, deepening its long-running campaign to keep officials in line. 2. At China’s fifth plenum, Communist Party puts discipline and loyalty to Xi...

20-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Italy entered his name in the history books on Sunday (November 1) by becoming the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 world title.

Kylian Mbappe scored a penalty to help Real Madrid secure a 3-0 victory against Racing Santander.

Lionel Messi scored a late winner to lift Inter Miami to a 2-1 comeback victory over New England.