Did Beijing and Washington agree on a crisis prevention deal, or not?

Did Beijing and Washington agree on a crisis prevention deal, or not?

SCMP •

Disagreement over how to prevent conflicts could account for differences in how Chinese and US accounts have characterised discussion on the topic during last week’s summit, analysts said. Speaking at a White House arrival ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the two militaries should maintain regular dialogue and “improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention.” China’s foreign...

Top Trump figures push to direct human rights funding to rightwing causes

Top Trump figures push to direct human rights funding to rightwing causes

The Guardian •

Support for white Afrikaners, anti-communism and others reveals how US redefining what qualifies as human rightsWith hours left before the funding expires, the Trump administration is pushing to direct more than $175m of the state department’s flagship human rights fund to a slate of awards that includes a massive $40m grant for an anti-communism fund, support for a group advancing white Afrikaner...

Anthropic raises alarm over elite hacking ability of Chinese firm Z.ai’s GLM-5.3

Anthropic raises alarm over elite hacking ability of Chinese firm Z.ai’s GLM-5.3

SCMP •

The US artificial intelligence giant Anthropic has warned of the potential danger posed by Chinese firm Z.ai’s GLM-5.3, with the open-weight model showing a troubling mix of powerful hacking abilities but weak safety constraints. GLM-5.3 almost matches Anthropic’s most advanced model in terms of its cyber capabilities, but has far weaker safeguards, meaning there is greater potential for the model...

UK banks are Europe’s biggest coal financiers, report finds

UK banks are Europe’s biggest coal financiers, report finds

The Guardian •

Study says UK-based banks provided $8.3bn in coal financing in four years, with Barclays and HSBC leading riseUK banks are Europe’s biggest financial backers of the global coal industry, providing billions of pounds in funding for the climate-wrecking fossil fuel in the past four years, according to a report.The study found UK-based banks had provided $8.3bn (£6.2bn) in coal financing since Cop26 ...

Europe ‘faces window of vulnerability until 2030,’ Dutch chief of defence warns - Europe live

Europe ‘faces window of vulnerability until 2030,’ Dutch chief of defence warns - Europe live

The Guardian •

Chief of defence of the Dutch armed forces, Gen Onno Eichelsheim, says Europe urgently needs to learn lessons from UkraineMeanwhile, Ukraine’s total war costs will reach $155bn this year and ⁠the government is ​struggling to close a $27bn funding gap to ensure it can still conduct combat operations at the start of 2027, prime minister Sergii Koretskyi said.Koretskyi said the ⁠government planned to...

Macron says UK’s return to EU would be ‘excellent news’

Macron says UK’s return to EU would be ‘excellent news’

France 24 •

Speaking alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that it would be "a good decision" if the UK decided to rejoin the European Union. The two leaders met at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid on the second day of Macron's two-day state visit to Spain.

Israeli minister claims ‘terrorist’ wanted to crash plane after Israel-bound flight’s emergency landing – latest

Israeli minister claims ‘terrorist’ wanted to crash plane after Israel-bound flight’s emergency landing – latest

The Guardian •

Israeli media say incident, which raised fears of possible hijacking, stemmed from feud between plane’s two pilotsFull report: Israel-bound passenger plane makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia An Israeli minister has decried what he described as a “terrorist” incident to kill Israelis after a flight was forced to land in Saudi Arabia when a physical altercation between the pilot and co-pilot pr...

Kurt Cobain’s old apartment is now an Airbnb for Nirvana fans

Kurt Cobain’s old apartment is now an Airbnb for Nirvana fans

Times of India •

Kurt Cobain’s former studio apartment in downtown Olympia has made its debut as an Airbnb listing, allowing fans a chance to stay where Nirvana’s iconic music was birthed. The cozy apartment, available for a minimum of two nights at $250 to $300 per night, features original decor and memorabilia from Cobain's time. Visitors often rave about the rich history and the convenient location near downtow...