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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.
Palestinian Yusuf Abu Hamam, centre, who was expelled from his town during the first Israeli-Arab war, in 1948, poses for a photograph on Wednesday with his grandchildren at his home in a refugee camp in Gaza. Photo: AP
Israel-Gaza war

‘No nation’: Palestinians in Gaza mark anniversary of 1948 mass expulsion

Some say an even greater catastrophe is happening now, ‘because our displacement has happened multiple times’.

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Africa

Africa calls multi-nation health meeting amid fatal Ebola outbreak

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Diplomacy

Opinion | North Korea is not Iran. The same pressure tactics won’t work

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European Union

EU won’t ban LGBTQ ‘conversion therapy’ but will push states to act

Such bans already exist in eight of the EU’s 27 nations.

European Union outside EU headquarters in Brussels. The EU stopped short of heeding a call by over a million people, who signed a petition last May calling on the 27-country bloc to prohibit conversion therapy. Photo: AP
Singapore

Strong international sea laws ‘vital’ for small nations like Singapore: Wong

The prime minister warns of a direct impact on Singapore’s trade if the international law framework is weakened.

US-China relations

Opinion | US maximum pressure tactics unlikely to work with China

As the Trump-Xi summit approaches, China will be going into negotiations with a new diplomatic posture.

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My Take

My Take | The path to the future is renewables, but not in Donald Trump’s America

China is leading the world to make the transition but Washington is stalling under a president whose energy motto is ‘drill, baby, drill’.

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US President Donald Trump has favored fossil fuel energy over renewables. Photo: AFP via Getty Images/TNS)
United States

Opinion | Thanks to Trump, the gloves are off. There may be no new global order

With the UN, IMF and World Bank mired in old power structures, universities could be the platform to shape how the global future unfolds.

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Hantavirus

‘Not another Covid’ says WHO, as new suspected hantavirus cases found

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO chief, is in charge of MV Hondius’ evacuation; latest patient sat on plane near woman infected during cruise.

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US-China relations

China plan to be global arbitration hub fighting Western distrust: experts

China’s newly revised Arbitration Law marks the most significant overhaul of the country’s commercial dispute framework since 1994.

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China’s newly revised Arbitration Law took effect in March. Photo: Shutterstock
The Philippines

Philippines shifts defence strategy with Japan, eyes wider security focus

Defence chief Gilberto Teodoro says the Diaoyu Islands are now considered a ‘serious concern’ and the Balikatan drills will also be expanded.

Philippine troops take part in counter-landing live‑fire exercises during the Balikatan joint military exercises at Long Point Beach in Palawan, the Philippines, on April 27. Photo: 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

Cruise operator says 29 passengers left the MV Hondius in St Helena on April 24, after the first death.

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North Korea

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

Since withdrawing from the non-proliferation treaty in 2003, North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests and built up an arsenal of warheads.

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North Korea launches a hypersonic missile from an undisclosed location on January 6, 2025. Photo: KCNA/AFP
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 Xi-Trump 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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