World - Daily Politics

A South Korean court has sentenced former first lady Kim Keon-hee to 20 months in prison after finding her guilty of accepting bribes in the form of luxury handbags and other items. The ruling marks a significant development in a high-profile corruption case that has gripped the nation.

Prosecutors argued that between 2021 and 2023, Kim received the gifts in exchange for using her influence as the wife of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol to benefit the donors. The court found her guilty of violating the anti-graft law and abusing the power and status of a public official's spouse.

Kim has consistently denied ...

In an interview with IranTalks (@Irantalks.podcast), analyst Carl Zha outlined three core reasons China opposes U.S.-led regime change efforts in Iran. The discussion frames Iran as a "linchpin" for Chinese strategic interests. First, China prioritises regional stability and opposes the "Balkanization" of sovereign states, viewing internal strife as a threat to its own domestic and international security principles.

Second, China's substantial economic interests are at stake. China purchases approximately 90% of Iran's oil exports, making energy security a direct concern. A fragmented or destabilised Iran would jeopardise this crucial supply and threaten the viability of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), ...

A maritime accident off the coast of Oman has resulted in the deaths of three tourists after a sightseeing boat capsized. The vessel, carrying 25 people, overturned in the Omani coastal waters of the Arabian Sea. Emergency services, including the Omani coast guard, immediately launched a search and rescue operation, pulling survivors from the water and providing medical treatment.

The three fatalities have been confirmed as French nationals. Authorities are now investigating the cause of the capsize, with initial reports suggesting rough sea conditions and significant swells may have been a factor. The incident has prompted a review of maritime safety ...

In an interview on RT, former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl analysed the structural vulnerabilities in Europe's energy security following its strategic shift away from Russian gas. She argues that replacing reliable pipeline supplies with volatile LNG imports has made the continent's energy security more precarious. European gas markets are now subject to the unpredictability of shipping, weather, and spot market pricing, a stark contrast to the certainty provided by long-term contracts.

Kneissl notes a fourfold increase in US LNG exports to Europe since 2021, creating a new geopolitical dependence. This reliance grants Washington significant energy leverage over Brussels, a power ...

China has announced a corruption investigation into Zhang Youxia, one of the country’s most senior military figures, marking an unusually high-level move within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Zhang, a vice-chair of the Central Military Commission, has long been regarded as a key pillar of the Chinese military leadership. The decision to place him under investigation signals that President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign has reached the very top of the armed forces, an area traditionally shielded from public scrutiny.

Since coming to power, Xi has pursued a sweeping anti-graft drive across the party, state, and military, arguing that corruption threatens the Communist ...

A political and legal crisis is unfolding in South Korea following a landmark court ruling that has sent shockwaves through the nation's leadership. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for his key role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law in late 2024. In a televised verdict, the Seoul Central District Court defined the short-lived declaration as an act of "rebellion" and a "self-coup," stating it could have returned South Korea "to a dark past" of dictatorship. The court found Han, who was serving as acting president after Yoon's impeachment, ...

Fresh UK–US diplomatic tension has emerged after Donald Trump criticised the UK’s agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling the deal strategically damaging and poorly judged.

The Chagos Islands arrangement is closely linked to the future of Diego Garcia, one of the most important overseas military facilities used by the United States and its allies. The UK government maintains that the agreement secures long-term access to the base while resolving a long-running sovereignty dispute that has drawn criticism under international law.

Trump’s intervention has been accompanied by renewed comments about acquiring Greenland, which he has again highlighted for ...

Europe is confronting a growing geopolitical dilemma as it tries to manage two security challenges that pull its alliances in different directions. On one front, European governments remain committed to supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. On the other, renewed tensions over Greenland have raised concerns about Europe’s relationship with the United States under President Donald Trump.

The war launched by Vladimir Putin has reshaped Europe’s security priorities. Military aid, sanctions, and diplomatic backing for Ukraine have become central to European policy, with leaders arguing that the conflict represents a direct threat to the continent’s stability. Maintaining that support, however, places sustained ...

France has deployed specialist military personnel to Greenland as part of a Danish-led European security operation named "Arctic Endurance." The initial deployment includes French Alpine Hunters (Chasseurs Alpins), elite mountain infantry trained for extreme cold-weather operations, alongside elements from other European nations such as Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

This multinational military activity in Greenland, organised by Denmark outside of the NATO framework, is officially described as a training exercise for polar conditions. However, its timing and context carry significant geopolitical weight. The deployment is widely seen as a direct European response to repeated statements by US President Donald ...

European diplomats have convened emergency crisis talks following a renewed tariff threat from former US President Donald Trump, explicitly tied to American strategic ambitions regarding Greenland. This move signals a significant escalation in the long-standing dispute over the Arctic territory's future and has plunged US-Europe relations into a fresh diplomatic crisis.

The threat, perceived as a direct form of economic coercion, is causing deep concern among NATO allies, who view it as an unprecedented pressure tactic against a partner nation, Denmark. European Union officials and member states are urgently coordinating a unified response aimed at de-escalation while signaling firm opposition to ...