Starmer vows to raise issues ‘that need to be raised’ with Xi amid push to free Jimmy Lai PM may also discuss fate of Uyghurs with Chinese leader on trip aimed at improving economic relations The Guardian - UK · Jan 28
Keir Starmer vows no more 'ice age' with China as he lands in Beijing for high-profile talks Visit seeks to boost trade ties with China - but PM faces criticism for engaging with country posing security risk Evening Standard · Jan 28
Revealed: How Chinese minder photographed inside of PM's plane and tight security on Starmer's Beijing trip The Prime Minister’s team has taken burner phones, temporary SIM cards and throwaway laptops on his trip to China to limit the likelihood of being bugged by spies Evening Standard · Jan 28
ASEAN's top diplomats under pressure to end Myanmar war and manage South China Sea disputes Southeast Asia’s top diplomats are holding their first major meeting in the central Philippine city of Cebu under growing pressure to beat a deadline to conclude talks on a nonaggression pact with China this year and push a peace plan that has so far failed to end Myanmar’s civil war The Independent UK · Jan 28
Visit to China will bring benefits for Britain, says Sir Keir Starmer The Prime Minister will touch down in China on Wednesday as he continues his efforts to build bridges with Beijing. Evening Standard · Jan 28
North Korea’s nuclear expansion: Kim Jong Un warns of ‘excruciating mental agony’ for enemies North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced plans to strengthen nuclear forces at an upcoming party congress following a missile test. He stated the congress will outline next-stage plans for bolstering the country's nuclear war deterrent. The test-firing of a multiple rocket launcher, observed with his daughter, aimed to improve… The Times of India · Jan 28
From the Burnham row to the China visit, avoiding hard choices is the Starmer doctrine Whether at home or abroad, the pattern of ducking difficult arguments and calling it pragmatism is the same, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr The Guardian - UK · Jan 28
China threatens trade bans over vow to take back port China could hit Australia with another round of economic sanctions if the Albanese government goes ahead with a plan to wrest back control of a key port. AAP · Jan 28
Can Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez become a Latin American Deng Xiaoping? Maduro’s Sorbonne-educated successor is talking up an era of ‘reform and opening up’ modelled on China’s post-Mao boom The Guardian - UK · Jan 28
North Korea's Kim says upcoming party congress will unveil plans to bolster nuclear deterrent North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says his country will unveil plans to further bolster its nuclear program at the upcoming ruling party congress The Independent UK · Jan 28
Keir Starmer walks tightrope over myriad issues in quest to bolster China ties Vow to bring ‘stability and clarity’ to the UK’s approach to Beijing on first visit by a British prime minister in eight years will be sorely tested The Guardian - UK · Jan 27
Starmer vows to remain ‘clear-eyed’ over national security as he flies to China PM promises ‘stability and clarity’ in approach on first visit to Beijing by UK leader in eight years The Guardian - UK · Jan 27
‘Very low bar’: analysts say Starmer faces slim pickings in China Experts say business with China is always a double-edged sword let alone when its overheated economy can offer only marginal gains The Guardian - UK · Jan 27
Starmer heads to China in search of trade links and warmer relations The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a delegation of more than 50 representatives of British businesses, sports and culture. Evening Standard · Jan 27
AAP · Jan 27 Canadian PM to urge Australia to stand up and fight After delivering a speech which left senior Labor ministers grasping for superlatives, a visiting leader will encourage Australia to join an army of resistance.
The Independent UK · Jan 27 The perils and promise of Sir Keir’s visit to China THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: At a time of global turmoil, the UK cannot afford to shun closer links with one of the world’s pre-eminent and fastest-growing economies
International Business Times UK · Jan 27 Why Aren't We Talking About A Virus With Up To 90% Fatality Rate? Inside The Nipah Outbreak Asia Missed Taiwan officially classifies Nipah virus—which kills 80–91% of infected people—as a Category 5 notifiable disease following India's outbreak, raising critical questions about media silence surrounding a pathogen deadlier than COVID-19.
Evening Standard · Jan 27 Starmer says UK-China relations have gone from ‘golden age to ice age’ He said the UK was ‘missing out’ by not engaging with China.
Evening Standard · Jan 27 China 'hacked the mobile phones of senior officials in Downing Street for years' State-backed hackers compromised senior officials’ communications, according to The Telegraph
Newslaundry · Jan 27 ‘New Nepal’, old anxieties: Will a Gen Z mandate trigger a new playbook for South Block? With the close of nominations, the contours of Nepal’s next parliamentary contest on March 5, 2026, have begun to take shape. These elections carry profound implications for India’s strategic interests. The voting comes after a violent Gen Z uprising that ousted the Oli government in September 2025 and reinstated Nepal’s…
The Independent UK · Jan 27 Trump raises US tariffs on South Korean imports to 25% and blames ally for trade deal delay Trump blames South Korea’s national assembly for not ratifying deal he reached with President Lee Jae Myung in July
Evening Standard · Jan 27 Sir Keir Starmer says he does not have to choose between ties with China and US The Prime Minister will travel to China on Tuesday as he attempts to continue building bridges with Beijing.
The Independent UK · Jan 27 Starmer would be ‘pathetic’ not to raise Jimmy Lai case during China visit, says Lord Patten The last governor of Hong Kong said the PM should not ‘lean over backwards’ to avoid offending China
The Guardian - UK · Jan 26 Fate of China’s top general more likely to do with power struggle than corruption Experts suggest Xi Jinping is asserting his authority by sidelining an officer who has significantly betrayed his trust
International Business Times UK · Jan 26 Did Xi Jinping Foil a Coup Attempt Two Hours Before It Happened? Arrests Allegedly Reach Thousands Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly acted on early intelligence to prevent an attempted coup, leading to nearly 3,000 arrests in a sweeping military purge.