Noontime News Recap: Evergrande founder jailed as Hormuz flows jump and regional tensions deepen
A Chinese court has sentenced Evergrande founder Xu Jiayin to life in prison and imposed a larger financial penalty on the property giant, in one of the most significant rulings yet in the country’s debt and fraud crackdown. 🔗Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz rose sharply during a 60 day memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, but the deal expired without a peace agreement, leaving the strategic waterway under renewed scrutiny. 🔗In the occupied West Bank, Human Rights Watch says settler attacks and rapid settlement expansion are driving forced displacement of Palestinians, adding to pressure on... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews Recap | 20 Aug 2026 12:21 LONDON
Sponsored
China Blames U.S. 'Hostile Policy' for Korean Peninsula Tensions After Wang Yi Visit to Seoul
China has blamed the United States for rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula after Foreign Minister Wang Yi met South Korea's national security adviser in Seoul on Thursday. During the meeting, Wang urged South Korea not to take sides between Beijing and Washington and called for what he described as peaceful coexistence with North Korea. The comments came as Seoul also disclosed a higher estimate of North Korea's nuclear arsenal, adding to concern about the security situation in the region.Wang said the fundamental solution to tensions lay in addressing what he called the root causes of the problem and pressing... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 Aug 2026 11:00 LONDON
Trump orders South Korea-US drills cut to five days amid Iran dispute
US and South Korean forces have agreed to cut their annual joint military exercise from 11 days to five after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the drills. The change came as the exercise was already under way, and it has intensified concern in Seoul about the reliability of US security guarantees. South Korean officials were caught off guard by the announcement, which Trump made on social media just hours before the drills were due to begin.Trump said the exercises sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea and linked his decision to what he described... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 Aug 2026 03:32 LONDON
Trump says he will meet Kim Jong Un later this year amid North Korea nuclear claims
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, adding a new diplomatic dimension to a week already marked by a sharp reduction in joint US-South Korea military drills. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the White House and said it was important to "get along" with Kim. Trump also repeated an unusually specific claim that North Korea has 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons.The comments came as concern grew among US allies over Washington's approach to the Korean peninsula. Trump did not give details on... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 20 Aug 2026 02:29 LONDON
Sponsored
Iranian parliament advances bill restricting contact with US and Israeli media
Iran's parliament has approved in principle a bill that would punish Iranians who give interviews to media outlets in the United States or Israel, in a further tightening of controls on foreign contact and information flows. The measure was passed on Sunday, 16 August, and still needs further review before it can become law. It also seeks to restrict unauthorised contact with foreign embassies, organisations and institutions, both inside and outside Iran.Under the draft legislation, anyone who speaks to a foreign outlet without permission could face prison terms of six months to two years. The bill also says any contact... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Aug 2026 12:36 LONDON
Iran disputes Qatar over missing pilots as remains of one airman are found
An Iranian military official has called on Qatar to allow an Iranian team into the country to investigate the fate of pilots Tehran says were captured by Qatari forces. The request comes after Qatar said its search and rescue teams found the remains of one pilot following an Iranian aircraft violation of Qatari airspace in March. The latest exchange deepens a dispute that has already become both a diplomatic and humanitarian issue.Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, said an Iranian Air Force expert and fact-finding team had been... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 16 Aug 2026 09:36 LONDON
Taiwan seeks to dissolve pro-unification party over alleged Beijing ties
Taiwan is seeking to dissolve the China Unification Promotion Party over alleged ties to Beijing, in a move that highlights the island's growing scrutiny of groups accused of serving Chinese interests. The party was founded by Chang An-lo, widely known as the White Wolf, who has long campaigned for Taiwan's reunification with China. The case places renewed attention on the political space available to pro-unification activism in Taiwan, where most people favour maintaining the island's current de facto separate status.The immediate trigger is the government's move against the party, which Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior has branded a threat in... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Aug 2026 03:30 LONDON
UAE accuses Iran of attacks on two ADNOC vessels in Strait of Hormuz
The United Arab Emirates has accused Iran of attacking two vessels linked to the state energy company ADNOC while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE said the incident happened on Thursday evening in one of the world's most sensitive shipping lanes. No injuries were reported, and ADNOC said the situation was brought under control.In a statement issued in the early hours of Friday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it strongly condemned what it described as a hostile Iranian attack targeting two vessels affiliated with ADNOC. Emirati media reported that ADNOC confirmed the ships were attacked... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Aug 2026 01:59 LONDON
Sponsored
Poland says it thwarted alleged Russian plot to kill Ukrainian-American man
Poland says it has disrupted an alleged plot to kill a Ukrainian-American dual national on its territory, in a case Prime Minister Donald Tusk described as the first of its kind involving an American citizen on NATO soil. Tusk said the suspect was arrested on 7 August and that the operation was stopped in its final stages. He said the alleged target was considered inconvenient to the Putin regime.According to Tusk, the arrest was carried out by the Polish Internal Security Agency, known as ABW, and police, with cooperation from American services. He accused Moscow of orchestrating the plan and... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 13 Aug 2026 17:59 LONDON
