
War with China: inside Taiwan's biggest ever military drills
Fresh from reporting on live fire drills off the Taiwanese coast, The Telegraph's Asia correspondent Allegra Mendelson shares the latest on Indo-Pacific tensions with Roland Oliphant.
Also, Roland speaks to Neal Urwitz, close friend of the US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy - Elbridge A. Colby - to discuss the latter's push to dramatically refocus America's military might purely on Taiwan.
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Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Battle Lines: Why Gaza is starving
What exactly is going on inside the Gaza strip? Amid growing reports of children starving to death and fears of full-blown famine, the international community appears to be becoming more critical of Israel. Roland Oliphant hears from UNICEF's Tess Ingram in Amman about why mass starvation is setting in - but is still avoidable. She has recently been on the ground in Gaza and shares the latest from the area and how it is now nothing short of a 'hellscape'. Plus, in a dramatic escalation of tensions, Thailand bombed its neighbour Cambodia on Thursday with F16 fighter jets. But how did it come to this and why now?


BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
Wetin cause tension between Thailand and Cambodia
Clash between Thailand and Commbodia military for one border wey di two kontris dey drag, don kill at least 12 pipo, Thai authority tok. Dis fight don carry di border argument, wey don dey occur for more dan 100 years between di two South Asia neighbours enta anoda level. Most of di people wey die na civilians from three of Thailand provinces according to Thai army. Di army also report say many oda pipo wunjure. But Cambodia neva tok weda dem to get casualties. On Thursday, di two sides exchange gunfire wit each side claiming say na di oda first find trouble. Di gbas gbos quickly enta anoda level as Thailand accuse Cambodia say e fire rockets, and diafore, dem fire air strikes on Cambodia military targets. Now Thailand don close dia border wit Cambodia, while Cambodia reduce dia relationship wit Thailand, wey e accuse say dem use "excess force." Di two don ask dia kontri pipo wey dey live near di border make dem pack comot. Thailand evacuate 40,000 pipo comot go safe place. "E serious no be small. We dey middle of evacuation," Sutian Phiwchan, on area pesin for di Ban Dan district for Thailand Buriram province near Cambodia border, tell BBC. Thai authorities say na 11 civilians, including one pikin wey dey eight years and anoda one wey dey 15 year, plus one military pesin. Cambodia and Thailand dey tok dia own version of wetin happun. Thailand claim say Cambodia military na dem first send drone to spy dia troop for border. Cambodia for dia own tok say Thai sojas cause fight wen dem break one agreement wen dem carry dem sef go near Khmer-Hindu temple wey dey near di border. Wetin dey cause fight? Dis gbas gbos between Cambodia and Thailand begin more dan one hundred years, wen French colonial masters divide di border for di two kontris. Tins officially enta anoda level of kasala for 2008, wen Cambodia try to register one 11 century temple wey dey for di area wey dem dey drag land, as World Heritage Site. Dis move cause serious protest for Thailand. Di two side don dey clash for years and soldiers and civilians don die for both sides. Dis lates tension begin gada momentum for May afta dem kill one Cambodia soldier for one clash. For di past two months, di two kontris impose border restriction on di oda. Cambodia stop to import tins like fruits and vegetables, plus stop importing electricity and internet service. Both kontris don also increase di number of soldiers wey dem get for di border. Thailand acting premier Phumtham Wechayachai say di kasala wey dem get wit Cambodia dey "delicate", and dem must to address am wit care and according to international law. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet im kontri want make dem solve dis mata peacefully - but add say im "no get choice" but to "respond wit armed force against armed aggression". Serious exchange of fire between di two kontris bin reduce sharply. But while e dey be like say di current fight fight fit no blow up turn to fill war, di two side currently lack leaders wey get enough strength and confidence to pull back from dis confrontation.


Reuters
13 hours ago
- Reuters
TikTok will go dark in US without Chinese approval of sale deal, US commerce secretary says
July 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Thursday that TikTok will have to stop operating in the United States if China does not approve a deal for the sale of the Chinese-owned short video app that is used by some 170 million Americans. Lutnick, speaking on CNBC, also said the United States must control the algorithm that makes the social media platform work. Last month, President Donald Trump extended by 90 days to September 17 a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the U.S. assets of TikTok. Trump's action took place despite a 2024 law that mandated a sale or shutdown by January 19 of this year if there had not been significant progress. "China can have a little piece or ByteDance, the current owner, can keep a little piece. But basically, Americans will have control. Americans will own the technology, and Americans will control the algorithm," Lutnick said. "If that deal gets approved, by the Chinese, then that deal will happen. If they don't approve it, then TikTok is going to go dark, and those decisions are coming very soon." TikTok did not immediately comment. A deal had been in the works this spring that would spin off TikTok's U.S. operations into a new U.S.-based firm, majority-owned and operated by U.S. investors. This stalled after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump has three times granted reprieves from federal enforcement of the law that mandated the sale or shutdown of TikTok that was supposed to take effect in January. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent letters to Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab, Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab and other companies that provide services or host the TikTok app that were made public this month. The letters said the Justice Department was irrevocably relinquishing any claims against the companies for potential violations of the law, citing Trump's determination that an abrupt shutdown would interfere with his overseeing national security and foreign affairs. Some Democratic lawmakers argue Trump has no legal authority to extend the deadline and suggest the deal under consideration would not meet legal requirements.