China warns against 'new Cold War' as big powers meet in SE Asia

28 Sept 02:29 Key points summarised by AI

Chinese Premier Li Qiang issued a strong warning against a "new Cold War" and "bloc confrontation" at the ASEAN-plus-three meeting in Jakarta, implicitly targeting the United States amid escalating regional tensions.
Top officials from global powers, including the US, China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea, are convening in Southeast Asia for a series of ASEAN-led summits, establishing a crucial diplomatic arena for addressing geopolitical rivalries and regional challenges.
Discussions at the summits are tackling contentious issues such as US-China tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea, South Korea's concerns regarding North Korea's military cooperation, the Myanmar crisis, and widespread protests against China's recently released map claiming the South China Sea.
ASEAN leaders are affirming the bloc's commitment to not becoming a proxy in great power competition, even as high-level US and Russian officials participate and geopolitical friction continues to play out.

Fresh clashes rock France as protesters march on

Today 15:08 Key points summarised by AI

Widespread clashes erupted across France as protesters marched against the cost of living, prompting a firm security backlash from President Macron's government.
Authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel, leading to nearly 1,000 arrests and two serious injuries amid an "extremely elevated level of violence" from "ultra-left" extremists.
Despite government claims of a more "positive" outcome than the previous week, riot police fired tear gas in multiple cities, sparking widespread anger over perceived assaults on the right to protest.
The unrest, which included clashes between far-right and "ultra-left" militants, highlights a febrile political atmosphere six months before presidential elections.