China says it is prepared for great effort towards peaceful ‘reunification' with Taiwan
Trump had said, in an interview with Fox News on Friday, that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him over a phone call that China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office.
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Al Arabiya
17 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Indian foreign minister stresses on border peace in talks with China's Wang
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar began talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in New Delhi on Monday and stressed that there could be positive momentum in ties between the neighbors only if there was peace on their border.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Philippine regulator resists online gambling ban amid pressure to criminalize industry
MANILA: The Philippine gaming regulator on Monday opposed a proposed ban on online gambling, despite mounting nationwide calls to criminalize it over soaring numbers of addiction, debt and mental health cases. The online gambling sector in the Philippines has been growing exponentially, with gross revenues jumping from $140 million in 2022 to $2.4 billion in 2024, according to Senate Committee on Games and Amusement data. The committee held a hearing last week, highlighting the human cost of the industry, with its members demanding to outlaw it, saying the country was facing a full-blown public health and social crisis. Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who led the hearing on online gambling, warned that 'as long as online gambling exists, we are breeding the next generation of addicts, debtors, and broken families.' He called for a ban and to 'prosecute not only the operators, but also the enablers — in the government and in the private sector — who profit from this misery.' The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. — a government-owned and -controlled corporation, which is both an operator and regulator, and was present during the hearing — sent Arab News a statement saying it 'is not in favor of a total ban and instead advocates for stricter regulation.' The corporation said illegal operators were the real problem. 'Unfortunately, many of these unregulated online operators are based overseas who target Filipinos, most of whom do not realize that the sites they are playing on are not licensed by PAGCOR. This is where problems arise, especially regarding age restrictions.' But a survey cited by senators indicates that age was not the main issue. It indicated that 66 percent of Filipinos aged 18 to 40, and 57 percent of those aged 41 to 55 were engaged in online gambling. Nearly a third bet multiple times a week, some wagering up to $53 per session. Majority Leader Joel Villanueva warned that online gambling was a 'growing national crisis' in the Philippines. 'People are not just risking their hard-earned money. They are putting their futures, families, and lives on the line. The lure of instant wealth has already led many down a path of addiction, debt, and despair,' he said. 'Online gambling is not just a matter of financial loss. It is strongly associated with serious mental and physical health issues, broken relationships, family conflict, increased cases of domestic violence and suicide, crime against persons and property, and ultimately, the erosion of opportunities and dignity in the lives of many Filipinos.' Bridges of Hope, a prominent addiction treatment and rehabilitation organization in the Philippines, reports that currently seven out of 10 of its clients are now treated for online gambling addiction. The support group Recovering Gamblers of the Philippines says that the proportion of online gamblers among its members has increased from 60 to 90 percent in just the past two years. Dr. Tony Leachon, a physician and commentator on public health, said that online gambling addiction has turned into a 'silent epidemic that corrodes mental health, destabilizes families, and fractures communities.' He warned that PAGCOR's 'dual role as regulator and operator creates a conflict of interest that undermines protective measures' in the Philippines, where financial vulnerability is widespread. Leachon told Arab News: 'Addiction drives people to borrow from loan sharks, sell possessions, or neglect basic needs like food and education. This is not merely a behavioral issue. 'It is a public health crisis that demands systemic intervention, just as we would respond to substance abuse or infectious disease.' 'Without decisive action, we risk institutionalizing addiction as a cultural norm,' he added.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Analysis: Putin gets time and legitimacy in Alaska as Zelenskyy races to Washington
What was billed as a 'historic' summit in Alaska turned into a spectacle that Russian President Vladimir Putin could not have scripted better. US President Donald Trump greeted his counterpart with a red-carpet welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, complete with a B-2 stealth bomber flypast and a lengthy handshake. Putin was then chauffeured in 'The Beast,' the US presidential limousine. But the most valuable gift for the Russian leader was not the pageantry, it was the time and legitimacy afforded to him. For years, Western leaders framed him as isolated; now he was celebrated on American soil. 'For three years they [Western media] have been talking about Russia's isolation, and today they saw the red carpet that greeted the Russian president in the United States,' Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on Telegram. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy heads to Washington alongside European leaders for urgent talks, the optics of Putin's warm reception in Alaska will not be lost on Kyiv or Brussels. 'No deal until there's a deal' Trump told Fox News ahead of the Alaska summit that this was his second attempt to secure a meeting with Putin. Yet after fewer than three hours of talks, far shorter than the seven expected, no deal was struck. The leaders delivered short, pre-prepared remarks and took no questions. Putin insisted Russia was committed to ending the war but warned Ukraine and the European Union against throwing a 'wrench in the works' and cautioned against attempts to use 'backroom provocations to torpedo the nascent progress.' Perhaps with the thought of a Nobel Peace Prize within his grasp, Trump described the discussions as 'extremely productive,' with 'many points agreed,' but conceded that there were still 'significant' sticking points. 'There's no deal until there's a deal,' Trump said, and none emerged in Alaska. As Trump thanked Putin for his time, he said he hoped they would meet again soon. Putin quickly responded, in English with a laugh: 'Next time, in Moscow.' 'I'll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening,' Trump added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Al Arabiya English (@alarabiya_eng) Trump's shift from ceasefire to peace deal One notable change was Trump's own position. His earlier push for an immediate ceasefire gave way to calls for a 'durable peace deal.' European leaders, too, softened their language, stepping back from a hard demand for a ceasefire in their joint statement. Even Zelenskyy signaled a shift, saying 'the killing must stop as soon as possible' rather than insisting on a ceasefire before talks. Appearing on several TV news shows Sunday, Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended his decision to abandon a push for a ceasefire, saying he had shifted toward a full peace agreement after progress at the summit. Putin's terms and battlefield reality The floated deal, familiar to anyone following the war, is centered on Putin's demand for control of the Donbas, specifically the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. For Zelenskyy, conceding such territory is politically unthinkable. European officials briefed after the summit said Trump heard Putin out on this point but gave no clear indication of where he stood. Meanwhile, Russia continues to grind forward on the battlefield, leveraging its manpower and artillery advantage. Putin signaled that if diplomacy stalls, the war will go on until Moscow's objectives are achieved. In one concessionary note, US envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN after the Alaska summit that Putin had agreed in principle to explore a NATO-style security guarantee for Ukraine as part of a future settlement. US President Donald Trump urges Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy to come to a negotiated settlement in the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict with Russia. — Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) August 18, 2025 But whether such assurances would hold weight in Moscow or satisfy Kyiv is deeply uncertain. Whether Trump secured anything beyond symbolism is less clear. As peace talks dominate headlines in the weeks ahead, the question may not just be what Putin managed to extract, but what Trump truly wants.
