Latest news with #Typhoon
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
Typhoon Wipha causes major flight disruptions in Hong Kong and southern China
HONG KONG — Typhoon Wipha caused major flight disruptions Sunday in Hong Kong and at some nearby airports in China as it moved west along the southern coast. Airports in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Macao canceled or postponed all their daytime flights, their websites showed. Some high-speed train service in the area was suspended.
Scoop
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
ICHRP On Trump-Marcos Meeting: Peace Must Be Based On Justice, Not Deterrence
July 19, 2025 The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) considers the Trump-Marcos Jr. meetings taking place from July 20 to 22 in Washington, DC as anything but a meeting of equals. The purpose of the visit as described by the Philippines is to discuss how the two countries can further deepen their security and economic engagements, including what Philippine Ambassador Romualdez has called 'peace through deterrence.' In reality the meeting represents the subservience of the GRP to the US, and the development of the 'peace through deterrence' strategy will only bring more war and destruction to the Filipino people. This meeting follows the growing trend of increasing militarization in the Philippines. The US and its allies have ramped up preparations for war against China, boosting mutual defence agreements, and conducted large-scale combat exercises in the Philippines, with increasing frequency. These recent moves include the February 2023 agreement to place four more US military bases in the Philippines – three of them oriented towards Taiwan – under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Arrangement (EDCA). In April 2024, the US military began deploying in Northern Luzon a new offensive intermediate-range land-based missile system known as Typhoon, which is capable of reaching large population centres in mainland China. In June 2025 the US House appropriations committee announced the intention to establish a forward-based munitions factory and storage facility at Subic Bay, Philippines, and this July the US announced plans to build two new ship repair facilities near the disputed West Philippine seas. 'The US military build up in the Philippines is not defensive nor geared towards peace, but aggressive war preparations that put the Filipino people at risk to be collateral damage in a war with China. The Filipino people don't want to be a battlefield for a great power war,' said ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy. 'ICHRP urges all nations in the region to deescalate the frightening military buildup towards war,' said Murphy. The Marcos-Trump meeting takes place following intensive attacks from Trump against poor and working Filipinos, both in the Philippines and in the US. On July 9, the White House announced a 20 per cent tariff taking effect on August 1st of this year, which disproportionately impacts peasants and workers in the Philippines. Within the United States, the Trump administration continues an all out attack on migrants including the detention, inhumane and illegal treatment of Filipino migrants. The imposition of tariffs, the maltreatment of Filipino migrants — unchallenged by Marcos Jr — and the increasing US military presence in the Philippines will further plunge the most marginalized in Philippines society into poverty. Due to the major socioeconomic issues of the Philippines, the country remains embroiled in a long-standing civil war. But the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and other Western allies ignore gross violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law occurring in the Philippines in favour of deepening military cooperation and arms sales to the Philippines as part of their broader preparation for war against China. Peace in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region will not come through the US 'deterrence' strategy. Genuine peace must be based on justice which necessitates the undoing of the unequal US-Philippines relationship most characterized by US economic coercion and military dominance of the country.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Germany and UK sign 'first of its kind' defence and migration treaty
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signed a "first of its kind" defence and migration treaty between the two countries, formalising the commitment that each country will come to the other's aid in the event of an attack. 'This is a historic day for German-British relations,' said Merz, making his first official visit to the UK since taking office in May. 'We want to work together more closely, particularly after the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. It is overdue for us to conclude such a treaty with each other.' Starmer described the treaty as "the first of its kind ever" and called it a 'statement of intent, a statement of our ambition to work ever more closely together." The pact also targets smuggling gangs and includes a commitment from Berlin to make facilitating the smuggling of migrants to the UK a criminal offence. 'Chancellor Merz's commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels which carry illegal migrants across the Channel is hugely welcome,' Starmer said. A statement from Downing Street said the legal change — expected to pass by the end of the year — would give German authorities greater powers to investigate and take action against warehouses and storage facilities used by smugglers to hide small boats intended for Channel crossings. The treaty builds on a defence pact the UK and Germany, two of the biggest European supporters of Ukraine, signed last year, pledging closer co-operation against a growing threat from Russia. Starmer builds further bridges with Europe Starmer has worked to improve strained relations with the UK's European neighbours after its departure from the EU in 2020. While he has ruled out re-joining the 27-member bloc's single market, he has sought to increase defence cooperation and reduce trade barriers through new arrangements. During a working lunch at 10 Downing Street, the two leaders also discussed ways to boost European support for Ukraine, including the announcement that German defence startup Stark, which makes drones for Ukraine, will open a factory in the UK. A document released by the German government states that the countries are committed to greater cooperation on joint military and training exercises, as well as working together to combat cyber threats and information warfare. The leaders also unveiled a joint export campaign to co-produce equipment such as Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon jets, and to develop a deep precision strike missile over the next decade. Other parts of the treaty aim to deepen economic cooperation by promoting employment and the creation of high-quality jobs, plans for a new cross-border rail link and visa-free travel measures for certain groups. Of the limited arrangement that will make it easier for schoolchildren to go on exchange trips, Merz said he was glad the agreement would allow "the young generation in particular has an opportunity to get to know both countries better." At the signing of the agreement, Merz said he was "surprised" to learn the deal was the first UK-Germany treaty of its kind since World War II. "We had you in the European Union and we thought that was enough, but we are now learning that it's not enough so we have to do more on that," he said.
Nahar Net
3 days ago
- Business
- Nahar Net
Leaders of UK and Germany to sign treaty on defense, trade and migration
by Naharnet Newsdesk 17 July 2025, 14:45 U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are set to sign a treaty on Thursday pledging to tighten defense ties and step up law-enforcement cooperation against gangs that smuggle migrants across the English Channel. The center-right German leader is in London on his first official visit to Britain since taking office in May. Starmer visited Berlin in August 2024, announcing plans for the U.K.-Germany "friendship and cooperation" treaty with Merz's predecessor, Olaf Scholz. A priority for Starmer, who heads the center-left Labour Party, is curbing the gangs behind cross-channel people smuggling. About 37,000 people were detected crossing the English Channel from France in small boats in 2024, and more than 20,000 people made the crossing in the first six months of 2025. Dozens of people have died trying to cross. Berlin agreed last year to make facilitating the smuggling of migrants to the U.K. a criminal offence, a move that will give law enforcements more powers to investigate the supply and storage of small boats to be used for the crossings. Merz is expected to commit to adopting the law change by the end of the year. "Chancellor Merz's commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels which carry illegal migrants across the Channel is hugely welcome," Starmer said, calling the U.K. and Germany "the closest of allies." Germany and the U.K. – Europe's largest and second-largest economies – are also expected to announce a series of investment deals. The treaty builds on a defense pact the U.K. and Germany, two of the biggest European supporters of Ukraine, signed last year pledging closer co-operation against a growing threat from Russia. It includes a promise to come to one another's aid in case of attack. The two leaders also are expected to agree Thursday to joint export campaigns for jointly produced equipment such as Boxer armored vehicles and Typhoon jets, and to develop a deep precision strike missile in the next decade. Starmer has worked to improve relations with Britain's neighbors, strained by the U.K.'s acrimonious departure from the European Union in 2020. He has sought to rebuild ties strained by years of ill-tempered wrangling over Brexit terms. He has ruled out rejoining the 27-nation bloc's single market or customs union, and has been cool to the idea of a youth mobility agreement with the EU, but has sought to reduce trade barriers and to strengthen defense cooperation. "I make no secret of the fact I very much regret to this day that Britain left the European Union," Merz told the German parliament last week. "But if they at least work together with us again in the area of foreign and security policy, then that is a very good sign. Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants that."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Migration, defence on agenda for German chancellor's first UK visit
The UK hoped to win a firm commitment on Thursday from Germany to change its law to help smash people smuggling gangs as well as boosting defence ties, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz began his first official visit to London. The visit comes a week after undocumented migration to the UK was high on the political agenda during a state visit to Britain by French President Emmanuel Macron. As well as signing the first "friendship treaty" between their countries, Starmer and Merz were expected to unveil a new deal to jointly produce defence exports such as Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon jets. They were also expected to commit to developing their deep precision strike missile with a range of more than 2,00 kilometres (1,250 miles) in the next decade. "Chancellor Merz's commitment to make necessary changes to German law to disrupt the supply lines of the dangerous vessels which carry illegal migrants across the Channel is hugely welcome," Starmer said ahead of the visit. His office said it was hoped the German legal changes could be made "this year". Undocumented migration has become a major headache for Starmer's year-old Labour government, as support for the upstart anti-immigrant Reform UK party soars. More than 22,500 would-be asylum seekers have arrived on England's southeastern coast by small boat from northern France this year alone. The "friendship treaty" also seeks to improve post-Brexit ties with its neighbours. - Brexit trauma - Macron's trip was the first state visit by a European Union head of state since Brexit -- the UK's acrimonious 2020 departure from the bloc. A German government source said of the visit "we shouldn't underestimate" how much relations with the UK had improved since the "traumatic" experience of Brexit. Starmer said the accord would be a "foundation on which we go further to tackle shared problems", echoing last week's Anglo-French talk of common challenges. The two leaders were also to discuss continued support for Ukraine, with both London and Berlin expected to play a role in US President Donald Trump's plan to send weapons to Kyiv with financing from other NATO countries. The visit is Merz's first to the UK as chancellor, although he has already met Starmer several times, including on a trip by train to Ukraine just days after he took office in early May. The wide-ranging new treaty between Germany and Britain will refer to the turbulent security situation that both countries face and include a mutual defence pact. "There is no strategic threat to one which would not be a strategic threat to the other," the text was expected to say, alongside a pledge that the two countries "shall assist one another, including by military means, in case of an armed attack". While Britain and Germany already have a commitment to mutual defence as NATO members, the treaty is expected to pave the way for greater defence cooperation, including in weapons development and operations on NATO's eastern flank. The two countries already signed a landmark defence agreement in October and in May said they would begin developing the strike missiles. - Train links - German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was to accompany Merz on the visit and was expected to meet his British counterpart, David Lammy. On migration, Merz's government is expected to make a commitment to modify German law by the end of the year to criminalise the facilitation of "illegal migration". This will include action against storage facilities used by migrant smugglers to conceal small boats intended for Channel crossings. On transport, the two countries will commit to improving train connections. Last month Eurostar said it planned to launch a new route from London to Frankfurt in the early 2030s, which would be the first such direct connection between the UK and Germany. jsk-har/jkb/gil Solve the daily Crossword
