They are crawling out everywhere. Millions of young Indians have begun calling themselves cockroaches. Since late May, they have been demonstrating in city after city, refusing to back down.
“Long live the Cockroach Party! Take us seriously! Give us education and jobs!”The new “party” came into being in May after India’s Chief Justice referred to student activists and unemployed young people as “cockroaches” and “parasites.” The next day, Abhijeet Dipke, an Indian living in the United States, turned the insult on its head and launched the viral parody known as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Since then, CJP has gathered remarkable momentum. With more than 22 million followers on Instagram, it presents itself as “the party of the lazy and unemployed.” Not even Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s powerful ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), commands such a large digital following.
torsdag 18. juni 2026
Why Xi is walling in China’s money – and why it won’t work
China’s latest fix for its ailing economy: build a better birdcage.
The metaphor runs deep in Chinese culture, where enclosures for pet birds have long captured the tension between freedom and control — the belief that markets, like captive creatures, need defined limits or they descend into chaos. But Xi Jinping’s attempt to cage Chinese citizens’ money movements abroad probably won’t fly as intended.In recent weeks, Beijing has moved to seal off the channels through which its 1.4 billion citizens send capital overseas.
The metaphor runs deep in Chinese culture, where enclosures for pet birds have long captured the tension between freedom and control — the belief that markets, like captive creatures, need defined limits or they descend into chaos. But Xi Jinping’s attempt to cage Chinese citizens’ money movements abroad probably won’t fly as intended.In recent weeks, Beijing has moved to seal off the channels through which its 1.4 billion citizens send capital overseas.
On May 22, the China Securities Regulatory Commission cracked down on unlicensed brokers funneling investor money into foreign markets. Regulators are now pressing Hong Kong and Singapore brokerages to wind down their cross-border securities, futures, and fund businesses.
Why dropping ‘Indo-Pacific’ clarifies the Pentagon’s China strategy
On June 16, the US Department of Defense announced that the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) will officially revert to its previous name, the US Pacific Command (PACOM).
The move reverses a decision made during President Donald Trump’s first term to include “Indo” in the name of its largest combatant command. This publication reported in June 2018 that the original change “highlights the increasing significance of India in Washington’s strategic thinking and also marks India’s re-entry into the American government’s ‘Asia Nexus.’”
As much as New Delhi may protest, this change signals the opposite: the decreasing significance of India in Washington’s strategic thinking – and its exit from the American government’s “Asia Nexus.”
The move reverses a decision made during President Donald Trump’s first term to include “Indo” in the name of its largest combatant command. This publication reported in June 2018 that the original change “highlights the increasing significance of India in Washington’s strategic thinking and also marks India’s re-entry into the American government’s ‘Asia Nexus.’”
As much as New Delhi may protest, this change signals the opposite: the decreasing significance of India in Washington’s strategic thinking – and its exit from the American government’s “Asia Nexus.”
Taiwan needs US weapons for self-defense as threat from China grows, diplomat tells AP
Taiwan needs to purchase American weapons to ensure its self-defense in the face of a growing threat from Beijing, the island’s top diplomat in the U.S. said, adding that he has seen no change in Washington’s policy toward the self-governing island that China claims as its own.
A $14-billion arms sale package to Taiwan is still in limbo after President Donald Trump returned from Beijing in May and said he had discussed the proposal “in great detail” with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, heightening anxieties in Taiwan and raising concerns among lawmakers on the Capitol Hill.
“We need those arms for defensive purposes,” Alexander Yui Tah-ray, who heads the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday in Washington. “We’re trying to increase our defense expenditure. We try to increase our ability to defend ourselves better and survive times of crisis.”
A $14-billion arms sale package to Taiwan is still in limbo after President Donald Trump returned from Beijing in May and said he had discussed the proposal “in great detail” with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, heightening anxieties in Taiwan and raising concerns among lawmakers on the Capitol Hill.
“We need those arms for defensive purposes,” Alexander Yui Tah-ray, who heads the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday in Washington. “We’re trying to increase our defense expenditure. We try to increase our ability to defend ourselves better and survive times of crisis.”
Fury in India as its sailors become collateral damage in Trump’s war with Iran
The deaths of three Indian seafarers in a US strike on a commercial oil tanker has prompted public fury in India, and added new friction to an already strained phase between New Delhi and Washington.
On Wednesday morning, the M/T Settebello was transiting the Sea of Oman, laden with Iranian oil, when a US aircraft fired precision munitions into its engine room –– causing a fire, sending smoke billowing into the air, and sparking a large rescue operation.
The three men found dead following the attack on the Palau-flagged vessel are the first seafarers confirmed to have been killed in a US strike as part of Washington’s operation to blockade Iranian ports, raising concerns in India that its nationals are becoming collateral damage in a war that isn’t their own.
On Wednesday morning, the M/T Settebello was transiting the Sea of Oman, laden with Iranian oil, when a US aircraft fired precision munitions into its engine room –– causing a fire, sending smoke billowing into the air, and sparking a large rescue operation.
The three men found dead following the attack on the Palau-flagged vessel are the first seafarers confirmed to have been killed in a US strike as part of Washington’s operation to blockade Iranian ports, raising concerns in India that its nationals are becoming collateral damage in a war that isn’t their own.
Taiwan hopes US arms sale package can be approved soon, president says
Taiwan’s president has said he hopes the United States approves a $14bn arms sale “as soon as possible”, reiterating that the island “rejects unification” with China.
Taiwan relies heavily on US support to deter any potential Chinese attack, and Washington has put pressure on Taipei to increase its defence spending. But arms sales also complicate ties between Washington and Beijing. Democratically governed Taiwan is viewed by China as its own territory, and Beijing has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island.
In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the $14bn deal was “under review”. Speaking to the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Taipei on Thursday, Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te reiterated his desire for talks based on “parity and respect” with China, but said only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.
Taiwan relies heavily on US support to deter any potential Chinese attack, and Washington has put pressure on Taipei to increase its defence spending. But arms sales also complicate ties between Washington and Beijing. Democratically governed Taiwan is viewed by China as its own territory, and Beijing has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island.
In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the $14bn deal was “under review”. Speaking to the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Taipei on Thursday, Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te reiterated his desire for talks based on “parity and respect” with China, but said only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.
UK court convicts two men for spying for Hong Kong, China
Two men, including one who worked as a British immigration officer, were jailed after being convicted of spying on prominent pro-democracy dissidents now based in the United Kingdom on behalf of Hong Kong, and ultimately China.
Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 66, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 41, who worked for the UK Border Force, were imprisoned on Thursday after being convicted last month of assisting a foreign intelligence service by carrying out surveillance on targets between December 2023 and May 2024.
Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 66, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 41, who worked for the UK Border Force, were imprisoned on Thursday after being convicted last month of assisting a foreign intelligence service by carrying out surveillance on targets between December 2023 and May 2024.
Wary of China’s Military Buildup, Vietnam Buys Indian Cruise Missiles
Vietnam is set to become the second foreign buyer of India's BrahMos cruise missile, a move analysts say underscores a reality shaping security calculations across Asia: warmer ties with Beijing have not erased concerns about China's growing military power.
The deal, long rumored but not officially confirmed, was acknowledged by Indian Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on May 30 during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. Singh also said a similar deal with Indonesia is nearing completion.
The deal, long rumored but not officially confirmed, was acknowledged by Indian Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on May 30 during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. Singh also said a similar deal with Indonesia is nearing completion.
China’s Spies Surge Worldwide, but Some are Getting Caught
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is “flooding the zone” with spies as Beijng seeks political and economic advantage over the United States and a West that it perceives as weakening, experts have told Newsweek. But some of the spies are being caught, as nations push back against Beijing’s vast operations, too. Nearly every week brings reports of a suspected Chinese spy arrested or an espionage conviction of a Chinese citizen, from South Korea to Norway, and the United States to Germany.
mandag 15. juni 2026
China Responds to US-Iran War Deal
China has responded with cautious optimism to the United States and Iran's agreement to end hostilities more than three months after the U.S.-Israel attacks against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
"China welcomes the U.S. and Iran reaching an agreement on the text of an initial memorandum of understanding," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday. "We hope the document will be signed as planned and all relevant parties will stay committed to peaceful solutions and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation," Lin said.
"China welcomes the U.S. and Iran reaching an agreement on the text of an initial memorandum of understanding," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday. "We hope the document will be signed as planned and all relevant parties will stay committed to peaceful solutions and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation," Lin said.
India bets big on domestic drones for future warfare
For decades, India's military relied primarily on troops, fighter aircraft, satellites and conventional surveillance systems to monitor its borders. The 2020 military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh exposed the challenge of maintaining constant surveillance across vast stretches of difficult high-altitude terrain.
Now India is preparing to place a record military drone order worth over $2 billion (€1.7 billion) with domestic manufacturers, including major firms like Adani Group, Tata Advanced Systems and Larsen & Toubro as well as startups such as ideaForge and Asteria Aerospace, marking this its largest-ever unmanned systems procurement.
Drones are increasingly seen as the eyes and ears of the battlefield, capable of gathering intelligence, tracking troop movements, delivering supplies and carrying out precision strikes.
Now India is preparing to place a record military drone order worth over $2 billion (€1.7 billion) with domestic manufacturers, including major firms like Adani Group, Tata Advanced Systems and Larsen & Toubro as well as startups such as ideaForge and Asteria Aerospace, marking this its largest-ever unmanned systems procurement.
Drones are increasingly seen as the eyes and ears of the battlefield, capable of gathering intelligence, tracking troop movements, delivering supplies and carrying out precision strikes.
Trump Celebrates While America Capitulates: The peace deal with Tehran is an Iranian victory.
President Trump has announced that the United States and Iran have reached a deal to end their war. “Congratulations to all!” he said in a posting on his Truth Social site this evening. He then headed off to oversee the garish public spectacle he’d arranged for his birthday on the South Lawn of the White House. The United States, however, has little to celebrate: Trump and his team, in record time, just lost a war to a militarily mediocre—but nonetheless extremely dangerous—adversary.
The details of the agreement remain unconfirmed, but the president, of course, is eager to spin the outcome as a victory. Trump was in a hurry to sign the deal on his birthday; the Iranians, who now seem to be in charge of this whole business, instead said they will send someone to a meeting in Switzerland on Friday.
The details of the agreement remain unconfirmed, but the president, of course, is eager to spin the outcome as a victory. Trump was in a hurry to sign the deal on his birthday; the Iranians, who now seem to be in charge of this whole business, instead said they will send someone to a meeting in Switzerland on Friday.
China opposes US move to list top firms as military companies
China said Saturday it firmly opposed the U.S. adding several prominent Chinese businesses to its list of military companies, and that the move ignored the consensus reached during U.S. President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month.
The Pentagon on Monday added several non-state-owned Chinese companies, including electric vehicle maker BYD, tech giants Alibaba and Baidu to its list that seeks to identify Chinese companies it deems to have ties to the Chinese military, preventing them from landing U.S. defense contracts.
By adding these firms to the list, “the U.S. side has ignored the consensus reached during the meeting between the heads of state of the two countries in Beijing,” a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Saturday in a statement.
The Pentagon on Monday added several non-state-owned Chinese companies, including electric vehicle maker BYD, tech giants Alibaba and Baidu to its list that seeks to identify Chinese companies it deems to have ties to the Chinese military, preventing them from landing U.S. defense contracts.
By adding these firms to the list, “the U.S. side has ignored the consensus reached during the meeting between the heads of state of the two countries in Beijing,” a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Saturday in a statement.
Why Trump and other G7 leaders meeting without China might be a mistake
From the outset, China wasn’t included when major powers gathered in 1975 at a chateau outside Paris to fix the slumping global economy, the first of what have become annual summits by the G7 club of wealthy nations to forward their interests.
No surprise there. Imagining Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong brainstorming with U.S. President Gerald Ford and other leaders would have been unthinkable.
China was in turmoil, nowhere close to becoming the economic giant it is now. Mao had also helped defeat France and U.S. forces in Vietnam, by militarily supporting Ho Chi Minh’s communists that took power. So Mao would have been the odd man out had he been at the inaugural Rambouillet summit of six nations, growing into the G7 when Canada joined the following year.
No surprise there. Imagining Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong brainstorming with U.S. President Gerald Ford and other leaders would have been unthinkable.
China was in turmoil, nowhere close to becoming the economic giant it is now. Mao had also helped defeat France and U.S. forces in Vietnam, by militarily supporting Ho Chi Minh’s communists that took power. So Mao would have been the odd man out had he been at the inaugural Rambouillet summit of six nations, growing into the G7 when Canada joined the following year.
Hong Kong opens consultation on first 5-year plan that echoes mainland China’s playbook
Hong Kong on Monday launched a public consultation for its five-year plan in a politically symbolic step that brings the special administrative region closer to mainland China’s development approach. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse said at a news conference that mainland China kicked off its 15th five-year plan for 2026 to 2030 this year. Hong Kong has long prided itself on minimal government intervention in the economy, even while referencing Beijing’s vision for the city.
The city’s blueprint will help Hong Kong synchronize with and serve the national development plan while upholding a free-market economy, Tse said.
“Aligning with the national 15th five-year plan does not replace the free market,” she said. “Rather, it channels a clear vision and strategic planning through major policies, and that allows the market to develop more stably and clearly.”
The city’s blueprint will help Hong Kong synchronize with and serve the national development plan while upholding a free-market economy, Tse said.
“Aligning with the national 15th five-year plan does not replace the free market,” she said. “Rather, it channels a clear vision and strategic planning through major policies, and that allows the market to develop more stably and clearly.”
What to expect from this powerful El Nino
A potentially powerful El Nino developing in the Pacific Ocean could reshape weather patterns around the world in the coming weeks. Forecasters that warn this could be among the strongest El Nino events on record. There’s "real potential for the strongest El Nino event in 140 years," said Paul Roundy, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the State University of New York at Albany.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects El Nino conditions to emerge soon and continue at least into winter. Depending on its strength and duration, the climate phenomenon could trigger drought, flooding, heat waves and disruptions to food and water supplies in multiple regions.
"The world must treat it as the urgent climate warning it is," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "El Nino conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world."
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects El Nino conditions to emerge soon and continue at least into winter. Depending on its strength and duration, the climate phenomenon could trigger drought, flooding, heat waves and disruptions to food and water supplies in multiple regions.
"The world must treat it as the urgent climate warning it is," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "El Nino conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world."
Photos Show China’s Unidentified Objects in Disputed Territory
Philippine authorities have released images of structures at a disputed reef they believe were placed there by China. The number of newly identified foreign objects has grown to six since the first structure was reported inside Scarborough Shoal's lagoon on May 30, a Philippine coast guard spokesperson said on Wednesday. Scarborough Shoal—known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China—is one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the South China Sea dispute.
Beijing has exercised de facto control over the feature since a tense standoff in 2012, but has so far not physically occupied it.
"We flew planes over Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, to see what structures are being built there—whether it's a floating structure or a fixed structure," Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner Jr. told reporters Tuesday in Quezon City. "We will also send ships."
Beijing has exercised de facto control over the feature since a tense standoff in 2012, but has so far not physically occupied it.
"We flew planes over Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, to see what structures are being built there—whether it's a floating structure or a fixed structure," Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner Jr. told reporters Tuesday in Quezon City. "We will also send ships."
China arrests US researcher it says is suspected of ‘spying’
China says it is holding an American citizen accused of espionage, identifying the man as a political analyst at a policy think tank focusing on neighbouring Myanmar.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrest of the man on suspicion of “spying” and “endangering national security” on Friday, a day after United States media reports said a scholar holding dual US and Myanmar citizenship was detained in early June. Min Zin – a founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M) – “has been subjected to criminal compulsory measures”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news briefing.
Lin said China had notified the US consulate general in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou of the arrest. The ISP-M researches the political, resource and conflict dynamics of Myanmar, which was plunged into civil war by a 2021 coup.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrest of the man on suspicion of “spying” and “endangering national security” on Friday, a day after United States media reports said a scholar holding dual US and Myanmar citizenship was detained in early June. Min Zin – a founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M) – “has been subjected to criminal compulsory measures”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news briefing.
Lin said China had notified the US consulate general in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou of the arrest. The ISP-M researches the political, resource and conflict dynamics of Myanmar, which was plunged into civil war by a 2021 coup.
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