Author: Gavin Blackburn/Euronews

Gavin Blackburn/Euronews China formed policing ties with Vanuatu in 2023 and has donated equipment including drones, patrol boats and vehicles to its police force. Australia and Vanuatu signed a sweeping economic and security agreement on Monday that bars the establishment of any foreign military base on the Pacific island. Vanuatu is at the centre of strategic rivalry between China and US allies in the South Pacific and Australia has expressed concern that Beijing is seeking a permanent security presence in the region. The agreement commits Australia to greater economic support for Vanuatu, whose largest external creditor is China, and it…

By Gavin Blackburn Officials said up to 70 people were employed at the construction site, though most had gone home for the weekend. The death toll rose to four on Monday after the collapse of a hotel under construction near the Philippine capital, with more than a dozen people still believed missing, authorities said. Two workers pinned beneath the wreckage were found alive after the nine-storey structure gave way on Sunday, hitting a nearby hotel and killing a Malaysian guest. But two workers trapped at the site in Angeles, north of the capital Manila, died despite rescue efforts. “The first…

By Gavin Blackburn/Euronews Starmer told Cabinet ministers that he took responsibility for devastating losses in last week’s local elections across the UK but he would fight on. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that he intends to stay in office as he met with members of his Cabinet in crunch talks that could determine his future. Starmer is trying to shore up support within his Cabinet following hefty losses for the Labour Party in local elections last week, which if repeated in a national election would see it overwhelmingly ejected from power. The meeting was taking place after…

By Gavin Blackburn. The Dutch‑flagged MV Hondius has been at the centre of an international health scare since Saturday after it was revealed that the rare disease, generally spread from infected rodents, typically through urine, droppings and saliva, was suspected of being behind the deaths of three of its passengers. WHO operation Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday it was tracing people on a flight between the island of Saint Helena and Johannesburg, taken by one of the passengers who died on the MV Hondius. A total of 82 passengers and six crew were on board the 25…