The Russian authorities have reportedly decided to ban the calling feature on WhatsApp and Telegram, well-connected media figure Ksenia Sobchak reported on Tuesday, citing sources in the telecommunications industry.

The decision “has already been made at the very top,” the sources reportedly said.

“They’ve banned calls ‘under the guise of fighting terrorists,’” one source told Sobchak’s Telegram channel. Final consultations on the issue are expected to wrap up this evening, according to a government source she cited.

Sobchak noted that the apps’ messaging and channel features will still remain accessible.

Two Chinese vessels collided in the South China Sea Monday morning while pursuing a Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat near the contested Scarborough Shoal, marking the latest escalation in the region's mounting maritime tensions. According to Philippine Coast Guard officials, a Chinese Coast Guard cutter and a People's Liberation Army Navy destroyer crashed into each other at high speed, causing substantial damage to the smaller Chinese vessel.

The dramatic incident occurred approximately 10.5 nautical miles east of Scarborough Shoal as Philippine Coast Guard vessels BRP Teresa Magbanua and BRP Suluan were escorting a supply ship delivering fuel and provisions to 35 Filipino fishing boats in the disputed waters. Video footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard shows Chinese Coast Guard vessel CCG-3104 aggressively pursuing the BRP Suluan while firing water cannons when PLA Navy destroyer No. 164 suddenly moved between the two vessels, resulting in a head-on collision with a loud crash.

All crossings and routes must be used to allow a flood of aid into Gaza, including food, nutrition supplies, shelter, fuel, clean water, medicine and medical equipment. Lethal force must not be used at distribution sites, and civilians, humanitarians and medical workers must be protected.

Five Al Jazeera journalists were killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza City on Sunday - among them 28-year-old correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who had reported prominently on the war since its outset.

[…]

The targeted attack on a tent used by journalists has drawn strong international condemnation including from the UN, Qatar where Al Jazeera is based, and media freedom groups.

[…]

Israel had previously accused Sharif of being a member of Hamas's military wing - something he and his employer strongly denied. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a media freedom group, said the allegations against him were "baseless" and called on the international community to intervene. "Without strong action from the international community to stop the Israeli army... we're likely to witness more such extrajudicial mur

Statement on Ukrainian sovereignty endorsed by all European Union leaders except for Hungary’s Viktor Orbán

All but one of the European heads of state and government have said that Ukrainians must have the freedom to decide their future, ahead of a high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.

“Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the leaders said, adding that “we share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.”

The statement, which was agreed late on Monday and published on Tuesday, was endorsed by leaders of all EU member countries except Hungary.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/34531039

Malak A Tantesh in Gaza and Lorenzo Tondo in Jerusalem
Mon 11 Aug 2025 07.39 EDT

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admitted carrying out the attack, claiming Sharif was the leader of a Hamas cell responsible for rocket attacks against Israel – an allegation that Al Jazeera and Sharif had previously dismissed as baseless.

It was the first time during the war that Israel’s military has swiftly claimed responsibility after a journalist was killed in a strike.

Donald Trump has once again delayed implementing sweeping tariffs on China, announcing another 90-day pause just hours before the last agreement between the world’s two largest economies was due to expire.

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline for higher tariffs on China until 9 November, officials confirmed to Reuters.

Chinese officials said earlier in the day they hoped the United States would strive for “positive” trade outcomes on Monday, as the 90-day detente reached between the two countries in May was due to expire.

President Donald Trump extended a trade truce with China for another 90 days Monday, at least delaying once again a dangerous showdown between the world’s two biggest economies.

Media outlets across east Asia were reporting that Cheung, who had just finished her A-levels, had been declared a threat to national security by officials in Hong Kong. There was an offer of HK$1m (£94,000) to anyone who could assist in her arrest or capture.

Friends said: ‘Sorry, you are a criminal in Hong Kong now so we can’t be associated with you.’ Even friends in Leeds stopped seeing me

The Vatican is facing allegations it used a "skeleton key for money laundering" by illegally manipulating bank transfers.

The city state's former top financial cop ― who was forced out in 2017 ― has claimed that its payroll agency was able to alter the names and account numbers on transactions after they were made, masking the identity of recipients and senders.

The implication would be enormous because it would have made it possible for Vatican officials to wire funds to private clients without revealing who they were, possibly enabling unlimited money laundering and violating the most basic anti-fraud rules.

Amnesty International Australia mourns the deaths of Al-Jazeera journalists killed by Israel in a targeted strike on their tent near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, including Anas Al-Sharif. Others, Anas Mohammed Qreiqeh, and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, were deliberately assassinated by Israeli forces, who have publicly claimed responsibility.

Claims made by Israel forces about Al-Sharif are entirely unsubstantiated and without evidence. It follows a pattern of similar claims and threats.

Israeli forces have repeatedly branded journalists, aid workers, and healthcare workers in Gaza as “terrorists”, a pattern that has enabled the deliberate targeting and killing of these individuals with complete impunity.

"The (China Coast Guard vessel) CCG 3104, which was chasing the (Filipino coast guard vessel) BRP Suluan at high speed, performed a risky manoeuvre from the (Philippine) vessel's starboard quarter, leading to the impact with the PLA (People's Liberation Army) Navy warship," Mr Tarriella said in a statement.

"This resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel's forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy."

At a later press briefing, Mr Tarriella said that crew members aboard the smaller Chinese vessel had been visible in its front section just before the collision.

He said the Chinese crew "never responded" to the Philippine ship's offer of assistance.

Gan Yu, a Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson, confirmed that a confrontation had taken place without mentioning the collision.

"The China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring, pressing from the outside, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels to drive them away," he said in a statement.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not confirm or deny the collision when asked about it by AFP.

More info: https://www.twz.com/sea/chinese-destroyer-rips-bow-off-chinese-coast-guard-cutter-during-intense-harassing-maneuvers