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Chancellor says he wants to deepen trade relationship while making it fairer during visit that sees signing of several agreements.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has kicked off his inaugural visit to China with a focus on resetting trade relations and deepening cooperation.

Speaking in Beijing on Wednesday, Merz told Chinese Premier Li Qiang that Germany sought to build on the decades-old economic ties with China, while emphasising the need to ensure fair cooperation and open communication.

“We have very specific concerns regarding our ⁠cooperation, which we want to improve and make fair,” said Merz, in an acknowledgement of the strain faced by Germany’s manufacturing sector from Chinese competition.

Li, who met Merz shortly after his arrival in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, called on both sides to work together to safeguard multilateralism and free trade, in a reference to US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy that has upended the global trading system.

“China and Germany, as two of the world’s largest economies and major countries with important ‌influence, should strengthen our confidence in cooperation, jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and strive to build a more just and fair global governance system,” Li said.

During the meeting, representatives from both sides signed several agreements and memorandums, including on climate change and food security.

“We share responsibility in the world, and we should live up to that responsibility together,” Merz said, adding there was “great potential for further growth”.

He added that open channels of communication were essential, as he announced visits by several ministers in the months ahead.

‘More equal playing field’ sought

Reporting from Beijing, Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride said the visit, in which Merz was being accompanied by a large delegation of German business executives, was important for both Europe’s economic powerhouse and the world’s second-largest economy.

Alongside the signing of deals with Chinese companies, a key focus of Merz’s visit would be “looking for a more equal playing field when it comes to trade”, he said.

“There is a real concern in markets like the European Union about cheaper, sometimes subsidised Chinese products that are looking for markets other than the US, suddenly flooding other marketplaces such as Germany … undercutting many domestic manufacturers there,” he said.

Germany’s imports from China increased 8.8 percent to 170.6 billion euros ($201bn) last year, while its exports to China dropped 9.7 percent to 81.3 billion euros ($96bn).

McBride noted Beijing was seeking to pitch itself as a “responsible advocate of free trade compared to the sometimes unpredictable and chaotic tariffing policy of the US”.

He said the visit would also see Merz attend a banquet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and visits to German companies with strongly established presences in China, such as Siemens and Mercedes-Benz.

Geopolitics and human rights would also be on the table, he said, with Germany particularly concerned about Beijing’s support, tacit or otherwise, for Russia amid its war on Ukraine.

Western leaders court Beijing

Merz is the latest in a string of Western leaders to visit Beijing in recent months, including the UK’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Canada’s Mark Carney, amid the fallout from Trump’s tariffs on long-established trade relationships.

The chancellor said on Friday he was going to Beijing in part because export-dependent Germany needs “economic relations all over the world”.

“But we should be under no illusions,” he said, adding that China, as a rival to the United States, now “claims the right to define a new multilateral order according to its own rules.”

A Russian professor specializing in Korean studies and teaching at a South Korean university, Andrey Lankov, has been detained by police in Latvia, where he was giving a lecture on North Korea, Russian media has reported.

Professor Lankov of Kookmin University in Seoul was detained in Latvia and was added to the Latvian authorities’ “blacklist,” Russian news outlet RBC reported Wednesday (Russian time), citing an interview with the professor.

“Andrey Nikolaevich is safe and awaiting the arrival of his lawyer. The Australian consul has been notified of the situation,” RBC quoted the lecture organizers as saying. The professor is reported to hold both Russian and Australian citizenship.

Citing a local Latvian report, the news outlet also said the professor was taken away by Latvian police officers during a lecture in Riga. The lecture, titled “North Korea: What the Leaders Want and Fear”, was supposed to focus on North Korea, it said.

RBC did not provide reasons for Lankov’s detention.

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China’s Commerce Ministry says the move against Japanese firms will prevent the remilitarisation of Japan.

Japan has strongly protested China’s move to restrict the export of “dual-use” items to 20 Japanese business entities that Beijing says could be used for military purposes, in the latest twist in a months-long diplomatic row between the two countries.

Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Sato Kei said at a news conference that the move by China’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday was “deplorable” and would “not be tolerated” by Tokyo.

Companies affected by China’s export ban on dual-use items, or items that can be used for civilian or military purposes, include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipbuilding group, aerospace and marine machinery subsidiaries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Japan’s National Defense Academy, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Beijing said restricting the export of dual-use items to the Japanese firms was necessary to “safeguard national security and interests and fulfil international obligations such as non-proliferation”, adding that the companies were involved in “enhancing Japan’s military strength”.

China’s Commerce Ministry said on Tuesday that it would also add another 20 entities to its export restrictions watchlist, including Japanese automaker Subaru, petroleum company ENEOS Corporation, and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation.

Chinese exporters must submit a risk assessment report for each company to ensure “dual-use items will not be used for any purpose that would enhance Japan’s military strength”, according to a statement on the Commerce Ministry’s website.

China has imposed similar restrictions on the US and Taiwan as a form of political protest, particularly over Washington’s ongoing unofficial support for the self-governed island. Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using force for “reunification”.

Tokyo and Beijing have a historically acrimonious relationship, but diplomatic ties took a turn for the worse in November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told legislators that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, which could necessitate military action.

Japan has had a pacifist constitution which restricts its use of force, but an attack on Taiwan could legally allow Tokyo to activate its army, the Self-Defence Forces, Takaichi said.

Takaichi’s remarks were some of the most explicit regarding whether Japan could become involved in a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, and have been accompanied by a push to expand Japan’s military capability.

Beijing reacted with fury to Takaichi’s remarks, discouraging Chinese citizens from visiting Japan, leading to a major drop in tourism revenue from Chinese visitors.

In January, Beijing also imposed Japanese export restrictions on rare earths like gallium, germanium, graphite and rare earth magnets that could be used for defence purposes, according to the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank.

The CSIS said at the time that “these retaliatory measures underscore rising tensions between Beijing and Tokyo and serve as a pointed warning from China to countries that take explicit positions on cross-strait relations”.

Tokyo does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but several of its outlying islands, including Okinawa, are geographically closer to Taiwan than mainland Japan. Taiwan is also enormously popular with the Japanese public.

India’s PM Modi will mark his second visit to Israel with the two countries having deepened ties under the Hindu nationalist PM.

Feb. 24 (UPI) — The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling for an immediate, full and unconditional cease-fire in Russia’s war in Ukraine, despite the United States’ abstention and a failed U.S. bid to strip language identifying the Kremlin’s aggression.

The 193-member body met on the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion and voted 107 in favor, 12 against and 51 abstentions to adopt the “Support for lasting peace in Ukraine” resolution.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine thanked the nations for standing with Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

“These are the right and necessary steps,” he said on social media. “And we will keep working actively to achieve peace, together with our partners.”

Among nations that abstained in the vote were China and the United States.

Washington had proposed a motion of division to vote separately on two paragraphs in the resolution, but it failed in an 11-69 vote, with 62 abstentions.

Ukraine had staunchly objected to the U.S. motion.

“Weakening or removing this language would send a very dangerous signal that these principles are negotiable,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa of Ukraine said, describing the motion as “deeply concerning and cannot be accepted.”

Tammy Bruce, deputy U.S. representative to the United Nations, said the war must end now, but that it “will require sacrifices and compromises” and called on “everyone to do all in their power to lower the rhetoric and engage in good faith.”

“As we’ve said, this resolution also includes language that is likely to distract from ongoing negotiations, rather than support discussion on the full range of diplomatic avenues that may pave the way to that durable peace,” she said.

“For this reason, the United States called for a vote on the two paragraphs and ultimately chose to abstain on the resolution.”

The move underscores the United States’ drift from Ukraine and its European allies under the Trump administration, which is seeking its own end to the war. It also aligns with Russia, whose deputy permanent representative, Anna Evstigneeva, told the Assembly that diplomacy is what is needed, not declarations, and that the U.N. resolution disregards Trump’s negotiations “to find a compromise.”

“Do not fall for it,” she said. “What you have before you is not an instrument of peace, it is an instrument of politicization.”

Russia began the war on Feb. 24, 2022, when it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine under the pretense of a special military operation to denazify its neighbor.

In the four years of war, Russia and its economy have been saddled with thousands of sanctions that have seen it turn to Iran, China and even North Korea for assistance, weapons and even foreign soldiers.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Russia has suffered an estimated 1.2 million casualties and as many as 325,000 killed.

Ukraine has suffered about 55,000 soldiers killed in the war, according to Zelensky. About 20% of its territory has been illegally occupied by Russian forces. Russia has also been accused of unlawful deportation and unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.

Russia is also being accused of weaponizing winter in an effort to break Ukraine’s resilience by depriving millions of electricity, heating and water amid freezing temperatures, Betsa told reporters in a press conference at the U.N. General Assembly with allied nations behind her.

“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensure full accountability for crimes committed under international law,” she said. “Justice for victims is not optional.”

General Assembly Vice President Tania Serafim Yvonne Romulado, delivering remarks by the assembly’s president, Annalena Baerbock, emphasized that it was a permanent member of the Security Council who “continues to inflict untold suffering on the Ukrainian people” in violation of the U.N. Charter.

Nearly four million people are internally displaced, 5.7 million live as refugees and nearly one-third of Ukraine’s population, more than half of all children, have been forced to flee.

“We cannot allow the violation of international law to become the norm, and we must safeguard the founding principles of our Charter,” she said.

“And this Assembly can lead the way.”

Feb. 24 (Asia Today) — Major South Korean food companies are expanding cost-cutting and restructuring efforts after operating profits fell by as much as 30% last year amid a domestic demand slump and rising costs, industry officials said Monday.

Lotte Wellfood is running a voluntary retirement program for some employees as part of efforts to streamline its organization, according to industry sources.

The program targets workers 45 and older with at least 10 years of service. In addition to statutory severance pay, eligible employees with 10 to under 15 years of service would receive 18 months of base pay, while those with 15 years or more would receive 24 months, officials said.

The package also includes a 10 million won ($7,500) re-employment support payment and up to 10 million won ($7,500) in university tuition assistance per child.

Lotte Wellfood said it plans to pursue growth strategies such as developing major brands and expanding global business operations while improving organizational efficiency.

Binggrae carried out a similar voluntary retirement program in January, citing cost increases and weakening consumption, according to industry sources.

CJ CheilJedang has also signaled tighter management. Chief executive Yoon Seok-hwan told employees in a message earlier this month that the company needs “disruptive change and innovation,” outlining plans for business restructuring, financial improvements and organizational culture reforms.

The restructuring push follows a downturn in earnings. Industry data show operating profit last year fell 20.6% at CJ CheilJedang, 30.3% at Lotte Wellfood and 32.7% at Binggrae compared with a year earlier.

Companies have faced pressure from raw material price volatility, higher logistics costs and slowing consumer demand. Executives have also cited stronger consumer resistance to price increases, limiting their ability to pass through costs.

Some analysts cautioned that repeated short-term cutbacks could weaken competitiveness over time unless companies deliver results from new growth initiatives.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260224010007289

In a significant foreign policy shift, Bolivia has reopened its doors to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The move, confirmed on Monday, ends a nearly two-decade hiatus in bilateral efforts to stem drug trafficking.

Bolivian Minister of Government Marco Oviedo told local media this week that DEA agents were already operating in the country.

“The DEA is in Bolivia,” he said. “Just as the DEA is now present, we also have cooperation from European intelligence and police bodies.”

Oviedo explained that the initial focus of the law enforcement efforts would be to tighten border surveillance and dismantle trafficking networks.

He added that the cooperation with the DEA and European agencies was only the start of Bolivia’s expanded international efforts.

“We want neighbouring countries’ anti-narcotics agencies on board as well,” Oviedo said.

End to Morales order

The announcement marks an end to an order issued under former left-wing President Evo Morales in 2008, effectively expelling all DEA agents from the country.

Morales, the leader at the time for Bolivia’s Movement for Socialism (MAS), had accused the US of using drug enforcement efforts to pressure countries in Latin America to bend to its political and economic agenda.

Under Morales, all drug enforcement cooperation with the US came to a halt, and he refused to let DEA officers into the country, accusing them of destabilising his government. Diplomatic relations were likewise suspended.

In turn, MAS received strong support from rural parts of Bolivia, where the cultivation of coca, the raw ingredient in cocaine, is a key economic driver.

Bolivia, along with other Andean countries like Colombia and Peru, is a key producer of coca, which has traditional uses, including as a remedy for altitude sickness. Morales himself led a union of coca growers, or cocaleros, before taking office.

Advocates have accused the US’s militaristic “war on drugs” of harming impoverished rural farmers through the forced eradication of coca crops. Such campaigns, they argue, can leave farmers without a means of supporting themselves and their families.

MAS remained in power from the start of Morales’s term in 2006 until 2025, when its coalition fractured amid economic instability and internal fighting.

New political direction

In October 2025, two right-wing candidates proceeded to a run-off for the presidency: centrist Rodrigo Paz of the Christian Democratic Party and a former right-wing president, Jorge Quiroga.

It was the first presidential run-off in modern times for Bolivia, and it marked a sharp turn away from two decades of socialist government.

Both candidates made improving the relationship with the US a central pillar of their campaigns, viewing it as essential to solving Bolivia’s severe economic crisis.

Paz, who was educated in Washington, DC, argued that normalising ties would attract the international investment needed to modernise the energy and lithium sectors.

Meanwhile, Quiroga, a conservative who studied at Texas A&M University, campaigned on a more aggressive platform, including fiscal austerity and security partnerships with the US.

His vice presidential candidate, Juan Pablo Velasco, is credited with popularising the tagline “Make Bolivia Sexy Again”, a twist on US President Donald Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again”.

Paz ultimately emerged as the victor in the race, with nearly 54.9 percent of the vote. After his inauguration in November, Paz moved quickly to fulfil his promises by restoring diplomatic ties with the US.

The US, meanwhile, called Paz’s presidency a “transformative opportunity” for the region.

Earlier this month, both Bolivia and the US agreed to appoint ambassadors to one another’s countries for the first time in nearly 18 years.

Uncertainty remains

But it is unclear to what extent the DEA will be operating in Bolivia. Left-wing leaders like Morales continue to have strong pockets of support, particularly in highland and rural areas.

Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo has said negotiations are still under way to finalise the specific areas of cooperation between his country and the DEA, as well as operational limits for the US agency.

A full agreement outlining the scope of the agency’s activities is expected in the coming months.

Since returning to office on January 20, 2025, Trump has intensified the US campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America, including by designating several major cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations”.

Trump has also pressured Latin American governments to take more aggressive actions against the illicit drug trade, using economic sanctions and military threats as leverage.

Already, in late December and early January, Trump has authorised two strikes on Venezuela on the premise of combating drug trafficking.

One, on December 29, targeted a port that the Trump administration said was used for drug smuggling. The second, on January 3, resulted in multiple explosions, dozens dead and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He remains in custody in the US, where he faces drug trafficking and weapons possession charges.

Critics have argued that Trump’s anti-drug campaign has blurred the line between law enforcement and military activities.

The increasing use of military force against criminal suspects has raised concerns that human rights are being violated and legal processes circumvented, including through the use of extrajudicial killings.

One example has come as part of a military campaign called Operation Southern Spear.

On September 2, the US announced the first of nearly 44 “lethal kinetic strikes” against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

As many as 150 people have been killed in the attacks. Operation Southern Spear has continued, despite international organisations like the United Nations questioning its legality and calling for its end.

Feb. 24 (Asia Today) — Average household debt per borrower in South Korea rose to a record 97.39 million won ($73,000) at the end of last year, as mortgage lending expanded amid rising home prices, according to data released Monday by the Bank of Korea.

The figure marked the first time per-borrower debt has exceeded 97 million won, up 2.24 million won ($1,680) from a year earlier. Total household loan balances reached about 1,853 trillion won ($1.39 trillion), an increase of 51 trillion won ($38.3 billion) from the previous year.

The central bank said the average rose as overall loan balances increased while the number of borrowers declined slightly, pointing to a growing concentration of debt.

Mortgage loans accounted for much of the increase, particularly among borrowers in their 20s to 40s. The average mortgage balance for borrowers in their 30s climbed to 225.41 million won ($169,000), the highest among age groups.

Loans were concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, where home prices continued to rise. According to the Korea Real Estate Board, apartment prices in Seoul increased 13.5% last year, the steepest gain since 2021.

Despite a slowdown in new lending following the government’s Oct. 15 real estate measures, authorities are moving to tighten controls further as household debt approaches 2,000 trillion won ($1.5 trillion), a level widely viewed as a risk to economic stability.

The Financial Services Commission has said it will set a lower annual loan growth target than last year’s 1.8% and is considering imposing separate caps on mortgage lending, the core component of total loan management.

Regulators are also reviewing a plan to raise risk-weighted asset ratios on mortgage loans from 20% to 25%, a move that would effectively make banks more cautious in extending housing credit.

Major commercial banks have already begun reducing household loan balances in line with regulatory guidance. As of Sunday, the combined household loan balance of the five largest banks stood at 765.6 trillion won ($574 billion), down about 200 billion won ($150 million) from the end of January.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260224010007193

Feb. 24 (Asia Today) — South Korea will invest 19.8 billion won ($15 million) this year to support artificial intelligence-based content production, marking the largest government-backed funding initiative in the sector to date, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday.

The program, administered by the Korea Creative Content Agency, is designed to foster AI as a key growth engine for the content industry, offering support from early-stage development through global expansion.

Funding will be divided into three tracks – entry-level, leading-edge and collaborative – based on a company’s growth stage.

Under the entry-level track, small and medium-sized enterprises will be eligible for up to 200 million won ($150,000) per project. About 24 projects will be selected, focusing on genre convergence, extended reality and interactive content, as well as AI-based production platforms.

The leading-edge track will provide up to 700 million won ($530,000) per project for roughly 10 projects aimed at developing globally competitive AI-powered content. Officials said projects with strong overseas potential will receive priority.

The collaborative track will support partnerships between large or mid-sized companies and smaller firms, with up to 400 million won ($300,000) per project. Around 16 projects will be selected, a sharp increase from four last year.

Beyond financial aid, selected companies will receive legal, copyright and commercialization consulting, along with business matching and expert networking support.

An AI Content Festival will be held in the second half of the year to showcase supported projects and facilitate exchanges with domestic and international industry experts.

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen the country’s digital content ecosystem, while Korea Creative Content Agency said it aims to help companies translate production experience into sustainable business growth.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260224010007202

Feb. 24 (UPI) — The director of the Louvre in Paris, Laurence des Cars, resigned her post Tuesday, months after thieves stole more than $100 million in jewels from the museum, French President Emanuel Macron announced.

The president accepted Cars’ letter of resignation, Macron’s office said, and welcomed the “act of responsibility.” The statement said the museum needs “calm” and strength to carry out major security and modernization projects.

Cars faced grilling by the French Senate in October after the brazen daylight heist of the jewels. A group of four thieves used a basket lift mounted to a truck to enter the museum through a second-floor balcony window and make off with historic jewelry. The loot included crowns, necklaces, tiaras and brooches worth much more than the individual value of the gems and precious metal were the thieves to melt down the pieces to sell the parts.

Among the items stolen were items once owned by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais.

French lawmakers questioned the efficacy of the Louvre’s safety measures in the weeks after the crime.

Auditors determined that the museum had fallen “considerably behind” in upgrading its technical infrastructure and security. The authors of the report took issue with the Louvre’s acquirement of 2,754 items over eight years, one-fourth of which were on display. These items — and renovations of displays — represent an investment of $167 million, double what the Louvre allocated for maintenance, upgrades and building restoration.

The report recommended that the Louvre eliminate a rule that requires the museum spend 20% of its ticket revenues — $143 million in 2024 — on acquiring new works. This would allow the facility to redirect funds to update the building without additional state funding. Auditors said the museum could also lean more heavily on its endowment fund to make the upgrades.

US embassy services will be available in the illegal West Bank settlement of Efrat, starting on February 27.

The United States has announced it will soon provide in-person passport services at an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.

The US Embassy in Jerusalem said it would start providing the service for Efrat, located between the Palestinian towns of Bethlehem and Hebron, on February 27.

It will be the first time the US has “provided consular services to a settlement in the West Bank”, according to a US embassy spokesperson quoted by the Reuters news agency.

The embassy said it would plan similar on-site services in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, the illegal Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit near Bethlehem, and in cities within Israel, such ⁠as Haifa.

The US currently offers passport and consular services at its embassy in West Jerusalem as well ⁠as at a Tel Aviv branch office.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, home to 3 million Palestinians who seek the territory as part of a future state, are illegal under international law.

Nevertheless, far-right Israeli politicians have openly called for Israel to increase settlement expansion, or even annex the Palestinian territory.

This month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government approved measures to expand control over the occupied West Bank and claim large tracts of Palestinian territory as Israeli “state property”.

The move was roundly condemned by more than 80 United Nations member countries.

Much of the West Bank is already under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-government in some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.

According to the International Court of Justice, about 465,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied Palestinian territory, spread across some 300 illegal settlements and outposts.

Among them are an estimated tens of thousands of dual US-Israeli nationals. The Efrat settlement is home to many American immigrants.

US President Donald Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, has said he opposes Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank. But his administration has ‌not taken any steps to curb Israel’s expanding settlement presence.

In addition to advancing settlements, Israeli forces regularly carry out violent raids, demolitions, and arrests in the occupied West Bank, where attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have also intensified, often under the protection of Israeli soldiers.

In January alone, at least 694 Palestinians were driven from their homes in the West Bank because of Israeli settler violence and harassment, the highest number since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza erupted in October 2023, according to the United Nations.

Feb. 24 (UPI) — NASA has delayed the first crewed launch of its Artemis program after encountering a problem with its rocket system.

The space agency said it plans to roll the Artemis II Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft off the launch pad and back into the vehicle assembly building to address the problem Wednesday. The Artemis II SLS rocket has been on launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for more than a month, undergoing testing and rehearsals.

On Tuesday, NASA determined there was an issue with the flow of helium to the upper stage of the rocket. They’ve scheduled the rollback for Wednesday due to high winds Tuesday.

The agency said workers observed the interrupted flow of helium to the interim cryogenic propulsion stage of the rocket on Saturday. The upper stage uses the helium to maintain environmental conditions in the engine and to pressurize liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant tanks.

NASA said the helium system worked during its wet dress rehearsal earlier this month.

“Teams are reviewing potential causes of the issue, including in the interface between ground and rocket lines used to route helium, in a valve in the upper stage, and with a filter between the ground and rocket,” a NASA blog post said. “They are also reviewing data from Artemis I in which teams had to troubleshoot helium-related pressurization of the upper stage before launch.”

NASA said the rollback means Artemis II will miss its previously planned March launch window. The agency is now eyeing a possible April launch window pending the results of troubleshooting.

Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission aboard the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. It’s the second flight of the SLS and the first crewed mission near the moon since 1972.

Over 10 days, Artemis II will travel around the moon and back to Earth as the crew tests whether the spacecraft operates as it should in deep space. The long-term goal of the Artemis program is reestablish a human presence on the moon in preparation for the ultimate aim of putting a human on Mars.

If Warner’s board changes course and deems Paramount’s latest offer superior, Netflix will be able to revise its bid.

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) says it is reviewing a new takeover offer from Paramount Skydance, but it continues to recommend a competing proposal from Netflix to its shareholders in the meantime.

Warner disclosed on Tuesday that it had received a revised offer from Paramount after a seven-day window to renew talks with the Skydance-owned company elapsed on Monday. Paramount – which is run by David Ellison, son of United States President Donald Trump ally and Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison – confirmed it had submitted the proposal, but neither company provided details about it. The company was widely expected to have raised its offer.

A WBD buyout would reshape Hollywood and the wider media landscape, bringing HBO Max, cult-favourite titles like Harry Potter and, depending on who wins the Netflix vs Paramount tug-of-war, potentially even CNN under a new roof.

Paramount wants to acquire Warner Bros in its entirety, including networks like CNN and Discovery, and went straight to shareholders with an all-cash, $77.9bn hostile offer just days after the Netflix deal was announced in December. Accounting for debt, that bid offered Warner stakeholders $30 per share, amounting to an enterprise value of about $108bn.

Paramount maintained on Tuesday that its tender offer remains on the table while Warner evaluates its latest proposal.

Netflix wants to buy only Warner’s studio and streaming business for $72bn in cash, or about $83bn including debt. Warner’s board has repeatedly backed this deal and on Tuesday maintained that its agreement with Netflix still stands.

Warner shareholders are to vote on the Netflix proposal on March 20.

If Warner’s board changes course and considers Paramount’s latest offer superior, Netflix would have a chance to match or revise its proposal, potentially setting the stage for a new bidding war. It could also choose to walk away.

Further consolidation

Paramount, Warner and Netflix have spent the last couple of months in a heated back and forth over who has the stronger deal. But along the way, lawmakers and entertainment trade groups have sounded the alarm, warning that either buyout of all or parts of Warner’s business would only further consolidate power in an industry already run by just a few major players. Critics said that could result in job losses, less diversity in filmmaking and potentially more headaches for consumers who are facing rising costs of streaming subscriptions as is.

Combined, that raises tremendous antitrust concerns – and a Warner sale could come down to who gets the regulatory greenlight. The US Department of Justice has already initiated reviews, and other countries are expected to do so too.

Both Paramount and Netflix have argued that their proposals are good for consumers and the wider industry. And the companies have taken aim at each other publicly with regulatory arguments.

Paramount has pointed to Netflix’s much larger market value, and it has argued that if the streaming giant acquires Warner, it would only give it more dominance in the subscription video-on-demand space. But Netflix is trying to persuade regulators that it’s up against broader video libraries, particularly Google’s YouTube, America’s most-watched TV distributor.

Paramount’s bid will create a studio bigger than market leader Disney and fuse two major TV operators, which some Democratic senators said would control “almost everything Americans watch on TV”.

It will also hand control of CNN to the conservative-leaning Ellisons, soon after they acquired CBS News and installed as its editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, a right-leaning opinion editor who had no prior TV experience. The network settled for $16m a lawsuit that Trump had filed, accusing CBS’s 60 Minutes programme of editing an interview with Kamala Harris to his 2024 presidential election rival’s advantage. It also appointed Kenneth Weinstein, a former Trump administration official, as ombudsman to investigate allegations of bias.

In December, Ellison visited the White House, media reports said, and told Trump that Paramount would execute “sweeping changes” if it acquired CNN’s parent company.

More recently, Trump, in a Truth Social post on Saturday, demanded that Netflix fire former US National Security Adviser Susan Rice from its board. Rice, a Black woman, had served under former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, both Democrats.

“This is a business deal. It’s not a political deal,” Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos told BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today programme on Monday. “This deal is run by the Department of Justice in the US and regulators throughout Europe and around the world.”

Trump previously made unprecedented suggestions about his involvement in seeing a deal through before walking back those statements and maintaining that regulatory approval will be up to the Justice Department.

Feb. 24 (UPI) — Actor and comedian Russell Brand pleaded not guilty to two additional sexual charges in a British court Tuesday, including one for rape.

Brand, 50, was charged in December with the rape and sexual assault of two women, which allegedly happened in 2009. He appeared at Southwark Crown Court for the plea and trial preparation hearing.

He has pleaded not guilty charges of two counts of rape, one charge of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault for offenses against four women that happened between 1999 and 2005.

He appeared Tuesday in a glass-paneled dock carrying a Bible stuffed with sticky notes. He spoke to confirm his name and plea.

Judge Joel Nathan Bennathan said, “Mr. Brand I’m sure you’ve heard everything we’ve been talking about. I will renew your bail.”

Bennathan asked if Brand understood his bail conditions, and Brand replied, “Yes, your lordship.”

His trial on the other five charges is expected later this year.

Brand has previously denied all allegations against him.

He is also a defendant in a civil case that alleges he sexually assaulted an anonymous plaintiff on the set of the remake movie “Arthur” in 2010.

Brand was married to singer Katy Perry from October 2010 to December 2011. He is now married to Laura Gallacher, who is the mother of Brand’s two daughters and a son.

Feb. 24 (UPI) — The Olympic gold-winning U.S. men’s hockey team and several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein‘s sex trafficking scheme will be among the dozens of people invited to attend President Donald Trump‘s State of the Union address on Tuesday.

It’s Trump’s first official State of the Union address during his second term in office, though in March 2025, he did address a joint session of Congress. His theme this year is “America at 250: Strong, Prosperous and Respected,” unnamed officials who have seen a draft of the speech told CNN.

To that end, Trump has invited Team USA’s men’s hockey team to attend the speech at the U.S. Capitol, two days after they won the gold medal in a game against Canada in Milan, Italy. It was the men’s first gold medal in hockey since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team won in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Trump’s invitation — which came during a phone conversation over speakerphone with FBI Director Kash Patel and the team — caused a stir Sunday after the president said he’d also have to invite the women’s team. His comment was met by laughter among some of the men in the locker room, though at least one did yell out that Team USA was “two for two,” seemingly in support of the women.

The women’s hockey team also won gold in a final game against Team Canada. It was their third Olympic gold medal after 1998 and 2018. After Trump’s comments, they declined his invitation to Tuesday’s State of the Union.

First lady Melania Trump invited two people to sit with her during the speech — Sierra Burns, 24, who took part in Trump’s Foster Youth to Independence program; and Everest Nevraumont, 10, who attends a school that incorporates artificial intelligence curriculum.

Meanwhile, several Democratic members of Congress have invited survivors of sex abuser Epstein, The Hill reported. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., invited the family of the late Virginia Giuffre; Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., invited Haley Robson; Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., invited Jess Michaels; Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., invited Annie Farmer, the sister of survivor Maria Farmer; House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., invited Marina Lacerda; and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., invited Dani Bensky.

Some of those survivors, however, will be attending the State of the Union without their respective hosts. Some Democratic lawmakers intend to skip the speech entirely or participate other events in protest of Trump’s policies.

A coalition of liberal activist groups, including MoveOn Civic Action, is holding a so-called “People’s State of the Union” event on the National Mall around the same time as Trump’s speech. The group said the event will include “everyday Americans most impacted by Trump’s dangerous agenda.”

Lawmakers expected to attend the event include Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Adam Schiff of California and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, along with Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Becca Balint of Vermont, Greg Casar of Texas, Veronica Escobar of Texas, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Delia Ramirez of Illinois, Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, John Larson of Connecticut and April Delaney of Maryland, The Hill reported.

The National Press Club is also hosting an event it’s calling “State of the Swamp” to take place ahead of Trump’s speech. Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Seth Moulton, D-Mass., plan to attend both this event and Trump’s speech, while Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.’s office said he’ll only be attending the “State of the Swamp.”

Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., said he plans to boycott the State of the Union this year.

“After watching President Trump run roughshod over the Constitution, display utter disregard for Congress, and openly engage in corruption as he and his family use the office to enrich themselves and tarnish this country that I love, I will not give him the dignity of having my presence at the State of the Union,” Bera said.

The White House’s comment comes days after a senior Trump aide said Iran is one week away from having material for nuclear bomb.

The White House has insisted that last year’s strikes against Iran destroyed the country’s nuclear programme despite a recent claim by a senior US official that Tehran is a week away from having bombmaking material.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, told reporters on Tuesday that the June 2025 attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, was an “overwhelmingly successful mission”.

The attack “did, in fact, obliterate Iran’s nuclear facilities“, Leavitt said.

But just this weekend, President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff suggested that Iran is close to having enough material to build a nuclear weapon.

“They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material,” Witkoff told Fox News on Saturday.

Since last June’s strikes, Trump has repeatedly hailed the attack, arguing that it eliminated Iran’s nuclear programme and led to “peace” in the Middle East. Operation Midnight Hammer came towards the end of a 12-day war Israel initiated with Iran that month.

But eight months later, US and Iranian officials are once again holding talks to reach a nuclear deal and avert another war.

On Tuesday, Leavitt said the destruction of Iran’s nuclear programme had been “verified” by Trump and the United Nations’ watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“That does not mean that Iran may never try again to establish a nuclear programme that could directly threaten the United States and our allies abroad, and that’s what the president wants to ensure can never happen again,” she added.

Last year, after the US attack, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said Iran could resume uranium enrichment “in a matter of months”.

But the UN agency’s inspectors have not been able to assess Iran’s nuclear sites since the US strikes.

The Pentagon’s public assessment was that the Iranian nuclear programme was set back by one to two years.

There has been no official confirmation of the US claims that Iran has restarted nuclear enrichment after the attack.

After a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the US in December, Trump renewed his threats to attack Iran if it tries to rebuild its nuclear or missile programme.

Tensions have spiralled since then, with the US amassing military assets near Iran.

Still, Tehran and Washington are set to hold the third round of negotiations this year to push for a nuclear deal.

Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear weapon, has said it would agree to minimal uranium enrichment under strict IAEA supervision in exchange for lifting sanctions against its economy.

But Trump has repeatedly stressed that it is seeking zero enrichment.

Enrichment is the process of isolating and concentrating a rare variant, or isotope, of uranium that can produce nuclear fission.

At low levels, enriched uranium can power electric plants. If enriched to approximately 90 percent, it can be used for nuclear weapons.

Before the June 2025 war, Iran was enriching uranium at 60 percent purity.

Tehran had been escalating its nuclear programme since 2018, when Trump, during his first term, nixed a multilateral agreement that capped Iran’s enrichment at 3.67 percent. He instead started piling up sanctions on the Iranian economy, as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign.

The White House on Tuesday suggested the military option against Iran remains on the table.

“President Trump’s first option is always diplomacy. But as he has shown, he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary,” Leavitt said.

Who: Real Madrid vs Benfica
What: Champions League playoff, second leg
Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
When: Wednesday at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Real Madrid carry a slender 1-0 lead over Benfica going into the second leg of a Champions League playoff tie that has been overshadowed by allegations of racism.

UEFA has suspended Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni from the second leg on Wednesday after he was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, who scored the only goal in the first game in Lisbon last week.

Meanwhile, Benfica coach Jose Mourinho, who is also suspended for the second leg, has come under fire for criticising Vinicius for his effusive goal celebration.

So the Portuguese side will be expecting an especially hostile welcome at the Bernabeu as they try to overturn their one-goal deficit and reach the last 16.

Courtois ‘disappointed’ in Mourinho’s response

Vinicius wrote that “racists are above all cowards” on social media after the game while Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe backed his teammate and said he had heard Prestianni calling the winger a “monkey”.

The 20-year-old Benfica midfielder, who hid his mouth with his shirt during the confrontation with Vinicius, insisted he did not racially abuse the Brazilian forward after his stunning goal at the Estadio da Luz.

Prestianni could miss at least 10 games if European football’s governing body finds he racially abused Vinicius.

Mourinho waded into the controversy by saying Vinicius’s goal celebration was disrespectful and insisting Benfica was not a racist club because their biggest icon, Eusebio, was Black.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he disagreed with Mourinho’s words.

“At the end of the day, Mourinho is Mourinho. As a coach, you’re always, I think, going to defend your club and what your player has told you,” Courtois said.

“The only thing that disappoints me a bit is using Vini’s celebration. I don’t think Vini did anything wrong there,” he added.

“I don’t think we can justify alleged racism because of a celebration.”

Mourinho’s Bernabeu homecoming upended by suspension

Benfica’s boss has not set foot in the Santiago Bernabeu since leaving Real Madrid in 2013, and he cannot sit in the dugout for the playoff’s second leg after being sent off during his team’s 1-0 first-leg defeat in Lisbon last week for making vituperative complaints about the officials from the touchline.

Mourinho said referee Francois Letexier was avoiding booking Madrid players who were at risk of suspension for the second leg.

“I’ve had my butt on the bench for 1,400 games and [I could see that] he knew perfectly well who he could book and who he couldn’t,” Mourinho complained bitterly.

“I [won’t be] sitting on the bench. I can’t go to the dressing room. I can’t communicate with the team,” he added. “It’s hard for me, but my teammates and my assistants are there. They’ll do their job.”

Benfica also said Mourinho was not going to attend the pregame news conference on Tuesday and his assistant would take over.

Arbeloa says UEFA have chance for ‘turning point’ against racism

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa called on UEFA to make their fight against racism into more than just a slogan after the alleged abuse of Vinicius Jr.

“We have a great opportunity to mark a turning point in the fight against racism,” Arbeloa told reporters on Tuesday.

“UEFA, which has always been and has led this fight against racism, now has the chance not to leave it at just a slogan, at just a nice banner before matches, and I hope that they seize this opportunity.”

Arbeloa said he believed Vinicius will thrive on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu as the record 15-time champions bid to reach the last 16.

“Vinicius Jr has always shown a lot of bravery and a lot of character,” Arbeloa said. “That is always his response. It always has been, and I think it always will be.

“He is a fighter, and I’m sure tomorrow he will go out to fight and have a great game and keep showing he’s one of the best players on the planet.”

Head-to-head

This is only the sixth meeting between two of the biggest clubs from Spain and Portugal. Benfica have won three of the games while Real Madrid have won two.

The two clubs also faced each other in a league stage match in January when Mourinho’s team stunned his former club in a 4-2 win that allowed Benfica to qualify and prevented Madrid from automatically reaching the round of 16.

How many times have Madrid and Benfica won the Champions League?

Madrid are the record winners of Europe’s premier club competition with 15 titles to their name, the last coming in 2024.

Benfica have lifted the trophy on two occasions, and both of those came in consecutive years.

In what was regarded as Benfica’s golden era, Portuguese legend Eusebio helped the team to wins against Barcelona in 1961 and Real Madrid in 1962.

A hat-trick from Hungary’s finest export, Ferenc Puskas, could not save Madrid as Benfica earned a 5-3 win that included a double from Eusebio.

Real Madrid’s team news

Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos and Eder Militao have all been ruled out through injuries while centre back Dean Huijsen, who missed the 2-1 defeat at Osasuna over the weekend with a muscular problem, is a major doubt.

Winger Rodrygo will be unavailable due to a suspension but would anyway be a doubt as he struggles to recover from a hamstring issue.

Raul Asencio is available again after returning from suspension.

Vinicius Jr will be looking to score for the fifth game in a row as he is set to start up front alongside Mbappe.

Predicted starting XI

Courtois (goalkeeper); Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Rudiger, Carreras; Valverde, Guler, Tchouameni, Guler; Mbappe, Vinicius Jr

Benfica’s team news

The Portuguese side’s only injury concern appears to be midfielder Joao Veloso, who will miss the game with a shoulder issue.

Richard Rios could come into the midfield to replace the suspended Prestianni.

Benfica will look to Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis to add to his 28 goals in all competitions this season as he is set to lead the line.

Predicted starting XI:

Trubin (goalkeeper); Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Rios, Aursnes; Lukebakio, Rafa, Schjelderup; Pavlidis

Feb. 24 (UPI) — The U.S. military seized a third oil tanker moving from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

The Bertha, a ship flying the Cook Islands flag, was intercepted overnight in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command region after the Defense Department said it attempted to evade U.S. forces.

“International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned actors. By land, air, or sea, our forces will find you and deliver justice,” the Department of Defense said in a post on X. “The Department of War will deny illicit actors and their proxies freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”

The department alleges that the ship was “operating in defiance of President [Donald] Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

The Cook Islands is a nation of 15 islands located in the South Pacific.

Two more oil tankers were seized in the Indian Ocean by the United States earlier this month.

On Feb. 9, the military pursued an oil tanker from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean without incident.

On Feb. 14, another oil tanker was captured. The Veronica III was the ninth oil tanker the United States had intercepted or seized that was linked to Venezuela since Dec. 10.

The United States has enforced a blockade on oil tankers from Venezuela since Dec. 10. The initial operation was meant to pressure President Nicolas Maduro to step down. In January, the U.S. military captured and detained Maduro and his wife.

Feb. 24 (UPI) — Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the United States, was released on bail in the early hours of Tuesday after being arrested in London on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Metropolitan Police said in a news update that it released a 72-year-old-man arrested at an address in the Camden area of north London earlier on Monday evening, pending further investigation.

The force said the man had been taken to a London police station for questioning after search warrants were executed at two addresses in Wiltshire and Camden on Feb. 6.

Mandelson is 72-years-old and owns homes in Wiltshire and Camden.

The Met launched an investigation amid allegations that Mandelson passed details of confidential government documents when he was serving as Business Secretary in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009 after the latest tranche of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice show email exchanges in which Mandelson appears to share market-sensitive information.

In one email in 2009, Mandelson appeared to send Epstein information regarding Britain’s response to the then-financial crisis, including an “asset sales plan.”

In 2010, he apparently shared information about a “tax on bankers’ bonuses” and gave Epstein advance notice of a bailout package for the Euro, a day before it was announced.

The alleged emails were sent after Epstein’s conviction for sex offenses in the United States in 2008.

The BBC said it understands that Mandelson denies he acted in a criminal way or for personal financial gain in his relationship with Epstein, although he has not commented publicly in months.

Mandelson’s arrest came four days after the former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested and released under investigation by Thames Valley Police in a parallel but separate misconduct in public office probe in connection with his friendship with Epstein.

Mandelson was fired as Britain’s U.S. ambassador by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in September after files from the U.S. House Oversight Commttee emerged showing the “depth and extent” of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was “materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”

Andrew, who settled a sexual assault civil suit brought by the late Virginia Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed eight figure sum out-of-court, has also denied any wrongdoing — but has remained silent on the latest slew of allegations from 2010 and 2011 when he was Britain’s Trade Envoy.

Seven other police forces across the country are running live investigations into Epstein’s links to Britain including allegations he trafficked women and girls to and via Britain on private aircraft after Prime Minister Brown spoke about Epstein’s “Lolita Express” and its use of U.K. airports.

At least 87 flights that were related to Epstein arrived at or departed from U.K. airports between the early 1990s and 2018, according to an investigation by the BBC.

Sky Roberts and Amanda Roberts, Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law, praised Britain’s proactive approach in investigating possible wrongdoing revealed in the files and criticized U.S. authorities for not doing more.

“As Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s family, we commend the British authorities for taking meaningful action and treating the Epstein files with the urgency they demand. While these arrests aren’t for the underlying exploitation, they are a crucial step toward truth and accountability,” they said in a statement Monday.

“The contrast with the continued inaction in the United States is undeniable. Survivors deserve transparency, swift investigation, and real justice, no matter who is implicated.”

A number of European leaders prayed with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, during a service to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Feb. 24 (UPI) — Panama authorities have taken control of two ports operated by a subsidiary of a Hong Kong company, assets that came under scrutiny after President Donald Trump claimed China exerted too much influence over their operation.

Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings condemned the Monday takeover in a statement on Tuesday that said the actions of Panama were “unlawful” and raised risks to the operations, health and safety of the Balboa and Critobal terminals that its subsidiary, Panama Ports, has been operating for decades.

“None of the actions by the Panama State were advised to or coordinate with PPC,” Hutchison Holdings said.

“The Panama State is responsible for harm and damage caused by the confiscatory actions it has taken.”

On Monday morning, Panama’s official gazette published a late-January Supreme Court ruling that made final the court’s decision that the contract law granting Panama Ports Company’s concession extension to operate the ports was unconstitutional.

The ruling came in a pair of lawsuits filed challenging the contract, which was issued by the Maritime Authority of Panama on June 23, 2021. According to a statement from the Panama presidency’s office, the contract was found unconstitutional because it gave a foreign-based company broad rights that limited the state’s control over the use and management of its resources.

After the gazette was published, Panama authorities arrived at the two ports and informed representatives of the Panama Ports Company that it must cease operations, and that those who do not comply with their orders will be prosecuted.

“PPC and CKHH will continue to consult with their legal advisors regarding the ruling and forceful takeover, the purported termination of PPC’s concession and all available recourse, including additional national and international legal proceedings against the Republic of Panama and its agents and third parties colluding with them,” CK Hutchison Holdings said.

The two ports and their Hong Kong connection were thrust into the spotlight on the first day of Trump’s second presidency, when in his inaugural address he said the United States has been “treated very badly” by Panama and that “China is operating the Panama Canal.”

Trump has repeatedly made the claim since, drawing attention to the Hong Kong-based conglomerate that has operated the two ports since 1997.