US sanctions China’s ‘teapot’ refinery for buying Iranian oil
The Hengli refinery has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran’s military, says US Treasury.
![United States President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi walk on the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier docked at a US naval base, before speaking to members of the military in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on October 28, 2025 [Mark Schiefelbein/AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AP25301364841273-1776925513.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
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China’s Xi meets Russian FM Lavrov, calls relations with Moscow ‘precious’
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with top Chinese leadership to discuss the Iran war and other concerns.
![In this handout photo taken and released on April 14, 2026 by the Spanish Prime Minister's office La Moncloa, China's President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing. [Borja Puig de la Bellacasa/La Moncloa via AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AFP__20260414__A7RH6WE__v1__HighRes__ChinaSpainDiplomacyPolitics_cropped-1776177347.jpg?resize=730%2C410&quality=80)
From: NewsFeed
‘We are a stable, predictable country’: Spanish PM Sanchez in Beijing
Spain’s Pedro Sánchez and China’s Xi Jinping stressed respect for international law and a shared “sense of justice”.
Published On 14 Apr 2026
Ice hockey coach admits to faking COVID certificate to enter China Olympics
Swiss Ice Hockey is to host the World Championships in May but faces questions over coach’s false Olympic paperwork.
Russia’s Lavrov visits China as US pressures Iran with Hormuz blockade
China and Russia have been vocal critics of the US-Israel war on Iran, an ally of both world powers.
China dismisses Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong
Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong’s sudden dismissal comes amid a wave of removals amid anticorruption campaign.
Philippines accuses China of using cyanide to poison South China Sea atoll
Officials warn cyanide could harm marine life and weaken the reef supporting a grounded warship.
Iran’s army says US plan to blockade Hormuz ‘amounts to piracy’
The US restrictions on maritime navigation and transit in international waters are illegal, Iranian military says.
Taiwan opposition leader calls for ‘reconciliation’ after meeting Xi
KMT leader Cheng Li-wun stressed shared cultural heritage and suggested she would slow Taiwan’s military build-up.
EXPLAINER
What is Iran’s Strait of Hormuz protocol and will other nations accept it?
Tehran’s plans to tax ships passing through the strait and raise money to rebuild is already seeing pushback.
China probes ‘malicious’ cyberbullying of teen diving champion Quan
Three-time Olympic gold medallist has faced toxic online abuse and considered quitting over comments on her appearance.
