The India-Pakistan conflict in May was among the controversial topics mediated by Beijing in 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

“This year, local wars and cross-border conflicts have broken out more often than at any time since the end of World War II. [World War II]”Wang said at a conference on China’s foreign relations in Beijing. “Geopolitical turbulence continued to spread.”

To build lasting peace, “we took an objective and fair position, and focused on resolving the symptoms and root causes,” added the Chinese foreign minister.

“Following this Chinese approach to resolving sensitive issues, we have played a mediating role in northern Myanmar, on the Iranian nuclear issue, on tensions between Pakistan and India, on issues between Palestine and Israel and on the recent conflict between Cambodia and Thailand,” he said.

Wang also said relations between New Delhi and Beijing had gained “good momentum”, citing China inviting the prime minister. Narendra Modi in Tianjin in August for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

India’s foreign ministry did not react to Wang’s claims. But he maintained that the ceasefire with Islamabad was not the result of a mediation. THE decision to stop The shooting took place after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations called his Indian counterpartNew Delhi said.

It has been repeated several times rejected US President Donald Trump’s claims that Washington mediated the ceasefire.

The Congress on Wednesday slammed China’s claims and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide clarity on the issue.

“China’s claims of mediating between India and Pakistan are worrying, not only because they contradict what has been said to the people of the country so far, but also because they appear to make a mockery of our national security,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a social media post.

Ramesh linked the issue to India’s broader relations with China. “We have resumed negotiations with China – but unfortunately these negotiations are taking place on China’s terms,” he said.

“Our trade deficit is at a record level and a large part of our exports depend on imports from China,” he added. “China’s provocative actions against Arunachal Pradesh continue unabated. »

“Amid such one-sided and hostile relations, the people of India deserve to clarify the role that China played in the sudden halt to Operation Sindoor,” the Congress leader said.

Tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad intensified in May when the Indian military led strikes – code name Operation Sindoor – on what it claims are terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The strikes were a response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people on April 22.

Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes on several occasions bombing of Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

In July, the Indian military said Pakistan had been receive information in real time of China on India’s large military deployments during the four-day conflict in May.

Lieutenant General Rahul R SinghDeputy Chief of Army (Capability Development and Sustainment), had said that India effectively faced three adversaries during the conflict, with Pakistan leading the front, China providing considerable support and Turkey plays an important role in providing drones “as well as trained people who were on site”.

The Indian Army said that over the past five years, 81% of military equipment that Pakistan received was Chinese. “[China] is able to test [its] weapons against various other weapon systems that are there, so it’s like an actual laboratory at their disposal,” Singh had said.

Also read: Modi in China: new detente or progressive trajectory?

Thousands of revelers are expected to welcome the New Year with the end of Edinburgh’s famous Hogmanay celebrations.

People were left disappointed last year after the festival was cancelled, but forecasters are expecting dry conditions in the Scottish capital on New Year’s Eve this year.

Temperatures will reach around minus 2C in the city, but festival-goers will avoid weather warnings about snow and ice expected to hit parts of Scotland from 6am on New Year’s Day.

Airspace restrictions are in force for unmanned aircraft to fly below 2,000 feet above sea level within a one nautical mile radius of Edinburgh Castle, from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 2 a.m. Thursday.

Elsewhere, the Stonehaven Fireball Ceremony will take place in Aberdeenshire and the annual Biggar Bonfire will take place in South Lanarkshire, while ceilidhs and other cultural events will take place across the country.

Before the new year, Prime Minister John Swinney quoted Robert Burns’ Auld Lang Syne to urge people to do small acts of kindness in 2026.

Energy bills for many households will rise on Thursday, just as a series of cold weather health alerts have been issued across large parts of the UK.

The 0.2% increase in Ofgem’s energy price cap will equate to an increase of around 28p per month for the average household in England, Wales and Scotland remaining on a standard variable tariff.

This equates to an average overall bill of £1,758 per year, up from £1,755 currently.

The regulator said funding for nuclear projects and reductions on some households’ winter bills were behind the increase announced in November.

This included funding the government’s Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk – with an average of £1 added to each household’s energy bills per month for the duration of the £38 billion build.

The increase in fixed charges – the amount consumers pay each day for their homes to have energy – was also largely due to costs linked to the government’s Warm Home Discount scheme.

Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, are eligible for the £150 reduction this winter.

However, the regulator said the new price cap was £37 lower than a year ago, when adjusted for inflation.

Ofgem’s price cap sets a maximum rate per unit and ongoing charges that customers can be charged when not on a fixed rate.

This does not limit the total amount of bills, because households still pay for the amount of energy they use.

The price cap increase comes just as a yellow warning for snow and ice has been issued for parts of Scotland north of the Central Belt, from 6am on New Year’s Day until midnight on January 2.

Meanwhile, orange cold health alerts have been issued for the north east and north west of England, which are expected to remain in force until midday on January 5, with temperatures expected to drop to 3-5°C.

Yellow cold health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) for London and the east, south-east and south-west of England, as well as the East and West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “It’s true that every little bit doesn’t help as households spend a fifth winter in the energy bill crisis. Tiny changes to price caps still hit hard for families choosing between heating and eating.”

“People continue to live in cold, damp homes, where risks go beyond discomfort and can extend to real danger, including exposure to carbon monoxide. Young adults, private renters and households with children are among those most at risk as people turn down the heating, delay repairs and try to block drafts just to stay warm.

“Meanwhile, the energy industry as a whole has made more than £125 billion in profits in the UK since 2020, including companies operating in a declining North Sea. This is not a crisis of shortages, it is a crisis of priorities. Ministers must go beyond short-term price cap adjustments and get serious about eliminating fuel poverty by investing in energy efficiency, reforming energy prices, introducing a fair social tariff and fully funding the Warm Homes plan.”

There are several deals on the market at prices below the ceiling price, so now is a good time to shop around if you’re looking to repair

Which? Energy editor Emily Seymour said: “As we head into the colder months of the year, many households will be concerned about the slight increase in the energy price cap in the new year.

“There are several deals on the market for less than the cap price, so now is a good time to shop around if you’re looking to resolve the issue. Generally, we recommend looking for deals that are cheaper than the current cap price, no longer than 12 months, and without significant exit fees.

“If you are on a variable tariff, make sure you submit a meter reading to ensure you pay the cheapest rates for any energy used before the new price cap comes into force.”