Category: Global
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President Vladimir Putin met Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung at the Kremlin on Tuesday (24 February), reaffirming the Russia–Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership. Putin congratulated General Secretary To Lam on his re-election at the 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, describing bilateral ties as developing on a “positive trajectory” with growing trade and…
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for a “balanced, reliable, regulated and fair” partnership with Chinese President Xi Jinping as he embarked on his first visit to Beijing as German chancellor. Merz said discussions would address Chinese industrial “overcapacity”, export restrictions and market distortions, alongside efforts to “de-risk” supply chains. The visit comes as Germany…
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The United States has accused China of rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal and conducting secret nuclear tests, following the expiry of the New START treaty on 5 February 2026. Speaking at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Christopher Yeaw, US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said China’s nuclear weapons buildup was…
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the UN Human Rights Council that global human rights are under a “full-scale attack”, with the “rule of law” increasingly replaced by the “rule of force”. In his final in-person address to the Council, Guterres said abuses are occurring “in plain sight”, often driven by powerful actors. Guterres urged urgent…
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, strategic minerals, technology and culture during summit talks in Seoul on Monday (23 February). The leaders plan to elevate the bilateral relationship into a strategic partnership and support stability on the Korean Peninsula. Lee described…
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China has overtaken the United States as Germany’s most important trading partner, according to figures released by Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Total trade between Germany and China reached €251.8 billion in 2025, up 2.1% from the previous year. China was Germany’s most important trading partner from 2016 all the way through to 2023. In…
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India–Brazil relations strengthened on Saturday (21 February) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held wide-ranging talks in New Delhi, targeting expanded trade and strategic cooperation. Speaking at Hyderabad House, PM Modi described the partnership as “beneficial for a long time” and set a goal of raising bilateral trade beyond…
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The Trump administration and the Indonesian government have finalised a new US–Indonesia trade agreement, reducing US tariffs on Indonesian goods from 32% to 19%. The deal was concluded during President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Washington for the first meeting of the Trump-led Board of Peace on Gaza reconstruction. According to the White House, Indonesia will…
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The UN Security Council, chaired by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, has addressed the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Cooper described the situation as “the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century,” highlighting the displacement of 14 million people, sexual violence and widespread famine among children. A recent report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission…
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US President Donald Trump convened the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, DC, aimed at overseeing Gaza’s reconstruction and possibly addressing other global hotspots in the future. Representatives from more than 40 countries attended. Palestinian representatives were absent, while some states participated as observers. Trump announced $7 billion in pledges from member…
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