Category: Global
Coverage of geopolitics, international relations, and current affairs from a global perspective, including international organisations, cross-border cooperation, climate summits, and worldwide security trends.
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US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed to a new trade deal reducing US tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%. The agreement also ends a 25% penalty linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil. Key points: • India will reduce trade barriers to zero for US goods. •…
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A new War Watch report by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights warns that international humanitarian law (IHL) is under unprecedented strain. Surveying 23 armed conflicts from July 2024 to December 2025, the study highlights over 100,000 civilian deaths annually, widespread torture, and sexual violence. In Gaza the total population “fell…
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Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, has described the current international environment as a period of accelerated change rather than systemic collapse, speaking at the Oslo Security Conference 2026. He said the world is experiencing a strategic “rupture”, noting that history is defined by repeated transformations now unfolding at unprecedented speed. Støre argued that elements…
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China and Russia have reaffirmed their strategic partnership amid growing strains on the global order. During talks in Beijing on Sunday (1 February), Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister, met Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, just two months after their previous meeting in Russia. Wang warned that the post-World War II international…
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The UK and Japan have agreed to accelerate cooperation on cybersecurity and critical minerals, citing growing strategic pressure in the Indo-Pacific. During an overnight visit to Tokyo, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the partnership comes amid “geopolitical, economic and technological shocks” reshaping the global order. The visit followed talks in Beijing with Chinese President…
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The United Nations is facing an “imminent financial collapse” that could disrupt operations by mid-2026, according to its Secretary-General António Guterres. In a letter to all 193 member states, Guterres warned that unpaid assessed contributions are undermining programme delivery and threatening the organisation’s financial stability. Key developments: • Only 77% of assessed contributions due for…
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South Africa and Israel have expelled each other’s senior diplomats, marking a further deterioration in relations. Pretoria declared Ariel Seidman, Israel’s chargé d’affaires, persona non grata, citing diplomatic breaches and social media attacks on President Cyril Ramaphosa. Israel responded by expelling Shaun Edward Byneveldt, South Africa’s most senior envoy, giving both diplomats 72 hours to…
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UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has defended his four-day visit to China after US President Donald Trump warned it was “very dangerous” for Britain to deepen business ties with Beijing. Speaking during the trip, Starmer said the visit had delivered tangible commercial gains and argued the UK should not “stick its head in the…
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At a press conference outlining his priorities for 2026, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, warned that the international system is becoming increasingly unstable as power politics override global norms. Drawing on his background in physics, Guterres said the world no longer responds to political actions in predictable ways, noting that “reckless actions are…
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told Chinese President Xi Jinping he wants a “sophisticated relationship” with Beijing, signalling a reset after years of strained ties. The talks came during Starmer’s four-day visit to China — the first by a British prime minister in eight years — amid concerns over security, human rights, and economic…
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