Australia foreign minister criticises Beijing over South China Sea conduct
Australia's foreign minister criticised Beijing's conduct in the South China Sea, calling it "destabilising and dangerous". The statement adds another criticis…
Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Published stories in Diplomacy & Geopolitics.
Japan says China and Russia held live-fire drill in its economic waters
Chinese and Russian naval forces conducted a joint live-fire exercise with machine guns inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, Tokyo said Tuesday. China rejec…
Myanmar and Middle East fighting loom over ASEAN foreign ministers’ talks
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering in the Philippines for meetings shaped by renewed fighting in the Middle East and divisions over Myanmar’s place in regional diplomacy. Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are meeting in Ma…
Senegal backs former president Macky Sall for UN chief
Senegal announced on Monday that it is supporting former president Macky Sall's bid to become the next United Nations secretary-general, reversing its earlier position. The decision came three days after Sall visited President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in Dakar.…
France says Iceland has nothing to lose by reopening EU talks
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Iceland had nothing to lose by negotiating with the European Union over membership, as the country prepares for a referendum on restarting stalled accession talks. Icelanders are due to vote on August 29 on whethe…
Spanish prime minister visits Algeria as ties recover after Western Sahara dispute
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Algiers on Monday that he wanted to deepen ties with Algeria as the two countries work to repair relations after a dispute over Western Sahara. Sanchez said the visit, his first to Algeria in four years, had partic…
France says two diplomats were detained and intimidated in Iran
France’s foreign minister said two French diplomats in Iran were subjected to what he called an extremely serious act of intimidation by Iranian security services, and said one of them was physically abused. Jean-Noel Barrot said in a statement that Iranian o…
Russia orders Italian military attache and aide to leave Moscow
Russia ordered the expulsion of an Italian military attache and one of his aides from Moscow on Monday, saying the move was retaliation for Italy expelling two Russian military attaches earlier this month. Russia's foreign ministry said the officials and thei…
Thai prime minister sings for Chinese premier during Beijing visit
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul sang for Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a formal lunch in Beijing on Monday, in another example of his use of music during diplomatic meetings. Footage released by Anutin's office showed him seated beside Li at a long…
Macron congratulates Burnham and calls for EU partnership momentum
France’s Macron congratulated new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and urged new momentum in the European Union partnership. The message adds to European reaction already reported from European Council President Antonio Costa, who congratulated Burnham on…
China protests to Philippine ambassador after disputed shoal clash
China's foreign ministry said Tuesday it had urgently summoned the Philippine ambassador to protest what it called a deliberate provocation and attack by the P…
Iran interior minister set to visit Islamabad, Pakistan source says
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni is set to travel to Islamabad on Monday, a Pakistani interior ministry source said. The source said Momeni would hold talks with Pakistani officials. The source did not say whether the visit was connected to Pakistan'…
Putin thanks North Korea for support in Ukraine war
Russian President Vladimir Putin met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui on Sunday and thanked North Korea for supporting Moscow's war in Ukraine. In a video released by the Kremlin, Putin said he was grateful for the support given to what Russia calls…
Trump says Netanyahu will not be arrested in New York
US President Donald Trump said Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not be arrested while in the United States, after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was looking into whether city police could detain him at a United Nations summit…
Algeria and Mali reopen diplomatic ties after Sahel dispute
Algeria and Mali have announced the return of their ambassadors and the reopening of airspace to one another, after more than a year of strained relations that followed Algeria's shooting down of a Malian drone. Relations worsened sharply in April 2025 after…
North Korean foreign minister travels to Russia for Lavrov talks
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui has flown to Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, North Korean state media reported. The Korean Central News Agency said Choe and her party left Pyongyang for Russia on July 18 aboard what it…
Rubio praises Lebanon peace efforts during talks with Aoun
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington on Sunday and praised Lebanon's efforts after the latest round of Lebanon-Is…
Iraq says it signed 48 agreements during prime minister's US visit
Iraq signed 48 agreements and partnerships with American companies, many of them in the oil sector, during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's visit to the United States, his office said Saturday. The Iraqi leader's media office said the agreements included memoran…
US welcomes plan to restore Iraq-Syria oil pipeline
The US State Department said Friday that Iraq and Syria intend to restore a crude oil pipeline between the two countries that has been closed for decades. The department said the United States welcomed the Iraqi and Syrian governments' plan to advance the reh…
US lets Hong Kong emergency expire but keeps wider order in place
The United States has allowed a national emergency declaration linked to Hong Kong's security situation to expire, US officials confirmed Friday, but Washington has not clearly said whether it will restore preferential trade treatment for the city. The emerge…
The Gambia and Senegal trade statements over contested border incident
The Gambia said Friday it was deeply concerned after what it called a profoundly provocative border incursion by the Senegalese Armed Forces at a military post in a contested border zone. In a statement from its government spokesman, The Gambia alleged that a…
US condemns China actions as Rubio arrives in Manila
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila on Tuesday for a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers, as Washington condemned what it called China…
UK aid cuts draw criticism from charities
The UK government faced growing criticism from non-governmental organisations after details showed deep cuts to overseas aid budgets for countries in Africa and Asia, in some cases by up to 90 percent. Analyses of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Offi…
Former leaders warn of threat to future Palestinian state
Two former heads of government from the Elders group of international figures founded by Nelson Mandela warned on Friday that the Palestinian territories could disappear and called for an end to what they described as Israeli impunity. Former Ireland presiden…
Iran leader says US attacks show Trump deal signature is 'worthless'
Iran's supreme leader said US attacks proved that President Donald Trump's signature on a deal was "worthless," adding to his warnings during the continuing es…
Philippines protests China Daily video it calls racist
The Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing on Friday over a China Daily video that Manila described as racist for portraying the Philippines as a cartoon monkey. The foreign department said Foreign Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim first raised the…
China and Pakistan urge US and Iran to return to talks
China's foreign ministry said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called for the United States and Iran to stop fighting and resume negotiations after a meeting in Shanghai on Friday. According to the ministry statement,…
Pakistan lobbying contract seeks closer US defence and minerals ties
Pakistan hired a US lobbying firm to press Washington for stronger security cooperation and investment in minerals, according to a two-year contract filed in a public official database. The $1.2 million agreement with Ervin Graves Strategy Group began in May.…
North Korea says Kim met senior Chinese official as treaty anniversary marked
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met senior Chinese official Wang Huning and pledged to deepen ties with Beijing, North Korean state media KCNA reported. The meeting took place as North Korea and China marked the 65th anniversary of their 1961 mutual defense t…
Nicaragua says it is cutting diplomatic ties with Italy
Nicaragua said Thursday it is severing diplomatic relations with Italy after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticized Managua for sheltering Alessio Casimirri, who was convicted in Italy over the 1978 kidnapping and killing of former Italian prime m…
EU summons Burkina Faso ambassador over expulsions of two diplomats
The European Union summoned Burkina Faso's ambassador after the West African country decided to expel two diplomats from the EU delegation. EU spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said online that the bloc strongly protested what it called Burkina Faso's unjustified dec…
French prime minister pledges closer ties with Morocco during Rabat visit
France and Morocco moved to strengthen their renewed partnership during a visit by French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to Rabat, while new reports about alleged Moroccan use of Pegasus spyware against French officials threatened to overshadow the trip. Le…
Taiwan rejects Papua New Guinea move to close Taipei office
Taiwan said Thursday it rejects Papua New Guinea's decision to shut down Taiwan's representative office in Port Moresby, while China welcomed the move. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it strongly protested the decision, saying it was made without prior consult…
Ukraine gives Keir Starmer Order of Freedom during Kyiv visit
Ukraine awarded Britain's Keir Starmer its Order of Freedom honour on Thursday during what the report described as his final visit to Kyiv as outgoing prime minister. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Starmer at a press conference in Kyiv and sai…
Iran summons UK ambassador over Revolutionary Guards ban plan
Iran's foreign ministry summoned Britain's ambassador to Tehran to protest the UK government's plan to ban the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian state media reported. State news agency IRNA said Hugo Shorter, Britain's ambassador to Tehran, was summo…
Greenland research institute halts new US partnerships to protect data and scientists
Greenland's leading environmental and natural-resource research centre is stopping new collaboration with US partners to protect its data and scientists, its head said on Wednesday. Josephine Nymand, director of the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, s…
China opposes US sanctions bill on buyers of Russian energy
China said Wednesday that it firmly opposes a sanctions bill proposed by US senators and backed by President Donald Trump that targets countries buying Russian energy. The bipartisan legislation could allow the United States to increase pressure on Russia ove…
Russia rejects EU and UK cyber-attack accusations and sanctions
Russia rejected accusations by the European Union and Britain that its intelligence agencies were behind a campaign of cyber attacks on Europe. London and Brussels announced coordinated sanctions on Monday against Russia over what they called the Russian stat…
China calls for safe passage through Strait of Hormuz
China called on the United States and Iran on Tuesday to restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, after fighting between the two sides reignited over how the strategic waterway should be managed. Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a news br…
People cross freely as Gibraltar-Spain border controls end
Pedestrians and vehicles crossed freely between Spain and Gibraltar on Wednesday after an agreement ending regular border controls came into force. Shortly before midnight, Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and three former chief ministers removed the f…
US announces new sanctions on Cuban entities and Tourism Ministry
The United States announced a new round of sanctions on Monday against Cuban state-owned enterprises, militia groups and Cuba’s Tourism Ministry. The State Department said the measures target what it called the “interlocking pillars” of Cuba’s economic and po…
Britain joins EU support loan for Ukraine
Britain signed up on Monday to take part in the European Union’s 90-billion-euro, or $103 billion, support loan for Ukraine, allowing UK firms to provide more weapons paid for by the funds. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement that the agre…
EU countries seek proposal to ban trade with Israeli settlements
A majority of European Union countries called Monday for the bloc to prepare a proposal to ban imports of products from Israeli settlements, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Kallas said the option with the most…
Russia summons German ambassador over support for Ukraine
Russia summoned Germany’s ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, on Monday to protest Berlin’s support for Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry said. The ministry said Lambsdorff was told that Germany’s growing support for Kyiv, including military…
EU announces air defence support for Moldova
The European Union announced on Monday support worth 120 million euros, with the source giving a dollar equivalent of $137 billion, to strengthen Moldova's air defences against drone threats linked to Russia's war on Ukraine. The EU said the measure would fin…
Germany summons Russian ambassador over alleged cyberattacks
Germany's foreign ministry said it summoned Russia's ambassador on Monday to protest what it described as hostile cyberattacks targeting the European Union. A ministry spokeswoman told reporters that the ambassador was summoned in connection with the cyberatt…
Trump praises Iraq's new prime minister during White House talks
US President Donald Trump praised Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during White House talks on Tuesday, while Washington continued to press Baghdad to curb Iranian influence. Trump hosted Zaidi, a businessman who came to power this year with US support after…