China's Liu Jinsong starts Australia ambassador post
Chinese ambassador Liu Jinsong has begun his posting in Australia, saying he travelled by public bus from Sydney to Canberra and spoke with Australians on the…
Diplomacy & Geopolitics — August 2026
Syria hails removal from US terrorism sponsor list
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hailed the United States' removal of Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list, while Turkey's foreign ministry welcomed…
Xi urges diplomatic Mideast solution in Jordan talks
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged a diplomatic solution to the Middle East crisis in talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Beijing on Monday, according to C…
Armenia to prepare EU membership bid, Pashinyan says
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told parliament on Monday that Armenia may soon start the process needed to submit an official application to join the…
India security chief visits China for border talks
India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing on Monday for a two-day visit for talks on the countries' disputed Himalayan border, India's fo…
Iran calls France diplomat expulsions illegal
Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that France's decision to expel two Iranian diplomats was illegal, after Paris acted in response to Tehran's ban on two Fre…
Finland to host EU Arctic summit in September
Finland announced on Monday that it would host an EU leaders' summit on the Arctic in Rovaniemi on September 13-14, as the region draws growing geopolitical at…
Japan lawmakers head to China after Taiwan row
A delegation of Japanese lawmakers left for China on Monday to seek dialogue after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments on Taiwan angered Beijing. Takaich…
Ukraine gets $7.1bn EU air defence aid
The European Union said Monday that it had released another 6.1 billion euros, or $7.1 billion, in military aid for Ukraine to strengthen its air defences agai…
Andy Burnham says UK will keep aiding Ukraine
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK would continue aiding Ukraine despite what he called Russia's “outrageous threats”, as he visited Kyiv on Monda…
Syria FM met Mossad chief in Jordan, AFP sources say
Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met Mossad chief Roman Gofman in Jordan on Sunday, two sources told AFP, in talks held days after an Israeli attack on an airbase in northwestern Syria. A diplomatic source and a Syrian government source, both request…
Russian ambassador to UK has left post, embassy says
The Russian embassy in London said Sunday that Russia no longer has an ambassador in post in Britain, after the Sunday Times reported that Moscow had withdrawn envoy Andrei Kelin. The embassy said a comment it gave the newspaper did not imply Russia intended…
Pakistan army chief meets Iran president in Tehran
Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Monday as Islamabad continued mediation efforts over the war between Iran…
Mohammed bin Salman visits Macron as unions protest
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has begun a two-day visit to France hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, opening the trip at the Esports World Cu…
Syria seeks to join anti-chemical weapons pact
Syria said Friday it had requested to join the International Partnership Against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, making the announcement with France on the anniversary of a 2013 chemical attack near Damascus. France welcomed the request as "a clear…
Turkey denounces Netanyahu's political tactics
Turkey's president's office on Friday denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's “petty political tactics” in the latest statement in a growing diplomatic row between the two countries. In a statement posted on X, the office condemned what it calle…
Ukraine allies to meet in Kyiv on Independence Day
Countries allied with Ukraine in its war with Russia will meet Monday to reaffirm support for Kyiv in talks held on Ukraine's independence day, the French pres…
Netanyahu warrant row: Israel, Turkey exchange accusations
Turkey and Israel exchanged accusations Friday after Ankara said it had sought Interpol red notice alerts for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ano…
Japan protests Russian missile tests off Kuril Islands
Japan said Friday it had protested after Russia notified Tokyo that it would conduct missile tests off the disputed Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the Northe…
China, Indonesia plan missile cooperation, minister says
China and Indonesia will cooperate on missiles and rockets, and China will help transfer technology so factories can be built in Indonesia, Indonesian Defence…
South Korea rail plan shows limits of North Korea outreach
South Korea's plan to revive a border rail link near the demilitarised zone has become a symbol of President Lee Jae Myung's attempt to reopen ties with North Korea, even as Pyongyang rejects Seoul's overtures and Washington pursues its own talks. The abandon…
UN secretary-general race led by Guyana's Rodrigues-Birkett
Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has moved to the front of the race to succeed Antonio Guterres as United Nations secretary-general after leading a second in…
Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett leads UN chief straw poll
Guyanese former foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett narrowly led the second informal Security Council straw poll on the race to become the next UN secre…
Hezbollah says US sanctions will not deter it
Hezbollah said Friday that new US sanctions and an amended US legal designation would not deter its resistance against Israel, a day after Washington targeted…
Cuba sanctions hit Construction Ministry, mining firms
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions on Cuban entities Thursday, including Cuba's Ministry of Construction and several state-owned metals…
Min Zin detention not wrongful, China says
China said Friday that US citizen Min Zin was suspected of violating Chinese law and denied Washington's designation of him as wrongfully detained. Foreign mi…
India and Japan sign maritime security memorandum
India and Japan signed a memorandum on maritime security cooperation after their defence ministers met in New Delhi on Thursday, August 20, as the two governments said they would deepen defence ties in the Indo-Pacific. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh a…
Myanmar military chief holds border talks in Thailand
Myanmar military chief Ye Win Oo held talks with Thai military chief Ukris Boontanondha in Bangkok on August 20, 2026, on his first foreign trip in the role, with Thailand saying the agenda focused on security along their 2,400-kilometre border. Ukris greeted…
Pakistan summons US envoy over Kashmir remarks
Pakistan summoned Washington's top envoy in Islamabad after the US ambassador to India described disputed Kashmir as “an important part of India,” Pakistan's f…
Israel aid worker probe closure condemned by three nations
Britain, Canada and Australia on Friday condemned Israel's decision to close an investigation into the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed…
Netanyahu calls Erdogan 'antisemitic dictator'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an “antisemitic dictator” on Friday and said Israel would keep acting against what it described as Turkish attempts to destabilise the region. The statement came…
Nicaragua opposition ban plan faces OAS emergency meeting
The Organization of American States voted on Wednesday to call an emergency foreign ministers meeting to discuss Nicaragua's planned constitutional reform that…
India rejects Chinese intrusion reports on disputed border
India on Wednesday dismissed reports of a Chinese intrusion along the countries' disputed Himalayan frontier, after the opposition Congress party voiced concer…
Syria-Israel talks included Mossad chief, sources tell AFP
Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met Roman Gofman, described as the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, in Jordan on Sunday, a diplomatic source and a Syrian government source told AFP, during Syria-Israel talks that Damascus said focused on…
Lebanon invited to Paris army support talks
Lebanon said Wednesday it had received an invitation from France to attend a preparatory meeting in Paris on September 17 for an international conference on su…
Ben Gvir Gaza remarks condemned by UN, Germany, France
The United Nations, Germany and France condemned remarks by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling for Israel to kill “30 or 40” people every night in Gaza. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman Stephane Dujarric called the rem…
France to expel two Iranian diplomats over Tehran ban
France will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days in retaliation for Iran barring two French diplomats from returning to Tehran, French Foreign Minist…
Syria foreign minister to visit Pakistan, source says
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani is due to travel to Islamabad on August 19 for a two-day visit, a diplomatic source in Damascus said Tuesday. The so…
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to visit Rome over UNIFIL
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is scheduled to visit Rome on Thursday for talks on the future of UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, a Lebanese official said. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Aoun would meet I…
Ivonne A-Baki enters UN secretary-general race
Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne A-Baki has entered the race to become the next UN secretary-general, the head of the UN General Assembly said in an August 18 letter…
Xi says China backs Latin America self-reliance
China's President Xi Jinping told Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa in Beijing on Tuesday that China supports Latin American countries in "upholding independence and self-reliance", Xinhua reported. Noboa is on a week-long visit to China that began Sunday. Xin…
Iran's Ghalibaf hails 'new order' on Iraq visit
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Wednesday in Iraq that his visit was aimed at strengthening a “new order” in the region, as Baghdad fa…
South Korea's Lee to meet China foreign minister in Seoul
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Seoul on Thursday, Lee's office said, with talks expected to cover relations between the two countries and the regional situation. The presidential Blue House said Lee would di…
Japan says cooperation with US, South Korea critical
Japan's defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday that cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea was critical to regional peace and stability, after US President Donald Trump scaled back military drills with Seoul. Speaking in Australia…
Kuril Islands row: Russia rebukes Japan ambassador
Russia rebuked Japan's ambassador in Moscow on Tuesday over Tokyo's protest against President Vladimir Putin's visit last week to the disputed Kuril Islands. Japanese ambassador Akira Muto was summoned to Russia's foreign ministry and told that “Russia's sove…
Jordan King Abdullah II to visit China for Xi talks
Jordan's King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein will visit China from August 18 to 24 for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, China's foreign ministry said Monday. The visit is taking place at Xi's invitation. Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the leader…
Kim Jong Un's sister says unaware of Trump contact
Kim Jong Un's sister said she was unaware of reported communication between the North Korean leader and US President Donald Trump, after Trump said Kim had responded to his requests for contact. Kim Yo Jong said Wednesday that she was “completely unaware” of…
Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing meets Putin in Moscow
Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Tuesday, his first visit to Moscow since becoming civilian president, as…
Trump welcomes Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense pact
US President Donald Trump said Sunday he welcomed a defense pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, calling the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement a “BIG, BOLD, IMPORTANT FIRST STEP” on Truth Social. Trump wrote that he was “very happy” to see the three…
Trump says he will meet Kim Jong Un this year
US President Donald Trump said he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later in 2026, giving no details but signalling an effort to revive direct diplomacy with Pyongyang. Asked at the White House whether he planned to meet Kim later this year, Trump sa…
Bangladesh says PM won't visit India until Hasina extradited
Bangladesh said Sunday that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not visit India until New Delhi extradited former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled during a 2024 uprising. Foreign ministry official A.K.M. Shahidul Karim played down media speculation that…
Kim Jong Un says he is proud of Russia ties, KCNA says
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin he was proud of their countries' ties, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday. KCNA said Kim made the comment in a letter to Putin marking Korea's liberation from…
Gaza plan: 8 Muslim countries condemn Israeli rejection
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates condemned Israel's rejection of a roadmap for implementing US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan on Sunday. In a joint statement, the min…
Iceland EU talks vote raises Brussels hopes
Icelanders are voting until August 29, 2026, on whether to reopen accession negotiations with the European Union, giving Brussels hope for a rare enlargement success after years of slow progress elsewhere. The ballot asks residents: “Should Iceland reopen acc…
South Korea proposes talks to formally end Korean War
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the Korean War, saying the two sides should begin discussions as the directly involved parties. Lee made the proposal in a speech at a ceremony marking the anniversary of Kor…
Japan defence minister's Yasukuni visit draws China protest
China protested after Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Yasukuni shrine on August 15, the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stayed away. China's foreign ministry said it “strongly condem…
UK rejects Netanyahu's 'Islamic republic' Britain remark
Britain criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday after he referred to the country as an “Islamic republic” while attacking the UK's stance on Israel. “These comments are completely unacceptable and we have raised them with the Israeli Go…
Claudia Sheinbaum criticizes US over visa denials
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticised the United States on Friday over recent visa denials affecting Mexican politicians, saying they reflected what she called a politically motivated desire to intervene in Mexico. Her comments came after Andres Manu…
Cuba aid stalled by US sanctions fears, UN warns
Humanitarian aid for Cuba is being delayed or diverted because shipping, insurance and financial firms fear US sanctions, the top United Nations official on the island warned. Francisco Pichon, the UN resident coordinator in Cuba, said a climate of fear among…
Gaza deal: Hamas says it remains committed
Hamas said Tuesday it remained committed to a United States-backed Gaza peace deal, but said Israel had not yet clearly approved the roadmap after White House envoy Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about steps towards the group's di…
Hegseth says Iran will pay for ‘poor choice’
Hegseth said Iran would “pay” for what he called its “poor choice.”
Cambodia and US to restart military drills in 2027
Cambodia and the United States will restart joint military exercises in 2027, Prime Minister Hun Manet said Friday, after a decade-long pause in the drills. Hun Manet announced the planned return of the Angkor Sentinel exercise after meeting Elbridge Colby, t…
Gaza post-war plans face security and governance hurdles
Plans for post-war Gaza face major security, governance and funding hurdles, even as local and international players prepare for the period after the war. Sec…
Poland to build memorial to Volhynia massacre victims
Poland will build a Wall of Remembrance in Warsaw for civilian victims of wartime killings by Ukrainian nationalists, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on S…
Cyril Ramaphosa visits France for talks and WWI tribute
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is visiting France for talks with President Emmanuel Macron and a World War I commemoration for South African soldiers…
Strait of Hormuz: Iran FM to visit Oman, state media says
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Oman on Saturday for talks on the Strait of Hormuz and shipping safety, Iranian state media said. Iran'…
Russian energy sanctions bill gets Trump deal, senators say
Four US senators said Friday they had reached an agreement with President Donald Trump to advance bipartisan legislation targeting countries that buy Russian e…
Israeli settlement goods in EU trade ban talks
EU foreign ministers will discuss a possible import ban on products from Israeli settlements at a Brussels meeting on Monday, diplomats said, after several member states pressed for bloc-wide action. The diplomats said the meeting was not expected to produce…
Myanmar ASEAN freeze remains despite talks, Thailand says
Myanmar's leadership remains sidelined by ASEAN despite planned informal talks between the country's foreign minister and Southeast Asian counterparts in Bangk…
Philippines rejects China academics' Batanes claim
The Philippines rejected a statement by Chinese academics claiming the Batanes Islands, the country's northernmost islands, rightfully belonged to Beijing. Th…
Keiko Fujimori seeks to restore Peru-Mexico ties
Peru's president-elect Keiko Fujimori said Thursday that she intends to restore diplomatic relations with Mexico, after formal ties were suspended in November.…
Pacific Islands condemn China missile test
Pacific Island leaders and analysts have condemned China's ballistic missile test after monitors and Pacific officials said a dummy warhead landed between Naur…
Modi visits New Zealand as trade deal faces backlash
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in New Zealand on Friday for a short visit centred on trade, tourism and sport, as a free trade deal with India faces…
Venezuela quake threatens transition, analysts say
Venezuela's June 24 double earthquake is threatening to slow momentum toward a democratic transition, with US officials emphasizing stabilization and disaster…
Marshall Islands criticises China Pacific missile test
Marshall Islands has criticised China’s ballistic missile test in the Pacific, citing its history as a former US nuclear test ground. A Chinese submarine test…
Canada seeks closer Saudi ties in Carney visit
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada wants closer ties with Saudi Arabia and will not lecture countries “from afar,” during the first visit to the kingdom by a Canadian premier in 25 years. Carney travelled to Jeddah for talks with Saudi Crown Prin…
Mozambique says Russia offered help against insurgency
Mozambique said Thursday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offered Moscow’s support against the insurgency in the country’s northern Cabo Delgado province. Mozambique’s presidency said the insurgency was discussed in talks between Lavrov and Preside…
Syria welcomes US move to remove terror blacklist label
Syria welcomed a US announcement that it would remove the country from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that has curbed investment for nearly five decades. Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Congress on Wednesday of the planned d…
Taiwan coast guard takes foreign lawmakers near China
Taiwan's coast guard took foreign lawmakers on a patrol Thursday around Kinmen, islands controlled by Taipei that lie only a few kilometres from China. The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China posted photos and videos on X showing lawmakers on a Taiwanese co…
Iran summons UK ambassador over London stabbing case
Iran summoned the British ambassador in Tehran to protest what it called "baseless accusations" after a London court jailed two people over a knife attack on an Iranian journalist. Iran's official IRNA news agency said Thursday that Tehran conveyed its protes…
French minister says Iran brought US strikes on itself
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Thursday that Iran had brought new US attacks on itself by violating a truce deal, while calling for calm between the two sides. “It was Iran that, by targeting ships sailing in Omani waters, violated its own comm…
New Zealand weighs joining Australia-Fiji defence pact
New Zealand is considering joining a defence alliance signed by Australia and Fiji, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Thursday. The Ocean of Peace Alliance made Fiji one of Australia's few treaty allies and includes a commitment to mutual defence. Austral…
Erdogan gave NATO leaders pistols, Starmer says
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered pistols as gifts to fellow leaders who attended this week's NATO summit in Ankara, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, according to the Press Association. Starmer told British reporters on his flight home t…
US to remove Syria from terror blacklist
The United States will remove Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list in 45 days unless Congress blocks the move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on July 8. Rubio notified Congress of the planned delisting as President Donald Trump met Syrian lead…
Sweden, Germany sign air defence cooperation plan
Sweden and Germany signed a letter of intent to deepen cooperation on air defence, Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson said on July 8 at a news conference in Ankara. Jonson said he and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius signed the document during the NAT…
Ukraine UPA symbols limit EU future, Polish president says
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said Wednesday that Ukraine's use of symbols linked to the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA, "limits" Ukraine's future in the European Union. Nawrocki spoke after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky…
Trump expects Iran flare-up to end quickly
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he expected the overnight military flare-up with Iran to be over very quickly. "I think anything that happens is going to be over very quickly and will only make it safer, including for oil," Trump said at the end…
UN chief urges de-escalation in Iran-US fighting
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Wednesday for de-escalation and a resumption of talks as fighting between Iran and the United States flared again, his spokesman said. Guterres called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid…
India urges restraint after Iran-US strikes
India urged restraint Wednesday after renewed fighting between the United States and Iran and fresh targeting of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. India's Ministry of External Affairs said the attacks risked undermining regional peace, security and…
Spain says US ties positive after Trump trade threat
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday that Spain's relations with the United States remained “very positive” after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off trade and criticised Spain's NATO role. At a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump called S…
China rejects New Zealand espionage claims
China's embassy in Wellington has rejected New Zealand intelligence claims that Beijing stepped up espionage activity in the country, calling the allegations groundless. New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service warned in an annual report this week that Chi…
Philippines-China energy talks progress, Marcos says
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said Friday that talks with China on potential energy exploration are making progress despite tensions over competing claims in the South China Sea. Marcos said the Philippines needs additional oil and gas supplies and th…
Gaza Rafah EU mission gets Israeli backing to 2027
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Israeli authorities had agreed to extend the bloc's Rafah border assistance mission until the end of June 2027. Kallas welcomed the decision Thursday, calling it an important step after months of diplomatic negotiation…
Mali frees French agent Yann Vezilier, France says
Mali has freed French intelligence agent Yann Vezilier after a presidential pardon, France’s foreign ministry said Friday, welcoming the release after years of tension between the two countries. The ministry said Vezilier, who had been stationed at the French…
Putin Kurils visit draws Japan protest
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Russia's far-eastern Kuril islands on Thursday, drawing protests from Japan, which also claims the disputed territory it calls the Northern Territories. The Kremlin posted video of Putin on one of the four main islands…
Germany ex-envoy criticises Israel West Bank policy
Germany's former ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, criticised the Israeli government's settlement policy in the occupied West Bank in an interview released Wednesday, calling it disastrous. Die Zeit quoted Seibert as saying Israel's policy in the Palesti…
Erdogan says Israel wants Palestine off world agenda
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government on Wednesday of trying to remove Palestine from the world's agenda. Speaking at a joint news conference in Ankara with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, E…
Putin threatens European ship seizures over cargo sales
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened on Wednesday to seize ships belonging to European countries in retaliation for plans to sell cargo seized from Russian “shadow fleet” vessels. Putin called the European moves “piracy and banditry” and said: “We will…
France envoy in CAR faces misconduct proceedings
France has opened disciplinary proceedings against Bruno Foucher, its ambassador to the Central African Republic, after an administrative investigation into alleged misconduct at his official residence in Bangui. The French foreign ministry said an investigat…
Pakistan minister meets Iran leaders on regional security
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials during a visit focused on regional security, Pakistani and Iranian officials said. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported late Tuesday that Naqvi…
Pakistan condemns alleged Houthi strike killing 3 citizens
Pakistan condemned an alleged Houthi attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea after Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said three Pakistani citizens were killed and one was wounded. Yemen's coastguard said Tuesday that a strike by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels on…
US, allies urge 24-hour notice for missile launches
The United States and about 40 other countries warned Tuesday that ballistic missile tests without enough advance notice risk miscalculation and undermine security. In a joint statement, countries from Europe and the Indo-Pacific called on all countries to pr…
Venezuela, Israel restore consular services after 17 years
Venezuela and Israel have agreed to restore consular services after a 17-year break in diplomatic relations, Venezuela's foreign ministry announced Tuesday. The two countries also agreed to maintain technical cooperation linked to emergency response and recov…
Robert Gilman: Trump says Russia agreed to release him
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Russia had agreed to release former US Marine Robert Gilman after his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Russia agreed to release Gilman “on a Humanitarian Basis” and…
Robert Gilman heads to US after Russia release
Former US Marine Robert Gilman was headed back to the United States on Tuesday after Russia released him on humanitarian grounds, US President Donald Trump said. Gilman, a teacher from Massachusetts, had been serving a 10-year prison sentence in Russia over d…
Algeria gives Niger four military helicopters
Niger's military has received four military helicopters and other equipment donated by Algeria, airport and security sources told AFP on Tuesday. An airport source said the shipment arrived in Niamey on Sunday and included four attack and transport helicopter…
Anthony Albanese melon joke played down by Japan
Japan has played down Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's comments about expensive melons given to him by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, saying it had been told he did not make the remarks in the way they were reported. “We are aware of the…
Bangladesh-India cricket series in doubt amid talks
Bangladesh and India are trying to save a six-match cricket tour planned for next month, with the foreign ministers of both countries involved in talks. The white-ball series is made up of three one-day internationals and three T20 matches. It was originally…
Putin-Trump summit hopes fade after Alaska talks
Almost a year after Donald Trump hosted Vladimir Putin in Alaska to seek an end to Russia's offensive in Ukraine, the diplomatic opening has stalled, with US mediation at a standstill and the war escalating. The August 15, 2025 summit at the Elmendorf-Richard…
Australia, Vietnam expand military ties amid China build-up
Australia and Vietnam said on Tuesday they would expand cooperation between their militaries, including on maritime security and joint training, after talks in Canberra between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vietnamese leader To Lam. Albanese…
Afghan Taliban builds ties despite rights pressure
Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have built working relationships with several countries five years after returning to power, even as most governments still deny them formal recognition and many Western states demand human rights reforms. Russia remains the…
Syria condemns Colombia's Golan recognition
Syria's foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned Colombia's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a day after Colombia became only the second country after the United States to recognise Israel's claim to the territory. Syria said it rejecte…
Guinea-Bissau junta leader makes first trip to Chad
Guinea-Bissau's junta leader, General Horta N'Tam, travelled to Chad on Monday in his first foreign trip during more than eight months in power. N'Tam left Osvaldo Vieira International Airport at around 9:30 GMT. The Chadian presidency said he was a guest of…
Trump favors Iran sanctions over new strikes
US President Donald Trump is emphasizing sanctions and economic pressure on Iran while saying he is keeping the option of new strikes open, as the war and the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz continue. “We are low-keying it,” Trump told Axios by phone Sunday…
Nepal PM Balendra Shah meets India, China envoys
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah held talks with India's ambassador on Monday and was due to meet China's envoy later in the day, his office said, in his first one-on-one meetings with envoys from the two neighbouring powers. Shah's office said the meetin…
Syria says Russia bases deal gives it airport control
Syria said Sunday it had reached a deal with Russia to turn Moscow's Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base into joint training and capacity-building centres, with civilian facilities at both bases to be handed over to Damascus. Syria's official SANA news agen…
Netanyahu vows Iran will not get nuclear weapons
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons, regardless of the course of diplomacy with Washington and Arab states. “I want to emphasise once again: with an agreement or without an agreement, as long a…
Strait of Hormuz: Trump posts US territory map
US President Donald Trump posted a map on Truth Social on Tuesday showing the Strait of Hormuz as “NEW U.S. Territory”, renewing his threat to claim sovereignt…
Black Sea attacks: Turkey urges moratorium
Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Saturday for a mechanism to declare a moratorium on attacks by Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea after a series of attacks on civilian ships. Fidan told Turkey's state news agency Anadolu that the conflict had…
South China Sea: US accuses China over Scarborough Shoal
The United States has accused China of destabilizing activity near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, saying Beijing is using environmental and legal arguments to advance its territorial claims. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Washington r…
Trump says Netanyahu ties 'very good' despite Gaza rift
US President Donald Trump said Monday that his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “very good” despite Netanyahu's rejection of a US-led Gaza plan. Trump made the comment in response to a shouted question from a journalist at the e…
Tibet conference in Nepal moved online amid dispute
An international academic conference on Tibet planned in Nepal this month will be held online instead, organisers said Saturday, while Nepal's government denied ordering the change. The International Association for Tibetan Studies conference was expected to…
China warns Pacific Islands Forum over Taiwan attendance
China has warned the Pacific Islands Forum over Taiwan's planned attendance at the regional bloc's leaders meeting in Palau from August 30 to September 4. Beijing's foreign ministry said Tuesday that forum secretary-general Baron Waqa should “strictly adhere…
US plans $1 billion security aid package for Colombia
The United States intends to work with Congress to approve a $1 billion assistance package for Colombia as part of a security package for President Abdelardo de la Espriella’s new administration, US State Department officials said late Friday. The State Depar…
Iraq PM invited to Riyadh after US-Saudi strikes
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has received a renewed invitation to visit Riyadh, his office said on Aug. 7, after US-Saudi strikes in Iraq last month killed 20 militants, including five Iranians. Zaidi's media office said he met Saudi intelligence chief K…
Mexico and Peru restore ties after Betssy Chavez asylum row
Mexico and Peru announced Friday that they had restored diplomatic ties after a months-long rupture over Mexico's asylum offer to former Peruvian prime minister Betssy Chavez. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Chavez was being flown to Mexico aboard a…
Iran says Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey pact shows US shift
Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that a defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan showed what it called a “change in perception” in the region towards the United States. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a weekly press conferenc…
China missile test statement fails at Pacific talks, NZ says
Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers failed on Friday to agree on a joint statement condemning China's recent missile test in the region, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said after talks in Suva, Fiji. Peters said two of the forum's 18 member s…
Pakistan says attack on one ally means attack on all
Pakistan said Friday it had signed a defence pact with Turkey and Saudi Arabia under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack on all of them. Pakistan's foreign ministry said the agreement was signed in Saudi Arab…
Uganda approves Gaza troop deployment under ISF plan
Uganda's parliament has backed President Yoweri Museveni's decision to deploy Ugandan soldiers to the Gaza Strip as part of an International Stabilisation Force under a disarmament agreement reached at the end of July. The motion supported sending the Uganda…
US sanctions target Cuban military entities, officials
The United States targeted a new group of Cuban military entities and defence officials on Thursday, expanding a campaign aimed at Havana's military and its economic networks. The measures include affiliates of GAESA, a military-controlled conglomerate founde…
US sanctions Cuban armed forces minister, arms network
The United States announced sanctions on Thursday targeting Cuban Armed Forces Minister General Alvaro Lopez Miera, seven other people and five state-owned entities, citing their alleged role in foreign military cooperation and arms procurement. The US State…
Min Aung Hlaing meets Thai PM in Bangkok
Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's former junta chief and current president, met Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at Government House in Bangkok on Thursday in his first visit to Thailand as a civilian leader. The trip is part of a diplomatic push by Min Aung…
Sweden to hand Russian 'shadow fleet' ship to Ukraine
Sweden will hand over to Ukraine a seized Russian “shadow fleet” cargo ship after the country's Supreme Court rejected an attempt to block the transfer, court documents show. The Supreme Court on August 4 dismissed an appeal by Caffa Shipping Ltd, the owner o…
Erdogan wants Mecca defence pact to expand
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he wants the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to grow beyond its three founding members. The agreement, signed last week, contains a clause saying an attack on one…
Nicaragua opposition ban plan draws US OAS meeting call
The United States and allies urged the Organization of American States on Wednesday to call an extraordinary meeting before September to consider possible measures against Nicaragua over President Daniel Ortega's plan to bar opposition groups from elections.…
Pope Leo XIV to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru
Pope Leo XIV will visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, the Vatican said on August 5, in a trip to the continent where he spent decades as a missionary. The pope, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, lived for more than two decades in Pe…
Israel foreign minister heads to Ecuador, Colombia
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar left on Wednesday, August 5, for Ecuador and Colombia as Israel seeks stronger ties with right-led Latin American governments. Saar is the first Israeli foreign minister to visit Ecuador in 44 years. He is also due to att…
Poland in talks on permanent US military base, minister says
Poland is in talks with Washington about whether to establish a permanent US military base on Polish territory, Deputy Defence Minister Pawel Zalewski said Wednesday. Zalewski told public broadcaster TVP that an initial stage had been completed and that Washi…
Ukraine to get €1.4bn from Russian asset profits, EU says
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that the EU will make €1.4 billion available to Ukraine from windfall profits on Russian central bank assets frozen in the bloc. Von der Leyen announced the funding after condemning what she ca…
Brazil-Argentina ties stay downgraded over Milei
Brazil’s diplomatic relations with Argentina will remain downgraded as long as President Javier Milei’s “attacks” on Brazilian democratic institutions persist, a Brazilian Foreign Ministry source told AFP on Wednesday. “We have decided to downgrade the relati…
Brazil-US tensions deepen as Lula rebukes visa move
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticised the United States after Washington revoked the visa of Brazil's ambassador to the United States, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, in a widening diplomatic dispute before Brazil's October presidential electio…
US and Paraguay sign civil nuclear agreement
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez signed a civil nuclear energy cooperation agreement in Washington on Tuesday. The accord is known as a “123 Agreement,” after Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act. The United S…
Ukraine will never join NATO, Zaluzhny says
Ukraine's former army chief Valery Zaluzhny has said the country will "never" join NATO, despite Kyiv's stated aim of joining the US-led military alliance, according to European Pravda. Zaluzhny, now Ukraine's ambassador to Britain, made the comments at a mee…
Hezbollah's Naim Qassem open to Syria leadership meeting
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Tuesday that he had no objection to a public meeting with Syria's leadership, marking his first stated openness to such contact since new authorities took power in Damascus. Qassem said in a televised address that there was “n…
Israel refuses wider south Lebanon withdrawal, source says
Israel refused at talks on August 6 to withdraw from more areas of south Lebanon unless the Lebanese army had full control of two initial “pilot zones”, a Lebanese presidential source told AFP. The seventh round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel was…
Min Aung Hlaing meets Thai PM in Bangkok
Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing met Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in Bangkok on Thursday, his first visit to Thailand as civilian leader as he seeks wider diplomatic acceptance for Myanmar. Anutin said the talks at Government House were a chance to “…
Zelensky sacks Ukraine's US ambassador Olga Stefanishyna
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna, by decree on Monday, a move that had been expected after a government reshuffle last month. Stefanishyna said in a Facebook post that she had asked…
Syria Kurds deal discussed in Barzani Damascus visit
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Nechirvan Barzani, leader of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, in Damascus on Monday for talks that Syrian official sources told AFP were aimed at advancing a deal with Syria's Kurds. Syrian state news agency SANA said…
Hormuz deal could come Wednesday, Trump says
US President Donald Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached as soon as Wednesday, while warning Iran it would be “hit very hard” if the waterway did not reopen soon. Trump told reporters in California on Tuesday that negotiators “had…
Trump set to visit Ireland in September, media says
US President Donald Trump is expected to make a brief visit to Ireland in September, including a stop at his family's golf resort in Doonbeg during the Irish Open, Press Association and RTE reported. The reports said Trump is expected at Trump International G…
Venezuela, Dominican Republic move to restore ties
Venezuela and the Dominican Republic have agreed on a road map for talks on gradually normalising diplomatic ties, Venezuela's foreign ministry said Sunday, two years after relations were severed over Nicolas Maduro's disputed claimed reelection. The ministry…
Hormuz talks positive, Oman says, warns on ship attacks
Oman said on August 8 that talks on the Strait of Hormuz were positive, but warned against attacks on ships as efforts continued over passage through the strategic waterway. Pakistan, which is mediating, had said it hoped a Hormuz agreement would lead to the…