The highest paid world leader is getting a pay rise of almost €1mGlobal Briefing: Lawrence Wong says higher salaries are needed to attract capable people into politics and maintain standards of governmentWed Sept 09 2026 - 07:00
South Korea has not deployed forces in the US-Iran war - and Trump’s not happyTehran warns of ‘serious consequences’ if Seoul sends forces to the Strait of HormuzTue Sept 08 2026 - 06:35
There was one important breakthrough at the Russia-Ukraine peace talksUS envoys were joined for final hour of talks in Kyiv by advisers from Germany, France and BritainMon Sept 07 2026 - 07:00
Presidential election tests strength of Zambian democracy Incumbent Hakainde Hichilema has been accused of drift towards authoritarianismThu Aug 13 2026 - 07:52
Switzerland debates the meaning of neutralitySwiss voters will have their say in a referendum on September 27thWed Aug 12 2026 - 06:25
China’s clean-energy gamble is paying offAs disruption in Strait of Hormuz rattles energy markets, Beijing’s long push towards electrification is cushioning the impact and reshaping global powerTue Aug 11 2026 - 14:24
Taiwan prepares for war, but China has other options‘Blockade by fire’ could cut off supplies to the island while minimising disruption to othersTue Aug 11 2026 - 06:36
What’s behind the Mecca defence agreement?Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have been at pains to say their alliance is not necessarily directed against Iran or IsraelMon Aug 10 2026 - 07:13
Choir gives Beijing’s retirees a reason to get upAs China’s population ages and traditional support networks weaken, community choirs help retirees stay connectedFri Aug 07 2026 - 06:00
Europe stepping up back-channel talks with Russia as war in Ukraine gets nastierGermany, France and Britain have been increasingly active as a formation in the search for a diplomatic resolution of the warThu Aug 06 2026 - 06:27
Sighting of Aung San Suu Kyi comes amid diplomatic offensive by Myanmar regimePresident Min Aung Hliang has visited China and India and wants Asean to lift suspension of Myanmar’s membership rightsWed Aug 05 2026 - 06:54
Iran has time on its side – for now Donald Trump’s incentive to compromise over conflict is strongest over the next few weeks, but that changes as US midterms move closerTue Aug 04 2026 - 06:54
Ceuta crisis lays bare EU divisionsGlobal Briefing: Italy and Denmark cite EU policies ‘that can serve as pull factors’ for migrants, Spain laments petty politics and lack of EU solidarity Mon Aug 03 2026 - 08:11
Hong Kong’s revival contrasts with crackdown on last remaining independent bookshopsAs the financial hub regains confidence, police action against small booksellers highlights continuing limits on dissentFri Jul 31 2026 - 06:00
Cyprus’s new push for settlement is driven by an opportunity and a threatMost serious diplomatic effort in nearly a decade on island that has been divided since 1974Thu Jul 30 2026 - 06:52
The murky process of selecting the next UN secretary general is coming to a headGlobal Briefing: Seven candidates are in the running to succeed António GuterresWed Jul 29 2026 - 06:56
Poland’s political landscape altered by split in main opposition partyPrime minister Donald Tusk relishes Law and Justice Party’s problems in advance of next year’s general election Tue Jul 28 2026 - 06:52
India protests: How the ‘Cockroach’ movement forced Modi into retreatStudent protests forced the resignation of India's education minister after exam scandalMon Jul 27 2026 - 07:20
China, US and Philippines seek to put a stamp on Manila envelopmentUS secretary of state and Chinese foreign minister meet to prepare for Xi Jinping’s visit to US in SeptemberFri Jul 24 2026 - 05:34
The one-time revolutionary hero who is now a blood-soaked tyrantGlobal Briefing: Ortega announced this week there will be no more elections in Nicaragua, but the United States has little to say on itThu Jul 23 2026 - 06:37
Guinea is the latest African country seeking to keep mineral profits at homePresident banned raw gold exports last month, and Guinea has built a gold refinery in the capitalWed Jul 22 2026 - 08:13
New prime minister Andy Burnham’s focus on domestic issues is good for UKLabour leader is clear-eyed about Britain’s social and economic problems and candid about how Brexit has made them worseTue Jul 21 2026 - 06:31
Amid a wall of blue tote bags, China’s vaulting AI ambitions come into viewKimi K3 has sharpened a contest with the US over technological leadership and rules governing artificial intelligenceMon Jul 20 2026 - 16:08
US-Iran military actions escalate, but a return to talks is likelyNeither Washington nor Tehran can achieve its maximalist aims through further military escalationMon Jul 20 2026 - 07:07
Like Cork, Shanghai wears its second-city swagger with prideWhile Beijing wrestles with the burdens of being the capital, Shanghai is doubling down on culture, commerce and urban lifeFri Jul 17 2026 - 06:00
Gibraltar enters new era with Spain as border fence is removedGlobal Briefing: Treaty between the EU and Britain on territory’s post-Brexit status came into force on WednesdayThu Jul 16 2026 - 07:53
Chinese car exports topping one million deepens anxiety in Europe’s automobile industry VW confirmed that it is considering up to 100,000 job cutsWed Jul 15 2026 - 14:44
Why are the US, Russia and African Union beating a path to Mali’s door?Global Briefing: An alliance of jihadists and separatist rebels is advancing southwards towards Mali’s capitalWed Jul 15 2026 - 07:26
Trump threat to charge ships in Strait of Hormuz for protection is a gift to IranGlobal Briefing: Trump’s proposed toll would be far higher than the $2m per vessel Tehran demands and will add to the global economic pain Tue Jul 14 2026 - 06:52
Dispute in South China Sea between China and Philippines shows no signs of easingGlobal Briefing: Beijing continues to dismiss a ruling made 10 years ago that dismissed its jurisdiction claims over some islands also claimed by PhilippinesMon Jul 13 2026 - 06:55
Varadkar the star turn as Chinese investors sign up for Great Wall tour at nearly €1,300 each Former taoiseach to pocket €17,500 for speaking tour, visiting six cities in 10 daysSat Jul 11 2026 - 06:00
China’s neighbours display complicated reaction to weepy diaspora film Dear YouBut for the Chinese this low-budget tearjerker stirs up emotions and memories of those who left for southeast AsiaFri Jul 10 2026 - 06:11
Trump says Iran ceasefire is ‘over’. But is it?Global Briefing: Even as the US president described Tehran’s negotiators as ‘scum’, he paid a grudging tribute to their ingenuityThu Jul 09 2026 - 06:55
China spooks Pacific neighbours with long-range missile testBeijing plays down test but is unlikely to give up on expanding its influence across the Pacific regionWed Jul 08 2026 - 06:59
A crunch Nato summit in Ankara: Breaking up is hard to doTrump moves raise fears in Europe that the US could abandon Nato altogetherTue Jul 07 2026 - 06:27
Can Andy Burnham harness nostalgia surrounding England at the World Cup?Burnham’s upbeat tone and England’s defeat of Mexico echoes 1990s optimism that followed fall of communism in Europe and apartheidMon Jul 06 2026 - 06:57
Chinese Communist Party may be set for a dramatic transformation but Xi’s grip on power as strong as everLeader signals willingness to move with the times, but removal of term limits leaves Xi well placed to stay in powerFri Jul 03 2026 - 05:32
The siege of a city in Sudan’s civil war ‘could put 500,000 at risk of atrocities’Global Briefing: El-Obeid is facing drone attacks from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that have hit civilian targets and public utilitiesThu Jul 02 2026 - 06:38
Putin’s Russia faces fuel shortages amid Ukrainian drone strikes and diplomatic setbacks Moscow’s scope for exerting hegemonic power is diminished in an increasingly multipolar world orderWed Jul 01 2026 - 07:07
EU-China talks on trade imbalance is best news for their relations in yearsEU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and China’s commerce minister begin a process to address the widening trade gapTue Jun 30 2026 - 07:00
Analysis: US and Iran to stop tit-for-tat strikes, but obstacles to peace remainWashington’s Gulf allies have lost faith in US security guarantee, offering Iran an advantage as it asserts its control over Strait of Hormuz Mon Jun 29 2026 - 06:45
Dragon boats, ancient rituals – and a modern fear of being left behindAmid holiday celebrations in Beijing, a friend’s stark worry captures the anxiety of a weakening jobs marketFri Jun 26 2026 - 06:00
Israeli companies that make weapons killing children in Gaza set for European growthUN report identifies weapons used in Israel’s targeted killing of Gaza children, as well as the military units responsibleThu Jun 25 2026 - 06:51
African and Caribbean nations push to put slave-trade reparations firmly on global agendaGlobal Briefing: Conference in Ghana calls for a formal apology from countries that benefited, financial compensation, debt relief and the return of looted artefactsWed Jun 24 2026 - 06:51
Cuba makes sweeping changes to its socialism model but are they enough for Trump? US president mused last week that invading Cuba would be an easier military operation than his war against IranTue Jun 23 2026 - 06:22
They’ll say Starmer was a triumph on the world stage. It’s not trueHis achievements abroad are outweighed by failures of strategy, judgement and political courageMon Jun 22 2026 - 07:30
China endorses Myanmar president and keeps door open to economic corridorBeijing’s primary interest is in ensuring instability in the neighbouring country does not spill over into ChinaFri Jun 19 2026 - 05:15
South Africa struggles to stop anti-immigrant violenceGhana and Nigeria among countries to remind South Africans of solidarity shown during fight against apartheid Thu Jun 18 2026 - 06:45
Taliban’s growing partnership with Russia could have significant consequencesRussia has signed a military agreement with Afghanistan that could allow Moscow to extend its influence and shape regional securityWed Jun 17 2026 - 06:40
Trump’s failure in Strait of Hormuz accelerates move towards a post-US worldWashington ignored allies’ interests in its illegal Iran war, and they are now likely to become more independent from the United StatesTue Jun 16 2026 - 07:37
