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Ukraine

Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe after Russia, gaining independence from the Soviet Union and declaring neutrality in 1991. In February 2022, Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine under the auspices of a "special military operation" to "de-nazify" the country. The move turned Moscow into a global pariah, and the Ukrainian army - backed financially and militarily by the US and western European countries - continues to fight off the invading forces. Nuclear-armed Russia has warned of consequences if Nato interferes in the war, while strategic ally China urges a peaceful, diplomatic solution.

Capital

Kyiv

Head of State

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Head of Government

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to depart for his first official trip to China, with scheduled stops in Beijing and Hangzhou. Photo: AP

China-Germany relations

‘China shock’ hangs over German leader Merz’s first visit to Beijing

Chancellor must strike a balance between those wanting a toned-down Brussels trade policy and those backing tougher action against Beijing.

3 hours agovideocam

The Netherlands

New Dutch government under centrist Jetten takes power

23 Feb 2026 - 6:20PM

Ukraine war

Zelensky says he believes Putin has started World War III

23 Feb 2026 - 3:10PM

South Korea

South Korea protests Russian embassy ‘Victory’ banner as key war date looms

South Korea formally protests display in the heart of its capital as the Ukraine-Russia war enters its fifth year.

23 Feb 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

A banner reading ‘Victory will be ours’ on the exterior wall of the Russian embassy in Seoul. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

‘Brutal terrorist act’: twin blasts rock western Ukrainian city

A police officer was killed, 25 other people were wounded in bomb explosions in Lviv.

23 Feb 2026 - 11:47AM

Hungary

Hungary spoils EU attempt at Russia sanctions package over oil flows

Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who maintains close ties with the Kremlin, has long argued that Russian fossil fuels are indispensable for his economy.

22 Feb 2026 - 10:19PM

Ukraine war

Russian barrage strikes Ukrainian infrastructure as war drags on

Kyiv has faced waves of overnight strikes in recent weeks as Moscow has intensified its winter assaults.

22 Feb 2026 - 6:08PM

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of an interview with journalists in Kyiv on Friday. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

5 European nations to make drones by tapping Ukraine’s war experience

The initiative by France, Poland, Germany, the UK and Italy comes after a spate of violations of Europe’s airspace involving rogue drones.

21 Feb 2026 - 5:31PM

North Korea

Where is Kim Ju-ae? Succession question hangs over North Korea’s ruling congress

With Kim Jong-un set to outline his end-of-decade vision, the notable absence of his teenage daughter raises fresh succession questions.

21 Feb 2026 - 2:01PM

Ukraine war

10 arrested over Russian plot to kill top Ukrainian officials

Moscow promised to pay the assassins up to US$100,000, depending on the notoriety and influence of the potential victim, prosecutor says.

20 Feb 2026 - 6:58PM

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska pay tribute to those killed during the Euromaidan protests in 2014 in Kyiv on Friday. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service / AFP

North Korea

North Korea’s Kim opens rare party congress with pledge to fix economy

North Korea’s economy has been languishing under heavy Western sanctions that aim to choke off funding for its nuclear weapons programme.

20 Feb 2026 - 6:28PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the Ninth Worker’s Party Congress in Pyongyang on Friday. Photo: KCNA / Reuters

Ukraine war

Over 1,000 Kenyans recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine war: report

Russian embassy denied Moscow’s involvement in illegally recruiting, though it said ‌foreign citizens could voluntarily join its forces.

20 Feb 2026 - 2:44PM

Ukraine war

Ukraine war talks in Geneva wrap up in 2 hours with no sign of breakthrough

Neither side revealed what they discussed or whether any agreement had been reached, but both said the discussions had been ‘difficult’.

18 Feb 2026 - 7:45PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Zelensky says Trump’s peace demands focused only on Ukraine ‘not fair’

The president said Ukrainians ‘can’t understand why’ they would be asked to cede additional land to Russia.

18 Feb 2026 - 10:44AMvideocam

A Ukrainian soldier fires at a Russian drone at an undisclosed location near Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, on Tuesday. Photo: the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanised Brigade/AFP

Ukraine war

Ukraine and Russia meet in Geneva as Trump piles new pressure on Kyiv

Zelensky urged allies to press Russia for a ‘real and just’ ⁠peace deal via tougher sanctions and weapons supplies to his country.

18 Feb 2026 - 2:30AM

A woman poses underneath a downed Shaded drone at an exhibition of Russian military equipment in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Italy

‘I have to be worried’: Ukraine’s Olympic sign bearer was a Russian woman

Disguised in dark glasses and a silver puffer jacket, Anastasia Kucherova says she wept silently as Ukraine got a standing ovation.

17 Feb 2026 - 2:01PM

Japan

Russia emerges as unlikely growth market for Japan tourism as China pulls back

New visa centres in Moscow and St Petersburg reflect a sharp rise in Russian demand as Chinese arrivals fall amid diplomatic tensions.

17 Feb 2026 - 11:00AMvideocam

North Korea

‘Heroic era’: why North Korea’s Kim is lauding Ukraine war sacrifices

The new homes for families of fallen soldiers are part of a push to showcase tangible achievements before the party congress, analysts say.

17 Feb 2026 - 8:00AM

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre, right) and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, touring Saeppyol Street, a new housing district in Pyongyang dedicated to the families of fallen soldiers, on Sunday. Photo; EPA/KCNA

Indonesia

Crude business for Indonesia amid West’s squeeze on Russian oil

Analysts say Indonesia’s energy demand could draw scrutiny as Moscow seeks new buyers, potentially complicating US trade talks.

16 Feb 2026 - 2:58PMvideocam

Munich Security Conference

In Munich, US urges ‘collective strength’ among allies to deter China

Washington and its Indo-Pacific and European allies emphasise need for cooperation to counter Beijing’s military build-up.

16 Feb 2026 - 6:00AM

My Take

My Take | China and the UN are not the problem in Ukraine and Palestine – the West is

Europe and America’s warmongering and genocide-enabling are at the roots of the world’s most dangerous geopolitical flashpoints.

15 Feb 2026 - 10:34PM

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese. Photo: AFP

Munich Security Conference

As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silence

For long, China was a magnet for America’s rhetorical aggression. Now, it is the Europeans who are under fire.

15 Feb 2026 - 9:30PMvideocam

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses a session of the Munich Security Conference on February 14. Photo: Reuters

European Union

‘Work to be done’: EU says it’s not ready to give Ukraine a membership date

Ukraine applied to join the ‌EU days after Russia’s invasion almost four years ago, seeking to anchor itself to the West.

15 Feb 2026 - 8:49PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Russia seized 12 eastern Ukraine villages so far in February: army chief

Valery Gerasimov’s words to Moscow’s forces fighting in Ukraine came days before US-mediated talks on ending almost four years of war.

15 Feb 2026 - 5:55PMvideocam

China-Africa relations

How a ‘military vacuum’ in West and Central Africa opened new markets for China

Beijing has increased engagement with countries in the Sahel following the French military exit, and with Russian weapons in short supply.

15 Feb 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

People gather in support of a coup in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in 2022. A wave of military coups across the Sahel has ended traditional alliances and security frameworks. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

US-Iran talks to be held in Geneva next week, hosted by Oman

The son of Iran’s last shah called for US action, as Trump sends a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.

15 Feb 2026 - 6:22AM

Demonstrators raise their hands as Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, delivers a speech in Munich, Germany, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

China and US must talk – we owe it to the world, Rubio tells Munich conference

US secretary of state reaffirms American commitment to the transatlantic alliance, saying ‘Europe must survive’.

14 Feb 2026 - 7:03PMvideocam

UAE

‘Surpassing Hong Kong’: UAE challenges Singapore for the global trade crown

With non-oil trade nearly doubling, analysts say the UAE has secured a first-mover advantage that leaves regional rivals trailing behind.

14 Feb 2026 - 2:00PM

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Ukraine

‘China shock’ hangs over German leader Merz’s first visit to Beijing

Chancellor must strike a balance between those wanting a toned-down Brussels trade policy and those backing tougher action against Beijing.

New Dutch government under centrist Jetten takes power

Zelensky says he believes Putin has started World War III

South Korea protests Russian embassy ‘Victory’ banner as key war date looms

South Korea formally protests display in the heart of its capital as the Ukraine-Russia war enters its fifth year.

‘Brutal terrorist act’: twin blasts rock western Ukrainian city

A police officer was killed, 25 other people were wounded in bomb explosions in Lviv.

Hungary spoils EU attempt at Russia sanctions package over oil flows

Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who maintains close ties with the Kremlin, has long argued that Russian fossil fuels are indispensable for his economy.

Russian barrage strikes Ukrainian infrastructure as war drags on

Kyiv has faced waves of overnight strikes in recent weeks as Moscow has intensified its winter assaults.

5 European nations to make drones by tapping Ukraine’s war experience

The initiative by France, Poland, Germany, the UK and Italy comes after a spate of violations of Europe’s airspace involving rogue drones.

Where is Kim Ju-ae? Succession question hangs over North Korea’s ruling congress

With Kim Jong-un set to outline his end-of-decade vision, the notable absence of his teenage daughter raises fresh succession questions.

10 arrested over Russian plot to kill top Ukrainian officials

Moscow promised to pay the assassins up to US$100,000, depending on the notoriety and influence of the potential victim, prosecutor says.

North Korea’s Kim opens rare party congress with pledge to fix economy

North Korea’s economy has been languishing under heavy Western sanctions that aim to choke off funding for its nuclear weapons programme.

Over 1,000 Kenyans recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine war: report

Russian embassy denied Moscow’s involvement in illegally recruiting, though it said ‌foreign citizens could voluntarily join its forces.

Ukraine war talks in Geneva wrap up in 2 hours with no sign of breakthrough

Neither side revealed what they discussed or whether any agreement had been reached, but both said the discussions had been ‘difficult’.

Zelensky says Trump’s peace demands focused only on Ukraine ‘not fair’

The president said Ukrainians ‘can’t understand why’ they would be asked to cede additional land to Russia.

Ukraine and Russia meet in Geneva as Trump piles new pressure on Kyiv

Zelensky urged allies to press Russia for a ‘real and just’ ⁠peace deal via tougher sanctions and weapons supplies to his country.

‘I have to be worried’: Ukraine’s Olympic sign bearer was a Russian woman

Disguised in dark glasses and a silver puffer jacket, Anastasia Kucherova says she wept silently as Ukraine got a standing ovation.

Russia emerges as unlikely growth market for Japan tourism as China pulls back

New visa centres in Moscow and St Petersburg reflect a sharp rise in Russian demand as Chinese arrivals fall amid diplomatic tensions.

‘Heroic era’: why North Korea’s Kim is lauding Ukraine war sacrifices

The new homes for families of fallen soldiers are part of a push to showcase tangible achievements before the party congress, analysts say.

Crude business for Indonesia amid West’s squeeze on Russian oil

Analysts say Indonesia’s energy demand could draw scrutiny as Moscow seeks new buyers, potentially complicating US trade talks.

In Munich, US urges ‘collective strength’ among allies to deter China

Washington and its Indo-Pacific and European allies emphasise need for cooperation to counter Beijing’s military build-up.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}My Take | China and the UN are not the problem in Ukraine and Palestine – the West is

Europe and America’s warmongering and genocide-enabling are at the roots of the world’s most dangerous geopolitical flashpoints.

As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silence

For long, China was a magnet for America’s rhetorical aggression. Now, it is the Europeans who are under fire.

‘Work to be done’: EU says it’s not ready to give Ukraine a membership date

Ukraine applied to join the ‌EU days after Russia’s invasion almost four years ago, seeking to anchor itself to the West.

Russia seized 12 eastern Ukraine villages so far in February: army chief

Valery Gerasimov’s words to Moscow’s forces fighting in Ukraine came days before US-mediated talks on ending almost four years of war.

How a ‘military vacuum’ in West and Central Africa opened new markets for China

Beijing has increased engagement with countries in the Sahel following the French military exit, and with Russian weapons in short supply.

US-Iran talks to be held in Geneva next week, hosted by Oman

The son of Iran’s last shah called for US action, as Trump sends a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.

China and US must talk – we owe it to the world, Rubio tells Munich conference

US secretary of state reaffirms American commitment to the transatlantic alliance, saying ‘Europe must survive’.

‘Surpassing Hong Kong’: UAE challenges Singapore for the global trade crown

With non-oil trade nearly doubling, analysts say the UAE has secured a first-mover advantage that leaves regional rivals trailing behind.

My Take | China and the UN are not the problem in Ukraine and Palestine – the West is