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European Union

European Union
European Union
The latest breaking news and stories on the European Union (EU), an economic and political union of 27 member states mainly located in Europe, which accounts for around a sixth of global economic output. Also covering the EU’s relationship with the UK (post Brexit), China and the US, plus commentary and updates on EU legislation, the euro and trade.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has made three trips to China in three years. Photo: EPA-EFE
China-EU relations

Exclusive | China and Spain in talks for PM Pedro Sanchez to visit Beijing – again

Sanchez is expected to become the latest Western leader to go to the Chinese capital as the US’ policies prompt a reassessment.

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US-China relations

Top US trade official spells out plan to break China’s grip on critical minerals

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Greece

At least 15 dead after migrant speedboat and Greek coastguard vessel collide

Diplomacy

Opinion | American allies are finally hedging against American risk

As US policy becomes more self-centred and unpredictable, traditional allies realise their best bet lies with diplomatic diversification.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
France

France raids X offices, summons Musk over child pornography and deepfake probe

Paris prosecutors issue ‘voluntary interview’ summons to Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino for April 20 and quit platform in protest.

India

Why India may ‘gravitate back’ to US bloc after Trump-Modi tariff deal

Analysts doubt that India can buy more than US$500 billion of US products in a short span of time and stop buying Russian oil.

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Climate change

Opinion | Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

Central Asian rivers shape Eurasian trade flows, affect global food markets and contribute to geopolitical instability across the region.

The Dzungarian Alatau mountain range in Kazakhstan. Photo: Central Asia
Donald Trump

Iran plans nuclear talks with US as Trump warns of ‘bad things’

Facing threats of potential US military action, Tehran agrees to a Friday meeting in Istanbul on its nuclear programme.

Israel-Gaza war

Gaza’s Rafah crossing sees ‘limited’ reopening amid truce, but challenges remain

Restoring the Rafah-Egypt crossing is a vital milestone for the peace process, concluding the long closure enforced by the Israeli military.

US-China trade war

Why China’s academics turned to de-dollarisation amid trade war, global shocks

Global instability has also pushed a once-niche academic debate into Chinese policy circles.

Beijing has sought to reduce its vulnerability to the US dollar in recent years by reducing US Treasury holdings and boosting the yuan’s international use, among other measures. Photo: dpa
US-Iran tensions

Trump hopeful of deal after Iran’s top leader warns of regional war

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issues ‘regional war’ warning as the United States ramps up its naval presence in the Middle East.

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet launching from the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on January 28. Photo: US Navy via AFP
Trade

Opinion | The India-EU trade pact is a rebuke of US economic coercion

Beyond trade liberalisation, the partnership will weaken Washington’s ability to use tariffs as leverage and dictate the rules of global economic engagement.

China-EU relations

Full pivot or anxious hedge? Europe’s leaders flock to China

In Brussels, a form of transactional pragmatism has taken root as bloc seeks to weather US hostility.

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India

Will India warm to Russia’s bid to revive troika with China?

Analysts say New Delhi may see a ‘limited role’ for the Russia-India-China trialogue amid global tensions and competing priorities.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (left), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre) and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Tianjin, China, in September 2025. Photo: Kyodo
Fashion

Letters | Don’t be too quick to call brands out on cultural appropriation

Readers discuss the use of Chinese stylistic elements in fashion, a Malaysian corruption trial, and a new trade pact.

Brands like Adidas have adopted stylistic elements associated with Chinese clothing. Photo: Adidas Power of Three
Russia

As I see it | When in doubt, EU leaders dig an even bigger hole

Brussels presses on with its self-defeating policy of isolating Russia, even as the US makes clear its transatlantic ally is effectively on its own for its security.

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China-UK relations

China lifted sanctions on British lawmakers after Starmer–Xi meeting, UK says

Prime minister says Beijing has removed 2021 curbs on MPs as part of a wider reset, though sanctions on others appear to remain.

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Spain

Chinese hair salon owner arrested in Barcelona for funding Hamas via crypto

The 38-year-old Chinese national faces terror financing charges after allegedly laundering US$715,000 via cryptocurrency to the militant group.

Spanish police arrest a salon owner for allegedly funding Hamas with cryptocurrency, seizing assets and freezing accounts. Photo: Shutterstock
Israel-Gaza war

Israel offers ‘limited’ Rafah reopening after nearly 2-year Gaza border shutdown

The reopening is part of phase two of the US ceasefire. Previously, it was Gaza’s main crossing for people and trade with Egypt.

India

Why India should tackle pollution more urgently than tariffs

The adverse impact of pollution could lead to significant health and economic costs for India if left unchecked.

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United States

Outside In | Gradually, then suddenly, the world is waking up to the US threat

Middle powers are pivoting to Beijing and hedging with new partners as China’s economic displacement of the US rapidly expands.

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US President Donald Trump raises his fist after a “Board of Peace” meeting at the World Economic Forum annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22. Photo: AFP
Iran

EU designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as terrorist group amid bloody crackdown

EU’s Kaja Kallas equates the group to Islamic State and al-Qaeda as death toll tops 6,300. Trump moves ‘armada’ to Mideast as Iran warns of naval strikes.

Iranian missiles are displayed at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Museum in Tehran in November 2024. Photo: West Asia press Agency/Reuters
US-China relations

Opinion | Trump’s power politics is paving the way to a G2 world order with China

Trump’s actions signal an openness to G2, give China leverage with US allies and open the door for other powers to use coercive force.

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China-EU relations

How Europe, not the US, became China’s No 1 trade headache

Electric vehicles, critical minerals and chips have become flashpoints in the relationship, survey shows.

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Trade

Macroscope | Trump weaponises trade as globalisation becomes more fractured

As recognised by Canada, the fracturing of the global economy is in full swing. Policymakers and businesses should expect it to continue.

Shipping containers are stacked at a port in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on August 1, 2025. While the unravelling of globalisation has been a major theme for some time, the primacy of national security and geopolitics is a relatively new phenomenon that is reshaping the global economy and markets. Photo: AFP
United States

US Treasury chief Bessent warns Canada on trade fights, slams EU-India deal

Official urges calm from Ottawa ahead of trade talks, says EU put trade ahead of Ukraine by easing pressure on India over Russian oil.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week in in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: Reuters
China-EU relations

Opinion | On EV targets, Europe should take a page from China’s playbook

To avoid dilemmas associated with grandiose, fixed-date bans, the European Union can embrace China’s approach and pursue an inclusive green agenda.

China-EU relations

‘Mother of all trade deals’: EU pivots to India in historic trade shake-up

Brussels diversifies away from China and US risks, while the pact makes India a more attractive place for European firms to sell vehicles and fuel growth.

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