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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

Firefighters work at a private delivery company’s logistics hub hit by a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms

The Kremlin insists Ukraine is running out of options as US-led talks stall, warning that the ‘situation is deteriorating’ for Kyiv daily.

15 Jan 2026 - 8:41PM

European Union

Opinion | An internally split Europe can never fully engage China and Asia

15 Jan 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Opinion | Why Russia is gambling on a protracted war in Ukraine

14 Jan 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Vladimir Putin

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Russia’s war in Ukraine leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba vulnerable, exposing security failures and eroding trust in Moscow’s global influence.

14 Jan 2026 - 6:48PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the Kremlin during their May 2025 meeting in Moscow. Photo: Reuters

Taiwan

Taiwan, US launch joint production of 155mm artillery shells amid blockade fears

Island’s defence ministry says Ukraine war underscores urgency of securing sustained ammunition supply in event of armed conflict.

13 Jan 2026 - 9:00PM

China-EU relations

Opinion | EU-China ties are stuck between interdependence and rivalry

To break the pattern of trade escalations with Beijing, Brussels must move beyond tariffs and invest in its own competitiveness.

13 Jan 2026 - 5:57PMvideocam

Iran

Iranians use Musk’s Starlink to pierce internet blackout during protests

Smuggled satellite terminals offer a high-risk lifeline as Iran’s protest death toll climbs.

13 Jan 2026 - 8:16PM

Cars burn in a street during a protest in Tehran on January 8. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Diplomacy

Opinion | Why China now needs North Korea’s denuclearisation

As optimism grows over an end to the Ukraine war, a weakening of Moscow’s support for Pyongyang may give Beijing new leverage to stabilise the Korean peninsula.

13 Jan 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Why US ops in Venezuela have shaken Asia-Pacific’s middle powers

Middle powers fear a return to ‘rules of the jungle’ geopolitics as rival powers carve out spheres of influence.

13 Jan 2026 - 1:31AMvideocam

My Take

My Take | The days of EU and Nato may be numbered under von der Leyen and Kallas

Europe’s leaders continue to play supplicants to Trump, who may be an even bigger existential threat than Putin with his undisguised US imperialism.

11 Jan 2026 - 10:15PM

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks with the media as she arrives for the EU Summit in Brussels, December 18, 2025. Photo: AP

Australia

Letters | Bondi response must go beyond policing and towards rebuilding unity

Readers discuss social cohesion in Australia, a commission into the Bondi shooting, and US interventions.

11 Jan 2026 - 11:30AM

Mourners gather at Bondi Pavillion for a tribute to the victims of a shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 15. Photo: AFP

Canada

Trump’s Venezuela and Greenland threats make Canada fear it’s next

The shock capture of Maduro and talk of seizing the Arctic island are forcing Canadians to take Trump’s 51st state threats seriously.

11 Jan 2026 - 5:12AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Russia says fired new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in strike against Ukraine

Russia’s Defence Ministry said the attack was retaliation for an alleged attempted drone strike on President Vladimir Putin’s residence.

9 Jan 2026 - 6:53PM

The Philippines

Philippine navy ‘up to the challenge’ of defending territory in South China Sea

Manila is banking on modern ships and global alliances to challenge China’s increasing presence in the contentious waters.

9 Jan 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Chinese coast guards use a water cannon against a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea on October 12, 2025. Photo: China Coast Guard/Xinhua

Ukraine war

Russia slams West’s ‘axis of war’ as Kyiv says US guarantees ‘essentially ready’

Moscow warns ‘axis of war’ peacekeepers potentially being deployed to Ukraine are targets, overshadowing Zelensky’s claim a US pact is almost ready.

8 Jan 2026 - 9:47PM

Ukrainian recruits attend training at an undisclosed location in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine on January 1. Photo: EPA/65th Separate Mechanised Brigade press service

US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | US invasion of Venezuela no guarantee of hemispheric dominance

By signalling how far it will go to defend its interests in Venezuela, the US might have intensified conflicts closer to home rather than resolving them.

8 Jan 2026 - 9:32PMvideocam

Singapore

Singapore’s ex-PM says US raid in Venezuela is worrying for small countries

The city state has always made its stance clear on such issues, such as when it opposed the US invasion of Grenada in 1983, the ex-PM says.

8 Jan 2026 - 5:37PM

Ukraine war

Ukraine’s allies agree to ‘robust’ security guarantees in push to end war

UK and France could deploy troops on Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire, but a big question mark hangs over Russia’s response.

7 Jan 2026 - 7:20PM

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) signs a declaration of intent along with France’s President Emmanuel Macron (centre) and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Photo: AFP

Donald Trump

US’ Asian allies reluctant to slam Trump’s ‘cowboy tactics’ against Venezuela

These countries fear the consequences of criticising the US, particularly given Trump’s willingness to use the tariff threat in trade talks.

6 Jan 2026 - 8:57PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Zelensky replaces security chief and hires Canada’s former deputy PM

Ukraine’s president taps elite ‘Alpha’ commander to lead the SBU and recruits Chrystia Freeland to drive economic development.

6 Jan 2026 - 1:59PM

US-Venezuela conflict

Gold, oil jolted by US assault on Venezuela as investors recalibrate

Gold and oil move in opposite directions as attack underscores gold’s haven value, fails to alter oil market’s supply glut.

5 Jan 2026 - 5:30PM

Gold could touch US$5,000 an ounce this year, according to JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

Trump says Ukraine did not target Putin residence, disputing Russia’s claim

US president says no evidence Novgorod estate was targeted, even as Russia reports an uptick in drone interceptions in the Moscow region.

5 Jan 2026 - 1:04PM

Russia

Russia’s Medvedev floats kidnapping scenario involving Germany’s Merz

Following the US raid in Venezuela, Russia’s ex-president said the kidnapping of Germany’s chancellor would be an ‘excellent twist’.

5 Jan 2026 - 4:29PM

Ukraine war

Trump ‘not thrilled’ with Putin, says too many people dying in Ukraine war

After a US strike that captured Venezuela’s Maduro, Trump said: ‘I thought … one of the easier ones would be Russia, Ukraine. It’s not’.

4 Jan 2026 - 3:29AM

Ukraine war

Zelensky proposes appointing First Deputy PM Fedorov as Ukraine defence minister

In big government shake-up, Zelensky also said he is appointing spy chief Kyrylo Budanov as head of the presidential office.

3 Jan 2026 - 6:20AM

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister. Photo; Reuters

European Union

Opinion | Can Europe survive its crippling paralysis?

The brutal reality is that the European Union is failing to get its squabbling nations to work as a coherent group.

3 Jan 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas signs an agreement to transfer to Ukraine a tranche of proceeds from frozen Russian assets during a meeting in Lviv, Ukraine, on May 9. Photo: AP

War and conflict

Outside In | 2025 was the year of denial. What now?

Despite the threat of wars, tariffs, climate change and AI, normality has persisted. But it can only be a matter of time before such contradictions explode.

2 Jan 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

North Korea

Why North Korea’s Kim is hailing ‘invincible’ Russia ties in new year message

Kim praised North Korean troops fighting in the Ukraine war for their unwavering bravery for the sake of ‘the brotherly Russian people’.

7 Jan 2026 - 2:36PMvideocam

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Ukraine

Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms

The Kremlin insists Ukraine is running out of options as US-led talks stall, warning that the ‘situation is deteriorating’ for Kyiv daily.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | An internally split Europe can never fully engage China and Asia

Opinion | Why Russia is gambling on a protracted war in Ukraine

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Russia’s war in Ukraine leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba vulnerable, exposing security failures and eroding trust in Moscow’s global influence.

Taiwan, US launch joint production of 155mm artillery shells amid blockade fears

Island’s defence ministry says Ukraine war underscores urgency of securing sustained ammunition supply in event of armed conflict.

Opinion | EU-China ties are stuck between interdependence and rivalry

To break the pattern of trade escalations with Beijing, Brussels must move beyond tariffs and invest in its own competitiveness.

Iranians use Musk’s Starlink to pierce internet blackout during protests

Smuggled satellite terminals offer a high-risk lifeline as Iran’s protest death toll climbs.

Opinion | Why China now needs North Korea’s denuclearisation

As optimism grows over an end to the Ukraine war, a weakening of Moscow’s support for Pyongyang may give Beijing new leverage to stabilise the Korean peninsula.

Opinion | Why US ops in Venezuela have shaken Asia-Pacific’s middle powers

Middle powers fear a return to ‘rules of the jungle’ geopolitics as rival powers carve out spheres of influence.

My Take | The days of EU and Nato may be numbered under von der Leyen and Kallas

Europe’s leaders continue to play supplicants to Trump, who may be an even bigger existential threat than Putin with his undisguised US imperialism.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Bondi response must go beyond policing and towards rebuilding unity

Readers discuss social cohesion in Australia, a commission into the Bondi shooting, and US interventions.

Trump’s Venezuela and Greenland threats make Canada fear it’s next

The shock capture of Maduro and talk of seizing the Arctic island are forcing Canadians to take Trump’s 51st state threats seriously.

Russia says fired new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in strike against Ukraine

Russia’s Defence Ministry said the attack was retaliation for an alleged attempted drone strike on President Vladimir Putin’s residence.

Philippine navy ‘up to the challenge’ of defending territory in South China Sea

Manila is banking on modern ships and global alliances to challenge China’s increasing presence in the contentious waters.

Russia slams West’s ‘axis of war’ as Kyiv says US guarantees ‘essentially ready’

Moscow warns ‘axis of war’ peacekeepers potentially being deployed to Ukraine are targets, overshadowing Zelensky’s claim a US pact is almost ready.

Opinion | US invasion of Venezuela no guarantee of hemispheric dominance

By signalling how far it will go to defend its interests in Venezuela, the US might have intensified conflicts closer to home rather than resolving them.

Singapore’s ex-PM says US raid in Venezuela is worrying for small countries

The city state has always made its stance clear on such issues, such as when it opposed the US invasion of Grenada in 1983, the ex-PM says.

Ukraine’s allies agree to ‘robust’ security guarantees in push to end war

UK and France could deploy troops on Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire, but a big question mark hangs over Russia’s response.

US’ Asian allies reluctant to slam Trump’s ‘cowboy tactics’ against Venezuela

These countries fear the consequences of criticising the US, particularly given Trump’s willingness to use the tariff threat in trade talks.

Zelensky replaces security chief and hires Canada’s former deputy PM

Ukraine’s president taps elite ‘Alpha’ commander to lead the SBU and recruits Chrystia Freeland to drive economic development.

Gold, oil jolted by US assault on Venezuela as investors recalibrate

Gold and oil move in opposite directions as attack underscores gold’s haven value, fails to alter oil market’s supply glut.

Trump says Ukraine did not target Putin residence, disputing Russia’s claim

US president says no evidence Novgorod estate was targeted, even as Russia reports an uptick in drone interceptions in the Moscow region.

Russia’s Medvedev floats kidnapping scenario involving Germany’s Merz

Following the US raid in Venezuela, Russia’s ex-president said the kidnapping of Germany’s chancellor would be an ‘excellent twist’.

Trump ‘not thrilled’ with Putin, says too many people dying in Ukraine war

After a US strike that captured Venezuela’s Maduro, Trump said: ‘I thought … one of the easier ones would be Russia, Ukraine. It’s not’.

Zelensky proposes appointing First Deputy PM Fedorov as Ukraine defence minister

In big government shake-up, Zelensky also said he is appointing spy chief Kyrylo Budanov as head of the presidential office.

Opinion | Can Europe survive its crippling paralysis?

The brutal reality is that the European Union is failing to get its squabbling nations to work as a coherent group.

Outside In | 2025 was the year of denial. What now?

Despite the threat of wars, tariffs, climate change and AI, normality has persisted. But it can only be a matter of time before such contradictions explode.

Why North Korea’s Kim is hailing ‘invincible’ Russia ties in new year message

Kim praised North Korean troops fighting in the Ukraine war for their unwavering bravery for the sake of ‘the brotherly Russian people’.

Opinion | An internally split Europe can never fully engage China and Asia

Letters | Bondi response must go beyond policing and towards rebuilding unity