Türkiye must navigate its role in the corridor with caution, as it could impact China's trade security, reduce Russia's influence in the South Caucasus, and pressure Türkiye's logistics leadership. To maintain strategic autonomy, Türkie aims to balance its policies while aligning regional infrastructure, integrating digital customs systems, increasing cargo capacity on the Marmaray railway, and completing a key bridge link over the Istanbul Strait.
US President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin has sparked a heated debate on social media, with many netizens calling for him to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize if he can successfully negotiate a deal between the two nations. Trump revealed his plan to impose tariffs on China during their meeting, stating that he doesn't think he needs to increase them. He also offered advice to Ukraine's President Zelensky to "make a deal" with Russia, saying "maybe they'll say no".
U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks in Alaska, where they discussed the potential for "land swaps" and a security guarantee from the U.S. to end the Ukraine war. According to Trump, these territorial concessions and security assurances were points of agreement between the two leaders.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over Israel's decision, emphasizing that Gaza must remain part of Palestine. EU leaders, including President Antonio Costa and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urged Israel to reconsider the plan, warning it could damage relations with Israel and worsen humanitarian conditions in Gaza. France strongly condemned the plan, while Lithuania, Sweden, Austria, Portugal, and Slovenia also issued strong responses, emphasizing the need for international law and human rights. Germany halted military equipment exports to Israel and sent 100 tons of humanitarian aid to Jordan, which will be airdropped into Gaza.
Russian Ushakov stated that after the US-Russia summit in Alaska, a new bilateral meeting between Russian and US leaders will be organized. When asked about a potential trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky, Kremlin representative Ushakov declined to comment, indicating that the topic has not been discussed yet.
Australian Director-General Mr. Burgess warned about the threat of espionage from China, Iran, and Russia, citing cases where hackers stole commercially sensitive information from an Australian exporter, costing the country hundreds of millions of dollars. A Chinese national was charged with reckless foreign interference for spying on a Canberra Buddhist group, while Russian spies were deported after being found to recruit proxies to obtain sensitive information. Mr. Burgess stated that Australia has zero tolerance for such activities and will take action against those who threaten its national intelligence.
BBC is forced to apologise to Robert Jenrick after branding him 'xenophobic' on Radio 4's Today programme, following a trip to Calais where he witnessed small boats setting off for England. Conservative MP and shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, accused the broadcaster of smearing millions of worried citizens as 'xenophobic' for their fears about migration. The controversy comes after Jenrick's loss in the party leadership race last summer, during which he campaigned on removing the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights to deal with small boat arrivals.
China and Asean are upgrading their landmark free trade pact despite US-China tensions, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announcing plans to submit the "3.0 version" of the agreement for approval in October. This move aims to enhance mutual trust and revamp trade ties between the two parties, which account for a significant portion of global population and economic growth.
A high-level delegation from Ethiopia arrived in Karachi, led by Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula, to launch the "Plant Fraternity" initiative in Pakistan. The delegation will visit Islamabad and Lahore for a series of environmental dialogues and mass plantation drives, coordinated by the Ethiopian Embassy in Islamabad. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral ties through climate cooperation under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Green Legacy Initiative, with Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker calling it a manifestation of growing relations between the two countries.