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Geopolitics

Geopolitics: wars, alliances, sanctions, trade and the decisions between governments that shape the world.

1265 articles · page 22 of 27

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Geopolitics

Russia halts strikes on Kyiv for three days as US envoys arrive for peace talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day halt to strikes against Kyiv as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday to revive stalled peace negotiations, the Kremlin confirmed. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces would also halt air strikes during the visit, but accused Russia of striking Kyiv and Boryspil airports overnight in what he called a deliberate reaction to the planned diplomatic mission.

Geopolitics

Taiwan Cracks Down on Tech Businesses with Illegal Chinese Ownership

Taiwan is intensifying enforcement against Chinese-owned technology businesses operating on the island without proper authorization, according to a report from Rest of World cited by Tom's Hardware. Since 2020, authorities have launched 166 investigations and obtained at least 36 convictions under the Cross-Strait Act and related investment rules, which require Chinese entities to apply for government permits before conducting business in Taiwan. The crackdown targets companies that conceal their ownership through shell companies registered elsewhere or by using non-Chinese nationals as frontmen.

Geopolitics

Russian Attacks Kill 12 in Ukraine as EU Defence Ministers Meet; US Envoys Head to Moscow

At least 12 people were killed and dozens more injured in Russian overnight attacks on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, as strikes in the Odesa region left thousands without electricity. The attacks came as EU defence ministers gathered in Wicklow, Ireland, with a British warship and submarine-hunter helicopter deployed to support security, and as US envoys were set to visit Moscow and Kyiv.

· 2 sources
Geopolitics

Trump Envoys Head to Kyiv After Three-Hour Kremlin Talks with Putin

U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are set to land in Kyiv on Sunday for their first visit to the Ukrainian capital, following three hours of closed-door talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow that both sides described as constructive. The White House says the envoys discussed "substantive plans for next steps" and that an announcement on ending the war is expected in the coming weeks.

· 5 sources
Geopolitics

Germany urges EU to tighten tourist visa rules for Russians after sabotage attacks

Germany has called on its European Union partners to impose tighter restrictions on Russian citizens entering the bloc on tourist visas, following a series of sabotage attacks that Berlin has attributed to Moscow. The call comes as German authorities investigate a Belarusian national who also holds a Russian passport over an alleged attempt to attack Leipzig airport using drones and explosives.

Geopolitics

Canada Holds Surprising Leverage in Trade War, Expert Says, as US Treasury Secretary Dismisses Its Clout

As the trade war between the United States and Canada escalates, new analysis suggests Canada may have more leverage than it appears, even as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly dismisses the country's ability to fight back. Bessent, speaking at a gathering of G20 finance ministers, accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of starting a 'political shouting match' over US trade policies. But a BBC News analysis published Friday highlights that Canada is the top export customer for 26 US states and ranks in the top three for 45 of the 50 American states, indicating significant room for Carney to manoeuvre.

· 2 sources
Geopolitics

White House Pressures US Space Companies to Boycott Macron's Paris Summit

The Trump administration has pressured major US space companies to withdraw from a high-profile space summit organised by French President Emmanuel Macron, prompting SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, K2 and Starcloud to pull out of the Paris event scheduled for next week. Politico first reported the diplomatic turmoil, and multiple sources confirmed to Ars Technica that a White House Office of Science and Technology Policy official led a call with industry representatives late last week.

· 2 sources
Geopolitics

Russian drone targets SBU chief's office in Kyiv, Zelensky vows 'mirrored' retaliation

A Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) in central Kyiv on Friday, directly targeting the office of SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. At least five people were wounded in the attack, which came as Kyiv endured a tenth consecutive day of drone assaults and as reports emerged that US peace envoys are expected in Moscow and Kyiv this weekend.

· 4 sources
Geopolitics

Vance accused of ‘gaslighting’ after downplaying US strike on Iranian wedding

US Vice-President JD Vance has drawn sharp criticism after responding to claims that an American strike killed four people, including a child, at a wedding celebration in southern Iran by saying “sometimes things happen” and asserting that the US-Iran conflict is not a war. The remarks, made at a White House press briefing, were labelled as “gaslighting” by Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna.

Geopolitics

Two Palestinian teenagers killed in West Bank settler attack, father says families expect sons to be killed

Funerals have taken place for two Palestinian teenagers shot dead this week when settlers and soldiers entered the village of al-Mughayyir in the occupied West Bank, as the father of one victim told the BBC his family lives in constant fear of losing their children. The Israeli military said it fired on 'instigators of a violent riot' and that the incident is under review.

Geopolitics

Uzbek Professor Arrested in Kazakhstan on Espionage Charges, Academics Raise Alarm

Kazakhstan has arrested Dr. Ikboljon Qoraboyev, a 46-year-old Uzbek international relations professor at Maksut Narikbayev University in Astana, on espionage charges under Article 176 of the country's criminal code, prompting concerns among academics about the erosion of academic freedom in Central Asia. The arrest occurred on July 3, 2026, when plainclothes officers took Qoraboyev from his home in front of his family; he has been held since without public comment from Kazakh or Uzbek authorities.

Geopolitics

Who Is Alejandro Betancourt, the Venezuelan Oil Baron Behind Trump’s ‘Biggest Deal in History’?

US President Donald Trump has called the deal granting American control of strategic Venezuelan oil fields 'the biggest in history,' but the agreement has raised eyebrows owing to the figure at its center: Alejandro Betancourt López, a 46-year-old Venezuelan oil baron with a history of government business stretching back to the Hugo Chávez era and investigations in five countries.

Geopolitics

Iran Accuses US of War Crime After Missile Strike Hits Wedding; US Denies Targeting Civilians

Iran has accused the United States of committing a war crime after a US missile strike reportedly hit a family wedding in southern Iran, killing four people including two children, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. The US military said it never targets civilians and was responding to recent attacks by Iran's Revolutionary Guard on American forces and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Geopolitics

Netherlands moves billions in gold from US and Canada to London citing geopolitical unrest

The Dutch central bank (DNB) has confirmed it moved 86 tonnes of gold from the United States and Canada to London in a complex operation completed this August, citing “increasing geopolitical unrest” and a desire to make the reserves more easily tradeable in a crisis. The transfer, which involved both physical relocation and financial transactions, comes amid escalating trade tensions between the US and Canada and persistent uncertainty over the US economy tied to its war with Iran.

Geopolitics

US to control a fifth of Venezuela's oil reserves as multiple global stories unfold

A signing ceremony has been held for a deal that will see the United States control approximately one-fifth of Venezuela's oil reserves, according to Al Jazeera video footage published Wednesday. The report was one of several breaking news items compiled by the outlet, including the hospitalisation of over 500 students in Indonesia, a deadly bus crash in Egypt's Sinai, actor George Clooney's criticism of the US government, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declaration from Gaza that Israel is not withdrawing.

· 2 sources
Geopolitics

US Drugmakers Face Acute Vulnerability to Chinese Supply Disruption, Report Finds

A new report from Washington-based consultancy Scalare Advisors reveals that China supplies more than 70% of the active ingredients for antibiotics imported into the United States, with three of the most commonly prescribed outpatient drugs—amoxicillin, azithromycin, and ciprofloxacin—all dependent on Chinese-made components. The findings come weeks before Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit Washington on September 24 for his first trip to the U.S. capital in over a decade, reigniting concerns about Beijing's potential to use pharmaceutical supply chains as leverage.

Geopolitics

Putin's 'military secret' answer on UK strikes part of pressure campaign, BBC analyst says

Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to confirm whether Moscow might strike military facilities in the UK in response to British arms supplies to Ukraine, answering a direct question on the matter with just four words: "That's a secret. A military secret." BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg says the deliberate ambiguity is part of a Kremlin campaign of psychological pressure designed to keep Britain guessing and to make it think twice about its support for Ukraine.

Geopolitics

Russia's Rassvet satellite constellation suffers second setback as entire batch fails to reach orbit

Russia's homegrown alternative to Starlink, the Rassvet satellite constellation, has hit another major hurdle after the entire second batch of 16 satellites failed to reach their operational altitude, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing data from satellite tracker N2YO. Many of the satellites ended up at altitudes between 300 and 400 kilometres, well short of the 870 km target, and two are already experiencing orbital decay and falling back to Earth.