EXPLAINER – Why the Trump–Putin summit is happening in Alaska, not Europe
When Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin sat down for their high-stakes summit, the choice of venue was as symbolic as the talks themselves — Alaska, a ...
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen on Friday called for reforms to global governance bodies and pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Meeting in Pretoria, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Austrian counterpart Alexander van der Bellen highlighted the urgent need to reform global institutions, particularly the United Nations, in response to mounting global challenges such as geopolitical tensions, climate change, and regional conflicts.
“We meet at a time of heightened global insecurity,” Ramaphosa said, emphasising the importance of defending a multilateral system that is currently “under attack.” He noted that both Austria and South Africa are committed to international cooperation and believe in the power of multilateralism to foster peace and stability.
The two leaders agreed that reforms are essential for global institutions to remain effective and relevant in today’s world. They also committed to strengthening trade and diplomatic relations.
Van der Bellen praised South Africa’s peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy, calling it a global model for peace and inclusive governance. This marks the first official visit by an Austrian president to South Africa.
He also noted that South Africa is Austria’s largest trade partner in Africa, accounting for one-third of Austrian exports to the continent and a quarter of its imports from Africa. Austria has invested approximately €700 million in South Africa, making it one of the top EU investors in the country.
The leaders oversaw the signing of a memorandum of cooperation covering consular affairs, education, and vocational training through work-based learning.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
A deadly heatwave has claimed 1,180 lives in Spain since May, with elderly people most at risk, prompting calls for urgent social support.
When Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin sat down for their high-stakes summit, the choice of venue was as symbolic as the talks themselves — Alaska, a former Russian colony and America’s northern frontier, separated from Russia by just 55 miles. But why here, and why now?
A powerful explosion at a factory in Russia’s Ryazan region on Friday (August 15) left 11 people dead and 130 injured, the country’s emergencies ministry confirmed on Saturday (August 16).
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday that any eventual peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine must include strong security guarantees both for Kyiv and for Europe as a whole.
Slovak prime minister Robert Fico said on Saturday he welcomed the initiative launched by U.S. president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska to work toward ending the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced support for U.S. president Donald Trump’s proposal to hold a trilateral summit with Russia, saying Kyiv is ready for constructive cooperation and believes key issues should be resolved directly at the level of national leaders.
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