International Affairs

Israeli strikes intensify in Gaza after ceasefire phase two

Gaza rescue officials reported at least 32 deaths from a wave of Israeli air strikes on Saturday, and the IDF confirmed it carried out multiple strikes citing a Hamas ceasefire violation the day before.

Panama court voids CK Hutchison’s canal port concession

Panama’s Supreme Court annulled the concession held by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings’ subsidiary Panama Ports Company to operate ports on both sides of the Panama Canal.

US clears major arms package for Israel

The US State Department approved $6.67bn in arms sales to Israel, including 30 Apache attack helicopters and infantry assault vehicles.

Venezuela moves to open its oil sector to private investment

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez signed an oil-sector reform bill into law after the National Assembly passed it, changing the legal framework to allow increased privatisation of Venezuela’s nationalised oil industry.

South Africa expels Israel’s top diplomat

South Africa’s foreign ministry declared Israeli charge d’affaires Ariel Seidman persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours.

Beijing clears Nvidia H200 chip purchases by major Chinese tech firms

Chinese authorities granted conditional licenses allowing ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent to purchase more than 400,000 Nvidia H200 AI chips in total, with additional approvals expected in coming weeks.

US targets Cuba’s oil suppliers with new tariff authority

President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorising an additional ad valorem duty on imports from any country that directly or indirectly sells or provides oil to Cuba.

India and the EU finalize a free trade pact

India and the European Union signed a free trade agreement on January 27, 2026, creating a combined market billed at roughly two billion people.

EU designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group

The European Union added Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to its terrorist list.

China blocks a Sun Pharma Alzheimer’s dementia medicine over manufacturing controls

China’s National Medical Products Administration ordered a halt to the import, sale, and use of Sun Pharma’s rivastigmine hydrogen tartrate capsules after a remote inspection found production and quality-management shortcomings.

Duterte ICC case cleared to proceed after fitness ruling

ICC judges rejected the defence claim that Rodrigo Duterte’s health prevents him from participating in trial proceedings on alleged crimes against humanity.

UN to take over al-Hol camp for IS families in Syria unrest

The UN says it has taken over management of Syria’s al-Hol camp after Kurdish-led forces withdrew amid an advance by Syrian government forces, triggering unrest that halted aid operations.

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