Chinese President Xi Jinping and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met in Beijing on Tuesday, pledging to deepen bilateral ties and jointly safeguard global peace and development. Xi framed the meeting against what he described as a 'crumbling' international order, signaling China's intent to court European partners as geopolitical and trade pressures mount. Spain, a G20 member and significant EU economy, represents a meaningful diplomatic target for Beijing as it works to fragment Western alignment on trade and security policy. The meeting follows escalating U.S.-China trade tensions and comes as European governments face competing pressure from Washington and Beijing over economic alignment. For markets, the signal is one of selective European-China engagement continuing despite broader decoupling rhetoric. Observers should track whether the joint pledges translate into concrete trade, investment, or infrastructure agreements, and how Brussels responds to Madrid's bilateral positioning within the EU's increasingly unified China policy framework.
Venezuela's earthquake death toll has reached 1,430 with the US Geological Survey warning fatalities could top 10,000, placing it among Latin America's deadliest in a century. US military planes are landing in Caracas, Washington is mobilising $150 million in aid, and rescue teams from 17 countries are on the ground.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
The US struck ten Iranian targets on the second consecutive day of military action, putting a fragile ceasefire under serious pressure. The escalation raises immediate risks for Gulf shipping, global oil supply, and regional stability.
