Commentary

Leaders from the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) met in Luanda, Angola, for the 7th EU–AU Summit. The summit focused on strengthening cooperation in economics, trade, security, and sustainable development.

Amid increasingly complex geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, Japan–India relations continue to reaffirm their role as a vital strategic pillar contributing to regional peace. Maintaining close cooperation between Tokyo and New Delhi is regarded as aligning with shared interests, especially as new and intertwined security challenges emerge.

President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea is undertaking his first tour of the Middle East and Africa since taking office. Beyond securing agreements worth hundreds of billions USD, the trip is helping lay a solid foundation for strengthening Seoul’s ties with countries across the Global South.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has warned that Europe is becoming increasingly vulnerable to shocks such as US tariffs, and is falling behind in future growth drivers such as artificial intelligence (AI). She has proposed a series of bold reforms to help the European Union (EU) maintain its position as one of the world’s leading economic hubs.

With the theme “Building together a resilient, prosperous and secure future”, the fourth European Union (EU)–Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum opened in Brussels, Belgium.

Japan's Cabinet has approved a new economic stimulus package worth about 21.3 trillion JPY, or roughly 135 billion USD, to tackle rising inflation. Analysts regard this as a policy for the people, as well as the first test of the credibility of the administration of Japan’s female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, is entering its most difficult stage, with negotiations running late into the night in an effort to overcome obstacles.

Africa is struggling to cope with the worst outbreaks of cholera and dengue fever in the past 25 years. The continent’s efforts to handle these crises are becoming ever more difficult as the global health sector faces increasingly tight finances due to cuts in funding.

The recent joint trade–security agreement reached between the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the US marks the end of months of prolonged and deadlocked negotiations.

The widening global inequality gap continues to pose a serious threat to efforts toward building a democratic and prosperous world for all people and nations.

Kazakhstan has officially announced its decision to join the Abraham Accords - an initiative fostering diplomatic relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations - a move that has immediately drawn the attention of international observers.

The fourth summit between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union (EU), held in Colombia, is expected to strengthen commitments to the “triple transition” of energy, digital and environmental transformation, setting out a roadmap for cooperation between the two regions over the next two years.

The United Nations Security Council has adopted a US-drafted resolution lifting sanctions on Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, effectively granting him a diplomatic “passport” for his visit to the White House this week.

Many countries in the world are willing to invite medical staff from poor countries with attractive salaries. The Republic of Korea is one of the countries with many good experts in the field of science and technology leaving to find “new horizons”. This situation is raising concerns about brain drain in the field of medicine, science and technology globally.

The European Union’s (EU) climate target for 2040 is regarded as a turning point in global efforts to tackle climate change, reaffirming Europe’s commitment to taking the initiative, strengthening cooperation, and pursuing a future in which development is harmonised with the protection of the shared planet.

The International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, observed on November 6 each year, once again serves as an occasion for the world to raise awareness of the impact that wars and conflicts have on the environment.

Alongside the explosive development of information technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and “green” modes of transport, global demand for electricity is rising rapidly. Ensuring sufficient power supply has become a pivotal task for countries seeking to realise their growth ambitions.

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s tours of Asian countries have been widely seen as an opportunity to reposition Tokyo’s role, standing, and voice on the Asia-Pacific geopolitical stage as well as to strengthen trust and expand cooperation with regional partners.

Deep within Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, a system has been constructed to pump carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the tropical forest canopy as part of a project called AmazonFACE, which aims to simulate the atmospheric conditions predicted for the future.

The European Union (EU) is racing against time to adopt its new climate target ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), scheduled for this November.