Two Canadian nationals apprehended in Beijing have remained there for two years, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor. The two Canadians have been at the center of a high-stakes standoff between Canada, the US, and China. The men have been accused of espionage and jailed for the duration

Iran is stepping up pressure on US President Joe Biden to lift economic sanctions imposed on Tehran by producing uranium metal, a process that is banned under the 2015 nuclear accords. The material can be used to form the core of a nuclear weapon. The United Nations atomic agency released

China’s ban on Australian coal imports has caused troubles at home as the Chinese coal market enters into a crisis of surging prices, supply shortages, and flawed policy goals. A cold winter threatens to push the countries’ issues into a deeper state as the two quarrels over a diplomatic brawl

On Tuesday, China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi stressed the potential for a healthy US-China relationship on matters such as trade, public health, and climate, re-iterating recent language from leader Xi Jinping. However, no concessions were made on issues such as human rights, Covid-19 response, and what was referred to as

Vladimir Putin has refrained from congratulating new US President-elect Joe Biden until legal challenges touted by sitting president Donald Trump are resolved that the results are official, according to an announcement made by the Kremlin on Monday. Putin is one of a few world leaders who have not commented on

After a month of violent clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to a cease-fire brokered by the US and based on commitments made in Moscow in early October. Both entities have agreed to the cease-fire for humanitarian concerns as several civilian casualties have been recorded. Azerbaijan’s envoy to

Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his resignation due to reasons of poor health. Japan’s governing party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has elected Yoshihide Suga as its nominee for a new leader to succeed Abe, which means that he is almost certain to hold the position. Suga

Russia has registered the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine despite concerns that the medication flew through trial periods and may not be safe to administer. President Vladimir Putin announced the vaccine registration, which marks a huge milestone in the fight against the infectious disease that created a global pandemic. Western countries

Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong citizen, and media tycoon, has been arrested under suspicions of colluding with foreign forces, according to the local police. This action became an offense under a new national security law that was imposed on Hong Kong by China last month, drawing international criticism. Lai was well

North Korea released a state-media report on Friday stating that relations with the US had “shifted into despair,” promising to boost its nuclear weapons program on the second anniversary of the historic Singapore summit meeting between Jim Jong Un and US President Trump. According to North Korea’s foreign minister, the