Diplomacy
Summits, negotiations, state visits, and foreign-policy engagements.
Australia agrees to sell uranium to India, ending a long stalemate
Australia and India have reached a long-delayed uranium export agreement during a summit in Melbourne, ending years of stalemate over nuclear trade and linking the move to broader defense and Indo-Pacific cooperation.
Albanese and Modi sign uranium export deal worth billions
Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi have signed an administrative arrangement that enables Australian uranium exports to India for peaceful civil nuclear use, alongside a new defence declaration.
Australia’s Telstra outage still disrupts regional rail and emergency calling
Telstra said it restored services after a nationwide outage, but residual triple-zero problems and regional rail disruption continued into Thursday morning while operators waited for communications to stabilise.
India and Japan unveil supply-chain and investment initiatives at summit
India and Japan used their summit in New Delhi to announce a joint economic-security roadmap, supply-chain resilience measures and a renewed investment push, with defense cooperation also expanding.
India-EU FTA legal scrub to end in 10-12 days, deal by Dec. 31: Piyush Goyal
Piyush Goyal said the legal scrubbing of the India-EU free trade agreement should finish in 10 to 12 days and the deal is targeted for signing by Dec. 31, tightening the timetable for a pact first outlined in January.
China and EU set regular ministerial trade talks amid pressure to rebalance trade
China and the European Union will hold ministerial-level trade talks once or twice a year, China said, formalizing a channel aimed at narrowing the bloc’s trade deficit and easing tensions over industrial policy.
India says Israel, GCC FTA talks temporarily stalled amid West Asia crisis
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India’s FTA talks with Israel and the Gulf Cooperation Council are temporarily stalled because of the West Asia crisis. He said negotiations with Canada remain very advanced.
Australia and Vanuatu sign Nakamal treaty
Australia and Vanuatu signed the long-delayed Nakamal Agreement in Canberra on June 29, 2026, setting limits on foreign military bases and militarisation of critical infrastructure while requiring consultation on sensitive third-party involvement.
Rubio and Vance hold call with Lebanon's president as Trump claims Iran agreed to nuclear inspections
Marco Rubio and JD Vance held a call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun about a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, as Donald Trump said Iran had agreed to long-term nuclear inspections. Iran denies the claim and the IAEA has not commented.
US-Iran talks begin in Switzerland as Iran keeps Strait of Hormuz closed
U.S. and Iranian officials began talks in Switzerland on June 21 over Tehran’s nuclear program and an interim deal, while Iran said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz again in protest over the fighting in Lebanon. U.S. Central Command disputed the closure claim as mediators from Pakistan and Qatar joined the discussions.
Vance postpones Iran talks trip after Switzerland meeting is called off
Vice President JD Vance postponed a planned trip to Switzerland for U.S.-Iran talks. The White House first cited logistics and said the talks had not been fully finalized; later reporting said the meeting was canceled and Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed it.
Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit India for high-level BRICS meet
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit New Delhi for the BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives meeting on June 22-23, a fresh diplomatic signal ahead of India’s September summit.
Iran to invite watchdog inspections under new U.S.-Iran deal, AP reports
Associated Press reported that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff told lawmakers Iran will invite U.N. nuclear watchdog inspectors to examine nuclear sites under a new interim U.S.-Iran agreement tied to uranium dilution, sanctions relief and further talks.
PM Modi and Trump direct officials to fast-track 'commercially meaningful' trade pact
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump told officials to accelerate negotiations toward a balanced, mutually beneficial and commercially meaningful India-U.S. trade deal after meeting at the G7 summit in France. Trump said the two sides were very close to an agreement.
Trump signs Iran peace deal as Tehran says it will charge ships in Strait of Hormuz after 60 days
The United States and Iran have signed an initial memorandum of understanding that pauses hostilities, reopens the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and sets a 60-day negotiating window, but Iranian officials say ships will face charges after that period.
USTR Greer, Piyush Goyal to hold trade pact talks next week
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to visit India on June 23-24 for talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on an interim India-U.S. trade agreement, with tariff treatment among the main issues.
USTR team to visit India next week for trade pact talks
India says a USTR delegation led by Jamieson Greer will visit New Delhi on June 23-24 for final-stage talks on the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement.
USTR team to visit India on June 23-24 for trade pact talks, tariff treatment in focus
A USTR delegation is scheduled to visit India on June 23-24 to advance the proposed trade agreement, with preferential tariff treatment and market access among the key issues.
Modi, Macron agree to double India-France trade in five years, expand nuclear ties in Nice
Narendra Modi and Emmanuel Macron met in Nice and agreed to aim for doubling India-France trade over five years while discussing civil nuclear cooperation, defence, technology and mobility. Reporting also says the two sides signed 19 agreements across multiple sectors.
India-US trade deal unlikely at G7 as USTR signals more talks ahead
Reuters-reported comments from a senior U.S. administration official say India-U.S. trade will be discussed at the G7 summit, but a deal is not expected to be finalized there. Indian outlets report Narendra Modi and Donald Trump are scheduled to meet bilaterally in Evian on June 16-17.
Why steel tariffs are rumbling the EU's outreach to South Korea
EU steel quota cuts and a 50% tariff on shipments above the new limit are complicating a Brussels summit with South Korea, though both sides still plan to sign a digital trade accord.
Trump says Iran shot down U.S. helicopter and vows response
A U.S. Apache helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz on June 9, with two crew members rescued. Donald Trump blamed Iran and said the U.S. must respond, while reporting says the cause is still under investigation.
Egyptian, Qatari FMs discuss developments in US-Iran negotiations
Egypt’s foreign minister held talks with Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister about US-Iran negotiations and broader regional de-escalation, according to official Egyptian and Qatari readouts.
Bessent says he will press G7 to follow Iran sanctions regime
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he will urge G7 finance ministers to align with sanctions pressure on Iran as the group meets in Paris, according to Reuters reporting and Treasury statements.