Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during his first foreign visit of 2026, as both leaders pushed for deeper strategic cooperation and a “multipolar world order.” The closely watched summit came just days after Donald Trump’s visit to China. Xi described the current international environment as “complex and volatile” and appeared to take a swipe at US “unilateral hegemony.” Putin and Xi held closed-door talks before broader delegation-level meetings.

US President Donald Trump has delivered one of his strongest warnings yet to Iran, saying Tehran must urgently move toward a nuclear agreement with the United States as tensions continue to spiral across the West Asia. Speaking during a high-profile interview, Trump signalled that Washington’s patience with Iran is rapidly fading while concerns over Tehran’s near weapons-grade uranium stockpile continue to grow. The latest developments come as nuclear negotiations remain deadlocked, with fears mounting over the future of Iran’s atomic programme and the possibility of a wider regional conflict. Trump also hinted that Iran’s enriched uranium could eventually be secured under a future agreement, even as pressure intensifies on Tehran from multiple fronts. Meanwhile, shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has added another dangerous layer to the crisis. WATCH