On Friday, Brazil's government announced that Nigeria has been officially admitted as a partner country in the BRICS bloc, a coalition of emerging economies. As the BRICS chair in 2025, Brazil emphasised that Nigeria's participation is consistent with its aims to strengthen collaboration in the Global South and advocate for global governance reforms. Brazil's Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty) cited Nigeria's important position as the world's sixth most populous nation and Africa's largest economy as a critical component in the country's alignment with BRICS goals. As a result of its partner sta
Masdar, the UAE's clean energy leader, has collaborated with the Philippines to build 1 GW of renewable energy projects by 2030, including solar, wind, and battery energy storage systems (BESS). This effort fits with the Philippines' Energy Transition Program, which aims to attain 35% renewable energy in power generation by 2030 and 50% by 2040. An Implementation Agreement with the Department of Energy and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Board of Investment were among the agreements signed at a ceremony in which UAE Minister HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber and Philippine Energy Secreta
Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam was greeted ceremonially at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking his first state visit to India. The visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore diplomatic relations. President Tharman emphasised Singapore's strong relationship with India, citing India's acceptance of Singapore's independence in 1965. He hailed the bilateral relationship as a "natural partnership," citing Singapore as India's largest investor and vital defence ally. During Prime Minister Modi's Sep
India welcomed Israel and Hamas' cease-fire agreement, expressing optimism for continued humanitarian supplies to Gaza, where over 40,000 Palestinians have died during the 15-month conflict. The Ministry of External Affairs remarked, "We support the agreement for hostage release and truce in Gaza. We hope that this assures safe and ongoing humanitarian aid. India has continuously called for a cease-fire, hostage release, and talks. The arrangement, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, comes ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, during which he w
Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam landed in New Delhi on Tuesday night on a five-day state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations in a variety of areas. This is his first visit to India as President of Singapore, accompanied by a high-level team. Union Minister Jitin Prasada met him at the airport. The visit commemorates the 60th anniversary of India and Singapore's diplomatic ties. External Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Randhir Jaiswal emphasised the significance of the occasion, remarking on 'X,' "A special celebration of the 60th anniversary of #IndiaSingapore diplomat
Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit India from January 14 to 18, 2025, accompanied by a high-level delegation. This is his first visit to India as president, and it coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to the MEA. On January 16, President Tharman will be welcomed ceremonially at Rashtrapati Bhawan and will meet with President Droupadi Murmu, who will organise a banquet in his honour. Meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other dignitaries are also planned. His
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is in the UAE for a three-day working visit, with a focus on strengthening economic and strategic partnerships. On Monday, Anwar met with heads of UAE sovereign wealth funds, including Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Managing Director Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak. Later, he travelled to Dubai to meet with UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at Za'abeel Palace. Discussions included renewable energy, food and energy security, ar
According to a senior Indian government official, India is close to finalizing a preliminary deal with Mongolia on geology and exploration. The agreement comes as India looks to diversify its supply of vital minerals. Mongolia, a landlocked country, has huge supplies of copper and coking coal, which are critical to India's expanding demands in power generation, building, electric vehicles, and steel manufacturing. "The Indian cabinet has approved the MoU, and both nations are expected to sign it soon," said the official. While the Indian federal mines ministry and Mongolia's Minis
During a delegation-level discussion with his Maldivian counterpart, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reaffirmed India's steadfast commitment to improving its ties with the Maldives. The meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation and identify opportunities for collaborative growth between the two countries. Singh reflected on President Mohamed Muizzu's recent state visit to India, recognizing its importance in altering bilateral relations. "President Muizzu's visit in October 2024 gave a new direction for our partnership. "The Joint Vision Document, which was released during the visit, serves a
Malaysia and Singapore have announced plans to establish a special economic zone at the Johor-Singapore border, to increase investment opportunities and streamline people and goods movements. The zone, located in Malaysia's southern Johor state and connected to Singapore by a bustling causeway, will benefit from one of the world's busiest land border crossings, which is utilised by over 300,000 people every day. The zone, which spans 3,571 square kilometres—nearly five times the size of Singapore—provides Singaporean enterprises with much-needed expansion space, access to low-cost labo