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Eight decades on, relatively few people recall the historical significance of Aug. 15, 1945. Yet, the surrender of Japan on that day, ending the Second World War, was a pivotal moment in 20th-century history.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed hope that this year’s Osaka Expo will help restore global unity in a divided world. Yet, while that grand goal is unlikely to be fully realized, the big event is having a positive impact on international relations.

It was not many years ago that Narendra Modi’s reputation in Europe, and much of the rest of the world, was dogged by controversy surrounding his political past. However, the Indian prime minister is now widely feted internationally.

French-UK relations have often been in the political and economic “deep freeze” since Brexit. Yet the two G7 and G20 nations have reemerged in recent years as regional leaders, including building Europe’s relationship with US President Donald Trump’s administration.

The UN celebrated its 80th birthday on Thursday. But Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used the occasion to warn that its founding charter is under assault like never before.

One of the key drivers of the UK Strategic Defense Review released earlier this month is the military threat from Russia, especially following its invasion of Ukraine. However, London’s focus extends well beyond Europe, including to the Asia-Pacific region with the new AUKUS alliance.