India, Spain Advance UPI-Bizum Payment Talks
India and Spain agreed on 19 and 20 July 2026 to advance technical discussions on interoperability between the Unified Payments Interface and Bizum. The talks took place during Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Spain in July 2026.
China Suspends Rare Earth Exports to Japan
China suspended Japan-bound exports of several critical minerals, including rare earths and rare metals, from January 2026. The restrictions covered materials used in defence, automotive, electronics, and aerospace supply chains, and they followed diplomatic tensions linked to remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November 2025 on a possible Taiwan contingency.