Ursula von der Leyen

China's Xin Jinping told Vladimir Putin last month that, together, they were changing the world in a way not seen for 100 years (Picture: Pavel Byrkin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Scotland is over-exposed to authoritarian China's influence – Stewart McDonald

French President Emmanuel Macron was given the red-carpet treatment on his visit to China (Picture: Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)

Macron's appeasement of China puts global security at risk – Azeem Ibrahim

French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at a Franco-Chinese business council meeting in Beijing yesterday (Picture: Ludovic Marin/pool/AFP via Getty Images)

China has a historic decision to make that's as big as when Mao met Nixon

Rishi Sunak and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shake hands after negotiating the Windsor Framework (Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

EU deal is a sign Sunak could win next general election – Murdo Fraser

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has secured a deal he hopes will appease the DUP and his own MPs.

Analysis: Sunak has done wonders with Brexit deal, but isn't out of woods yet

Rishi Sunak and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen appeared pleased with their work addressing problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol (Picture:Dan Kitwood /pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Sunak's Northern Ireland deal with EU looks like a good one – Scotsman comment

The main political parties in Northern Ireland have been unable to form a government since the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) blocked a power-sharing deal to protest the Northern Ireland Protocol last year.

The World Explained: EU protocol deal could see Stormont return to life

King Charles III receives European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen during an audience at Windsor Castle.

How did 'The Windsor Framework' get its name?

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak greets EU President, Usula Von Der Leyen, at the Fairmont Windsor Park hotel in Englefield Green, Windsor, Berkshire, ahead of a meeting to discuss the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Rishi Sunak scraps Boris Johnson's NI protocol to secure new deal with EU

King Charles III receives European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen during an audience at Windsor Castle. Picture: Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty Images

King Charles criticised for meeting with EU chief

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomes European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at the Fairmont Windsor Park hotel in Englefield Green, Windsor, Berkshire, ahead of a meeting to discuss a "range of complex challenges" around the Brexit treaty. Picture date: Monday February 27, 2023.

UK and EU agree on Brexit deal for Northern Ireland

King Charles will meet with Ursula von der Leyen, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. Credit: Getty Images

King Charles criticised for decision to meet Ursula von der Leyen

King Charles III (left) and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

King Charles to meet Ursula von der Leyen ahead of NI Brexit deal

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with Ursula von der Leyen during the Cop27 summit at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Rishi Sunak appears to be on the verge of agreeing a Brexit deal aimed at easing trade friction in Northern Ireland as he enters into “final talks” with the European Union.

Sunak set ‘final talks’ with EU on Northern Ireland protocol

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Picture: Getty Images

Sunak and European Commission president to hold face-to-face Brexit talks

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held a “positive” call with the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen.

Rishi Sunak meeting on Northern Ireland Protocol with EU president called off

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends a Q and A session after speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. The Prime Minister is due to meet with a number of world leaders while at the summit. He is also expected to meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on the fringes to talk about a deal to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol. Picture date: Saturday February 18, 2023.

Sunak to push for Northern Ireland Protocol deal with EU leaders

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky (centre), European Council president Charles Michel (left) and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (right) give a joint press conference during an EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv. Picture: Sergei SupinskyAFP via Getty Images

EU prepares more Russia sanctions as one-year anniversary of war looms

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has been left in awkward position by Brown report, says reader (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty)

Readers' Letters: Brown report has nothing tangible to offer Scots

A haulage lorry driving passed a sign at Belfast Port, as The Northern Ireland Protocol has created a "feast or famine" economy in the region with some businesses struggling while others thrive, a parliamentary report has found.

UK risks angering EU further with response to post-Brexit legal threats

A view of the business tower Lakhta Centre, the headquarters of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Russia's Gazprom state-controlled energy giant said it will shut down the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline to Germany for three days of maintenance starting Wednesday, raising economic pressure on Germany and other European countries that depend on the fuel to power industry, generate electricity and heat homes.

Russia temporarily stops gas flow through Nord Stream 1

The executive arm of the European Union has recommended that Ukraine be granted candidate status to join the 27-nation bloc.

Ukraine granted candidate status in bid to join EU

The Ukrainian navy claims it has struck a Russian boat carrying air defence systems to a strategic island in the Black Sea.

Ukraine claims to have struck Russian boat near Snake Island

The European Union’s leader has called on the 27-nation bloc to ban oil imports from Russia in a sixth package of sanctions targeting Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

(Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP)

New EU sanctions explained as well as Hungary and Slovakia stance

Stock photo of President of the European Council, Charles Michel (right) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

EU leaders agree to ban 90% of Russian oil by year-end

Students from Scotland can no longer take part in the Erasmus exchange programme.

Scottish Government under fire for delay to replacement for Erasmus

The European Union’s efforts to impose a new round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine appear to be bogged down, as a small group of countries oppose a ban on imports of Russian oil.

EU’s Russia sanctions effort slows over oil dependency

The European Union’s leader has called on the 27-nation bloc to ban oil imports from Russia in a sixth package of sanctions targeting Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

EU unveils plan to ban Russian oil imports as new sanctions proposed

The Soviet monument to Ukraine-Russia friendship being dismantled in Kyiv.

Vladimir Putin's threats against UK 'unlawful' says Dominic Raab

Handout photo issued by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office of Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right) meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine. Picture date: Saturday April 9, 2022.

Zelensky says next few days of war are crucial

Scottish Finance Minister Kate Forbes says the Scottish Government's new national strategy on the economy will deliver an £8bn boost to the country (Picture: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament via Getty Images)

Scotsman Letters: New economic strategy won’t help Scotland

Ursula von der Leyen has joined with world leaders, including the UK to ban certain Russian banks from Swift.

Ukraine crisis: UK joins with EU and US to ban Russian banks from Swift

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking at a press conference during the COP26 summit at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow. Picture: PA

Boris Johnson 'cautiously optimistic' over COP26 progress

Pardon moo! Cattle are major producers of methane gas

COP26: Nations agree global bid to slash methane emissions by 30%

US CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos waits before a meeting with Nigeria's president, Britain's Prince of Wales and France's president as part of the World Leaders' Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow on November 1, 2021. Photo by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images.

Jeff Bezos to pledge more than £700 million for Africa land restoration

Firefighters inspect debris and damaged houses destroyed by the floods in western Germany (AFP/ Getty)

80 dead and hundreds missing after floods in Germany and Belgium

G7 Summit: Prime Minister has said he will not hesitate to take unilateral measures over Northern Ireland

PM said he will not hesitate to take unilateral measures over Northern Ireland

World leaders will arrive in Cornwall later this week

G7: What to expect as Joe Biden set to meet Boris Johnson at Cornwall summit

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the debate on EU-UK trade and co-operation agreement. Picture: Oliver Hoslet/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

European Parliament backs Boris Johnson's post-Brexit trade deal

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen listens to a question during an online news conference at the end of a EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, March 25, 2021. European Union leaders struggled Thursday to solve quarrels about the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine shots as they tried to ramp up inoculations across their 27 nations amid a shortage of doses, spikes in new cases and a feud with the United Kingdom. (Aris Oikonomou, Pool Photo via AP)

European Commission president warns Astrazeneca it must 'honour' EU contract

Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested greed was good and had helped the UK procure the vaccines

Johnson says blockades not 'sensible' as EU threatens vaccine controls

Scotland's former First Minister Henry McLeish (Picture: Getty)

Readers' Letters: McLeish wrong to condemn electoral system

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman addresses MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh.

Almost half of Scottish adults given first vaccine dose as supply problems loom

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK can expect to feel the effects of Europe’s third wave of Covid infections (Photo: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)

Boris Johnson says Europe's third Covid wave will reach the UK - what we know so...

The European Union has been warned not to engage in “vaccine nationalism” over proposals to block exports of coronavirus jabs to the UK.

EU warned against ‘vaccine nationalism’

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to speak to EU leaders this week regarding proposals to ban the export of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines to the UK (Photo: Andrew Parsons-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Boris Johnson to call EU leaders in attempt to stop potential Covid vaccine expo...

Summer holidays abroad could become a reality for Brits under new Covid vaccine passports plans put forward by the European Union. (Pic: Shutterstock)

Vaccine passports: how will Covid travel certificates work?

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has announced an update on the European Union’s plans to reopen travel (Photo: Shutterstock)

European Commission announces update on EU’s Digital Green Certificate - what it...

The European Commission has announced it will be submitting a proposal for digital Covid vaccinations to be implemented across the EU (Photo: Shutterstock)

European Commission to propose Covid vaccination passports across EU - what it m...

Michael Russell has said Scotland should not give up its hopes of rejoining the Erasmus scheme

'Don't give up on Scotland rejoining Erasmus yet', SNP minister states

Ursula Von der Leyen has said it is not possible for Scotland to rejoin Erasmus.

'Not possible' for Scotland to rejoin Erasmus, EU says

Paul Wheelhouse is the Minister for the Islands

Readers' Letters: SNP ferries failure may have sunk shipyard

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen

EU invocation of Article 16 'ill-judged' and 'wrong' says Nicola Sturgeon

Michael Gove: The EU has acknowledged their mistake in triggering Article 16

Michael Gove: The EU has acknowledged their mistake in triggering Article 16

Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster branded the EU's triggering of Article 16 of Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol an "incredible act of hostility".

EU moves to prevent Northern Ireland being used a vaccine ‘backdoor’ to the UK

The EU is putting in extra measures to control Pfizer vaccine exports to the UK (Photo: Shutterstock)

The EU is putting in extra measures to control Pfizer vaccine exports to the UK

The Scotsman Top Stories

Defeat for Labour in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection would be a disaster for Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar's hopes of removing the Conservative government with Scottish help (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

SNP could lose 23 seats to Scottish Labour at next general election - analysis

Figures, obtained by the British Medical Association (BMA) and given exclusively to The Scotsman, show Scotland has lost around 100 GP surgeries over the last decade. Pic: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

GP crisis laid bare as one in ten surgeries refusing to accept new patients

Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson referred to police over new Covid rule breaking claims