Eurasia

Moscow Opposes Draft Resolution on Second Aid Corridor

Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, affirmed on Wednesday Moscow’s opposition to a new draft resolution submitted to the UN Security Council on opening a second corridor for delivering assistance to Syria across borders. “If we are actually concerned about the humanitarian situation that the Syrian people suffer from, then we …

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Russian General Turns Against Daraa Residents

Russian forces deployed in the Daraa governorate, in southern Syria, have begun to modify their approach towards the residents and factions that have concluded a reconciliation agreement with the regime under Moscow’s auspices. Over the past years, Russia has acted as a mediator between opposition factions and residents on the …

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U.S. Marines, Royal Air Force join IAF for desert drill

Tri-Lightning one-day counter-air exercise involves friendly and adversary aircraft in active and passive defense operations; IAF commander says drill enables Israel Air Force to strengthen capabilities and enhance operational readiness British and American troops joined the Israel Air Force on Tuesday for a one-day exercise in the Negev Desert. The …

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Orban’s Anti-LGBTQ Law Crosses a Red Line for Europe

Violations of democratic norms by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban are nothing new, but the explosion of anger in Europe against the anti-LGBTQ law just approved by the Hungarian parliament, dominated by Orban’s Fidesz Party, suggests Orban has crossed a critical red line. At last week’s European Union summit, no …

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Russia and Turkey Agree on Military Free Zone

Days before a new round of discussions in Astana between Iran, Turkey, and Russia, and in parallel to talks about Turkey’s fear of a military operation by the Syrian army in Idleb, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced a new agreement between the two …

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Kosovo War Crimes Court’s First Trial Will Set a Precedent

After a six-year wait, the first trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague will open on September 15, with former Kosovo Liberation Army officer Salih Mustafa facing charges of illegally detaining, torturing and killing prisoners. It was announced last week that the first trial at the Kosovo Special …

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Pakistan: Shoring Up Afghanistan’s Peace Process

Pakistan’s stakes in Afghanistan are rising as U.S. and NATO troops prepare to leave. All-out war after the withdrawal could push more Afghan refugees across the border and strengthen Pakistani militants. Islamabad should ratchet up pressure on the Taliban to engage in peace talks. What’s new? The fast-paced withdrawal of foreign …

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DEMOCRACY DIGEST: V4 DRAGGED INTO HUNGARY’S EU GAY RIGHTS SPAT

Hungary began the week at odds with the EU and ended the week even more so, dragging in its Central European neighbours along the way. EU leaders began a two-day summit on June 24 in Brussels having to deal with the fallout from Hungary’s recently passed anti-LGBT legislation – a …

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ALBANIAN CRIME STORY: HOSTAGE TO THE COCAINE SUPPLY CHAIN

What a kidnapping in Albania reveals about Europe’s growing cocaine habit. There are two ways of interpreting the fact that the annual recorded seizures of cocaine in Europe have been hitting all-time highs every year for the last three years. The record-breaking hauls may, on the one hand, be taken …

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American Muslim groups urge suspension of US aid to Egypt

The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), the largest coalition of major national, regional, and local Muslim organizations, Monday sent a letter to Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken calling on the Biden administration and Congress to demand that “the Egyptian government halt its plans to conduct a mass execution …

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