Eurasia

Turkey’s Erdogan, Greece’s Mitsotakis ‘to meet at NATO summit’

Both sides are NATO members and came close to armed conflict last year but have been trying to lower tensions since. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will meet at this month’s NATO summit as both sides pledge to smooth their differences. The two rivals …

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Brussels Faces Off With ‘Europe’s Last Dictator’

For decades, the president of Belarus, known as “Europe’s last dictator,” has been a thorn in the side of the continent’s democracies. But the threat Alexander Lukashenko poses to European security suddenly grew more serious Sunday, when his security forces—with the help of a transparently false cover story and an …

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Eritrea Goes From Pariah State to Regional Powerbroker

In early May, when Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki visited Sudan, the official objective of the trip was to strengthen bilateral ties within a regional framework. The visit nevertheless raised eyebrows. It came on the heels of Eritrea’s military participation in Ethiopia’s civil war in Tigray region, and also at a …

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Egypt, Sudan hold war games as Ethiopian dam dispute continues

Egypt and Sudan started a new military exercise amid a dispute with Ethiopia over Addis Ababa’s plan to add 13.5 billion cubic meters of water to the reservoir of its dam on the Blue Nile. Ground, naval and air forces from Egypt and Sudan began a joint military exercise May …

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Turkey’s persistent watering down of anti-Russian language leaves NATO in bind

Ankara defends its position on Moscow on the grounds that it has to manage its relationship with its powerful northeastern neighbor. Turkey has repeatedly softened language in NATO statements condemning Russia, part of a broader pattern of muscle-flexing obstructionism within the Western security pact, and of fellow NATO members rolling …

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UN envoy says he’s frustrated as Yemen truce talks derailed

The U.N. special envoy for Yemen on Monday expressed frustration that his efforts to achieve a cease-fire in the war-torn country have been derailed by warring parties seeking gains on the battlefield. Martin Griffiths said ongoing fighting in several parts of Yemen, including a monthslong attack by Houthi rebels on …

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Lebanon receives French report regarding Beirut port blast

Lebanon on Monday received a preliminary report from France regarding last year’s massive port blast in Beirut that killed and wounded thousands, judicial officials said. The officials said the French report is useful for the ongoing investigation in Beirut over the August blast, which decimated the country’s main port and …

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US spy agency colluded with Denmark to snoop on Merkel, other top EU leaders: Reports

The infamous US spy network, National Security Agency (NSA), has reportedly colluded with Denmark’s military intelligence unit, FE, to snoop on senior European politicians, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The NSA was able to access SMS text messages, telephone calls, and internet traffic including searches, chats and messaging services of …

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Russia to Create About 20 New Units in Its Western Military District to ‘Adequately’ Counter NATO

Responding to the actions of NATO countries, led by the United States, in the western strategic direction, the Russian Defence Ministry will create around 20 new formations and military units in the Western Military District by the end of the year, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday. “The actions …

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As Hamas Claims Victory, Analysts Say Its Rival Fatah May Be Weakened

‘The Palestinian public is rallying around the Islamist movement’ The latest round of violence between Israel and Gaza has once more placed the spotlight on the relationship between the Palestinians’ two largest factions, Fatah, the ruling party in the West Bank, and Hamas, the group that governs the Gaza Strip. …

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