Eurasia

A powerful jihadist group has taken over a strategic town in northwest Syria following days of clashes with several militia groups who were controlling the area, local sources said. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as al-Nusra Front, entered the town of Afrin on Thursday after its former rulers withdrew …

NATO will further step up support for Ukraine, while strengthening the Alliance’s defence and deterrence and working to increase the protection of critical infrastructure, Secretary General Stoltenberg said on Thursday (13 October 2022). Speaking after a two-day meeting of Defence Ministers, Mr Stoltenberg praised the U.N. General Assembly’s condemnation of …

Ukrainian officials said Thursday the country’s capital region was hit by Iranian-made drones operated by Russian forces, while Ukraine’s military said Russian missiles had hit 40 different settlements throughout the country during the past day. Deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said the drones hit “critical infrastructure facilities” …

On 13 September, during the European Parliament Plenary Session, the High Representative Josep Borrell said that the EU seeks ‘to broaden our cooperation with Taiwan, [and] to modernise our dialogue with Taiwan. But all of it in the framework of the One China Policy, which recognises the People’s Republic as …

Thirteen people, mostly fighters, have been killed in two days of ongoing clashes between rival factions competing for power in northwest Syria, a war monitor said Wednesday. Fighting between two pro-Turkish Syrian rebel groups began in the town of Al-Bab in northern Aleppo province before spreading to other areas and …

Iran’s president on Thursday accused the U.S. of conducting a “failed policy of destabilization” targeting his nation, as Iranian protesters continued to call for the downfall of its rulers despite a violent and wide-ranging crackdown. President Ebrahim Raisi has repeatedly dismissed the unrest sparked by the death of a 22-year-old …

More than 11,000 personnel from NATO countries are participating in UK-led Exercise Joint Warrior. Taking place from 1 to 12 October, the biannual exercise includes defence against simulated attacks above, on, and below the water – extending from Cape Wrath and the Hebrides in the north, to the North Sea …

With its forces struggling against a dramatic Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russia’s Defense Ministry on October 8 named General Sergei Surovikin as the new overall commander of Kremlin forces engaged in Ukraine. The move marked the first official announcement of a single overall commander for all Russian forces fighting in Ukraine since …

Romania will cover the energy deficit registered by Moldova after Ukraine cut electricity deliveries due to Russia bombing its network. Romanian state-owned power producer Hidroelectrica signed a contract with Moldova’s Energocom to deliver 100 megawatts starting Thursday after the Romanian government adopted a legislative change Wednesday. The law change allows …

The European Peace Facility (EPF), the EU’s off-budget fund to replace member states’ arms donations provided to Ukraine, is struggling to cover the bulk of incoming reimbursement requests, EURACTIV has learnt. After a political agreement between EU ambassadors on Wednesday (12 October), a sixth €500 million tranche set to be …