All those Turkish-Greek tensions in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas bolster a century-long Turkish nostalgia to take back some of the Greek islands. Yeni Safak, a fiercely pro-Erdoğan newspaper, suggested that the Turkish military should invade 16 Greek islands.

The August 9 election of Aleksandr Lukashenko as President of Belarus saw the authoritarian strongman secure his 6th term in a country long known as Europe’s last dictatorship, sparking nationwide protests.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to normalize relations with Israel to gain favor with the United States, no matter the outcome of the November 2020 U.S. presidential election.