Hungary is releasing hundreds of convicted people smugglers on condition they leave the country within 72 hours. Neighbouring countries are furious over an issue seen as another attempt to blackmail the EU over the freezing of billions in funds. On Monday, Austria announced the strengthening of border controls and summoned …

Hezbollah finds itself near another verge today, that of remaining relevant in the evolving Lebanese state. Hezbollah’s military show of force on May 21 in the southern town of Aramta sent several messages, not least to Israel. In the shadow of regional reconciliations—between Saudi Arabia and Iran first, followed by …

At a time of renewed regional dialogue and an apparent opening between Iran and its neighbors, one could be surprised by the appointment of Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a member of the Expediency Council, as the new secretary of the Supreme …

When any objective observer looks at the geopolitical map of the world and its crisis hotspots sooner or later he will reach Nagorno Karabakh in the South Caucasus. This ethnically Armenian region within Azerbaijan has been the subject of a dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan for a century. Because of …

The international media may have focused on the attempts at the G7 meeting this month in Hiroshima to unite against China promoting a “de-risking” strategy, which China sees as “containment” of their economic rise. It seems many Asian leaders agree with China. In a presentation made at the Nikkei Asia’s …

The controversy surrounding the U.S. debt ceiling increase has intensified recently as the deadline for potential default draws near. Despite multiple rounds of negotiations, the U.S. government and Congress have yet to reach a final agreement on raising the debt ceiling. Consequently, the possibility of a government default has become …

NATO on May 27 called on Kosovar authorities to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions in the Serb-majority northern towns after security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse crowds in three towns and enter municipal buildings in support of recently elected ethnic Albanian mayors. The situation was …

Iraq on Saturday presented an ambitious plan to turn itself into a regional transportation hub by developing its road and rail infrastructure, linking Europe with the Middle East. Once completed, the $17 billion project known as the “Route of Development” would span the length of the country, stretching 1,200 kilometers …

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) A Chinese naval fleet led by the Shandong aircraft carrier transited through the Taiwan Strait Saturday afternoon, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). In addition to the Shandong, the fleet comprised two ships and sailed in a northerly direction along a route just west …

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities and neighboring Iran said Sunday deadly clashes between their border security forces had subsided, with both sides engaging in talks to ease tensions. The skirmishes erupted in the Afghan border province of Nimroz Saturday, killing two Iranian security forces and a Taliban border guard, officials in both …