Was Xi Jinping’s first trip to Europe in five years a success? It certainly appeared that Xi’s visits to France, Serbia and Hungary, which had both a trade and a political agenda, were successful for the Chinese leader. Can we say the same for France, the EU or Europe? Well, …

Elsewhere, Czechia looks to toughen up EU migration pact as Hungary and Poland vote against it; EU Commission president visits Poland to talk defence; and hundreds of Slovak schools receive emails with bomb threats. In the same week that Chinese President Xi Jinping came to town, another less-heralded visitor to …

Israeli forces are re-clearing parts of the northern Gaza Strip, demonstrating that Hamas remains active beyond just Rafah.[i] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a clearing operation into Zaytoun neighborhood, southern Gaza City, on May 8, marking the third time that the IDF has conducted a clearing operation there.[ii] The …

Hamas’ leaders have very likely calculated that Hamas will survive a Rafah operation and that Hamas should therefore pursue its maximalist ceasefire demands without major concessions. Hamas’ maximalist ceasefire demands appear to have solidified as the IDF drew down its forces in the Gaza Strip beginning in late December 2023.[i] …

The southern arena: On the night of May 6, 2024, guided by intelligence, IDF forces began a targeted activity in limited areas of eastern Rafah, achieving operational control on the Gaza side of the Rafah Crossing. Meanwhile, IDF forces continued attacking terrorist targets and rocket launchers in the central Gaza …

Amphetamines have been around for more than a century, used to overcome ADHS, sleep deficiency and obesity. Well-known as Pervitin, used by the German Wehrmacht in WWII, it has become a means to overcome fear, fatigue and moral issues. To this day, one of the main derivates, Fenetyllin, originally produced …

Latest Developments Hamas launched rockets at a key Gaza humanitarian aid entry point on May 8, just hours after Israel reopened it following a fatal strike by the terrorist group the previous week. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), terrorists launched eight rockets toward the Kerem Shalom crossing from …

The proposed EU directive is a threat to civil society and the media, both inside and outside the EU’s borders. For the second time in two years, tens of thousands of protesters in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi are braving police tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and beatings to block a …

Ukraine is short of artillery and other hardware – and the Balkan countries can help fill important gaps. The Western Balkans face a multi-faceted threat from Russia, either through its allies in the region or through hybrid threats coming from Russia itself. The region is also faced with several divisive …

Key points The war between Israel and Hamas has increased the threat to U.S. troops in the Middle East, particularly for the 3,400 personnel in Syria and Iraq. Since October 7, 2023, dozens of U.S. troops have been injured in attacks perpetrated by Iran-backed Shia militias in both countries, at …