June, 2021

• 2 June

  With ties with West strained, Turkey gets lifeline from Poland

  

  Drawing on his rapport with the Polish president and a landmark drone deal with Warsaw, Erdogan seems to be aiming at two goals — strengthening his hand in NATO and having a close ally within the European Union. For those familiar with why Istanbul happens to have a “Polish village,” …

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• 2 June

  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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• 2 June

  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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• 2 June

  Protesters slam choice of Syria for board of UN health body

  Dozens of medical workers in rebel-held northwest Syria on Monday protested a decision to grant President Bashar Assad’s government a seat on the executive board of the World Health Organization. They said Assad is responsible for bombing hospitals and clinics across the war-ravaged country. The decision to give Syria a …

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• 2 June

  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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• 2 June

  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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• 2 June

  Egypt’s intelligence chief holds truce talks with Hamas in Gaza

  Egypt’s intelligence chief met Hamas leaders in Gaza on Monday to try to bolster a ceasefire between the Palestinian militant group and Israel and to discuss reconstruction plans following the recent hostilities, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said. The visit was the first by an Egyptian intelligence chief to the enclave …

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• 2 June

  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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• 2 June

  Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile 16 times over nuclear deal limit: IAEA

  The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is around 16 times the limit laid down in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement signed between Tehran and major world powers in 2015. In its quarterly report on Monday, the IAEA said Iran’s …

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• 2 June

  China’s stealth chopper could be adaptation of Z-20; experts slam ‘US copycat’ claims

  China appears to be developing a stealth helicopter that analysts said on Monday is difficult to detect on radar, infrared sensors and human sight and hearing, judging from a model of the chopper recently revealed in a television report, with some speculating that it could be a stealthy variant of …

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