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Opinion: The future of the China-US-Russia triangle after Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

Opinion: The future of the China-US-Russia triangle after Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

Since February 24, 2022, the international community's focus was concentrated entirely on the war in Ukraine and the growing Russia – West confrontation. It seemed that nothing could change the situation until the end of hostilities in Ukraine. However, on August 2 and 3, almost everyone’s attention shifted from Ukraine to Taiwan. As the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, stated her intention to visit Taiwan, up to half a million people were watching the trajectory of her plane on air flight tracking sites. The negative reaction of China, including the warning of President Xi during his conversation with President Biden that those who played with fire would be perished by it, created hype around this visit. Many were discussing the possibility of Chinese military jets closing the airspace over Taiwan and preventing Pelosi’s plane from landing in Taiwan, while some enthusiasts were even contemplating the possibility of a US-China direct military clash. As Pelosi landed in Taiwan and met with the Taiwanese President, the global social media was full of amateur assessments about the strategic victory of the US and the confirmation of the US global hegemony. However, as the dust settles down, and information noise and manipulation eventually decreases, a more serious assessment is needed to understand the real consequences of this visit.
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News
Oman to mediate high level Iran – US nuclear talks in Rome

Oman to mediate high level Iran – US nuclear talks in Rome

The United States and Iran are set to resume high-stakes talks on Saturday 19 April on Tehran's nuclear programme, a week after an initial round of discussions that both sides described as "constructive". Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will hold the Oman-mediated talks in Rome. They come one week after the two sides held what Iran called indirect talks in Muscat. Those were the first talks at such a high level between the foes since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear accord in 2018.
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News
Amputee Palestinian boy image wins World Press Photo award

Amputee Palestinian boy image wins World Press Photo award

A haunting portrait of a nine-year-old Palestinian boy who lost both arms during an Israeli attack on Gaza City won the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year Award Thursday. The picture, by Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times, depicts Mahmoud Ajjour, evacuated to Doha after an explosion severed one arm and mutilated the other last year. 
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Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan Hold Trilateral Talks in Tbilisi

Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan Hold Trilateral Talks in Tbilisi

A trilateral meeting between Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia was held in Tbilisi on April 17, with the participation of Georgian deputy foreign minister Lasha Darsalia and his counterparts, Azerbaijan’s Elnur Mammadov and Armenia’s Vahan Kostanyan, along with their delegations. The Foreign Minister of Georgia Maka Botchorishvili also took part in the talks.
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Opinion
Opinion: How to Take the Most from the Present De-Facto Peace Period in Armenia-Azerbaijan Relations

Opinion: How to Take the Most from the Present De-Facto Peace Period in Armenia-Azerbaijan Relations

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held on April 11-13 in the resort Turkish town of Antalya, presented a rare opportunity for trilateral engagement among the foreign ministers of the three South Caucasian countries. The candid exchange between Azerbaijan’s Jeyhun Bayramov, Armenia’s Ararat Mirzoyan, and Georgia’s Maka Bochorishvili, facilitated by Türkiye, offered a fragile yet meaningful sign that this fractured region may be inching toward regional peace and prosperity. Importantly, each minister underlined the significance of overcoming dividing lines in the South Caucasus and opening a new chapter for intraregional cooperation.
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News
High level U.S. talks with Europeans on ending the Russia-Ukraine war

High level U.S. talks with Europeans on ending the Russia-Ukraine war

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, is travelling to Paris for talks with European allies on U.S. efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The State Department said Rubio and Witkoff would be in the French capital Thursday for the meetings. The officials will have “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed,” department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement on Wednesday.
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News
Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan meet during Antalya Diplomacy Forum

Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan meet during Antalya Diplomacy Forum

Armenia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov had an exchange about the pending peace agreement between the two countries during a high level diplomatic forum in Antalya. The two debated the current political situation in the region during a panel discussion titled “Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Cooperation in the South Caucasus” held during the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
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The Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency clears over 2000 hectares of landmines

The Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency clears over 2000 hectares of landmines

The Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) released a statement last week detailing demining operations that have been carried out from March 31 to April 6. Over the course of the week, 2000 hectares were demined, clearing 107 anti-personnel mines, 13 anti-tank mines, and 870 unexploded ordnances.
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Monday Commentary
Monday Commentary: “Germany is Back on Track” ……..and Europeans should be Happy about it!

Monday Commentary: “Germany is Back on Track” ……..and Europeans should be Happy about it!

On Wednesday (9 April) a new coalition government was announced in Germany bringing back a CDU chancellor working with the centre-left SPD as junior partners. It is an arrangement that Germans are familiar with. Many post-war German governments were similarly constituted, and the German people are comfortable with this arrangement. It buries the prospect of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland  (AfD), which came second in recent elections, having a role in government. The 146 pages coalition agreement was hammered out in a relatively short time, with those negotiating fully aware of the urgency of giving the country a stable government at a time of global uncertainty and serious domestic challenges. “Germany is back on track” announced the Chancellor-designate, Friedrich Merz, who is expected to take office in early May. Europeans should be happy. A strong Germany is the backbone of Europe, and the new coalition is the best guarantee of that.