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Monday Commentary: Is the Sahel Europe’s soft underbelly?
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Monday Commentary: Is the Sahel Europe’s soft underbelly?

28 April 2025
The Sahel region stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea and consists, according to the UN, of ten countries which sit, wholly or partly, within it: Senegal,  Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria Other neighbouring countries however, such as Benin, Togo Sudan and Central African Republic, due to their proximity, and to the fact that they increasingly share the same problems, are often included when the Sahel is discussed.
Dennis Sammut
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News
World spotlight on the conclave after Pope Francis is laid to rest
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World spotlight on the conclave after Pope Francis is laid to rest

27 April 2025
With Pope Francis laid to rest, all eyes turn now to the conclave, the secretive meeting of cardinals set to convene within days to elect a new head of the Catholic Church. Mourners were permitted to visit his tomb for the first time Sunday, a day after an estimated 400,000 people, including world leaders, turned out for the Argentine's funeral at the Vatican and burial in Rome.  The crowds were a testament to the popularity of Francis, an energetic reformer who championed the poorest and most vulnerable.
commonspace.eu
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News
OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu in Georgia for official talks
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OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu in Georgia for official talks

24 April 2025
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu is in Tbilisi this week, in his first visit since the October parliamentary elections widely seen as flawed. The OSCE/ODIHR’s own observer mission had criticised the government’s handling of the October 2024 elections. On Wednesday, Sinirlioğlu met with the Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
commonspace.eu
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News
Trump says Zelensky remarks on Crimea are inflammatory and can prolong the 'killing field'
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Trump says Zelensky remarks on Crimea are inflammatory and can prolong the 'killing field'

24 April 2025
US President Donald Trump said a deal to halt the Ukraine war was "very close" but hit out at Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky over his refusal to formally cede Crimea to Russia. Trump's comments came as Vice President JD Vance warned that the United States would "walk away" unless Russia and Ukraine agree a peace deal, and as envoys from Washington, Kyiv and European nations gathered for downgraded talks in Britain.
commonspace.eu
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Opinion
Opinion: Azerbaijan Reiterated Support for Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity
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Opinion: Azerbaijan Reiterated Support for Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity

23 April 2025
On April 9, at an international conference in Baku, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev delivered a statement on the ongoing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the United States. Reaffirming Azerbaijan’s steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, Aliyev sharply criticized proposals that urge Ukraine to cede parts of its territory in exchange for a ceasefire. “No country, at least in my understanding, will agree to compromise on territorial integrity, and to expect Ukraine to agree that they will sacrifice their internationally recognized territory in exchange for peace is not fair and not realistic,” he declared.
Vasif Huseynov
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News
Potential successors to Pope Francis
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Potential successors to Pope Francis

23 April 2025
Heads of state are expected for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday in St. Peter’s Square while his body will be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday to lie in state for the Catholic faithful to pay their respects to the Argentine Pontiff remembered for his humble style, concern for the poor and insistent prayers for peace. The death of Pope Francis on 21 April aged 88 triggered a period of mourning in the Catholic Church, but also kick-started the race for his successor. Whether diplomats, theologians, mediators or Vatican insiders, here are 15 cardinals who are among the potential favourites to become the next pope, known as the "papabili", divided by region.
commonspace.eu
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News
President Trump sends envoy to Moscow to push for ceasefire
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President Trump sends envoy to Moscow to push for ceasefire

23 April 2025
US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Russia this week, a Kremlin aide said Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump seeks a speedy deal to end the three-year Ukraine conflict. Trump, who promised on the campaign trail to strike a deal between Moscow and Kyiv in 24 hours, has failed since his return to office three months ago to wrangle concessions from Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt his troops in Ukraine.
commonspace.eu
Editor's choice
Opinion
Opinion: Compromise necessary to overcome Armenia-Azerbaijan Constitutional Impasse?
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Opinion: Compromise necessary to overcome Armenia-Azerbaijan Constitutional Impasse?

22 April 2025
Since February 2020, it is not uncommon for the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to appear on the same stage at international events – or at least at the Munich Security Conference. The same has not been true for their foreign ministers. That changed on April 12 at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a notable moment just weeks after the finalisation of a long-overdue treaty aimed at normalising relations between the two countries. While the road ahead remains uncertain, the meeting carried clear symbolic significance.
Onnik James Krikorian