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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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Trump says Ukraine should give up land for peace as preparations start for US-Russia summit

Trump says Ukraine should give up land for peace as preparations start for US-Russia summit

U.S. President  Donald Trump said that the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine should be “cut up,” leaving most of it in Russian hands, to end a  war that has dragged on for nearly four years. Trump has edged back in the direction of pressing Ukraine to give up on retaking land it has lost to Russia, in exchange for an end to the war. Following a phone call last week, the Russian and US leaders Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump announced they would meet in Budapest for talks on resolving the war in Ukraine, triggered by Moscow's all-out offensive in February 2022. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US counterpart Marco Rubio spoke on Monday 20 October to discuss preparations for the summit, and are expected to meet in person to finalise details. However, the Kremlin stated on Tuesday 21 October that there was "no precise time frame" for the summit even though Trump stated that the meeting with Putin could take place within two weeks.
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Opinion
Armenia Power Struggle Intensifies Before Elections

Armenia Power Struggle Intensifies Before Elections

Tensions are mounting in Armenia ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections, with the nation’s future hanging in the balance. Despite the excitement surrounding the Trump-brokered Washington Declaration in August, it is unclear whether it can overcome the lingering division that set in after defeat by Azerbaijan in the 44-day war. Recent surveys have shown a slight majority against the proposed TRIPP.
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News
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy enters prison for campaign finance conspiracy

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy enters prison for campaign finance conspiracy

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a prison in Paris on Tuesday 21 October to begin serving a 5-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. He is the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned. Sarkozy, hand-in-hand with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, left home before getting into a police car and traveling to prison. On his way to prison, Sarkozy said in a statement released on social media that “an innocent man” was being locked up. Sarkozy’s lawyers said a request for release has been immediately filed. He was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya.
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Monday Commentary
Monday Commentary: South Asian nations must avoid a catastrophe

Monday Commentary: South Asian nations must avoid a catastrophe

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said early on Sunday (19 October), that Afghanistan and Pakistan had agreed to an immediate ceasefire after talks mediated by Qatar and Turkiye following days of fierce fighting along their disputed border. They also agreed to “the establishment of mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries”. Doha said the two countries also agreed to hold follow-up meetings in the coming days “to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire and verify its implementation in a reliable and sustainable manner”. The fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan cannot be seen in isolation. It is part of the wider tensions in South Asia, at the centre of which is the conflict between India and Pakistan, which started with partition in 1947, and has resulted in a number of wars since. This is a deeply rooted religious, ethnic and territorial conflict which casts a shadow over the region. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers. Every time they fight each other the world holds its breadth. The last fighting in May 2025 lasted only a few days, but was the most intense for 25 years. The onus is on the South Asian countries themselves to avoid the catastrophe of a destructive war between them. This will require wisdom and flexibility by the leaders, and a political sophistication by the population at large. It is not clear if these attributes exist
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Trump announced he will meet Putin in Budapest to end the war in Ukraine

Trump announced he will meet Putin in Budapest to end the war in Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has announced his intention to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Budapest, in an attempt to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He did not specify when the meeting will take place. Trump added that he would also meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday 17 October to discuss his phone conversation with Putin.
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News
Masam landmine clearance project discovers an anti-tank minefield in northern Hajjah province, Yemen

Masam landmine clearance project discovers an anti-tank minefield in northern Hajjah province, Yemen

On Thursday (16 October), Al-Sahwah reported that the Masam landmine clearance project, launched by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, had discovered a new anti-tank minefield in the Midi district of the northern Hajjah province in Yemen. The minefield was cordoned off and classified as hazardous due to its proximity to a residential area.
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Opinion
The restoration of all regional communications is the only viable  path to lasting peace in the South Caucasus

The restoration of all regional communications is the only viable path to lasting peace in the South Caucasus

Will the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) set to connect Azerbaijan with Nakhijevan and Türkiye via Armenia help establish lasting peace and prosperity for all?  Interestingly, if the Washington Declaration speaks about restoration of all communications, with reciprocal benefits for Armenia, the spotlight has been about the TRIPP and only about it. This oversight misses a vital point necessary for lasting peace and stability in the region.
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Opinion
Azerbaijan Calls for Deeper Cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States

Azerbaijan Calls for Deeper Cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States

The 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held on 7 October 2025 in Gabala, Azerbaijan, marked a decisive stage in the evolution of integration within the Turkic world. Under the theme “Regional Peace and Security,” the summit, chaired by President Ilham Aliyev, brought together leaders from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and observer states Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Gabala’s historical symbolism as a crossroads of the Caucasus and Central Asia reflected the OTS’s broader vision of unity, connectivity, and shared destiny.