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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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Russia claims its forces have reached Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time

Russia claims its forces have reached Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time

According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, troops have crossed the border into the centrally located Ukrainian province of Dnipropetrovsk for the first time. This is the first time Russian forces have set foot in Dnipropetrovsk since the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. While Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed this information, an army spokesman stated on Sunday that the situation near the region's border is "tense".
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Who is Italian?

Who is Italian?

Italians go to vote on 8 and 9 June in a referendum that is dividing the nation and will help define "Who is Italian". Until the mid-19th century Italy was "a mere geographical expression", divided in small states and parts of it occupied by foreign powers. Eventually, the Italian language brought people together, and the Italian state as we know it emerged by 1871. In todays Italy, the question of who gets to be Italian is a sensitive one. Large numbers of migrants and refugees arrive in the country each year helped across the Mediterranean from North Africa by smuggling gangs. The national referendum on Sunday and Monday proposes halving the time required to apply for Italian citizenship. Cutting the wait from 10 years to five would bring this country in line with most others in Europe. The referendum was initiated by a citizens' initiative and is supported by civil society groups. But for such a referendum to be valid, 50% of all voters in Italy have to turn up. Giorgia Meloni, the country's hard-right prime minister, has announced she will boycott the vote, declaring the citizenship law already "excellent" and "very open". Other parties allied to her are calling on Italians to go to the beach instead of the polling station.
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Israel is arming criminal gangs in Gaza

Israel is arming criminal gangs in Gaza

Just when we thought the news from Gaza could not get bleaker, something new about the Israeli actions in the territory has emerged. Israel is arming “criminal gangs” in the war-torn Gaza Strip. Former Defence Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, revealed this on Thursday (5 June). "Israel transferred assault rifles and light weapons to criminal gangs in Gaza,” Lieberman, leader of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu Party, told the public broadcaster KAN. He said the weapons were transferred to the gangs upon orders of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “In my opinion, the Cabinet hasn’t approved the transfer of weapons, but the head of the General Security Service (Shin Bet) was aware,” he added. “We are talking about what is equivalent to ISIS (Daesh) in Gaza. No one guarantees that these weapons will not be directed at Israel. We have no means of monitoring or tracking,” Lieberman said.