Global

Ramadan traditions vary across cultures and regions with more than a billion celebrating the Muslim holy month. Some of the important elements are welcoming chants, costumes and cuisine. Mosques and praying areas are also cleaned and renovated. 

The snap elections for the parliament of Greenland last Tuesday (6 April) attracted unusual interest from major powers who have been watching the political and economic impact of the election results on their interests in the Arctic region. Among them, the Chinese, who have invested in the Kvanefjeld mine on the island. Maximiliaan van Lange analyses the background to the recent Greenlandic general elections, and the Island's geostrategic position in the Arctic in this article for commonspace.eu.

In the South Caucasus, the problem of landmines and other unexploded remnants of war remains a serious issue across the region. Over the last months, since the end of the 44-day Karabakh War, the problem has become more acute as efforts are made to rehabilitate territories that were until recently in the conflict zone. Most of these territories are heavily mined. Problems also remain in other areas on both the Armenian and the Azerbaijani sides of the line of contact and the international border.

China and Iran have signed a deal on comprehensive co-operation for the next 25 years. The details of the agreement have not been revealed but the Russian newspaper Izvestya says it is known that it will cover not only such areas as economy and culture, but also sensitive fields such as defense and intelligence.

The recent blockage of the Suez Canal by the 400-metre-long 'Ever Given' container ship exposed the vulnerability of global trade routes. It reopened the debate about alternative routes, including the opening of the Northern Sea Route via northern Russia, and the Northwest Passage via northern Canada. These routes, however, are not without their problems. Maximiliaan van Lange analyses the background and current thinking in this article for commonspace.eu.

Russia and China were high on the agenda as the most senior EU and US diplomats reviewed global challenges and moved to reset the transatlantic relationship.