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Stories in this section cover various issues and stories from all around the world.

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Opinion
Just Peace - "The Hague Speaks for Peace: Rebalancing Security”

Just Peace - "The Hague Speaks for Peace: Rebalancing Security”

 Last week, as NATO leaders gathered in Brussels for their summit, LINKS Europe joined other civil society organisations in a public statement. The Statement was the initiative of The Hague Humanity Hub. The statement called for a balanced vision of peace and security, one that places people at its heart. At a time when the focus is increasingly drawn toward defense capabilities and military preparedness, the statement urged equal and sustained attention to and investment in the long-term work of building resilient, inclusive, and just societies. This is not an alternative to security, it is the foundation of it, the statement added.

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Editor's choice
News
Friends and rivals meet in Baghdad amidst a changing regional dynamic

Friends and rivals meet in Baghdad amidst a changing regional dynamic

The Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership, held in the Iraqi capital on Saturday (28 August) brought many regional countries together including those who are usually at odds with each other. The conference was co-hosted by Iraq and France and was the first large gathering of Arab leaders in Baghdad since 2012. 
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News
Friends in need: praise for Georgia and Azerbaijan for their role in the evacuation of Kabul

Friends in need: praise for Georgia and Azerbaijan for their role in the evacuation of Kabul

Both Georgia and Azerbaijan have been providing essential transit support for the evacuation from Kabul airport. 120 Azerbaijani soldiers returned back from Afghanistan on Friday (27 August) having been part of the defence of Kabul airport until the end. A larger Georgian contingent returned from the north of the country recently.
Editor's choice
Opinion
Opinion: China may end up being the biggest beneficiary of the Taliban power-grab in Afghanistan

Opinion: China may end up being the biggest beneficiary of the Taliban power-grab in Afghanistan

Beijing can turn the situation in Afghanistan to its own advantage, argues Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed. Afghanistan has significant minerals, including rare earth metals, which China will be glad to import. Beijing  could also include Afghanistan in the “Belt and Road initiative” and use it as another land route towards Iran and the Central Asian republics via Pakistan, and through Iran via Turkey or via Armenia-Georgia-Black Sea route to Europe.
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Commentary
Commentary:  State-building cannot be imposed from outside; the EU and others must learn lessons from Afghanistan

Commentary: State-building cannot be imposed from outside; the EU and others must learn lessons from Afghanistan

A state cannot be built from outside, with a foreign army standing on top of it to supervise the process, argues Dennis Sammut in this commentary. As the EU expands its global ambitions, it must be aware of the risks of "mission creep" and make sure the mistakes in Afghanistan are not repeated.
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News
Uncertainty around the negotiations with Iran on nuclear deal as new president prepares to take over in Tehran

Uncertainty around the negotiations with Iran on nuclear deal as new president prepares to take over in Tehran

Several challenges sour the path of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the JCPOA countries. The last round of talks in Vienna concluded on 20 June with all draft deals rejected. Chief US negotiator Robert Maley said that "there is a real risk that they [Iran] are making unrealistic demands about what they can achieve in these talks." 
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News
EU-China relations plummet after Brussels accuses China of massive cyber attack

EU-China relations plummet after Brussels accuses China of massive cyber attack

The European Union in a statement issued on Monday has accused China of being responsible for a massive cyber attack earlier this year. The attack targeted Microsoft Exchange servers, affecting over a quarter of a million servers around the world. The statement said the malicious cyber activities "significantly affected our economy, security, democracy and society at large. The EU and its member states assess these malicious cyber activities to have been undertaken from the territory of China." The statement appears to take EU-China relations to a new low not seen for decades.