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 UN General Assembly vote highlights Israel's isolation

UN General Assembly vote highlights Israel's isolation

Applause rang out in the UN General Assembly Hall on Friday as countries endorsed a declaration on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-State solution with Israel.  The New York Declaration is the outcome of an international conference held in July at UN Headquarters, organized by France and Saudi Arabia, which resumes later this month. The General Assembly comprises all 193 UN Member States and 142 countries voted in favour of a resolution backing the document. Israel voted against it, alongside nine other countries – Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga and the United States – while 12 nations abstained. The vote highlights the current Israeli international isolation as a result of its current policies. Prior to the vote, French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont recalled that the New York Declaration “lays out a single roadmap to deliver the two-State solution”. This involves an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages held there, and the establishment of a Palestinian State that is both viable and sovereign. The roadmap further calls for the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from governance in Gaza, normalization between Israel and the Arab countries, as well as collective security guarantees.

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Turkey's accession to the European Union frozen due to lack of progress

Turkey's accession to the European Union frozen due to lack of progress

Turkey's EU accession process remains frozen due to democratic backsliding, despite the Mediterranean country's strategic importance and cooperation on migration, the European Parliament has stated in a report approved by MEPS in Strasbourg. Turkey's EU accession process, which has been at a standstill since 2018, cannot be relaunched in the current circumstances, despite Ankara's geopolitical and strategic importance, the report says. MEPs in Strasbourg approved the report on Wednesday 7 April, with 367 votes in favour, 74 against and 188 abstentions.
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Russia holds Victory Day parade marking 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany defeat

Russia holds Victory Day parade marking 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany defeat

Russia marked the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II with a massive military parade on Red Square on Friday attended by President Vladimir Putin and foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The parade and other ceremonies underline Moscow’s efforts to project its global power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the conflict in Ukraine that has dragged into a fourth year.
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Azerbaijan and China sign Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Azerbaijan and China sign Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

China and Azerbaijan have announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries following talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Beijing on 23 April. During the talks, President Xi said that both sides should continuously enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation and strengthen international collaboration to open a new chapter of all-round cooperation. President Aliyev was in China for  a state visit between 22 and 24 April.
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Kremlin taking urgent measures to protect May 9 parade from Ukrainian attacks

Kremlin taking urgent measures to protect May 9 parade from Ukrainian attacks

The Kremlin was forced Wednesday to say it was taking "all necessary measures" to ensure the safety of foreign leaders set to attend its flagship May 9 parade after a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks closed airports across the country, disrupting hundreds of flights. Moscow and Kyiv traded a barrage of drone attacks ahead of the parade, which has become a key event during Vladimir Putin's 25 years in power, as US talks pushing for an end to the conflict appeared to have stalled. Moscow will hold the Victory Day event on Red Square to mark 80 years of the defeat of Nazi Germany, an anniversary that comes more than three years into its Ukraine offensive.
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Great power interest in Central Asia putting Uzbekistan in the spotlight

Great power interest in Central Asia putting Uzbekistan in the spotlight

In recent times, Central Asia’s most populous nation has become the centre of attention for great powers, underscored by high level diplomatic contacts with the United States, the hosting of a regional summit with the leadership of the European Union and a high profile visit by hundreds of Russian officials and executives who participated in a trade fair in Tashkent. Western interest centres on Uzbekistan’s abundant reserves of critical minerals and a desire to develop clean energy  sources, including nuclear power. Russia, along with China, has broader trade interests, including developing manufacturing capacity.
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LINKS Europe announces the names of all the chairpersons of the five thematic groups for the development of the Armenia-Azerbaijan dialogue

LINKS Europe announces the names of all the chairpersons of the five thematic groups for the development of the Armenia-Azerbaijan dialogue

LINKS Europe has successfully completed the first phase of its project to develop the Armenia-Azerbaijan dialogue as part of its commitment within the EU4Peace III programme, funded by the European Union. In this first phase, which lasted from September 2024 to April 2025, LINKS Europe conducted an assessment of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and mobilised the personnel necessary for delivering the project output. LINKS Europe Foundation is pleased to announce the names of the chairs/co-chairs of the five thematic groups within the initiative.  
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Opinion: Genocide Law or Political Weapon? Armenia History Debate Again Turns Toxic

Opinion: Genocide Law or Political Weapon? Armenia History Debate Again Turns Toxic

A brawl broke out in Armenia’s National Assembly on 22 April after opposition lawmakers proposed new legislation to impose harsher penalties on those who deny or question the 1915 mass killing and deportation of up to 1.5 million Armenians by the then Ottoman Empire — and whether it should be recognised as genocide. The term, coined in the 1940s by Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin, was partly inspired by the Armenian experience. Armenia already has laws addressing genocide denial, but this new initiative specifically targets anyone and not just those seeking to incite “hatred, discrimination, or violence.” Punishment of up to five years imprisonment would also be increased though the proposed changes are unlikely to pass a parliamentary vote.
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US and Ukraine sign deal giving US access to country’s valuable mineral wealth

US and Ukraine sign deal giving US access to country’s valuable mineral wealth

The United States and Ukraine have signed a minerals deal after a two-month delay, in what President Donald Trump's administration called a new form of US commitment to Kyiv after the end of military aid. Ukraine said it secured key interests after protracted negotiations, including full sovereignty over its own rare earths, which are vital for new technologies and largely untapped. Trump had initially demanded rights to Ukraine's mineral wealth as compensation for US weapons sent under former president Joe Biden after Russia invaded just over three years ago.
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US threatens to give up mediation efforts unless Russia and Ukraine put forward "concrete proposals”

US threatens to give up mediation efforts unless Russia and Ukraine put forward "concrete proposals”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that the United States would give up on mediation unless Russia and Ukraine put forward "concrete proposals," as US patience wanes on an early priority for Donald Trump. The US president had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House but, as Trump celebrates 100 days in office, Rubio has suggested the administration could soon turn attention to other issues.