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Somalia's government battles Al-Shabaab militants with no decisive advantage. The Somali government’s battle with Al-Shabaab militants grinds on, with neither able to gain a decisive advantage. To improve its lot, Mogadishu needs to bolster its military and alleviate civilian suffering in areas under insurgent control, while looking for openings for dialogue with the group.
Galip Dalay discussed Türkiye's evolving NATO relations with Olga on War & Peace. This week on War & Peace, Olga speaks with Galip Dalay, senior research fellow at Chatham House, about Türkiye’s evolving relations within NATO and with the EU as Ankara prepares to host the upcoming NATO summit in July.
Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia's presidential election with promises to fight armed groups. This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group experts Renata Segura and Elizabeth Dickinson about Colombia’s turbulent election, president-elect Abelardo “El Tigre” de la Espriella’s hardline promises to fight armed groups and the legacy of outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s signature policy of “Total Peace”.
Crisis Group analysts watch global conflicts and crises in On Our Radar.
US President Donald Trump declared the US-Iran MOU as over. He left open the possibility of continued negotiations with Iran. This move absolves Trump of responsibility for future talks. Trump's decision may impact the trajectory of US-Iran relations. By declaring the US-Iran MOU as “over” yet leaving open the possibility of continued negotiations with Iran, US President Donald Trump has absolved himself of responsibility for future talks, says James M Dorsey from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Zineb Riboua believes Iran's growing repression reflects weakness, not confidence. RFE/RL spoke with Zineb Riboua, a research fellow with the Hudson Institute, about Iran's post-Khamenei power structure, the expanding influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Core (IRGC), and why she believes growing repression reflects weakness rather than confidence.
A UN peacekeepers report says the ceasefire deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv has reduced hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli military, but communities returning home in Lebanon find widespread destruction. The situation remains unstable and uncertain. Devastation greets Lebanon's war-weary returnees. The ceasefire deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv has led to a marked reduction in hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli military sparked by the wider Iran-Israel-US war, but the situation remains uncertain for communities returning home only to find widespread destruction, UN peacekeepers said on Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump stated that the Iran deal is "over" at a NATO summit, as he met with leaders on the second day of the alliance's gathering, with the Iran conflict being a major topic, and later planned to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. US President Donald Trump has gone into key meetings with NATO and other leaders on Day 2 of the alliance's summit, with the Iran conflict looming large.
NATO leaders met in Ankara for a summit to shape the alliance's future direction, with European capitals seeking to demonstrate political unity amid profound geopolitical change, who noted adapting to the changing transatlantic order as a key challenge. As NATO leaders gather in Ankara for a summit expected to shape the alliance's future direction, European capitals are looking to what many see as the meeting's defining challenge: whether the alliance can demonstrate political unity at a moment of profound geopolitical change.
The NATO summit in Ankara showed security imperatives trump liberal values in today’s geopolitics. NATO allies prioritized defense spending deals over shared values. The liberal internationalist story has always been seductive: Democracies prefer each other, build institutions together and let shared values govern how they distribute power and resources. But this week’s NATO summit in Ankara showed that security imperatives trump liberal values in today’s geopolitics.
The United States launched military strikes against Iran and revoked a sanctions waiver covering Iranian oil sales. This move was made after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The action puts a fragile cease-fire at risk. Iran's oil sales will be impacted by the revoked waiver. The United States launched a new round of military strikes against Iran and revoked a key sanctions waiver covering Iranian oil sales after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, putting a fragile cease-fire into peril.
Iran's clerical establishment staged a mass funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aiming to showcase the Islamic republic's popularity as a referendum, demonstrating its ability to organize large-scale events and garner public support. Iran's clerical establishment has shown time and again it has few rivals at staging a mass funeral. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's was a spectacle built to be seen as a referendum on the Islamic republic's popularity.
The Bundibugyo species of Ebola continues to spread in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Health Organization reported the death toll has now passed 500. The outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding, while the push to accelerate testing and identify effective treatment options continues, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Elon Musk has been posting about the US Agency for International Development on X. His comments come as USAID faces criticism for cutting funding to Ebola programs. Experts say these cuts have hindered the response to the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak. The cuts have resulted in significant numbers of deaths. Experts say cuts have hindered the response to DRC’s Ebola outbreak and resulted in ‘significant numbers’ of deathsElon Musk has an Ebola problem.
A Ukrainian woman suspected of carrying out a bombing in Monaco was found dead with gunshot wounds. The bombing targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with links to Russia. The killing is claimed to have been carried out by a Ukrainian spy. The woman's body was found with multiple gunshot wounds. A Ukrainian woman believed to have set off a bomb targeting a tycoon with links to Russia has been found dead with gunshot wounds in a killing apparently carried out by a Ukrainian spy, it is claimed.
Mark Rutte stated that European NATO members and Canada are on track to match US defense spending. The US has long criticized Europe's low military spending. Rutte made the comments on the eve of the NATO summit in Ankara. He also expressed support for Ukraine. On the eve of the NATO summit in Ankara, the alliance’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte said European members and Canada are on track to bring their defense spending into line with that of the United States, which has long criticized Europe's lack of military spending and perceived "free riding.".
Marine Le Pen softened the National Rally's image and dropped extreme positions. The head of the National Rally, Le Pen, 57, gained popularity in recent years by softening the image of the party founded by her late father. who was known for his anti-semitic and racist remarks. and dropping extreme positions, such as exiting the European Union.
Canada will buy 12 submarines from German consortium TKMS. The deal is one of Canada's largest defence contracts. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the decision on Monday, following a bidding war with a South Korean rival. The contract will deepen Canada's Nato ties ahead of a crucial summit. TKMS beats South Korean rival to multibillion-dollar contract that will deepen Canada’s Nato tiesCanada has selected a German consortium to build a dozen cutting-edge submarines in one of the country’s largest-ever defence contracts that will further deepen its Nato ties before a crucial summit this week. On Monday the prime minister, Mark Carney, announced the winner of a tightly contested battle.
The World Health Organization warns that new cancer cases worldwide could rise to almost 35 million a year by 2050. This is unless countries take urgent action to strengthen prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment. The number of new cancer cases worldwide could rise to almost 35 million a year by 2050 unless countries take urgent action to strengthen prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday.
The issue of accountability for Artificial Intelligence-caused harm took center stage at the first UN summit on AI governance, with experts warning of human rights violations linked to the technology and grappling with the question of who is legally responsible when AI causes harm to people. Who is legally responsible when Artificial Intelligence causes harm? The issue took centre stage on Tuesday – day two of the first ever UN summit on AI governance, where leading experts warned of mounting evidence of human rights violations linked to the revolutionary technology.
China is developing its own extreme ultraviolet lithography machines and using AI to boost chip performance to evade US export controls. The US suspects China may have obtained an EUV machine through other means, and is monitoring the situation closely. Beijing's efforts aim to counter US chip bans. China is using several methods to circumvent United States export controls on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, including developing its own machines and stacking artificial intelligence (AI) chips to boost their performance.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated China's recent ICBM test in the Pacific risks nuclear proliferation. He noted the missile could cause significant damage if weaponized. The Solomon Islands prime minister expressed concern over such tests in the region. Solomon Islands prime minister says he doesn’t want to see more countries testing ICBMs in Pacific, adding ‘be our friend but don’t threaten us’ Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has said China’s weapons test in the Pacific risks fuelling dangerous nuclear proliferation, with the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fired on Monday capable of causing “considerable damage” if weaponis.
The UN General Assembly voted to debate US sanctions against Cuba at Havana’s request. The decades-long embargo is discussed amid warnings of increasing suffering on the Caribbean island. The UN General Assembly overwhelming voted to debate United States sanctions against Cuba in a meeting on Tuesday, at Havana’s request, to discuss the decades-long embargo amid warnings of increasing suffering on the Caribbean island.
The Southwest Pacific's last tropical glacier is at risk of vanishing within months. The region faces increasing climate risks, with the ocean becoming hotter and more acidic, threatening coastal communities, report. The Southwest Pacific is facing mounting climate risks as its vast ocean expanse becomes hotter, more acidic and more dangerous for coastal communities, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a report published on Tuesday.
Cuba experienced its third nationwide power outage this year on Monday. Impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before the US imposed a blockade in JanuaryCuba on Monday suffered its third nationwide power outage since the start of the year, the state electricity company said. The impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before the US president, Donald Trump, imposed an oil blockade in January, which has depleted the alr.
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