EU external relations, diplomacy, and security
A United Nations meeting dissolved into chaos this week as delegates clashed furiously over allegations of sexual violence committed by Israeli forces in Gaza. The confrontation, marked by one delegate snapping ‘You will be quiet,’ exposed the deep fractures within the international body.
The IAEA chief has offered to facilitate technical talks on nuclear verification after the US and Iran signed an initial memorandum. It’s a cautious but significant step toward ending years of diplomatic deadlock.
Residents in Tehran and Tel Aviv are greeting the US-Iran deal with a volatile mix of cautious hope and outright skepticism. From spice traders to former soldiers, ordinary people are asking the same question: will it actually hold?
Iran’s supreme leader publicly condemned the new nuclear agreement, calling Trump’s signature a sign of desperation, even as US warships began withdrawing from the Strait of Hormuz. The deal is now facing a fierce test of survival.
Barack Obama opened his presidential centre in Chicago’s Jackson Park on Wednesday, calling on Americans to find common ground. The $700 million complex is designed to serve as both a museum and a working civic hub for South Side communities.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas responded to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s threat to sever all contact, saying she valued dialogue but staying silent on the reported apartheid remark that triggered the crisis. The diplomatic standoff threatens to deepen already strained EU-Israel relations.
Cuba’s President Díaz-Canel has admitted ‘urgent changes’ are needed as Trump’s oil blockade pushes the island toward economic collapse. Power cuts now last more than 30 hours in some provinces, and the government is running out of road.
African and Caribbean leaders have gathered in Accra for a landmark conference pushing for concrete slavery reparations, with a $10 billion fund proposal on the table. Ghana is positioning itself as the political engine behind a coordinated global campaign targeting former colonial powers.
Vladimir Putin welcomed ASEAN leaders in Sochi as G7 nations pledged unwavering support for Ukraine and finalized a landmark $50 billion loan package backed by frozen Russian assets. The dueling summits laid bare a deepening fracture in global diplomacy over the war.
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told the BBC that military expansion is essential to preventing conflict in Asia. It’s the clearest public statement yet that Tokyo is leaving its post-war pacifism behind.
