THE EFFECTS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN REFUGEE CRISIS AND ITS EXPLOITATION AS A FOREIGN POLICY TOOL

By : Polychronis Kapalidis MA in IR and Global Security Navy Officer, Hellenic Navy Visiting Research Fellow, Dartmouth Centre for Seapower and Strategy Plymouth University at Britannia Royal Naval College   Currently Europe is shaken by an unprecedented crisis, consisting of masses of irregular migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East, trying to… Continue reading THE EFFECTS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN REFUGEE CRISIS AND ITS EXPLOITATION AS A FOREIGN POLICY TOOL

THE PERSIAN GULF CRISIS OVER QATAR, EXPLAINED

Sourced : The Washington Post By Ishaan Tharoor The Arab states of the Persian Gulf are in the grip of an unprecedented regional crisis. In Monday’s early hours, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt released coordinated statements, announcing a diplomatic break with the tiny-yet-wealthy peninsular nation of Qatar. They cut air, sea and… Continue reading THE PERSIAN GULF CRISIS OVER QATAR, EXPLAINED

SEIZING OF PHILIPPINES CITY BY ISLAMIST MILITANTS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA

Sourced : Reuters By Tom Allard At the beginning of the battle that has raged for the past 12 days in Marawi City at the southern end of the Philippines, dozens of Islamist militants stormed its prison, overwhelming the guards. “They said ‘surrender the Christians’,” said Faridah P. Ali, an assistant director of the regional… Continue reading SEIZING OF PHILIPPINES CITY BY ISLAMIST MILITANTS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA

TURKEY, QATAR AGREE ON DETAILS OF HQ IN QATAR

Sourced : Hurriyet Daily News By Turan Yilmaz A Turkish military base to be deployed in Qatar will be headquartered in Doha and lead by Qatari-Turkish generals, top official has said after sessions at parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission. “Within the framework of the agreement, it is envisaged that a joint Turkish-Qatar divisional tactical headquarters should… Continue reading TURKEY, QATAR AGREE ON DETAILS OF HQ IN QATAR

SAUDI ARABIA, UAE, EGYPT AND BAHRAIN BREAK DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH QATAR OVER “TERRORISM”

Iconic skyline in Doha, Qatar, shot from the waterside.

Sourced : The Guardian Ben Doherty, Patrick Wintour Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain have broken off diplomatic relations and all land, sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, in the region’s most serious diplomatic crisis in years. Saudi Arabia on Monday said the move was necessary to protect… Continue reading SAUDI ARABIA, UAE, EGYPT AND BAHRAIN BREAK DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH QATAR OVER “TERRORISM”

THE BIG CHINA NUCLEAR THREAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

Sourced : The National Interest By Zachary Keck One of the most consistent aspects of China’s military policy is likely to undergo a significant transformation. Since its first nuclear test in 1964, China has maintained a relatively small nuclear arsenal designed to hold adversaries’ population centers at risk. Even as it has modernized its conventional… Continue reading THE BIG CHINA NUCLEAR THREAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

MOSUL FIGHT DOWN TO THREE NEIGHBORHOODS

ISOF soldiers captured in Mosul, Northern Iraq, Western Asia. 16 November, 2016.

Sourced : Voice of America The fight for Iraq’s second-largest city is in its final push, with Islamic State down to fewer than 1,000 fighters in three neighborhoods of west Mosul, U.S. military officials said Friday. Speaking with VOA via Skype from Baghdad, Brigadier General Rick Uribe, the deputy commanding general for U.S.-led coalition forces… Continue reading MOSUL FIGHT DOWN TO THREE NEIGHBORHOODS

RUSSIA LAUNCES PRODUCTION OF UPGRADED TU-160 STRATEGIC BOMBER

Sourced : Sputnik Russia is resuming the production of the famous Tu-160 strategic bomber in a modernized version – the Tu-160M2, with the first engines and other structural elements already being built, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said during a teleconference in Moscow. “A great deal of preparatory work has been done and unique technological methods… Continue reading RUSSIA LAUNCES PRODUCTION OF UPGRADED TU-160 STRATEGIC BOMBER

LONDON BRIDGE TERRORIST ATTACK – EVERYTHING WE KNOW

Sourced : The Telegraph By Harriet Alexander Seven people have been killed and 48 injured, many of them stabbed, following a confirmed terrorist attack at two sites in London – London Bridge and Borough Market. A total of 35 people remain in three London hospitals as of Sunday afternoon. A van drove into pedestrians on the… Continue reading LONDON BRIDGE TERRORIST ATTACK – EVERYTHING WE KNOW

QATARI MONEY INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY

Sourced : Al Monitor By Mustafa Sonmez The International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF) announced May 23 the approval of the membership application of Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund, created hastily last year amid criticism that it looks like a “parallel budget” to deal with growing economic woes. The IFSWF, a global network of sovereign… Continue reading QATARI MONEY INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY