Armenia’s parliamentary elections Sunday will be a vote on its geopolitical future as incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks closer relations with the European Union and the United States despite longstanding ties with Russia that have been championed by his critics. FRANCE 24’s Olivia Bizot reports. Keywords for this article Source link
The man known as Europe’s last dictator may soon be coming in from the cold, as President Donald Trump helps him emerge from years of isolation. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Trump thanked Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko for his “cooperation and friendship” in a post on Truth Social earlier this month after a deal to release some political prisoners held by his regime, adding: “So nice!” The U.S. president has also steadily eased sanctions on Belarus’ state institutions and companies, intended to punish Vladimir Putin’s closest geopolitical ally for allowing Russia to use Belarus as a staging ground for his invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Lukashenko, for his part, has expressed hopes of sealing a “big deal” with the U.S., and could attend a meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace later this year. For many living under his regime in Belarus, Lukashenko, 71, is anything but “nice.” In power since 1994, he has been accused of flagrant human rights violations against his critics, wiping out …
Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and told him that the issue of Taiwan is the”biggest risk factor” in relations between Washington and Beijing, Chinese media has reported. “The Taiwan issue concerns China’s core interests and is the biggest risk factor in China-US relations,” Wang said, according to The South China Morning Post, which cited China’s CCTV broadcaster. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Chinese Foreign Ministry photo) “The US side should honor its commitments, make the right choice, open up new avenues for China-US cooperation, and do its part to promote world peace,” Wang added. The call comes after Taiwan’s government announced it had signed contracts with the US for about $6.6 billion in arms, including a nearly $4 billion sale of HIMARS rocket systems. The contracts are a partial fulfillment of a massive $11 billion weapons package that the Trump administration approved in December, a number that represents more arms deals than were approved during the entire Biden administration. Taipei Times has noted that “The …
U.S. President Donald Trump and King Charles III arrive to look at the White House garden and bee hive on the South Lawn of the White House. Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images Europe hide caption toggle caption Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images Europe President Trump has clearly been looking forward to this week’s state visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the White House. In recent weeks, Trump has brought up the visit multiple times, referring to the king as “a great gentleman,” “tough,” “a great guy,” “a nice guy,” and “a friend of mine.” The four-day visit is intended to be a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S.’s independence from Great Britain. A Saturday night shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington where Trump was attending sparked a last-minute security review but the trip’s itinerary appears unaffected. However, political tension hangs over the proceedings as Trump has recently clashed with the UK over the Iran War. Especially given the president’s fondness for the British royals, the meeting between the leaders could serve …
King Charles delivers, U.S. President Donald Trump and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the state banquet for the US President and First Lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, on day one of their second state visit to the UK, Wednesday Sept. 17, 2025. Aaron Chown | Via Reuters The U.K.’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the U.S., set to begin on Monday, comes at a time of heightened domestic and geopolitical tension for Washington and London. The visit is taking place just two days after the shocking shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday in which U.S. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania and top U.S. officials were bundled out of harm’s way by security agents as a suspected shooter tried to gain access to the hall, in the Washington Hilton hotel, where the officials and journalists were gathered. The suspected gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was apprehended by security personnel and is due to be formally charged in court in Washington on Monday. It …
The Washington garden party might have changed the course of World War II — if the British ambassador’s wife had been more diplomatic with the guest list. The June 1939 visit of King George VI, the first by a reigning British monarch since the United States declared its independence in 1776, was cause for anticipation — and anxiety. Source link
Donald Trump has said he plans to talk to the King about “everything” during the royal state visit, including the Iran war which has strained transatlantic relations. The US president also said he would raise the thorny issue of Nato, which he has lambasted throughout the conflict. The American leader made his comments to Reuters as fresh controversy flared over reports the US could review its position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands as punishment for Sir Keir Starmer’s lack of support for the military action against Tehran. Source link
Germany on Tuesday rejected calls from other EU member states to suspend the bloc’s cooperation agreement with Israel due to concerns over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank. Spain and Ireland led proposals to suspend the deal, but Germany said doing so would be “inappropriate”. Dave Keating reports. Keywords for this article Source link
“AS MANY GREEN LIGHTS AS POSSIBLE” Rodriguez was the country’s vice president until early January, when US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a shock overnight operation. Rodriguez was subsequently made interim president. Since then, Washington has exerted heavy pressure on the country to open its economy to foreign investment – especially its energy sector. “Trump frequently and publicly talks about how much he likes Delcy and how closely they’re working together,” Henry Ziemer at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington told AFP. “But the institutional recognition is, I think, an important next step – going beyond the personal to the institutional.” “It’s important for Delcy’s appearance of legitimacy,” he said. Beyond the funds that could now flow from the IMF and the World Bank, the institutional recognition could reassure foreign private investors who were anxious about taking bets on the country. “I think as many green lights as possible is good, I should say necessary for foreign direct investment to start flowing into Venezuela,” Ziemer said, while noting that the …
The war in Iran — and President Trump’s shifting tactics in fighting it — are roiling relations with China, just weeks before the president is to make a high-stakes trip there. The complicated dynamics have a straightforward core. China has numerous ties with Iran, economically and strategically. At the same time, Beijing has zero interest… Source link
