FOCUS on Extended Violence: Ukraine
The main flashpoint of this brutal war in recent months has occurred in the small town of Bakhmut. Once a thriving city, it is now decimated, with barely a single building standing.
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Author: George Slowey
Russia Suspends New START Nuclear Treaty with U.S.
Vladimir Putin announced that while he would not be withdrawing fully from the treaty (which does not expire until 2026), Russia will no longer allow the United States to inspect its nuclear sites.
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Western Nations Pledge Tanks to Ukraine
Tanks have played an important part in the Ukrainian conflict and continue to show their dominance on the battlefield. Russia has recently made the move to introduce their supposed cutting-edge T-14 Armata tank onto the battlefield, although intelligence reports have shown that the T-14s have been plagued with problems ever since they were introduced in 2015, reports Newsweek.
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Israeli PM Netanyahu Fires Senior Cabinet Member on Court Order
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the now-former Minister of Health and Minister of the Interior Aryeh Deri from his position during a cabinet meeting shortly following a ruling issued by the Israeli Supreme Court, which stated that due to being convicted in 2022 of tax offenses he could not legally hold any governmental position.
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Iranian Officials Cause Confusion Over Morality Police
Confusion broke out Friday as a senior Iranian official declared that Iran’s infamous morality police force had been disbanded, reports The New York Times.
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FOCUS on Global Summits: Russia’s G20 Absence
Lavrov’s attendance comes after Putin repeatedly told Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the course of several months that he would attend the critical summit. According to Reuters, many political pundits have speculated that Putin did not want to appear on the world stage as the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its ninth month.
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Iran Acknowledges Drones in Ukraine, but Denies Direct Involvement
After much speculation, Iran has officially confirmed they have sold drones to Russia– with a caveat. CNN reports that Iran has acknowledged that the Shahed drones widely used by the Russian Army in Ukraine are in fact Iranian drones.
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Russia Claims to Recover Drones Dropped in Black Sea; Allegedly Loses Another Ship
The Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine continues deteriorate as Russia receives damage to another important ship in recent days. Forbes reports that the Ukrainian government released videos showing a drone attack on the Russian navy frigate Admiral Makarov, the current flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
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Liz Truss Resigns as UK’s Prime Minister
After a chaotic term marred by economic turmoil and political squabbles, Liz Truss resigned eleven days ago as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as reported by The New York Times. Her resignation and the subsequent selection of her successor marks the third Prime Minister in seven weeks.
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How Ukraine’s Possible NATO Accession Will Change Eastern Europe
In the midst of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has formally requested to have his country’s application for NATO membership fast-tracked, reports Politico. After months of consideration by Ukraine and its western allies, it seems that the war-torn country has finally decided where it wants to be in the future.
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