News Guantanamo Bay U.S. Sends 11 Guantánamo Prisoners to Oman to Start New Lives The secret mission left the smallest number of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay since the day the detention center opened in 2002. The New York Times | 6 Jan 2025 Americas Middle East News Kosovo Accusations Fly After Blast Hits Key Water System A detonation on a critical aqueduct comes after a series of smaller incidents in the tense Serb-majority north of the country. Politico | 30 Nov 2024 Balkans Politics News Taiwan As Beijing Threatens, Taiwan Looks Nervously at Trump Taipei sets aside fears of Chinese invasion and trade-war crossfire to focus on potential cooperation with the new administration The Wall Street Journal | 18 Nov 2024 Asia South China Sea Politics News Puntland Somalia’s federal map sparks rift with Puntland and Hirshabelle over disputed territories A map unveiled by Somalia’s federal government during a recent ceremony in Mogadishu has sparked a backlash from Puntland and Hirshabelle, two key federal states. Hiiraan Online | 29 Oct 2024 Africa Maps News Chagos Archipelago UK will give sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius The UK has announced it is giving up sovereignty of a remote but strategically important cluster of islands in the Indian Ocean after more than half a century. BBC | 4 Oct 2024 Africa Asia Politics News Bougainville Papua New Guinea and Bougainville agree on moderator for independence talk The Papua New Guinea and autonomous Bougainville governments have agreed on a moderator to be brought to try and repair an impasse over the province’s push for independence. RNZ | 4 Sep 2024 Pacific Politics News Transnistria Moscow Warned: Any Provocations in Transnistria Is an Attack on Russia Moscow will consider any provocations against Russian peacekeepers and citizens in Transnistria is an attack on Russia. EurAsia Daily | 4 Sep 2024 Caucasus Politics News Catalonia Puigdemont Says He’s Back in Belgium After giving a speech from the symbolic Arc de Triomf in Barcelona and then evading a police dragnet, Carles Puigdemont has made it back to Belgium. ‘Today I’m in Waterloo after a few extremely difficult days,’ he posted on X. Politico | 10 Aug 2024 Europe Politics News Western Sahara France Backs Moroccan Claim over Disputed Western Sahara France has shifted its decadeslong position on the status of Western Sahara. The Polisario Front, which claims to represent the Saharawi people, has vowed to push back against Morocco and France. DW | 30 Jul 2024 Africa Politics News Spratly Islands Philippines says sailor lost finger in sea clash, accuses China of ‘piracy’ Chinese personnel used knives and machetes to puncture Philippine dinghies attempting to resupply an outpost in the South China Sea, Philippine officials say. The Washington Post | 19 Jun 2024 South China Sea Asia News Trial opens of ‘esoteric’ wing of alleged German coup plotters GP, celebrity chef and astrologer among defendants in third trial linked to far-right Reichsbürger The Guardian | 18 Jun 2024 Europe Politics News Machias Seal Island ‘Drift bottle’ launched in 1961 washes up near Boston A message in a bottle launched from an island between the United States and Canada turned up 63 years later near Boston. UPI | 18 Jun 2024 Americas News South Ossetia One opposition party among four and many newcomers The Central Election Commission (CEC) of South Ossetia has published the final results of the parliamentary elections held on June 9. Jam News | 16 Jun 2024 Caucasus Politics News Taiwan ‘Elimination’ of Taiwan is China’s great national cause, Lai says Taiwan’s president tells military academy cadets that the main challenge they face is the strong rise of Beijing. Al Jazeera | 16 Jun 2024 Asia South China Sea News Palestinians Seek Full UN Membership Again Supporters of the Palestinians’ request for full membership in the United Nations asked the U.N. Security Council to revive their application for admission submitted in 2011. But the United States is again almost certain to block it. The supporters’ letter to the council president included the names of 140 countries that have recognized a Palestinian state. The Washington Post | 2 Apr 2024 Middle East Politics News Transnistria Transnistria Begs Putin to ‘Protect’ It Against Moldova Politicians in Moldova’s Kremlin-backed breakaway region of Transnistria have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to “protect” it against “pressure” from Chișinău. Politico | 28 Feb 2024 Europe Politics News Taiwan China Bombards Taiwan With Fake News Ahead of Election China uses fabricated polls and outlandish claims on social media to bolster its camp in Taiwan’s election. Politico | 10 Jan 2024 Asia Politics News Jammu & Kashmir India’s supreme court upholds decision to strip Kashmir of special status Chief justice says government did not overreach its powers when it revoked autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. The Guardian | 11 Dec 2023 Asia Politics News Taiwan Chinese weather balloon spotted near Taiwan Chinese military aircraft including 12 fighter jets also detected in Taiwan’s air defence zone in past 24 hours. The Guardian | 8 Dec 2023 Asia South China Sea Politics News Essequibo Venezuelans back claim to Guyana-controlled oil region Venezuelans who turned out to vote in a referendum on the status of a disputed oil-rich territory long controlled by Guyana have overwhelmingly backed Venezuela’s territorial claim. BBC | 4 Dec 2023 Americas Politics News Nagorno-Karabakh Azerbaijan must let ethnic Armenians return to Nagorno-Karabakh: UN court Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians fled the region after Azeri forces seized the territory after a lightning offensive. Al Jazeera | 17 Nov 2023 Caucasus
News Guantanamo Bay U.S. Sends 11 Guantánamo Prisoners to Oman to Start New Lives The secret mission left the smallest number of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay since the day the detention center opened in 2002. The New York Times | 6 Jan 2025 Americas Middle East
News Kosovo Accusations Fly After Blast Hits Key Water System A detonation on a critical aqueduct comes after a series of smaller incidents in the tense Serb-majority north of the country. Politico | 30 Nov 2024 Balkans Politics
News Taiwan As Beijing Threatens, Taiwan Looks Nervously at Trump Taipei sets aside fears of Chinese invasion and trade-war crossfire to focus on potential cooperation with the new administration The Wall Street Journal | 18 Nov 2024 Asia South China Sea Politics
News Puntland Somalia’s federal map sparks rift with Puntland and Hirshabelle over disputed territories A map unveiled by Somalia’s federal government during a recent ceremony in Mogadishu has sparked a backlash from Puntland and Hirshabelle, two key federal states. Hiiraan Online | 29 Oct 2024 Africa Maps
News Chagos Archipelago UK will give sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius The UK has announced it is giving up sovereignty of a remote but strategically important cluster of islands in the Indian Ocean after more than half a century. BBC | 4 Oct 2024 Africa Asia Politics
News Bougainville Papua New Guinea and Bougainville agree on moderator for independence talk The Papua New Guinea and autonomous Bougainville governments have agreed on a moderator to be brought to try and repair an impasse over the province’s push for independence. RNZ | 4 Sep 2024 Pacific Politics
News Transnistria Moscow Warned: Any Provocations in Transnistria Is an Attack on Russia Moscow will consider any provocations against Russian peacekeepers and citizens in Transnistria is an attack on Russia. EurAsia Daily | 4 Sep 2024 Caucasus Politics
News Catalonia Puigdemont Says He’s Back in Belgium After giving a speech from the symbolic Arc de Triomf in Barcelona and then evading a police dragnet, Carles Puigdemont has made it back to Belgium. ‘Today I’m in Waterloo after a few extremely difficult days,’ he posted on X. Politico | 10 Aug 2024 Europe Politics
News Western Sahara France Backs Moroccan Claim over Disputed Western Sahara France has shifted its decadeslong position on the status of Western Sahara. The Polisario Front, which claims to represent the Saharawi people, has vowed to push back against Morocco and France. DW | 30 Jul 2024 Africa Politics
News Spratly Islands Philippines says sailor lost finger in sea clash, accuses China of ‘piracy’ Chinese personnel used knives and machetes to puncture Philippine dinghies attempting to resupply an outpost in the South China Sea, Philippine officials say. The Washington Post | 19 Jun 2024 South China Sea Asia
News Trial opens of ‘esoteric’ wing of alleged German coup plotters GP, celebrity chef and astrologer among defendants in third trial linked to far-right Reichsbürger The Guardian | 18 Jun 2024 Europe Politics
News Machias Seal Island ‘Drift bottle’ launched in 1961 washes up near Boston A message in a bottle launched from an island between the United States and Canada turned up 63 years later near Boston. UPI | 18 Jun 2024 Americas
News South Ossetia One opposition party among four and many newcomers The Central Election Commission (CEC) of South Ossetia has published the final results of the parliamentary elections held on June 9. Jam News | 16 Jun 2024 Caucasus Politics
News Taiwan ‘Elimination’ of Taiwan is China’s great national cause, Lai says Taiwan’s president tells military academy cadets that the main challenge they face is the strong rise of Beijing. Al Jazeera | 16 Jun 2024 Asia South China Sea
News Palestinians Seek Full UN Membership Again Supporters of the Palestinians’ request for full membership in the United Nations asked the U.N. Security Council to revive their application for admission submitted in 2011. But the United States is again almost certain to block it. The supporters’ letter to the council president included the names of 140 countries that have recognized a Palestinian state. The Washington Post | 2 Apr 2024 Middle East Politics
News Transnistria Transnistria Begs Putin to ‘Protect’ It Against Moldova Politicians in Moldova’s Kremlin-backed breakaway region of Transnistria have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to “protect” it against “pressure” from Chișinău. Politico | 28 Feb 2024 Europe Politics
News Taiwan China Bombards Taiwan With Fake News Ahead of Election China uses fabricated polls and outlandish claims on social media to bolster its camp in Taiwan’s election. Politico | 10 Jan 2024 Asia Politics
News Jammu & Kashmir India’s supreme court upholds decision to strip Kashmir of special status Chief justice says government did not overreach its powers when it revoked autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. The Guardian | 11 Dec 2023 Asia Politics
News Taiwan Chinese weather balloon spotted near Taiwan Chinese military aircraft including 12 fighter jets also detected in Taiwan’s air defence zone in past 24 hours. The Guardian | 8 Dec 2023 Asia South China Sea Politics
News Essequibo Venezuelans back claim to Guyana-controlled oil region Venezuelans who turned out to vote in a referendum on the status of a disputed oil-rich territory long controlled by Guyana have overwhelmingly backed Venezuela’s territorial claim. BBC | 4 Dec 2023 Americas Politics
News Nagorno-Karabakh Azerbaijan must let ethnic Armenians return to Nagorno-Karabakh: UN court Tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians fled the region after Azeri forces seized the territory after a lightning offensive. Al Jazeera | 17 Nov 2023 Caucasus