Lukashenko:

Belarus will not become part of Russia in the near future.

Why Ethiopia and Eritrea on the Brink of War?

Fresh conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region is reigniting tensions with Eritrea, which backed Ethiopia’s federal forces in the 2020-2022 war but was excluded from the 2022 Pretoria Agreement.

Tigrayan dissidents seized Adigrat, accusing the Ethiopian-backed government of betrayal, while the interim administration claims they are collaborating with Eritrea.

Eritrea mobilized its military in Feb 2025, as Ethiopia moved troops toward the border. Eritrea still has troops in Ethiopia despite the peace deal calling for withdrawal.

Abiy Ahmed’s push for Red Sea access has further alarmed Eritrea.

Eritrea signed a security pact with Egypt and Somalia, seen as a counter to Ethiopia’s ambitions.

Source: Reuters, ISW

Armenia and Azerbaijan Finalize Peace Treaty After Nearly 40 Years of War

Armenia and Azerbaijan have finalized a peace treaty to end decades of conflict, including wars over Karabakh.

Azerbaijan demands Armenia amend its constitution to remove implicit territorial claims before signing.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan has proposed a referendum, but no date is set.

The treaty bars third-party personnel from the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, impacting the EU’s monitoring mission and Russian border guards.

War Fuels Mpox Crisis in DRC

Ongoing violence in eastern DR Congo is severely hampering efforts to control the mpox outbreak by disrupting healthcare and aid delivery.

Hospitals and clinics have been damaged, forcing patients to flee and making treatment nearly impossible.

Supply chains are broken, limiting vaccine and medication availability.

Over 1 million displaced people now live in unsanitary conditions, increasing the spread of mpox and other diseases.

The outbreak worsens amid existing measles, cholera, and tuberculosis epidemics.

Hamas has agreed to release Idan Alexander, a US soldier, and the bodies of four dual nationals.

The very tiny red carpet rolled out for Marco Rubio by Canada.

Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff left Moscow last night and travelled to Baku, Azerbaijan.

Source: Axios

French President Emmanuel Macron greeted Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Uzbek Turkish:

🇺🇿🇹🇷 “Yaşasın Fransa-Özbekistan dostluğu!”

🇬🇧 “Long live the France-Uzbekistan friendship!”

For the first time since the annexation of the Golan in 1981, a delegation of Syrian Druze visits Israeli occupied Golan in Syria.

NEW: Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) detained five suspects for allegedly passing information about military bases and critical sites in Türkiye to Iranian intelligence.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen:

The EU increases pressure on Russia. We extend our sanctions on nearly 2400 individuals & entities over Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, including:

- Travel bans
- Asset freezes
- Ban on funding/resources

Germany's CDU, SPD and the Greens have reached a compromise on the debt deal.

Source: RND

Discord Leaker Defends Leak, Appeals to Trump for Pardon

Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guard airman behind one of the largest U.S. intelligence leaks, pleaded guilty to obstructing justice in his court-martial.

He is already serving 15 years for leaking classified documents on Discord.

Teixeira defended his actions, claiming he was “exposing and correcting the lies” about the Ukraine war.

“If I saved one American, Russian, or Ukrainian life, my punishment was worth it.”

He accused the DOJ of political bias against Trump and himself.

He appealed to Trump to overturn his conviction, describing himself as a "proud patriot".

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he is optimistic about the possibility of ending hostilities in Ukraine this year.

The US Asks Denmark for Extra Eggs

The U.S. has requested egg imports from Denmark and other European nations.

Türkiye is set to export 420 million eggs in 2025 to the U.S., with 15,000 tonnes shipping by July.

Israel invites Tesla to submit a bid for a government tender to provide electric cars for senior officials, according to a senior Israeli government source.

“We aren’t going to bow to woke trends,” the official told JNS.

S&P 500 performance in the first 100 days of recent U.S. presidents.

Johns Hopkins Hit by $800M Funding Cut, Largest Layoff in History

Trump administration cut $800 million in USAID grants to Johns Hopkins University, affecting global health programs.

Over 2,000 employees worldwide are being laid off, marking the largest job cut in university history.

Impacted programs include public health, maternal care, and disease prevention.

Trump:

Our Economy will BOOM, like never before!

G7 foreign ministers toughened their stance on China, opposing any forceful change to Taiwan’s status quo.

G7 nations also urged Russia to match Ukraine’s ceasefire terms or face further sanctions.

They stressed the need for strong security guarantees to deter future aggression.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte:

It’s normal if the war would have stopped for Europe and also for the US, step by step, to restore normal relations with Russia.

But we are absolutely not there yet, we have to maintain the pressure on them.