European Union
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UNRWA and humanitarian aid
EU releases frozen funds for Palestinians
The EU Commission intends to transfer 82 million euros to the UN Palestinian relief organisation UNRWA. Payments had been suspended following Israel's accusation that UNRWA was involved in Hamas terrorism
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Milan's La Scala
Migrant boats make music at the opera
Stringed instruments made from migrant boats met with sustained applause as they debuted at Italy's prestigious La Scala opera house in tribute to those who perish attempting the Mediterranean crossing to Europe
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The EU response to the Gaza war
A tale of contradiction and division
Faced with the worst-ever Israeli-Palestinian violence, Europe's selective moralism has also led to strategic blindness
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The Middle East's cosmopolitan tradition
Back to a Levantine future?
As regional and global problems rise, the once mixed cities of the Eastern Mediterranean may offer ideas for how we can escape our distress
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A different take on Gaza
Global South criticises Israel
Germany, the USA and the UK have stood firmly behind Israel following the Hamas attacks. The Global South, however, sees the Gaza conflict differently. Pro-Palestine voices can be heard across the region. By Kristin Palitza and Denis Duettmann, dpa
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Hamas-Israel conflict
What happens after Gaza?
Following Hamas's terrorist attack on 7 October, the world affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself. But political leaders on the front lines – and the international community more broadly – must start thinking about how to put the region on a path towards lasting peace and stability. By Carl Bildt
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Hamas terror attack aftermath
Understanding is crucial for change
Karim El-Gawhary has been reporting from the Middle East for more than 30 years. The wars he’s witnessed and reported on during this time have led him to the conclusion: security needs political solutions, not military ones
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Co-operation between Ankara, Athens and Berlin
New alliances in European migration diplomacy
If official statements are to be believed, the governments of Greece, Turkey and Germany share a common goal: to gain control of refugee flows in the Aegean Sea and along the River Evros on the Greek-Turkish border. By Ronald Meinardus in Athens
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Ataturk's republic turns 100
Turkey's enduring identity crisis
To mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, German journalist and Qantara.de contributor Cigdem Akyol has written a new history of what she calls "the divided republic". Marian Brehmer read the book
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Bashar al-Assad in China
Will Xi Jinping help to end Syria's isolation?
Largely isolated since Syria's civil war began in 2011, President Bashar Assad will return home from a trip to China with a new "strategic partnership" in the works. Fu Yue reports
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Eating insects in Europe
What is kosher, what is halal?
The European Union's gradual approval of the addition of insects to food is not without controversy. Many Jews and Muslims also have a problem with the idea, owing to their various dietary restrictions
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Music festivals in Turkey
Only "halal" festivals acceptable?
In Turkey, concerts and festivals by artists at odds with the government line are being cancelled with increasing frequency. Islamist and nationalist groups are often responsible. Elmas Topcu and Aynur Tekin report