Blandonn
@blandonn.bsky.social
A keen interest in foreign policy, affairs, & international relations with an appreciation for a nice cup of coffee and a quality tailored shirt.
Centered at the crossroads of #geopolitics and the common household TV serries, #sesamestreet, I can't recommend Natasha Lance Rogoff's "Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia" enough! Incredibly well done! #muppets www.goodreads.com/book/show/60...
Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of M…
"In this thrilling debut, television producer and filmm…
goodreads.com
The #NewSTART #NuclearArms treaty between the #US & #Russia the last legal pact limiting their strategic warheads — is expiring, raising fears of unchecked nuclear build-ups and new arms race without renewed diplomacy. ⚛️ #GlobalSecurity #NonProliferation www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/...
Last US-Russia nuclear treaty is expiring: Does it really matter?
The New START treaty, which limits strategic nuclear weapons, is to expire this week.
aljazeera.com
US forces attempting to seize #Venezuela-linked, Russian-flagged oil tanker after weeks-long Atlantic pursuit, part of #sanctions enforcement effort that could heighten tensions with Moscow. #Geopolitics #OilNews www.reuters.com/business/ene...
Exclusive: US seizing Venezuela-linked, Russian-flagged oil tanker after weeks-long pursuit
The United States is attempting to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker with links to Venezuela after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic and as a Russian submarine and warship were cl...
reuters.com
#EU stands with #Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity after Israel became the first to recognize breakaway @Somaliland, a move drawing broad regional pushback and diplomatic tension across the #HornofAfrica. #Diplomacy #Africa www.dw.com/en/eu-backs-...
EU backs Somalia after Israel recognizes Somaliland – DW – 12/28/2025
Israel’s support for Somaliland has triggered sharp pushback across Africa, the Middle East and beyond, with the EU urging calm and Somalia vowing to defend its sovereignty.
dw.com
#Guineans voting in their first presidential #election since 2021 coup that brought military leader Gen. Mamady #Doumbouya to power, a sidelined opposition & new constitution likely cementing his rule amid security measures and political tensions. www.france24.com/en/africa/20...
Guineans vote in first presidential election since 2021 coup
Guineans are voting Sunday in the country's first election since 2021, when the head of the ruling junta, General Mamady Doumbouya, seized power in a coup d'état.
france24.com
#CentralAfricanRepublic holds presidential & legislative #elections, incumbent Faustin Archange #Touadéra, favored for 3rd term amid security concerns and fragile #democracy. 🇨🇫 #CAR apnews.com/article/cent...
Central African Republic's incumbent president, a Russian ally, eyes a third term in key elections
The Central African Republic voted on Sunday to elect a new president and federal lawmakers. Incumbent President Faustin Archange Touadera was seen as likely to win a third term in Sunday's elections.
apnews.com
#BurkinaFaso military boss Capt Ibrahim #Traoré is now Chairman of the Alliance of #Sahel States, stepping up regional security cooperation amid rising instability in the Sahel. #Security #WestAfrica #AES www.bbc.com/pidgin/artic...
Ibrahim Traore: Burkina Faso military leader na new Chairman of di Alliance of Sahel States - BBC News Pidgin
Traore take ova di rotating presidency from Mali military leader Gen Assimi Goita during one summit wey hold for Bamako.
bbc.com
#WestAfrican juntas in #Mali, #BurkinaFaso & #Niger launch a new 5,000-strong NATO-style force to fight Islamist insurgents & resist foreign intervention as regional tensions grow. 🇲🇱🇧🇫🇳🇪 #Sahel #WestAfrica #Security #AllianceOfSahelStates #ForeignPolicy africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifest...
West African juntas launch 5,000-troop NATO-style force amid foreign intervention fears
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have launched a joint military force to counter Islamist insurgencies in the Sahel, highlighting growing security and political tensions in West Africa as Nigeria seeks to...
africa.businessinsider.com
Urgent warning from the @rescue.org 2026 Emergency Watchlist: #humanitarian #crises are surging as global #aid collapses, 20 countries at risk of worsening #emergencies in the coming year. 🌍 #IRCWatchlist #HumanitarianAid #NewWorldDisorder #GlobalCrisis www.rescue.org/watchlist2026
2026 Emergency Watchlist | The IRC
The IRC’s Emergency Watchlist reveals the 20 countries at highest risk of worsening crises in 2026 amid collapsing global support.
rescue.org
Polish border guards detained 130 migrants after they crawled through a hidden tunnel dug from #Belarus into #Poland — over 180 crossed before discovery. Searches continue as tensions and security issues persist at the border. #Belarus #Migration #BorderSecurity www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/po...
Polish border guards detain 130 irregular migrants after crossing tunnel under Polish-Belarusian border
More than 180 foreigners believed to have entered Poland through tunnel in Narewka village, Podlasie region, with searches ongoing for those who have not yet been apprehended, says Border Guard spokes...
aa.com.tr
Historic yet ominous: Paul #Biya, at 92 the world’s oldest serving head of state, has been declared winner of #Cameroon’s #presidential election with 53.66% of the vote—securing his 8th term amid youth unrest and allegations of #fraud. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
World’s oldest serving head of state declared winner in Cameroon election
Paul Biya, 92, said to have won 53.66% of vote after volatile two weeks since election when opponent claimed victory
theguardian.com
Incumbent Alassane #Ouattara declared winner of the #IvoryCoast #election with approximately 89.8% of the #vote, amid low turnout (~50%) and exclusion of major rivals. www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Incumbent President Ouattara declared winner of Ivory Coast election
In power since 2011, 83-year-old Alassane Ouattara secures fourth term in vote that excluded two main rivals.
aljazeera.com
Power grab in #HornofAfrica: #Djibouti’s parliament unanimously voted to scrap #presidential age cap, clearing the path for President Ismail Omar #Guelleh — in power since 1999 — to run yet again in 2026. #Democracy #ConstitutionChange #Authoritarianism www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Djibouti lifts presidential age limit, paving way for sixth Guelleh term
Ismail Omar Guelleh could seek re-election in 2026 after parliament votes to removes age restriction for candidates.
aljazeera.com
A crucial moment in the #Sudan war: the Rapid Support Forces (#RSF) claim to have captured #ElFasher, the last government-held city in #Darfur. If #confirmed, this marks a major turning point in the conflict. #WarNews www.france24.com/en/africa/20...
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces claim capture of key Darfur city
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Sunday said that it had taken control of the city of El-Fasher, the last major urban centre in western Darfur still outside its control. Local pro-ar...
france24.com
Violence erupts in #Cameroon, at least four killed as #protests flare ahead of disputed #election results. Tensions rise amid claims of #fraud and repression. #Democracy’s test grows harder. #Africa #BreakingNews www.bbc.com/news/article...
Four killed in Cameroon protests as results due in contested election
An opposition candidate is challenging the incumbent president's 43-year hold on power.
bbc.com
#Azerbaijan is fast becoming the key bridge between the #Caucasus and the #MiddleEast - leveraging #energy routes, #trade corridors, and strategic #alliances to reshape regional #geopolitics. #Connectivity www.eurasiareview.com/24102025-aze...
Azerbaijan And Caucasus-Middle East Reconnection – Analysis
By Kamran Bokhari (Eurasianet) -- Azerbaijan’s expanding role on its southern flank highlights the deepening strategic fusion between the Middle East and the Caucasus, two regions long treated as dis...
eurasiareview.com
Major headline alert: Kim Jong Un just publicly praised the deepening military alliance with #Kursk-region combat efforts alongside #Russia — calling it “invincible” and pledging ties will “advance nonstop.” #NorthKorea #MilitaryAlliance #Geopolitics www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Kim Jong Un hails military alliance with Russia, honours Kursk ‘liberators’
Kim marked one year since North Korean troops deployed to fight against Ukraine with the opening of a museum.
aljazeera.com
Historic moment in #Budapest: Viktor #Orbán led nationalist rally while opposition surged in challenge — both marking the 69th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian uprising. 2026 elections are heating up. #Hungary #Election2026 www.france24.com/en/video/202...
Hungary's Orban seeks to boost support, opposition holds rival rally on 1956 anniversary
france24.com
Escalating unrest in #Dublin: 23 arrested after 2nd night of clashes outside a hotel housing asylum seekers. #Protesters pelted police with fireworks and bottles following an alleged sexual assault tied to one resident. #Ireland #Immigration #PublicOrder www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Irish police arrest 23 people in second night of anti-immigration unrest
Clashes with police follow arrest of man accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl.
aljazeera.com
#Drone #strike rocks #Khartoum International Airport area just hours before its planned reopening after 30 + months of #war-lockdown. The Rapid Support Forces may be sending a clear signal: peace is fragile. #Sudan #DroneAttack #Reconstruction #Conflict www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/...
Eye on Africa - Drone attack hits Khartoum airport area ahead of reopening
In tonight's edition: Khartoum international airport's vicinity suffers a drone strike, just one day before domestic flights were set to resume. Also, the crisis at a phosphate processing plant in the...
france24.com
#Gunfire erupted outside the #parliament in #Belgrade and a tent camp caught fire — the attack has been labelled a “#terrorist act with political motives” by Aleksandar Vučić. One injured, one detained. #Serbia #PoliticalViolence #TerrorAlert en.ilsole24ore.com/art/shots-fi...
Flights grounded in #Vilnius overnight. Dozens of smugglers’ balloons breaching airspace force closure of Vilnius Airport & border checkpoints—4,000+ passengers impacted amid escalating #Baltic-#Belarus tension. #Lithuania #Smuggling #AirSecurity www.politico.eu/article/lith...
Helium balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes shut down Lithuania’s main airport
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė points the finger at Belarus over airspace incident.
politico.eu
Historic shift in #Tokyo: Sanae #Takaichi elected as #Japan’s first female Prime Minister, leading a new hard-right coalition after last-minute deal. Power play meets gender milestone—and political risks. #FirstWomanPM #Politics #Asia2025 www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Japan’s parliament confirms hardliner Takaichi as country’s first female PM
Appointment clinched via a last-minute coalition deal, but government remains without a majority.
aljazeera.com
The political winds shift in #Madagascar: Michael #Randrianirina, a military colonel, was sworn in as #president after the army ousted the previous leadership. #Coup #MilitaryRule #AfricanPolitics #GenZUprising www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Military leader Randrianirina sworn in as Madagascar’s new president
Mass demonstrations in recent weeks over power and water shortages have killed more than 20 people.
aljazeera.com
#Ethiopia’s FM Gedion #Timothewos heads to #Moscow for high-level talks with #Lavrov & a tech tour at Skolkovo. Strategic ties deepen after recent nuclear #cooperation & Putin’s invite to Addis 🇪🇹🇷🇺 #EthiopiaRussia #Diplomacy #TechTour #Geopolitics en.sputniknews.africa/20251020/107...
Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Heads to Moscow for High-Level Talks & Tech Tour on Monday–Tuesday: Embassy
Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Heads to Moscow for High-Level Talks & Tech Tour on Monday–Tuesday: EmbassyGedion Timothewos is expected to hold a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, ...
en.sputniknews.africa
Border fire hits pause — Doha-brokered #ceasefire between #Pakistan and #Afghanistan after days of deadly #clashes along the #border. Can the #truce hold? #BorderConflict #PeaceTalks www.eurasiareview.com/20102025-pak...
Pakistan, Afghanistan Reach Ceasefire Agreement In Doha After Fierce Clashes
By Shahjahan Khurram Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif announced on Sunday that Islamabad had reached a ceasefire agreement with Kabul in Doha, after days of fierce clashes between the...
eurasiareview.com
A major shift in #Bosnia: #RepublikaSrpska installs an interim #president as Milorad #Dodik steps aside after a state court bans him from #politics. Stability vs. separatism at a tipping point. #Balkans www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Bosnia’s Republika Srpska installs temporary president as Dodik steps aside
Bosnia’s Serb entity names an interim president after separatist Milorad Dodik is barred from politics by a state court.
aljazeera.com
#CentralAsia #rail corridor now a chessboard between U.S. & China #Kazakhstan upgrades Soviet-era lines with U.S. tech, China leads CKU route with stakes in Kyrgyzstan & Uzbekistan. Big shift in transit power. #Geoeconomics #Connectivity timesca.com/central-asia...
Central Asia’s Rail Corridors: U.S. and Chinese Partnerships in Perspective - The Times Of Central Asia
Kazakhstan’s railways are modernizing with a U.S. supplier, while Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are advancing a new trans‑mountain link with China. On September
timesca.com
Tragic #blast in #Bucharest: 2 dead, 12 injured after an apartment block #explosion collapses two floors and shatters nearby windows. #Rescue efforts continue. #Romania #UrbanDisaster #BreakingNews www.reuters.com/world/two-ki...
reuters.com
New #landmines likely sparked the #Thai-#Cambodia clashes — experts say PMN-2 #mines appeared freshly laid, not relics of old war. Tensions along the #border now boil. #BorderConflict #Security www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
reuters.com