North Korea

Citing the lyrics of a popular Turkish love song, President Tayyip Erdoğan said on April 30 before departing for India that Turkey could "come overnight, all of a sudden without warning." He was referring to operations against the positions of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraq and of the People's Protection Units (YPG) positions in Syria, (the YPG being the Syrian extension of

North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on April 29 in apparent defiance of a concerted US push for tougher international sanctions to curb Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions.

U.S. President Donald Trump said a "major, major conflict" with North Korea was possible over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, while China said the situation on the Korean peninsula could escalate or slip out of control.

North Korea is seeking support from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to prevent a potential "nuclear holocaust," as US President Donald Trump warns of the possibility of a "major conflict" in the Korean Peninsula if diplomacy fails.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute.

Amid escalating tensions, North Korea has warned America of a "super-mighty pre-emptive strike" that would reduce it "to ashes". Donald Trump, the Commander-in-Chief of the world's most powerful military, recently called North Korea the "greatest immediate threat" to the US.

The United States military started installing a controversial antimissile defense system in South Korea overnight Tuesday, triggering protests and sparking criticism that it was rushing to get the battery in place before the likely election of a president who opposes it.

China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier on April 26 amid rising tension over North Korea and worries about Beijing's assertiveness in the South China Sea.

State media has quoted military experts as saying the carrier, China's second and built in the northeastern port of Dalian, is not expected to enter service until 2020, once it has been kitted out and armed.

Greece occupies the disheartening 88th spot in the annual World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Greece managed to climb one spot compared to last year’s list among the 180 countries monitored by the organisation.

Turkey's EU Minister Ömer Çelik has stated that developments that threaten global security necessitate a "reinforced relationship" between Ankara and Brussels. 

His statement came a day after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) re-opened monitoring process on Turkey, and it also touched on his visits to Brussels and Strasbourg in the coming weeks.