World news has been remarkably negative over this past year. Whether it is continents burning, questionable political maneuverings occurring, the whispers of war threatening and taking lives, viruses disrupting the turning of the world, national economies becoming less stable, or racial injustices reaching boiling point, it is easy to overlook […]
November 3rd, the date many people will be anticipating this year to see whether the United States gets a change in leadership. Donald Trump, the current president, Republican, and forever-campaigner, unexpectedly came to power and has radically shaped a new era of politics. Whether these developments are a good thing […]
ANZAC Day, 25 April, has been the date for over a century now when the people of New Zealand and Australia remember their sacrifices in various conflicts. What started as a day to remember the landing of soldiers at Gallipoli during the First World War has evolved into a multipurpose […]
On March 27th, 2020, the CARES Act was enacted into law by President Trump after passing both government chambers. This legislation, which is nearly two and a half times larger than the global recession stimulus package, authorises the government to spend two trillion dollars in various ways to ‘aid’ the […]
The United States of America is in an important election year that will likely determine its course for another decade. The incumbent president, Donald Trump, is seeking another term and, despite all odds, has a good chance of being re-elected. No other president has been so crude or disinterested in […]
In recent bilateral talks between the Australian and New Zealand governments, Prime Minister Ardern voiced her frustrations with Australia’s treatment of New Zealand migrants. While highlighting the reality that New Zealand migrants are unable to fully contribute to Australian society, she said to Prime Minister Morrison at a press conference […]
On February 5, 2020, the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump came to an expected end in acquittal. While Senator Mitt Romney shocked the Republican Party by voting for removal based on abuse of power, this outcome projects a bitter year for the American political scene in another election cycle. […]
Tension in the Middle East may again be reaching critical mass as recent events in Iraq have created a difficult situation for the region. While originally the United States targeted the Kataib Hezbollah militia, supported by Iran, in response to a deadly attack on one of its military contractors blamed […]
As this decade draws to a close, it will be remembered for a variety of things. New technology, discoveries, disasters, amongst the other countless individual experiences that people have had. To categorize this period simply, information has further accelerated to no longer be strictly bound to geography but has become […]
This past week the National Party of New Zealand released a discussion document of their proposed law and order policies. These have subsequently been discussed in the media with strategies to “crack down on gangs” receiving the most widespread coverage. The opposition party, which controlled the previous three government coalitions, […]
In an attempt to forestall another United States government funding shutdown, Congress passed a bill, signed by the President on November 21, to fund the government for another month. Written within the bill, which garnered bipartisan support, was yet another extension for a Patriot Act spying resolution which will now […]
Today, 17 November, marks the one-year anniversary of the French Yellow Vests movement. To celebrate the occasion, another weekend of protests dubbed ‘Act 53’ has commenced with media reporting that the Place d’Italie, a public square in Paris, has been transformed into a skirmish ground. Elsewhere in Paris, protestors defied […]
Ever since Donald Trump became President of the United States of America, there has been a realization that the country is polarized in many ways. This is especially true regarding an aversion to the truth, albeit at a scale beyond one person. Given the country’s geography, access to new information […]
President Donald Trump proclaimed on 28 October, during a press conference announcing the death of ISIS leader al-Baghdadi, that the United States military would be holding onto Syrian oilfields until further notice. While this development is not surprising, given his lambasting of President Bush for not taking Iraq’s oil after […]
On 21 October, the unwell Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was told in a London court that he would face an extradition hearing in February 2020. This effectively denied his last chance to postpone his extradition trial to the United States on charges under the 1917 Espionage Act, an unusual charge […]
At the fourth round of presidential debates for the Democratic Party, held on October 15th, candidates finally weighed in on some foreign policy issues. Recently, as President Trump announced the withdrawal of military personnel from Syria, debate, or rather a unification of positions, occurred around this development. Russian election interference […]
One year after taking office, President Trump declared on Twitter that “trade wars are good, and easy to win” in response to putting tariffs on steel and aluminium. Trump, who arguably became president in appealing to the downsides of unscrutinised free trade, has since been focused on renegotiating the balance […]
In a move that admits the futility of the fighting in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is reportedly considering a new ceasefire with the Houthi movement. This comes after an ‘unverified’ video showed a major success for the Houthis in the aftermath of a battle on the border between the nations. According […]
Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on 24 September 2019 that after a ‘whistle-blower’ drew attention to President Trump’s politically motivated decision to withhold aid to Ukraine, the Democrat-controlled House will open an impeachment inquiry. This comes after an eventful week for Trump as he approved military aid to Saudi Arabia, following attacks […]
President Trump announced on September 18th that he would replace his former National Security Advisor John Bolton with Robert O’Brien, now his former Envoy for Hostage Affairs. Although the circumstances of Bolton’s departure are somewhat unclear, this came after apparent disagreements over the advice he gave Trump on several issues […]
