Author: Jason Woodroofe

Kabul Mosque Bombing Rattles Fragile Stability

Several people have been killed in a bombing outside a mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul, reported BBC news. The Taliban’s interior ministry spokesperson was quoted saying that at least five civilians had died.  The attack is the first major explosion in Kabul since the Taliban swept to power over

Read More »

The Afghan Affliction: Is Iraq Next?

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent Taliban take over has captured the attention of people around the world. Perhaps nobody is watching with the attentiveness of those in Iraq. The U.S. drawdown in Afghanistan created a security vacuum, which allowed the Taliban to rapidly take over the country in

Read More »

Rhetoric And Instability In Tigray

The Tigrayan conflict in Ethiopia has slipped in and out of the main news cycle for the past year. Past weeks have seen a sharp increase in aggressive and demonizing rhetoric from both sides, risking the escalation of the conflict and raising worries of a full-blown ethnic conflict.  Before exploring

Read More »

War In A Time Of Peace – Is Hybrid Warfare The New Norm?

In the 21st century, many scholars of international relations have claimed the world has learned lessons of the past and that direct, open conflict between major world powers is no longer worth it. Economic interdependence, nuclear weapons, and the lack of will for war from the general public means that

Read More »

Cyber Attack Shuts Down Major US Fuel Pipeline

Over the weekend of the 9th of May a ransomware cyber attack shut the Colonial Pipeline in the Eastern United States. According to BBC News the pipeline carries 45% of the fuel for the Eastern United States, including petrol, diesel and jet fuel. The ransomware attack was carried out by

Read More »

The DRACO Project And The Era Of Star Wars-Style Space Fighters

Rapid advances in technology mean we are seeing the lines between science fiction and reality blur more and more each day. A newly-commissioned project by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) blurs those lines even further. The Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations, or DRACO, could be pulled right

Read More »

Heavy Flooding Devastates Timor-Leste During COVID-19 Lockdown

According to preliminary reports from the ground, heavy flooding has affected upwards of 10,000 people and killed at least 21 in Timor-Leste, reports UN News. The majority of the affected people live in the capital Dili and parts of the city remained underwater for days afterward.  The flooding struck on

Read More »

2020 Ties As Hottest Year On Record

A new report by the European Union’s Copernicus earth observation service shows that 2020 tied with 2016 as the hottest year ever recorded, rounding off the world’s hottest ever decade.  The report shows that in 2020, “temperatures globally were an average of 1.25 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than

Read More »

A Fourth Generation Of Human Rights?

A Fourth Generation of Human Rights? Human rights are often taken for granted in day to day life in the western world, as they are enshrined in law and policy (for the most part). We often forget that Human rights have not always been guaranteed. In fact, what constitutes a

Read More »

A New Era In Global Drone Sales?

The U.S. plans to change its policy stance on the Cold War-era 33-year-old Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Treaty with the hopes of further expanding U.S. drone sales around the world, reports Al Jazeera news. Under the new proposed changes the United States would be able to supply armed drones

Read More »

Is July 1st The Date The Map Of The Middle East Is Redrawn?

On Monday the 1st of June an article appeared in the Jerusalem Post that should have given shivers of concern to anyone with a desire in upholding international law. The article in question claims new Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz had instructed the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) to prepare for

Read More »

Ethiopia Admits To Downing Kenyan Aid Plane

On Saturday 9 March, Ethiopia admitted to shooting down a Kenyan plane filled with aid in Somali air space. Al Jazeera reports the flight was a privately chartered aid flight delivering coronavirus supplies such as PPE and food to the Somali countryside. The plane was shot down by Ethiopian troops

Read More »

Venezuelan Prison Riot Leaves Scores Of Casualties

An apparent lack of food and water for inmates is responsible for a prison riot that took place at a Llanos Penitentiary in the western city of Guanare. The riot left more than 40 people dead and 50 injured according to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory (VPO). Casualties included the prison

Read More »