The ancient Silk Road that linked China to the rest of Eurasia and East Africa is being reborn. For centuries, goods, technology, and ideas spread throughout the Old World, linking together once disparate civilizations. This was most evidenced by the Venetian explorer Marco Polo’s journey to the court of the
Recently, the Trump administration has decided to end sanction waivers for countries buying Iranian oil. In an effort to put increasing pressure on the Iranian government, this decision will likely impact not only the Iranian economy, but global oil markets. Effective May 2, Washington’s decision will impact a wide range
On 16 March, thousands of supporters of Catalan independence marched through the Spanish capital, Madrid, to protest the ongoing trial of 12 separatist leaders. Demonstrators, many from Catalonia, peacefully marched through Madrid, carrying signs with messages such as “self-determination is not a crime.” They also called for a new vote
On 16 February, a video emerged in which some gilets jaunes protestors were shown hurling abuse and anti-Semitic insults against prominent French Jewish philosopher and intellectual Alain Finkielkraut. Among the words heard were, “dirty Zionist,” “We are the people,” “France is ours,” and “Go back to Tel Aviv.” The son
On 28 January, the United States Department of Justice charged Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei with fraud and theft, further escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing. Huawei was charged for having violated sanctions against Iran by selling equipment and for having stolen trade secrets and US technologies, particularly from American telecommunications
Recent clashes between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas in the Gaza Strip have placed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government into stormy waters. Beginning on November 11, violence broke out between the IDF and Hamas, resulting in the deaths of 11 Palestinians and one Israeli commander and tens
This week Southeast Asian and other foreign leaders gathered in Singapore for the 33rd annual ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meeting at a time when there are growing tensions in Asia. U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence, speaking at the meeting, said, “We all agree that empire and aggression has no
This past week, North Korean official Kim Yong-chol abruptly cancelled a planned meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for this Thursday. As both countries seek to reconcile their differences and pursue détente, the latest developments in the bilateral relationship pose deep challenges for maintaining peace and stability on
A recent France 24 television debate, “Khashoggi effect? U.S. calls for ceasefire in Yemen,” discussed the impact of The Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder on the recent decision by Western leaders to refocus attention on the ongoing Yemeni Civil War. At the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.
From October 25 to November 7, NATO forces will take part in what its Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg calls, “NATO’s biggest exercise since the end of the Cold War.” 50,000 soldiers from 31 countries, 250 aircraft, 65 naval vessels, and 10,000 military vehicles will take part in the military exercises, taking
The death of the high-ranking and powerful police chief and intelligence head of Kandahar Province, Abdul Raziq, has thrown the South Asian nation yet further into chaos and uncertainty. The incident occurred on October 18, as the Afghan police chief was meeting with the U.S. Forces and NATO Resolute Support
Recent elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina have revealed a nation and a region that remain deeply divided. The election results for Bosnia’s presidency express the bitter ethnic tensions between the three dominant ethnic groups—Bosnian Croats, Bosniaks, and Bosnian Serbs. In elections for the three-person presidency, in which each of these ethnic groups
On October 3, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) made a historic ruling in the case Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America, ruling that U.S. sanctions on Iran must exempt humanitarian goods. The case was brought before the United Nations judicial body by Iran in July, in
During both the campaign and aftermath of the 2016 U.S. presidential election the idea of “fake news” received significant coverage. Repeated constantly by then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump, “fake news” has since become a source of debate in American society. While President Trump has weaponised this concept to rail against the
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda visited Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, September 18th, 2018 and met with President Donald Trump. This visit might have been like any other official visit by a head of state to the White House, but its political impact was highlighted by the Polish President’s request to the
On 13 September 2018, Aung San Suu Kyi, the celebrated human rights activist and dissident, said the jailing of two Reuters journalists reporting on the Rohingya refugee crisis was not because of their profession, and that their imprisonment was not a government crackdown on free speech. Responding to a question
In what is seen as the final showdown between President Bashar al-Assad and his allies’ forces, and anti-government fighters and terrorist groups, the stakes could not be higher. With key cities and towns, such as Deir ez-Zor, Ghouta, and Deraa retaken by regime forces, there are few remaining pockets of
In an effort to put pressure on foreign residents living in the Palestinian territories, the Israeli government has enforced a series of visa restrictions. To maintain their legal residency status in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, foreign residents must regularly renew their visas with the Palestinian Interior Ministry, which
