“With the average age of world leaders being at 65 years old, health problems at the executive level are bound to rise. Now, Japan suffers. On Friday, August 28th, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his resignation due to health concerns, with several scandals marking the end of Japan’s longest serving PM.”
Read More“This back and forth blame game between China and the United States over COVID-19 has made international cooperation to fight the virus between two of the world’s largest and most influential countries extremely difficult. Further, it remains difficult to understand fully who–if anyone–is at fault for the spread of the virus.”
Read More“Tension looms dangerously in the Eastern Mediterranean as many nations weigh in on a growing conflict between Greece and Turkey. The two nations are jockeying over energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, after Turkish ships entered gas-rich Cypriot waters surveying for drilling opportunities. At the request of the President of Cyprus, Russia has been asked to enter the debate and de-escalate. Most of the EU is split in their approach to the conflict, and the stalemate between Greece and Turkey worsens as strong-arm military standoffs continue in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Read More“The new acrimonious dispute over Ireland Protocol has put relations between the UK and the EU at a new low. A ‘no-deal’ Brexit - the worst-case scenario - approaches every day.”
Read More“Provocations along the China-Indian border threaten to undo years of peace building efforts. As two populous, economically powerful, and nuclear armed states come to the brink of war, de-escalation is paramount.”
Read More“The Palestinian flag Hannoun was holding was snatched by the Israeli soldier shortly before Hannoun was wrestled to the ground. In the traumatic event, Hannoun was forced to stay frozen under the soldier to avoid further pressure to his neck.”
Read More“It has been over three weeks since the sudden disappearance of Cheng Lei, a Chinese-born Australian news anchor working for the China Global Television Network (CGTV), an English-speaking channel of China Central Television. On August 14th, the Australian government was officially notified that Lei was being held at a detention center in China.”
Read More“Macron’s push for reforms comes amidst an unprecedented economic crisis in Lebanon—a crisis that is the result of decades of corruption and frivolous spending. The Lebanese Pound has lost nearly 85% of its value, which has resulted in ballooning prices and a shortage of goods. Many economists fear that a situation similar to Venezuela’s collapse is unfolding. Despite this, Lebanon’s political elite refuses to accept reforms that would open the country to international aid.”
Read More“The UAE is one of Iran’s top trading partners, and the normalization of relations would be the first step in furthering trade ties between Israel and the UAE. Continued military cooperation between Israel and Arab nations would be directly harmful to Iran-sponsored proxy groups, such as Hezbollah, who have been condemned by both the Arab League and Israel. It remains to be seen what its long-term consequences will be for unrest in this war-torn region.”
Read More“Unlike previous revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine, a lack of influence from the West prevents Russian leadership from blaming the uprising on external agitators. Additionally, most Belarusians harbor pro-Russian sentiment, complicating Russia’s position even further: How can the Kremlin support an unpopular leader without stoking the same anger and opposition they saw in Ukraine?”
Read More“What was previously a local dispute over maritime borders between Greece and Turkey has become a matter of international interest after a 2010 study by the US Geological Survey estimated 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 122 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Levant Basin. Turkey’s survey vessel -The Orus Reis - crossed into recognized Greek territory in early August. It was originally supposed to finish its mission last Monday, but on Saturday evening, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that it would remain in the region for another 90 days.”
Read More“The timing of Navalny’s poisoning provides insight into Putin’s paranoia. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Russia hard, coinciding with economic downturn and unpopular proposed constitutional changes which have caused his approval ratings to drop to new lows.”
Read More“Prime Minister Ardern made the decision to postpone elections independently, but has reported she communicated with other party leaders, factoring in a concern for her own voters and the voters of her competitors as well. Her opposition, including the National Party and the Green Party, were in support of the delay, saying the delay would give all parties adequate time for electioneering and provide people with time to safely interact with the election.”
Read More“Since around April 2017, China has been operating hundreds of Uighur “re-education” camps, and approximately one million of the eleven million Uighurs have been detained. While every country has a right to protect their national security, there is no excuse for China’s internment camps and oppression of the Uighur people. China’s actions against the Uighurs fit the United Nation’s definition of genocide, and it is imperitatve that they be held responsible for their actions by the international community.”
Read More“After a lengthy and expensive investigation, a U.N. tribunal in The Hague has convicted just one of the four Hezbollah suspects in the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005.”
Read MoreThe agreement has put an immediate halt on Israel’s annexation of the West Bank in Palestine. However, the Palestinian leadership rejected the agreement as they are skeptical of Israel permanently halting their annexation of the West Bank. Indeed, Israel has been annexing Palestinian land since its foundation as a state in 1948. Without reckoning with these past injustices, the Accord has normalized Israel’s human rights abuses.
Read MoreTo see how well the CARES Act holds up, the best strategy may be to compare the U.S. response to that of other countries. Notably, Canada passed its own $107 billion CAD ($75 billion USD) relief bill the day before the American stimulus
Read MoreAt a time when people are discouraged from so much as leaving their homes, holding a weeks-long competition involving thousands of athletes and spectators from around the world would have been unthinkably irresponsible. The move to delay the games, however, will still be difficult.
Read MoreAfter 18 days of sustained protests, Mubarak was forced to resign and arrested on murder and corruption charges. Mubarak died last week at the age of 91, leaving behind an Egypt that is not vastly dissimilar to the one he ruled.
Read MoreTrump was met with widespread support from the Indian people - with many lining the streets of his travel route. In fact, according to a recent Pew survey, Trump is met with roughly the same support in India as former President Obama was.
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