In 1982 I was working as a secondary teacher, and I had just graduated from the University. I was happy with my life, and I bought a car and rented an apartment in the Lebanese city of Tyr. On Friday, I went from southern Lebanon to Beirut to attend a …
Read More »Russia Claims Control Of Mariupol, Zelenskyy Threatens To Break Off Talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has threatened to break off talks with Moscow should Russian forces wipe out the remaining Ukrainian soldiers trapped in Mariupol as Moscow claimed it had taken control the besieged and battered port city after a weeks-long battle. The Russian Defense Ministry on April 16 said it …
Read More »Ukraine Inspires Brussels-Warsaw Rapprochement, But Cash Still Stuck – Analysis
The mood music between Poland and the European Commission might have changed amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, but there’s still no deal on tens of billions of euros of frozen recovery funds. In mid-March, with his country at the forefront of a more-or-less united Western response to Russia’s invasion of …
Read More »Layoffs At China’s Internet Giants An Indication Of Deeper Dilemma – Analysis
There has been the intensification of the wave of layoffs in Chinese internet companies, where JD.com is becoming the center of attention. According to a document that has been circulating online, JD.com’s layoffs cover a wide range of business lines. The e-commerce company’s subsidiaries such as Jingxi, JD Worldwide, JD …
Read More »US–China Rivalry Intensifies In The Pacific – Analysis
US–China geostrategic competition is intensifying in the Pacific as both governments commit more resources to battle for influence. The US government released its Indo-Pacific Strategy in February 2022, which fleshes out its policy priorities in the region. This document is based on the ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ concept announced by …
Read More »The Cost of New Energy in Europe, but Not in Money
“When I left Nantes in 1984, it was tranquility itself, even in the traditionally more working-class neighborhoods… Today Nantes has become Lebanonized. And its history is that of France…” — Ivan Rioufol, journalist, Le Figaro, April 7, 2018. One might even be forgiven for thinking that Qatar’s ultimate goal was …
Read More »‘Towards a Multipolar World Order’: Is This the End of US Hegemony?
The meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in the Chinese eastern city of Huangshan on March 30, is likely to go down in history as a decisive meeting in the relations between the two Asian giants. The meeting was not only important due …
Read More »NATO: Whose Security?
Insanity has often been defined as trying the same thing over and over and getting the same result. Case in point, Ukraine was seeking NATO membership to bolster its security. This membership would have come at the expense of Russian security, as Russian president Vladimir Putin made clear. To thwart …
Read More »Attacks Escalate Amid Baghdad’s Political Deadlock
Iran and the militias to which it provides backing and support have escalated attacks in an effort to influence the formation of a new national government in Iraq. Iraq’s Kurdish leaders are at odds over which faction will control Iraq’s presidency. Iraqi factions aligned with Iran have blocked efforts by …
Read More »Is MBS Looking for an Exit Ramp in Yemen?
A ceasefire and a restructuring of the Yemen government suggest that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) is looking for an off-ramp for the conflict. Houthi missile attacks on the Kingdom and the UAE, coupled with strains in U.S. relations with the two Gulf states, may have shifted MBS’ …
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