Eurasia

India and Pakistan Pursue a Thaw in Kashmir—Again

In late February, India and Pakistan announced a cease-fire along their de facto border in the contested region of Kashmir. In a joint statement, the two countries’ military authorities said that there will be a “strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing,” while also claiming they will seek …

Read More »

Bosnia Under Pressure to Adopt Srebrenica Genocide Denial Law

After the latest in a decade-long series of unsuccessful attempts to pass a law banning the denial of the Srebrenica genocide, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s top international official could take action to impose legislation from above. At a session last week of the Bosnian parliament’s House of Peoples, Serb and Croat …

Read More »

Can ASEAN Use Its New Economic Clout To Tame Aggressive China? – OpEd

After 30 years of close relations with ASEAN countries, China now feels that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is heavily dependent on it. With a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$3.11 trillion and a population of 673 million people, the fast-growing ASEAN region is a lucrative market …

Read More »

Amid A Czech Spy Scandal, A Meltdown Of Moscow’s Atomic Ambitions? – Analysis

It’s one of Russia’s major exports, a source of symbolic pride and commercial revenue: atomic energy, in the form of civilian technology to build and maintain nuclear reactors around the world. State-owned company Rosatom is the driver of that policy, with ambitions for nearly $15 billion in revenues from outside …

Read More »

Cryptocurrencies And Coinbase: Between Flying High, Volatility And Regulation – OpEd

Last week was a heady one in the digital currency space. Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange/trading platform, listed on the Nasdaq. It was unusual in several aspects. For one, the exchange chose a direct listing, which unlike an initial public offering (IPO) does not entail issuance of new shares and …

Read More »

New Oil Price Surge Caps Year Of Recovery Since ‘Black Monday’

Oil prices resumed their surge on global markets on Tuesday as traders shrugged off the memory of “Black Monday” 2020, when some crude prices went into negative territory at the start of the pandemic recession. Brent crude, the global benchmark, went above $68 a barrel for the first time in …

Read More »

Africa Sees ‘Dramatic Increase In Jihadist Groups,’ Says Global Religious Freedom Report

Aid to the Church in Need published a religious freedom report Tuesday documenting a “dramatic increase” in the presence of jihadist groups, some aligned with the Islamic State, in Sub-Saharan and Eastern Africa. “Over the last two years, jihadist groups have consolidated their presence in Sub-Saharan Africa and the region …

Read More »

Summit on Afghan Quagmire Delayed After Taliban Pull Out

The much-anticipated Istanbul summit, scheduled for next week between Taliban officials and representatives of over 20 countries and international bodies, has been postponed due to the Taliban’s refusal to attend, Turkey confirmed on Tuesday. “We thought that it would be beneficial to postpone it,” Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said. “We …

Read More »

Russia briefly withdraws from bases in north Aleppo, leaving SDF to face Turkey by itself

Russia briefly withdrew its forces and its military equipment from two bases in Tal Rifaat, only to return to them in the wake of understandings with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that control the area and fear the advances of the Turkish-backed opposition. Russian forces withdrew April 13 from two …

Read More »

Government, Kurdish forces clash in northeast Syria

The pro-government National Defense Forces fired on Kurdish Asayesh forces at a checkpoint in Qamishli, according to Kurdish sources. Clashes broke out in northeast Syria last night between Kurdish and government forces. The violence began in the Qamishli neighborhood of Tayy. The pro-government militia the National Defense Forces attacked a …

Read More »