The UAE reorients its strategy from one of military intervention to economic investment and power. Abdullah Muhammad al-Naqbi was sworn in on March 17 as director of the United Arab Emirates Trade Office in Somaliland. This appointment sparked immediate controversy due to contradictory messages from Somaliland’s official Twitter channels. Somaliland’s …
Read More »Turkish-Russian Adversarial Collaboration in Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh
Russia and Turkey are backing opposing warring parties in three active conflicts. However, this adversarial positioning has not hindered cooperation between Moscow and Ankara. They reign in opposing sides and, in effect, stage-manage their respective theatres of wars. Through multilateral arrangements, Europe is an enabler of Turkey’s position and could …
Read More »Nord Stream 2: Don’t Make a Bad Deal Worse
Rather than antagonize its European partners with more sanctions in a crusade to preserve the status quo, the Biden administration should direct its resources toward preparing for a world in which Nord Stream 2 becomes a reality. The Biden administration faces an urgent decision on the controversial Nord Stream 2 …
Read More »With Huge Iran Deal, China Hopes Deep Pockets Further Boost Influence In Middle East
Beijing has pledged to invest $400 billion in Iran over 25 years in a deal that could see China’s economic, political, and military influence there and across the Middle East expand. China and Iran signed the expansive deal during a ceremony in Tehran on March 27 between their respective foreign …
Read More »Syria’s decade of ‘death, destruction, displacement, disease, dread and despair’
Now is not the moment to reduce humanitarian aid to Syria, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council on Monday, stressing that after 10 years of conflict, more support was needed to avoid further “dramatic and widespread” deterioration. Mark Lowcock, who’s also the Humanitarian Affairs chief, said that …
Read More »Chinese warplane firm lays out plans for new stealth fighter & next-gen aircraft
A top Chinese warplane-producing company recently announced plans to make technological breakthroughs to ensure the successful development of a new, fourth-generation stealth fighter jet, and conduct test production and research on its next-generation aircraft in 2021. China is widely expected to develop an aircraft carrier-ready stealth fighter jet, as the …
Read More »With ship now freed, a probe into Suez Canal blockage begins
Experts boarded the massive container ship Tuesday that had blocked Egypt’s vital Suez Canal and disrupted global trade for nearly a week, seeking answers to a single question that could have billions of dollars in legal repercussions: What went wrong?
Read More »Russia-Africa Inter-Party Conference Targets Development In Africa
Over the past few years, Russia’s sphere of influence in Africa has been strengthening and broadening with much focus on helping to maintain peace and security, and making investment in exploiting natural resources in Africa. The first historic Russia-Africa summit held in October 2019 has, further and concretely laid out …
Read More »EU ready to mediate in Nile dam crisis
With negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam at a standstill, the European Union has offered its services as a mediator. The European Union has expressed willingness to help mediate the crisis between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam if the concerned parties request it, according …
Read More »America’s Back—Against a Wall
Three problems stand athwart Biden’s plans for a rules-based international order. Anyone who thought international politics would calm down once Donald Trump left center stage has had a rude awakening. After the Alaska confrontation between top U.S. and Chinese officials and the slanging match between Presidents Biden and Vladimir Putin, …
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