Eurasia

What do we know about Zawahiri’s death? On 2 August, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. had killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul on the morning of 31 July. The U.S. said it had discovered that Zawahiri had returned to the Afghan capital with his family in …

Demonstrators are occupying parliament in Baghdad, with Iraq’s main political camps deeply divided. The standoff need not turn violent, if the country’s leaders can shift to dialogue with support from foreign partners. It has been ten months since Iraqis went to the polls, for the fifth general election in the …

The Marcos government does not face a choice between the US or China, amid Taiwan tensions. It faces a choice between military buildup or economic development, amid dimming global economic prospects. During his recent meeting with President Marcos Jr., Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US-Philippine “alliance” was strong, …

When Russia invaded Ukraine, it took itself off the map of Eurasian transport corridors linking China and Europe. At the same time, it breathed new life into moribund routes that would allow goods to travel across the Eurasian landmass without traversing Russia. It also opened the door to greater Russian …

The mysterious network of mercenaries is embracing an ever-public image as the war on Ukraine drags on. On paper, the Wagner Group, a Russian network providing fighters for hire, does not exist. It does not file tax returns, its alleged backers deny any connection to it and officially, private military …

The [Harvard Belfer Center] report, “The Great Economic Rivalry: China Vs. the US,” predicts that at the current rate China will overtake the US economically within a decade. When it comes to trade, China has now displaced the US. “When this century began, China was knocking on the door of …

To insist that grown adults lack the ability to make consequential life choices is to insist that they be infantilized for the rest of their lives. Parents have every right to balance the costs of missed educational opportunities for school-aged children against the risks of illness. American adults are entirely …

The American Civil Liberties Union, which has repeatedly challenged the constitutionality and applicability of the Espionage Act to anti-government activities by left-wing radicals, is strangely silent when the same overbroad law is deployed against a political figure whose politics they deplore. Then there is the manner by which Trump loyalists …

The United States will conduct more military exercises with Baltic nations such as Latvia, and look to provide increased training, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on August 10. Speaking at a press conference with Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks in Riga, Austin said Washington may also bring in more U.S. …

Britain says Russia has “almost certainly established a major new ground forces formation” that could include “volunteer” battalions to support its Ukrainian invasion. The emergence of a significantly volunteer-style corps would underscore the challenges that face Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war planners as they try to subdue Russia’s …