Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) agreed to release a female civilian hostage after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) prevented Palestinians from returning to the northern Gaza Strip on January 25 and 26.[1]PIJ confirmed that hostage, Arbel Yehud, is “alive and in good health” and stated it will release Yehud after reaching …
Read More »The Ancient Precursor To IMEC – Analysis
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), first announced by Prime Minister Modi on 9 September 2023 on the sidelines of India’s G20, will accelerate under the new Trump Presidency and the likely resolution of the Israel-Hamas war, a prelude to which is the latest 45-day ceasefire between the warring parties. …
Read More »The Middle Corridor: A Route Born Of The New Eurasian Geopolitics – Analysis
The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), is quickly becoming a key trade link between Western China and Europe, bypassing both Russia’s Northern Corridor and the Suez Canal. This network of rail, road, and maritime transport offers a shorter and more efficient trade route. Its …
Read More »The Government of Israel orders UNRWA to vacate its premises in occupied East Jerusalem
The State of Israel ordered UNRWA to vacate all premises in occupied East Jerusalem and cease its operations in them by 30 January 2025. This order is in contradiction to international law obligations of UN member states including the State of Israel, which is bound by the General Convention on …
Read More »Qatar’s ‘Day After’ Plan for Gaza: Keeping Hamas in Power
Qatar wants the Palestinian Authority (PA) government to collect the garbage, rebuild destroyed houses, and pay salaries to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, while Hamas is busy rearming, regrouping and getting ready for the next attack on Israel. [T]he PA government in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinians …
Read More »Putin’s pipeline: How the Kremlin outmaneuvered Western oil companies to wrest control of vast flows of Kazakhstan’s crude
Chevron and partners prioritized profits, enabling runaway costs and ballooning budgets worth billions as Russia deployed strong-arm tactics and steered contracts to cronies. On a late August afternoon in 2021 the mooring master made a frantic call to a dispatcher at Russia’s largest port, Novorossiysk. “Stop! Stop! Stop loading tanker …
Read More »Slovakia’s ‘All Sides of the World’ Foreign Policy Ends Up in Moscow
A photo of Slovak PM Robert Fico shaking hands with Russian President Putin in the Kremlin caused uproar and concern in Slovakia, sparking a debate about the country’s place in Europe.“We are ashamed of Fico!” chanted the 15,000-strong crowd of protesters on a cold evening on January 10 in Bratislava, …
Read More »Democracy Digest: Fico Warns of ‘Slovak Maidan’ Opposition Coup
Elsewhere in the region, Orban sells half a Budapest district to Arab investors; Czech public support for Ukraine drops; and Poland lobbies to remove restrictions on buying advanced chips from the US. Adebate on a vote of no confidence in Slovakia’s fourth government under Robert Fico ended abruptly on Tuesday, …
Read More »Reconsidering Research Security
Research security isn’t only about defending against external threats; it also requires ensuring that the United States remains a leader in global innovation by supporting the people and infrastructure that fuel it. The United States’ global leadership in research was built on the foundation of substantial government investments in science …
Read More »Trump wants Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza. Here’s why the idea is rejected
President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Egypt and Jordan take in Palestinians from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip was met with a hard “no” Sunday from the two U.S. allies along with the Palestinians themselves, who fear Israel would never allow them to return. Trump floated the idea on Saturday, saying he …
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