“We do not seek a Cold War,” declared President Joe Biden in front of world leaders gathered at the United Nations on September 21, 2022. He continued that America was not asking “any nation to choose between the United States or any other partner.” But that’s likely not how everyone views the prospect of a […]
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Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will arrive in Australia on October 6 for talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. What should we expect from his visit? Sogavare has had a tumultuous year, particularly as far as relations with Australia are concerned: in April, he signed a controversial security pact with China, the latter of […]
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The September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, while in the custody of Iran’s morality police has sparked an unprecedented wave of national anger against the Islamic Republic of Iran – and a violent government response. So far, more than 150 people have been killed, including children, dozens have been wounded and hundreds remain in detention. The regime […]
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The US has just successfully tested a Tactical High-speed Offensive Ramjet for Extended Range (THOR-ER) hypersonic vehicle, providing a significant boost to its weapons program that until now has been perceived as lagging behind China and Russia’s. In a press release this month, the US Department of Defense (DOD) said that the US and Norway […]
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Russia’s annexation of southern and eastern Ukraine is political theater with elements of farce. President Vladimir Putin has conquered none of the oblasts (provinces) that he claims have joined Russia. Nor could he hold them. Only hours after he announced new annexations, Ukraine’s army dramatically embarrassed Putin, pushing his forces back from the strategically crucial city […]
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It’s been nearly six months since Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr swept to a stunning — and to me regrettable — victory as president of the Philippines. Not enough time has passed for him to have stamped his mark on his country’s erratic history or to forecast its future. But the simple fact that a huge […]
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European and American officials are sounding numerous alarms over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s insistent threats to use nuclear weapons in order to stop advancing Ukrainian forces. Putin suggests he might even aim them at the wider West. “I want the Kiev regime and their sponsors in the West to hear me, to heed me,” Putin […]
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As a “cold peace” settles between Japan and China, both countries are working towards a pragmatic, if not awkward, coexistence. Okinawa will continue to play a pivotal role in enhancing Japanese and US deterrence capabilities vis-a-vis China following Governor of Okinawa Prefecture Denny Tamaki’s re-election on September 11, 2022. Okinawa’s role in Japanese security was reinforced […]
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The long-awaited resumption of quarantine-free travel, or so-called “border-reopening,” between Hong Kong and mainland China will be announced later this month, according to two pro-Beijing politicians. The quarantine requirements for people entering mainland China from Hong Kong would probably be relaxed after the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress set to start on October 16, […]
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Sri Lanka’s crisis was in the making a long time ago, and it has now reached its zenith. The civil war that ended in 2009 wreaked havoc on the country’s finances, while the 2008 financial crises added to the woes. The country’s foreign-exchange coffers were emptied while deficits continued to widen. Sri Lanka’s successive governments […]
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