Strained US-NATO relations and fears of further Russian expansion have motivated the European Union to aggressively increase defense and security cooperation in the last five years. However, there is little indication that French President Macron’s call for a “true European army” will be realized in the foreseeable future. Rapidly Increasing European Defense Capabilities American leadership … Read more
Kishore Mahbubani, former Singaporean Ambassador to the United Nations, once declared, “When ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] was born on the 8th of August 1967, it was destined to fail.” After all, Southeast Asia was, and continues to be, one of the most diverse regions in the world, hosting four major religions, 800 … Read more
In June 2019, Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum was rattled by a violent government crackdown on pro-democracy protests. Security forces killed and wounded hundreds of activists and protestors, most notably in the invasion of a protest camp. One 26-year-old activist, Mohamed Mattar, was reportedly shot and killed while protecting two women during the violence. In … Read more
In 1945, much of Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa, lay in ruins. Countries faced severe economic strife in an attempt to rebuild what was lost. The war led to the deaths of over 80 million people, a staggering toll of military and civilian lives. In the midst of all this suffering, the end of … Read more
“Huawei” — The name at the center of the trade war between the United States and China, and the foremost player in the battle over 5G. Recently becoming the second-largest seller of mobile phones behind Samsung, beating Apple for the first time in 2018, the Chinese telecommunications company has grown in popularity not just in … Read more
The United States has been at war in Afghanistan longer than any other U.S. military conflict and spent more than the Marshall Plan on aid in Afghanistan. Despite three presidencies calling to end the war swiftly, American soldiers are still in Afghanistan with no clear exit strategy. Nearly two decades of hindsight and new insider … Read more
Over many years, the rule of law has been regarded, even sanctified, as one of Hong Kong’s core values. This high regard has always seemed justified: In the 2019 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index (released in February of 2019, before the current protests), Hong Kong ranked 16 globally — third in Asia and five … Read more
Since President Donald Trump’s arrival on the political scene, the United States has, in many respects, been in retreat from the world stage. A significant aspect of this withdrawal has been focused on free trade. An outspoken critic of these measures from the start, Trump has focused his heavy criticism on the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership, … Read more
So far in 2019, six people have been killed in incidents linked to a backlash against cow slaughter in India. One recent incident occurred on September 23 in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Suspected of selling beef, Kalantus Barla was beaten to death by a mob of vigilantes. While there have still been no arrests … Read more
The sight of burning elephant ivory stock is a spectacle of pyrrhic defeat. Above, there are pillars of smoke and flecks of red embers; below, pyramids of elephant tusks blackening in flames — hollow, charred remnants of slain icons. Destruction of ivory stock is but one of many measures that governments, law enforcement agencies, and … Read more