Largely absent from the conversation about Israel’s military offensive in Gaza is the question of whether or not Israel is using inherently indiscriminate means and methods of warfare. If so, even if any resulting deaths might be arguably “proportionate” and “incidental,” they could still be considered war crimes.
Latest Archive
Free Newsletter
Last month, the Iraqi army clashed with Kurdish peshmerga forces, leading to multiple casualties on each side. But while ethno-sectarian violence in Iraq was historically aimed at toppling the government, this recent violence should be seen as a way to negotiate power within the political system. And it shows that the equilibrium between Baghdad and Erbil is shifting.
With Central America facing numerous crises, it could be easy to overlook a small legislative scuffle in Honduras. However, the institutional maneuverings there in recent weeks are a great example of the sorts of questionable power grabs that degrade democracy and undermine anti-corruption efforts around the region.
Following the Sustainable Development Goals Summit this past September, the U.N. published a guidance paper to identify pathways to achieving the SDGs by their target date of 2030. But if those goals are to be met, even partially, the U.N. must also rethink the political underpinnings of international development cooperation.
Kenya and Rwanda’s decision to remove visas for African travelers were met with enthusiasm. But visas are only part of the complexity of cross-border travel for Africans across the continent. Visa-free travel is a step in the right direction, but it is not sufficient to address the challenges facing Africans who cross borders in Africa.
The ongoing war in Gaza will undoubtedly and permanently alter the relationship between Israel and Hamas as well as between Israelis and Palestinians. But despite what some observers are predicting, the Israel-Hamas war will do little to change the international system more generally or U.S. grand strategy more specifically.
Ever since Morocco normalized diplomatic relations with Israel in late 2020, the government has had to engage in an awkward balancing act—nurturing fast-growing political, economic and military relations with Israel while simultaneously portraying Rabat’s official position as remaining actively pro-Palestinian.
Opposition forces fighting against Myanmar’s military junta had been making progress in recent months, but on Oct. 27 they crossed a threshold, dealing a powerful blow to government forces and putting the regime on the defensive. The offensive in Myanmar’s eastern-most Shan state could be a turning point in the country’s civil war.
As preparations fall into place for the first in-person summit in four years between EU officials and their Chinese counterparts, hopes for constructive partnership have been displaced by mutual suspicion. Yet in hardening its stance toward Beijing, Brussels is ignoring weaknesses within China that could also generate risks.
The APEC Summit presents an opportunity for the U.S. to prioritize human rights in climate policy. To begin, this requires considering the conditions in which climate activists operate as a metric of successful climate response. And the human rights landscape across key U.S. partner states in the Indo-Pacific isn’t promising.
While China’s current economic malaise has multiple factors, there is something about President Xi Jinping’s pursuit of utopian policies that increasingly seems to weigh on the country. One manifestation of this despondency is the phenomenon of “lying flat,” a Chinese concept that closely equates to “opting out.”
The city of Shenzhen is looking for ways to adapt to China’s shifting economic landscape. But Shenzhen is not just another city. It was the birthplace and symbol of the Reform and Opening Up era. What future does that leave for Shenzhen, now that the China it once represented no longer exists under President Xi Jinping?