The U.S. on Friday refuted a report that it “walked back” former President Trump’s Golan sovereignty recognition for Israel and called a report stating otherwise “false.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that Washington acknowledges the safety concerns that Israel has if it had to return the territory it secured during...
Category: TRENDS IN GEOPOLITICS
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PALESTINIANS VS SETTLERS: FIGHT CONTINUES
Violent clashes broke out in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem that involved Palestinians and Jewish settlers lobbing fireworks and stones at one another. The clashes come at a tense time in the region that is focused on the eviction of Palestinians from their homes. These Israeli settlers claim that they have the legal right...
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MYANMAR REBELS DECLARE WAR ON JUNTA
As we have been reporting in the Trends Journal, since 1 February, tens of thousands of protesters in Myanmar have taken to the streets to fight for democracy after a military coup overturned recent election results and arrested the civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who reportedly won by a landslide this past November. Protesters...
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BYE BYE U.S.: TALIBAN TO TAKE KABUL
As the Taliban continues to expand its military might, a new assessment from U.S. intelligence agencies predict that Afghanistan capital Kabul could fall within six months after American forces withdraw from the country. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Taliban has been taking control of large swaths of land without much of a fight. Security...
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ETHIOPIAN MILITARY CRISIS CONTINUES TO WORSEN
The conflict in northern Ethiopia has shown no signs of slowing and last week included the bombing of a bustling market followed by the downing of a C-130 military transport plane by Tigrayan rebels. The New York Times reported that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s aggression in Tigray has led to unfathomable conditions for those living there....
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UK RAMPS UP CONFRONTATION WITH RUSSIA
The Russian military said its navy fired warning shots at a British destroyer in the Black Sea followed by fighter jets dropping bombs in its path, which led to the United Kingdom quickly refuting the claim. Russia said the H.H.S Defender entered its territorial waters near Crimea and retreated after the shots were fired. Britain...
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CHINA: BIRTH LIMITS OUT, EDUCATION LIMITS IN
China, the country known for imposing strict limits on the number of offspring produced, is relaxing those limits in order to deal with a demographic imbalance, while at the same time exercising more control over children’s education. The Wall Street Journal, in an article appearing 25 June, reports that a once-in-a-decade census published in May...
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CHINA KILLS HONG KONG NEWSPAPER, U.S. SEIZES IRANIAN PRESS SITES
Last Thursday, the Apple Daily, the 26-year-old Hong Kong newspaper published its last edition, as well as stopped updating its website, citing “employee safety and staffing issues” for the shutdown. The newspaper had become known for its pro-democracy stance and had expressed unbridled criticism of the Beijing regime until authorities began a crackdown on dissent,...
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THE BLINKEN AND MACRON SIDESHOW
Circa 1959, The Kingston Trio had a hit song called “Raspberries, Strawberries.” It started with the line, “A young man goes to Paris, as every young man should,” and later contains the line, “An old man returns to Paris, as every old man must.” An article in The New York Times might have included those...
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BOMBS AWAY: BIDEN RAMPS UP WAR
Without congressional approval and in clear violation of America’s Constitution, President Biden on Sunday ordered two bombing raids on Syria and one in Iraq killing soldiers and civilians. The Pentagon mouthpiece, John Kirby, said the strikes were “necessary, appropriate, and deliberate” and essential to protect U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. He also said, “the United...