Month: March 2024
Ireland to interven on South Africa’s Genocide case against Israel
In January the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians, after South Africa accused Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza. Israel and its Western allies described
Chinese Economy is sound
China has stepped up its charm offensive as it tries to woo foreign investors, introducing new measures last year to expand market access, increase tax and fiscal support and protect intellectual property rights. Official data shows that foreign investment in China fell 8 per cent last year – the first decline since 2012 amid tightening
Protecting Transnistria
Like Ukraine, Moldova is a former Soviet republic that has aligned itself with the West and aspires to join the European Union. And both countries hope to eventually reintegrate Russian-speaking breakaway territories that view Moscow as their protector. Since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, fears have risen in neighboring Moldova that it could also
The president of China Meets US delegation
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with US business representatives in Beijing. The meeting comes a few days after the China Development Forum in Beijing, which was attended by Apple CEO Tim Cook and other top executives. Chinese authorities are seeking to spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy, which has been grappling with
The Baltimore bridge disaster
The harbour has long been a symbol of resilience. In the war of 1812 against the British, the Americans successfully defended Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbour, an event immortalised by Francis Scott Key in his 19th-century poem that became the national anthem. The tragedy will give the city and port time to implement upgrades that
A man-made famine in Gaza
The worries crystallised on March 18th with the release of a report warning that about half of Gaza’s population faces “catastrophic food insecurity” and that around 70% of an estimated 300,000 people still in Gaza city will probably experience “famine” within the next two months. The situation is worst in Gaza city, which has been
Struggling Kharkiv
Unlike Kyiv, Odessa and other big cities, Kharkiv is visibly battered by the war. The windows of homes and shops remain boarded up. Some rural parts of the province are barely hanging on. Shops and businesses began to reopen last summer, and people in Kharkiv shared the country’s widespread belief that a Ukrainian victory was
India’s Influence in the Middle East
Israel has become one of India’s top three weapons suppliers in recent years. Along with several Gulf Arab states, it is an important Indian partner on counter-terrorism. And now India is making a notable contribution to maritime security in the region, with its biggest-ever naval deployment there. India’s navy has not joined the American and
Turkey-Somalia Agreement
The Turkey-Somalia agreement comes amid growing frustration over Ethiopia’s maritime deal with Somaliland a breakaway region of Somalia that is pushing for autonomy which could escalate an already delicate conflict. The deal would see Ethiopia gain access to the Red Sea and its major trade routes in exchange for formal recognition of Somaliland. Somalia has
NATO red lines against Russia
Lithuania, which shares an eastern border with Russia’s ally Belarus and a south-western border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, formed part of the Soviet Union between 1944 and 1990. It is currently a member both of the European Union and NATO – to which it contributes 2.54% of GDP, the fourth highest in the