Diplomacy

Let’s hope it’s worth it. Mark Beeson The Conversation Malcolm Turnbull has sacrificed whatever remaining credibility he may still have had as a small-l liberal in a desperate effort to save his tawdry asylum-seeker deal with the US government. Those hoping for… What has Turnbull… Read More »

International peace talks have been taking place for several years now in an effort to come to a political solution for the ongoing war in Syria. Nour Samaha Al Monitor Yet the recent Astana talks, much like the previous Geneva talks, have demonstrated that they have little impact on the ground, as both the Syrian government and regional actors continue to push their own agendas. From the get-go, the… Is political solution in… Read More »

The executive order by US President Donald Trump, banning the citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States, has sparked major protests all across America. Mustafa Akyol Al Monitor Most Muslims, naturally, were happy to see this solidarity offered to them by Jews, Christians, atheists and many others who do not share their faith. However, the same… The real reason… Read More »

Revised and ratified after its shock rejection in October 2016’s referendum, Colombia’s peace agreement still lacks sustainable political… ICG Reversing public distrust will need swift and effective implementation of the accord – including full apologies for past crimes and the… In the Shadow… Read More »

President Donald Trump’s outreach to Russia is reverberating through the United Nations, where U.S. allies worry that a partnership between Washington and Moscow could undermine a historic balance of power dating to the early days of the Cold War. Kambiz Foroohar Bloomberg For decades, the five veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council have fallen into two camps — France, the U.K. and the U.S., referred to as the P3, on one side and Russia and China on the other. ... Read More »

Trump is looking for negotiations that bring results — not conflict Spengler Asia Times For those of us who cut our teeth on classical economics, it does seem a bit unusual for global stock markets (including Asian markets) to rally right after a new US administration pulled the plug on decades of Asian trade… What if they had a… Read More »

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says the Turnbull government will support Donald Trump’s “strong immigration and border protection policies”, as the leaders of Britain and Germany criticise an executive order banning entry to the… Tom McIlroy The Sydney Morning Herald Speaking in Los Angeles after events promoting Australian business and… Australia will support… Read More »

The US president wants to keep his country safe, but he’s strengthening Tehran and ISIL. David Patrikarakos Politico President Donald Trump’s executive order banning people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. was intended to safeguard Americans from terrorism. Instead, it is likely to… Trump bans, Iran… Read More »

Israel’s parliament is widely expected to vote into law a bill retroactively legalising about 4,000 settler homes built on privately-owned Palestinian land, a measure the Attorney-General says is unconstitutional. ABC Passage of the legislation — backed by the right-wing Government and condemned by Palestinians as a blow to statehood hopes — may only be largely symbolic however, as it goes against the Israeli Supreme Court’s rulings on… Israeli parliament to… Read More »

Rebel alliances in Syria fluctuate frequently, mirroring the ever-changing complexities of the region. Rami G Khouri Al Jazeera News The fresh clashes in Syria’s Idlib region between a dozen important Islamist and extremist rebel movements are battles for turf and authority on the ground – but they also mirror northern Syria’s ever-changing complexities, as…. Why are Islamist armed… Read More »

Pakistan creates tension with India by ignoring its own problems. Michael Krepon The National Interest Nuclear dangers are growing in five different regions. The least noticed is… Why the World Needs to… Read More »

The Chancellor Angela Merkel has moved her Minister of Economy, Sigmar Gabriel, to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Voltaire Mr Gabriel is a former trade unionist known for his criticisms of the US’s imperial policy under George W. Bush and Barack Obama. We must highlight the… After Washington and London… Read More »

It looks like the tide is high in the UN-brokered Cyprus reunification talks, now that the focus is on the thorny issue of security and guarantees in a… Annie Charalambous incyprus The two leaders met in Nicosia yesterday for the first time since the Geneva-hosted security-focused Conference on Cyprus and agreed to meet again on… An uncertain future… Read More »

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister, Tugrul Turkes, has torpedoed hopes for a settlement on the Cyprus problem after publically stating that his country will not budge on its request for four freedoms for the… in-cyprus Turkes – who had travelled to Geneva earlier this month to meet with Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ozdil Nami – said that the… Cyprus hopes dashed… Read More »

The prime minister is so desperate for trade deals that she is embracing a regime of full-frontal authoritarianism. This tawdry tour shames Britain Sarah Olney The Guardian And so the Brexit cavalcade gathers pace. After paying court to Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, Theresa May will fly to… Theresa May’s visit… Read More »

With each round of peace talks, it is further clarified that Syrians under siege are not the key factor in negotiations. Malak Chabkoun Al Jazeera News Perhaps one of the biggest examples of the disconnect between Syrians inside Syria and Syrians sitting at the negotiating table in Astana this week is seen in a video produced by Shaam News Network, in which several… Astana: What… Read More »