Tag: conflict

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Geopolitics

In India-Pakistan Showdown, The China Factor Raises Stakes

An Indian paramilitary trooper in Srinagar, in Indian-controlled Kashmir,
An Indian paramilitary trooper in Srinagar, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, Xinhua via ZUMA

-Analysis- NEW DELHI — The Kashmir Valley has been gripped by fear and confusion created by a slew of unexplained government orders, which in turn have led to speculation that something major is afoot. From the sudden induction of 100 paramilitary companies (over 10,000 men) into the region, to midnight raids on Jamaat-e-Islami cadre, to cancellation of doctors’ leaves and instructions to hospitals to store medicines and food, these moves have sent people stockpiling supplies. A journalist from Srinagar called me to say that people were talking about army movement to the border. He connected this information with the recent […]

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Geopolitics Migrant Lives

Yemen And Egypt, A Close But Complicated Relationship

In the Dokki quarter in Cairo, a favorite of Yemeni residents.
In the Dokki quarter in Cairo, a favorite of Yemeni residents. Nadia Ismail

GOTHENBURG — I’m often asked: “Where do Yemenis escape to?” Syrians largely flee to Lebanon and Turkey, but where do Yemenis go? “The majority cannot afford to flee,” I respond. “For those who can afford it, their destination always depends on which country hasn’t closed its borders to Yemenis.” Often, they head west, across the […]

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In The News

Yarmouk, A Palestinian Tragedy Plays Out In Syria

Yarmouk on April 24
Yarmouk on April 24 Children of Syria

The Yarmouk Camp for Palestinian refugees in Damascus has been the site of a grueling “zero-hour” offensive since last month.

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In The News

Trump, Putin And The False Definition Of A ‘New Cold War’

'Democracy has outlived its usefulness'
"Democracy has outlived its usefulness" Robert Walsh

The bipolar world of yesteryear is gone. In its place is a shifting geopolitical landscape of circumstantial alliances and ascendant authoritarianism.

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

The Disappeared Of Syria, Missing From Peace Talks Too

With photographs of 'disappeared' loved ones in front of Geneva peace talks
With photographs of "disappeared" loved ones in front of Geneva peace talks Families for Freedom

Tens of thousands of people remain in detention or have ‘disappeared’ in Syria, devastating countless families. Activists say the issue has largely been avoided in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the Syrian conflict.

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In The News

How ISIS’ Defeat In Mosul Could Make It Stronger Worldwide

Mosul on July 3
Mosul on July 3 Carol Guzy/ZUMA

-Analysis- The recapture of Mosul by the Iraqi armed forces, with the support of the international coalition led by the United States, is a real achievement. ISIS has seen its biggest military conquest reversed, and its dream of an Islamic caliphate destroyed. But none of this means that the biggest terror organization the world has […]

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Economy Eyes on the U.S.

Trump Conflict Of Interest Questions Wash Up At His Caribbean Villa

A view on the Château des Palmiers
A view on the Château des Palmiers Sotheby's

The sale of property belonging to Mr Trump in the French Antilles could become a problem.

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In The News

A Lebanese Recipe For Intra-Islamic Reconciliation

Cooking in Tripoli
Cooking in Tripoli International Committee of the Red Cross Lebanon

A project in Tripoli, Lebanon’s second biggest city gives women from the rival Alawite and Sunni communities a chance to work together.

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In The News

Lights, Camera, Hamas: Palestinian Militants Shooting Film

Jerusalem's narrow alleyways were recreated for the film
Jerusalem's narrow alleyways were recreated for the film Chris Yunker

In southern Gaza, A “Hamas Hollywood” is starting taking shape, just in time for Ramadan.

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Geopolitics Society

Jerusalem, Where Archeology Meets Religion And Politics

Excavation site in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem
Excavation site in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem Ting Chen

JERUSALEM — The pounding of the hammer resonates in Jerusalem. “They are in the process of constructing a synagogue,” said the Israeli tour guide in front of the tunnel, which attracts hundreds of tourists even though they have difficulty navigating it. “One might say that there are plenty of places of worship like this,” said […]

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Society

The Risks In Syria Of Falling In Love With The Wrong Man

Woman on balcony in Latakia, Syria
Woman on balcony in Latakia, Syria Michael Goodine

Women in the government-controlled province of Latakia must decide between love and danger if they are to marry men from opposition-held areas in Syria.

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Geopolitics

Syria’s Gruesome Organ Trade

A gunman inside a hospital in Aleppo, Syria
A gunman inside a hospital in Aleppo, Syria Nicolas Hammarstrom/Kontinent/ZUMA

In Syria and its neighboring countries, an underground network of organ traders has sprung up, preying on the thousands affected by the five-year-long war by offering them desperately needed cash for nonessential organs.

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blog

Russia’s Surprise Withdrawal From Syria

“Russia out of Syria,” the front page of Moscow-based daily Vedomosti reads, just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s surprise announcement that Russian forces would withdraw from Syria. After yesterday’s unexpected announcement, a first group of warplanes has already left its Syrian base for Russia, the Defense Ministry said. “The main task now is to […]

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Geopolitics The Next Pope

Pope Francis v. President Macri: A Simmering Argentine Beef

Francis and Macri - a bit tense at Saturday's encounter at the Vatican
Francis and Macri - a bit tense at Saturday's encounter at the Vatican Evandro Inetti via ZUMA

A combination of political differences, bungling of protocol and lack of sensitivity seem to have further gnarled relations between Argentine President Mauricio Macri and fellow countryman Pope Francis.

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Geopolitics Ideas

The Crucial American Role In Calming Saudi-Iran Turmoil

U.S. President Barack Obama with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef at the White House in May 2015
U.S. President Barack Obama with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef at the White House in May 2015 Olivier Douliery/CNP/ZUMA

-Op-Ed- PARIS — In the 1970s, in the aftermath of Richard Nixon’s visit to China, commentators talked about the Washington-Moscow-Beijing triangle. These days, in the Middle East, there is another triangle: between Riyadh, Tehran and Washington. The problem for the region’s stability is that this triangle is absolutely dysfunctional. Indeed, the only way to understand […]

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Geopolitics Ideas

Turkey In Iraq, Erdogan Reveals His Sunni Agenda

Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers training near Erbil, Iraq
Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers training near Erbil, Iraq Spc. Tristan Bolden/Planet Pix/ZUMA

After its standoff with Moscow over the downed Russian fighter jet, Ankara is making waves with its troop presence in Iraq. But Turkey does not want Shia militia to be the heroes to “rescue” Mosul from ISIS.

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Geopolitics

Turkey-Russia Feud Reignites Armenian Question

In the mountains of Nagorno-Karabakh
In the mountains of Nagorno-Karabakh Sisse Skipper Andersen via Instagram

Since Turkey shot down a Russian military jet, discord between the two sides has escalated. The upshot could be unfreezing a war between Azerbaijan and an Armenian minority who have occupied its territories.

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Future Ideas

The Controversial Link Between Genetics And Civil War

War genes
War genes John O'Nolan/Worldcrunch montage

Though their conclusions have been criticized as racist and fatalistic, a group of researchers argues that civil wars are more likely in countries where there are vast genetic, and therefore aesthetic, differences among populations.

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Geopolitics Ukraine Winter

The Russian Heartland, Where Quiet Poverty And Denial Reign

Street market in Yelets, Russia
Street market in Yelets, Russia detka_ya_prosto_cosmos via Instagram

Far from the murders and intrigue swirling at the Kremlin, or the war rumbling in Ukraine, most of Russia lives in a strange post-Soviet state of denial like one finds in the city of Yelets.

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Geopolitics Ukraine Winter

Brothers Divided, Iconic Ukrainian Miners Torn By War

Sunset over Ukraine's Lidievka coal mine
Sunset over Ukraine's Lidievka coal mine Andrew Butko/GFDL

While Ukraine combat continues despite peace efforts, the Donbass region’s famously rugged coal miners have divided their loyalties: some keep working on Kiev’s behalf, others fleeing to the pro-Russian rebels.

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Ideas Ukraine Winter

War Or Peace In Ukraine? It’s All About Europe

A deep chill in Kiev
A deep chill in Kiev Igor Golovniov/ZUMA

The risk is real of armed conflict between the West and Moscow on European soil. Searching for a way out means learning the lessons of Finland, and counting on leadership from France.

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Geopolitics Society

In Israel, Argentine Jews Explain Why They Stay

An Israeli officer shows the inside of a tunnel discovered last year near Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha
An Israeli officer shows the inside of a tunnel discovered last year near Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha Li Rui/Xinhua/ZUMA

They moved to Israel from Argentina, or are the descendants of those who did. Despite the insecurity and fading hopes of peace, Argentine Israelis refuse to pack their bags in despair.

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Geopolitics The Endless War

Patronato Postcard: A Visit To Chile’s Little Palestine

Middle East politics on display in the heart of Santiago
Middle East politics on display in the heart of Santiago Machivalpo

Chile has the largest Palestinian population outside the Arab world. This neighborhood in Santiago is bound by a singular mix of history, soccer and headlines coming out of Gaza.

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Economy Geopolitics Ideas

Winners And Losers In The New Age Of Oil Politics

Venezuelan President Nicola Maduro waving at an oil tanker
Venezuelan President Nicola Maduro waving at an oil tanker Avn/Xinhua/ZUMA

Falling crude prices spell trouble for oil-dependent economies like Venezuela and Russia, with political consequences to follow. Meanwhile, the world’s two biggest economies may fare well.

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Geopolitics Ideas

For The West, There’s No Walking Away From Arab Conflicts

A U.S. Army Spc. in Afghanistan's Logar province, in June 2010.
A U.S. Army Spc. in Afghanistan's Logar province, in June 2010. DVIDSHUB

-OpEd- BERLIN — American Foreign Policy magazine’s home page is a little bit like a quotation board for security policy strategies. Here you see not only how various players evaluate the world’s conflicts but also how much support there is for their point of view, because the number of times the article has been shared […]

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Economy

Global Finance And The Risk Of A New World War

Unpleasant questions
Unpleasant questions mdfriendofhilary

In a gloomy new book, two French economists argue that the current state of global finance make conditions ripe not just for regional conflicts, but for a new world war.

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Geopolitics Ukraine Winter

In Ukraine, Sworn Enemies With So Much In Common

Ukraine forces near Sloviansk in April 2014
Ukraine forces near Sloviansk in April 2014 Michael Burza/ZUMA

Parallel portraits in the making of a civil war: one man is fighting for Kiev, the other is a Russian separatist.

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Geopolitics The Endless War

With Death Tolls Rising, Israel’s Options Start To Close

Israeli soldiers in southern Israel on Monday
Israeli soldiers in southern Israel on Monday Jinipix/Xinhua/ZUMA

Quit or double down? The risks for Israel rise in step with the number killed on both sides of the conflict in Gaza.

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blog

Iranian Official: Gaza Is Part Of Three-Way Israeli Plot

A prominent Iranian politician has characterized Israeli operations against Gaza as the third phase of Israel’s current plot to destabilize the Middle East region. Mohsen Rezai, a former Revolutionary Guards commander and current member of a state arbitrating body, said the first two phases of Israel’s strategy were the civil wars provoked in Syria and […]

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Geopolitics Ideas

Maliki, Portrait Of Another Failed Arab Leader

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and U.S. President Barack Obama
Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and U.S. President Barack Obama Olivier Douliery/Pool/Cnp Prensa Internacional/ZUMA

As Islamists gain ground in Iraq and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appeals for help, the U.S. says it will only help if he first resigns. But it’s not the only reason why his regime may fall.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Europe’s Extreme Right And Left United In Support Of Putin

Vona Gabor, leader of Hungary's far-right Jobbik party
Vona Gabor, leader of Hungary's far-right Jobbik party Jobbik FB

The Russian leader’s propaganda machine attracts all sorts of extremist movements in the European Union, on both sides of the political spectrum.

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Economy Geopolitics

What A Boycott On Israeli Goods Would Mean For Israel

In Birmingham, UK
In Birmingham, UK Andrew Taylor

Though chances still remain low, Israel wants to be prepared as threats grow of a major global boycott of its goods, like what happened in South Africa in the 1980s.

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blog

A Monk’s Peace Of Mind

A Monk's Peace Of Mind

When we went to Sri Lanka in 1992, conflict was raging between the country’s central government and the separatist Tamil Tigers, based in the north of the island. All our hotels were guarded by army soldiers, and there were tanks deployed in the parks of the capital Colombo. This monk looked to be prepared for […]

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Geopolitics Ideas

From Northern Ireland To South Sudan, Global Lessons On The *Process* Of Peace

South Sudan's day of independence in 2011
South Sudan's day of independence in 2011 Steve Evans

Peace is a process, never a single event. Negotiations for peace are always far more complicated than the public understands, and the results are not always miraculous. Even so, the majority of modern conflicts — 80%, according to the School for the Culture of Peace in Barcelona — eventually end after negotiations. The school’s reports […]

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Geopolitics

A ‘Middle Way’ With China? Interview With Prime Minister Of Tibetan Government-In-Exile

Tibetan Prime Minister In Exile Lobsang Sangay
Tibetan Prime Minister In Exile Lobsang Sangay Saransh Sehgal

DHARAMSALA — After the Dalai Lama relinquished political power in 2011, increasing attention has turned to the head of Tibet’s government-in-exile Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay, in the hope of breaking a decades-long standoff with Beijing. And yet the situation remains grim, with some 120 Tibetans having set themselves ablaze over the past four years to […]

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Geopolitics Society

From Spain To Colombia – Ghosts Of Civil Wars, Past And Present

Soldiers during the Spanish Civil War
Soldiers during the Spanish Civil War Gerda Taro

A father and son take shelter from the rain. Suddenly, a 76-year old man arrives, wedging himself in between the two of them. After a throwaway remark about the downpour, a question alters the course of the conversation. “During the war, you weren’t in Fonfría by any chance?” the man asks the father, referring to […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Diary Of Humiliation And Faith From A Hostage In Syria

Domenico Quirico back at La Stampa's newsroom in Turin
Domenico Quirico back at La Stampa's newsroom in Turin Anna Masera via Twitter

La Stampa’s veteran war correspondent Domenico Quirico was held hostage in Syria for five months by rebel soldiers. Earlier this week, along with Belgian writer Pierre Piccinin, the 61-year-old was released after what he described as a “very dangerous and complex” captivity. Here is his first account of what happened… TURIN — We entered Syria […]

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Geopolitics

Israeli Forces Kill Three Palestinians In West Bank Clashes, Peace Talks On Hold

AFP, BBC Worldcrunch RAMALLAH – Three Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces Monday after a raid in the Qalandiya West Bank refugee camp, which threatens to derail ongoing peace talks. Clashes erupted in the camp after Israeli forces attempted to arrest a suspect, the AFP reports. Medical sources said at least 19 other people […]

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Geopolitics

U.N. Calls for Investigation Into Alleged Chemical Attack In Syria

BBC, LE MONDE (France), RUSSIA TODAY, SANA (Syria) Worldcrunch NEW YORK — Calling this week’s alleged chemical attack in Syria “a serious escalation with grave humanitarian consequences,” United Nations Deputy Chief Jan Eliasson called an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council Wednesday and urged an investigation “as soon as possible,” Russia Today reports. Eliasson […]

Categories
Geopolitics

Syrian Rebels Claim 200 Dead In Chemical Attack, Government Denies

REUTERS, SKY NEWS (UK), SANA (Syria) Worldcrunch DAMASCUS — Two Syrian opposition groups claim that government forces launched rockets with poison gas Wednesday morning in an attack they say killed more than 200 people in a rebel-held area near Damascus, Reuters reports. Syrian officials denied the claims on state television, calling the allegations “completely baseless.” […]

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