On Monday, May 9th, the Philippines held a presidential election to replace President Rodrigo Duterte. Critics characterize Duterte’s presidency as ruthless and authoritarian, moving the Philippines away from a democratic culture. Duterte gained a legacy for using brutal tactics in his approach to countering crime. His violent war on drugs resulted in tens of thousands […]
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupts decades of peace on the European continent. It challenges the current international order. But Putin’s Russia is not the only country using conflict for its own gain. On the other side of the world, China is monitoring how the west responds to Russia to better prepare for its own plan […]
Sports and politics have long been intertwined- historical figures like Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ash, and Billie Jean King have played a huge role in advancing the cause of human rights both in the United States and around the world. Modern figures like Colin Kapernick, Megan Rapinoe, Enes Kanter Freedom, and many many others […]
Before getting into any of this, I feel that it is important to say that my intention here is to calm tensions between the United States and China, not to heighten them. I believe that the probability of direct military conflict between the United States and China over the next few decades is relatively slim […]
Recent high-level diplomatic visits to Taiwan risk rupturing permanently the U.S.’ “One China” policy. This policy is the foundation of the U.S.-China peaceful relationship. As Taiwan is the most preeminent security issue in U.S.-China relations, a miscalculation from either side, leading to a military conflict cannot be entirely ruled out.
After the skirmish along the Indian-Chinese border that killed 20 Indian soldiers, many Indian commentators are presently concerned that China is increasingly trying to push New Delhi’s allies away from India and towards them. For example, the Hindu reported that these commentators described the zero-tariff agreement for 97% of the exports between Bangladesh and China […]
If one watches CNN, the Trump impeachment hearings and the British elections dominate headlines. Next down on the list is the earthquake that recently struck Albania and global warming. It as if with the collapse of the ISIS Caliphate, the world believes that Christians are no longer being persecuted and it is time to […]
The recent 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and other related summits in Bangkok fell below expectations, providing fodder to armchair sceptics who believe such summits are a waste of time. But on closer inspection, these summits can still be viewed as a glass half-full in reasserting ASEAN’s regionalism in the Indo-Pacific. […]
Following years of unrelenting repression and humiliation of Kashmiris, India has finally extinguished their last ray of hope by repealing Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution – both of which had granted Kashmir a special status. India did so in violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions that forbade annexation of the […]
The ongoing pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong put the question directly to Americans: just how important is freedom to us? There can be no mistake that the demonstrators aim for democratic rule, that they have reason to expect it, and that China denies it to them. The formal structure of the Hong Kong government, […]
A recent report in the Times of India claimed that up to 2,447 members of minority communities in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan were recently granted Indian citizenship. One of the major reasons why India expedited the process of granting these refugees Indian citizenship is because the plight of minorities in these three countries is horrendous. […]
One year on since the 2018 electoral victory, Malaysia’s Pakatan Harapan government, led by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has kept the main thrust of foreign policy of past governments of the Barisan Nasional. But slight readjustments have been made to reorient Malaysia’s foreign policy to the center, enabling Pakatan to strive for more balance […]
“I especially call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, whom we share the same faith with, to help out his Hindu brethren, who are being left destitute,” Hindu human rights activist Shipan Kumer Basu declared. In Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka following the Easter bombings, the plight of Hindus is rapidly deteriorating. In Pakistan […]
In honor of the re-election of Modi, Shipan Kumer Basu, the President of the World Hindu Struggle Committee, declared: “Under your leadership, you will play an important role in protecting the oppressed minorities in Bangladesh, who are presently being slowly and gradually ethnically cleansed from their ancestral homeland.” According to the BBC, Indian Prime Minister […]
Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the United States of America is progressively distancing from its global leadership role. President Trump is clear that he wants American dollars spent on American people. In line with this ethos, America has withdrawn from major treaties to focus on getting its own house in order – […]
