In The News

US-Iran Confrontation Escalates: New York Times

David E. Sanger, Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt April 30, 2020
A few hours after Iran successfully sent its first “military satellite” into orbit, the US president declared on Twitter that he had asked the Navy to sink any Iranian fast boats that harass US warships in the Persian Gulf. The launch was significant for Iran because the satellite originated from a mobile launch vehicle, which could potentially launch missiles and deliver nuclear weapons....

Jostle for Dominance in Indo-Pacific Region: SCMP

Minnie Chan April 28, 2020
Military maneuvers continue in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and the East China Sea, as China, the United States and others manage a pandemic response. “The frequency of such tours has raised concerns among military observers and analysts that these exercises could lead to miscalculation as different countries use their militaries to jostle for greater influence or rattle the sabre amid...

Weapons Don’t Fight Pandemics: Deutsche Welle

Miodrag Soric April 27, 2020
Security comes in many forms and some nations invest in broader preparation than others, as demonstrated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Writing for Deutsche Welle, Miodrag Soric argues that countries that focused on arms purchases rather than disaster preparedness struggle with the pandemic. “Tanks, fighter planes and aircraft carriers – where many crew members have fallen ill with the coronavirus –...

Threat to Western Multilateral Order: New Statesman

Paul Mason April 3, 2020
The COVID-19 may soon present a geopolitical and security crisis in addition to the health and economic challenges, as the disease spreads from advanced economies and cities to rural communities and the global South. Fragile states could collapse. The United States and Europe, under stress, have not displayed traditional leadership roles with early pandemic communications or orderly distribution...

“Dumped in Florida”: Bradenton Herald

Taylor Dolven and Samantha J. Gross April 3, 2020
Cruise ships with passengers and crew reporting symptoms of COVID-19 struggle to dock at ports during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Zaandam, operated by Carnival Corporation’s Holland America Line, has seen four passengers die and at least two test positive for COVID-19,” reports the Brandenton Herald. “Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford said in a statement Monday that the company is...

Libya Defies Calls for Global Ceasefire: Guardian

Patrick Wintour April 2, 2020
The civil war in Libya has escalated even though the United Nations called for a “global ceasefire.” Warlord General Khalifa Haftar and his forces, the Libyan National Army, or LNA, claim to occupy some towns in the northwest and repel attacks by the UN-backed government army aiming to capture the key airbase. After the two warring parties recently agreed to a humanitarian truce, the peace...

The Greatest Test: UN News

April 1, 2020
The United Nations urges the world to unite as COVID-19 spreads throughout communities, forcing people to isolate, ruining economic activity and livelihoods. Long-term effects could be dire, and Secretary-General António Guterres calls for shared responsibility. “This human crisis demands coordinated, decisive, inclusive and innovative policy action from the world’s leading economies – and...