Thursday, April 3

Globalization, Global Disintegration

Central Asia Looks To Regional Alliances, UN For Leadership
23Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Types of News: Analysis, UN Security Council

Central Asia Looks To Regional Alliances, UN For Leadership

September 23, 2021--Leaders from Pakistan, Tajikistan, and other Central Asian countries are strengthening regional alliances and looking to the international community for help in dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and security concerns in the region. In the absence of U.S. and NATO military involvement in Afghanistan, new partnerships and ways of thinking are taking shape to influence the region. Of first and foremost concern for many of the area’s leaders is the massive humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said it is in the international community's collective interest to support the people of Afghanistan. “This moment should not be squandered," he said. “We must remember that the previous Afghanistan government survived on...
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ESSAYS: History Is Cyclical, And Humans Are Migratory
31Aug By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments
Migration, Immigration, Borders, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing

ESSAYS: History Is Cyclical, And Humans Are Migratory

Ernesto Rodriguez moved to Madrid, Spain in 2019, escaping the political and economic crises in Venezuela. History doesn’t repeat itself exactly, but it does rhyme. Immigrant. It’s a loaded word. Honestly, it took a few months for me to assume it as mine. Its three syllables need to cover a crisis, a trauma, and a common name for more than 5 million Venezuelans. But it’s not just attributed to us. It’s also the reality of my grandparents, who had to leave Spain due to the economic crisis after the Spanish civil war. It's also true of for millions of displaced refugees from the Middle East, or even of a young person moving to Los Angeles to try his or her hand at showbiz. As the Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler sings, “Somos una especie en viaje.” We are a species of trave...
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The Hidden Heroes of the Afghan Refugee Crisis
25Aug By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Human rights, Migration, Immigration, Borders, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Types of News: Brief

The Hidden Heroes of the Afghan Refugee Crisis

August 25, 2021--As observers around the world watch in horror the collapse of human rights in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, humanitarians are stepping up to the plate to assist vulnerable members of Afghan society. Governments Relocating Refugees In a press briefing this week, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price discussed successful relocations from Afghanistan. He credited a number of contributions by countries in the relocation efforts. Specifically, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Italy, Bahrain, and Germany. These governments have assisted in the transit of at-risk Afghans, US citizens, and other Afghan evacuees. Alongside those efforts, Germany, Spain, and Italy have deployed armed troops to Afghanistan to assist in the evacuation. These forces are...
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Afghanistan’s Fall Creates The Worst Humanitarian Crisis of the Year
19Aug By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Migration, Immigration, Borders, Types of News: Brief

Afghanistan’s Fall Creates The Worst Humanitarian Crisis of the Year

Scenes of chaos at the Kabul airport. August 19, 2021-- The jaws of Hell opened this week as Kabul, Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, parting the gates for the worst humanitarian crisis of the year. Images from around Afghanistan emulate the disruption and chaos that has come from this growth in Taliban power: Taliban members smiled at the media cameras in their conquered territories. Afghan civilians clung to US Air Force planes departing from Kabul, pleading for a way out of the country. As The New York Times put it, this week's events are "a symbol of America's military might, flying out of the country even as Afghans hung on against all hope." https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1427292291320975360?s=20 'Cannot Abandon The People of Afghanistan' Half of the count...
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China’s Belt And Road Projects Involved With 679 Human Rights Violations, Researchers Say
12Aug By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Foreign Aid, International Development, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Human rights, Types of News: Brief

China’s Belt And Road Projects Involved With 679 Human Rights Violations, Researchers Say

Report Takes A Critical Look At China's Development Projects Abroad And Calls for Greater Transparency August 12, 2021-A report released yesterday links China's Belt and Road Initiative with 679 allegations of human rights abuse between 2013 and 2020. "China’s aspiration to become a ‘responsible great power’ is set to be undermined by high rates of human rights abuse linked to its overseas business operations," according to the report publisher, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Worst-Case Scenarios in Places With Weak Governments Counties with the highest number of abuse allegations include Myanmar, Peru, Ecuador, Laos, Cambodia, and Indonesia. The authors discovered that the highest rates of alleged abuse were prevalent in countries with weaker governance....
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EU Invests In Western Balkan States, Discusses Enlargement Plans
9Jul By Steve BerlinNo Comments
Europe, EU, Eurozone, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Types of News: Brief

EU Invests In Western Balkan States, Discusses Enlargement Plans

German Leader Angela Merkel hosts the 2021 Berlin Process in a virtual meeting. Angela Merkel Hosts 8th Annual Berlin Process Engaging Western Balkans July 7, 2021-European Union leaders said they are encouraged by the progress Western Balkan countries are making in pursuit of EU membership. Writing on Twitter, EU President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU needs to “speed up the enlargement process.” She also said the process aids the applicants. The EU restated its commitment to helping the Western Balkans with post-pandemic economic recovery efforts via infrastructure investments, as well as financial and technical assistance among other avenues. Berlin Process for Admission The Berlin Process is the lengthy path to EU membership for Albania (applied 2009), Bosnia and Herz...
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U.S. Bans Solar-Industry Product Made in Xinjiang, China Over Concerns of ‘Modern-Day Slavery’
5Jul By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Global Trade, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Human rights, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Bans Solar-Industry Product Made in Xinjiang, China Over Concerns of ‘Modern-Day Slavery’

July 5, 2021-- In the latest move to identify and prohibit products produced by "state-sponsored forced labor," the U.S. government banned imports of a material made in Xinjiang, China. The product, polysilicon, is a key component in the supply chain of solar panels. As a result of the ban, U.S. Customs officials must intercept imports of the product at U.S. ports. The decision is likely to have an impact not only on consumer and manufacture prices but also on foreign relations between the two countries. 'Modern-Day Slavery' Alejandro N. Mayorkas, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, announced the order against Hoshine Silicon Industry in late June. The decision followed discussions among leaders from G7 countries about the use of forced labor global supply chains. It also comes on t...
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Beijing Strikes Back Against Western Sanctions
17Jun By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Diplomacy, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Human rights, Sanctions, Types of News: Brief

Beijing Strikes Back Against Western Sanctions

June 17, 2021--China's National People's Congress passed sweeping legislation last week to retaliate against Western sanctions and those who enact them. The Anti-foreign Sanctions Law gives China's authority to blacklist individuals and organizations who create or implement discriminating measures against China or its citizens or interfere with China's internal affairs, according to a Reuters analysis of the legislation. If targeted and placed on a blacklist, individuals and organizations could face the following consequences: Deportation from ChinaBanned from travel to China.Chinese assets dissolved or frozen.Transaction within China restricted. Western Sanctions The new law comes in response to sanctions that the European Union, United States, Canada and Britain issued ag...
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Biden Hosts ‘Quad’ Virtual Conference with India, Japan, Australia
12Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Global Trade, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Types of News: Brief

Biden Hosts ‘Quad’ Virtual Conference with India, Japan, Australia

Quad Meeting Comes a Week After China Strengthens Ties with ASEAN March 12, 2021--In his first multilateral summit since taking office in January, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted a virtual conference today with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia. "The Quad is going to be a vital arena for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific," Biden said. "The United States is committed to working with you our partners and all our allies in the region to achieve stability." The talks, known formally as the “Quadrilateral Security Dialogue” since their start in 2007, are designed to strengthen diplomatic, military and economic ties among the members. While not an alliance, the informal dialogue provides a structure for the leaders to work together. During the opening statements, the leaders e...
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WHO Mission Gives China Political Win, Overlooks Evidence About Bats in Wuhan Lab
15Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Communism, Dictatorship, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Types of News: Analysis

WHO Mission Gives China Political Win, Overlooks Evidence About Bats in Wuhan Lab

February 15, 2021--Over a year after the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization concluded a four-week investigatory mission in Wuhan, China, making comments favoring the Chinese government's narrative. It was a political win for China and a significant loss for science. In almost a surreal and surprising outcome, the mission team downplayed the possibility the virus started in a Wuhan lab and pointed to other theories popular in China. "All the work that has been done on the virus and trying to identify its origin continue to point to a natural reservoir of this virus and similar virus in bat population," said Peter Ben Embarek, the head of the WHO Mission in Wuhan. "But since Wuhan is not a city or environment close to this bat environment, a direct ...
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