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James Horncastle

Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University
James Horncastle is an assistant professor in the Department of Humanities and holder of the Edward and Emily McWhinney Professorship in International Relations at Simon Fraser University. He is also a member of the steering committee for the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies. His recent manuscript, The Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, 1944–1949, examines how the Macedonian Slavs participation in the conflict, and the attempts by other groups to manipulate them, gave rise to modern issues that continue to affect politics in the region today. His research interests include: refugee and migration studies; international relations; conflict studies; history of modern Greece; and Yugoslav studies.

Why the fall of Bashar al-Assad is unlikely to lead to peace in Syria

Dec 10, 2024 05:05 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The Syrian oppositions recent capture of the countrys largest city of Aleppo caught much of the international community by surprise. After the involvement of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah in the prolonged Syrian civil war,...

Delays in western aid have put Ukraine in a perilous position

May 18, 2024 11:59 am UTC| Insights & Views

Russia recently began another offensive against Ukrainian forces, this time in the Kharkiv region. This attack was not a surprise development Russian forces had been preparing themselves over several months for the...

Global Geopolitics Series

Western leaders threaten to undermine Navalny’s legacy in Russia

Feb 22, 2024 06:27 am UTC| Insights & Views

The recent death of Alexei Navalny brought immediate condemnations from world leaders, with the American president immediately pointing the finger of blame at Vladimir Putin. One cannot say with certainty the Russian...

Global Geopolitics Series

The West's strikes against Houthis risk igniting a powderkeg in the Middle East

Jan 23, 2024 05:24 am UTC| Insights & Views

The United States and the United Kingdom are launching missile and drone strikes against the Yemeni armed group Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis. Houthis, a faction in the ongoing Yemen civil war, had been...

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine can still defeat Russia, but it needs the right tools to do it

Dec 26, 2023 23:17 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Ukraines strategic position has declined over the last six months. The summer offensive, which sparked hope among Ukraine and its supporters, failed to deliver significant territorial gains. Furthermore, support for...

Global Geopolitics Series

Israel's ground offensive in Gaza City is ignoring the past lessons of urban warfare

Nov 29, 2023 06:06 am UTC| Insights & Views

Mediators are seeking to extend the truce between Israel and Hamas beyond Wednesday amid the exchange of hostages for prisoners. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to resume the war with full force...

Global Geopolitics Series

How Serbia-Kosovo tensions hang like a spectre over the European Union

Oct 17, 2023 06:53 am UTC| Insights & Views

An armed band of Serb militants recently ambushed police in Kosovo. In the resulting firefight and retreat, four people including a police officer died from their wounds. The incident sparked official recriminations...

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Economy

Asian Stocks Mixed Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting

Asian stock markets traded mixed on Wednesday as investors remained cautious ahead of a closely watched meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. stock futures were also largely...

Asian Currencies Muted as Dollar Firms Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Most Asian currencies traded in narrow ranges on Wednesday as a firmer U.S. dollar and caution ahead of the Trump-Xi summit offset optimism stemming from falling oil prices. Regional trading volumes were subdued due to a...

Oil Prices Extend Losses as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Supply Fears

Oil prices extended their decline for a sixth consecutive session on Wednesday as signs of diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran eased concerns over Middle East supply disruptions. Saudi Arabias efforts to...

Gold Prices Rise as Oil Slide Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears

Gold prices moved higher on Wednesday as a steep decline in oil prices eased inflation concerns and reduced expectations for additional interest rate increases from the U.S. Federal Reserve. Renewed signs of possible...

RBA Says ASX Still Falls Short on Governance and Risk Controls

The Reserve Bank of Australia said ASXs clearing and settlement facilities still fall short of regulatory expectations in several key areas, despite improvements made by the exchange operator over the past year. In its...

Politics

China Tightens Fentanyl Rules Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

China has introduced new guidelines for handling criminal cases involving fentanyl-related substances, strengthening its legal framework for combating synthetic opioid crimes ahead of a high-profile meeting between Chinese...

Taiwan Vows to Advance US Arms Sales Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting

Taiwan will maintain close communication with the United States to ensure planned arms sales move forward, a defence ministry official said Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese President Xi...

Macron Challenges Trump’s Gaza Peace Claims at UN

French President Emmanuel Macron challenged U.S. President Donald Trumps claims of achieving peace in Gaza on Tuesday, arguing that humanitarian access to the enclave had not improved despite the proclaimed agreement....

Russian Strikes Kill Eight Across Ukraine as Energy Sites Hit

Russian strikes across Ukraine killed eight people and damaged industrial and energy infrastructure on Tuesday as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General...

Marco Rubio to Meet Russia’s Lavrov in New York

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York City on Wednesday morning, according to the U.S. State Department, as diplomatic attention remains focused on the...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Scott Bessent Eyed as Trump’s New AI Czar

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is under consideration to become President Donald Trumps new artificial intelligence czar as Washington intensifies its focus on AI development, safety and national security. A source...

China Reviews Broadcom Switch Use in State Data Centres

China is reviewing the use of Broadcom switches in state-backed data centres as Beijing intensifies efforts to reduce dependence on foreign technology and promote domestic semiconductor and networking equipment suppliers,...

US Northeast Airports Resume Operations After Telecom Outage Disrupts Thousands of Flights

US airport operations across the Northeast began returning to normal on Monday after crews repaired telecommunications problems that had disrupted air traffic and contributed to thousands of flight delays and cancellations...

Burnham Eyes UK Leadership Role in AI Ahead of Trump Meeting

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will push for the UK to take a global leadership role in artificial intelligence on Tuesday as he makes his first major appearance on the international diplomatic stage at the United...

OpenAI Urges US-Led Global Standards for Frontier AI

OpenAI is calling for the United States to lead an international effort to establish technical standards for advanced artificial intelligence, as concerns grow over increasingly capable AI systems and the prospect of...