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Ian Parmeter

Research Scholar, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University
Ian Parmeter worked for 37 years in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Office of National Assessments. He is also a former Australian ambassador to Lebanon. He is currently a Research Scholar at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University.

Beyond the Israel–Hamas ceasefire, the future looks unclear. Here are six key unanswered questions

Jan 17, 2025 14:35 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, to come into effect on Sunday, has understandably been welcomed by the overwhelming majority of Israelis and Palestinians. Israelis are relieved that a process for freeing...

Israel’s invasion of Rafah will not eliminate Hamas or end the war. So, what is Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan?

May 16, 2024 02:03 am UTC| Insights & Views

The Gaza war has now entered its eighth month and a resolution to the conflict still seems far off. Israel claims to have killed 13,000 Hamas militants so far. If that figure is correct, one can assume the number of...

Global Geopolitics Series

Israel-Palestinian conflict: is the two-state solution now dead?

Jan 29, 2024 12:25 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The growing rift between the Biden administration and the Netanyahu government over Israels war in Gaza is now in the open, with public disagreement between them on the viability of a two-state solution to the...

After 3 months of devastation in the Israel-Hamas war, is anyone 'winning'?

Jan 08, 2024 22:22 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The 19th century German war strategist and field marshal Helmuth von Moltke famously coined the aphorism No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. His observation might well be applied to the tragedy we are...

Global Geopolitics Series

As calls grow louder for a Gaza ceasefire, Netanyahu is providing few clues about his strategy or post-war plans

Nov 15, 2023 01:46 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

More than five weeks into Israels war with Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not outlined his future vision for Gaza. He has said many times the war will continue until Hamas is eradicated. But his battle...

Global Geopolitics Series

Even if Israel can completely eliminate Hamas, does it have a long-term plan for Gaza?

Oct 24, 2023 09:21 am UTC| Insights & Views

Not counting periodic cross-border skirmishes, Israel has fought three major wars against Hamas since withdrawing its forces from Gaza in 2005 in 2008, 2014 and 2021. Each involved limited ground incursions, with Israeli...

Global Geopolitics Series

Why did Hamas attack, and why now? What does it hope to gain?

Oct 09, 2023 13:03 pm UTC| Insights & Views

In hindsight, the drivers of Hamass startlingly well-planned, land-sea-air attack on Israel on Saturday were in plain sight. The operation reflects a pattern of four wars and regular outbreaks of violence between Israel...

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Economy

China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook

Chinas factory activity contracted at the start of the year, highlighting persistent pressure from weak domestic demand despite continued policy support from Beijing. An official survey released on Saturday showed that...

U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal

The United States government was on track for a partial shutdown early Saturday after Congress failed to finalize a funding agreement before the midnight deadline. Although the U.S. Senate ultimately passed a bipartisan...

Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair

Gold and silver prices suffered a dramatic selloff on Friday after President Donald Trump nominated former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair, easing fears about the central banks...

Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets

Wall Street ended Friday on a weaker note as risk-off sentiment dominated trading, driven by hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data, a dramatic sell-off in precious metals, and major political developments surrounding...

Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes

Asian currencies traded in a narrow range on Friday as the U.S. dollar rebounded modestly from a near four-year low, following comments from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would announce his nominee for the next...

Politics

U.S. Approves Over $6.5 Billion in Military Sales to Israel Across Three Defense Contracts

The United States has approved more than $6.5 billion in potential military sales to Israel through three separate defense contracts, according to announcements released by the Pentagon on Friday. The approvals, granted by...

Syria-Kurdish Ceasefire Marks Historic Step Toward National Unity

The Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces have reached a landmark ceasefire agreement that sets out a phased integration of Kurdish fighters into state institutions, easing fears of a major military confrontation in...

Putin Envoy Kirill Dmitriev to Visit Miami for Talks With Trump Administration Officials

Russian President Vladimir Putins special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is expected to travel to Miami on Saturday for meetings with members of U.S. President Donald Trumps administration, according to two sources familiar with...

Kevin Warsh’s Fed Nomination Raises Questions Over Corporate Ties and U.S.–South Korea Trade Tensions

Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trumps nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, is drawing renewed scrutiny over his corporate affiliations as trade tensions between the United States and South Korea escalate. Warsh, a former...

Trump Nominates Brett Matsumoto as Next Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he has nominated Brett Matsumoto to serve as the next commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a key federal agency responsible for producing critical data...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Elon Musk’s Empire: SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI Merger Talks Spark Investor Debate

Speculation around a potential Musk Inc has resurfaced as Elon Musks companiesSpaceX, Tesla, and xAIexplore closer ties amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence and automation. With SpaceX expected to go public later...

SpaceX Reports $8 Billion Profit as IPO Plans and Starlink Growth Fuel Valuation Buzz

SpaceX delivered a strong financial performance last year, generating an estimated $8 billion in profit on revenues between $15 billion and $16 billion, according to people familiar with the companys results. The figures,...

SpaceX Updates Starlink Privacy Policy to Allow AI Training as xAI Merger Talks and IPO Loom

SpaceX has revised its Starlink privacy policy to allow customer data to be used for artificial intelligence training, a move that could significantly support Elon Musks broader AI ambitions. The policy change comes as...

Nvidia’s $100 Billion OpenAI Investment Faces Internal Doubts, Report Says

Nvidias ambitious plan to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI, aimed at supporting the training and operation of next-generation artificial intelligence models, has reportedly hit a roadblock. According to a report...

Federal Judge Signals Possible Dismissal of xAI Lawsuit Against OpenAI

A U.S. federal judge has signaled she may dismiss a high-profile lawsuit filed by Elon Musks artificial intelligence startup, xAI, against rival OpenAI, dealing a potential setback to Musk in an escalating legal battle...