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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

Putin Weighs Economic Strains Amid Trump’s Push for Ukraine Peace

Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly concerned about the economic pressures of the ongoing Ukraine war, as former U.S. President Donald Trump, back in office, pushes for a resolution to the conflict. While...

Dollar Holds Steady Amid Tariff Speculations and Rate Decision Anticipation

The U.S. dollar remained steady against major currencies on Thursday, continuing its muted performance over the past two days as markets awaited clarity on tariff policies from U.S. President Donald Trump. Investors are...

China Boosts Stock Market with Major Investments and Policy Support

China has announced plans to inject hundreds of billions of yuan into its equity markets annually, aiming to bolster investor confidence. In the first half of the year, state-owned insurers will invest at least 100 billion...

Singapore Inflation Eases to Over Three-Year Low in December

Singapore's core inflation rose 1.8% in December, exceeding economists' forecast of 1.7%, but marking the lowest level since November 2021, when it was 1.6%. Headline inflation reached 1.6%, slightly above the expected...

Oil Prices Dip Amid Higher U.S. Output, Trump Policies, and Inventory Concerns

Oil prices edged lower in Asian trade Thursday, extending recent declines as traders braced for higher U.S. crude production under President Donald Trump. Brent futures slipped 0.3% to $78.80 per barrel, while WTI futures...

Politics

Elon Musk Criticizes President Trump’s $500B Stargate AI Project

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has voiced doubts over the financial feasibility of President Donald Trumps $500 billion Stargate project, unveiled Tuesday. The initiative aims to establish an advanced artificial intelligence (AI)...

Trump’s Commerce Nominee Howard Lutnick to Face Senate Hearing

The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a January 29 hearing on President Donald Trumps nominee, Howard Lutnick, to lead the Commerce Department. As head of Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Group, Lutnick has built a prominent...

Macron and Scholz Address U.S. Trade Tensions in Paris Meeting

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met in Paris on Wednesday to emphasize European unity as the continent faces tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump, who has criticized...

South Korean President Faces Indictment for Martial Law Declaration

South Koreas anti-corruption agency has requested prosecutors indict President Yoon Suk Yeol for insurrection and abuse of power following his brief declaration of martial law on December 3. The Corruption Investigation...

DOJ Freezes Civil Rights Litigation from Biden Era

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has paused civil rights litigation initiated during the administration of former President Joe Biden, according to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters. The directive halts ongoing...

Science

Most of us trust scientists, shows a survey of nearly 72,000 people worldwide

Public trust in scientists is vital. It can help us with personal decisions on matters like health and provide evidence-based policymaking to assist governments with crises such as the COVID pandemic or climate change. In...

Astronauts on NASA’s Artemis mission to the Moon will need better boots − here’s why

The U.S.s return to the Moon with NASAs Artemis program will not be a mere stroll in the park. Instead it will be a perilous journey to a lunar location representing one of the most extreme environments in the solar...

Why Africa’s young scientists should help check the quality of climate change research

Scientific research is essential for addressing the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body, assesses the science on climate change through its regular assessment...

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy provides in-house science advice for the president

Presidents need science advice. From climate change and pandemics to the governance of AI and the countrys nuclear arsenal, science sits at the center of a range of foreign and domestic policy challenges that reach the...

Double Moonshot: Japan’s ispace and Firefly Launch Lunar Missions

In a significant stride for lunar exploration, Japanese company ispace and U.S.-based Firefly Aerospace launched moon landers aboard a SpaceX rocket from Florida. This rare double mission highlights the growing competition...

Technology

Tesla to Raise Car Prices in Canada Starting February 1

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is set to increase prices for all its vehicles in Canada beginning February 1, as per updates on its Canadian website. The price adjustments will affect the popular Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model...

Meta Joins $10 Billion Databricks Funding Round Amid AI Boom

Meta Joins $10 Billion Databricks Funding Round Amid AI Boom Databricks announced that Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) participated in its $10 billion Series J funding round, valuing the data analytics startup at $62 billion....

HTC Sells XR Unit to Google for $250 Million

Taiwans HTC announced it will sell part of its extended reality (XR) division to Google for $250 million. The deal, expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, will see some HTC employees join Google, enhancing the...

LinkedIn Faces Lawsuit Over Data Use for AI Training

Microsofts LinkedIn is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit, accused of sharing private messages from Premium users without permission to train generative AI models. The complaint, filed in federal court in San Jose,...

SoftBank and OpenAI Lead $19B Investments in Stargate AI Initiative

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) and OpenAI have each pledged $19 billion to Stargate, a groundbreaking technology initiative focused on AI data centers, The Information reports. OpenAI and SoftBank will each hold a 40%...